Happy Fall Y'all!

The past week has been full of fall fun!!  We have been busy with our church's annual Fall Fest, my school's Harvest Festival, and then my family spent the weekend at the lake enjoying lots of Halloween festivities!  Brad has been out of town, so it was nice to enjoy some time away from home.  

Miss Ellie Jane sporting her pumpkin costume... 

The kids picked out pumpkins, then we carved them, and entered them in to the community carving contest...they were so proud of their pumpkins (which, by the way, they had no part in the carving! HA!)

This was someone else's pumpkin, but I just had to share it - War Eagle!!

And, of course Halloween is all about dressing up...and, getting CANDY!! :)  We had a super handsome  police man...

A beautiful Rapunzel and 2 cute cats...

And, the most adorable pink poodle ever!

We had such a fabulous time!!!

Our Fall Fest at church was a HUGE success...we decided to have it a week before Halloween to hopefully not conflict with so many other fall festivities, and we had a great turnout!  

I'm so thankful for so many volunteers to help make this event so great!!  Miss Abby is our official tattoo artist ;)

We had lots of carnival games, inflatables, crafts, AND the BEST weather we could have possibly asked for!!!

The kids LOVED these sand art necklaces! 

After all the fun and games, we had a show by the famous Chin Ladies all the way from Chinville, Alabama!!!!  These were some of my teenage girls that I teach on Wednesday nights...they were PHENOMENAL!!  The kids (and adults) absolutely loved them! 

After the show and a super yummy chili supper, we had hayrides and roasted marshmallows - a perfect ending to a GREAT night!!!

It has been lots of fun celebrating the season!!  I can't believe tomorrow is November 1st!!!!!!  WOW, time is flying!  

Happy Halloween!

Blessings

I hope everyone is having a great week - mine has been...interesting.  I've decided this is the new normal for me!  As I mentioned last week, there's a lot of changes in my life right now - some wanted, and some not.  This song, Blessings, has been on my mind so much lately.  We are so quick to pray, and then sit back and wonder why God isn't working in our lives - when all the while He's heard each prayer and is answering them...it may just be that the trials we are going through are His mercies in disguise.

I'm still reminding myself along this crooked path in my journey - God is good!  

Please take a minute to listen to this song, and be BLESSED!

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

A Time For Change...

Blog friends, it has been quite a month!  Since I have turned 30 (which has only been 5 weeks) the following has happened in my life...

*  I have fallen 3 TIMES (does turning 30 change your equilibrium??!!)  No major injuries besides scrapes, bruises, and a little embarrassment

*  I had a slight mishap with a razor while shaving and - sorry to those with a weak stomach, but this one requires a visual aid to grasp the damage (does turning 30 affect your motor skills??!!)  

*  I have planned, decorated, and hosted a retirement reception for my mama (Pictures coming!!)

*  I have planned, decorated, and attended a Pajama Party for one of my friend's daughter's 5th birthday (Pictures coming!!)

*  I have met with 2 bride's about 2012 Spring weddings

*  I have planned and helped Brad with not 1, but 2 Children and Youth Ministry outings

*  I have transferred to a different teaching position...yes, an even newer one than the one I mentioned less than 2 months ago...change is always stressful (particularly in the middle of the year), but the good news is it is at a school with no more travel time than the 1st and I have friends there that I get to work with everyday :)  

*  I changed my Master's program...

*  and, a whole HOST of other events that I won't bore you with

Yes, people - 5 weeks of injuries, planning, hosting, stressing, and at-the-point-of-a-nervous-breakdown-moments.  I have dreaded 30, but never did I imagine what the beginning of a new decade would have in store for me!!  

Yet, this too shall pass...might as well start out rock solid CRAZY, so hopefully it will end with a FABULOUS finish! :) 

I decided I might as well embrace this new level of craziness in my life and take charge of CHANGE - I have ventured from my always a French pedicure to my mama's signature OPI "Cajun Shrimp"...this is the first time in YEARS to have anything but a Frenchy on my piggies :)  

Life altering, no...but, it's something I can control and right now I need something I feel I chose :)  It's the small things, people!!

And, I keep reminding myself...

God is good.
God is good!
God is GOOD!!

Thank you, Jesus for something that NEVER changes and I can ALWAYS count on!