Dog Pee & Pioneer Woman

So I made the mistake of stopping by Pioneer Woman this morning and now I'm wanting to make this Southwest Corn Dip & the Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites plus I drooled over a couple of others. My menu for today and tomorrow is already planned and I've shopped, so I'm not prepared to be adding new items. I had purchased the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook for my sil that lives in Houston for Christmas. She loves to cook and I just knew it was the PERFECT gift. I wrapped it real pretty and put it under the tree and then dog pee happened. Our old smelly Boston peed in front of the tree and it traveled to the one present under the tree and so now I had a Pioneer Woman Cooks with wet dog pee on one corner. I ripped off the paper sniffed the corner and although it did not stink of pee I knew I had to get another. So off to Borders with my 30% coupon in hand I go the Sunday before Christmas and repurchased the book. I'm so proud and it is so worth it because I know she is going to LOVE this book. We arrive in Mississippi and my sil from Houston always has books from a friend of hers that works in publishing. She throws a pile of cookbooks on the bed and says take what I want, but she thinks the Pioneer Woman Cooks looks really good and she would like to keep that one or I can take it and she will just get another one from her friend. I gave the book to her on Christmas morning and we had a good laugh-haha and I came home and had not one, but three Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbooks. I returned one to Borders and still have the dog pee one and the free one from my sil. I'm not sure what to do about the dog pee one, but I've never given away anything on my blog. Haha!

Auld Lang Syne

The Nester has a Best of the Nest 2009 posting that was really fun to read. I don't necessarily think these are my best posts, but they are posts I like for one reason or another.

I still feel like this about our church. We officially became members in November and I thank God every day for placing us in this church. He knew exactly where and what we needed in a church home. Sunday

This is one of my favorite recipes from the summer. Father's Day

My photography skills and camera are both somewhat lacking, but I love this shot of my Bird. Reluctant Ballerina

This is my post on the four year anniversary of Katrina. Katrina

My little Bird made me smile by putting her beloved doll in a shopping bag. Miracles Everyday

Christmas

Our Christmas on the coast spent with my husband's family was very pleasant. We ate delicious food and received thoughtful gifts. It's nice to have a family to spend time with on the holidays. I did miss going to the Christmas Eve service at our church and we considered going somewhere on the coast, but got wrapped up in cookie making and just being together. I love this retro tablecloth.
I thought the decorations on the sideboard were magical.
We always ride through neighborhoods looking at lights and we found this one. It cracked us up.
We are also Saints fans and love this family's support and Christmas spirit.

My Gratitude list continues:
16. cold brisk wind on sunny days
17. our tolerant cat
18. my daughter's sitter
19. clementines in season
20. warm socks

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm officially 47 today. I make it sound like I have been waiting on it to get here. Today we travel to the coast to spend the holidays with my husband's family. Saying we are going to the coast sounds much more glamorous than we are going to Mississippi. It is the beach though. Looking so forward to getting there. I still have my secret love affair going on with Mississippi and ask God each day if we should go. I've also realized that I don't pray enough about little things. My big list where I pour out to God about my children's futures and major events or needs I take before him regularly, but I don't think I'm trusting God to work in my everyday things. It's not that I don't think he cares or would intervene, it's just that I think I know what he would want so I act without laying it before him. My gift to myself today is a commitment to take each thing before him and ask for his direction.
I loved the way my mantle turned out this year!

Phillipians 4:6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. NLT

Is it finally here?

I breathed a sigh of relief when I got up on Friday and knew it was the last day of school for this year. Everyone seemed cheerful and the students were even a little subdued considering the dancing of sugarplums most of them had in their heads all week. I'm really trying to hear God's voice and find time and quiet solitude to focus on the gift of Jesus. There are still many things to do. We are traveling this year and my T-Bone is finishing up a job in Alabama. There are still gifts to wrap, clothes to wash and pack, doctor's appointments, lights to see, a dog to kennel, and other little nagging jobs to handle, but I'm glad to be off from work and know we will soon be on our way to the coast.

My Gratitude list continues:
11. my husband's salvation
12. Sunday afternoon calls from my son
13. O Holy Night
14. my new physical therapist
15. our small group

Happy Birthday, Jesus

This morning I find myself waking up renewed and I'm feeling encouraged by my lack of aches and pains. A couple of weeks ago, one of our vocab words was "looming" and I have been fighting off the feeling that Christmas was "looming" over me. That will certainly rob you of any joy you are feeling. I'm really looking forward to Christmas; it's all the things that must get done to get there that start to turn it into such a chore. I read this devotional this morning and thought what a sweet idea it is to remind us of the real gift we are celebrating this season. Today I'm unwrapping the gift that will never break or cease to bring me joy-the gift of Jesus. I'm linking this to Emily over at Chatting at the Sky.

This is our new nativity set that I found in a local shop. It's called the Happy Birthday, Jesus Nativity Set. It's one of the best impulse purchases I've ever made. The little story with the set said that the elves dropped to their knees and began to pray at the sight of the newborn child.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Gratitude Journal

My last post was so bleak; I knew I needed to share some positive thoughts and for the most part I do go through my days with a heart of gratitude. This little journal is so sweet. I want one for my sil for Christmas and managed to track one down at a local Borders.You can get one at Garnet Hill.
My Gratitude list continues:
6. twinkling lights on the tree
7. clouds in the winter sky
8. nativity scenes
9. nonstop Christmas music on the radio
10. quiet time

Pain again

I feel as if I've been sucked into the vortex of chaos again. My last post was a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling very good and I mean in all ways, spiritually, emotionally, physically which is a big deal. So I was just minding my own business driving to work and wham, I get t-boned. I spent the next few moments shaking off the shock, assessing the damage, and trying to remain calm for the teenage girls that had plowed into me. (I drive through a high school zone each morning on the way to my middle school.) No one was bleeding, the cars could be driven, everyone had insurance and my looking for the good in the bad worked in those moments. Anyway, the car accident created more "things" to deal with like insurance adjusters, rental cars, doctor appointments, and phone calls. The next day I felt like a train had plowed over me and the pain I had worked so hard to rid myself of came back with a vengeance. My three months of physical therapy on my shoulder was wiped out in that one moment. The new medication that had started working to control the overall pain I felt on a daily basis stopped working overnight. The clenching of my teeth that is triggered by stress and creates pain in my face, neck, and shoulder that had been alleviated by letting a chiropractor pop my neck for the last three months suddenly returned. The pain in my shoulder is unrelenting; it now radiates down my arm. It speaks to me all day and keeps me awake at night. I have asked God for healing and relief. You see my life ticks on. I do not have the luxury of stopping and wallowing in this pain. I still enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving, going with my family to see the Rockettes, doing a little shopping, getting out the Christmas things, going to church, teaching sixth graders every day, and just being with my family. Today I'm asking God what I need to do to rid myself of this pain.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.