From Four Days

This week has flown by. On our way home, Monday night we had a quick dinner at one of our favorite drive-in's complete with burgers, fries, and shakes. I didn't take any pictures which is kind of sad.

It turns out a lot was happening in the gardens. My morning glory has grown over the top of the trellis. There were several cucumbers ready to be picked and my green beans survived without me. I've loved going out to my little patch to pick just enough beans for dinner whenever I feel like it.

During a grocery run, I got trapped by the ice cream sale.  They just so happened to have spumoni and I just so happened to "need" that. There are some things I only buy on sale: ice cream, chips, bread, and cereal. It's always better that way!

I may or may not have satisfied my craving for an iced toasted marshmallow latte which also included another ride in my sister's truck.

It feels great to be back to blogging!

What were you up to this week?

From Four Days

July 17, 2014

Don't mind my I've been swimming hair and going all day eyes. :)

The last six days were mostly really good!

Saturday we got pumped up about geocaching again after we went to a class and grabbed a few caches. We got some of our favorite chinese and it was a great day.

The highlight of Sunday was finishing a game of Kojak. I lost. :(

On Tuesday we went to visit some friends who are all camped out for the week. There was swimming and talking and eating. When we were done we picked up our first trackable and hit two geocaches.

On Wednesday, I went swimming with my brother for a few hours. When I got home I made "THE best dinner since you made steak" according to my brother (homemade chicken nuggets, oven potatoes, and watermelon).

Yesterday, my Mom and I went to the reflexologist in the morning. Then my brother and I went swimming again and I came home just in time to get dinner going. My sister came out to my garden with me and we picked the FIRST green beans of this season (this is also my first year growing green beans) and I fixed them with dinner.

When everything was ready, I took a plate to Al. We visited and then we moved out to visit on his porch and then we took a walk through his garden. He ended up giving me four of the cutest little zucchini! When I got home my Mom announced that she wanted to try out the new Etrex 20 that came in the mail yesterday. We geocached until it was too dark to see. We picked up another trackable, took her to some of our favorite caches, and even discovered two caches that we've never visited before.

Now it's Friday and there is so much to do before my little vacation begins on MONDAY!!! Even though I'll be away, I've got a few posts scheduled for next week because I've just had too much to share lately!

What happened in YOUR life this week?

From Many Days...Frankly

Good morning! I'm sitting here wondering what I let happen with the 31 Days posts. 
This weekend, I'm going to give you in a nutshell what I had planned to share with you this week.  Last week was great. I loaded up the car Wednesday to go spend some time with friends and didn't come home until late Sunday. There was lots of visiting, cooking, Thai food, jelly making, driving, a wedding, and a great time of worship with some of my favorite people. 
Fast forward to today and I am looking back on an eventful week.
I'm sitting here with Mat Kearney singing about something on a couch strewn about with fabric and pain samples. At my side is a mug of hot mint tea resting on a book about gardening. At my feet is a crochet project I've just started. Across the room is a jigsaw puzzle on a card table. There are blankets, books, and pens strewn about as well.
So trivial. So many things for this moment. So many things that occupy us, yet FOR WHAT?  Quiet lives at home are nice. Probably even necessary. Sometimes I wonder what this is all about though. I'm comfy and warm and blogging. People are all around me and yet I don't even know what they're going through. I am in my own little bubble living a "good life" and they are in need of hearing about how to live THE good life! 

All of that and I'm ready for a thankful list!
I'm thankful for:
*Christian community...Blessed by a complete stranger who hosted several of us when we were traveling to my friend's wedding last weekend. She went all out with flowers, balloons, chocolate, ice cream, a lovely breakfast, and we were up way to late visiting with her. 
*God's faithfulness...Gathering for a wedding reminds me of the covenantal nature of God. He is faithful to us and calls us to be faithful to one another. It's pretty awesome.
*Feelings...I'm realizing how much I care about people and I like that feeling. Sometimes I just go through life taking people for granted (is that the right word?). Lately, I've been forced to realize that I shouldn't do that. 
*God's truth shared with me...Sitting around talking with other saints talking about the word of God and the truths that are getting them through is one of my favorite things to do. God is good to grant us understanding. Over and over again. 
 What have you been especially thankful for lately? Do the trivial things ever get you thinking about eternity? 

From Four Days...Frankly

This last weekend was a productive one, so productive that it carried over into the week and I can't even believe it's already Friday! I'll tell you about that, and then I am linking up with Amy for something new called "Frankly Friday".

Highs

*Visiting with family

*Getting yard work done

*Cucumbers ready to be harvested 

*Lecrae's new cd Gravity just dropped, it's going big. I'm praying that it's as full of the Gospel as it can be so that all of these people will hear truth through some AMAZING music 

*Cooking out with friends ALL DAY LONG (this was probably my "most favorite" thing of the week)

*A batch of sweet tea

*Spending some serious time on the phone visiting with friends who just needed to talk 

Now, for the Frankly Friday bit. (As if I'm not already pretty frank and ready to just say it like it is...)

This week, I'm going to kind of keep with my theme of "highs" and tell you some things that I just really enjoyed. 

I am thankful for...

*Errands to quickly drop off something at a friend's house that turn into visiting on the patio, that turns inside to grab a quick soda, that turns into eating a light dinner, that turns into visiting in the living room until I absolutely had to go. 

*Small town living...A neighbor from down the street called to tell me that my dog was laying behind the van. On her way to work she noticed that the dog was laying there and was very concerned that someone might hit her if they started to back out. Yes, she called as soon as she got to work and repeated her concern several times. And yes, she called the dog by name. 

*The last days of summer. It's cooling off, but summer is hanging on. 

*Kids still playing out in their yards. 

*Cute old people. Especially the man who was shuffling around yesterday. It was sad to see him trying to cross a very busy street and getting honked at because there were lots of cars coming. He may or may not have been drunk and maybe even homeless. He looked pretty rough, but he was old and cute and looked as though SLOW was his only speed. 

*Friendly baristas. The car in front of me at the drive through paid and pulled right on through. The barista was like, "Ummmm, I'm not sure what that guy is doing. He paid and drove off without his drinks." So, I backed up. The guy's lights came on and he backed up for his coffee. When it was my turn at the window, the barista proceeded to apologize for it taking so long, tell me all about how a salted caramel hot chocolate is made, and how it is entered into their system. It was genuine friendliness and it caught me off gaurd. 

*Hot salted caramel mochas. Had my first one of the season yesterday and the above exchange took place. I think I liked it more just because of it. Oh, and by the way, I first saw the shuffling old guy as he shuffled across the drive thru lane. 

*A very unexpected outdoor concert in a park lot. As I was pulling away from the coffee shop, I saw these lights strung up in a sort of outdoor patio thing in the middle of the parking lot and I heard something that sounded like music coming across the parking lot. So, I drove out that way to figure out what it was. I heard a beat and realized it was a couple of guys rapping. I stopped to listen for a while and found out that they were rapping the gospel. I don't know who they were, but they reminded me that "It's alright....God cares for you!" and that there are people out there who do what they do in honor of what Jesus has done and is doing! 

So, to put all of this even more frankly:

I love people.

That's as simple as it gets. I love seeing people do what they do, being who they are. I love seeing people who are passionate about what they do. Not for what they get out of it or what it allows them to do for others, but because of the way it allows them to share and proclaim the excellencies of God. 

I've come into contact with a lot of people over the course of the last week. 

They all have lives, cares, concerns, passions, troubles, and a reason to smile. 

May I be passionate and friendly and full of joy so that they will know God better because of the time they spent with me. 

From Four Days

This week there are three things I want to share with you: a sermon series I started, a cd I have been loving, and a book I just started. 

*I haven't listened to anything by Matt Chandler in few months. Then, this week, I went to his church's website and found out they had started a new series about a month ago. This series falls right in line with what God has been teaching me in the last few weeks. 

If you're looking for something to listen to, check it out:

The Holiness Series

 

*The cd I have been listening to is PRo's "Dying to Live". Here's one of my favorite songs from the album.

*The book that I just started is called "CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet" by Michael Emlet. This book was written to help Christians apply Scripture to life and conform life to Scripture. This way, as we do life together we can hear what God has to say in our day-to-day.

 

*In the meantime, it's been a normal week. Laundry, cleaning, cooking, baking, writing, meetings, appointments, shopping, and stopping to take pictures of neat things. In this case, it's just a forgotten alley.

Now, I'm off to get ready for a weekend with friends!

From Four Days

Along with the high points of the week, I want to share some things I have been learning lately. 

We'll start with those!

 

*We know that shopping when you are hungry is a big no-no. We also know that shopping without a list is a big no-no. I bet you didn't know that shopping when you are cold is a HUGE no-no....Every single hoodie, sweater, long sleeved shirt, and blanket looks good. I walked out of the store with a blanket which I began using as soon as we were in the parking lot. 

*Putting things on the floor is NOT a good idea. Now, this is not new, but I seemed to have forgotten that one thing leads to two things, and two things lead to an EXPLOSION of stuff. 

*Which leads me to number 3 here. Make a place for everything and put everything in it's place.

*Plants need water. Not too much, but definitely enough. Remember my favorite planter? Yeah, well....It was getting too much water because of a nearby sprinkler and began to die about a month ago. I moved it, but then forgot all about it. It's still damp, but the thing is GONE. :( 

Before - when it was just starting out.

Today - my first ever victim.

*Yard sales put on by sweet, CLEAN old ladies are the best kind. I made some pretty great finds at one of these and decided that I actually like these kind of yard sales. 

*A bed side lamp is amazing. This one was $10.00. Who knew something so simple could make my bed time routine so much better?

What was I JUST saying about putting things away? Oh, that's right....This table is a drop zone for sure. At least I keep my dropping neat, though, right? 

 

 

Highs

*Watching the Olympics. So far I have enjoyed women's volleyball and the swimming and diving the most. I was happy to see Phelps get it back, but also glad for some of the other swimmers who came into their own as well. When it comes to gymnastics, I like the women's uneven bars best. What are your favorite events?

 

*I finally finished reading The Great Gatsby! It was sooo good. I also came across a library booksale where I scored another book by Fitzgerald and some other books that look pretty good too. 

*Food: 

 

I ate at Golden Coral for the first time in YEARS...What happened? It was soooo much better and cleaner. The dessert bar was pretty cool and there were so many different kinds of food. The mac and cheese is still my favorite though.

Greek food. Gyros and hummus. I don't even need to say anything else. Good stuff!

This summer I have been chowing down on potato salad. My Mom and I don't make it (I NEVER have), but it keeps showing up at BBQs and I can't seem to get enough. 

*Impromptu time in the Word with older saints. Seeing their passion and hearing their wisdom is very special to me. 

*The other day, when I was shopping I got a call from a friend I haven't talked to in a while. It was nice to hear from her and I look forward to talking to her again soon. Simple things like that tend to make my day!

 

 *Some great rounds of Catch Phrase with friends. Again, I hadn't played that game in years and it was fun to pull it out again.

Enjoy your weekend!

From Four Days

What a lovely week I have just finished!

There were some really great things going on this week. 

*Reading sessions complete with sweet tea. 

 

*I  didn't spend any time with my plants yet this week other than a few moments checking on their progress. They got a late start, but my cucumbers are looking good. They probably need to be thinned out.

*I'm not sure what's going on, but that garden spot with the cucumbers USED to look like the moon. Perhaps I've moved? No, the soil is just looking better already!

*My sister came out as I was checking out the cucumbers. I realized that she wanted her picture taken too...So, we had a little impromptu session. This one is my favorite.  

*I couldn't help but see the BIGGER picture this week. There were so many times that I found myself thinking outside of today and myself and our family. It was nice.

*I also did some thinking about days gone by. It's strange how much time has passed and yet this is only the beginning! 6 years ago I was 16....SIX YEARS. I am living those days that I looked forward to. Days that seemed so far away.

*Four years ago, I sat on this little bench to take some pictures to remember my graduation from high school.

Don't forget about...

*Bible study and lunch with friends.

*BIG storms. 

*Movie nights.

*A day on the lake.

*Seeing Spiderman in theaters....I ALMOST cried. Good movie. 

*Staying busy in the kitchen. 

*Tidbits of good news from things going on in my friend's lives. 

*Getting organized.

*Dinner and a blizzard at DQ. Yes, I get excited about burgers, fries, and ice cream.

*Adventures in geocaching.

 

I told you it was a good week! I didn't warn you about the pictures, though.

Now, for a verse I read earlier in the week that has stuck with me.

   " Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own."
(Philippians 3:12 ESV)

I rediscovered this verse in the introduction of the book, "Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints".

Justin Taylor wrote this verse as it applies to some pretty awesome men of the faith. Men who usually SEEM to have it all together...To have "already obtained" and "made it their own" what I am so clumsily attempting to make my own.

The truth is, they don't have it all together, they haven't already obtained, they aren't perfect, and they are struggling to make it their own right alongside of the rest of us! 

What we all have in common is this:

As God's people we are on a journey to making our own what is ALREADY ours in Christ Jesus. 

I wrote about this earlier in the week. I can't get it off my mind! 

I am Christ's. I am in Him. I have been made BRAND NEW. 

So, this business of becoming like Him? It's my life's work and yet really, it's HIS WORK. 

I work, and I press, BECAUSE of Him.

 

From Four Days

Monday was a great beginning to a new week!

I had some exciting things planned for later in the week so it was a day to get some work done. 

*Put together my Summer 2012 List...It's bright, colorful, and full of all the things I hope to do before the summer is over.

*In the backyard putting in a new flower bed. We transformed our old vegetable garden into a place to grow peonies, roses and a few other pretty flowers. 

The almost finished project...

 * I spent some time taking pictures around the yard of the progress of the plants. I couldn't help but notice the shadows created by the leaves.

* Tuesday was the first day of a summer Bible study with some other ladies. I am new to the group, but I know several other people who are also taking part. I am looking forward to the next couple of months together!

*Wednesday we crossed off an item on the Summer List by going to a water park.

The blob under the green tube was being  a goof. He's a total ham, but you wouldn't know it by the pictures I took!

See,  he was just popping up out of the water as I took this one.

*Yesterday was a day to play catch up and do a little cleaning.

*The kitchen was quiet this week. No new recipes, no sweet treats. Just quick, light dinners. 

From Four Days

Here we are again...It's Friday. 

I hate to say it, but there is a song that comes to my mind whenever I say or think, "It's Friday". Does that happen to you? I am sure you know the one...It's terrible isn't it? 

Highs

*Summer days in a small town. I love the people on the sidewalks, the sounds of lawn mowers, the packs of kids on bikes and in yards. 

* My Mom and I worked on a little project this week. Here is a sneak peak. 

Foam and Fabric. What could this be?

*I only left town ONCE.... I love going, but every now and then I just need time to slow down.

* Going on a little date with my sister. We sat on the patio of a local coffee shop and enjoyed cool summer drinks. Love this girl!

*Trying an Arnold Palmer on said date. 1/2 Lemonade 1/2 Tea in case you didn't know. I'll be having more of these!

Almost finished.

*French braiding my own hair. I have never been able to do this. I didn't go out in public - but it wasn't half bad. 

The FRONT side of the braid. Victorious! 

* Movie nights....Watched some of Emma (the one with Michael Gambon (my FAVORITE!), Johnny Lee Miller, and Romola Garai).

*Ice Cream!!! 

Moose Tracks with some warm peanut butter.

*Visiting with a friend - Alice, the one you all need to pray for - and seeing her get the joy of the Lord back during this difficult time.

*Stopping by the library and getting a couple of books to read. 

*Seeing a group of deer - they were young bucks I think - barely showing over the very green wheat fields. I wish I would have had time to pull over and get a picture of this. It was a beautiful sight. 

Finally, I just want to thank everyone who is following my blog. I love hearing from you in the form of e-mails and comments. This is what blogging is all about! 

From Four Days

What a week this has been! I spent a good deal of time on the road this week. Lots of unexpected things came my way. I actually finished this week feeling pretty over whelmed. I did all of the important things (or I keep telling myself that I did), but there are so many things that have simply been left undone.

* A few of the things it takes to get me out the door...Saw a lot of this this week.

Highs

*Getting the garage cleaned up and rearranged. It took two days, but it's done. 

*An AWESOME last game of the season....We're talking some great plays and personal accomplishments for my brother! 

*Having some friends over for dinner. 

*Whipping up a coconut cream pie. It was gone when the evening with friends was over.

 

*From start to finish. It looks good enough to eat! 

*A chance to chat with my Mom as we traveled to an appointment together. 

*Going away to visit some friends for a few days. It was a quick visit, but I'm very glad that I was able to spend some time with them. 

*More time in the car by myself with countryside and  music.  

*Baking a quick batch of brownies just because. 

*Staying up late to watch movies.

*Ice cream. I don't even need to say more!

Before I hit the "publish" button, I need your help! I am looking for some good books to read. I'm leaning towards fiction, but I never shy away from biographies and autobiographies. What are some summer reads that I should look into?

From Four Days

This week was a week to stay inside. It was rainy, cold, and pretty windy. There have been a few evenings where the sun decided to show its face. The colder weather meant some different kinds of foods coming out of the kitchen, board games, and reading. 

Oh, before I go any further, you should know that I am guest posting today!

Hop on over to Anne Katherine's blog to check it out!  

 Highs

*Monday I tried out another way to fix pork chops...It involved a crockpot, green peppers, onions, cheese, and tortillas. The result was some awesome fajitas and six less pork chops in the freezer! 

*I took quite a few pictures of the "angry" skies this week. The clouds, greys, and dreariness were  captivating. 

*My afternoons were spent in a place I don't frequent very often - the hospital. It's strange to think about what life holds for people who really aren't that far away. It was like another world up there...People coming and going about what is totally "normal" for them. 

*My flowers seem to be enjoying this cooler weather. They are still looking really nice. 

*The evenings have been spent playing board and card games.We pulled out some old favorites. After so many rounds of Spoons my wrist is actually bothering me...What is that about?  

*This week, God was speaking to me a lot. I have been reminded about being BOLD and CONFIDENT in Him. I have nothing to fear. I have promises to hold onto. In Him are peace, joy, and rest. Walk by faith, ladies, that's what this is all about.  

*I had some good conversations this week about God's work in the lives of His people...I love how God pours into you and then gives you opportunities to pour right back into the lives of others! 

* The remains of my crockpot pork chop fajitas...Clearly, we'll be eating them again!

*Grey skies and the wind in the trees.

*This was a "sunnier" moment from yesterday evening. The clouds cleared and it got brighter.

*A lovely pot of Clam Chowder. 

Everyone keeps reminding each other that is indeed JUNE. 

How's the weather been where you live? 

 

*Looking out my window: Judy Garland rose that smells amazing.

Happy weekend to you!

From Four Days

Here is a picture from our geocaching adventures last week. Just look at that green grass. Even though it doesn't quite feel like it yet, I think it is safe to say that summer is HERE.  It's the FIRST of JUNE! How did this happen?

May 23, 2012

Highs

*I did some baking. I tried out yet another new recipe for cookies. They didn't turn out like I had hoped they would. I'm going to give it a second chance with some changes.


*I caught up with my brother on the phone after he got off work one night.....I don't get to talk to this guy enough these days.


*Yesterday, I made chicken nuggets for and WITH some not so little helpers. It's MUCH faster that way.

*Enjoyed the evening sun. Our little kittens decided to join me.

*I found an old picture that was taken of me last summer....My hair is sort of in my face, but that's life, right?

*Last but not least, my new camera came in the mail yesterday!!! 

*The last home game of this baseball season was a double header. We won, both games. 

*I ready through the manual for my camera during warm ups and anytime a certain little boy wasn't on the field (i.e. nothing too exciting was going on). Since my old camera is a Canon too, these are very similar. I learned some things about my old camera that I never knew before!

* Dates, sugared dates....Actually, they're not sugared, they're just chopped. 

*"Chewy" (not) Date Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies.
*Chicken Nuggets in the breading station and on their way to being baked.

*Ready for a little reading and catching up on my water for the day.

*Momma and three of four babies in my seat.

*Why I like this bench.

*The last little kitten feeling left out.

*August 2011

*The process of getting into a very exciting box! 

I'd say we're ready for another weekend around here! 

I wonder what this next month will hold....

There's a certain song that I quote all of the time. I do it so often, that I even get it quoted back to me at random times. 

"You ready for it? You better be....'Cause one moment, can change everything!" 

Here we go.