nostalgia...

I found these lovely-fun Christmas mugs at an outlet store, and I just had to have them- aren't they so nostalgic? I loved the scenes on them (and the $5.99 price tag for the four), and I knew that drinking a cup of Starbucks' Christmas blend (or Thanksgiving blend, which I did on this past Thursday) would be so yummy in these cuties.

more thankfulness...

...family

...my sister

...legs that can walk and run

...fried turkey

...Rock Band for XBox 360

...Black Friday

...sweet neighbors

...caramel and chocolate

...song

...laughter

...sleep

...blessed assurance

Happy Turkey Day...

So today I ran my first 5K! And ate lots of turkey (I hope you did, too).

My sister and I ran the Turkey Day Run, with a goal of finishing in less than 35 minutes- and we succeeded! It was a beautiful clear day, yet cold.

Here are our happy-shiny morning faces before the race...

And we're off!...

About half-way there!

We made it!!!

We wore our tshirts with turkey PRIDE the rest of the day...I mean, every good

runner knows you can't wear the shirt until you RUN THE RACE!

Hope your day was full of fun and thanksgiving...

POTW...on the road...

(Sorry it took me all week, blogger wouldn't let me on!)

This is camp...upstate South Carolina. My brother and his wife and coach sal and I went for staff retreat (we're on summer camp staff). One thing that I love about camp is how different it looks in November compared to June! I love the rich autumn colors, something we never see here on the coast.

These are from my new camera, a Canon A590- nothing fancy, just a small, portable P&S. And these photos are straight from the camera, no tweeking...although there are a few I'd like to manipulate the color on and increase saturation. But I think my Canon did pretty well!

And the one of the four of us? ONE shot. I held out the camera and said SMILE! Not bad.

off to camp...

It's been a very busy week, which is pretty typical as the holidays approach. Basketball tryouts for the boys, students singing in assemblies at school, field trips to plan, tests to give...and Thanksgiving to prepare for!

I'm giving thanks today for...

...Palmetto Bible Camp, where coach sal and I are heading for the weekend to do some summer camp planning...these photos are camp in the fall.

...a good safe van to get us all there.

...my wonderful awesome super mom who is holding down our house with three kids and a dog while we're gone (LOVE U!).

...14 year old sons who buy their mommas presents instead of snacks from the snack machines at school (he bought me red earrings from the school's holiday artisan market!).

...brothers and sisters who sometimes in tiny-little ways DO show that they care about each other.

...my new birthday camera!

...UPS delivers!

...frozen pizzas.

wonderful wonderful...

Rebecca is whole and beautiful and home with her mommy...a gift from God!

My scrapbook weekend with my crazy friends was much needed and I finished my Disney album from our summer trip and the kids' school album pages for 2007-2008...mission accomplished, aaahhh!

I ran 2 miles today, and it wasn't so bad.

I'm going to bed early tonight....

give thanks for blessings aplenty.

Wonderful, wonderful.

happy birthday to me...

Tomorrow is my birthday, and no, I'm not 40. Yet.

But tomorrow will also be the birth of a special little girl named Rebecca. Rebecca needs your thoughts and prayers tomorrow for a safe delivery and a healthy start to life. Her parents have been told there will be complications, but the doctors are indecisive as to what they will be.

As I celebrate my birth tomorrow with a scrapbooking retreat weekend, I will celebrate Rebecca's birth with prayers and petitions. And thanksgiving, for God is faithful!

Please join me.

giving thanks...

November is here.

I know this sounds weird, but I always think it feels strange that only yesterday was Halloween and it was October and now today it's November and Thanksgiving is only days away. And this feeling will happen again at the end of November...boom, it's suddenly December and Christmas!

I had a "Happy Halloween" banner over our door at our house this past month, and I found this beautiful cloth one that says "GIVE THANKS" to replace it with this month.

I'm thankful...

...for Halloween candy, especially Milky Ways. I can't seem to stay away from those things.

...that cooler weather is here to stay.

...that our Father will still be in control after the polls close tonight at 7:00pm and the results are all counted.

What are you thankful for?

from high above the crowds...

Our family went to the fair on Saturday afternoon. We haven't been in a few years, but decided this year we wanted to spend the money and go.

Coach Sal and the boys spent most of their afternoon flying around upside-down. Mary E and I spent most of our afternoon flying high above the crowds in the chair-lift ride.

We had a lovely birds-eye view. And the day was just beautiful, sunny and cool. We rode it back and forth across the fair several times. Peaceful, quiet. Just the two of us.

And we ate inbetween...elephant ear...corndog...caramel apple...cotton candy.

Isn't this what the fair is all about?

happy hauntings...

The whole gang...

Sweet treats...

This is me and Emory, as third grade cowgirls...yeehaw!