Throwback Thursday: Halloween Edition

  Tomorrow night I will open the door a few dozen times with a big bowl of candy in hand.  I love seeing all those cute little kiddos all dressed up in their costumes.

I wonder how many Elsa and Annas will show up at my door tomorrow.  

I remember dressing up as a witch and a clown when I was a kid.  I feel like I was one of those two things every year because that's all I remember.  I do remember being a razorback when I was in 6th grade.  I got to bring a friend trick-or-treating with me that year.  I thought that was pretty cool.  I felt so big.  Every other year my brother and I would meet up with our cousins at our Mommom's house.  She always had full sized candy bars for us.  And then we would go trick-or-treating in her neighborhood.

Apparently I was Minnie Mouse one year too.  

How cool is that plastic costume?

Flash forward to my first Halloween as a married woman.  Andrew and I went as Animal Control and a dalmatian. 

What was your favorite costume as a kid?

A Day in History

I love the Timehop app.  

It is an app that shares with you things that you posted on the different social media sites on this day one year ago or five years ago or however many years ago you posted.

One of the reasons I blog is because I love having our memories to go back through and to both  remember and see all the ways God has worked and is working in our lives.  

Timehop is a little snapshot of those memories.

One year ago today I sported a mustache to work for Red Ribbon Week.  I ended up drawing mustaches on almost every student in my homeroom that morning.

These two spent the day at the vet one year ago today.  Lincoln Baxter had eaten some rat poison that he found behind our washing machine.  We had only been in our new house for a little over a week and didn't know it was there.  Because we didn't know how much he ate or whether or not Liberty Belle had eaten any, they both had blood drawn.   Lincoln wouldn't cooperate with them when they were trying to draw blood so they ended having to prick two of his legs.  Andrew sent me pictures of them with their legs wrapped.  Broke this furbaby momma's heart.

Apparently I was already listening to Christmas music two years ago today because I posted the following status

"Every time I hear Sleigh Ride I'm instantly taken back to a band concert inside Newark Gym.  Yes I'm listening to Christmas music.  It is cold outside and it makes me happy."

Truth be told I've already listened to a few Christmas songs this year too.  

I also posted about trying to use my sewing machine two years.

"Trying to use my sewing machine.  Could really use my mother in law or my Mommom. #frustrating" 

That hasn't changed.  I still can't use my sewing machine.

 Another thing that hasn't changed is how I feel about my coworkers.  Four years ago I posted that I was "so thankful God has blessed me with some awesome coworkers."  I have different coworkers now than I did four years ago, but I'm still blessed daily by the people I work with.

And five years ago I was "getting ready for the doctor appointment." 

Why was I was going to the doctor?  

Because a few days earlier I had passed on the floor in Jill's hospital room.  She had just had Amelia and wasn't supposed to have any stressful activities due to her high blood pressure.  It was a crazy time.  This doctor's appointment was so they could check blood sugar levels and a few other things after I had gone without food for so many hours.

See?  Fun little snippets of our lives.

If you don't have this app, go grab it.  You'll love it.

What were you doing one year ago today?

Happy Sunday

A Fall Makeover

Without really meaning to I've been working toward a fall makeover.  About a week ago I asked mom to do this ab and squat challenge with me.

I started this challenge a long time ago but I quit before I ever finished.  That is why I wanted an accountability partner this time.  Mom and I text each other every day when we have completed our workout for the day.  Let me just tell you when your mother text you and says she has finished her workout for the day it tends to sound like her telling you to get your booty in gear and do your workout.  HA!!  We are six days and feeling every day of it.

I have the extra challenge of trying to do these exercises with my furbabies around.  It always takes me a little while to get started because this happens every single time...

I also decided I wanted to change up my makeup for fall.  I've never been much of a makeup girl so I'm not sure what inspired this need for a fall look.  I didn't want to spend a ton of money since I wasn't sure what I was going for so I went and picked up a few new things to try from Wal-Mart.

I wore the purplish lip gloss in the middle today and loved it.  I tried the eye shadow as well and quickly learned I know nothing about eye makeup.  I normally don't wear anything more than mascara.  I'm going to have to find some good eye make up tutorials.

Do you have any tips?

A Lesson Twice Needed

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a prayer vigil for Pastor Saeed.  Pastor Saeed is an Iranian American Christian pastor imprisioned in Iran.  He is separated from his wife and their two children and has been for the past two years, yet he continues to shine for Jesus. You can read more about him and his story here.  

Honestly when I first felt like God was telling me to not only attend the prayer vigil but to serve as a greeter, I wasn't sure I would say yes.  Greeter?  Talk to complete strangers?  It was definitely out of my comfort zone.  

And honestly, I probably would have disobeyed this urging had it not been for my husband being out of town.  Going to this prayer vigil was better than sitting at home alone.  

So I signed up.

I had no idea what I would walk away with that night.

It was a beautiful time of worship and prayer with family and old and new friends.  

My heart broke for Pastor Saeed, his family, and others who are imprisoned because of their faith.

My heart was filled with thankfulness for the freedom I have as a believer.  A freedom that I too often take for granted.

My heart was encouraged through Pastor Saeed's words to his daughter.  Words of wisdom, faith, and encouragement.

In a letter written by Pastor Saeed to his daughter celebrating her 8th birthday, he referenced Habakkuk 3:17-19.  When this letter was shared with us that evening I felt God whisper in my ear telling me to go and read the book of Habakkuk.  He had something there just for me.

I couldn't wait to get home and see what it was God had for me in the book of Habakkuk.

I've been wanting to share it with you ever since but I haven't been able to find the words.  Every time I tried to sit down and write what God had shared with me it came out all jumbled up.

But today I read this post.  And she said it perfectly.

Go read it.  

Go ahead.  I'll wait.

Though I may never bear a child of my own...  Though I may never hear a tiny voice call me Mommy...  Though the wait is longer than I ever hoped or dreamed...

I will rejoice.

I will praise God because he is God.

He is worthy.

He is good always!

This verse, this blog post, and this story could not have come back to me at a more perfect time.

Andrew and I had a little family photo shoot Tuesday afternoon.  It was the hardest photo shoot.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  I cried over it.  I just wanted to get it over with.  

It wasn't the photo shoot I wanted.  It wasn't the photo shoot that involved a cute Baby Weaver or even an announcement that Baby Weaver was on the way.

It was just the two of us and our dogs.  AGAIN.

God was so good to use my husband, Uncle Kevin, and Aunt Sandi to remind me of just how blessed I am.  I was reminded of those verses in Habukkuk and that I have reason to rejoice. 

God has already given me a beautiful -somewhat furry- family and although I cannot wait until the day we add a 5th member, my family is perfect just the way it is.

Thank you God for loving me and for blessing me with the perfect family.

October

I love October.  

It felt like fall this weekend and I could not have enjoyed it more.

I think I've blogged about these canvases before.  My sweet and incredibly talented S-I-L, Sara made them for all of us girls one year for Christmas.  There is one for each month.  I love switching them out at the beginning of each month.  Always makes me think about and stop and pray for Sara.

Yesterday I had my last Robotics workshop.  YAY!!  It was fun but I am glad that it is over.  It was held at a local college.  I enjoyed being on campus.  It made me want to go back to school.  Very few things make me happier than being a student with new school supplies and new classes.  I would be a full time student if Andrew would let me.  He always says something about not being able to afford it when I bring it up.

He played golf with the nephews while I was at the workshop.  Apparently they didn't play too well.

After naps we went to the Ozark Trail Festival that was happening down at the courthouse.  Lots of vendors selling all kinds of things and lots of food trucks.  We didn't stay long.  We didn't even enjoy the food trucks.

We bought mums and pumpkins for the front porch.  

We went to our favorite local pizza place where neither one of us ordered pizza.

We came home and watched some college football.

It was a nice day together.

I love my family.

Happy Sunday