Thinking On and Thankful For......

My hope is to share this once a week and give you a little slice of what I am loving most at the moment, or perhaps what I just can't get off my mind..good or bad.

My Daddy

It's been 27 years since I heard his laugh or held his hand.

This picture was taken a couple of weeks before he died at age 44.

I wish my husband and my daughters and my grand-daughters could have known him. They would have loved him so much.  

Fresh Contacts!!

Awesome, unexpected late birthday presents in the mail :)

My amazing son-in-law who is one of the best daddys and husbands I know. Seriously.

He blesses me daily by the way he cares for, protects, provides and loves my daughter like crazy!  He is such a fun and patient daddy to my grandchildren and most of all he is crazy in love with Jesus.

Christopher, you rock!

I'm thankful it's just a blue streak and not a tattoo.

This drink in this cup. For real.

Getting to see my grandson, Nate, kinda up close and personal.

I can't wait for his arrival and to hold him in my arms.  A boy!!

Hearing a word from the Lord and new opportunities to serve Him.  So thankful for His mercy that His grace affords me and His kindness that leads me to repentance so that I can be in sweet fellowship with Him. Wow.

Being creative and people liking your creativeness enough to buy something. That's crazy! :)

Thankful my oreo filling, middle child, Lydia is home tonight after being gone an entire week helping her grandmas church with vacation bible school.

So thankful for my best friend who is such an amazing daddy to our daughters. Sad Elizabeth isn't in this pic too. But also happy of the arrow that she is, shot straight from this man's quiver to influence people for Jesus..especially her sweet little family during this season of her life. 

Elizabeth and her Daddy on the day she blessed us with our second grand-baby, Miss Julia Rose

I am blessed to have a man who loves Jesus and lives that out every day of his life in the way he loves us and people.  

Thank you Lord for the difference You have made in our lives.

That's what I've been thinking on and what I am so thankful for this week. :)

Stephanie :)


ps. I.m linking up with Kristy at Paisley Jade for Things I'm loving.

Rolling in the green...Rich indeed!!!

So our garden is growing and God is blessing and we are reaping a harvest.  Can you say cucumber rich?! So what does one do with all these cucumbers?  Why..... make pickles of course!

   Our morning pickin

 Making the brine.

 The lovely jars that have now become a hot commodity to me. Funny how you can think so little of a thing until you need it.

 (I'm ashamed to admit how many of these I've thrown away)

 Kind of reminds me of how we treat God's Word at times.  ~ sigh.

 It's beginning to look a lot like pickles!

 sealing em shut

Aren't they just lovely?

Me enjoying a pickle this morning right after my second cup of coffee. 

Can someone say delicious!!!

Happy Thursday !

Stephanie :)

Branching out!

I'm trying my hand at making necklaces! One of my favorite accessories!!

Seems like everybody is crushin on yellow right now so I thought I would make something in the sunshine color.  Although, I've had a love affair with yellow for years now but we kinda parted ways for a while after I lived in a house that had every room painted the same light buttery yellow.  We're good now though and back together and I am loving everything yellow at the moment. 

                          

This was gonna be a gift but alas, I loved it
and now I gotta make another one. I'm gonna start making these in twos from now on:)

This is my  $2 dress!!   Not to mention my $2 necklace (i added the flower) and my $2 bracelet (i should have taken a close-up so you can see it in all its glory! Bling!)  My girls used to be so embarrassed when someone would compliment something I was wearing and after thanking them, I would then tell them how cheap I got it or that it came from a thrift store.  They would be like "MOMMA, can't you just say thank you?!!"  

Now, they are just as thrifty as I am and love a good thrift store beauty as much as I do.  Ahh....I've taught them well :)

(Thinking about creating a page with pics of my favorite thrift store outfits

...we'll see)

This post was a nice break in between dealing with auto insurance claims and making pickles.  Actually, Nick made the pickles. Can't wait to taste them!!!  ( He just passed by while I was posting this and saw my picture and said "Who is that lady? I haven't seen her around here lately".  Oops!!  I guess that means its time for me to take a shower, fix my hair and "put on my face"!!!  

Good thing we have church tonight!  lol)

Stephanie :)

Just to make me smile...

I would like to go to bed on a good note with a smile on my face after the crazy notion I had to tamper with the design of this blog and then hours of frustration!!!  

 SO what could be better  than grandchildren!!!

 Yep...I'm feeling better already.  Grandbabies do that to you.     :)
Sweet dreams!
Stephanie

Under Construction...

In case any of you have found yourself here tonight, whether it was on purpose or accidentally....I am under construction. Or I'm going a little crazy.  Probably a little of both.   SO if you pop in later and this blog looks completely different, please be patient with me.  I'm gonna figure this out sooner or later.

Thanks for stopping by on this Monday night :)

Stephanie

The Simple Life

The Lord has really been working "overtime" on me this past year in lessons He is teaching me.  Through various ways He has taught me the value and joy in
simplicity.
 What I once would have been bored with, I know find enthralling. I love how life evolves and that you're never too old to learn what's important in this brief life we've been given.

I'm blessed to have a husband who allows me to do whatever I 

want to when it comes to decorating our home. 

I just painted my kitchen this week.  It used to be orange. Now its blue.

His attitude when it comes to how our home is decorated is, "If it makes her happy, it makes me happy".  He genuinely finds delight in finding ways to delight me.  He's awesome, I know.   

Anyways, he lets me take care of the inside of our home while he delights in what goes on outside.

Now during  these lessons in simplicity, the Lord has revealed to me Nick's gift in growing things. 

 He has quite the green thumb.  

He took such great care of these little tomatoes that not only did they produce all the way into November last year!!...they popped back up all on their own this year.  They must love him as much as I do :)

And as a part these lessons, the Lord moved us to a place where we could cultivate the joy of the simple life.  I mean literally.... He moved us.  Out in the country.  Waaaay out in the country.....
 40 miles to town and 17 miles to the first gas station.   

Today, as I declined a chance to head to town for some thrift shopping, to stay home and a work in Nick's garden with him,  it dawned on me how genuinely excited I was about the plans for the day.  I think if the Lord graded papers for the tests He gives us, I would have gotten a A+  with a big smiley face on top my paper.  I'm getting it Lord.....I'm getting it! :)

Here are some of the amazing things Nick has been up to..

Enjoy a little slice of my life way out here in the beautiful Boondocks :)

  Well there ya have it...just a little touch of the prettiness I'm surrounded with.  Now don't get me wrong...I still love a good trip to Dirt Cheap to dig for "treasures' but I am SO digging all the treasures I have had right here under my nose all along. :)

Stephanie

ps. all these pics were taken by my husband :)  As you can see, he already values the beauty of simplicity and I'm thankful he is sharing that with others...especially me!