Recap of the Holidays- Festivals and Pumpkins Patches

It always amazes me how quickly the holidays fly by. In fact, other than the extra pounds I gained, there is no evidence they even happen, I feel like I blinked and they were gone.

With a calendar full of activities, I seemed to have gotten behind on my family blog posts. So, If you will bare with me, I am going to do a recap of all of our holiday activities. And of course, I'm going to start where I left off, my favorite season of all...Fall

 (Fall is the official holiday kickoff for me and my family)

Fall is no doubt my most favorite time of the year. Being raised in the South, I'm not sure if  it's just in my blood or part of my heritage, but when the first signs of Fall appear and the weather begins to get cooler, I get giddy.

This year living in MO it seemed we got to enjoyed Fall a little longer. We moved here in September and I thing we only ran the AC maybe 2 or 3 times. The rest of the time we  opened the large windows and welcomed the fresh Fall air into the house.

I know for a lot of my Southern friends Fall means Football, Tailgating and Halloween. But for me it's the fresh air, the beautiful radiant colors of the trees, the hayrides and  bon-fires, the cool nights, the pumpkin patches, the corn mazes,  family time, traditions and  memories made. (and yes, maybe a little football..lol)

This year with us living away from all of our family and not getting to be a part of our family traditions there, we ventured out and made our own family memories.

We heard about an Apple Festival in a town about 45 mins away and thought we would give it a try. They had a Farm Market, a live band, lots of yummy food and several kid friendly activities. The first one that caught Arlee's attention was the hay maze.....

        I honestly did not think we would ever get him out of there..... we may have bribed him with food...lol

 His first time trying a caramel apple and my first attempt at fried Oreos. They were good but, I think I prefer regular doubled stuffed Oreos and milk

                 The music was awesome..it was a jazzy, cajun group that was very entertaining

 My favorite moment of the day was when he was riding his pony and grabbed on to me and said "Mommy don't let go." Well,  you don't worry,  my sweet little darling, Mommy won't ever let go!

It was a great day with some wonderful memories made. 

Our next fall family outing was the Pumpkin Patch. The KC area had so many to offer and it was a bit overwhelming trying to pick the best one for us. One caught my eye above all the others because it included a train and with my son's love for trains it seemed the obvious choice. Plus it was the closest to our house which was a huge bonus.( The words pumpkins donuts may have had a huge pull too...lol) 

                                           of course, our first stop had to be the train ride....

                                                       proudly showing off his train ticket....

 after walking around and watching the pig races we hopped on board the tractor ride to the pumpkin patch...

After having some fun in the pumpkins patch it was off to the playground, some lunch and then the barn...

Arlee loved feeding the animals. He told me he will be a "barmer and have a barn and lots of chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, camels (yes, camels..lol) horses, bunnies, dogs, cows, kitties and a tractor." 

We had a wonderful time and ended out fun day with a pumpkin donut! Cant think of a better way to end a perfect day. 

Looking for Peace

Peace....it's the one thing everyone searches for and wants.

It's the one thing money can not buy.

 It's what most people spend a lifetime trying to find and hold on to and sadly it's the one thing most people live without.

Some have even spent hundreds and thousands of dollars looking for the answer.

Peace...it's the treasure in the treasure chest.

What is peace?
Why does everyone want it?
Why is it so hard to find?
Is it possible to have peace?
Where can I find it?

Peace

Peace is what helps you sleep at night.
Peace is a calmness, a quietness in your life
Peace is the opposite of worry, fear, a troubled heart or stress.
Peace is a softness, a state of mind and a soothing tranquility.


We all desire peace because we too often feel the pressure in this hectic, stressful, busy, loud, noisy and sometimes scary world.  Unfortunately, we too often look in all the wrong places to find peace. So, is it even possible in this stressful, less than peaceful life to find peace, let alone hold on to it?

The Bible tells us in Psalms 34:14b to "....seek peace, and pursue it." God tells us to seek for it and pursue it; He would never tell us to do something if it were not possible. It's like a treasure and God has given us the treasure map with the exact details on where and how to find it.

However, the devil also has a treasure map and a fake treasure chest.  His map is full of detours and lies. He does not want you to find the real treasure and will keep you as far from it as possible. Let's take a quick look at a few of his fake treasures.

1. Riches

2. Material Substance

3. The Perfect Body

4. Popularity and Fame

5. A Successful Career

6. Achieving Perfection

7. Drugs and Alcohol

While most of these are harmless and innocent, when they became the obsession or the destination, they become nothing more than a fake treasure. None of these items can bring peace and contentment. Oh, they may offer a temporary satisfaction but not a lifetime of peace.

Since the Bible is God's map on how to get to the treasure, lets go there and see what it says.

John 14: 27 says " Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

God does not give peace in the way that the world offers peace. The world fills our head with lies telling us to be rich, have things, be beautiful and perfect, be a successful career person and if that doesn't work, take drugs. We are surrounded by these lies on TV and  in magazines, but God sweetly reminds us, "I have real peace and it's my peace and I will give it to you."

John 16:20 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

If peace does not come through the  world or  the lies of the Devil then where?
Where can we find it?

We have heard that more sleep, drinking more water, exercising more and eating healthier can help us have a peaceful life.
While I am for all these things and I try to daily apply these to my life,  they are not the answer.

Like I mentioned earlier,  some people have paid hundreds even thousands of dollars to get the answers.

So, what is the answer

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Did you see the answer?
Jesus!
Jesus, is the answer
Jesus is always the answer!

Isaiah says is beautifully in Isaiah 26: 3-4 " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee (Jesus): because he trusteth in thee (Jesus). Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Then later in chapter 41 verse 10 God  says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness"

God does not leave us stranded  without hope. He want to help us live a victorious life with courage and strength. But it has to be His way.

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock , and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Plain and simple, He wants you to ask and seek Him.

Peace can be found and it can be held on to but it's only through Jesus.

Hollywood has shown us time after time that riches, fame, nice things, beauty and success can not bring true peace; so why not give God's way a try!

Maybe you don't know where to start, let me help you...

1. Start with Jesus- simply ask Him for peace.
2. Open your Bible and read His Words.
3. Search the Bible for verses on Peace and memorize them
4. Turn over all your cares, worries, stress, frustrations and doubts to Him-
 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your cares upon Him for He careth for you."
5. Enjoy the Fruits of the Spirit- love, joy PEACE. ...Galatians 5:22-23
6. Trust Him
7. Take His sweet gift!

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13

I hope today, if you are drowning in stress, hurt, frustration, fear, anxiety, trouble or anger you will lay it all at the feet of Jesus and pick of His free gift of peace.

He knows your name, He knows your heart and He wants to help!

Sweet Sixteen and a trip to Florida

Its hard to believe my oldest niece just turned 16. She was the first granddaughter for my parents and the first niece for me and my sister. She stole our hearts from the start and taught us about unconditional love. My parents, sister and myself decided to do a quick road trip and help her with her Sweet 16.

I met up with my parents and sister around St. Louis and we started the long journey to Florida. We tried to take our time and enjoy the trip. One of the stops had a cool rocket so of we had to take pics...

My niece is very creative and very talented. She made most of her decorations and  knew exactly what she wanted. So, once we arrived and with the help of a few others we got to work and put together the cutest party. Her dad (my brother) is a pastor and since her guest list was pretty big they decided to have it in the church fellowship hall. She went with a "Vintage Theme" and had everyone dress up in the 20s-50s attire. The following pictures her from the party.

                                                     The photo booth and all the fun prompts

                                                                         

 The birthday girl

                                                                            My  two sweet adorable nieces

                                                         My parents (aka Paw Paw and Ganmaw)                                                                                                                                                                            My sister (aka Aunt Lala)  
                                                                                                                         
                                                       Photo booth fun with the party guest

The Hill Girls

 and the cutest costume goes to...this cute kiddo!!!!

I wished I had taken more pictures. The kids (teens..lol) all dressed up so cute and she had such an amazing turn out. The games were very fun and the food was fabulous. I think it is safe to say she had a very Sweet 16. 

The remainder of our trip involved church, shopping and  goodbyes....

 We had and amazing trip and like all trips, it ended way to soon. It was a blessing to be with my brother and his family. We live way too far apart and do not get to see each other much. So, it's times like these we hold on to and cherish. I'm very fortunate to have a close family.