Giving Thanks

Happy Giving Thanks day!
(one day late!- but we can be thankful for more than one day, right?)
We had our meal yesterday, lots of bodies and lots of food!
I played it risky this year! I made homemade rolls and noodles! Rolls seemed ok- noodles-----need to roll out thinner next time, way thinner! Hubby cooked all the meats, (another thankful from me)
We had yummy pies and lots of sides!
Now what to do with all that left over meat. I got everything picked off the bones today, so now I need to get ready to make turkey pot pie, and pork tacos. (which, I am to tired to even want to get up to do) We ate the left over pie for breakfast. (now, come on, it not worse that store bought cereal or donuts-really better in taste and nutrition.)
All in all it was a good visit. Lots to be thankful for, even during these time of great concern with the future of our nation. Thankfully God's love is a sure thing.
Let us remember His wrath, also.

20's

I had a birthday last Thursday. I am not starting my last year of my 20's! (yes, I am happy!) Feels like I have been stuck in the 20's 4-ever! Wow! I sure can say that I learned a lot in these years, glad to be putting these years behind.
Wonder what the 30's will bring? more wisdom? more memory loss? (hope I don't forget the lessons I learned in my 20's!) hopefully they won't bring more hair loss!
Anywho, I look forward to my 30's. I feel more comfortable with me. Maybe I will be taken more seriously--that would be nice!
I'll have to go out of my 20's with a Bang! wonder what crazy ideas I can come up with?!

Thanksgiving Plans!
My family has been blessed to host a gathering of family and friends for a Thanksgiving meal for several years now. Most families already have several places to go, but it just works out that that some loved ones are able to come. (usually ends us being about 20ish people)
This will be the first year for some time now, that I have not been prego. or feeding a little baby,,yes, the little man still gets mommy, but at least he isn't newborn!

We started to list some things that we were thankful for a few years ago. I like the idea of naming somethings that goes with each letter of the alphabet, it makes me think harder and reminds me of blessings that I had overlooked!
So, here goes my list for this year! Feel free to share some blessings from your life!

A-arms, age,
B-Babies, Boys, Bible, barns, books, birds, butterflies
C-Christ, cows, chickens, chocolate! coffee, children, colors,
D-desire,
E- eggs, eyelashes, electricity
F-family, friends, food, freezers, freedom, fabric, flowers
G-God, giggles, girls, grandparents, garlic, gardens
H-hair, husband, herbs, hay, hugs, hats, health
I- independence,
J-Jesus,
K-kisses, kings
L-lace, learnen! love
M-milk, mommies, music, marriage,
N- nuts,
O-onions,
P-pictures, prayer
Q-queens,
R-Ron Paul,
S-Salvation, smiles, shelter, shoes, silence, safety
T- transportation, truth,
U-understanding
V-vanilla
W-warmth, work. wool
X-eXcitement
Y-yarns
Z-Zeal
*some of those letters are hard to fill!

Live Simply,

Love Generously,

Care Deeply,

Speak Kindly,

and

Enjoy your

Hot Chocolate!

So many children

While shopping the other day, a man asked my husband if we were Mormons. Why? Because we have "so" many children. How many, is "so" many? 4!?
As we drove home this made me think. It seems odd that a family with 4 small children, are thought to be of a certain religion. Christians not being the first thought. Are Christians so "worldly" that they don't even stick out with the size of their family?
Why don't Christians tend to have large families anymore? We have a wonderful and all powerful God, a trip to Heaven to look forward to, a Father in Heaven who will provide for all our needs- and we won't hardly have more than 2-3 children!
(and all we talk about is having "faith", "trusting in God", "look to God for answers")
My conclusion-The Christian population (in general) is a weak. What we say we do and tell others to do is not followed in our own lives. We look to the world and our "own understanding" for what is best and how we should live.
It's no wonder what road America is on. The road "most" traveled, not the narrow road. Which road would God want us to travel? Well, that depends, who do you want to please? You or God?

Not Me,,,

It wasn't me, who forgot to water the plants,
it wasn't me, who freaked out about the stuff all over the floor!
Not I, who left the cat in the garage, or fed the cats too much.
It wasn't I who left the wet clothes in the washer for too many days, resulting in a double washing, or had to shove a bunch of clean clothes in a hamper before the company arrived.
Not I, who had to dig out more pj and clean towels from the pile of clothes.
Not I, who pretended my hair was fixed by pushing on a winter hat,
Not I, who dropped the glass jar in the store, resulting in a big mess!
It wasn't me, who forgot to call and say thankyou for -------, and forgot to say happy birthday!
I don't have to write down everything so I won't forget, and then loose my list so I can't remember what I am trying to do right.
It wasn't me! who forgot to put the tuna in the tuna casserole, or turn on the burner to cook the hamburger! Not I,, who let the children have some chocolate and watch a movie to keep everyone happy! Not I, who drinks too much coffee and not enough water! I never stay up too late "working" on the computer! And I'm not afraid my cow will kick me or knock her big old head in my hurting body!!!!!!!! And my armpits are shaved and my legs, too. (the rest is my business!))
((that was fun!)

The election day fog has either lifted or I my thoughts have just been distracted. I must say, it's strange how so many people don't discuss the results. People I haven't talked to since before election day, we just pretend like it never happened. It doesn't even come up in conversation! I know both people want to talk about it, but either the shock is still sinking in, or we just avoid Truth all together. Plus, I think that a lot of Christians are confused about how they are allowed to feel, so to avoid "sinful comments", they just talk about something different.
Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore! My life has value! I have dreams! My children have a future! We are going to live as to God and if the government and their illegal laws have a problem with that, well, My God is bigger- and His Law is perfect. I answer to God and will not change my ways to please man. If man has a problem with that, they will have to take it to My God!

Our hearts are burdened. My children are sad, I am sad.
The outcome of the election, has left me feeling mournful. I feel as though something I love- has died, and the loss of it is too much to understand. I don't know how to express my emotions. I look at my children and I cry. I think about the future of our America, and I disappointment.

I think that the outcome of the election, not just Obama's votes, but McCain and Chuck Baldwin also, is a picture of the strength of "Christians" in America. Dedication to God, Family, and Country, has changed over the years, that much is for sure. This year our votes have shown dedication to me, me, and me! (not personally me- but overall "me". ) We have Forgotten God, Overlooked Family, and Trashed Country!

What sad times for America. How do we look our children in the eyes and tell them what happened? Where we went wrong? How we allowed ourselves to be beguiled?

Yes, God is my hope, and my love, and my future. But He is also who I answer to- and this is a day that I don't have words for God. Just a broken heart. For God, my family and my country.

Everyone is in a buzz how to save $. How to make the most out of what you have.
I, too, am looking for ways to make the most of what we have and waste less. Waste is a big problem for us and I know that we need to get it together!
I have been looking for a way to chart what we have for food. Taking a look in our pantry, or kitchen cabinets for us. What and how much do we have of each item. Easy enough, to know what we have, but how do I keep up with this? I was hoping to find a chart on the Internet, all set to hang up- hahaha, well, I did find some charts, but either, I can't figure out how to work the chart or they are just plan ugly!
My point is for help. If you know of a great web site that has printables for the kitchen organization, please share! (must be free, and I would like it to be- well, let's say attractive to the eye!)