Looking Back...Looking Ahead...

There is less than a week left in 2010. Less. Than. A. Week..... Did that sink in?? This has been the longest and yet the fastest year in my life. Unreal. I think it is natural, as people, to look back and think on things, situations, events and actions (plus reactions) of our lives. As a thinker (hello, Tracy) I tend to over analyze every nuance there is to any given situation. I love dissection and nit-picking. I think it should be a college major of which I would already have my doctorate in and therefore I could instruct. Giving up my control issues are obviously not on my "I Resolve To" list. But this year I have decided to not really dig into looking back. At least not on the yucky stuff. I have found out that if I keep rehashing all the stuff that was just horrible this year it will begin to gnaw at my inner-most being. That way down deep part each of us has that we store hidden things. I don't want to fill that part up with yuck...I want to fill it up with Jesus and all He has to give us. To give me. That is not a selfish desire either. The Word says in Psalms: "Delight yourself in me (God) and I will give you the desires of your heart." This doesn't mean new cars, big houses or fat checkbooks. This means when I delight or spend real time with God my desires will be His desires for me. Jeremiah tells us that He has plans for me...and for you. Is that not exciting?? It should be. I really don't have a clue what 2011 holds for my family but I know that it really doesn't matter. God knows and He holds me and my little nest in His mighty hands. That is a future I can lay back and rest in. Sure, I have dreams that I would love to see come to fruition. Big dreams and some little ones. I dream that Megan graduates and finds the job of her dreams that she loves and excels at. I dream that Erica and Blake grow in their marriage and raise their sweet baby girl. I dream that both my children love and serve the Lord out of desire and not out of guilt or a legalistic attitude of "have to". I dream they seek Him daily and see their own desires become what the Lord desires for their lives. And if we are being honest, I dream that I would take that step out of my comfort zone and do whatever the Lord shows me without having to drag me to it and through it. Does that make sense?? So this year I resolve to look ahead..... What about you?

Winter Wonderland

We had the first white Christmas that I can remember and it was beautiful. Megan and I took a walk on Sunday and I took a few shots but my camera battery died when we got all the way down to the pond. There is something about snow. So quiet and serene. It is just such a peaceful thing. If you just stand in it you can hear it land on limbs and such. It is so cleansing too. The air is just so fresher and clearer after a really good snow. The end of this week it is supposed to be in the fifties so it won't stick around too long. But it sure is pretty while it is here.


Penny and Megan. My two snow buddies!


I love looking up through the tree limbs.


How pretty!! I wonder if there were birds resting inside??





What a pristine picture.

I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas too. I even hope it was white!!!

Here are a few shots from Christmas day.



Erica and Piper. It is starting to snow!!!1 Piper's first Christmas is going to be a white one!!!



Megan and Penny. I am sure Penny will be so glad all this is over!! Between the decorations and the moving of stuff around the house she is just frazzled!!



Piper just likes the paper.



My family of girls. I don't know what we will do if we ever get a boy!!



My two sweet girls and me. I love these girls to pieces!!



Erica, Megan and Piper....a whole new experience for all of us. I want to build wonderful memories for this little girl.


I hope each of you had a blessed and wonderful Christmas. Mine was a split between lots of noise and family to quiet and alone. A hard Christmas for sure but it was much easier than I thought. I am just thankful to the Lord that He is with me and I am never truly alone. Neither are you....

Silent Night...

For You....

Here is hoping you have a very, merry Christmas. This is the light display at my house. Not. I am off to my daughters' home for a smorgasborg of desserts. Yes, I wore my fat pants but alas, they are getting tight. I have an old maternity housedress I use for spills in the basement that I washed today that I can wear starting tomorrow.









God bless us...everyone

The Real Meaning of Christmas

I love the "Charlie Brown Christmas Special". Linus just lays it out for us...with blanket in tow. I love Linus.

Wake Up Call

This was a song I had not heard until my daughter, Megan, bought this cd for me. I love Casting Crowns and I think their songs have the best messages. Listen to the words and really let them sink in....

Just For Fun!!!

This is one of my favorite songs of the Christmas season. I first heard this song in the first "Home Alone" movie. I love that movie too! The characters in this video crack me up. Have a great day!!

Another Fave!

This is another Christmas song I really love. This version is so different to me. Kind of quirky...like me! Enjoy.

I Love This Song!!!!

This is one of my favorite versions of this song. This week I will try to put up a song that means a lot to me this season. Listen closely to the words of this song. So refreshing to this thirsty soul!!

Clarity

Last night I had five sweet girlfriends over for dinner. We get together several times a year. We eat, laugh, cry and talk and talk and talk. Lots of sweet times together with these girls. Last night we all shared our hearts and our concerns that we have for the upcoming year. How we could pray for each other ... specifically. I pray often. I pray at odd times and while I am doing most anything. I don't think God really minds if I am driving or cleaning. He loves us to talk to Him. That is all prayer really is...just talking. I have a master's degree in that! Each of us had many issues to pray for. From health issues, to family, to jobs, children and just life in general. The main thing I gathered though was "direction". Each of us wanted clarity and direction from God. I know I desire that tremendously in my own life. I really want to be where God wants me to be and doing what He desires me to do. The area of service really should not matter to me. Or to any of us for that matter. God can use me or you anywhere and in anyway He so chooses. I just want to be equipped for the job! He will do all the equipping as long as I am willing. So as Christmas comes closer and the new year is looming keep in mind, where does God want you? What does He want you to be involved in? I want to serve Him and I know y'all do too.

Snow Day!!!

Hey Y'all,

We had the best of days today. A snowday!!! There really was only a dusting of snow here but their was some ice and the roads were pretty scary. And since we live in the south....we closed school!!!


Here are Megan and Penny looking out the door at the icy ground.




Penny loves that her mommy is home for her winter break!!! Me too!

Christmas at my house

Hey Y'all,

Today over at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ she is asking us to show our Christmas decorations. I love, love, LOVE Christmas decorations. Normally I put up 12 - 18 trees. It is a sickness, I know. Most are 5 to 6 foot alpine trees that I decorate and place in groupings in each room. But...this year I have decided to do things a little different. I put up one big tree and just a few others. Below are some photos I just took.


First off, I got this in the mail today for Piper. This is a Christmas dress for next year. I adore smocking and the Nativity scene at the collar is so pretty and hard to find on clothes.



Inside my tree I hide two snow owls. A baby and a mommy. This is the baby.



This is the mommy owl. These things scare my Megan to death. She is sure they are watching her at all times.




This is a little arrangement on top of my piesafe in the kitchen.



Here is the fireplace. I do the mantle different each year.


This is my main Christmas tree. I have wrapped zero presents this year.


Here is how I top my tree. I kind of create a different look each year with all kinds of flowers and sprays and I use a bunch of feathers too.






This is jeweled fruit display I created on my buffet in my formal dining room. I really like jeweled fruit. I keep some of it out all year long.


I did my table this year in silver and black. the room is more of a golden hued room but I really wanted to use the silver.


This is a tiny tree by my front door.


This is a little group at the entrance of my foyer.


On a buffet in the kitchen I placed my Dickens's Village pieces. I wish I had a bunch of these pieces.


I hope each of you have a blessed Christmas this year.


Love,

Cindy

Just Chillin'

Hey Y'all,

Today has been a cold, dreary Sunday. The weather this week is going to be frigid, to say the least. The high Monday & Tuesday is 31 degrees!!! Wake me up in July. Piper hung out here with me and Megan today along with her mommy and daddy. We ate some yummy potato soup for lunch. It was very fitting for the day. Then Megan rushed back to school to study for her exams this week. I know she is working hard and will do really well on these last two exams. Below are a few photos of Piper from today.

Piper hung out in her swing in her favorite outfit....her birthday suit! (plus a diaper)




I put Piper's new fur hat on her head for a photo. Notice Penny smelling her in the background. Nosy dog!




Just chillin' and watching the Carolina Panthers lose for like the 88th time this year.

Catching Up & Stuff

Hey Y'all!

Once again, I have had some computer problems and have not been posting a thing! I have a slew of pictures that I have taken but I am only posting a few (ha ha). First of all I am terrible about putting photos in order. Of course I selected all wrong and put them in backwards order but that is okay since all of them are about a week apart anyway! First up, this is what we had come our way this past Saturday!

Is this not just beautiful??? I really love snow. It is just so quiet and cleansing and whispers to my soul tender words that just soothe.


Piper and her Mimi in her new Christmas dress that I had made for her with her name embroidered on it with her initial.


Piper and her sweet Aunt Megan! Both are just sweetie pies to me!


Piper and her mommy! They were off to see Santa.


Here is my little Piper at her four month old birthday with her froggie. She has grown so much!!!


Piper's funny daddy throwing her frog at her!!


Not funny daddy, not funny at all.


Erica and Piper leaving my house. Both look so cute in their hats.


I couldn't resist! This is one of Piper's Christmas presents. She really wanted to sit in this frog bouncer and of course I am such a push-over I said, " Yes!!"


This baby has me pegged....and she knows it!