07/31/11

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

How many of you are like me and are feeling problems mounting again in your life?

How easy it is for us to look around us and get anxious instead of looking Up to the One Who can take care of them.

Here is a quote I heard from a pastor today:

Gaze at your problems and glance at God....

OR 

Gaze at GOD and glance at your problems.

Let's keep our eyes on Christ.  

It is better to bow our knees before the Problem Solver than to try and fix things ourselves.  

I am so thankful I have the One Who alone can handle all things that concern me.  I just can't forget to "call His number."

Hebrews 12:2a

Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith.

07/30/11

Yet another hot day today.  I spent it inside working on Powerpoints for school.  I am attached to them.

Since it was so hot yesterday I took some pics of the kids inside.  I have been having a "hankerin'" to do so lately so it was the perfect time.

When I looked at what appeared to me on the computer when I uploaded them, in some ways I couldn't believe my eyes.  My babies are growing up.

Mikayla is letting her bangs grow out.  I am seeing physical changes in both of them that are supposed to happen, but I step back and think... how could this have happened so fast?

I thought I'd share these pictures today.  These will definitely be printed soon for my continual viewing pleasure.  :)

Since Mikayla Girl loves pink, I decided this was perfect to do for her photos... I still get some B&W but I also get to reveal what she loves.  She wears these flowers in her hair almost daily.

 My blue-eyed Wes.  He's changing so much.

This was actually Mikayla's idea... she was enjoying the modeling.  It took my breath.

 This just makes me sigh.

 

Sweet serious little guy.

 After doing all of these pictures I was reminded of this song by Francesca Battistelli called Hundred More Years.  I tear up everytime I hear it... reminds me of how quickly time flies and that we wish we had one hundred more years.  Enjoy.

07/29/11

It continues to be hot as blue blazes around these parts.  It was over 100 again today.  We stayed inside.  I thought it would be good to show some icicles that wouldn't survive a minute today but I felt the need to remember how it was a few months back.

 Today, 19 years ago, my Sweet Man asked me to marry him.  He was as nervous as all get out that night.  So thankful he asked and so thankful he's mine!

Speaking of him... let me share more of our anniversary trip.  Here he is looking at me through a tree that is on one of the Grandfather Mountain trails.  Pretty neat, huh?

 After Grandfather Mountain we went to Linville Falls and hiked all of the trails. We didn't realize just how long some of those trails were... but the falls were worth it!

Here is a view Steve the falls.

 Yet another view of the falls....sortof.

 Ah... there they are.  Beautiful indeed.

 The river flowing from the falls.  We didn't trek down there... that was a beyond -words- difficult -that- I -couldn't -have -handled- because- I -would -have -just -laid -on -the -side -and -cried -about- how- I -was- never -going -to -see -my -family -again- because -the -trail -was -too -steep- to- climb kind of a trail.

 Closer view of the upper falls

 Yet another view of me and Sweet Man.

 After we left the falls and were enjoying our ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we got out to look at some smaller waterfall areas and Steve was checking out the other side of the road.  Just had to capture him again. :)

07/28/11

Wow, what a busy but fun day.  Spent the day with my friends Sandy and Gretchen and the kids swam for a very long time. 

Here is a thought from my Bible study that I wanted to share today:

"When we cry out to God from the depths, taking full responsibility for our sins, our Champion will show up.  If we put our hope in what His Word says is true, we can pray with absolute - if tearful - expectation that our God is coming.  He will do more than save the day.  He will save His child."  - Beth Moore

07/27/11

I have been spending a lot of quality time with Powerpoint lately.  I am working on presentations for my classroom and it is taking a LONG time.  I have a lot more to do, too... but it will be worth it when I have them from year to year!

 Today we're going to take a trip to Grandfather Mountain, NC.  Steve and I went to Boone for our anniversary trip earlier this summer and since it is so stinkin' hot outside, I wanted to revisit a cooler climate.

We have never been to Grandfather Mountain before.  We enjoyed it and I did in fact walk across the mile-high-swinging-bridge.  I conquered the fear.  Somewhat.

Here is my sweet man before we got on the swinging bridge.

 Sweet Man at the swinging bridge.

 Me before the swinging bridge.

 Sweet Man and me before we walked across.  Gotta have those couple self-portraits.

 Sweet Man trying to scare me by trying to swing the bridge more.  Not nice.

 Me gripping said bridge trying to look calm... and doing OK.  However, I feel that I am standing a bit odd. lol

 Yes, I realize I took this the wrong way.  Just think of it as seeing something through different eyes.

 It was cool how on one side of the mountain it was super cloudy and this was the cloud rolling in. The other side was clearer and you could see a good ways away.

 Cloud rolling in

 Sweet Man has conquered the summit.... well, some of it, anyway.

 What a view!

 Looking back on the swinging bridge.

 Closer

 Another self-portrait.  Those people behind us on the rock were doing crazy things on the edge of the rock just to get pictures.  I am talking standing-on-one-leg-holding-the-other-one-like-a-cheerleader-crazy. 

 This is as crazy as I got.

Later the next evening we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway and saw Grandfather Mountain with the sun setting behind it.  I thought it was lovely.  Do you see the profile of "Grandfather?"

07/26/11

First, I do want to comment on my blog from yesterday... Sandy, Sandy, and Rhonda all found what I had changed in my kitchen!!  I was so tickled to see what was noticed.  :)

I believe this is called a pincushion flower... or something like that.  Very pretty and unusual... taken at Monticello.

 

Now on to today's post.

We've been jammin'.

Jammin' with fruit, that is.

I actually did my first jellies... I did a southwest jelly and this jalapeno jelly.  

Below you can see the prettiness of the jalapeno jelly.  :)  You can put this over cream cheese and serve with crackers.  It is some serious goodness happening right here.  It is also not that hot so people who do not enjoy hot things would be fine with this.

 Mikayla did strawberry jam so far this year.  She is entering this in the fair.

Here she is smashing the strawberries while covering the cute little bow in her hair that I used so that her hair would not fall in her eyes because her bangs are growing out.  (Now THAT was a long sentence...)

 Cooking the berries with the sugar and pectin.

 Skimming off the foam

 up close

 ladeled and ready for lids and the water bath

 After the water bath

 Wesley made strawberry/peach jam for the fair.  Here he is smashing all of the goodness out of those strawberries and peaches.

 Ladeled, ready for lids and a water bath

 Setting them out to cool

 Wesley also made peach jam because that boy loves him some peaches.  In this next photo he is stirring the mixture of peaches/sugar/pectin for forever because that is just what you do when making jams.  He gave me one of his crazy looks... and I get these often.  They crack me up!

 Here he is being my "normal" son.

Aren't these beautiful?!!!  They are YUMMY, too.  :)

There will be more jams and jellies in the future weeks.  Gotta get ready for the fair!