2 Chronicles 7:14

I felt so much better when I woke up this morning.

I started the day with a delicious cup of coffee

in my special cup - a gift from my son and daughter-in-law.

I felt inspired today, too. 

This week the RNC held their convention in Tampa.

It was good for our state and even better for our country

because we've been going through tough times and everyone is feeling it. 

Those older than I am have compared it to the Great Depression.

That's a scary thought.

Anyway, I've been listening to the speeches that they've been broadcasting from the convention

and last night's were especially encouraging. 

I believe that no matter what is going on in this life, God is in control.

I also believe He desires to bless His children

but as a nation, we are slipping away from God.

Maybe the condition we're in has been a wake-up call for any of us who have become complacent.

I pray so. 

Today's Dwarfs

Been working on our books all day long

in between the phone calls, among other things.

Also been dealing with allergies, so I took a Benadryl 

which made me feel like this

But I pressed on, trying to catch up our books

and eventually wound feeling like this

So, I'm stopping for tonight and gonna get ready for bed

so that in the morning, I'll be feeling more like this

Frozen Lattes

Wow...busy day, but fun, too!

Took Momma out today just for fun...no scheduled appointments just a fun day out :0)

Went for lunch at Beef  O'Brady's for Momma's favorite - WINGS - they have the BEST!

And to make it even more perfect, now they serve up some of these

Frozen Lattes

I can't even begin to tell you how good they were. 

Momma got the caramel and I got the chocolate

(oh man, wish I had another one right now!)

Ran a few quick errands then took my mom back home.

Settled some business matters back at the house then hit the road again. 

Made my way to Pier 1. OH how I love that store!!!

I'm beginning to notice that Fall is almost upon us.

I can't feel it in the air yet, but it's definitely showing up in the stores...and I LOVE IT!

Had to wait out a rainstorm from the inside of my car. 

Wound up in my car in the first place to charge my phone that was dying.
Wish I would have taken a picture of the rain (memo to self for next time).

But I did have a very nice chat via my charging phone with a new friend I've made. 

Eventually made it to the grocery store, then home to fix the hubby dinner. 

And now it's almost midnight and another day has come and gone...

Thank you Lord for today.

Silly Love

Our sweet boy (Ethan) came over today.

I love how grandbabies seem to love you no matter what,

and they don't care what you look like in the morning or if you act silly.

Ethan loves when I sing to him or dance for him and I feel totally loved and accepted. 

Here he is shortly after he arrived today (still comfy in his car seat)

I was singing "Rolling in the Deep" for him (well, actually I was singing along with Adele)

He was trying to sing, too

And here he was kicking his feet to the beat :0)

He LOVES music! 

I suppose he has it in his blood. 

His daddy is a musician, and so are his grandpa and uncle.

In fact, the theme at Ethan's Baby Shower was Music

Here I am with his beautiful mommy

and this is his nursery

Isn't that the coolest thing?

They sure didn't have stuff like this when my boys were young.

I'm really glad they do now :0)

Calmer Days

Woke up to rain this morning but nothing really bad.

Got all the dogs out (mine and mom's) in between the showers.

The sun hasn't made an appearance all day but all-in-all 

we consider ourselves blessed because we've escaped another hurricane.

The phones have been quieter today, and for that I am thankful. 

Got to see Ethan for a few hours while his daddy helped his daddy on a job.

(Did you get that?)

I did a few unexpected things for my mom today which made her happy I'm sure.

It involved washing some curtains :0)

Baked some Oatmeal Raisin Cookies which made the house smell wonderful. 

They even seemed to make Ethan happy 
although he doesn't really know what cookies are yet;

but I told him all about them as I gobbled one up 

and promised him that one day he would find out for himself.

I'm sure that one day soon he will learn all about this guy, too

although this guy was not his daddy's favorite but rather his Uncle Manuel's.

I have a picture of that somewhere...I'll have to look for it.

Storms

Today is Sunday, and it's been a gloomy day outside.

There is a storm brewing (literally) off the Florida coast

and today it is apparent that it - Isaac, is out there. 

We are never quite sure what to expect when hurricanes are headed our way.

They seem to have a mind of their own. 

We just prepare the best we can and wait it out. 

My husband has been tuning up on our generator (just in case).

He also serviced the one in our bus and put some fuel in our bus.

They have already decided to close the schools tomorrow in our county 

and school just began last week. 

So, up north they have Snow Days and here in Florida we have Hurricane Days.

Between the weather outside and the craziness of last week

I feel as though I could sleep all day, but of course, I haven't.

I have rested some, and even got to do some things I've been longing to do:

                              I watched an instructional video I've been wanting to view          √

                              I have gotten caught up in our Travel Journal Scrapbook              √

                              I have cleaned out my cosmetic drawer                                      √

                              and organized things in a new cosmetic travel bag I just bought   √

Got it from a very sweet friend of mine who sells Mary Kay Products.

You can check out her page here

This is the item I bought

and this is what it looks like when it's open

The individual clear compartments can easily be removed 

and it even has a neat hook for hanging 

so this bag will be absolutely perfect when we are out in our bus.

If you have trouble staying organized with your cosmetics then this is the bag for you!

I hope to be starting a new adventure soon. 

Be watching for details :0)

Quotes

This quote was in my devotional today

I believe it.

Here is another quote that is a favorite of mine

I love this one, too

and this

Listen up parents

How about this one 

Yes indeed!

Ok, I've shared some of my favorite quotes...what are some of yours?

Coffee Caves

Today has been one of those days!

Who coined that phrase anyway? 

If it had been a Monday, I'm not sure what I would have done.

(Mondays are not my favorite days).

I slept like a LOG and woke up as if I had been drugged. 

Had more crazy dreams, too, that I can't completely remember. 

As soon as I got out of bed (and made a trip to the powder room) 

I headed for the coffee pot.

This is exactly what ours looks like.

I turned it on and waited for it to heat up. 

Now, even though I am a coffee lover

I've actually been drinking smoothies in the morning for the past few weeks.

Not sure why, but this morning I needed COFFEE!

I got my cup ready, added some creamer (I put my creamer in first)

and pushed that start button as soon as it was ready.

I waited for that cup to fill up with the heavenly brew

and I took a big sip before I moved an inch. 

It tasted so good!!!

And then the phone rang...

(I know, this one is outdated, but I liked the picture)

Anyway, it's been totally and completely crazy ever since. 

If today had been a Monday, I think I would have closed up shop and headed for a cave.

Have I mentioned lately that I really need a vacation???

Until tomorrow then (if I can regain my sanity).

Reflections

  Today was another precious day with my grandson Ethan.

I enjoy him so much!

Same thing when I'm with Hannah. The time I spend with her is so special to me, 

and I can already feel it happening with Sarah even though she is very young. 

But for as happy as it makes me, it also makes me a bit sad.

I start to reflect on my days as a mother.
I always tried to be a good mother, but I think just maybe, I'm a better grandmother. 

I suppose it's normal to feel that way 

and it's probably because I'm not raising my grandchildren.

Even so, the young mothers of today seem much better at it than I was.

I hope my children will be able to forgive me for all my shortcomings.
I really did try to do my best. 

Btw, I'm so very proud of the fine young men they have become. 

Here are some pics of my boys as babies and their babies :0)

Manuel and Hannah

 Sarah and Manuel

 I think...just maybe, Sarah looks a bit more like her mama...

She is beautiful!

 Mark and Ethan

If you could see the big smile on my face right now :0)

I am so very blessed!

Bumps

It seems that when the road gets too easy we'll usually hit a bump. 

I think it is to remind us that this is not our true home

God has something much better planned. 

If you've lived very long at all you know that along with the sunshine we also need the rain.

If your current journey is a hard one hang on to the hope that brighter days await you.

We all go through trials and struggles in this life.

I read the following on Nienie's Blog today: 

"I just want everyone to know the blessings that come when we keep on going.
It's hard, I KNOW, but sooo worth it."

Trust me - she knows!

Her words really encouraged me. I hope they encourage you, too.

God is faithful!

Today

Woke up early this morning...earlier than usual. 

Felt well-rested and had hoped to have another productive day

but some tasks took much longer than I expected

so I didn't get to finish everything I had hoped, but it's ok

 tomorrow is another day, even so, 

here is something to think about:

Memories

Today I actually had the time to organize some of my photos. 

I LOVE taking pictures. 

I don't necessarily like being in them, but I love to take them.

I think I like taking pictures because they capture memories. 

I have captured a lot of memories.

My husband and I have been married for 35 years and 

I have (literally) thousands of pictures in shoe boxes from before the days of digital cameras, 

and now with smart phones, well - I'm taking pictures all the time. 

But trying to keep them organized is another story.

I have learned how to burn them to CDs - that's a good thing...

but still, what will happen to all these pictures? 

I suppose my children will get them one day. Maybe even my grandchildren. 

I hope they will have meaning for them, like they have for me.

I've very sentimental....is that silly? 

I hope not.

Anyway, here's a little trip down my memory lane:

Graduation Day

 Wedding Day

Our First Apartment

Newlyweds 

Our Firstborn 

Our baby's first home

Our second son

His first home

The first night we brought him home

My Milli when she was young

Here's one for fun. I don't think I'll ever do this again

What was I thinking?

I looked like a poodle and couldn't use anything but a pick for nine months.

 I'll stop (for now) with this one...it's a favorite of mine -

A family picture from a trip out west 

to Salt Lake City, Utah (how about them shades, ha ha)

I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane with me. I sure have :0)

Favorite Things

Here are a few of my favorite things - well, besides God and my family...

I love our front porch

especially our swing

It is one of my favorite places in the whole world.

My boys got me this sweet love seat for Mother's Day

the first year we moved into our current home.

I love this little table set on my back porch.

It is so peaceful, especially on a rainy afternoon.

This is a new sign I just bought for our back porch

I love the ocean. I think it's beautiful!

We live near the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the Atlantic Ocean (I prefer it to the Gulf).

One day I would love to see the Pacific :0)

What are some of your favorite things?

Write and tell me.

Pancakes and Pumpkins

It was wonderful waking up this morning and realizing it was Saturday.

I almost felt like a kid again knowing I didn't have to go to school.

And even though we had some small jobs come in that we chose to do

nothing was scheduled except for church at 6 pm, and we look forward to that.

So our day started out with pancakes and bacon...YUMMY!

This was taken before the butter and pure maple syrup were added. 

I know, not the healthiest choice for breakfast, but it was a special treat.

Manny got caught up on several things around here that he's been wanting to do.

I did some laundry and some bookkeeping, but at a slower pace with no pressure.

We went to church which was wonderful (as it usually is) 

and afterward we went to our older son's house to visit with his family. 

We LOVE spending time with them!

We got to visit and love on sweet Sarah before she went to bed

and then we saw two movies...the new Muppet Movie ( so cute)

and the movie Tangled - have you seen that one?

It's the newest version of Rapunzel that Disney put out. 

I loved, Loved, LOVED that movie!!!
Her hair was beautiful (like Hannah's)

and Hannah was singing along with all the songs. 

If you haven't seen this movie you may want to :0)

It's almost midnight now, so goodnight (before the pumpkin appears)

oops...wrong movie (ha ha)

Good night :0)