Being With The Kids On Christmas Day

I loved Christmas this year because I was able to spend quality time with all FIVE of my nieces and nephewS. Uncle Jeff and I were talking the next day about how everyone of the kids has a unique personality. What a joy to watch them grow and change over the years.

One of the things Jeff and I love, is our time with the kids. It is what has kept us going this past two years as we have continued to trust God's timing for positive plus sign. I won't lie, the last few weeks have been the hardest yet but we aren't ready to give up either. Nor do we allow Satan to steal our joy, although I feel like he has been working overtime on me the past few days....cried all the way home the other night, scared Jeff to death. God bless him for not asking me to "talk it out" since it was one of those times that my tears really could not be explained but I couldn't stop them from falling either.

God continues to bless me through His word. I read in 1 John 5: 14-15 on Christmas day it says, "And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." This was soothing words to my restless spirit. As hard as it can be sometimes, I am trusting that He does hear our prayers and will answer us.

A big thanks to everyone of you who have prayed for us this past year. We truly are blessed to be surrounded by a community of prayer warriors. No words can express the gratitude in my hearts for each one of you. God is faithful. God's word is true. God is alive and active in each one of our lives.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I also would like to apologize yet again to the many friends and family members who did not receive a card this year. I miscalculated and by the time I realized it I said, "Oh well, screw it." Which means the last 15 address stickers were left without cards. I know I could have ordered more and should have but things have been very busy the last few weeks. You know buying a house, welcoming a nephew and such.

Oh and unfortunately it looks like we aren't moving until February. Agh!!! I am chanting this verse and spending much of my free time making a decorating plan and budget. I guess you can say it is the interior designer/spreadsheet lover in me. I know, I know I need help.

Again have a merry Christmas and don't forget to take time to worship Him.

See you after the holidays!

Elijah's 3rd Birthday

I finally got my cord for my camera and will now be playing catch up with the pictures. We had a family party at Chuckie Cheese for Elijah's 3rd birthday. He had a blast running around playing the games, eating the cake and opening his presents.

It's hard to believe that he is 3! Seems like yesterday we were welcoming the little one into the world. Time flies when you are having fun!

Happy Birthday Eli! May you grow in wisdom and stature and follow the plans that God has for you.

Aunt Sue Sue loves you to pieces!

Thanks Lord, I Needed That

I won't go into the details of all that is going on this side of the screen these days. I will say though, that God is faithful and constantly encouraging me through His word, my friends, family, Jeff and even the blogging land.

Last night I had a moment where I layed it all out before the Lord. Let's just say I needed Him to calm a few fears of where God is leading us. Everything I have prayed for has happened except one thing. And well that one thing has been the hardest to let go and trust God.

Through His word, God continues to show me that He is faithful and that He hears my prayers.

For example last night, I read in Psalms 17 that God will answer me and hear my prayers. I also read in Psalms 21 about God's strength and His joy to bless those who believe in Him. Don't get me wrong, I know I am blessed. I have a wonderful husband who is willing to walk this path with me and who keeps me laughing even when the days seem dark. I am blessed with a job that allows me to stay at home and every once in awhile allows me to dapple in the interior design side of the business. I am blessed with a wonderful support system, friends who out of the blue will call and say "I prayed for you today." And I am blessed to be just a few weeks away from moving to a house that only the Lord could have orchestrated. Even though I know I am blessed I am still human with real longings and desires.

I am really getting off the point of the post.

The point is this, I woke up asking the Lord to show me His way and to encourage me through this day today. Some days I think you just know you are going to need an extra measure of umph and today was that day for me.

When I came to log into my computer I did what I always do first, check google reader. I found this post and my heart soared. Thanks Lord for letting me see that first thing this morning, I needed that.

I pray that if you need to hear a good word from the Lord today that you too will receive it. Believe in Him.
He will do more than we can ask, hope or imagine.

The Smell Of Christmas

One of my all time favorite recipes and memories from growing up.

Peel of 1 Orange
Peel of 1 Lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
several whole cloves

Simmer all ingredients in a small pan. Add water as needed.

Thanks Donna Willbanks for this wonderful Christmas tradition and recipe! I have done this almost every Christmas season since becoming a wife and homemaker.

Today Is Not Going According to Plan

The plan was for me to wake up early and get a few things done at work so that I could do a bit of grocery shopping and christmas shopping. I have bought only one present.

Instead my day has gone something like this:

• woke up an hour and half later than normal
• recieved a phone call from my co-worker telling me her house was broken into last night and could I contact a few dealers on her behalf. I feel so sorry for her talk about a Bah-hum-bug experience
• and since I woke up late, I just now took a shower during my lunch hour
• I am having to wear my old, and I mean old glasses, because my contact was found next to my contact case dried up and my newer glasses are on vacation somewhere around my bed. I think I know right where they are but hubs is sleeping and I don't want to wake him

Needless to say, I am not sure if I will be able to leave the house today to get groceries and shopping done. Honestly, I am not going to sweat it either. Life's to short to be allow myself to come unglued.

I will be watching this later tonight. It's the last year the Bush's will decorate the White House. Sniff, sniff! Why do I have the Boys to Men song "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" playing in my head?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa is coming! Santa is coming!

Bargain Decorating

I have been entertaining myself the past few nights by doing a bit of bargain decorating. I love to buy nice things for my house knowing that I am paying a fraction of the original cost. One thing I have learned from my years as a furniture buyer is that you can always find a store that sells the same look you like for half the price. It may take a bit of creativity and hunting down but it can happen.

Bedroom Light

In the house we are buying the master bedroom is pretty small. After living in a one bedroom apartment with wall to wall furniture, I just can't seem to bring myself to do this in our new home. I have always like the Pottery Barn lamps that can be hung on the wall.

I found these online at pottery barn for $139, set of two.

And with a little bit of searching on the Internet, I found a similar look at IKEA for $34, set of two. And with a little bit of spray paint I can get the same color as the PB lamps if I choose.

Bathroom Sink

Our plan is to update the bathroom sink in the spare bathroom with a larger vanity. I just wanted a little more counter space than the original sink offers. Again I found one that I liked at PB but didn't want to spend as much as they were asking. Thanks to Lowe's I will be able to get one for $1000 less than PB.

Home Office

Can you guess where I got my inspiration for the home office? Yes! PB again.

Now I must say that I got my next idea from my Dad. In my office now I have two file cabinets with a door on top. I bought all of this for less than $500. PB was asking $1500-$2000, that just seems crazy to me to spend that much. I asked Jeff if we could add on another side to the desk when we moved and he said "Sure, eventually." Which is code for, "Give me a year or two and consider it done!" I do plan on repainting the door though as soon as I can after the move.

Dining Room Table

I would love to have a larger table that seats more than 4 people but at this point not a priority. The table we have is just fine for now until we get some other things purchased. Even though it is not a priority, you can't stop a girl for shopping. I found the table above at Stacy's Furniture. (Shh...don't tell my coworkers!) Sunday, while waiting for the nephew to come to town, Jeff and I went to see the table at the store. I liked it but hated spending full price. So my solution will be to find a rectangle table at a flea market or Craig's List and paint it the color I want. I then will probably order two more chairs that match the 4 I already have. My goal is to spend no more than $150 dollars on this. I will keep you posted as this little adventure unfolds.

New Dishes

We eventually will need to buy a new set of dishes since the ones we bought when we got married have started to get heat cracks in the center. Yet again, Jeff and I don't feel it is really a priority at this point but I can dream can't I? I found a set that I like at PB (can you tell this is my favorite store for inspiration?) I found the exact same dishes at IKEA, Target and Wal-Mart for half the price of PB.

Here is a bit of information for the inquiring minds who want to know:

The foundation is fixed but we have to wait 30-60 days to make sure it is good to go once it settles a bit. Jeff and I are fine with waiting. I am trusting God to move us when the time is right and best for us. I also can't wait to tell those of you who have known me for many years the exact location of the house and how this house came to us. God's hand has been all over the process of this move. But our new neighbors suggested that we have a bit of fun with everyone out there in blogland so you are going to have to wait. It will be fun to see if you guys can guess, I promise!

Meet the Newest Member to the Aunt Sue Sue Nest

Our nephew Jacob Matthew was born yesterday at 8:08 p.m. weighing 7 lb 8 oz, 19 1/2 inches long and we love him.

Yesterday after church Jeff and I headed home to start our traditional pancake dinner and Sunday afternoon nap. One phone call changed the whole course our day. We spent the next 7 hours, cheering and pacing until we were able to see that sweet boy.

Meredith did a fantastic job and while everyone was watching Jacob get bathed and weighed, I snuck off to have a few minutes alone with my sweet sister in law. Poor girl was sitting all by herself staring at the ceiling and reflecting on her accomplishment. I will always stand in awe of how well she did yesterday. She was a champ and 85% of the time was all smiles. She did a GREAT job!

Matt, Jeff's little brother did a great job supporting his wife too. I loved watching his face when they wheeled Jacob down to the nursery. His smile stretched all the way across his face.

I will never forget the look on Jeff's face when he asked his brother "Well, how was it?" The brothers have been keeping us girls in stitches as they talked about the dynamics of bringing a baby into the world the past nine months. Matt's response, "It was AWESOME and not scary at all!" Jeff, now can you be a little less of a worry wort when our time comes?

And I think Jacob's cousin Hayley is a bit smitten with the new addition (a huge answer to prayer). After she held him, she came up close to me and whispered, "I love him and he is perfect!" I almost cried tears of joy because that is exactly what Jeff and I have been praying for that sweet girl for the last few weeks.

God is faithful. God is good. God's timing is perfect. Today I am thankful for all that God is doing and all that God is going to do. I also can't wait to go back to the hospital and love on my sweet nephew!

What Happened To The Weekly Tradtion Jeff?

Today I have spent the day going through the scrapbook closet trying to clear out the things not making the move. The children's home is going to love me when I bring them my box of "craft crap" (thanks J for the name!) Anywho, I stumbled on this little diddy from Jeff a few years ago and had a good laugh.




A few thing worth pointing out:

(a) this is the only letter I recieved in the new Young Family love letter tradtion (b) we were watching the Three Amigos and basically he just wrote every word that he heard in the movie and or a commercial break.

Jeff wants to know when I am going to do doll up a scrapbook page for this letter.
I want to know why he only wrote one when it was going to be a "weekly" tradition?

Oh, it doesn't really matter...he's funny, I think I will keep him.

Christmas Fun!

Here is a picture of Jeff and I last year at Matt & Meredith's wedding. I still have no camera cord and decided to pull up an oldie but goodie.

My friend Susan (no another Susan not just me talking to myself) sent this to me today and I am too lazy to come up with my own topic for today's Christmas fun so here you go, a forwarded email turned blogpost.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper for me, gift bags for Jeff b/c he doesn't like to wrap but I love to unwrap my gifts
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? the weekend after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? week after New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? no
6. Favorite gift received as a child? cabbage patch doll

7. Hardest person to buy for? JEFF! He refuses to give a list but will tell you "I want a Jaguar XJR!" Yeah and I want a millionaire for a husband
8. Easiest person to buy for? my mom, she does give a list
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No! But I want one! This one to be exact
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail! This is my favorite thing about Christmas, all the fun mail!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Stetson for Women

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life and Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping? let's just say I haven't started yet
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? no but I have thought about it

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? peppermint bark

16. Lights on the tree? yes (who doesn't do lights on a tree?)
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hmm, I have a lot

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? I wish we stayed home and everyone came to us...maybe next year
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blixen and RUDOLPH (I just sang the song)
20.Angel on the tree top or a star? depends on what tree I am using that year, this year it's a star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? people who don't give lists but insist on doing a gift exchange

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red Santas!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? green bean casserole and Maudie's sweet yam recipe
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? peace and joy in order to enjoy the journey God is leading us on.

Soaking It All In

I realize that in the next few weeks it is going to be very crazy around here. I look forward to the craziness, it means that changes are coming and after 6 years of the same ole, same ole-change is good.

Earlier this month Jeff and I decided to scale down Christmas for the two of us. Usually we go all out and buy those things that we have added to the list since the last Christmas season. This year we are buying a house and have big plans for our little place so the money is staying put.

I have also not accepted every Christmas party invitation this year. Jeff's work schedule is so busy this time of the year that when it comes to the weekends, all he wants to do is stay home, in his pj's, doing absolutely nothing but flipping the channels over and over again.

I have yet to hit the mall. I think I am avoiding that place because last year I almost got run over by a lady who wanted a parking spot I was walking by. So yes, I am little afraid of the big ole mall this year.

I haven't even shopped at Wal-Mart for groceries this year because I just can't handle it the chaos right now. Instead I have shopped at the old run down Kroger up the street where the average age customer is 75 years old. And well, the checkers are all retired too so things run at a much slower pace. A pace I find I prefer these days.

I guess you can say that I am soaking it all in this year.

And that to me is the best way to spend the Christmas season

Jodi's Blog Info

I received a few emails from my earlier post telling me they could not access Jodi's blog, if you look to the left of my blog, her blog is listed under MY FELLOW DEER RUNNERS, and click on David and Jodi. Now you can keep up with Brooklyn too.

Tomorrow is surgery day so please continue to pray. I must say I have enjoyed seeing the numerous emails pop up in my inbox letting me know someone has signed up to pray for the Beavers. If you haven't signed up, that's okay, God knows you don't have to have a sign up to talk to God. But since I know it means the world to David and Jodi to click on the prayer chain and see the different people praying please do not be afraid to list your name too. It will be a blessing to them, promise!

And don't forget to leave a comment on her blog, if you go there now you can see pictures of beautiful Brooklyn

Thanks for praying! You are awesome!

Sorry I Have Been Busy

I am praying for Baby Brooklyn, who was born today with spina bifida.

You can too by clicking on this link and enter in passcode: brooklyn (all lowercase)

http://www.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=brooklynhope

And to keep up to date with the latest news at www.ourbeaverdam.blogspot.com

I will be back later with fun stuff but for now my heart is elsewhere today.

A-Z Homemaking-A Fun Lil Meme

I borrowed this from my friend who rocks because she let me raid her house for a pair of scissors on my way to the "Ornament making smack down 08"


A is for Aprons - yes/no? I love aprons. I inherited most of my great grandmothers and picked up a black and white toile looking one in New Orleans, the first ever family Road Trip.

B is for Baking - favourite thing to bake? chocolate chip cookies especially the kind that you break apart and cook. I love to bake actually and am looking forward to a slightly bigger kitchen when we move.

C is for Clothesline - do you have one? No since I currently live in an apartment not in the ghetto-I don't think my neighbors would enjoy that very much. My new house may end up having one b/c I love to dry sheets outside (It reminds me ofCousin Gay!)

D is for Donuts - have you ever made them? Thanks to my days at CDR, I do know how to make them. Maybe I should buy a FryDaddy so I can make the indoor version.

E is for Every Day - one homemaking task you do every day.

Laundry! Wash-Dry-Fold-Put away=my least favorite household chore


F is for Freezer - do you have a separate deep freeze? I will in oh, 60 days

G is for Garbage Disposal Unit - do you have one? Yes.

H is for Handbook - what’s your favourite homemaking resource? Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson (using A's answer-I love this book) but my all time favorite resource is (can you guess?) FLYLADY

I is for Ironing - love or hate it? indifferent, I only iron on Sundays for church

J is for Junk Draw - yes/no? How about re-naming them Messy Drawers with a Purpose (again A's answer!)

K is for Kitchen - colour and decorating scheme? umm, hello apartment life but don't worry I will show you the new kitchen when it is done

L is for Love - what’s your favourite part of homemaking? the feeling of calm that comes from my daily routines and decorating, oh how I love to put my stamp on things

M is for Mop - do you have one? Yes

N is for Nylons - machine or hand wash? never, ever wear them! I do have some unopened in my dresser that my mom insisted I buy an extra pair for my wedding day. I can't seem to throw them out since they were going to be worn at my wedding.

O is for Oven - do you use a window or open the oven door to check? yes

P is for Pizza - what do you put on yours? Pepperoni with a side of ranch to dip it in. (I picked up this habit when I babysat regularly for the Barrow's. I had never done this until Bre and Katie taught me the joy of ranch dressing and pizza!)

Q is for quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? I cherish it because I realize that this season will pass one day and I will not have as many quiet moments.

R is for Recipe Card Box - yes/no? Yes. I have a few recipe cards that I wrote when I was in a cooking class at FWC in the 7Th grade. I wrote really large and bubbly like back then

S is Style of House - what style is your house? Pottery Barn meets Southern Living magazine mix


T is for Tablecloths - do you use them? No. Do I have a few? Yes, one more thing I have inherited from my great grandmother

U is for Under The Kitchen Sink - organised or toxic wasteland? um, what do you think? It's organized

V is for Vacuum - how many times a week? Once a week. Vacuuming is Jeff's favorite thing to come home to, he would love it if I did it daily. Maybe one day I will do it everyday but right now, it's a weekly thing

W is for Wash - how many loads of washing do you do each week? 6 loads, Mon-Sat, one a day. I don't do laundry on Sundays, it's against my religion

Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off? Yes. To Do lists and I are BFF's

Y is for Yard - who does what? Praise God for my amigos who take care of the apartment grounds. They really do a great job and I love it when they change out the flower beds to match the seasons. And yes, I have told them how much I enjoy it. Seriously, after living here for 7 years, you become one with the grounds people. Especially back in the day when I worked away from home, they would blow leaves on me as I walked to my car and just laugh. These are the times I am thankful for my days working with all Spanish speaking cooks, I could tell them to cut it out and joke around with them. It was all in good fun, I didn't sweat it.

Zzzz’s - what’s the last homemaking task you do before bed in the evening? Get my coffee ready for the morning, brush teeth, take vitamins and head to bed.

Yesterday Went Something Like This

Woke up had a cup of coffee (Dunkin Donuts, thank you very much) while reading the book of Lamentations (skipped the month of August in my DCB, now I am playing catch up)

I worked hard for my money for a few hours and then took a nap.

Later I did Day 3 of my training for a 10K workout. Jeff and I decided this first week was in order to get our brain wrapped around the idea of running without stopping. It sucked but I did it. Yeah Me!

For dinner I popped in a frozen pizza after promising hubs I would cook a real meal tomorrow.

I sat back and watched a bit of Fox New with hubs before he went to work.

When he left, I began reading the final book in the Yada Yada Prayer Group Series. I like it because it is set during a holiday season and talking lots about the true meaning of Christmas. If you haven't read this series and are looking for a good book to sink your teeth into, try these. They are very sweet and down to earth.

Finally I ended my night with another great episode of The Office. The Dwight and Angela storyline cracked me up, smooth move Dwight.
And winded down while watching The Santa Clause. I forgot how cute this movie was.

It was a good day.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I just got a call from the friend we are buying the house from and if we choose to we can move in to the house in 30 days.

Foundation will be done next week.
Plumber will come out the following week

And the we can move in or as June suggested start putting my decorating touch on the house.

But since Jeff is playing Santa Clause right now, we will probably wait until January to move.

Friends please give a hearty HALLELUJAH for us.

I told June when she called that I was crying out to the Lord yesterday asking Him why we are in a waiting period and then today, during my quiet time she called and told us the good news.

I am thankful for this news.

God's timing is perfect.

Now let's see what God is going to do with the other part of my prayer request...

December Daily: Trying to Stay Focused

I love all things Christmas. The tree, decor, cards, giving and receiving presents, Christmas lights to look at when I drive at night, good food, the story of Santa and the overall holiday spirit.

But one thing, above all else, that I want to cherish most this year is the birth of Jesus. Over the past year I have been reading the Daily Chronological Bible, oh how I encourage everyone to make this their New Year's Resolution. No matter where I have been this past year, my daily readings have been faithful to meet me where I am. For example today I was reading the story of Paul's imprisonment in Jerusalem; I found a little story that made me stop and think. You see the Jews did not like the fact that Paul was preaching about Jesus. They made up bogus claims like he was speaking against the Jews and starting riots. These lies are what lead to Paul's imprisonment. King Agrippa arrives in Caesarea to visit Festus. Festus brings the situation before Agrippa.

The words that Festus said to Agrippa jumped out at me this morning.

"But the accusations made against him (Paul) weren't any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive." Acts 25:18-19

I am not really sure what caught me the most. The fact that they called Jesus a dead man or the fact that they were expecting Paul to be some kind of hardened criminal based on what the Jews had said about Him. Actually what fascinated me the most, is that through all of the years Paul spent in prison, His faith never wavered-if anything it grew stronger. He was beaten, falsely accused, ship wrecked among many other things, yet he kept going. He kept preaching the Good News of Jesus. Jesus the risen Lord, not a dead man. Jesus who was born as a baby to a virgin girl. Jesus whose main goal in life was to seek and save the lost and who later would die for my sins. Jesus who not only died for my sins but for yours as well. And because of Jesus' death we have eternal life if we believe in Him and if we admit we are nothing without Him in our lives.

I admit that I enjoy the holiday festivities like the everyone else but most of all, I enjoy the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birth. My goal this holiday season is to take time out to reflect on Him. To spend less time shopping and more time reflecting. I also want to be more like Paul. Even though he faced many hardships for his ministry he never wavered from the truth, in all things he continued his quest to spread his message about Jesus. His life and testimony are an inspiration to me. No matter where the path lead him he remained faithful and he remained steadfast.

Truly amazing isn't it?

Oh and one last thing totally not relevant to what I just wrote...

Jodi, do you want to ride a donkey in the next few days so you can say you truly know how Mary must have felt when she rode to town 9 months pregnant? Just a thought, don't throw anything at me, I'm only kidding

Christmas Card Fun

One of my favorite things about the holidays is Christmas cards. I love to give and receive them. In fact, I have a Christmas card scrapbook that I will show you as soon as I get the correct USB cable.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to show you a few of our card rejects. Hubs and I decided that while we were on THE ROAD TRIP 08, we would snap our card photo. He really wanted one of us on the beach but forgot to tell me this until I sat down next to him after playing a game of volleyball on the beach (no I wasn't playing volleyball, I was sleeping on the beach with my preggo sister in law...seriously!) I did not bring a cover up for my swimsuit or take time to look at a mirror before brother in law snapped the photo. I knew there was no way I would be sending this photo out for all to see. Maybe next year, if we go to the beach, I will plan for us to look better and not so redneck.

And would you like a time saving tip?

1). Order your prints from somewhere that allows you to upload your picture online. This year I used Sam's Club and was able to pick up the same day, not to mention buy my stamps in bulk.

2). Buy 8460 Avery White mailing labels and type in your card list addresses. I saved them on my computer and have found this document very handy as a quick reference to find people's addresses throughout the year. A box of 3000 is what the link will send you and you can buy less to save money.

I will upload the actual Christmas card this year on Christmas day but didn't want to ruin the fun for anyone who may be receiving a copy in the mail in a few days. I can't wait to start getting Christmas cards in the mail either. :)