Way back in 2009...

This was one of my favorite days:)  Preschool for these two IN 2009!  It was my first year of blogging and they were still little people!  I remember this day like it was yesterday!  6th and 7th graders now, time slow down PLEASE!

Halloween 2017, no plans... heck I didn't even buy candy!  We live back off the road and nobody trick-or-treats us!  I might pick up a bag or two of my favorite candies, just in case!  If the door bell doesn't ring, more candy for me:)  Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Glorious Sunday...

Yesterday was a great day at Church!  Cindy's entire family was there and little Connor is so darn adorable!  It was wonderful to see them all together:)

Next best thing to being there:)  Thanks Tracy for sending these pictures!

Avery designed her pumpkin and I think she did an AWESOME job:)

Today?  Beds stripped and sheets washed, laundry pulled and ready to go in, gotta run pictures for my Aunt's service and errands to run!  It is good to get some stuff done, ya know?  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

It's a BOY...

It's a BOY:)  We are over the moon excited for Justin and Kimberly!  It was exciting to see that blue confetti come out of the balloon!  Can't wait to meet this little guy next year!

They threw the best Gender Reveal party with lots of cute decorations and delicious treats!  Connor is going to be a great cousin:)

I managed to sneak in a picture with Connor:)  Love him SO much!

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Buck or Doe...

I am excited to find out if Justin and Kimberly are having a "buck or a doe":)  Gender reveal is the new thing!  This will be the first one I have attended!  It's the new way to find out and share what the gender is!

These two are going to be AWESOME parents and I can't wait to meet their little girl or boy in April 2019:)  Let's guess what we think it is gonna be, "whatchathink"?

Oh and guess who slid in last night for the event!  YEAH, Bradley, Tiffany and Connor!  I can't wait to see them!

So... in all the sadness I have felt in my heart lately, happiness is always just around the corner and I will embrace it!  My Aunt's memorial service will be next weekend, I have been steady pulling pictures for the video!  Memories... how they linger!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Every end is a new beginning...

As the Earthly journey ended last night for my precious Aunt, the best journey ever began!  She has lived her life for Christ and now she is strolling those streets of gold... 

My Mama was waiting there for her!  I sure would like to peek in on these two seeing each other for the first time after ALL these years!  I bet they ran into each other's arms 
and hugged really tight:)  

My Daddy's there with her too!  He loved her and I know that they are sitting and chatting about all of us this morning!

She suffered the loss of 2 children, her husband and grandson!  How do you survive all of this?  But, she did and had one son left!  He really took care of his Mama!  David told me last night that in all of this sorrow, a good thing came out of it... we all grew closer!  I agree!  We sat in the chapel waiting on the funeral home, I snapped this golden sunset out the window!  A glow that was shining a little brighter to me last night as if to say "it's gonna be ok"!

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by

RIP Mattie Lou Thackston 7/11/1933-10/26/2017 She was 84 years old, spunky and loving!  She never met anyone that she didn't share a smile with!  She was active in her Church and loved her family!  She worked every Monday at a food bank to help others and was always the first to step up to help the sick or cook a meal when someone passed away!  I loved her and told her EVERY time I saw her!  She will be missed by all of us!  I love you FooFoo, I miss you already!

Have a blessed day dear friends, thank you for your prayers, calls, text messages and emails... Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Crisp in the Fall...

Good morning to all of you sweet friends and family!  I am just popping in to say HI!  I am enjoying this crisp fall weather and looking forward to getting out there later:)  I am still visiting with my Aunt every day and praying without ceasing!  Thank you all for your SWEET comments on my last post!  SO many offering encouragement and love!  I am thankful for each and every one of you!

Love this song and this verse, gives me comfort... Til the storm passes by!

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand
Keep me safe till the storm passes by

I hope you all have a truly blessed day!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

If I am missing...

I told Tracy yesterday, that I am just too sad to blog!  I know everyone understands!  My Aunt "FooFoo" mostly known as Mattie Lou or Lou is finishing this walk on Earth!  It is SO hard to watch someone you love dwindle down from this sweet, loving, helpful, caring and precious Aunt of mine to laying without response:(  I am spending as much time as I can with her and her ONLY SON!  I cherish your prayers!  This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us:)

This was at her Birthday lunch in July, not long ago at all!  I am thankful that we ALWAYS took a picture together:) 

I love my Aunt and know that she is looking forward to that great reunion with all of her many family members!  Please keep us all in your prayers!

Have a blessed day dear friends, if I am missing... you know where I'll be!  Love you all!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

I appreciate you...

Isn't this true?  We all need to do what this quote says!  I just wanted to say that I appreciate all of you, Family and Friends!  Just had that on my heart!

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

YUM candy and pizza...

While spending a  LONG time at the grocery store yesterday, I ended up on the Halloween aisle:)  I SO love these little golden nuggets but usually just walk by feeling proud of myself for not buying them!  NOT yesterday, I threw them in the buggy and kept right on pushing:)  YUM, I enjoyed a few after lunch and after dinner!

I have been REALLY bored with my same old meal choices!  Tracy shared with me that they love this Goat Cheese Pizza and shared the recipe!  It was delicious and I will certainly be making this again!

Here is the recipe!

The weather is perfect, there is a game 7 for the playoffs tonight and my coffee is tasty this morning!  I hope you all are enjoying your Saturday!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

A breath of fresh air...

It was starting out to be a long day sitting with my Aunt yesterday!  My SWEET daughter made the hour drive to visit with me:)  It was a breath of fresh air to see that sweet smile pop in the door!  Thank you Tracy for your visit, I know she knew you were there!  Oh and when you asked her if she wanted you to pull the car around so y'all could go to Dairy Queen... was super special!

I am hanging in this morning, enjoying my coffee with the furnace purring, watching GMA and praying!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Little ones make smiles appear...

This is Sadie!  If you need a smile, spend a day with a little one!  She isn't my grandchild but I could take her in as one:)  I sure miss having a little one around!  My Son-in-law's Sister Ginger dropped Sadie off for Tracy to Babysit yesterday, and I was happy to help:)  She is SO darn cute!

I spent the day with Tracy, sat at the kitchen table for breakfast, played with Sadie, picked the kids up at School, stopped for an afternoon snack and we visited their new house under construction!  It was a glorious day!  I could use more days like that these days!  Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

A visit for a squeeze...

Going to see my precious daughter, I need a hug and she will be happy to squeeze her Mama!

Time spent with family means so much to me!

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Finally soup weather...

FINALLY the weather is cooling down, and a pot of soup is what sounded good to me:)  I spent the day at the bedside of my Aunt, she slept the entire time but I talked to her as if she was listening!  Prayers appreciated for her and the family!  When I got home, I started planning this soup!  I was missing some of the items on the recipe but it was still delicious!  Soup and cornbread, that's what we had, YUMMY and some left for another day:)

Here is the recipe that I kinda used with a few changes:)

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

We all need one of these...

We all need one of these little boxes!  My Niece Kelly gave this to me a long time ago, it sits on the shelf right by my chair and is full!  Do you ever pray and pray and pray about something or someone, seeming that you don't get an answer?  This little box helps me in those situations, I write my prayer on one of the little slips of paper... it feels better all of a sudden!

It was a great Sunday in Church, Kelly's little grandson Grant was with her and he is a JOY to be around!  SO happy and full of smiles, both his and everyone he comes in contact with!  

I spent the rest of the day being as lazy as possible!  And I am not apologizing for that, sometimes we need to refuel:)  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Fun but great to be home...

On our way out of town for our Anniversary, we made a pit stop:)

We stopped at the little Wedding Chapel where we said "I do"!  Just the two of us, trying to get a picture standing on that top step like we did 32 years ago!  It was special!  I took a few pictures and back in the car on our way:)

 We stayed in a Condo in Helen, GA where we could sit on the back porch and see the river flowing!  We took a drive one afternoon to search out this covered bridge!  It is mighty old with lots of graffiti but I loved it just the same:)

A must stop when visiting Helen is this little country store:)  Love this place!

Our Condo was within walking distance of everything!  AND we walked a lot!

We ate WAY too much good food!  This was one of our faves!  BIGG DADDYS!  Those appetizers fried green tomatoes and terrapin shrimp, then a full meal... OH MY!  Bottom right was the Reuben sandwich from lunch one day, we always eat that!  YUMMY! 

Sunset picture from the room, night picture on Main St. and the river from Paul's Steakhouse!

More pictures of the sights, the nutcracker in our wine cabinet:)  AND the river view from our back porch!

Last but not least for sure, a visit with my Brother Leon and Sister-in-law Becky!  The views around their mountain home are too beautiful!  We took a ride in the golf cart and just had a great visit with them!

I am pooped, realizing that I am no "Spring Chicken" anymore but still enjoy traveling and visiting AND MORE THAN EVER... Coming home!  Enjoy your Sunday dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Where will the road lead...

A visit with my Brother Leon and Sister-in-law Becky!  I hope that is where the road leads us today!  The mountains of North Georgia:)  This is a collection of pictures of when we visited about a year ago:)  It is beautiful and OH SO restful up there in their "home away from home"!

More to follow on our journeys!  Have a blessed day, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Still celebrating...

This collection of pictures was from our last visit to this sweet little mountain town!  But we will be having a repeat...  Lunch and Dinner at our favorite restaurants, strolling, shopping, sightseeing and lots of smiling!  

Have a blessed day whatever you do!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

On this day...

On this day in 1985, we were married and every year for 32 years we have loved each other!  I am now 63 and he will be 70 in November!  My goodness how the years have flown by!  I pray we will be celebrating our love the rest of our days!

It was HER day first!  My OH SO precious niece Kelly was born on this day!  Happy Birthday Kelly!  You will enjoy it for sure because I happen to know that you have a special night planned!  
I love you!

Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Happy #28 Justin...

TODAY is my Nephew Justin's 28th birthday!  I love you Justin and I am SO proud of you for who you are and what you stand for!  

I love this little picture of him in his tie!

AND this picture of Justin with Britani and Bradley as he finished boot camp!  So much time has passed since then!  So much love between these three!

He is now a Husband and a wonderful young Man and gonna be a Dad next year!  I pray God's richest blessings on Justin and Kimberly and their family!

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Think about all that is good...

I struggle to write this morning, my Aunt is not getting any better and it just has me feeling sad!  But this little quote popped up and that is what I am going to focus on!  Prayers appreciated!

Have a blessed day dear friends!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Rainy days and Mondays...

Yes, it's raining on Monday morning!  The song says "Rainy days and Mondays ALWAYS gets me down"!  But, I choose to NOT sing it that way:)  We need the rain and I have an umbrella!  I am stuck inside until noon waiting on an Insurance call!  Perhaps by the time I can get out, the rain will let up!  I will be optimistic:)

We had a great Sunday service!  It was Pastor Appreciation day and we TRULY appreciate our Pastor!

AND we had wonderful singing from this group "The Guiding Light"!  They are AWESOME and sang one of my FAVES "Thank you Lord for your blessings on me"!

  

The rest of the day I did NOTHING!  I watched TV, took a nap and ordered take-out for dinner!  I will be ready to talk Health Insurance when they call and then get on with my day!  Have a blessed day whatever you do!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!