Another Sweet Child

I have 8 nieces and 2 nephews. Yes, we LOVE kids around here. Wish we had more but .... One of my sweet nieces, a 4 yrold blondie with bright blue eyes and legs as long as a giraffe, called me one day. I wasn't home so she talked to her BFFFF..my eldest daughter and told her about stockings, and snowmen, and napkins, and stars, and blue shiny stuff, and some other things my daughter was unable to decifer. She told me about it, and that it was all for me.

A few days later I got my gift. This girl knows her aunt Bekah. I am amazed at her powers of observation. I am not sure I would know what SHE liked if I went into a store. Terrble I know. Here is a pic of my sweet gift.

That bowl has come in very handy,  and brings a smile when I see it.  Thanks KK,


thanks for reading,

Reb

CALGON.....TAKE ME AWAY!

I grew up with little or no tv but even I remember this  commercial.  The mother cooking, the doorbell ringing, the children crying, something breaking, the phone rings.   I am there and I feel her pain. 

It seems God brings things about in connecting events.  In my case I think it may be because with just one or two events, I could easily say, "OH,  I can handle that.  No problem."  He brings a couple more.  "OH,  well,  this is tough, but I think I can deal with it."  Then comes 4,5,6  and WHAM!!  right in the kisser.  Then I say,  "OHHHH,  Lord,  you want me to ask you for help.  And remember that I really couldn't deal with the first issue on my own strength."   I thought I had actually learned this and didn't THINK  I was relying on myself.  But maybe I was.  Anyway,  I have no control, no strength,  no plan,  just one or two heart desires.  One, that all these event will lead all involved, including myself,  to an abiding relationship with Christ.
 "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."   Oh,  how I need to learn that abiding part.  and remember fruit,  which, on a side note,  I had always liked apples and grapes.  But now I think the whole fruit family is absolutely a gift from God.

Two,  I pray God is glorified through all this.  I actually am not sure how in many cases,  but I know that is the chief aim of man is to to glorify God and praise Him forever,  and I at least want to aim for the aim. 

Lastly,  and this is mostly unrelated,    I think Magic Kingdom is one of the most magical places,  next to a gorgeous walk through a fall colored woods.  Maybe I still just have a little kid left in me,  but I loved it.  Oh, and the kids have fun too.  Will post pictures and comments later.  We had a blast and would love to go again, maybe with grandkids.  Noooo,  I just like to think ahead,  WAYYYYY ahead.  My mom keeps telling me they are fun, wonderful, and worth waiting for.   So  I wait patiently!!!

thanks for reading,

Rebekah

SNOW DAY!!

Here in Arkansas, as my mom said on her blog,  Under Her Wings,  if there is even a prediction of snow,  the "school" kids get a snow day.  We homeschoolers take a teacher work day,  and if you think I am making this up for the gov't institutions,  you haven't seen the  hot cocoa mugs lined up on the counter,

 my laundry basket filled with ONLY snow day clothes,

  and the blankets and games spread out.

 It is WORK around here.  ANNNNNDDD,  since I am the teacher.....

This is the first snow day of there year,  and the first snow my CHICKENS have ever seen.

 I wasn't sure what they were going to do.  I have read different things.  But I have some "plucky"  chickens.  I think the cold gets to their feet and I do have one that has stayed in the coop all day.   But I am really proud of them.  Now to see if they layed any eggs.  Just sent my youngest back out to check. 

My kids had a blast in the snow.  We had a friend over who "said" he hadn't been sledding in a few years.  I don't get that....so we dressed him up in my husbands clothes

and sent him out.  I think he had a blast.  But he won't really say anything except,  "It's alright."  I am begging for a little enthusiasm here. 

If you didn't have snow today, or won't ever, or have it and are sick of it,  I pray your day is wonderful still!!  Ours sure was.

Tomorrow we are off to Florida.  It should be...interesting.  Anyone else married to someone who does "vacations"  differently?  I'll let you know how it goes.

thanks for reading, 

Reb

ps.  Aren't these cardinals brilliant? 

pss.  We are going to St. Augstine one day.  Anyone have strong opinions on what to see and what not to see?  Let me know soon.  As in by tomorrow morning. 

psss.  Is there even such a thing as psss?  What comes after that?  

Bumps on the Road

Yesterday, I took a friend and my daughter to take the test to get their learners permit. I read the rules, wrote everything down, went to find the birth certificate.....and couldn't find it. I. LOOKED. EVERYWHERE! I finally found her SS card and a hand written card from the hospital where she was born. We took that up and the officer behind the desk smiled, and said, " That's not going to work." WHAT? Doesn't having a SS card mean she is alive? Doesn't the little hand written note saying she weighed 8'9" mean she was clearly born? Dont' we look alike?

Needless to say we left without a permit. We promptly went to Chic Fil A to suck down consoling milkshakes, and a congrat one for the friend who was responsible enough to know where his birth certificate was. Organized freak!

On the way home, we wondered if my daughter was a projection of our imagination...and what crimes she could commit seeing as she didn't really exist.

After dragging ourselves in to the house, my husband comes out of the room with a document...SHE REALLY EXISTS..AND WE HAVE PROOF.....her birth certificate. We were groaning, laughing, screaming, and planning. For we were going today to get that darn permit.

The ending is that she passed with flying colors, got her paper and we are off.

The moral is, PUT THOSE DOCUMENTS IN A SAFE, EASY TO FIND PLACE.. and eating a large Chic Fil A milkshake WILL make your stomach hurt for hours.

Look out people, here she comes.

thanks for reading,

Reb

Redecorating!!

Those words really didn't come off my fingers, did they?  ME,  the book reader,  book collector, love experiences but not processes girl,   please don't make me look at fabric,  room design,  or talk matching, arranging girl?  Oh,  but they did.  And I am SOOOOOO excited!!!!   Here is the first of the "new"  me.  I have a brown living room.  I mean,  EVERYTHING is brown.  Couch,  chair,  walls,  cabinet,  fireplace,  mantle.  lamps.  I told yah,  and I like brown as an accent,  NOT as the main only color.  So,  my decorator sister who closed her blog and should reopen it,  sent me fabric swatches to choose from for new pillows on my couch.  She said it would help.  I believed her,  like she believes me when I tell her to read a certain book.  We trust each other like that.  I chose this fabric.  

And my mom, who has a wonderful blog,  Under Her Wings,  made these for me for my birthday. 

Look at the detail she put into the edging and the little knot. Amazing!

See Very Brown Couch,  Great for concealing stains,  but a little drab.

 Let me tell you,  I have it made.  

Next up,  was a very red and dingy entrance wall.  Not what everyone should see when they first walk in my house.  I had red in my old house in LA,  but it had windows literally encircling it.  So red was good.  Here,  not so many windows.  Since this is the year to  find myself update,  I thought how difficult could it be to paint a wall.  And it wasn't.  Especially when I used this as my inspiration picture. 



Pottery Barn

Can you tell what color makes me happy?  Not the black,  although it is pretty in this pic.  So,  I went on down to Ben Moore and picked me up a quart.   My wall used to look like this.



Not my wall, but the same color.  I am still getting used to taking pics of before and after.  Heck,  taking pics at all is still enlightening. 



My good friend, who is also an interior designer, is coming over soon  and helping me arrange the pictures.  I know,  I would be lost in books and brown furniture if it weren't for wonderful lovely people who love color and know how to use it. 

I think I will be looking at Pottery Barn more often.  As soon as it is finished,  I will show you.  But don't hold your breath.  No projects are finished quickly around here.   

thanks for reading,

Reb

UPDATE:  I mentioned to my sister that my friend who is also her friend who is also an interior designer was helping me with my wall, and you would have thought I said she was FAT.  I think we argued for 15 min.  I have since asked her forgiveness and for her help in three rooms of my house now,  and she might forgive me.  Just a warning,  designers are VERY SENSITIVE!!  BEWARE!!