{ Tuesday Tidbits }

I thought it was about time for a Tuesday Tidbits post, so here goes..... 


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I've seen so many folks already decorating for CHRISTmas. Now for me, I've ALWAYS waited until after THANKSgiving, but I'm kinda getting into the spirit of things myself! I'm not sure Pappy will go for putting up the tree until after the turkey, though!

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Speaking of Christmas trees.....
have you seen the price of trees lately?
I would love to have a tree with frosted needles and berries and pine cones, but a large one at Walmart is close to $200 and a smaller one that I really liked at Hobby Lobby was ON SALE for $100.
Do these people not even know how frugal I am?
So, yes, I'm gonna just stick with the one we've had for umpteen years and carry on!

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We kept our grandgirl Friday night and Saturday to celebrate her 8th birthday. As we were driving to Kodak to get her an ice cream (and Pappy and Nannie, too), she asked me a burning question.

"Nannie, if you could only choose one food to eat the rest of your life, what would it be?" 

See, I told you it was of greatest importance - a  girl after her Nannie's own heart thinking about food. I told her chicken, as long as it was Pappy's grilled chicken - that man can grill, Y'all!!!

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We took RK to see The Nutcracker Saturday and it was so good. Not at all what I expected, but still very good!  But, why do they have to turn the volume soooo loud in the movie theater?  I'm old, but not deaf!


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Y'all, the wind got me out of bed this morning. The ceiling fan stays on at night, summer and winter, and I rarely can hear the wind blowing outside the window, but this morning it sounded like a freight train and was oh, so scary!  The wind has died down, but our yard is chock full of leaves the wind blew off.  I think I see a job for some grandkids when they spend this coming weekend with us!


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Nothing new to report on the she-shed "remodel", but we are getting a roof built over our small back door stoop - our Christmas gift to each other.


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You know you cannot outgive the Lord, right?
I've been blessed with so many precious folks who give me yarn because they know about my crocheting passion. I had more yarn than I knew what to do with so I went through it and had a huge bag to take to my favorite thrift store.  We hadn't even got it up there yet when another friend from church gifted me with a box of gorgeous yarns with two skeins of my favorite color.....

PURPLE!!!

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Speaking of crochet, I'm trying to teach our grandgirl.  She's got the chain down pat and we took her home Saturday evening with an arm full of crocheted chain "bracelets", her very own crochet hook and several skeins of yarns she chose from the giveaway bag in her favorite colors.  She even made them for me, her Momma, and Mamaw!

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So, that's that about that, as my Mammie used to say! Not a great lot to report on the home front!

HOPE everybody has a Terrific Tuesday!

{ Friday Foto Friends #64 }

Our daughter took this pic Wednesday evening at Cherokee Lake and I kinda/sorta stole it from her post on Instagram.  As you know, I don't ever post pics of our grand-kiddos, but since their faces aren't showing in this pic I figured I'd be safe in sharing this one. These four little souls bring me more joy than I could ever possibly begin to explain.....

sometimes to the point that I'm pretty sure my heart is gonna burst wide open!

 They're unmistakable, ever present, non condemning love for their Pappy and me has given me just a taste of how God must feel about His children.....

and that just absolutely overwhelms me.

HOPE everybody has a wonderful weekend!

{ Busy, Busy ]

Pappy took a couple of days off work so we could get some much needed things accomplished around the house.  Yesterday, I spent over 4 hours pressure washing.....over FOUR hours, people!

Can you say tired and sore?

I'm not sure a gal my age should be doing that!

Any-who, today is another busy one.

We're having some work done on the house.

Got errands to run.

Pappy has to take my Mom's lawn mower to the shop.

We have receiving of friends to go to this evening.

And, the icing on the cake.....

literally.....

  we are celebrating our grand-girl's BIG FIVE.

See y'all tomorrow for our Friday Foto Friends.

If you include a picture in your post, 

then feel free to link-up.

The more the merrier!

Okay.....

I'm off!!

(but y'all already knew that, right....LOL)

HOPE your Thursday is terrific!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

♫♫♫ Red and yellow,

black and white.....

and purple and green and orange.....

they are precious in HIS sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world!♫♫♫

I shared this picture that our grand-daughter colored on Instagram recently.  It made me realize that our girl certainly isn't prejudiced! She just doesn't see color (a statement my best friend made).  Wouldn't it make so much difference if the world saw things this way.....

if we didn't see color?

Maybe we need to look at things through the eyes of a child.

Acts 10:34a

“I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism."

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

Our sweet grand-daughter standing beside the graveside of her great-grandmother, 

whom she was named after.  Also, our baby grandson was born on the date of my MIL's death.

She would have been so very proud of our adopted grand's!

HOPE everybody has a fantastic Friday and an awesome weekend!

Have fun.....

stay safe.....

enjoy life!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

This week's grand-kiddo date was with this little girly-girl.  When I went to pick her up, she was all dressed up in pink and brown.....

"because Nannie likes pink and brown together"!

Her Momma had spent hours braiding her hair over the weekend and had the braids up in a "pony tail" with a pretty flower.  When I had asked her earlier what she wanted to do on our date, she said.....

"go to Wal-Mart and get Legos and go to McDonald's and eat".

So.....

guess what we did?

Exactly what the girl wanted!

Isn't she beautiful?

Of course.....

Nannie is prejudiced!

HOPE y'all have an awesome weekend.

Have fun.....

stay safe.....

enjoy life!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

My friend and back-door neighbor, Ms. Jan, gave us a little kitchen set last summer that had belonged to her twin girls.  I think they're close to forty years old now.  This isn't a very clear picture, but you can get an idea of what the little stove in the set looked like "before".

Pappy and I gave it a face lift/makeover and here is what she looks like now.....

Pappy made a new door and used a piece of Plexiglas for the "window".  

(Lowe's at East Town in Knoxville gave him the scrap piece after not being able to figure out how to charge him TEN CENTS....;-)

The stove "eyes" are little wooden basketball and soccer balls from Hobby Lobby with the backs spray painted black.  I spray painted all the "hardware" silver and the inside of the oven, too.  The door handle is a kitchen cabinet handle we had on hand. I had the idea to use one of my cookie cooling racks for the oven rack.  The drawer is lined with scrapbook paper.  Pappy "let" me do most all of the painting!!!  The little miniature cookware came from Big Lots!!

This is a late birthday gift for Miss Ruby Kate!!

Hope she likes it!

And, as for the sink and hutch....

well, let's hope we can get them finished before RK gets too old to play with them!!!  

The stove is only 2 months late.

I'm so glad she's only three and doesn't realize that!!!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Friday Fotos.....

We don't really celebrate Halloween.....

but our daughter does like to make costumes for the kiddos 'cause they love to dress up!!!

So, may I introduce you to......

The Joker.....

Isn't he stylin'?!?!?

The Penguin.....

He had a pillow inside his shirt and pants.

Jess said he kept telling her that all that "fatness" was making him hot.

I told her he now knows how Nannie feels.....;)

Cat woman.....

When did this girl turn thirteen?!?!?

And, last but certainly not least.....
well, he is least in size but not in how much he's loved.....


The Riddler.....

Be still my heart!!!

We are blessed......
God is so good!!!!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

p.s.....
don't forget about the give-a-way.
Just click here, or on the little red birds above to enter!!!

Our Sweet Blessing!!!

James 1:27

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father 

means caring for orphans and widows in their distress

 and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Wordless Wednesday!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Resting in the SON!!!

Matthew 28:11-29

Then Jesus said,

 "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  

Take my yoke upon you. 

Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

(pic taken with my not so good cell phone camera)

I took my Mom to meet Miss Ruby Kate, our new GRAND-daughter, one day this week.  RK had been sitting on her Momma's lap and she  got down and walked over to the kitchen.  The sun was shining and was reflecting on the floor....and she just found it fascinating.  Once I looked at her and she was laying in the middle of the floor directly on top of the "sun spot", completely content and when we spoke to her and asked her what she was doing she just smiled.

Oh, how I long to be like a little child and when I grow weary and tired and frustrated....and totally flustered....I'll just crawl to the SON and rest in HIM, letting HIM completely and totally help me to be.....

..... "calm and still"!!!

Isn't it just like GOD to use a little child to help me to see why HE gave me those words?!?!?

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes HE is!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

The last 5 weeks!!!

Since 12-12-12, the date our kids left for Uganda, you might wonder what I've done!!!  Well, let's just say I've done a whole lot of praying!!!  

(and I'm not trying in any way to indicate that I'm an angel....

....so far from it!!!)

Along with that, I've shoveled a lot of poop....taken care of a 150 pound black lab and about an 8 pound kitty cat (she's so precious)....and 6 chickens!!!  I'm not sure how many miles I've logged on Izzy, some days making two trips back and forth to their home and spending some nights there.  I've come to the conclusion that I want chickens.  I love fresh eggs!!!  Also, when our kids get home, their house will be clean from the windows to the refrigerator!!!  I went for an appointment with Ms. Lori yesterday and one of the first things she said was, "you look tired".

Well, that could very well be because.....

.....I.am.tired!!!

Anyway....I wanted to share with y'all Miss Ruby Kate's (our grand-daughter) room.  Jess had most of it ready for her already.   I made the curtains and they were just about the death of me with all those ruffles.  I told somebody I think God was waiting on me to get them finished before He brought them home.....I so wish I had worked harder!!!

 A little blurry....sorry.

Jess made the rug.

 I did the curtains and also the flowered pillow shams on the bed!

The curtains took about FOUR spools of thread...some of them partial spools, though!!!

Jess painted this chest.  

It has "chicken wire" on the doors and she's attached her hair flowers to it!

A little place to have a tea party and play dress up.

I like that Jess placed the mirror low so Ruby Kate can see herself in the mirror!

Jess did all of these, even painting all the frames.

One of my favorites is on the lower right.

It's my favorite verse....Jeremiah 29:11!!!

I hope how soon I can share a picture of our sweet girl's face....

....along with her big brothers!!!

I've missed those little fellows so much and I knew I would.

But....I think it's their Momma I've missed the most!!!

Thanks to all of your for your e-mails and comments and encouragement....

....but most of all for your precious prayers!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

A December to Remember!!!

December 2012.....

....I do believe it will be one that will be forever etched into the memory of our family.  This is the year that Pappy got a brand new job doing something totally different than he has ever done before.  God answered several of our concerns by bringing him this job....no working at nights....and no working on SONday's.  It's also a job that ministers to others....helping them with their needs, and that was also something that we had prayed for.  We had felt for quite some time that he was being led into some kind of "ministry", and had prayed it would be something that would be an income....and God provided!!!  Wasn't it totally a Godincidence that he was given a job opportunity exactly one year from the date that he lost his other one?  

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!!

December 2012.....

....this will also be the year that we will get to meet our very first GRAND-daughter....Miss Ruby Kate.  We've seen lots of pictures (I'm sorry I cannot share them with you yet....not until she's on American soil), but I want to see her precious little face next to those of our GRANDsons!!!  I cannot wait to get to hold her in my arms and tell her how much we already love her.  I didn't think we would ever have a GRAND-daughter....but God saw different!!!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

December 2012.....

....will be the year that our CHRISTmas tree will be entirely different than anything we've ever had in the past.  I'm going to "decorate" it similar to one at our church.  It's simply the same pre-lit tree we've used for several years....but this year the only "decoration" will be a simple "crown" on the top.  The one at church also has a hammer and 3 nails laying at the base of it.  It so touched my heart and since this year has been one that we can look back on and see God's hand all over it....I want our tree to be dedicated entirely to HIM!!!

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He most certainly is!!!

Hope your December is blessed, Sweet Reader!!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Fantastic Friday - Edition #32!!!

So many things in my life make it "FANTASTIC"!!!

But.....today, I want to share one of the most awesome things that has happened to us recently.  I've shared with y'all that our daughter and son-in-law are adopting from Uganda.  They had at first asked for 2 children, if there were siblings in the orphanage at the time their 'number' came up.  As it turned out, that wasn't what God had in store.  Jess had felt for some time that there would only be one child this time (yes, they are planning to adopt again).  A couple of months ago, Jess was in what she calls "the girls' room" praying and Sam, our 6-year old GRANDson, came in the room and told her that he would really like to see his baby sister "today".  Within 5 minutes....Jess received an e-mail from the adoption agency in the States with their referral.  We've since decided that we will give Sam all our prayer requests!!!  

  The picture they were sent was of a precious little baby girl.  After our son-in-law got home from work and they had time to gain their composure (after all, this journey has been about 18 months long), they told the lady at the agency "YES"....we want her!!!  

Even though I cannot share her picture with y'all until they get her back on American soil....just take my word for it that she is beautiful.  She will be two years old next week.  Her name is Ruby Kate, and she will be called both names....RubyKate!!!  That was her paternal GRANDmother's name.  

This post is not only to share my "FANTASTIC" news, but to ask for prayer.

Here are some specific prayer requests.....

* for a court date soon so they can bring Miss Ruby Kate home

* that the stay in Uganda will be short

* for health and safety as they travel

Please keep our precious GRAND-daughter in your prayers.

We are so excited to get her home and welcome her into our family!!!

I'll leave you with a picture of Miss Ruby Kate's older brothers.....

Obi Wan Kenobi  

and Anakin Skywalker  

 I'm hearing next year there might be a Batman, Robin and Bat Girl!!!

Hope everybody has a great weekend!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love...and with mine!!

Blessings,

Deb 

 

p.s....don't forget to link up your blog below!!!