Thankful Thursday

You know what I chose to be thankful for this week? Our house, our home. Yesterday in our neighborhood I saw the nasty reality of what I hear in the news all the time, somebody lost their house. All the contents from their house was put out in the yard. By evening time people had already rummaged through and I know there was a couch and chair taken. Just a little bit ago when I was out walking, it is very evident that boxes and things had been dug through and contents strewn about by the “lookey-lous”. Just a trashy heap of mess is left. To be sure, these things were only what were left behind, we had seen a moving truck packing up a couple of weeks ago. And I do not know the circumstances of the man who lived in that house. But I do know my neighbor across the street and she is in the same situation. She lost her job over a year ago and she has tried to sell the house a couple of different times. She has already moved out and in a few days, that house will be in foreclosure also.

I am very thankful for our house and Wally’s job. But more than that, I am thankful for a hope of which it is impossible to be foreclosed upon. I am so thankful for the Word of God that is filled with His promises that enable me to trust Him and not our world’s circumstances. Seeing that man’s belongings out in the yard is a reminder of just how temporal this world is. We do not know what tomorrow may bring. Wally could lose his job this year. We just don’t know. But how good it is to know the One Who does know!

I read this in Proverbs this morning and with the above thoughts in my mind, it was very timely and encouraging to me.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.”
Proverbs 10:22

Its What’s for Dinner, Tonight

A couple of weeks ago the homeschoolers at our church had a Valentine’s Day Party.  I got invited to come and help with their Valentine card making activity.  It was  a lot of fun.  For lunch they prepared these Barbecups.  One of the Moms brought ground beef like the recipe calls for.  One Mom brought the BBQ Pork you buy already prepared in the little tubs.  One Mom made BBQ chicken.  All were very good!  I know, because I sampled them all!   I thought these were quick to make and would be good for dinner on one of those nights you need something fast or when you don’t really want to be in the kitchen at all! 

If you follow Andrea’s blog, Random Issues, she also shared this recipe today.  Great minds think---and eat---alike!

Barbecups

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef                                                                                                1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 to 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 can (12 oz.) Pillsbury® Grand's!® Jr. Golden Layers® Refrigerated Buttermilk or Flaky    Biscuits
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or American cheese (2 oz.)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 10 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. In skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce, onion and brown sugar. Cook 1 minute to blend flavors, stirring constantly.
Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each muffin cup. Firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4-inch rim over edge of cup. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with cheese.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from muffin cups.

Eat up, it’s what’s for dinner!

Thankful Thursday

Our Chcikfila had a special this morning.  Buy their new orange juice and get a free chicken biscuit.  I shared it with Wally and Wes last night, hoping for breakfast out. Wally didn’t bite.  Well, he sort of did but I didn’t want to be ready that early.  So he was going to grab his own special.  Later this morning I got a text from Wesley, from the depths of the basement.  “Breakfast, if you buy”.  Who could resist such an offer??  So we had a nice breakfast, ok more of a brunch.  We squeaked in the door with three minutes to spare on the breakfast menu hours!

We ate and had a nice chat about some of Wesley’s upcoming plans. He is getting ready to go back to school in the fall. He’s been working and playing soccer and helping with our youth group. It is kind of nice when you realize your kids are doing what you always wanted them to do, be responsible, make wise choices, and spend time in the Word to accomplish both of those things. 

Earlier this morning I had also enjoyed a nice phone chat with Kenny.  That doesn’t happen too often as Kenny lives in the Smoky Mountains and gets terrible phone reception.  He gets good reception when he’s at work but of course, not so much time.  So we got a little caught up today; what’s going on at church, what about the rehearsal dinner, and other things like that.  I just love it when he hangs up and in his deep manly voice says, “love you Mom.”

I have just had a warm fuzzy in my heart all day, thinking about my sons.  I just marvel at how God has led each of them differently but just as surely.  They have sure grown up fast.  I’m glad they have a good relationship with each other…and with their sister.  How thankful I am for my boys. 

It is hard to look into the future and see what your little boys will become. It is great fun watching them play at being the “good guy” in their capes and cowboy boots when they are small!  But you never know.  We do however, know the God who knows!  And that is a most secure place to be. I mostly remember doing this with Kenny when he was little, but I think with Wes some too.  We would kiss them goodnight and say, ”What do you want to be you grow up?”  And we taught them to reply, “a great man for God!”  (Yes, we put words in their mouth, and hopefully their heart)  I don’t remember where that idea came from, but God has and is doing that work in them.  It is such a blessing to watch and I am very grateful for it.

Next week starts a month of free breakfast entrees each Wednesday in March. You should check with your local Chick Fila and see if they are participating.  Last year, Wes and I started going to breakfast as a result of that special and kept it up until he left for camp.  Maybe this year we can keep at it until he leaves for school.  We sure won’t get these days back!

Stamp Camp

On Saturday I attended Stamp Camp. It was a full day of card making with Stampin’ Up demonstrator, Pat Shepherd. I had never attended anything like that before.  We made fifteen cards and two bonus projects.  Everything was prepared and you grabbed a basket off the table with all the tools and directions for making the card.  After you finished, you returned the basket to the table and took another.  I won’t bore you with fifteen cards, but here are a few of my favorites…

This was my favorite card.  The tulips are 3-D.

I really liked this card too.  I already used it as an encouragement card.

This is cute, you just add a tea bag to the little envelope

This card was made by stamping the petals and leaves and then punching around them with the same shape in a punch.

I had bought this stamp set but didn’t quite know what to do with it.  Now I am kind of excited to use it again.

This card was made with a Sizzix die.  I think I may have to get this one.  It sure went together easy and looks so nice!

This was one of the bonus projects.  It actually is cover for a tablet.  I just love it!

So, I learned a lot at stamp camp.  I have quite a few stamps, but I’ve really been a little afraid of them.  Now I have a little more confidence to get them out and use them!   And I also have  a whole pile of ready to mail cards!

Dog Gone…

Gypsy has been chewing away at a spot on her leg.  I wanted to take her to the vet but Wally didn’t want to spend money that fast.  So yesterday I bought one of those “bonnets” for Gypsy, the kind that keeps your dog  from reaching parts of their body that you don’t want them to chew on.  Kind of pathetic looking, huh?

Poor old dog!  You’d think we were trying to shame her!  Wesley came home and looked at her and burst out laughing. That was a little shameful. However as she tried to go out the doggie door, I laughed too. She has figured out how to do it though!  And she does not seem to feel any shame at all.  She’s still very perky.

Today it was absolutely beautiful here in Colorado, but I was going to skip walking. Somehow though, Gypsy always seems to know when I have my shoes on and she shadows me all over the house until we go out.  So I felt guilty and took her for a walk.  After all it was trash day, her favorite!  She didn’t seem to care that she had a lamp shade on, so why should I? In fact she was not held back in any way.  She took on those big dogs behind the fence just like always!  And the pooches she passed on the sidewalk got an earful too!  

I did feel a little sorry for her, and when I caught her up on the bed, I let her stay!

Thankful Thursday

I have been enjoying some beautiful Colorado days this past week and walking outside again.  I was thinking of all the reasons why I am thankful to be living in Colorado.  But the past two days something that I love even more made me change my post for Thankful Thursday.  It is Skype.  Yesterday and this morning I got to play with Elaine and visit with her Mommy through Skype.  I think I could just sit there and enjoy Elaine’s busy antics all over the computer desk and not say a word!  She is very busy and very cute!  Just to see her smiles and and hear her laughs and noises as she chats away! Yesterday I saw she had her hair in a barrette and she looked very much like a “little girl”.  Today she was opening our Valentine Box we had sent her…it had a lo-o-n-g trip getting to NY.  She saw the little lady bug right away and began to reach for it.  Mom took her milk cup and moved it out of the way and I heard Elaine very loudly and very clearly proclaim “NO” for the first time.  (I guess it is not the first time for Mom though!)  But I know how Elaine feels…I have the same reaction when I get separated too far from my coffee cup!  Anyway, the lady bug held some Hershey’s Hugs in its shell, and Elaine really loved those.  I witnessed her “happy dance” after eating one.

I’m thinking this must be part of the grandparent thing.  Today she was only in her diaper because she had just gotten up. My mind just kept seeing Andrea as little tot with her sippy cup and running around in her diaper.  The hair and the eyes just put me back in the past!  It’s a very warm fuzzy feeling that then zaps you back into reality when you realize just how long ago that was! 

I also thought, how wonderful this Skype is.  I see Elaine move and talk and it is very real.  When Andrea was little we lived in England.  We phoned home about once a month.  We took pictures and would have to wait a week for them to be developed (and hopefully they were not fuzzy or out of focus)  and then sent them home to grandparents and family.  It took a bit of time to share. Technology has certainly given us some wonderful gifts! 

I am very thankful for Skype.  And for the airplane.  Because in just a bit over three weeks, Elaine and Andrea will be on one coming to visit us!  We can hardly wait!

Still Celebrating…

Sunday night when Wally and I left to go to church, I opened the door of the truck and there sat this little box on the seat.

So Wally recently got an iPhone for work.  We’re pretty pleased with ourselves that he took these pictures and emailed them to me.  But we forgot to take a picture of the contents…it was a necklace with my birthstone. Wally had given me earrings for Christmas and the necklace matches. I tried getting a picture of it in the box but it just looks like a shiny circle.  Trust me, it is very simple and beautiful and just what I like!

Wally and I had planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday.  On  Monday, I had Bible Study and Wally had a late appointment.  So we planned to go to the “Perfect Landing” at Centennial Airport.  The tables in the restaurant are arranged in front of windows so you can sit and watch the planes take off and land.  It also faces west so there is a great view of the front range and sometimes a gorgeous sunset!  And Tuesday –Thursday there’s a great deal at this restaurant. For 12.95 you can choose filet mignon, prime rib, or a rack of lamb. There is a piano in the middle, played by Boogie Bob.  So it is kind fun and unique and the food is great!  If you live here, give it a try!

Here’s my card for Wally:

And Wally’s Hallmark for me.

Wally always buys a funny card and a serious card.  He said when he went to pay, he could not believe how expensive the serious card was…$7.00!!  So he put it back.  And I am going to show him how to use the Cricut machine before our Anniversary this summer!

Well, I have stretched Valentine’s Day out long enough.  Hope it was Happy for you all!