I haven't been blogging.. I haven't been able to read many blogs...

Ask me why.....

You really want to know WHY???

Cause THIS lives in my computer right now..

This computer I'm on is slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... so I get frustrated sitting here for to long... so when my other computer comes back.. I will be back up and running to blog.. all my really cool pictures are in my computer too.. sniff sniff...

So I promise to be back.. and up and reading when I get a chance..

The POSITIVENESS in all this... My house is CLEANER.. and I'm de-cluttering again...

BUSY! A WORD THAT I DON'T WANT IN MY VOCABULARY!

I'll admit it.. I haven't blogged in a week because of many things that have been going on.. and things I've been trying to get ready for.. but I REFUSE to use the word BUSY!
The word to me means.. "I don't have time for you".. or I find it to be a "big" Excuse to not notice the little things in life... Being to busy means you miss some of the most special, precious moments, with family AND friends...you may miss a moment when someone NEEDS you the most.. a moment that you may never get back.
I think I'm one of those rare people in today's society that says "hey.. you pick the time and day when we get together.. I'll make sure that day is open to you".. yeah.. I really say that.. UNLESS there is a family obligation.. but you won't get off the phone or away from me until our time is set.
How many times have you heard.. "Oh, I'll have to get back to you".. or "Oh.. gosh my days are filled up.. sorry"... ?
Maybe I'm to detail oriented and have to discover and acknowledge all that is around me..?

Of course this doesn't mean I think everyone should be coach potatoes and do nothing... I think to many people ask the question "How are you"? to REALLY NOT wait for their answer.. or hear what they are saying.. or could really care less how they REALLY are doing...

With all the activities of the week ( I'll blog later).. I still took the time to slow down and capture some more of our Fall before it blew away in the rainy wind...

Canadian Geese...My retriever was going NUTS!!

Random Maple leaves

Cat and 9 tails

these things... I have to pick them off my dog after ever walk... I call them pricker balls.. lol lol

Mums.. just a fall favorite..

6 Things That Make Me Happy

I was tagged by the beautiful MERE.. to write down 6 things that make me happy!!
So here it goes...

1) To those that read my blog AND leave me a comment.. that makes me HAPPY! and I appreciate it.

2) Fall and the cool air.. that makes me HAPPY!

3) Seeing my kids faces each and every morning... that makes me HAPPY!

4)A clean and organized home... that makes me HAPPY!

5) An unexpected phone call from a friend whose just calling to say 'hello'.. that makes me HAPPY!

6) the little conversation I had with my son today...
Me:.. hey bud.. guess what?
Bud:.. what?
Me:.. I probably have to go to work full-time
Bud: Why?
Me:.. cause dad's pay was cut and I have to help out with bills and stuff
Bud:.. Great.. whose going to keep the house clean? Whose going to cook my meals? Mom.. nothing is going to be able to replace you...

Ha Ha Ha... that makes me HAPPY! to know I'm irreplaceable! So when my home becomes a pigsty.... and I complain.. please remind me of this conversation!!

Sing A Song On Saturday

It seems just about every Saturday Morning I get up.. and listen to music.. since its a day that I don't normally have to rush around. This morning I was reflecting back on the week.. thinking it was better than last week.. but STILL a hard week...All week long I'm thinking of our troubles and each time I'm thinking or praying about our situation.. the phrase "Lay it at the feet of Jesus" has popped in my head...

Cause seriously.. there is nothing I can do to fix this problem TODAY! I have to wait and be patient..and leave it to our God...

Some may read this and say "Wait.. you're a Christian.. nothing is suppose to be going wrong.. why isn't YOUR 'God' fixing this... "... I hear this a lot.. Well.. it couldn't be more opposite from the truth.. Being a Christian has made me MORE aware that life isn't going to be handed to me on a silver platter.. and I'm DEFINITELY not going to get my own way. ( doesn't mean I still don't act like a brat from time to time)..

Joshua 1:5 says .. "I will never leave you nor forsake you"

Isaiah 46:4 says..." Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you;I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

So no matter what trial God promises me that it may not be easy.. I might not like the outcome... but he is NEVER going to be away from my side.. Now.. for myself..I have to take the time to place all this at his feet.. and let him help me carry all this sadness..weariness.. and defeat...

This song is a great reminder...What are you worried about? Is anything making you sad lately?

BITTERSWEET

This past week and a half has been one of those weeks where I have felt just BLAH.. ( why I haven't blogged anything). If anything could go wrong.. it did.. if I could find the negative in anything.. I did... As I read a few blogs I realized that other's were feeling the same way as me.. but other's had more of a "right" to feel like they did.. then I... So I asked God to ship shape me back into reality and stop sulking about things that I couldn't fix...

This happened to be a little devotion I got in my in box this past week.. and it really spoke to me .. because last week.. I really felt like giving up everything.. Was it worth doing what I was doing anymore... I was trying to budget my bills and expenses.. and here I was sitting listening to people brag about how they were getting breast enhancements.. or how someone was getting something new... but yet these are the same people that told me a couple months ago.. they were struggling to pay their mortgage...
God told me.. it was none of my business.. and He's right..
When has he ever let me go hungry? homeless? or Cold? He reminded me that I don't live OF this world.. I live FOR HIM...But I'm human and He knows that .. and I got sucked into the "beauty" of materialism... it's easy to do.. but it's easier to jump back out of it when you know you have a Loving God who takes care of your NEEDS and your WANTS...

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (NLT)


Meditation
You may feel, "It's not worth it!" today. God knows your efforts and struggles. Don't lose heart! Everything you do for the Lord is worth it. When was the last time you felt like giving up?

My heart has been heavy too.. listening to my daughter speak about college.. I think about the cost.. I think about the traveling.. but most of all I think about the loneliness that will begin in the late summer.. when she starts packing her stuff away and moving on to achieve her dreams and goals.. something that I have always WISHED for BOTH of my children.. but now.. when those moments are staring you in the face.. it's scary... to know when I'm 40 years old.. my kids will be off and doing their own thing.. makes me wonder what am I going to do for the rest of my life...

Yesterday I was faced with a reminder that this school year is already moving along fast...My daughter had her LAST EVER.. Home GAME in field hockey.. All the parents were acknowledge.. and we had our picture taken with our children.. ( don't get excited.. I don't have that picture...tee hee).. but I have a few of my daughter to share... I miss the Barbie Doll Days, The Little Mermaid, The Charlie Brown Specials and the Wizard of Oz Nights... They went by to fast....



Here she is to the right... cheering on the opposite team.. each girl gave the other seniors on the team flowers...


Waiting for the ball..


Defending the net from a corner shot ( I guess these are good for teams if they get the chance to do)So she's standing right in there next to the goalie..
And the team running our way.. They won 4-3.. The game went into overtime.. and they got the next goal with in minutes...
I've watched these girls grow up.. listened to them bicker and fight.. gain friends.. lose friends.. and through it all.. I wouldn't change a thing.. ( well maybe wish for one more year... Ü)

This weekend... this is exactly what we did.. we replaced almost ALL of our old windows.. for the exception of the kitchen ( because I want to knock a wall down and lose a door) and the big .. big window in my computer room because it has the original stain glass on top.. and I'm not going to part with it..
It's about 60 degrees in my home and I have yet to turn the heat on.. My "good buddies".. ( dripping with sarcasm) at my oil company are coming tomorrow to clean out my furnace.. oh how I WISH my BIL lived closer.. that's what he does for a living... but.. oh well.. So after it's cleaned and OK'd.. I suppose I'll click that stupid little red switch back on.. UGH!

On a happier note.. cooler air brings changing colors!! and even though the economy is poor.. I've still seen MANY and I mean MANY out of staters driving around NH &VT!! I did it myself.. so I thought I would share just a few pics with you..

This one is in Cornish NH.. it's a nice little town.. some people around where I live would say it's a "rich" little town.. perhaps it is.. but some take it to seriously about being the "best" town to live in... It's quaint.. but I still beg to differ...I LOVE.. LOVE the farm house and all the buildings surrounding it!!

Here is a barn still on the same property .. just closer to the road.. I was actually surprised to see someone has started fixing it up!!


As I turned to the left a little this was another view.. forgive the "cloudiness" of the pictures.. it was rainy and cold.. but as I was driving home from work.. I KNEW I had to stop...

And this is the top of a church that I got through the trees...


Ok.. here's where I went "CRAZY".. this is Newport NH.. the town my SIL and BIL live in.. again.. another rainy dreary day.. but I took this picture as I was driving by...

And this is a picture WHILE I was DRIVING..shhh don't tell anyone...

This is a picture of my actual town on a back road... I love this area.. probably my favorite area of my town..

And NOW.. the moment you have been WAITING for.. a Picture of "ME".. well.. not exactly "ME".. but "Mii"... LOL LOL LOL... My kids laughed so hard.. because they told me that my character indeed looks just like "ME".. Notice how she looks cute from the neck up.. um I seriously have a round face.. and freckles.. and blonde hair with pigtails.. lots of times.. when I started Wii fit.. my character was so cute and slim.. and then I stepped on the scale.. and she Plumped me right up.. THANK YOU FOR THAT... the Makers of NINTENDO.. yeah.. YOU!! I know you can hear me!!! I love the gentle reminder when I step on the scale and it says "THAT'S OBESE"... real CUTE!!... NOT!! However.. I think everyone whose used our wii fit has been told they are OBESE or they have room for Improvement... My goal.. to change the shape of "Mii" and "Me".... ( sorry for the bad pic... got to learn how to take pictures of the TV!!)

THANK YOU everyone for your wonderful comments on my daughters pictures!! I'm a picture Junky.. I am one of those people you could invite over and show me boxes and boxes of pictures.. and I would be interested.. I'm a nerd!! LOL LOL..

I think we are going to go with the second picture.. but a different shot of it.. so the sign isn't in the picture.. because she's on the yearbook committee she can take her time.. ( cheater.. lol lol) I'll let you know what the final one looks like...

But for now.. during the photo shoot.. I took this picture.. I LOVE it.. the color of this flower.. is the flowers TRUE color.. which amazed me for the Fall Season.. I LOVE them!!


The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.... Isaiah 40:8

Stay tuned for tomorrow... I'm going to share a picture of "me" with you all!! get ready!! You're going to LOVE IT!!