Trick or Treat 2010

Our Halloween weekend was so much fun! My parents have started a little traditon of coming down to visit this weekend. So, Friday night we had a full house! My brother, his girlfriend, and my parents went to eat at Mom and Dad's. Then we drove around and looked at some of the historic houses all decked out for Halloween.


Saturday Matt and I woke up before everyone and went to pick up doughnuts...my brothers favorite!


We hung around in our pj's and watched some tv. Then I went out to Publix, started our chili in the crock pot, made some banana pudding for my brother to take to a party, then got ready to shop. Mama and I always hit some cute downtown stores Halloween weekend...Halloween stuff is always a good percentage off. My dad and Matt went to Lowes instead of coming with us.

Matt and I met up to work at the Fall Festival at church...we love serving! The youth praise band was playing in the streets....music to my ears. Plus I saw lots of former students!



We made it home just before dark...our neighborhood was already starting to fill up. We watched the end of the GA/FL game. Sad, sad day for the Dawgs...at least it was a good game. Then, we were invaded by a large group of trick or treaters that needed water and bathroom breaks. Our friends throw a Halloween bash each year and they walked down to our house for a bit, since we were visiting with family. Tons of kids! It was complete chaos and insanity, but we loved every minute. Wish I would've thought to snap a few pics.


My family left after lunch today. I am always so sad to see them go. Matt and I got in a nap and took Blakely to the park. I'm excited about a Spooky Desperate Housewives tonight. I don't know about y'all, but I wish I had one more day to rest up before starting my week!




I hope your Halloween weekend was great!!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Pink and Pumpkins

We had pink chips for supper tonight...Barberito's style, in honor of breast cancer awareness. The entire town was there!


We celebrated our 5th year of pumpkin carving as Mr. and Mrs. Whelan. It has always been a tradition. One year when we were dating we even carved pumpkins on the front lawn of VSU. This was year 2 on our back porch at our new house. Maybe next year we'll have the rug and furniture to go out there. :) We always put out our trusty spider candle....just part of the tradition I guess!






We set it out on our front porch...because our neighborhood is the place to trick or treat....along with 2 others in town. It is CRAZY! We have to stock up on candy all year...well maybe not all year, but you get the picture.






Tomorrow is costume day at school. We are having a Fall Carnival on our wing, and then our Halloween Party! I should be tired after it all. But truly, there is a lot of fun to look forward to each year in kindergarten...October, November, and December are packed with great teaching opportunities that tie right in with the holiday's.

Happy Thursday, y'all!
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1

What I'm loving Wednesday!

I am loving these 2 c.d's. Sugarland and Taylor Swift...two of my faves!



I am loving that this movie is out on dvd!


And that this book is waiting for me to get my hands on!


I'm loving that country music is playing all throughout my house, that my house is clean and ready for my hubby to get home, and that I had breakfast for supper.

I love that I'm carving a pumpkin with my babies tomorrow, and that it is "Red Ribbon Week" and I am teaching them all how to say no to drugs. :)

I'm also loving reading through my notes from Wising Up on Sunday. The topic was Wisdom with Words. Beth Moore taught how the strongest conveyers of divine image bearing is the human capacity to use words.

1. Human words bear the Image through power. (Bless, encourage, exhort)
2. Human words bear the Image through the way they penetrate.
3. Human words bear the Image through their inevitable fruit.
4. Human words bear the Image through the potential to bring healing.
5. Human words bear the Image through the gift of timing.

Words that stick out to me from this lesson are: wounds, gossip, Holy CPR, redemption, restoration, and a fruit tray of praise. (These are just things that I want to remember).

Proverbs 15:23 (NIV)
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!

KJV
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

These Days...

Today has been great...I am really tired though. However, it is probably my first afternoon/night at home in weeks. So, I thought I'd give blogging a shot again. :) We are immersed in all things pumpkin and Halloween in my classroom lately. I thought I'd show one of our class pumpkins. This is the one that we will carve. We have about 5 others though. A dog, a pig, a white one, and a baby orange one too.


And a cute book that my kids are working on about nocturnal animals. Kindergarten is a very fun grade to teach.


Aside from teaching, I, along with 4 other ladies was in charge of supper at Bible Study last night. We got yummy pasta from Mom and Dad's Italian Restaurant, we had two types of salads, two types of desserts, garlic bread, and of course Blue Bell Ice Cream.


Not only was the food good, but the message last night was probably my favorite. We are concluding the final chapter in Jonah this week. Have you read the book of Jonah? Do you like the way it ends? I don't! However, Priscilla made me think when she said this..."The question at the end of Jonah is not does he do what God is asking and completely trust Him? It is will we yield and surrender to God?"

Next week will be the last week of my Jonah study and I am really sad. I have learned so much. We were told that we will have hot apple cider, door prizes, and the video is only 7 minutes long....Carla said it will sort of be like a Fall Festival...HA! I will cherish my book because I have so many notes and verses written and highlighted in it. I have learned a lot about plans not going my way, about God's schedule not matching up with my own, about fully believing that God is able and fully capable to be God, and about having a firm faith in Him no matter what happens. I hope to recap a little bit more next week. I will leave you with an important verse from last week. One that I really love and has so much meaning behind it.

So, Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.
Jonah 3:3

Worthwhile.

Matt and I headed out to the soccer park this evening to cheer on one of my sweet boys at his game. He was the star of the team, and I was one proud teacher! Of course, I saw several other students, including my baby from last year, MG!!! I was THRILLED!!! She asked me to come to her game. So, of course we made our way over to the next level and stayed for a second game. She was actually playing against a team with another favorite baby on it. I got to talk to her family and catch up on a few things...I was definitely blessed. And I am thankful and completely know with all of my heart that what I do for a living is worthwhile. Even when it seems so hard. I may or may not have been shedding tears of joy behind my shades as I watched MY babies play. Thank you, Lord, I will sing your praises forever!



Finally, be strengthened by the LORD and by His vast strength.
Ephesians 6:10

Serve and Party

What a busy day it has been for us! I had a formal observation today. Then, immediately after school I headed up to the church to serve supper. Matt met me up there when he got off work. I love serving in our church! We took a picture afterwards in our aprons. We had a little bit until Matt had to go back in, so we took a picture and just talked in my car. Matt sure was cheesin'.



Matt stayed and went to choir tonight, but I came on home because it is a sweet girls birthday in our house. Blakely turned 4 today. Is it sad that I woke up to my alarm going off at 4:30am and before my feet hit the floor or I turned my lamp on, I was already singing Happy Birthday to her? Ha Ha Ha! We love our sweet puppy and have spoiled her rotten all week.

Here is the birthday dog with her favorite present...a sock bunny.


I am loving KK's new book, Unlocked. It is so good...one of my favorites by her... and I've read them all...really. Y'all go pick up a copy! I'm also getting to spend a lot of time and focus on my Bible Study, Jonah. I'm thankful for a night to rest and get caught up on things.


Jonah 2:1-2
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,and he answered me.I called to you from the land of the dead,and Lord, you heard me!"

Football and 10 Years!

We hosted a Sunday School party at our house yesterday afternoon. It was football themed. Our teacher graduated from Auburn, so we had the Auburn vs. Arkansas game on downstairs. We had the end of the Georgia, Vanderbilt game on upstairs. We were proud of our Dawgs!

We had a wonderful spread. I didn't even get pictures of it all. We had every drink you could think of, yummy veggies and dip, death by chocolate, Charleston Cheese (I'll give a shout out to the TJSL cookbook), vidalia onion dip, spinach dip, corn dip, leftover caramel apple tarts and pumpkin ooey gooey bars from my wing party.


Soon after everyone arrived we split up guys and girls...haha! The guys were so loud discussing football. Us girls gathered in the dining room. We talked for close to 3 hours. We had such a good time! 3 couples didn't make it and we missed them!



We were going to hear Steven Curtis Chapman at our municipal auditorium last night, but instead opted for a night in the pickin' shed, watching the movie Date Night. It was sooooo funny! We laughed and laughed! We tried to set self timer for a good picture. This is what we got! Ha!


Today we are celebrating our pastor's 10 year anniversary at FBC Thomasville. We love him so much and NEVER want him to leave. Plus, he baptized me...I just have a special connection with him. It was also our class' week to bring breakfast for our department. We had a good turnout this morning and I got to bring home an empty plate.

I have Bible Study tonight, then church, then a little reception for our Pastor. Sunday is one of my favorite days of the week!

We talked about this verse in SS today.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3

Rocking Chair Date

Typical quiet Friday night in our small town. The football game was away, and we were content to stay at home for once. After a busy week, Matt and I had a date on our front porch. Complete with some rocking chairs, diet coke in tervis tumblers, and a pumpkin scented candle. :) It was perfect. Add a little bit of country music and maybe a Karen Kingsbury book, it really doesn't get much better. We spend so much time out on our rocking chairs during the fall. We are loving this season!

Pumpkin Painting Party!

Thursday night, I had the teachers from my wing over to paint pumpkins and just hang out. We ate lots of yummy dessert, drank coffee punch, and watched a little bit of Grey's.

Two teachers couldn't make it, and a few of the supports...but we had a blast anyway. We are so busy throughout our days that we hardly get the chance to talk. We laughed so hard about some things! I really enjoyed our time together. We are already planning our next crafty get-together.

Our table full of sweets.


Everyone's creations turned out great.


And I had to sneak this picture in...Matt and I enjoying a little porch time late that night.