Decorating... Nikki's

Decorating is probably the thing I MOST enjoy.  It is a passion!  This week at Nikki's she gave me carte blanch and said do what you want.  Oh Nikki do you know how wonderful that makes me feel.   Anyhow She has a smallish office room which I was able to design the arrangement for and re-arrange with Nikki and Roger's help.  If I do say so myself the room went from feeling closed in to much more open and for Nikki more usable work space.  I think she was most excited that she now has a space for her idea wall.  Roger, I appreciate your help so much!

Sunday with Em

Lillie during Bible Quiz study 

This past Sunday I was able to spend some one on one time with my other cousin Emily.  We were at church while Nikki, and Lillie were doing Bible Quiz study.

Em and I had a great time we ate lunch and then we went outside for a bit and I was able to take some pictures of her with the background being Pikes Peak.  She is a bit of a practical joker and has an imagination that is always going.  Here is one of my favorite pictures I took of her.

Geocaching

So this week I have been visiting with my cousin's in CO.  We have had a lovely time.  One of my favorite things to do is to geo-cache (cache is said cash).  My cousin Nikki loves being outdoors and hiking and walking so since she had never actually found a cache we went out together.   Geocaching is a natural fit for Nikki.  So far being together we have found 10 cache's.  One of them especially sticks out in my mind. We started up the road and the gps was bouncing all over one minute it said 436' right next left and we were still walking straight up the road.  So at a point we decided the compass said left for long enough we would go UP the hill.  We climbed and pulled and made our way probably about 100 yards UP the hill.  And then the compass said it was completely the opposite way.  Thus we carefully picked our way back DOWN the hill.    We continued up the road and then it said it was like 120' away so we went up the the rocks and across a slightly frozen stream then there was a water fall we couldn't cross yet we remained about 75' away from the cache.  Back down the rocks and then around over the bridge and we find a real trail.  Up Up UP we climbed.  Nikki leading the way.  At about 25',  I came around a corner and BAMM there was the cache.  Nikki is not yet accustomed to looking for what doesn't fit was continuing on.  She picked up a Germany travel coin.
This cache is somewhere at the feet of Pikes Peak.

Today I am Thankful for...

So I was slow on the whole Thankful for month.  However I think that having this list is a great reminder of ALL I have to be thankful for.  

Today I am Thankful for... God who loves me so much that HE pursues me and shows me how I need to change. He is so good to me. 5 Nov 2010

... my wonderful husband who keeps me grounded and he loves me so much. I respect him. Thank you Babe for all you do for me for our girls for our country. 6 Nov 2010

... for my girls.... you know the 7 beautiful girls that God blessed Ric and me with. Cherish, Rhonda, Machelle, Chris, Mandy, Lisa, and Tasha!  7 Nov 2010

... my son's in law... I love them. Kevin, Larry and Jeremy! Thanking God that they all love God and their perspective family!  8 Nov 2010

... Faith, Colton, Zac, Tyler, Jordan, Tristin, Kyran, Kegan, Kaylin, and Mateo... our beautiful daughters children, and Cameron... who will be our Tyler's first child making us great grandparents.  9 Nov 2010

... close friends who keep me grounded. Today I will be specific... Marti, Tina and Janet. Hahaa 2 of these people will never see this. oh well God knows.  10 Nov 2010 
... cousins who invited me for ThanksGiving...  11 Nov 2010 
... our two dogs... Beaux and Nevada.  12 Nov 2010

... clear blue skies and no snow on the ground. 13 Nov 2010

... a chapel that preaches the Word of God and worships Him.   I have an extra Thankful today too... I am Thankful that Ric is getting to worship with Casting Crowns today. 14 Nov 2010
...that... my God is not surprised... He isn't confused ... and HE loves my husband, me, my daughters, my grandchildren, and my great grand child more than we can possibly believe. 16 Nov 2010


Well travel dropped off my Thankful for's... so I will just leave it as it is.

Fishbowl

A few years back when we lived in Europe, I was able to do quite a bit of traveling.  Whenever I travel I come home with "something" to remember where I have been.  One of my favorite places to shop was Soufflenheim France.  I would usually travel there for the day with my daughter Lisa or my friend Lisa.  Soufflenheim is known for it's poteri.  There are many styles of poteri made there and while I by no means got them all I did get many.   Here is what I call my fishbowl.  It is one of my favored tea cups, mostly because I can fit over 3 cups of tea in it.  
Thank you to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for hosting Pink Saturday.  

Sunset

One night this past week I went outside to let the dogs out.  You know the boring normal chore.  And when I opened the door ... there it was.  Now my pictures do NO justice to the splendor and beauty that God painted on this particular evening.  Let me tell you it was spectacular.   
God is maker of Heaven and earth... and in HIM we can put our trust.  No matter what is happening around us.

Psalm 40: 3He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the LORD.

Psalm 124:  1 "If the LORD had not been on our side..." (Israel should repeat this.) 2 "If the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 then they would have swallowed us alive when their anger exploded against us. 4 Then the floodwaters would have swept us away. An [overflowing] stream would have washed us away. 5 Then raging water would have washed us away." 6Thank the LORD, who did not let them sink their teeth into us. 7 We escaped like a bird caught in a hunter's trap. The trap was broken, and we escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.

Potato Soup

Ah!  It is rainy and cold out.  The perfect elements for Potato Soup!
Thanks to my Aunt Sandy,  I have made this soup for 25 years.  That's right longer than I have been married.  I was living with a friend and she had a trip to LA.  So I went with her and took care of her then baby Andrea.  Since I was in the LA area I went and spend the evening with Uncle Pat and Aunt Sandy.  And we had this wonderful soup for dinner.  She shared this recipe with me and I am sure that as in the past 25 years I will continue to make this warm soothing soup for years to come.  That it was shared from Aunt Sandy is heart warming too.

Here is Uncle Pat and Aunt Sandy just this past year.