Country Girl at Home Giveaway !

FALL GIVEAWAY!!!

Tammy at Country Girl at Home is having the cutest giveaway!  Such adorable and awesome Fall stuff!! I just love it! Go over and see her and check out her blog!  She is such a sweet Christian momma and wife!

Fall is in the Air!

Open those windows and let that autumn breeze in! Isn't sleeping with the windows open the best? (Well, maybe not if you have allergies!) Our household is pretty lucky with allergies not affecting us too badly so I'm always trying to get the windows open and get the AC off! The other night I didn't get much sleep with listening to the coyotes howl in the timber, a cat fight, dogs barking in the distance, the wooden wind chimes blowing in the breeze on the deck, etc.  I had forgotten the "night sounds" since all summer the house has been "closed up".  The smell of fresh air blowing in from OUTSIDE is the best! But then there are those wonderful smells INSIDE too! Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin coffee beans to grind, and CoffeeMate Pumpkin Spice Creamer!!! I'm getting on a pumpkin kick, can you tell? And how about  the candles!!! Oh my! Anything fall/autumn scented wins my heart! I got a great Yankee Candle flyer in the mail today to ooh and aah over!

And a great new candle I found at Bath and Body was the new LEAVES scent!

Even a Fall rain is wonderful!  I'm not talking a horrendous house shaking storm, just a gentle pitter- patter rain to soothe a body to sleep!  

God has given us so many simple daily blessings to just enjoy every day! Can you only imagine what HEAVEN will be like!! 

Ephesians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Prairie Flower Farm Giveaway

Jump on over and see Linda for a fun giveaway she is hosting!! She is such a sweet lady and you will love her AND her blog!

Surprise!!!!!!!!! A Celebrating Home Party!
I am home for two days...........Yea!!!!!!!!!

Prairie Flower Farm is going to have a party this week. I need some fun in my life!

Football MANIA~

To me, today signals the start of football season! YIKES! 

Don't get me wrong...I love football! Our family loves football. My husband has played 5th grade football all the way through college football for the KU Jayhawks...

and then as if that wasn't enough of the pigskin life, he has been a head coach for Junior High and High School for 22 years. He coached our son as quarterback for 4 years and that was his biggest thrill. He "RETIRED" from it in 2005 and this year sprung it on the fam that he is going to get back into it! So we are now back in the mode of Friday night football games, Saturday football on TV or going to a college game (Yea! K-State Wilcats (daughters/son in law college!),

Sunday football (Yea! KC Chiefs!)

and then of course Monday night football! 

We have also added Texas Longhorns to our list of teams to watch (Haley's beau Cody is a HUGE fan! They are on the priority list today!)

 I'm NOT knowledgeable about all the stats and rankings of all the college and pro teams. But I do enjoy watching! It's just part of the FALL season!  I have had to let go of the sweet taste of summer! There is just a change in the air outside that signals Fall has arrived.  It's crisp and clean!  The smells are wonderful, the colors are lovely, and the weather is refreshing!

Today we are all enjoying the day! A Walmart run, projects to do, mowing to do, and maybe some cooking and baking on the agenda to go along with those football games on TV!!

And the best part of this weekend for me~~~~~ LABOR DAY!! A day off! YES! 

How about your family?  Does football play a part in your fall?  And who will you be cheering for?

Have a great weekend and enjoy!!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things!!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things!

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

These are a few of my favorite things!

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eye lashes

Silver white winters that melt into spring

These are a few of my favorite things!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember

my favorite things

and then I don't feeel so bad!

It's a good thing you can't hear me singing this song!! You don't know how lucky you are!! I like to really belt it out when I'm alone!

Darb and I have a new obsession Favorite Thing! So she told me to blog about it! It's a line of products at Bath and Body and I just love it. And right now my purse is full of some coupons so I've really been stocking up! With the holiday season approaching, they are having some great deals!

 It's the Aromatherapy SLEEP Lavender and Vanilla goodies!

 

This is the lotion and I keep a bottle in my bedroom, my purse, and at work on my desk! Just a little obsessive, huh?
 

And this is the Body Wash that doesn't last a long time in my shower and now I know why!! Yes, Miss Darb tends to take her showers in my bathroom and has confessed she loves it too!
 

And now for the newest member in my house! The PILLOW MIST! Wowie Wow Wow! It's the hightlight of Darb and I's day!  We can't wait to get in bed and mist our pillows!  We like to believe that it "makes us sleep like a baby". Actually I think when my head hits the pillow, I "drop like a rock", after dealing with fifteen 8 year olds for 7 hours a day!
 
I just had to share! Maybe I'll have a weekly "Favorite Thing!!"  If you have any, I would love to hear some!

Happy Birthday Momma!

Today is my Mom's 74th birthday!  She probably won't read this blog but I still want to "give tribute" and brag on her.  She is currently living in Texas with my sister and her husband.  My Dad passed away of a sudden heart attack on July 3 of this year and because she has Alzheimers, she cannot live alone.  The journey that my family has been on since that day has been hard and emotional.  My mom stayed with my family/we stayed with her for 2 weeks after my Dad's funeral.  And now my mom is quite far away.  This is the first time I haven't been geographically close to my mom (other than my college years!)  It is quite uneasy and odd.  I talk to Mom about every day on the phone but to not "SEE" her is very different.  My mom has always been my "ally". I could go to her or her to me if my sister or my dad had us exasperated! Our relationship is very different now...our conversations are very different. That is not a bad thing just an adjustment.  She is unable to retain the memory that my dad is gone so we speak now as if Dad is still alive. I have mixed feelings about that. She doesn't have to bear the burden of grieving or mourning my Dad gone and I'm thankful for that, but many times I wish I could share MY sadness and grief with her. I wish I could cry to her.  My Mom is a really strong person.  She loves her family very much, particularly her 4 grandkids.  They are her pride and joy.  Mom is not an "emotional" person.  I have seen her cry only a handful of times. My Mom and Dad were married over 55 years. That is a true accomplishment and endeavor! I'm so proud that they stuck together "in good times and in bad, and in sickness and in health." When we broke the news to her about Dad, she handled it so well and so controlled. Her first words were "This is how he would have wanted it."  I said to her a couple of days later, "Mom, why do you not break down and bawl like I do on things?" She simply said, "I just know that if I start, it may be very hard to stop."  I respected that but I worry about her. I have watched the roles of my mom and I reverse.  My mom was always the one who took care of me...the way a mother does.  And now, my sister and I are going to care for her.  She is constantly saying that we don't need to deal out her pills to her, do her laundry, run her bath water, fix her meals, etc.  but that is what God intended and that is what we will do.

Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12)

That is what my Dad would want.  That is what I promised my Dad I would do. So....... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I will miss seeing my mom on her birthday, but we will talk and we are sending her flowers. She will say, "You shouldn't have done that!" This is a joyous and happy day for me to celebrate.  We love you and are so happy to have you for our Mom and Grandma!! 

Thank you for allowing me to share my mom's special day with you! 

I Celebrate Your Life

Mom, your birthday means so much to me,
To have you in my life another year,

The time I spent enfolded in your love,

Each day, each moment with you is so dear.

I cherish the very special bond we have.

You lift my spirit in so many ways.

I celebrate your life; I honor you,

And send to you my love and care and praise.

By Joanna Fuchs

Mom, Lace, and I at Lacey's bridal shower in May of this year

My Mom and her brother and some of their grandkids

January 23, 1955

Darb, Grandma, and Grandpa on Halloween quite a few years ago!!

My mom and I

Mother's Day 2010

Weekend Getaway...

My hubby and I took a quick (and I mean quick...approx. 33 hours) trip to Branson on Sat/Sun. We had a free night at a motel on 76 strip so we loaded up the SeaDoo and away we went Sat. a.m. We had a great time...went to our fav place on the lake (Cricket Creek) down in Arkansas and rode around on the water for a couple of hours, went out to eat and did some fun shopping at the Landing. Sunday we went to church and then did some more shopping in downtown old Branson. It was "Fiddlers" weekend so lots of music. I got to do a lot of flea marketing and that was some great therapy! Got a few goodies!!

Hopefully will sit down when a football game is on and embroidery a cute little something on this apron!!

I loved these napkin/bread covers someone had made!! The ric rac sold me!!

I've been watching for some candy/apothecary jars...these were only $2.95.  My Grandma used to have refrigerator dishes and I always loved them. I remember thinking how fancy they were for "LEFTOVERS!"  No Tupperware or Rubbermaid back then!!  And I've never had a lemon juicer so for $3.50 I'm excited!

So it was a great trip and a fun getaway!!  This week I'm motivated....I'm tackling some of those "projects" I've been putting off.  Lace has me inspired...she's working on painting a couple of old chairs and a side table to go in her new school office. Cute colors!!

I have my new cabinet sitting in my garage just waiting to be made over! The list never ends, huh?

Today was a beautiful day!!  I'm not ready to give up on Summer weather yet. But I'm very excited to get my Fall decorations out.  Sept. 1 signals fall to me!! Are you in the mood for Fall???

Have a great Tuesday! God Bless!!