Fall Family Fun

I love all things fall related. The change in the air and the color of the leaves seems to bring on all  the excitement of holiday activities. Football,  smores,  bon-fires, hayrides, scarves,  pumpkins and apple cider! It is just the perfect opener to the holiday season. This year, my SIL hosted a family fun night and we got together for crafts and the city's trunk or treat. We had so much fun making pottery, dressing up and decorating pumpkins. Here are a few of my favorite pics.

                              A little photo shoot

                               Handprint pottery

                               The finished result

                  Costume time and Trunk or Treat

                                   The Scarecrow

                       I love Lucy and Little Ricky

                                The Safari  Family

 It tickled me how quickly he caught on to trick or treating. He shoved that  little bucket into everyone's face over and over. He didn't quite understand the  fact that once they give you the candy, you move on to the next trunk. ..lol ...poor little guy! But all the ladies loved him. He was such a sweetheart.

He heard a "Pane Pane" and got so excited! He had a wonderful night and got  lots of "canny" This was the beginning of the Holidays. ...Woo hoo!

Rustic Bling: Play day

Rustic Bling: Play day: I hosted my first playday. The kids played hard and the mommies enjoyed grown up talk! I learned several things from this experience and tho...

Rockin at the Studio

I teach at a piano from my house and I also teach at a studio 2 days a week. The days I go into town my little feller comes  with me and his daddy picks him up. There are rare occasions that daddy is running late and little feller gets to hang out with me. He loves this. He has had such an interest in music from day  one. Whether it  is singing, music,  radio or playing the piano. I hope his interest becomes a love for music and he will develop a talent for it.
Yesterday,  he got to hang out with me because daddy was stuck in traffic and my student was running late. So,  me and the little man explored the studio. He had a great time and I think he looks like a natrual. I'm ready to sign him up for guitar but maybe that's a little early for a 2 yearv old!.....lol
Is he not just the cutest!

I absolutely love this  picture! Who showed him to  stand like that!!!!! Little Rock Star or Worship Leader :)

Choo-Choo

My SIL Jessica and I loaded up the Lil man and headed out shopping.  Our first stop was the mall.  It had been quite a while since I had been. So, imagine my surprise when Arlee instantly started yelling "choo-choo" to the top of his little lungs the second we walked in the door! I looked around and didn't see or hear any trains so I was confused at his excitement. We started out little shopping adventure and rounded the corner to see way off in the distance a small train parked and loading up passengers. Of course, Arlee immediately noticed it and started pointing and  yelling "choo-choo
choo-choo"
I then remembered that the mall had this little train and months ago I  had pointed it out to Arlee.  He did not ride it nor had he seemed to give it much thought. It absolutely amazed me that he remembered it!
We tried to continue our shopping but that was a little challenging. So, I decided not to torture the Lil toddler , it was time for a ride. My goodness was he excited! He jumped out of his stroller and darted as fast as his little get would go to the train, leaving me behind. He ran straight up to the caboose and stepped right in. His excitement was priceless!

The top picture is what my normal pics of Arlee look like. No smiles and being all serious...so pictures of the other two are rare and just precious to this momma!!!..we had a great ride. He started off in my lap waving at people and giggling. Then he moved over to sit in his own seat across from me. I could tell by the look on his sweet little face he was having the time of his life (and so was I)
I love making memories and nothing melts my heart more than seeing his happy heart smiling away!

What is in your Hand?

It simply amazes me how we can read a
verse from the Bible several times then one day it just pops out  at  you and you  have an Aww moment. For years I have made it a daily  routine  to read a chapter in Proverbs. There are just so many gold nuggets in this Book.
Well,  yesterday I came across Proverbs 3:27.

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

This verse is very familiar to me but it had never hit my heart like it did yesterday. So I thought I might share what God gave me.

1. It's in the power of my hand  to do  good to others

God has given each of us a special gift of "good" to share with others. It may be words of encouragement, the ability to financially help someone or the gift of time that you can share with a lonely person. Whatever God has put in your hand He wants you to use it for the good of others.

2. Someone is due that good

God had appointed someone for me to do good to.  The verse says "to them that are due". I pray I'm not too busy to overlook the person that God puts in my path! Sometimes we simply miss the opportunity to do good cause we do not take the time to see it.

3. It's ultimately my choice what I will do with my hand.

God wants to use each of us,  but He will never force us. I can open my hand wide and offer as much good as God allows or I can close my hand up tight into a fist. The choice is mine, the choice is yours.
I pray we each choose to open our hand and do good. Whatever that good is. Whether it is Kindness to the cashier at Walmart,  paying for the person's meal behind you  in the drive-thru,  visiting a nursing home  or baking cookies for a neighbor.
Don't withhold the good that is in your hand.
Let God use you in amazing ways so He can be glorified

This is the sweetest picture of a hand I could find. It was taken during Trunk Or Treat last week. I did not know if was even on my phone!  My heart melted when I saw it! We were Lucy and Little Ricky

Little Boys and Tractors

A friend generously offered to take professional pictures of the kiddos in our play group. She was taking the pictures at a local pumpkin patch. I was thrilled. Who doesn't want fall pictures of their little pumpkins. I immediately went to Arlee's closet and picked out  overalls a cute plaid shirt and the sweetest little hat. I began imagining how his picture would turn out.  This girl has mad skills and I knew she would capture the most precious picture of my little man. However,  my excitement was soon ended when I was loading up the car and noticed there was NO CAR SEAT!  The car-seat had been left in my hubby's truck. My heart dropped to the floor as I realized the reality of the situation. I may or may not have cried.  To say I was  devastated would be a complete understatement. I sent my friends a quick message to let them know I would not be making it after all. I tried not to pout or play the blame game.  What good would it do! I tried to  trust that it was not an accident but that God might be protecting me.
The next day when I saw the amazing photos of those sweet kids it was like a dart in my heart.
Sometimes,  there are opportunities that come up,  they seem great and wonderful but for some reason they are not meant for  you. Instead of getting bitter look for the better!
A day later another opportunity presented itself and it was meant for me. I took full  advantage of this opportunity. This opportunity was a tractor, in my yard! I quickly dressed Arlee in the clothes that had been laid out for the pumpkin patch, grabbed my camera and snapped away. This photo shoot was a blast. The neatest thing about this opportunity is that right now, in this stage of Arlee's life he is obsessed with tractors. "Crack-or" as he calls it.  I know  this will be a special treasure. I am not a professional photographer. And yes, obviously I would have loved the professional pictures. But maybe if I had just had Arlee's picture taken I would not have been so in tuned with the  idea of a photo shoot and totally missed this opportunity. The opportunity was  meant for me, and it was perfect for Arlee. This was our Better!

Little Boys and Tractors:

What a sweet moment that I can hold on to forever.

What is your sign?

Several years back I read a life-changing book "Redbird, Rubies and Rainbows" by the amazing Marlene Evans. This remarkable Christian lady had the gift of positive thinking and of living life with purpose. She  encouraged  ladies everywhere to see God's love and His hand in our mundane, everyday life. I believe her life goal was to challenge ladies to really know God's love.  The interesting fact about this sweet lady is that she was fighting cancer and fought it for years! But you would not know! Her love for God was so inspiring.
She challenge ladies to find a sign,  or a symbol and each time you saw your sign/symbol you would remember how much God loved you! Her signs were redbirds, rubies and rainbows!
You may wonder at the purpose of this. You may think it silly and unnecessary.
Well, a sign is there to tell you what is ahead, Which way to go,  what to expect.
It's a gentle reminder of what you may already know.




We know God loves us!  So why the need of a sign? Well if you are anything like me we need reminders! I am a very task oriented person. I love making list just to see the items being crossed off. I love the feeling of goals being accomplished. I can get so busy doing things throughout my day that I sometimes never slow down to see God's love or His work in my life.
This wonderful challenge allowed me to see the simple ways God can reach out and tell me He loves me. Yes,  I know He loves me but how refreshing it is to be reminded.
Many of you already practice this regularly. I have heard of wonderful symbols like an anchor or butterflies. I heard a story of how a lady used  coins she would pick up off the ground to be a reminder of God's love and how she can Trust in God. Whatever your sign is, allow it to fill you with the unmeasurable and undeniable love that God has for you
Maybe you have never given this a try or considered using a sign to be a reminder. May I encourage you to give it a try!  We all need reminders of God's love.
My signs are deer,  falltime, and Charming Charlies!  Okay not really Charming Charlies, but if you know me you know that this store was made for me.  Everytime I step foot in that blessed store the angelic choir starts singing and everything starts shining and sparkling in the most heavenly way!  I feel all warm and giddy inside and I  think  to myself that this must be what Heaven is like!!!
Okay,  all kidding aside. Just the simple things like a sweet little deer or the crisp air in the fall are my "I love you's" from my Heavenly Father. My other special sign is answered prayers. I just can't think of anything more special or spectacular than knowing God loves me  enough to hear my request and then answer them in His way and in His timing. No matter how big or small they may be.
May we all slow down a bit a see God's love! Pick a sign and let Him show His love to you.
Now,  Will you share your signs with me?
 I would love to hear from you and your own  wonderful stories!

Monday on our walk, God started to lay this post on my heart so I took a picture of the sign on the road (The very first picture up at the top) Then on Tuesday as we were walking look what was right next to the exact sign? An accident, coincidence??!!..haha.  I think not.
By thev way, I picked deer cause my middle name is Fawn. Guess I was my Daddy's "little dear"!!