tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18218346142509553852024-03-05T15:35:06.597-05:00Finding Positive Solutions to LifeSometimes, well, often life throws us a curve ball. We have two choices--strike out or strike back. Strike out means we give up and give in, living a life full or pain. Striking back means we refuse to give up and find a soultion. In life, we always will have a problem or struggle. We can become bitter or we can choose to see the blessings.Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-35402501208265463652010-09-08T12:33:00.002-04:002010-09-08T12:34:34.605-04:00Awesome blog post...just wanted to share<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ3kbZ160DAMANagxZWTS0jrxccCbtWZvTS-qIvteX-lQ0cG2AO6cqH2-3DGMJWO3DM6lhTMQU71zjkQKMwL-KQCk4yVv3gYz4OqhAjSpO_BIaFKYmJKOtowBPuKu14Du4QMwN5FZJx6E/s1600/justin.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 71px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ3kbZ160DAMANagxZWTS0jrxccCbtWZvTS-qIvteX-lQ0cG2AO6cqH2-3DGMJWO3DM6lhTMQU71zjkQKMwL-KQCk4yVv3gYz4OqhAjSpO_BIaFKYmJKOtowBPuKu14Du4QMwN5FZJx6E/s320/justin.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514581944352760434" /></a><br />This young man is awesome! His name is Justin Willoughby and he has lost nearly 200 lbs in just a couple years. He has been featured in Guideposts magazine and I was very impressed. <br /><br />Here is a link to his latest thoughts:<br />http://justinwilloughby.openarmsbradford.org/?p=307<br /><br />I thought it was a wonderful reminder that we can become healthy people and in doing so we are honoring our creator.Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-57358852519115972582010-08-31T11:41:00.000-04:002010-08-31T11:42:44.500-04:00My weigh in was last night and I am down another 1.5 pounds! Which means I am only 10.5 pounds away from GOAL!!!!! I am SO excited! <br /><br />The past few weeks have been a struggle for me. After working really hard for a week and not losing that week I kind of got discouraged. The next week I didn't work out much and ended up not be able to go to weigh in. Not because I was trying to avoid the scale but due to circumstances beyond my control...see previous post. So this week was going to be a rush to make weigh in but I knew I had to do it. I honestly wasn't sure how I had done this past week. My husband had gotten sick with a bad stomach virus, we were still adjusting to the boys being back in school, I had long work days and then next thing I know I had caught the evil stomach virus as well. Friday and Saturday I pretty much spent on the couch or in the recliner napping and nibbling on crackers and ginger snaps while sipping on ginger ale. I was worried about the amounts of sodium in the crackers and soda. Sunday I was able to get up and do a few things but wasn't able to eat much. <br /><br />Anyway, my 13 year old plays in the middle school band and they had a game last night! Gasp! On Monday! For the past two years, all games have been on Thursday! One reason I choose to attend Monday meetings. I actually got off close to on time, went to pick up my 7 year old, ran by the house and picked up my husband and then stopped off at WI on our way to the game. After the news that I had lost 1.5 pounds, it was so worth all the rushing around! <br /><br />All evening I kept thinking, "Only 10.5 to go!" This is exactly the news I needed to give me a little extra motivation to work a bit harder. I am going to continue to focus on natural, filling foods and protein. I will continue with my workouts and increase the intensity. <br /><br />I have a little challenge with myself to reach my goal in 10 weeks. But it won’t kill me if I don’t because I know I am the healthiest I’ve been in a very long time and all the work I’m doing is only going to keep me healthy! Not to mention, looking pretty good!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-9781887660510088922010-08-24T13:03:00.002-04:002010-08-24T13:10:19.569-04:00Reason to be ThankfulMy 13 year old son, Michael was in an accident yesterday. First, let me say he is fine. But it could have turned out so differently! Let me explain...Michael was with his 18 year old cousin, Brandon, helping him mow grass at a family friend's house. Brandon's truck and trailer w/ his riding lawn mower on it was parked on the side of the road (a good six feet wide spot)and Michael had went up to the truck to get his pop out. For some reason he stopped and leaned against the guardrail about 3 feet away from the truck. A lady lost control of her car about 10 feet up the road and slid off the road and into the trailer which was pushed about 6 feet downward and almost 3 feet to the side. The trailer hit Michael's leg but he only has some bruising. The car went airborne and spun around a couple times before landing, facing the opposite direction that she was driving. Her car is totaled. It hit the ground so hard that two of the wheels and tires popped off! The trailer is all warped up, the truck is damamged. The truck was pushed into the friends SUV and it has a busted bumper and tail light and it seems to be warped as well...the doors aren't shutting well. I'm telling you guys...another couple inches and the corner of the trailer would have been pushed into Michael's leg and crushed it against the guardrail. It could have ended really, really badly. <br /><br />But, Praise God, He was watching over my boy! He was shaken up a bit but he KNOWS that God was watching over him! Brandon was really freaking out because, at first, he couldn't see Michael. It took Brandon about 3 hours to calm down. He kept saying to me that it wasn't his fault and for us not to be mad at him. And I kept telling him that we were not mad at him and we were just as concerned about him as we were Michael. Rough day. But I am still so thankful the boys are fine! Such an awesome answer to my daily prayer to keep my family safe!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-25276058168152346502010-08-23T13:29:00.000-04:002010-08-23T13:30:39.681-04:00Why do people think they can NOT follow the rules and be successful?! This has been a thought that has been brewing for a while now. I can restrain myself no longer and must comment! <br /><br />1. Rules (or program guidelines) are in place for a reason! Not to make you mad or deprived or to be mean or take away your individuality. They are there because they work—plain and simple!<br /><br />2. Success does depend directly upon the individual. How much are you willing to give to this process? How committed are you really? <br /><br />3. Truth. Each person must be honest with others as well as, or more importantly, with self. I know a lady that has been going to WW meetings for 5 years and has not lost an ounce and has in fact gained 20 lbs. But she shows up for the meetings faithfully and swears she doesn’t know why she is not losing weight because she is following the program. Come on people! I work for a diabetes doctor and this one is huge! Patients come in and say they are following their ADA diet to perfection and walking 2 miles a day, 5 days a week but their A1C (3 month average of blood sugar) comes back at 11.6 (normal for a diabetic is 6.0 and maybe even up to 7.0 if the patient is insulin resistant). Yeah, right! <br /><br />4. Work smarter not harder. There are certain ways to do things. Not my way or your way but the proper way. You can’t always change things because you want to do them your way. Well, you can but you are just making more work for yourself and possibly setting yourself up for a huge disappointment.<br /><br />5. Accountability. Don’t blame others for your lack of commitment. I have seen this in other blogs and I have heard it at meetings. “If my husband would just do the program with me, then I could do better.” Yes, it is easier if your spouse is on board with you. But not impossible if he/she is not. And yes, I do speak from experience here. “If my friend wouldn’t have missed those meetings I would have lost more weight.” Again, it is easier when you have a buddy. But it is up to you to decide to what extent the program will be followed. Meetings are a way to connect to other people so reach out and make some new friends. Accept that your weight loss is your responsibility. <br /><br />6. Goals. Set them! Reasonably. Don’t expect to lose 20 lbs in a month or cram a whole day’s work into 2 hours. Resolve to lose a couple pounds a week for a month or to drink more water or walk 5 days a week. I have seen people with an “all or nothing” attitude that quit at the first setback. Face it, most people can’t lose 50 lbs in 6 weeks and maintain that type of rapid loss. But the “slow and steady” attitude of aiming to lose those 50 lbs in 6 to 8 months is reasonable.<br /><br />7. <strong>Staying positive</strong>. You can’t go around moaning about how much work you have to do or how much weight you have to lose. Embrace your journey and stop looking back. I don’t mean ignore the problem but accept it and move forward. Break down your work or weight loss into mini goals. Make it manageable for yourself. Get inside your own head and tell yourself that you can be a healthy person, that you can meet your goals, you can live without chips, cookies or even cheesecake daily. Don’t let a setback (delay or a weight gain) destroy you. Accept it as part of your life’s journey and move on. Keep a positive “I can do” attitude. You will be surprised how far this alone will take you!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-15702177474063568092010-08-19T15:20:00.003-04:002010-08-19T16:12:14.518-04:00I'm Back!<div>I've been absent from the blogging world for a long while! Life really does get in the way sometimes. My family and I have been through alot of changes in the past year. My husband's best friend and cousin passed away a year ago iJuly 6. That has been very difficult for all of us, especially my boys. We still miss Clyde every day and probably always will. In August of last year, my grandmother had her second hip replacement. She did much better this go around. Also in August my youngest son was diagnosed with moderate asthma and moderate-severe allergies. Poor kid is allergic to 9 different things so far. It seems like I lived in doctor's offices last year! School was very busy for us last year. My oldest son is in the band and had ball games and other activities he was required to attend. I was also elected Treasuer of the Band Boosters which added more to my plate.<br /><br />This year my mother-in-law fell in March and fractured two vertabre. Thankfully, she was a canidate for kyphoplasty to relieve the pain. She was in and out of the hospital and HealthSouth for rehab. It was a very long, very hard road for her. She had gotten so weak in the hospital she was unable to even stand and had to stay with her daughter until she regained strength and completed the doctors physical therapy. She was finally able to go back to her own home this month.<br /><br />I know most of this news seems negative. But we have made it through all if it with God's help. To me that is a huge positive!<br /><br />Personally, I gained back almost all the weight I had previously lost. I finally realized that my own program wasn't working. I always hated the idea of paying to lose weight. But I knew something had to change so I joined Weight Watchers (WW) in January. It took me a month or so to really learn the program and get in my groove. I must say that I love WW!! The program very closely resembles the ADA (American Diabetes Association) diet and is designed for slow weight loss. It is not a rapid quick fix or something you do until you reach your goal. It is a lifestyle change.<br /><br />WW has been great not only for me but for my whole family! <em><strong>Let me make myself clear here...in NO way, shape or form have I ever suggested to either one of my boys that they need to lose weight or follow the program. </strong></em><br /><br />But the boys are seeing both my husband and myself weigh in weekly and hearing us discuss our losses. They also see the changes in the snack cabinet. It's not stocked with their previous go to snacks. Not because I am depriving them. I am keeping myself in line and removing temptation. Besides, how much processed food does a person really need to consume and be healthy? Not much is my guess. Anybody ever watched "Super Size Me"? If so, enough said. If not, go join Netflix and watch. I promise you will never eat at Mickey D's again.<br /><br />My kids new go to snacks are now grapes, microwave popcorn and low fat yogurts and ice creams. Not to mention the all important banana smoothies! Why the change? They see me--their mom--trying to become healthier and they want to do what I do. They saw me jog for the first time in my entire life and somehow decided that was pretty cool of mom to try something new. They saw the happiness when me and their dad finished our first ever 5k in the top 10. They are so happy that their dad can now play with them much easier, without so much back pain. In short, they are proud of us!<br /><br />I realized all this when my youngest son, age 7, went to WW with me a few weeks ago because his dad was working late and it was either take him or not go. So he went with me. He had actually been a few times before and liked it...all the women I think. He had dropped from 97 lbs to 91 lbs! This is the first year ever that I have not had to buy him a bigger clothing size for school! The only reason he needs new jeans is, well, he's a 7 year old boy who plays hard! My 13 year old son noticed that his jeans were looser and he had to dig out a belt. He weighed and realized he had lost 10 lbs!<br /><br />They were not trying to lose weight at all. They just wanted to be healthy like mom and dad. So the next time you think your kids (or grandkids or neices or nephews) aren't watching...think again. </div><br /><div></div><div>Here's a pic of me and my hubby from Aug. 7, 2010 at my young cousin's wedding:</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507215240990534178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRJa8zsexShOEsGHv0t_U5KI8UvAbRi70cIsRHM9KyXbJwRYUridC4c0DwJPqEGNPC5zYNU0QVHrghVo7iPRtFnCgq9z9ctJWf9W6932oQRnhnhQ2Li47jg-4PW7Hdx4pclN9HC0WwXUl/s320/candy+and+mike+8-7-10.jpg" />I am 23 pounds lighter and Mike is down 27 pounds!<br /><br />One more thing, I joined a discussion board on the WW site called 'Positive Thinkers'. It is a wonderfully, supportive place to be for non-judgemental encouragement! <br /><br />I hope to be back posting more reguarly here. The world needs all the positivity it can get even if only 4 other people read this!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-30201493003726643842009-06-13T07:37:00.004-04:002009-06-13T08:11:49.790-04:00Fresh StartHello all! You will notice some changes to my blog....a new title and description for starters. I've changed them because I want others to particiapte with me. I want to provide a place to discuss issues and encourage one another. These past few months have been a very difficult time for my family. But we have learned--and are still learning--how to find positive solutions to life situations. <br /><br />One challenge we have faced recently has been finding out that our 6 year old is lactose intolerant. At first, the only solution I could find was giving him Lactaid chewables, changing his milk to Lactaid brand and limiting what he ate. We live in a small area and there are very few products out there for special diets. But after much research and finding a great blog and some helpful posters (<a href="http://lactoseintolerance.blogspot.com/">http://lactoseintolerance.blogspot.com</a> ) I have learned there are other ways to handle it. There are websites that sale drops that can be added to regular milk (and other dairy products) to make it lactose intolerant friendly. Plus, thanks to Jenny, I have learned how to read dairy product labels to know if it is lactose free. So far I have found Kraft Natural cheese shreds (all varieties) and Kraft 2% Sharp Cheddar have NO lactose!! For the first time in weeks Adam got to enjoy nachos last night with no problems. I have also found WalMart and Kroger have their own brands of lactose free milk, which is at least a dollar cheaper per half gallon. Soy milk runs about the same price which is another choice. Thanks to Courtney at Food City, I found soy ice cream products. <br /><br />Another very difficult challenge has been my husband getting laid off from his job. Technically the business closed. We could have freaked out, screamed and cried. But how would that help? Instead we prayed. We prayed and put our trust in God. Then we decided to make the best of it. Yes, Mike was active in his job search but he did not let it overwhelm him. He went to Adam's fun day at school. He picked up our 12 year old son from school on his last day driving his 1969 Chevelle SS. This past week he got caught up on all the yard work he is responsible for (our properties plus his mother's) and taught Michael how to use a weed eater. The two of them worked and learned together. They would pick up Adam in the afternoons and play. A couple nights they even cooked dinner and had it ready for me when I got home from work. During this week, Mike also had 5 job offers. He looked at all the pros and cons and decided to return to Cole Chevrolet. He starts on Monday.<br /><br />I have found that trusting in God and seeking the help of others that positive solutions can be found to even the biggest challenges!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-32340504783197208032009-02-15T12:09:00.002-05:002009-02-15T12:21:41.268-05:00Night of BlessingsA few days ago we had a crazy rainstorm with extremely high winds which is very unusual for our area. To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about this when we all got home from work because my husband greeted me with the news that the outdoor water spiket was leaking and he had to fix it while it was warm. It had been in the teens but was in the 50's that day. To make the necessary repair the water to the entire house had to be shut off. Thinking ahead, we drew the water for our youngest son's bath and ran enough water in the kitchen for me to finish dinner. By 7 o'clock, Adam had gotten a nice warm bath and was in a sweet playful mood, dinner was over and the mess cleaned up. My two Michaels were finishing up the outdoor repair. All was going smoothly for a change! <br /><br />Suddenly, at 7:22 the lights filckered once and went out less than a minute later. Thankfully, I keep candles out all over the house so all I had to do was convince Adam that he just needed to hold Mommy's hand and I'd take care of him. We soon had several candles burning when Michael came in with a flashlight. We found another flaslight for Adam which calmed him considerably. Mike came in with his own flashlight and we soon had a nice, cozy glow in the living room. I settled Adam on the couch with me and read several stories from his Bible storybook while Michael took a warm shower (we have gas hot water) by candle light. Soon Adam was snuggled up by my side, giggling and calm. He even stated it was just like camping, just in a bigger "camper". <br /><br />As I look back over that night it is so clear to see God's hand of protection upon my children. He knew Adam would NOT have taken a shower by candle light and that Michael would have thought it was cool. He knew what to do to help me to calm them and help them feel safe and cozy. He knew how to turn what could have been a negative into a positive. Actually, it was the most relaxing evening we had all week!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-4093277588065523492009-01-31T14:02:00.002-05:002009-01-31T14:09:11.999-05:00A MUST SEE MOVIE!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlVEqvLJVBWsTtXcmMgR1scOb-kEQit_FbyHWUhJfEZ4eZaF-gBw0wnOunAXy1YdhK-VMBSHZVWkiodLVebG3cVU0jyFW3GiL-2IcANZDvrUyGw7EmTmr-G2KPJQTZ2agNHhGnvh12Eg9/s1600-h/fireproofdvd_300x250.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297535962225712082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlVEqvLJVBWsTtXcmMgR1scOb-kEQit_FbyHWUhJfEZ4eZaF-gBw0wnOunAXy1YdhK-VMBSHZVWkiodLVebG3cVU0jyFW3GiL-2IcANZDvrUyGw7EmTmr-G2KPJQTZ2agNHhGnvh12Eg9/s320/fireproofdvd_300x250.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>From <a href="http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/">http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/</a></div><br /><div>About FIREPROOF<br />At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.Growing up, Catherine Holt always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter...just like her daddy. Now, after seven years of marriage, Catherine wonders when she stopped being "good enough" for her husband. Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks. As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees-for his father's sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book's daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, "How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?"When his father explains that this is the love Christ shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And with God's helphe begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife. But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever...rescuing his wife's heart.</div><div> </div><div>FIREPROOF is truly an awesome movie! If you liked Facing the Giants you will LOVE Fireproof! And is not just a "chick flick" either. It is full of action, sitting on the edge of your seat moments and plenty of laughter. Add the fact that it is a movie about love (both romantic and God's love) and I think you will find this is the perfect combination! </div><div> </div><div>Go ahead and make it a movie weekend!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-7415326034876508372009-01-05T15:41:00.002-05:002009-01-05T15:51:15.887-05:00First Monday of '09First, thanks to all who participated in my latest poll! Seems none of us make "real" New Year's Resolutions. And that is OK. Personally, I think setting goals is more attainable and realistic. <br /><br />How was the first Monday of the new year? Not bad. Things at work went much more smoothly than I thought they would have. I got up on time today and got in a good workout. I have my meals planned for the rest of the week. All is well.<br /><br />What does a new year mean? A new me? New ideas? Job change? Possibly. But most likely it will mean smaller changes in my life. Practicing patience. Not yelling at the boys for just being kids. Letting go of all those little things. Becoming closer to God. And yeah, losing those lost 17 or so aggravating pounds. <br /><br />It will also mean watching my boys grow. Michael will be 12 soon and I must start preparing myself for the reality that he is becoming a young man. Adam is learning more and more each day and I'm starting to see where his talents lie. I must take those sweet moments that sneak up on us and treasure them. I will take more pictures this year. <br /><br />Share your thoughts, goals or dreams for 2009!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-48925904711303756942008-12-30T11:26:00.003-05:002008-12-30T11:33:50.189-05:002009 is almost here!OK guys, just wanted everyone to know that I am totally ready for 2009 and am ready to shed some more pounds!! I have struggeld with weight all my life. I swear, my eating issues come from being a premie and being told to eat for the first six years of my life! Anyway, the end of June 2008 I decided enough was enough! I am no longer focusing on a certain weight or size. My goal is be HEALTHY--to eat healthy 90% of the time, to become more active and fit and to inspire my boys to stay active and healthy. I lost 27 lbs from July to October with this thought as inspiration. Amazingly, I only gained 4 pounds back over the holidays! But now is the time to get back on my eating plan. I have looked back at my food diary from my most succesful months and am making a grocery list based on what I ate then. This week I am focusing on "cleansing" the cabinets of holiday junk food. Starting Monday I will back to my healthy lifestyle!! Can't wait!<br /><br />I don't know if this post counts as a "real" New Year's Resolution. However, I do have goals. But what about you? Share your New Year's Resolutions or goals for 2009. Be sure to participate in the latest poll, too!<br /><br />Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy New Year!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-4673610672897897912008-12-24T07:52:00.002-05:002008-12-24T08:00:38.772-05:00We love our pets!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyuTt8MhSEw6-t8mORExf4rZ7Ew_rc8-eOdv1SpCtuXCyfFbz3EbbYSUbpDeD60Q0FzSnx3gHEocom5M7lXULLa4IWToxca0JjEHxyVSch7z77vPhIEIBdqhRy2Wc1hKSKhTv5Jo6lqD/s1600-h/christmas.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283340691004540882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyuTt8MhSEw6-t8mORExf4rZ7Ew_rc8-eOdv1SpCtuXCyfFbz3EbbYSUbpDeD60Q0FzSnx3gHEocom5M7lXULLa4IWToxca0JjEHxyVSch7z77vPhIEIBdqhRy2Wc1hKSKhTv5Jo6lqD/s320/christmas.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It's now official! Most of us love our pets enough to make them part of the family!! It has always been fun for the boys to see what Santa will bring the cat and dog. I'm glad to see others doing this as well.</div><div></div><br /><div>Wishing you all a truly blessed and Merry CHRISTmas!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-83029797623971649732008-12-18T11:33:00.004-05:002008-12-18T14:25:31.128-05:00The Blessing of a Broken Christmas TreeOK, I'm sure you are thinking that the word 'blessing' and 'broken' do not belong in the same senetence! But in this case they truly do. Here's the story... We finally get our tree up on Saturday. It was alot of fun and the boys enjoyed it more than ever before! Great memories on that night! On Monday night I go to plug the tree in so I can take a picture of Michael all dressed up for his Christmas band concert and the tree falls over!! My hubby helps me pick it up and get it to stand back up and it seemed fine...until a couple days later it falls over again!<br /><br />Last night my handy man hubby tries to repair the stand but nothing would fix it. I had already decided to go get a table top tree and wait until after Christmas to get a new tree since it would be an unexpected expense. During the repair process one of his buddies calls and Mike tells him about the tree. Darrell tells Mike that he and his wife bought a new tree this year since their old one was too big for the living room in their new house and he'd be glad to let us have it!<br /><br />How is all this a blessing? My mother in law is on a fixed income and limited storage space. She cannot find all the pieces to her tree. However, she does have a good stand! We both had the same tree so our former tree can now become her new tree with the use of her stand. How cool is that?!<br /><br />Isn't it awesome to know that our God truly cares for even the smallest thing in our lives? He knew that my mother in law would have this problem and saw a way to fix it so that our whole family could be blessed!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-34776579201014428992008-12-12T09:45:00.003-05:002008-12-12T09:52:14.332-05:00No Comparrison<strong>With 2 weeks before Christmas REMEMBER: Jesus is Better than Santa</strong><br /><ul><li>Santa lives at the North Pole.</li><li>JESUS is everywhere.</li><li>Santa rides in a sleigh </li><li>JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.</li><li>Santa comes but once a year </li><li>JESUS is an ever present help.</li><li>Santa fills your stockings with goodies </li><li>JESUS supplies all your needs.</li><li>Santa comes down your chimney uninvited </li><li>JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. And then enters your heart.</li><li>You have to stand in line to see Santa </li><li>JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.</li><li>Santa lets you sit on his lap </li><li>JESUS lets you rest in His arms.</li><li>Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?" </li><li>JESUS knew our name before we did.Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too.He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.</li><li>Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly </li><li>JESUS has a heart full of love.</li><li>All Santa can offer is HO HO HO </li><li>JESUS offers health, help and hope.</li><li>Santa says "You better not cry" </li><li>JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.</li><li>Santa's little helpers make toys </li><li>JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.</li><li>Santa may make you chuckle </li><li>JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.</li><li>While Santa puts gifts under your tree </li><li>JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.</li></ul><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">It's obvious there is really no comparison.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.We need to put Christ back in Christmas.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Jesus is still the reason for the season.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2008 And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year.</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">No, I did not write this but felt it should be passed on!!</span></strong>Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-53171278937230415002008-12-09T15:56:00.003-05:002008-12-09T16:09:32.857-05:00Compliments to the Chef!Saturday I made a new dish---Steak Parmesan. As I cooked the cube steak and prepared the sauce I realized I did not have enough parmesan cheese to on top! Gasp! It was in the title so it is of dire importantance to have! So off the boys and I go to the store after I put the dish in the oven to simmer. When we returned my oldest son, Michael, says, "Mom, if that tastes half as good as it smells, then it should be good." Wow...what a great compliment from my usually quiet, artsy-crafty son! Then on top of that when I pulled the pan out of the oven and added the much needed cheese, Michael states, "If that tastes as good as it looks, it will be <em>really</em> good!" I was walking on air by this point! <br /><br />Isn't it wonderful how just how far a few words of encouragement or praise can go? Since then I have made a point to let my boys and hubby know how much I appreciate them for their unique qualities and their acts of kindness. And I must say, there has been a really nice feeling floating around! Let's keep it going!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-22225139469426086732008-12-04T14:24:00.003-05:002008-12-04T14:36:25.047-05:00Unexpected Kindness From a Five Year OldHave you ever noticed how selfish kids can be? And I don't just mean eat the last cookie kind of selfish either. I mean the total self absorbed way of thinking, that the entire world revolves around them. Mom's sick but hey, somebody's got to do the laundry because I have to have my ACDC hoodie kind of selfish. Yeah Dad, I know it's 9 pm and you just got home and haven't had dinner yet but can I have the leftovers anyway kind of selfish. But after all, they are just kids and will eventually grow out of it--eventually. <br /><br />Last night I had the privildge of receiving a wonderful blessing from my five year old. Adam, the youngest has been sick with a stomach virus for 3 days. He has wanted me by his side every moment--including in the bathroom at 3 am! Poor baby! Yesterday evening he finally started feeling a bit better. I told him to get his clean jammies and I'd give him a bath so off he goes to his bedroom. He comes back grinning from ear to ear, obviously very pleased with himself. He grabs me by the hand and says, "Mom, let me show you how nice I am." He leads me to my bedroom where he has turned on my lamp and the matress pad heater. Plus he had put my little pillow back on the bed--I had let him use it on the couch because he was feeling so bad. \<br /><br />It was as if he was thanking me for taking such good care of him during his illness. He was so happy to do something for me. His small act of kindess truly touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. And gave me hope that maybe I'm doing something right after all!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-13127385988211808292008-12-02T14:13:00.007-05:002008-12-02T14:26:16.215-05:00Thanksgiving 2008<div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7Cc7cLSRsspK7ogcGTL053FAumVjzrKr2dJWTDG2UlQ9hmmtOBLDc5cQutw1Xs3mNF37B_FvpW-CVOQquEv7D9YsaxaZ12dVNQrDLcTkcnQxeTVyia4wd9b8wBnQj5eawdYaf4evPwUN/s1600-h/November+2008+076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275273714233356610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7Cc7cLSRsspK7ogcGTL053FAumVjzrKr2dJWTDG2UlQ9hmmtOBLDc5cQutw1Xs3mNF37B_FvpW-CVOQquEv7D9YsaxaZ12dVNQrDLcTkcnQxeTVyia4wd9b8wBnQj5eawdYaf4evPwUN/s320/November+2008+076.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Thanksgiving 2008 was awesome! It will go down in history as the one with the best turkey ever! (Not kidding!) My hubby smoked it again this year but wrapped it in foil this time. It turned out lovely and with an excellent smoky flavor. I made turkey salad with the leftovers and there is barely any left! The boys enjoyed their extra drumsticks as well...I think they are all gone. </div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div>With Thanksgiving over with does this mean we have to stop being thankful? Does it mean we should not concentrate on our blessings the rest of the year? NO!! We should always remain thankful for all the Lord has provided to each of us. So many people do indeed act like Thanksgiving day is the only day of the year to truly be thankful. This year, let us all make a point to be thankful every day for our blessings. And let's remember to talk about our blessings to others. Who knows...maybe it will be contagious! </div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnucr9qfl7vr0ob-W_VVnEGUf2Ffaprj2S2n5pszZK0-lpmbDN4WXqn1aq6MrxR_VEJ1D9HQj4NGGNjlZ8MrKtb8j6brsbsKGUS-6BCxK3ayNRyi0FG6U6DUELXNAutu9ncz5daSZTOSF/s1600-h/November+2008+031.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275274673329649778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnucr9qfl7vr0ob-W_VVnEGUf2Ffaprj2S2n5pszZK0-lpmbDN4WXqn1aq6MrxR_VEJ1D9HQj4NGGNjlZ8MrKtb8j6brsbsKGUS-6BCxK3ayNRyi0FG6U6DUELXNAutu9ncz5daSZTOSF/s320/November+2008+031.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Here are a few pics our my biggest blessings...my two precious boys--Michael (11) and Adam (5)--playing football!<br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBRCDHUXSt8zfTHkVGuwe7l-WGqOfdh9hn-77-dBgvC1FiOAkHt_dfUGw99sg28YWBF_j2w_ZIW38L0VF5AmF3NGpz78lEKF8yQCq2jfuSssiqvvgjq7W6suRWg8afH4UOik59KOelMBQ/s1600-h/November+2008+052.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275275262300580130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBRCDHUXSt8zfTHkVGuwe7l-WGqOfdh9hn-77-dBgvC1FiOAkHt_dfUGw99sg28YWBF_j2w_ZIW38L0VF5AmF3NGpz78lEKF8yQCq2jfuSssiqvvgjq7W6suRWg8afH4UOik59KOelMBQ/s320/November+2008+052.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Here they are again on one of our many walks through the campground. So sweet to see them like this! By the way, how do you guys like Adam's spikey do?<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUI7Z38X_tuHO0dnte1PjYpFcXRK7g3wTn94nsMDLiBXeYXhlw8s_f0ZonFCfyiMjgCeiULyJJvX4QdFAuPSmhu_Y0UdBlaudcv1P09or6lWKakZdUo6pUsHx5H_7jHsJ8MNIfuRzoz0o/s1600-h/November+2008+060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275275778189343378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUI7Z38X_tuHO0dnte1PjYpFcXRK7g3wTn94nsMDLiBXeYXhlw8s_f0ZonFCfyiMjgCeiULyJJvX4QdFAuPSmhu_Y0UdBlaudcv1P09or6lWKakZdUo6pUsHx5H_7jHsJ8MNIfuRzoz0o/s320/November+2008+060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>And here is the love of my life working hard to prepare us a delicious smoked turkey! </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Hope you all had a truly blessed Thanksgiving!</div></div></div>Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-78557980717953397272008-11-24T12:04:00.003-05:002008-11-24T12:06:26.931-05:00Poll ResultsSorry to be so late in doing this but I've not been well yet again!<br /><br />Anway, looks like most of us view Christmas and Thanksgiving as equally important! Yay! To be honest, I thought Christmas would win hands down so this was a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />Wishing you all the happiest Thanksgiving ever!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-34228940516780610962008-11-20T15:52:00.003-05:002008-11-20T16:04:59.998-05:00Thursday's ThoughtCommon courtsey. That is the thought for the day! <br /><br />Today I was at a busy intersection and let a big truck out before making my turn. The driver waved and went on. No big deal. I pulled into the parking lot, picked up lunch for the office and hit the road again. Only to be stopped by a huge (OK, maybe not huge but at least 6 cars) line of traffic that I would now have to wait for in order to make a left handed turn. Amazingly, the third car stops, waves me on and lets me cross!! WOW!! How cool is that?! <br /><br />And how often does in actually happen in the "me" oriented society? <br /><br />This got me to thinking. In this super-charged, hurry-up-and-get-things-done world common courtsey needs to make a come back in a big way. <br /><br />So, during this holiday season when everyone can get so concerned with marking off the items on their to-do list I am going to make a concentrated effort to be more courteous to others. Not that it takes that much. For instance, while waiting in line with a grocery cart brimming over I notice the lady behind me has three items so I will let her get in line ahead of me. I will let others have the right of way on the road. I will smile at the cashier and thank him/her before leaving. I will wish the waiter/waitress at the next restaurant I go to a "Happy Thanksgiving". I will say "Merry Christmas" to everyone this year! I will not rush by the elderly lady in the grocery store but will stop and ask if she needs help reaching that item on the top shelf. You get the idea...there are hundreds of things to show courtsey to others on a daily basis!<br /><br />In this way I will show my children exactly what "good will toward men" means.Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-13549113061008526442008-11-17T16:04:00.003-05:002008-11-17T16:15:43.659-05:00Funny Things About BoysMy boys were in rare form this weekend! Which got me thinking boys truly are very different from girls at a very young age...or maybe it's just they are very different from their mom! I've composed a list of....<br /><br />Ten Things I've Learned From My Boys:<br /><br />1. If Mom thinks it is gross, this translates to "Cool" in boy language. (The grosser mom thinks it is, the cooler the boys think it is.)<br /><br />2. When your boys gives you the 'rock on' sign this means he is happy.<br /><br />3. Boys of ANY age will laugh hysterically just by hearing the word "gas".<br /><br />4. When your boy start noticing girls, he will not tell Mom.<br /><br />5. When said girl hurts boys feelings, he will tell Mom.<br /><br />6. Boys can be extremely gentle in caring for a sick cat.<br /><br />7. After cat is better, boy will body slam cat onto couch numerous times.<br /><br />8. Boys do not like to clean up cat vomit.<br /><br />9. When your boys say, "Mom, you rock!" this actually means, "I love you."<br /><br />and my personal favorite...<br /><br />10. When your boys say, "Mom you TOTALLY rock!" this translates to, "You are the best mom in the whole wide world!"...and he really thinks you are!<br /><br />Share your funny or touching kid stories!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-67919156206938591912008-11-12T11:00:00.001-05:002008-11-12T11:01:40.734-05:00Holiday Shopping IdeasWith all the talk buzzing around about holiday shopping and gas prices (even though they are dropping they are still way too high!) I’ve heard many people mention they will shop by catalog and/or internet. So here’s a way to help those shoppers out! I’ve found some sites with one of a kind, custom made items that I’d like to share with you!<br /><br />If you are looking for a great read or audio book check out:<br /><a href="http://www.candancelawson.etsy.com/">www.candancelawson.etsy.com</a> or <a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/">www.tatepublishing.com</a> Copies from etsy can be autographed and get FREE shipping until December 1st (etsy site only!)! This is a newly published Christian romance novel just perfect for a cold winter’s night!<br /><br />Or lovely handmade baby items, hats, scarves and/or home items go to:<br /><a href="http://www.mattscraftywife.etsy.com/">www.mattscraftywife.etsy.com</a> She makes lovely items and not only accepts but encourages custom orders! Smoke free and pet free home.<br /><br />Thinking about unusual jewelry? Then this site is a must see!<br /><a href="http://www.cherryscreations.etsy.com/">www.cherryscreations.etsy.com</a><br /><br />Need some relaxation or looking for hard to find essential oils? Then here’s the place! <a href="http://www.fineessentials.etsy.com/">www.fineessentials.etsy.com</a><br /><br />If you love denim, this is the site for you! Items are made from recycled jeans. Purses, cards and more! <a href="http://www.loriforney.etsy.com/">www.loriforney.etsy.com</a> Made in a smoke free environment.<br /><br />For tasteful lingerie and FREE shipping check out:<br /><a href="http://www.linkreferral.com/dirget.pl?url=http://www.irresistible-elegance.com" target="_blank">http://www.irresistible-elegance.com</a><br /><br />Please come back and let us know what you think of these sites and your experiences if you purchase from any of them. Also, share your favorite sites and holiday ideas!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-10550696183975652192008-11-11T10:26:00.002-05:002008-11-11T11:00:55.755-05:00Thanksgiving...I can't wait!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTbqiDGXJBUIuh7YQhhrTboXeUO7N1R5iHm9gV0XUqAj6dDOUGXiXYUpbIg-WT1TgyjXU-WOupfFUQKAIuetNlfxpcddOJyEigdf1YF2_V24tWcrCBMgH_eov43Crs5e-MV0G69OhXUR3/s1600-h/cabin+2007+TG+table.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267430432749735906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTbqiDGXJBUIuh7YQhhrTboXeUO7N1R5iHm9gV0XUqAj6dDOUGXiXYUpbIg-WT1TgyjXU-WOupfFUQKAIuetNlfxpcddOJyEigdf1YF2_V24tWcrCBMgH_eov43Crs5e-MV0G69OhXUR3/s320/cabin+2007+TG+table.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJP_V4GhEww5X8MrUDDS_pIXixseGqmlxGzZbn3zeG7f5jqbvL8gJ1kEe5KnQckFtrxMwkzLllW_qJ2PrLA61MNgNuJptWSTS7WwKiadNh3fCk_Ef6VvdR2k11PfZWG38wHQWb3Tyd2sE/s1600-h/cabin+2007+stuffin+muffins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267430345077174194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJP_V4GhEww5X8MrUDDS_pIXixseGqmlxGzZbn3zeG7f5jqbvL8gJ1kEe5KnQckFtrxMwkzLllW_qJ2PrLA61MNgNuJptWSTS7WwKiadNh3fCk_Ef6VvdR2k11PfZWG38wHQWb3Tyd2sE/s320/cabin+2007+stuffin+muffins.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8x1TYDojVCOJPK1TH8PLxiBBRp8BO4DNzXqd83BnbKmM-LOqjLaRUxJvu92lzoK6qLFZgn3Rr5QmCbOpWpIFjz0JbVbN81mHdmtTG5_bTswrd63MAvNl7dSrOi7ozLJxOvD4iuLpp45K/s1600-h/cabin+2007+turkey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267429908381183842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8x1TYDojVCOJPK1TH8PLxiBBRp8BO4DNzXqd83BnbKmM-LOqjLaRUxJvu92lzoK6qLFZgn3Rr5QmCbOpWpIFjz0JbVbN81mHdmtTG5_bTswrd63MAvNl7dSrOi7ozLJxOvD4iuLpp45K/s320/cabin+2007+turkey.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLSvbWQKBOl-U8Z-vT8BQwdfhADf2vO5e0Qac3slyzfbbq7ZX4kmRnO9qaZr7KzKPv6K59RfWUfhapzy0cB25xX9cHuK9cZ_o0-FhjmA2C50HFlFKt95XCAJa5XuOq3sP9zxugfAiqgyJ/s1600-h/cabin+2007+mike+cooking.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267429814001870194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLSvbWQKBOl-U8Z-vT8BQwdfhADf2vO5e0Qac3slyzfbbq7ZX4kmRnO9qaZr7KzKPv6K59RfWUfhapzy0cB25xX9cHuK9cZ_o0-FhjmA2C50HFlFKt95XCAJa5XuOq3sP9zxugfAiqgyJ/s320/cabin+2007+mike+cooking.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6Lee0GWvN2ApNT42lXriUQU2ZzpTqyoAApQP4YsF8uIgVHaS1xi98Wt7aPhO6Rv30TX3ZELnvxJBFPOzdfVT7gFhoDRvl4RArKhMR9biY2PrB64LOcEqUQWtBdIf3-CwXDOA7MK55oa3/s1600-h/cabin+2007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267429732989594610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6Lee0GWvN2ApNT42lXriUQU2ZzpTqyoAApQP4YsF8uIgVHaS1xi98Wt7aPhO6Rv30TX3ZELnvxJBFPOzdfVT7gFhoDRvl4RArKhMR9biY2PrB64LOcEqUQWtBdIf3-CwXDOA7MK55oa3/s320/cabin+2007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1VAEA16A8BQZJO0yP_aA8AFn58dBHmfqM0qVceT-C62tmNZX3GECdhw1PcTVsOnax3nu9bKI3MJaKO9wEi63BkJG-DRh0PVlw6D-Iej-z29EOHwT9ilkINlv6c7Tqg6Wzo4U7MHAeQux/s1600-h/boys+2007+TG+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267429482232250274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 96px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1VAEA16A8BQZJO0yP_aA8AFn58dBHmfqM0qVceT-C62tmNZX3GECdhw1PcTVsOnax3nu9bKI3MJaKO9wEi63BkJG-DRh0PVlw6D-Iej-z29EOHwT9ilkINlv6c7Tqg6Wzo4U7MHAeQux/s320/boys+2007+TG+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Thanksgiving is coming! I must admit, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday! It is a time of reflection and joy...a time for families to set aside all differences and come together in a spirit of unity.<br />Last year my husband and boys began a new tradition for Thanksgiving. Typically we would visit both sets of families and eat a minimum of two times. While it is fun to see everyone, it is exhausting and leaves little time to truly experience the true meaning of the day. So a new tradition was born! Actually, it was my oldest son's, Michael, idea. We were camping in September and while walking through the campground Michael began talking about the pilgrims (he's a major history buff already!) and about the first Thanksgiving. He casually said, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could have an old fashioned Thanksgiving?" Ding, ding! A lightbulb went off in both my and my husband's heads at the same time. We looked at each other as if to say, "Oh yeah!".<br />We discussed bringing our camper to the campground and having Thanksgiving but the unpredicable weather made us stop and think. After all, who wants to tow a 24 ft. long camper or cook outside in a snow storm? The campground has cabins. Immediately, I went to the office and got the literature. We made our reservations before we left that weekend.<br />For two months the boys were so fired up about Thanksgiving! Nearly every day one would ask a question..."How are we cooking the turkey?" or "Can I have the drumstick?" or "Can we play outside while the food cooks?" This would inspire a whole conversation of our plans which included smoking the turkey, homemade rolls, pumpkin cookies (easier to travel with!) and mashed potatoes made with a hand masher. All four of us were so excited we could harly contain ourselves!<br />We arrived at the cabin on Wednesday evening and were thrilled at the atmosphere! The inside walls looked exactly like the outside walls, denim curtains hung on the windows and all the furniture was made of rustic wood. A perfect setting to our old fashioned Thanksgiving!<br />Thanksgiving Day dawned cool but clear...fallen leaves surrounded the cabin as well as all the walkways and roads throughout the campground. Mike fired up the smoker early which resulted in the few other campers dropping by to say hello and see what we were up to. Mike and I took turns preparing food and checking on the smoker and taking the boys for walks and playing in the leaves.<br />Finally, the turkey was done! It was dark from the smoker but still looked beautiful. Mike had no more than removed it and settled the bird on a platter when it started to snow! A beautiful setting to enjoy a wonderful meal and enjoy the company of those we love the most.<br />This year we have plans to continue our new tradition.<br />Now it's your turn! Share your Thanksgiving traditions and/or your favorite memory of the holiday. Can't wait to hear from you!</div><div> </div><div>PS--That is sparkling grape juice in the first pic! ;) </div></div></div></div></div></div>Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-18366778337982448202008-11-06T05:25:00.003-05:002008-11-06T05:36:54.026-05:00LaughterYesterday was just a really good day. One of my co-workers brought in coffee and she makes the best coffee! What a nice start to a busy day, I thought. The office went smoothly which is a miracle right there. But the best blessing was laughter. I love to hear my boys laugh! My oldest son is a jokester so it is very hard to get anything over on him. But I somehow managed to pull off two jokes (well, really just witty comments) on him in about a 2 minute time frame. We laughed hysterically!! What fun! Then my youngest son snuck up on me when we arrived to pick him up and we laughed even more! <br /><br />Isn't laughter just a wonderful blessing from God? When we laugh we forget about the hard times, the worries that bog us down every day and we just enjoy a moment of pure joy. There are all kinds of medical reasons why laughter is good for us but I think the most important reason why it is good to laugh is the way it makes our hearts feel--light, happy and free. Laughter is a soothing balm in an unfriendly world, the healing our troubled souls need.<br /><br />So maybe laughter isn't just a little blessing but a big one!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-30299055711493012422008-11-04T20:40:00.003-05:002008-11-04T20:44:51.602-05:00Election DayToday is Election Day as everyone in the US knows (and probably half the world as well). We are blessed with the priviledge of having a say in who runs our country. We may not agree with everything either party says but still we get to choose. This is a huge responsibility and a big blessing to have so much freedom. So, lets count our blessings tonight!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-7897705583056164792008-11-03T20:27:00.001-05:002008-11-03T20:29:16.141-05:00Beautiful MondayAfter several days of cold (and even a little snow) it was warm and sunny today. This is a nice blessing for the day!!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821834614250955385.post-26400185655105552812008-11-03T13:51:00.003-05:002008-11-03T14:02:13.265-05:00Simple SundayOK, I thought there was absolutely nothing good about Sunday. I woke up with a headache that quickly turned into a migraine. It hurt so much I could barely follow the sermon at church and didn't make my special butternut squash soup for Sunday dinner as promised. When I got home about 3:30 I changed clothes and told my hubby and boys I was going to lay down for a bit. No one woke me up!! Plus my hubby did some laundry!! I realized this when I got up this morning at 5:00!! Now, that is a big miracle!Candancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14004240323452060453noreply@blogger.com0