Dear October

Dear October,
You have literally flown by for me....could you please slow down?
It can't already be Halloween weekend....FOR REAL?
I do have candy & costumes ready...but I am not ready for November.

We have had so much fun & did so many fabulous things together...
A conference...football...fall break...camping...cookouts...hay rides...& of course....
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES!!!

It's all good stuff though...so no complaining...except for the fact that you zoomed by!

Said Goodbye to my fun lovin cousin Lori this month...a moment I will cherish forever.

You are my favorite month of the year. I love your weather, your decorations, how the leaves changed color & everything that comes with it! If I could pause the calendar...I would pick you.

I agreed to do a maternity leave for a kindergarten teacher back in April...You seemed so far away back then and I've been procrastinating...thinking you wouldn't be here so quick & let November begin.

In a few days I will begin teaching full time for 6 weeks...boo..hoo...and you will be only a sweet memory. But I just wanted to say...thanks for being my favorite...until next year.

ANYONE ELSE FEEL THIS WAY ABOUT OCTOBER? 

Date Night

Over Fall Break Matt & the girls were gone so Jaden & I got to spend
some time alone...which doesn't happen often!!

Friday night I told him that he was taking me on a date!
I let him pick anywhere in our town and to my surprise...
He picked Olive Garden...he's gonna make a great catch
for some sweet girl some day!

As a family we don't eat out much so when we do...it's a real treat!

Why did he pick Olive Garden...Simple...
HE. LOVES. BREADSTICKS!

Who really cares about the fettucini in that bowl of his...

We had a great time. Went to Old Navy to buy the poor boy some jeans....Target for some new undies & I had a Pumpkin Spice Frap from Starbucks & I bought him a 1/2 gallon cookie dough ice cream. We ate our treats & watched "How to Train a Dragon". That is such a great movie!! Thumbs up from this mom!

Getting to spend time alone with Jaden was priceless. He is a talker when you get him going so you learn so much about what he likes. When you have 3 kids it can get tricky to have one on one time so any time I can...I enjoy it! I want my boy to be a gentleman & know how to treat a lady. I know God already has a particular lady picked out for him...I have been praying since the day he was born for her! Now of course he has no interest in girls yet...but the day will come soon enough for this mom. 

Do you get to take your kiddos out on a special date one on one? 

If so...what is something special you get to do? 

Why I Count It All JOY Wednesday!!

Oh How I missed this last week when my internet was down!

It's Wednesday & you know what that means??

Count Your JOY people!

Join my friend Angel in Spreading JOY today!!

And You should know this week is gonna be long since 

I wasn't able to share my JOYS from last week!

It's full of pictures...Let's get this JOY party Started!

Why am I filled with JOY?

I ran my 3rd 5k & beat my time. I ran it in 31:32! WOO HOO!

Matt was on a camping trip with the girls over Fall Break so 

Jaden & I went on a date. This is how we ended the night...

me with a Pumpkin Frap & him with a bowl of Cookie Dough Ice cream.

We watched "How To Train A Dragon"

On Sunday night we went to Grandma & Grandpa Thomason's in Stillwater. 

They have around 700 acres to fish...shoot guns & explore nature. 

We roasted hot dogs, made smores & had hot chocolate over the fire. 

Spending time as a family away from TVs, computers & phones was spectacular!

I will do a full blog about this soon!

Grandma Z. also took the girls to lunch at Eskimo Joes! 

That I have internet..ahh the simple things!

I was able to meet with 3 of my virtual roundtable PWs

 last week for the first time! YAH!!

The cooler temps...refreshing.

My girls have sold 3 dozen fresh eggs!!

This picture of my girls packed up to go to HighPoint.

A campout with our Jr. Highers at church.

So glad they are plugged into a Youth Group.

And finally this butterfly...

tons of them on my Zinnas while I was doing 

my bible study on my back deck. 

Of course I had to stop & take some pictures of them. 

Butterflies are amazingly detailed. 

A simple delicate creation by God. 

Once an ugly caterpillar...now a masterpiece.

Kinda reminds me of myself.

What brings you JOY this week? 

The Influence of a Coach

A Player on the other team was injured &

 had to go out on a stretcher by Ambulance.  

One of a mom's worst nightmares.

Seeing your child on a stretcher.

As the player exited the field...

Our coaches grabbed the other team's coach

& asked if we could pray for their player together.

This picture says so much to me as a parent.

It reminds me...that it's just a game.

That I really don't care if we win

if another player is hurt...who cares what the score is?

I am so blessed to be on a team that our coaches

Coach our boys well...

not only in the game of football...

but especially in the game of life.

Life as a follower of Christ.

Our coaches...they do not belittle our boys 

or cuss at them to get the point across.

They act appropriately.

They kneel & pray after every single game. 

I still get tears in my eyes every single time. 

We have been on this team for 4 years now.

As far as their ability...they haven't lost a 

regular season game in 3 years!

Do I like to win? Yea it's fun...but

really...that is just the icing on the cake.

If we won every game & the coaches

were mean & hateful to my boy...

I wouldn't stay on the team. 

Winning isn't what is important to me.

It's the Godly influence that these men have on my boy.

Playing with integrity.

As Matt says..."talk with your shoulder pads"

Not with your mouth.

Kinda like..."actions speak louder than words"

Now I know...boys will be boys 

& smack talkin happens.

It's just part of it & it keeps the competition real!

Who knows how far we will get in the playoffs this year?

We are undefeated.

We haven't been scored on yet this year &

that seems to be a big deal to some teams. 

And everyone is dying to be the first to score on us. 

But it's gonna happen soon...we know that!

It's 4th grade people...not the NFL.

Jaden isn't some rock star athlete...

it's the team he enjoys more than the sport itself I think. 

Today...I'm remembering the words that our Missionary on Campus

said yesterday..."Coach Christ is calling you to the game."

A much bigger game than football...

Too be honest...I would be more proud if Jaden

plays on the mission field someday for Jesus 

than in the NFL. 

Matt 28: 18-20

 Go & Make disciples of all nations. 

Like Nailing Jello to a Tree

Yes..that's what I felt like as we tried to

explain to AT&T that our internet still didn't work!

No Internet for a week...wow.

I wasn't dying without it...

though I was getting close to crying. 

But I am one of those people that if 

I am paying for a service.

I want it to work.

This morning...I almost had a break down

on the phone with the AT&T lady. 

(Seriously Steph...get a hold of yourself!)

She graciously agreed to fit me in

by today! 3rd times the charm I guess!

(I was nice...I promise!)

Will they take those 5 days off my bill.

Probably not...and that my friend is what

Annoys me. 

I must just let it go.

(said as I roll my eyes)

I have missed you all so much.

Didn't realize I would miss you that much...

Golly Gee Wiz.

Looks like I'm gonna have to get to clicking

And catch up on your lives. 

I have to say...I did get a lot done this week without it. 

But I'm not telling you anyone that. 

Anyone else ever lose their internet & feel like you were trying to
 nail Jello to a tree just to get someone to understand what the problem is??

No Internet...Pathetic

I'm sitting at Matt's office borrowing his internet.

Yes...I have no internet at home. 

Pathetic huh?

Why do I not have internet?

Because a car hit an electric pole by our house

and knocked out our electricity for 3 hours...

Don't look at me in that tone of voice...

(i've always thought that was a weird saying) 

I did pray for that person in the car! 

 I think they must have hit the internet box also.

Matt was on the phone with AT&T for an hour last night

trying to get them to understand that it wasn't something in our

house...it was the box up the street. 

AT&T...I could teach them a couple of things about 

customer service...can I get an AMEN?

Any Who...not sure when we will have service again.

Repair man is suppose to come in the morning...

to repair what? I am not sure. 

I must laugh at such things...no reason to get upset.

Just wanted to say Hi & if I miss any big event in

your lives the next few days...sorry. :)

I'm pathetic to even write about this huh? 

LOL! 

Long Awaited PW Meeting...

For months I have longed to hug these girls necks

And a couple of weeks ago at Catalyst...it finally happened!!

This is Lori Wilhite from Leading & Loving It. YEAH!!

Lori & her husband Jud minister in Las Vegas

 Brandi Wilson & I...she & her Husband Pete minister in Nashville

Jessica Cornelius...she & Bill minister in Corpus Christie, TX

These ladies put together a luncheon along with Mercy Ministries

 for all the Pastors Wives at Catalyst. We had about 120 ladies there,

 but honestly I just wanted to meet these gals along with a few others!

 They made me feel so welcomed & loved from our first hug. 

God has truly blessed methru these ladies & their leadership. 

My sweet friend from Panama City, FL was there also!!

Joy Henderson...she & Cory minister there.

Cory & Joy with Matt & I

 And this is Beth Webb, Joy & I...Beth is in our

Virtual Roundtable group! Great to meet her in person!

So..this was a fantastic day for me to say the least. Our time was

way way way to short together for the lunch. I could

have stayed there all day chatting it up with them!

Thanks to Leading & Loving It & Mercy Ministries 

for making this lunch possible!! 

Can't wait until MAY for the Retreat!!