SMART SMART

Goodness am I going to miss our sweet neighborhood!!! We have the best neighbors and friends. AFter the fabulous party for the children this afternoon, we had a neighborhood potluck. Families are all invited to share a dish and fellowship. It is a fun, festive time. The children all run around like crazy, and I pretend I don't have any children as I try to taste as many yummy dishes as possible. A glass of water spilled early on in the playroom. My friend, J, (different than the J this afternoon) told me not to worry as she had tested her fabric!! She took her fabric swatches & threw Ragu sauce on them & then laundered them. She chose the fabric that was stain-free!! I love it. I can't wait to choose new fabric and do the Ragu test! I hope you'll try it too.

Rely on Him

I am really having to rely on the Lord for strength to make it through each day! My mind is swirling with things to do, people to call, and Christmas. On top of that are all of the emotions I am feeling with leaving so many precious friends and family members here in Raleigh.

Our sweet neighbor, J, always hosts a Children's Live Nativity and Happy Birthday, Jesus party. Today was the party. The children dress as wisemen, shepherds, and angels. Mary & Joseph are there too. This year, we had a special treat. Our pastor, P, showed up as the shepherd Eli and told us about Jesus' birth. Then, J spoke and said so many sweet things that tears rolled down my face! P then prayed for our family and I cried some more. Thank you, Lord, for so many precious friends and for this sweet community. Please guide us as you lead us to a new city and new friends.

Book of Meals You've Made

My mother has always had a nice book where she keeps the menus from all family dinners, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Baptisms, et cetera. I loved this idea & started it when Doug & I got married. I bought a nice leather-bound sketchbook at Borders or Barnes and Noble. I record the food I made for baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties, and dinners for friends. I also try to remember to write down when I take a meal to someone, the occasion, and what I gave them. It is fun to look back and read over it to remember special events, and it also keeps you from feeding someone the same thing every time they come over!!

Sugared Pecans

Tis the Season! It's always nice to have something delicious for friends and family to enjoy during visits or just before dinner. I believe these pecans are a wonderful treat!!!

Ingredients:

1 lb. pecans
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

Bake pecans on cookie sheet at 350*F for 15 minutes. While pecans are in the oven, mix sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt. Cook to soft ball stage (about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Mix. Add pecans and stir until all pecans are coated with mixture. Pour onto waxed paper (or buttered foil) to cool. Separate pecans. Store in tightly closed container. ENJOY!

K's Pageant

I have wanted one of my children to be Mary or Joseph ever since they were born. The triplets were 2 angels & a star. No Mary. I felt certain K had a pretty good shot. She loves to sing, she has a loud voice, and she is beyond precious. But no. K was not Mary. K was a FRIEND of Mary. Well, if you can't be Mary, being a friend of Mary is the next best thing, right?

Poor K. She was so embarrassed by her head dress. She covered her beautiful face because she did not like her little hat. And I cried. Tears of sadness that my little angel didn't like what she had to wear. There were tears of happiness that she did such a great job, despite the fact that she did not get to be her chosen role. There were also the tears that I knew would flow since we're leaving our sweet preschool because of the move. It was a beautiful morning. All of the children did a wonderful job and I cried listening to every solo and seeing every little character, angel, and animal. I beamed at my beautiful friend of Mary and thanked the Lord for our 5 blessings.

One year anniversary

A year ago on the 18th our sweet Papa went to Heaven to be with Jesus. None of us can believe he is really gone because he was so healthy and vibrant until cancer took over his life. He died 50 days later. D's mother is here, so we tried to make it a special day. I made her a book about Papa & D, and she spent the day with her niece on Papa's side. That afternoon, we bought balloons and released them to Papa. The children each told a favorite thing about Papa. It was very sweet. Then we watched the balloons travel to Heaven to be with Papa!

Infinitely More than we could imagine

God is so faithful!!! I am in FL visiting our new home and am AMAZED at the way the Lord has provided for us!! He makes the impossible possible. Our new home was way out of our price range. It is just beautiful. It is the only home we looked at that has a nice front and back yard and a pool. It is truly incredible!! And now, it is under contract and will be ours in 2 weeks!! Thank you, Lord. I believe He saved this house for us. We could not afford it. The owner took a MAJOR lowball offer, after turning one down in the past year that was close to his asking price. Wow. We are so thankful. To GOD BE THE GLORY!