Gidget Goes Home.

On March 27, 2016 Gidget went home to be with Jesus after fighting for two years with Stage Four Colorectal cancer. Before she left this earth, she enjoyed a wonderful 20th anniversary vow renewal with her husband and her two sons at her side. She went back to East Texas, where she spent her last six months surrounded by family and dear friends. She rose with the Lord at 7:30 Central time on Easter Sunday. And so shall she ever be with her Lord.

Getting caught up

I always seem to be behind.  I haven't blogged in forever.  Lots has been going on.  I'm behind on book reviews.  Have lots coming up.  Obviously there is just a lot to share.

Here's what I've been up to for the past couple of months:
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!  We did our countdown can calendar for Advent.  It was a lot of fun and mostly a big hit.  The boys have asked to do it again and Wendon would like to make the cans a little more attractive for next year.

We had a Christmas party at our house and it was also a success.  Several of our church folks came over to see us and share in our holiday cheer.  I made up some Lil' Smokies, 2 different kinds of pinwheels, and some cookies.  I also made Grinch Punch.  We had a great time opening our home up.  We plan to make it an annual event at the parsonage.

We also took a vacation back down south.  The Sunday that we left our church presented us with vacation gifts.  Pastor Husband got a 12 pack of Diet Dr. Pepper, the boys got a Transformer and a book, and I got a BuzzBee Toys dart gun.  Yes, I have dart wars with my family and I love it!  After church was over we headed out to Texas.  We spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day with my parents. It snowed like crazy!  I love having a white Christmas and didn't think I'd get one in Texas so this was a nice surprise.  HOWEVER, it did mess with our travel plans.  The day after Christmas the snow gave us a really late start to head to New Mexico to see Pastor Husband's parents.  We ended up having to spend the night in Abilene.  We made it the next day to my IL's house and had a great visit with just them for a couple of days. I was able to help my MIL cook Christmas Dinner for the entire family.  A great time was had by all and the food was good if I do say so myself and I DO!

Pastor Husband preached for FIL Sunday morning and preached a wonderful sermon.  After church, when we started the Suburban, it started making a horrible noise.  ACK!  Praise God my ILs were able to help us out.  A trip to the mechanic made us late leaving there and we had to spend the night on the way home too.  Again, MIL to the rescue:  she paid for us a hotel that night.  We finally made it back to my parents house and spent some time with them.

As a side note, I think my accent just isn't as bad as it used to be.  While visiting my parents, mom and I went shopping in Paris, TX.  OMW.  The accents of the women in the stores were so so so thick!  I don't sound like a Mid-westerner yet but I'm not quite as thick voiced as I used to be.  I am still thick enough to get picked on by my Mid-western friends though.

Anyway, we made it back home safe and sound.  It was hard getting back into the swing of things, for sure.  I guess we're kind of still working on that.

This week is going to be busy.  There's housework and homeschooling to do.  We're also taking a trip into Indy tomorrow and Tuesday.  Our doggies are getting fixed (and will have to wear the Cone of Shame) so we're spending the night near the vet's office Monday night then going to the Children's Museum on Tuesday.  We're all looking forward to that.

I'll try to post some pics of our vacation soon.  Be looking for those as well as book reviews and a post about what's coming up!

Christmas Time is coming!

Christmas time is coming!  I decided I better start getting ready now.  Pastor Husband and I have looked at Advent Calendars year after year but haven't really liked any of them or they've been so expensive that I just couldn't see spending that much money.  So where do I look for something different?  Pinterest of course!  I found this http://www.housetohome.co.uk/room-idea/picture/high-impact-low-effort-christmas-decorating/3 and decided this is what we would do.  I've now started saving my tin cans (which is a challenge because we use mostly frozen veggies but it's soup time so we do have cans of tomatoes!) and we'll be going to buy some spray paint very soon.  

What am I going to put in those cans?  Well, the thought did occur to me  to put candy in them.  Since my entire family struggles with weight issues, I decided that was a bad idea.  Instead I made a list of 24 things to do as a family.  They're not all about Jesus or all even about Christmas but they're all things we can do TOGETHER.  Here's my list... 

Day 1:  Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Day 2:  Go to the Crawfordsville Christmas parade; get coffee or hot chocolate to drink while there.

Day 3:  Read How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Day 4:  Play Marbles

Day 5:  Make wassail punch and invite friends over after school to have some

Day 6:  Make paper snowflakes

Day 7:  Bake cookies as a family

Day 8:  watch The Polar Express

Day 9:  Hand out Christmas cards and cookies to our church family

Day 10:  Read The Polar Express

Day 11:  Watch Muppet Christmas Carol

Day 12:  Make Christmas ornaments

Day 13:  Watch The Santa Clause Movies wearing Santa hats

Day 14:  Play UNO Roboto

Day 15:  Watch Charlie Brown Christmas

Day 16:  Get coffee/hot chocolate and look at Christmas lights after church

Day 17:  Read Twas the Night Before Christmas

Day 18:  Turn off the lights, sing Christmas carols, sip apple cider around the lit Christmas tree.

As a reward, you get to camp out by the Christmas tree tonight!

Day 19:  Make paper Poinsettias

 Day 20:  Play Trash Train

Day 21:  Watch original Miracle on 34^th Street

Day 22:  Open Christmas presents

Day 23:  Watch It’s a Wonderful Life

Day 24:  Read the Christmas story from the Bible

We'll also be  lighting our advent candles and talking about what they mean.  What is your family doing to countdown to Christmas?

Book review: She's Got Issues

She’s Got Issues by Nicole Unice is a good Bible Study for individuals or groups.  It helps women understand if they do have issues and what they are.  We all have them at one time or another and the author helps the reader understand how to deal with them.  She addresses control, insecurity, comparisons, fear, and anger.  Mrs. Unice gives students a prayer, a journaling exercise, and topics for group discussion with each chapter.  There are also QR codes to snap with your smart phone for more.

I’m the women’s ministries director and pastor’s wife at our church.  I’m sincerely looking forward to doing this study with my ladies.  We DO all have issues in these areas at some time or another.  The devil really likes to hit women there.  I wanted to get moved to our new church before I had to review this study so I could let my readers know how it is as a group study.  Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen.  I will be reviewing this again after my ladies and I go through it together.

I received a copy of She's Got Issues from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.  Opinions are true and mine alone.

Book Review: Inescapable by Nancy Mehl

Inescapable by Nancy Mehl is an excellent book!  It’s about a young, single mom who runs into more problems than she bargained for in the big city.  These problems force her to return to her Old Order Mennonite family in an Old Order town.  Lizzie really has no good memories of Kingdom, Kansas and dreads going back there.  Once there, she starts to recall more than the bad things.  She discovers she even has friends there.  Will her problems find her there?  Will she have to flee the town that she’s starting to love and the man who has her heart?

By the last page of chapter two, I was hooked on this book.  I loved the mystery and intrigue.  I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.  It was a nice blend of mystery and love. ..love of friends, love of family, but mostly God’s love.  I strongly recommend this book to lovers of Amish fiction.  It was a nice change of pace from what I’ve become accustomed to.

Book Review: The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis

The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis is a love story about the unlikely couple:  An Amish man and a classically trained violinist.  Amelia Devries is a classical violinist who has found she loves fiddling as well.  On her way home from a fiddling concert, she gets lost in a storm and happens upon the cabin that Michael Hostetler is staying at in the mountains.  They become fast friends and Amelia spends the weekend in his little community of Hickory Hollow.  The story takes the reader into both Michael’s and Amelia’s struggles and brings them together in the end.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but I cannot really pinpoint why.  After a few chapters, however, I became engrossed.  I always enjoy Mrs. Lewis’ books and this was no exception.  She explored each main character’s difficult decision and brought them together beautifully.

This book is a must read for fans of Amish fiction.

This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today my Daddy is 62 years old.  Happy birthday to my awesome dad!  I thought it would be a good time to tell my readers about my dad.  :)  Grab a cuppa java and enjoy. 

My dad is great man.  I'm not just saying that because I'm his daughter.  He really is.  He serves God with all his heart; that's the greatest thing about him.  He's not always perfect.  He loses his temper.  He yells (mostly because he's deaf as a post!). Even so, he is an example of a good Christian.  I learned about having good character from him and my mom. 

I will never forget when my dad quit smoking.  Maybe that's not something most people remember.  I do though.  I was in the 5th grade.  My daddy had smoked for, well, forever.  He started long before I was born when he was 24.  I am horribly allergic to cigarette smoke.  I spent a lot of time in my bedroom.  Dad had been told by my allergist several years before that he either needed to quit or go outside to do it.  Well, we were at a citywide revival service at the MP Civic Center and God convicted my dad of smoking.  My dad went to the alter and left his cigarettes and lighter there (to make a longer story short).  After he did that, he came and wrapped his arms around me and told me he was sorry that he hadn't quit sooner for me.

That little action was amazing.  My dad didn't have to apologize to me but he did it anyway.  I have carried it with me for years.  It's not the only time my dad apologized to me.  He did it anytime he wronged me.  He set a shining example to me of being a good parent.  We can't always be a perfect parent.  We can't.  What we can do it model good character for our children.

I learned that from my dad.  ;-)

Happy Birthday, Deacon Daddy!  I love you!