Thursday?

I can't believe that it is Thursday already.  I like Thursday's though, they are on the eve of Friday and Friday brings with it the anticipation of the weekend.  And, well, what's not to love about the weekend?!
Lately our weekends seem to be filled to the brim.  Saturday I spent the morning cleaning the house-and let me tell you, it was sorely in need of cleaning!  My floors were an absolute disgrace and I scrubbed my kitchen floor on my hands and knees and then when I was done, I got out the bucket and mop and did it again, just to get anything I may have missed.   It sure was nice to look at for those 4 minutes that it was clean.  I kid you not.  Just had to let the dogs in from outside and they somehow managed to get 'stuff' on my newly clean floor.  Next floor in that kitchen is going to be wood-a lot less shows on that. 

Later in the day Michelle and company joined us and we all headed over to Summer's Farm for an afternoon of sun, pumpkins, and fun.  Boy, it was a spectacular day!  Bella had a great time and that is enough to make the rest of us happy. 

It was really a beautiful day, marred only slightly by the fact that my legs choose to not fully cooperate with me, making walking around a farm just a little difficult. 

After the farm we stopped to eat quickly and then headed home to get ready for the next adventure.  Catoctin Zoo was hosting Boo in the Zoo!  I opted out of that particular funfest, choosing instead to stay home and rest.  Good thing too seeing as I have enough difficulty walking around in broad daylight, walking in the zoo after nightfall was not something that I was up to trying.  Safe bet I think!

Bella was asleep in the car practically before pulling out of the parking lot.  One tired little girl!

Tim called and gave us some terrific news, he and Esther will be home for Thanksgiving!  Woo-hoo!

We never know when we can expect to see them as they both have busy schedules and work opposite hours from each other.  When they do have a day off together, they like to spend it together.  We are thrilled that we'll get to see them for the holiday!  Don't know yet what Michelle and Shawn will be doing, but I'm sure we'll get to see them for at least a little bit of the day.  I'm hoping that we can all be together even if it is for a short time.
Tim and Esther have been really busy.  Tim's restuarant has been picking up quite a bit and recently they were hosts to a fund raiser for the Obama/Biden campaign.  They all had to be investigated and the place inspected by the Secret Service and then President Obama didn't show up, but VP Biden made it with his wife.  Tim has also had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with Byron Leftwich of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He comes into the restuarant quite frequently and last time he came in he brought another Steeler along with him. (Sorry, but I can't remember his name.) So, that's been kind of fun for him being such a fan of the team.

That's about all for now.  Hoping to be able to post some crafty pics next time, but I can't promise you that!

Happy Thursday!!

In the Pink!

That's not always a good thing.  I am home today with pink eye-again.  I have had pink eye more this year than I have in my whole life.  After seeing both a physician and an opthamologist, I think that I have found the culprit.  Each time that I develop this we are working on another build out a work, the dust is flying and I'm overseeing the job.  So there you have it. 

Today Mr. Wonderful walked Bella to school, he tries to do that whenever it is nice enough to walk.  Bella thought is was too cold and in trying to prove a point, she kept telling her Granddaddy that she was freezing. He finally remarked to her that she could keep complaining or she could hurry up and walk and get there faster.  Her response?  'Oh, I'm fine with complaining.  I'm freezing!' That kid cracks me up.  My mister said that she is a wife in training.  Oh!   No he didn't!  Ha!

Been working on a few crafty things.  A friend from work is helping to host a baby shower and asked me to make a bunch of stuff for it.  I'm doing a banner, food signs, a onesie line and some large clothespins to hang the line from.  I'll try and get some pics to post when it is set up!

And finally, I've received several comments about Jillians pictures and the collage and have been promising my sister one from her daughter's shoot, so without further ado-Julia;

Weekend in Review

Sometimes I just don't  know where the time goes!  Well, to be honest, most of the time I don't know where anything goes-but that's another subject entirely. 
Everyday is filled with work, family, activities and the like and I am so exhausted at the end of each day that I just CRASH!  What makes it worse is that it is getting dark earlier and I am ready for bed by 8:00.  I feel like a child!  As long as I don't have to wear bibs or diapers, I guess I am okay.  Ha!

Anyway, had a busy, busy weekend.  Saturday I went and did a photo shoot for a Senior girl. She was an absolute delight and we had a good time, but we were all over the place.  She had asked that some of the pictures be taken with her horse, so our last stop of the day was at the farm where she boards her horse.  It was a picture perfect day, temperatures were moderate and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue, but the lighting was not optimal.  She couldn't get started until noon and by the time we started shooting it was close to 1:00 and the sun was rather harsh.  But we did get some good shots.

Here are a few of them, cropped to fit into the collage, but you get the idea.

I got home about five and was just beat .  Mr. Wonderful had been at work most of the day, but he made it home before I did and started on some yard work.  We were both bushed and too tired to even go out for dinner, so Stauffer's came to our rescue.  Luckily, he is easy to please and doen't expect too much from me in the cooking department.  Ha!

On Sunday we accompanied Michelle,Shawn and Bella to the Great Pumpkin Patch the community park in Mt. Airy.  It was cute, but I think that Bella is probably growing out of that one as the activities were just a little too young for her.  After we were through there, we went up the road a mile or two to Gaver's Farm and enjoyed another beautiful Fall day.  We went to the pumpkin patch and picked a pumpkin, played games, saw the animals and just really had a nice time. 

They had a good time on the slide, and no one was hurt but Shawn's pants didn't quite survive the ride.  He got off and small tear in his pants had torn open and his pocket was hanging off his pants! 

Boy, does this little girl LOVE her Daddy!

Shawn and his girls.

We didn't get back home until 5:00 and I have to tell you, Mr. W and I were about done.  I plopped on the couch and he sat in his Lazy Boy and that was about it.  We really are getting old. 

That's about it!  I'm busy editing pictures and helping a co-worker with a baby shower she's throwing.  So, I have plenty to keep me busy!

Choosing Joy!

I think that I've said it before but it bears repeating.  What if everyone you met or encountered in life wore a sign that tells a story about themselves?  Things like: "Just Lost My Job", "Lost a Child",  "New Baby", "Newlywed", "Caretaker", "Overwhelmed!", "Cancer Patient", and so on.  Would you be more understanding if they didn't live up to your expectations of them?  Would you avoid people whose 'story' made you feel uncomfortable or would you make a point to speak with them, offer comfort, compassion?  Makes you think, doesn't it.
But we don't wear signs, not traditional signs anyway.  What we do wear is our emotions, our feelings, our mood.  Whether we are all aware of it or not, our mood is an outward sign to the world about what is going on inside.  We can say with a word or two or sometimes just by a look, 'Come In' or 'Back Off'.  Visible expressions of what we are putting out to the world.  And what we put out we often get in return. 

That is  a difficult lesson to learn and for some, it is we that is never learned.  It is something that I struggle with every day.  Not because my story is an unusual one, but because I wear my emotions on my sleeve.  Anyone who knows me in real life knows that to be true.  I have always been that way and it is something that I might like to change about myself if I could, but it is just a part of who I am.  I am typically a happy, easygoing person.  I like to be happy and try to seek  happiness in life and in others.  Not that I shy away from those who bear a sign that carries with it difficulties or sadness, not at all.  But, I am generally happiy and wearing a smile.  What makes that difficult is that if I am not smiling and outwardly cheerful, people seem to think that something is wrong, that my story has changed.
I tend to let others mood be reflected in my own, giving off a Keep Out kind of vibe.  That is not who I want to be and as I've said I struggle with it a bit.  I like being upbeat and positive, even though that is not always possible. 

When I received my diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy I tried to put a positive spin on it and I believe that I have had some success in that endeavor.  I don't dwell on the 'what ifs' and the 'why me', but rather I take comfort in the knowledge that it could be worse and that I might in some small way be able to help someone else who is struggling.  I am not defined by my diagnosis, but it is a part of who I am and how I have grown.  I count my Blessings and they are many, one of which is MD.  I am Blessed to have been choosen to take this journey in life.  I struggle sometimes, that is true, some things are more difficult for me that they were before or than they may be for others.  It is a journey that I seek daily.  I am trying-trying to walk in His footsteps.  To be an example of God's presence in my life and to share that with others. 
We all make choices that can help to determine the outcome of things.  Sometimes it is easier to be overwhelmed by the negativity that we see in the world and forget to see the beauty.  It is there, we just need to seek it.  I am working to make a choice to choose joy in my life.  That is not to say that I am happy all the time or that I don't get down or blue, because that is just not possible.  But I believe that when we seek joy we can find it.  It is His way, and it is the path that I wish to follow.  Choosing Joy.  Not just during the holidays or from time to time, but every day. 

What is your story?  Share it with me, I'd like to hear it.

TGIF!

I just want to say for the record that I love Fridays!  Especially this one.  Not much planned for the weekend other than cleaning the house and getting out my fall decorations, but I have the whole weekend ahead of me!  Bliss. 
My work schedule has about beaten me down in the last two weeks and I am ready for a reprive.  Not that anything is too different at work, but I think I just expected my body to bounce right back after surgery and it isn't.  I seem to tire more easily than is normal and when I lie down at night I pass out.  To be honest, I can barely stay awake through dinner.  Ha!  Makes for stimulating evenings at my house, gotta tell you.  But as my Mom always says, this too shall pass.
Last weekend I was able to spend a little time in my craft room inking up some new stamps. Yeah! I also made a trip out to the scrapbook store (closest one is 45 min. away) and picked up the Dewey Decimal Set by Lawn Fawn and the paper pack of the same name. So cute! Here a a couple of the cards that I made:

The three above a made with the Inky Antics set that I showed you last week, papers are all Papertrey Ink.  I love their paper!

This was just a little set that contained just the turkey image and the sentiment that says 'Happy Turkey Day!' I know that it is difficult to see there in the corner.

On Sunday we skipped church and took Michelle, Shawn and Isabella to the Fair. Bella loves going and her favorite part is the animals. One year she was able to see a cow giving birth and she was so fascinated! Every year we have to go and one of the first stops is the Birthing Tent. This year we missed the birth as one occurred just before we arrived and one shortly after we left. We were able to see the proud new mommy and her baby.

Bella made a Tussy Mussy in one of the buildings and we saw lots of great home grown produce, flowers as well as animals.

We all rode the ferris wheel, it was nice because we were able to feel a nice breeze up there!

We heard a lot of comments throughout the day about Michelle being a Steelers fan and Shawn a Ravens fan.  Bella was planning on changing into her Steelers jersey after the Ravens game.

This ride was new this year. It's a big inflatable tube that is in water and the kids move it by walking or running inside.  Bella liked it if you couldn't tell.

Michelle and Bella in the Fun House

This was a prize that Shawn and Bella won at one of the game booths.  You had to toss ping pong balls into a small fish bowl and for each one in you got a fish or a ticket.  If you won 6 tickets you could trade up for a Gecko.  So this little fellow is joing Bella's menagerie!  After they got home Shawn went to the pet store to buy food (a neighbor gave them an aquarium) and there he learned tht they do better with others, so now she has 2 Geckos!

Let's just say that Daddy is a pushover!

Shawn and Bella rocking their Ray Rice jerseys! 

Have a great weekend y'all!

Manic Monday and Weekend Wrap Up

I went back to work last Tuesday after having been off for three weeks on medical leave and let me tell you, it was a long four days!  Though I was glad to get back to work and try to get on a somewhat normal track, it was difficult not to be able to just lie down and nap when I got tired.  Further, I had been gone for three weeks and despite the fact that there were several people in my office who were covering for me, there was still a LOT of work that had piled up!  I worked a little more than 40 hours in the four days that I was back.
Still, I must admit that it was nice to have been missed and I certainly received a warm welcome back. :)

Needless to say, I did very little other than work last week.  I simply didn't have the energy. 

Friday afternoon I was able to squeeze in a 30 minute power nap after I got ome and then I headed off to meet a friend for the evening.  It was so nice to be able to just talk and visit with Tootie as we haven't been able to see much at all of each other recently.  Her dear Mom had been ill and Tootie has been taking care of her.  So we talked and laughed and talked, it was just what we both needed.

Saturday, we headed out to the Stamp and Art Show.  It was held in the Agriculture Center and let me tell you, it was hot, hOT, HOT and terribly humid!!!  The poor vendors had a difficult time keeping paper and books and dry.  We wound up not staying too long because between the heat, humidity and the crowds, it just wasn't fun.  But I did manage to pick up a few things before heading out.  I grabbed several packages of Honey Comb paper (including the a couple new colors and Peppermint Stripe) and this new Honey Pop Stamp Set:

I just love that little squirrel with the acorn cap.  So cute!  I also scooped up another Honey Comb set that I can make tree ornaments with.  So, I have some new stamps to play with just as soon as I have some time!

As we were headed home, the sky began to darken, the wind picked up and the whole atmosphere seemed to change.  Within minutes the sky appeared to look kind of purple and green and then it just opened up and the rain came pouring down!  It was unbelievable and quite trecherous to drive in.  Obviously we made it back safely, but holy crow-what a storm!

Sunday was a very special day in the life of our church.  The church building is over 100 years old and over the last seven weeks it has been undergoing a much needed face lift.  Yesterday the results of that face lift were revealed and celebrated.  What a wonderful service and time of worship!  It really did my heart good to be able to be there and share in this day with my church family.  To add to the celebration, a concert was held in our sanctuary last evening combined with a prayer service.  The vocal quartet The Laughing Bird came down from the Philadelphia area and entertained us with a capella chamber music.  The group featured a young man who had grown up in our church-Colin Dill.  Their music was so extremely moving, a feast for the senses!  Truly amazing to hear such beautiful sounds coming from this small group.  If you ever have a chance to hear them, do NOT pass up the opportunity!  What a way to spend the evening.  

It was a truly blessed day!

Happy Labor Day!

Hope that everyone has a great Labor Day.  I am enjoying my last day off before heading back to work after my surgery.  It's been a long haul. Ha!

I wanted to show you a few pictures of my girl on her first day of third grade, I was so glad to be able to walk her to school and pick her up after school.  What a blessing!  This little girl is such a JOY, what a happy child!  I can't even tell you.  She was SO excited to go back to school. (She just loves those boots and nothing was going to stop her from wearing them. Such a diva)

I have been busy these last few days, cooking  and baking, cleaning and spending some of these remainin days of summer at the pool.  I have managed to squeeze in some time in my room and created a few cards.

A birthday card for Aiden.

A rather generic birthday card,

And the inside of that card.

Love this little bear.

Scooting by...wanted to send this one to my boy, he likes to get mail that's not bills.

Been able to do some cleaning in my room as well and I feel really good about that.  Finally got some curtains up, though I put up a temporary rod.  I want to change that out but am waiting till I find what I really want.  Switching out some pictures in frames as well. 

So back to work tomorrow, actually looking forward to it to be truthful.  So much to do and though I've been checking emails and responding to what I can, there are so many things that need my attention.

Feeling good and have  no restrictions on me, but I will limit lifting and hauling stuff.  Have a great week!