PROJECT 365, week fourteen

JOINING SARA FOR ANOTHER WEEK...

3.28 DD'S BIRTHDAY...

HIBACHI WAS THE MEAL OF THE DAY

 

THOSE HIBACHI CHEFS ALWAYS MANAGE TO DO SOMETHING SILLY DURING THE 'SHOW'...THIS LITTLE BALL PLAYER WAS FULL OF WATER...HE WAS USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...)

I THINK DD AND FRIENDS HAD A GOOD TIME EATING AND HANGING OUT TOGETHER

 

HUBS AND I CUT A PIECE OUT OF THE CAKE BEFORE DD TOOK IT WITH HER TO HER BIBLE STUDY CLASS LATER THAT AFTERNOON...IT WAS GOOD THAT IT WAS GOING AWAY FROM MY HOUSE!

3.30...BLESSED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 'SEDER'...

A LAST SUPPER AT OUR CHURCH. 

I LOVE CHRISTIAN-HEBRAIC LEGACY AND ENJOY LEARNING MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE TRADITIONS, THEIR MEANINGS THEN AND THEIR MEANINGS AFTER CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW.  THIS IS A SHOT OF OUR 'TRAY' THAT WAS PASSED AT OUR TABLE DURING EACH SECTION OF THE MEAL...BITTER HERBS, LAMB SHANK, BOILED EGGS, CHAROSETH, MATZOH...EACH WITH ITS OWN MEANING AND REMEMBRANCE FOR THE JEWS.  OUR 'WINE' WAS GRAPE JUICE AND WE DRANK IT AFTER EACH OF THE FOUR BLESSINGS THROUGHOUT THE SEDER.

OUR DRAMA TEAM HAD MEMORIZED A LOT OF SPECIFIC PRAYERS, SONGS AND SCRIPTURE TO FULFILL THIS MEAL AS THEY ACTED IT OUT ON THE STAGE...WE FOLLOWED IN SUIT AFTER EACH PART OF THE MEAL THEY PORTRAYED.

 

I WAS BLESSED TO GET TO SIT NEXT TO AN EMMAUS SISTER DURING THE SEDER...SHE'S BEEN IN MY LIFE FOR YEARS AND WAS ONE OF DD'S TEACHERS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

4.3 ANNUAL EASTER FESTIVAL

HELD AT ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON EARTH...OUR CAMPGROUND. SO MANY PEOPLE THIS YEAR...LITTLE AND BIG.  THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT, IN THE 70'S, BRIGHT SUNSHINE RAINED DOWN ON US.  THE NEWLY-LAID 'SOD' IS GROWING BRISKLY AND WILL BE MUCH THICKER BY 'CAMP MEETING' TIME IN JULY.

SEVERAL OF OUR YOUTH VOLUNTEERED AT THE VARIOUS BOOTHS, SHAVING ICE, POURING DRINKS, MANNING 'BOUNCEY' CASTLES/SLIDES...THEY WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN WHILE BEING 'CHRIST'S HANDS AND FEET' IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY...THIS WAS A FREE EVENT FOR ANY ONE TO ENJOY.

DD GOT A PIC OF ME WITH 'THE BUNNY'...

I'M SURPRISED HE HAD SO MUCH ENERGY AND TIME...I FIGURED HE'D BE RESTING UP FOR ALL THAT WORK HE HAS TO DO TOMORROW!  BUT, HE DID HAVE TIME TO LET ME HUG HIM!!!  HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOOOOOOO GOOD TO ME :)

HIS LITTLE SISTER WAS ENJOYING HER SPOT IN ONE OF THE EMPTY EASTER BASKETS...SEE SHE'S RESTING...HE MAY GET HER BUSY TOMORROW, TOO!

THE BUNNIES HAD SEVERAL OF THEIR FRIENDS VISITING WITH THEM...AND THE KIDS LOVED EVERY MINUTE WITH EACH OF THEM...HERE'S SS WITH THE FAT, 5-YEAR OL ROOSTER...HE WEIGHS 15 LBS. AND HE LOVED 'CROWING' EVERY FEW MINUTES.  THE KIDS WOULD 'SCATTER' WHEN HE RARED BACK AND CROWED.

DD GOT HER HANDS ON THE SMALLEST BUNNY...SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED ONE BUT WE NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT WORKED INTO OUR LIVES.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOT OF THE DAY...

ISN'T THIS THE SWEETEST LITTLE LAMB SHE'S PETTING...IT WAS SO FLUFFY AND SWEET...SUCH AN INNOCENT REPRESENTATION OF OUR LORD'S LIFE...OUR PRECIOUS, COMPLETELY-GIVEN LAMB COVERING ALL OUR UGLINESS.

A BURRO CALMLY WALKED AROUND, TAKING CORN FROM ANYONE WHO WOULD OFFER...
HE WAS NEVER PUSHY THOUGH.

BELOW IS THE FIRST 'SCOTTISH' COW I'VE EVER SEE UP CLOSE
SO FURRY AND WILL GROW TO BE VERY LARGE ONE DAY.

SS COULDN'T STAY AWAY FROM THE LITTLE BLACK PIG

AT FIRST HE WOULDN'T RAISE HIS HEAD FOR A PICTURE, SO I ROOTED AROUND UNDER THE HAY AND FOUND SOME CORN FOR HER TO HOLD IN HER PALM...WA LAH!!! THEN, I GOT THE SHOT :)

IN ADDITION TO THE MANY ANIMALS THE BUNNY BROUGHT...
 HE SHARED SOME CLOWNS, WHO WERE BLOWING BUBBLES,

 

AND CHARACTERS, LIKE WINNIE THE POOH, HAD PICS MADE WITH THE KIDS...

EVEN SOME OF OUR COLLEGE KIDS CAME HOME FROM OUT OF STATE

AND WORKED AT THE EVENT...

HERE, CM IS MANNING THE 'BLOWUP SLIDE'...SHE WAS SOOOOOO PATIENT WITH THESE LITTLE ONES.

SHE'S ONE OF MY 'HUGGERS' ...

SHE FINDS ME WHENEVER HOME AND GRABS ME WITH HER 'SOCCER STRONG' ARMS AND GIVES THE 'HUGE-EST' HUGS...LOVE IT!  I'VE WATCHED HER GROW UP SINCE SHE WAS 5YO.  THE TIME HAS FLOWN BY...SHE'LL BE STARTING HER 2ND YEAR IN COLLEGE SOON.

OUR WEEK WAS SUCH A JOY...

HOLY WEEK IS SUCH AN EMOTIONAL TIME, REMEMBERING HOW OUR LORD GAVE EVERYTHING FOR US.  WE'RE EAGER FOR EASTER MORNING TO AGAIN PRAISE HIM FOR DEFEATING DEATH AND BEING OUR HOPE AND SALVATION FOR ETERNITY.

BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS EASTER.

RANDOM DOZEN #10

JOINING LINDA'S CARNIVAL:

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?

I WAIT IT OUT...CAMERAS, YOU KNOW?!!

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?

I MIGHT PAY SOMEONE TO STEAM-CLEAN MY CARPETS...I'M BUSHED.

3. When you reply to some one's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)

WELL, I DO BOTH...BUT I ALWAYS MAKE SURE I GO TO GREGG'S BLOG TO LEAVE A NOTE...CAUSE SHE (HE) LOVES COMMENTS, A LOT!!

4. Your favorite Disney movie is:

ALADDIN & FINDING NEMO ARE NECK AND NECK...

their music and cinematography amaze me

5. Do you recycle?

YEP...GLASS, PLASTIC AND PAPER

6. Games of strategy or games of chance?

I HAVE A BETTER CHANCE WITH CHANCE GAMES SINCE MY BRAIN HAS A HARD TIME WRAPPING AROUND STRATEGY THESE DAYS, IN BETWEEN HOT FLASHES...

NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE!

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?

NOT NOW...USED TO DREAM A LOT ABOUT THE 'JOLLY GREEN GIANT' CHASING ME

WHEN I WAS A KID...AND I LOVED THE COMMERCIALS...DON'T KNOW WHAT

THAT WAS ABOUT...HMMMMMMMM.

8. What did you learn from your first real job?

MY FIRST JOB TAUGHT ME THERE ARE STILL MANY ADULTS

WHO CONTINUE TO ACT 'CHILDISH' AFTER THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL...

RIGHT FROM WRONG IS SO DIFFICULT FOR SOME PEOPLE

9. Do you buy or borrow most books?

BUY...THEN I RECYCLE THEM THROUGH A LOCAL 'BOOKS FOR LESS'...IT'S FUN HAVING AN ACCOUNT WITH POINTS FROM BOOKS I'VE SOLD BACK TO THEM...SAVES ME MANY BUCKS

WHEN HAVING TO FULFILL HIGH SCHOOL READING LISTS FOR DD :)

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?

I HAVE A 'NEW' TIE-DYED BLOUSE...PURPLE AND WHITE!

11. When do you start Christmas shopping?

STARTED ABOUT A MONTH AGO WITH A COUPLE OF 'STOCKING STUFFERS'...

AND I GOT SEVERAL THINGS WHILE I WAS ENJOYING THE MOUNTAINS

THIS PAST WEEK WITH GIRL FRIENDS

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion?

I jumped up and down when my daughter was playing travel softball and hit a homerun over the left-center field fence during a tournament...I couldn't sit down for quite some time...every atom in my body had extra adrenaline!

Proverbs 26:10

"Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by."

Blessings,

WEDDING ALBUM-A Carnival

JOINING Rach
sorry so late... can't wait to see everyone's pictures

(MY LAST-EVER PHOTO WITH MY DADDY...

HE PASSED 6 MONTHS AFTER OUR WEDDING)

(WE HAD A SMALL WEDDING IN A LARGE CHURCH ... IT WAS ESTABLISHED DURING THE CIVIL WAR TO ACCOMMODATE WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS DURING THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES) (WE LEFT OUR GOODY-BASKET OF FOOD AT THE RECEPTION BY MISTAKE, SO NO LEFTOVERS FOR US...EVEN THOUGH WE WERE STARVING AFTERWARDS.

SO BUSY TALKING TO EVERYONE, WE DIDN'T EAT ANYTHING EXCEPT A LITTLE BIT OF CAKE.) (OFF TO THE HONEYMOON CRUISE TO COZUMEL AND CANCUN...

OUR SHIP CAUGHT FIRE AND WE HAD TO EVACUATE

...BUT IT WAS HANDLED AND WE RETURNED TO THE SHIP THAT AFTERNOON

EVERYONE ALWAYS HAS A STORY!!)

Jer. 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you

and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Blessings,

WHAT'S YOUR ANWER?

GROWING WITH IT, Linda, is hosting her WHAT's YOUR ANSWER WEDNESDAY carnival...some fun questions and even funnier answers...come join us...OR AT LEAST LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS

MY QUESTIONS:

1. What candy do you sneak into the movies?
2. Who was your "celebrity crush" as a child?
3. What life-long habit do you have?

MY ANSWERS:

1. My daughter loves to "pull apart" Twizzlers...I like GOOBERS :)

2. Having my teens in the "70's", can you say, "BOBBY SHERMAN" ?

3. Twisting my hair ...even though I don't have much "to twist"...I pull up a strand and tap it with my finger tip.

OK, it's YOUR TURN!!

FILL-IN FRIDAY #124 & BEAUTIFUL LIFE

Joining Janet @ Friday Fill Ins She chose quotes having to do with spring...feel free to fill-in whatever you'd like!
I've filled in the blanks with red lettering...

.

...and joining Melissa, seeing the beautiful life in simplicity

1. If we had no winter... the southern mosquitoes would never die, grow extremely large, pick us up and carry each of us away to an unknown wetland .

2. When I go to the planetarium and gaze at the constellations in the evening skies, I find myself in perpetual astonishment.










3. If I had my life to live over I would spend more time talking with my Daddy, letting him know I "did" need to listen to his opinion and experience.



4. Sitting at the Lord's feet daily seeing His myriad of colors and smelling His created fragrances, inside of four and twenty hours.

5. If you've never been thrilled
by squirrels playing in a tree or kitties chasing a bug, then come sit with me in the backyard.

6. To be interested in the changing seasons reminds me of God's providence in the past, present and future.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing a graduation project, tomorrow my plans include planting two new angel trumpet bushes I was given and Sunday, I want to get a nap in before working with the youth group!

TAKE ME BACK TUESDAY...4EVER, Thomas ; )

You can participate and/or check out other Take Me Back Tuesday posts at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy.



Sunday evening was one of those "monumental moments" for our youth, and for us "old people"...the counselors.

We were blessed to attend our yearly senior banquet which honors our graduating seniors--this year's theme was a "cruise" down memory lane...hats, streamers, noise makers, confetti, mouse ears, stand-up cutout props, balloons, and food, food, food.

The longer I sat...watching the juniors host the event, taking in all the festivities, it was the pictures that took me back:

...remembering the little ones I had diapered

...clapping hands as we sang "Here is the church, here is the steeple..."

...picking up Easter eggs in the tall, green grass at campground

...gathering tons of cans for our local co-operative ministry

...carrying 5-gallon thermos coolers filled with lemonade

...working on the clients' homes (painting, raking, repairing) each summer

...standing on the pews in the arbor as we sang praise songs

...hugging one another as tears of conviction were wept at the altar

...smiling for the cameras during fun, lessons, service projects, anytime!

These soon-to-be adults have been wrestling with life's realities for the last two years...since one of their classmates, Thomas, was killed in an inter-state highway accident.

As we sat viewing slides, letters from their parents were being read, and the graduating seniors were whispering their reactions to one another. That's when I got this shot...I LOVE the silhouette effect, and I love the kids more.

Each memory declaring itself a treasured piece of their past--we saw Thomas in many of the slides and our hearts were tugged with the preciousness of those memories...he was back with us--never to be forgotten.

He had lived, loved and laughed with us for 17 years, seventeen "oh-so-short" years.

The kids reminisced and savored each picture while celebrating this crossroad into newness--the unknown waiting for them the other side of graduation.

We loved you Thomas...We will FOREVER love you, Thomas!
We love you Seniors...we will FOREVER love you, seniors!

Dear Lord,

Bless them daily,

remind them of all the lessons they've been taught

throughout the many years of Sunday School,

worship and UMYF.

Protect their hearts from becoming hardened or lukewarm,

we so want them to continue being in Your presence daily and

have a PASSION for YOU.

May we continue to hold them in our prayers.

Amen

THREE-OR-MORE TUESDAY...Mantle Memories

The Gypsy's Corner is sponsoring THREE OR MORE TUESDAY...please visit her and see the various other "THREES"!!

My THREE involves MY GRANNY...My Granny, whose pictures now have a special spot on my mantle...a small, little area holding very dear memories and wanting to know each person IN each picture.

In the front is my granny, who birthed 7 children, all but one was birthed in her home with no anesthesia, wow! She passed into Glory in 1995 and I still long to sit at her feet again. Wisdom doesn't seem a strong enough word when trying to describe her preciousness to me.

Memories of baking teacakes, shucking corn and shelling peas... drying apple slices for friend apple pies...singing gospel songs with Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.

She was ALWAYS talking to Jesus...whispering her prayers throughout the house as she did her chores...picking up crumbs off the table with her ring finger... as she sipped her coffee from her cup (which always sat in a saucer)....living alone for 32 years after my grandaddy (Buddy) died at 53yo...directing the church choir when she was 85yo...yep, what a blessing to love my strong grandmother...she would have been 99yo this May.

Pawpaw is on the right with the two little girls, my cousin and my sister...I was 2 when he passed...wish I could have known him so I could have heard for myself his stories of practical jokes he played on his guy friends...I heard one involved chocolate Exlax! hhhhmmmm

The large crowd sitting to the left is my Granny's legacy...My grandmother's mother is the teen girl sitting at the far right with the little flower corsage on her blouse and her hair done in a back-combed pompadour (I've always wondered if this was a family shot after her "graduation" in1902 ...my granny was born to her in 1910). Granny's mother died after her son's birth when Granny was 10...and Granny raised him.

What THREE can you share with us today??

1 John 5:6-8
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM Excitement & Ultimate Blog Party...

PROM UPDATE: Just call them "handsome" and "glam girl" :)

From Drop Box

CAN'T BELIEVE MY DD IS OLD ENOUGH FOR THIS...BUT SHE IS.

PRAYERS FOR SAFETY FIRST, THE MAKING OF WONDERFUL MEMORIES SECOND, AND REMEMBERING WHOSE SHE IS WHILE SHE'S DOING BOTH...

2 John 1:8 And be very careful around them so you don't lose out on what we've worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward you have coming to you. Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son.

What prom experiences do you remember?

(side note#1: if you haven't checked out the Women's Conference coming up in April, click on the top right widget...I'm hoping to win a ticket...you could too! Go check it out...)

(sidenote #2: Increase your readership and have fun reading lots of new blogs @ 5 Minutes for Mom...hosting the Ultimate Blog Party...there are some great prizes!! My wish is to win one of the following prizes...

58 KitchenAid Stand Mixer

19 & 21, Target gift certificates

88 Carrabba's gift card

...go check it out!!