Being Intentional With Our Generosity

I follow many blogs, but one blog in particular really feeds me my daily encouragement that is much needed when being a full-time stay-at-home wife & mother. If you are struggling this holiday season - READ THIS POST from http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/

Let me encourage you today if you are feeling stressed out and down due to the financial pressures this wonderful time of year tends to bring. Let’s remember this beautiful story that Jesus told so many years ago and realize that it’s not the size of the gift or how much money it costs that determines it’s value, but the size of the sacrifice from the one giving the gift. - Angela @ Goodmorninggirls.org

Being Intentional With Our Generosity <---- Click here for post!

Just Run

I found this quote on someone's facebook page and I just loved it.  I think the entire quote speaks for itself!


Run because you want to be fast. Run because you want to be skinny. Run to find some quiet time. Run to sweat. Run to eat. Run hear your heart pound in your ears. Run because you're a runner. Run because you gotta keep the streak. Run because you don't know why the hell you're running. Run because you fought with your partner. Run because your job is (bleep)y. Run because you got no money. Run for the sunrise. Run for a race. Run because it's impossible. Run because it's easy. Run instead of doing the laundry. Run instead of watching TV. Run because no one else understands. Run because the cool kids do it. Run because you're tired of talking. run for numbers. Run for feel. Run to prove something. Run because it (bleeping) hurts. Or don't run. If you got something better to do." - Jeff Edmonds

Will you join me?

A sweet family from my church is in need of your prayers.  Their precious little daughter, Emily, has downs syndrome and was recently diagnosed with leukemia.  At this time the family is juggling real life with hospital life.  Your prayers are needed to cover Jason (dad), Kelly (mom), Ethan (big brother) and of course little Emily.  Will you please join me in praying for this precious family?











Want to keep up with the latest updates on Emily?  http://www.livinglifewithes.blogspot.com/

It's a challenge.... Are you game?

Our weekly challenge for Good Morning Girls is to memorize Philippians 3:13-14 and to set a goal for the fall 2010 session.  I haven't quite memorized the verse but I am working on it.  As far as my goal, I am challenging myself to get on my knees daily and spent my quiet moments with the Lord before I go to bed.  If you are like me, I tend to do my nightly routine then tuck myself into bed.  Once my head is gently laid on my pillow I begin my prayers, which more times than I can count, end up being cut short because I have fallen asleep.  Sure I pray throughout the day, but what a difference it would make to get on my knees after I wake and before I sleep... allowing God to work throughout my day from the very beginning to the very end.  It's a challenge, especially if I am not in the habit.  So starting last night I got on my knees and began to speak to my heavenly Father.  I actually fell asleep much faster not fighting to keep my eyes open and my brain flowing with thanksgiving and requests for God.  I challenge you to memorize the scripture and set a personal goal.  It can be anything really... more quiet time, having a more gentle & quiet spirit, fasting... whatever.  As Courtney from Good Morning Girls suggests, pray about it.  Be blessed my readers!

It's official!!!!!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

The Wednesday Sisters

For the month of July, our book club chose to read The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton.  While I enjoyed the book overall, it certainly was not one of my favorites.  The writer added a little spontaneity throughout the book but left so many moments dull.  Some of the chapters just seem to drag on and lull me at times.  Here is an overview take directly from readinggroupguides.com

Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton’s beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.

For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967. These “Wednesday Sisters” seem to have little in common: Frankie is a timid transplant from Chicago, brutally blunt Linda is a remarkable athlete, Kath is a Kentucky debutante, quiet Ally has a secret, and quirky, ultra-intelligent Brett wears little white gloves with her miniskirts. But they are bonded by a shared love of both literature --- Fitzgerald, Eliot, Austen, du Maurier, Plath, and Dickens --- and the Miss America Pageant, which they watch together every year.

As the years roll on and their children grow, the quintet forms a writers circle to express their hopes and dreams through poems, stories, and, eventually, books. Along the way, they experience history in the making: Vietnam, the race for the moon, and a women’s movement that challenges everything they have ever thought about themselves, while at the same time supporting one another through changes in their personal lives brought on by infidelity, longing, illness, failure, and success.

Humorous and moving, The Wednesday Sisters is a literary feast for book lovers that earns a place among those popular works that honor the joyful, mysterious, unbreakable bonds between friend s. 

Just taking a little break.....

I know many of my loyal readers have been a little disappointed with me in my lack of posting.  For that, I am sorry.  I have taken a little break from blogging.  This is, in part, due to my ever busy life as a stay-at-home mommy, soccer for my daughter, preschool for my son, bible studies, and just life in general.  I've had sickness in my family that has kept me away from the computer some.  Rest assured, I will get back to blogging very soon.  Until then, stay posted.  New posts are coming.

Brandy

The Help

Let me introduce you to my latest read and probably one of my top pick books of all time. The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  This fiction novel depicts the lives of southern women in the 60's and openly gives insight into the ways of the times during that decade.  I absolutely LOVED this book!  Riveting, powerful and definitely captivating.  Each night when I cracked open the book I was lured in more and more and hated having to actually put the book down so that I could carry on with my day.  The story of these women, the lives they lived often had me laughing out loud, crying with sadness and feeling anger & bitterness.  A definite must read for all your fiction junkies out there.

Brief description pulled from www.amazon.com

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women: Skeeter, Aibileen & Minny
Set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.

A Celebration of Independence

In celebration of the Independence Day, we got together with my in-laws and headed to downtown Powder Springs for some family style fun.  From snow cones & funnel cake to live music & entertainment, our celebration was great.  The kids enjoyed all the festivities and when the sun went down we headed to our car & set up camp to watch the fireworks.  With our blankets & lawn chairs we talked, snacked and enjoyed our afternoon.  As with all 4th of July fireworks displays we, of course, had to wait until nearly 10:00 o'clock before the show began but when it did... wow it was fantastic.  I always love fireworks shows and seeing the beautiful display definitely made feel proud that I am American.  You know the old say... American by birth and Southern by the grace of God.

My three favorite people!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

As my turn to choose our monthly book club picks came around, I decided to look up some of the most popular and best-rated books on www.amazon.com.  One book I discovered was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  It turns out this book was actually a New York Times bestseller.  Not particularly one of my favorite books, but definitely a completely different read for me.   I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.  Here is a brief description of the book taken from amazon.

If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein's third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoë, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny's old racing videos, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. When Denny hits an extended rough patch, Enzo remains his most steadfast if silent supporter. Enzo is a reliable companion and a likable enough narrator, though the string of Denny's bad luck stories strains believability. Much like Denny, however, Stein is able to salvage some dignity from the over-the-top drama.

A Great Read

A few months back at our monthly book club get-together, one of the book choices was Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  Unfortunately for our book club, this great read was reluctantly passed over by another selection.  After reading some really good reviews on the book I decided to add it to my personal to-read list.  I checked the book out at my local library and began reading.  This novel was not so much life-changing as it was an eye opener.  The story is told through the eyes of Alice, a 50's something Harvard professor who is also a wife and mother.  In the book Alice realizes she has early onset Alzheimer's disease.  Throughout the story we see the disease unfolding before Alice's eyes as well as her family, friends and colleagues.  This riveting and emotional journey is taken by not only Alice but her husband, two daughters and her son.  A definite must read for all you fiction novel junkies, such as myself.

Marietta Greek Festival

Back in May, Walter filled me in on a festival that was being held in Marietta.  The Marietta Greek festival.  After looking at the website I knew we had to go.  What is this festival you ask?  Well it's basically a festival held every year at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Marietta, GA.  At this HUGE festival you can enjoy many vendors that cater to shopping, food, food & more food... oh and some live entertainment.  Here's a little snippet I stole from the website: www.mariettagreekfestival.org

GREEK MARKETPLACE

Escape to Greece and go shopping! Over a dozen authentic vendors set up their shops inside our Agora (Marketplace). Come by to see items created in the Greek tradition, such as fine imported Greek jewelry, handmade linens, hip scarves, delicious Greek cuisine, Greek cookbooks and travel books, decorative art pieces, hand done oil paintings, beautiful Mediterranean candle holders, glass blown items and wood crafted items from the Holy Land... just to name a few. You will find an endless assortment of items that reflect the Greek culture and its traditions.

Just a night of wonderful Mediterranean cuisine, groovy music, live entertainment and lots of vendor shopping.

Here fishy fishy fishy...

One lazy Sunday afternoon Walter decided to take the kids fishing with their Pawpaw out at a neighbor's little pond.  Apparently the fish are well fed and the pond is fully stocked.  As you can see in the pics, the kids had so much fun fishing with their daddy & their pawpaw.  

Side note: You also see what happens when you have a bored 4 yr old.. random photography!

Showing off their prime catches of the day

Through the eyes of a preschooler

On occasion, well actually all the time I catching my little man grabbing our digital camera and taking snapshots of life through his eyes.  I dedicate this blog post to Caleb's photography.  He's my little blooming artist!

Title: Blurry dog food

Title: Flip flop

Title: Build-a-bear puppy down

Title: Handy Manny Station Stacked

Title: Play dough East Coast Chopper Wheel

Title: Handy Manny Up Close & Personal

Title: Barbie Car Open Door

Title: Eye See You

Let's get Scrappin'

Every few months the scrappy chicks & I try to plan a weekend devoted to our favorite hobby scrapbooking.  First we pick a date & then we pick a place and the planning soon begins.  On this weekend, I was chosen as the hostess with the mostess!  To make the weekend even more special, our special guest was none other than Christina....who graciously offered to fly in town for our weekend of scrappin'.  Since getting married and moving back to her home state, we don't get to see Christina as often so whenever we are all able to get together in one place at one time it is certainly a special treat.  From Friday to Sunday we enjoyed lots of great food, great fun & conversation and lots of scrapbooking.  Oh and let's throw in a special trip to the Scrapbook Clearance Store & Archiver's. Special memories created by special friends.  I am so blessed.