How to give...

Matthew 6:2
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6:3- But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
6:4- so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.


As we are coming into the giving season, just a reminder of how God wants us to do it, now and the rest of the year.  I know it is so easy to get caught up in things and to want to see the results of our labors, but it is not for us to know.
God will let you know where, when and what he wants you to do.  AND- if you are on the other end, not having someone to thank can be hard, too.  You don't know where or who it came from, but you really do. Somewhere along the way, you whispered a prayer.  He heard you and sent what you needed, and that's all you need to know.  Need someone to thank?  Thank God for answering your prayers.  
For God's glory, not ours.   It's that simple.  There's no one on earth who can reward me like my Father can.  Amen.

got something to show ya...

did that get your attention?

I thought it would...

we got s*&%...

yeppers...

now, how do you like that?

60s less than a week ago and now this...

tis the season for weather chaos...

baby #1...

adorable!

cuddles with me all the time...

just like this...

baby #2...

no- we didn't name them this time...

Craig and I kept arguing and I gave up...

snuggles pretty good!

baby #3...

don't you just love the escape route?

Doofus wasn't too sure about it...

babies and Torie at their favorite place...

I am done piddle fartin' here...

well, until we get the totes out, anyway...

now back to the good stuff...

peanut butter fudge...

and iced sugar cookies...

Craig ran up to the store last night and brought these home...

wasn't on the list...

but that's ok...

wanna know what DH said about them?

are you sure you wanna know?

really sure?

ok...

if you don't have a warped sense of humor...

back away now...

last warning...

he said I was going to have Smurf poop...

geez...

I told him if I did, I would blog it...

you may not want to come tomorrow...

you know...

skip a day...

watched the Grinch last night and Shrek!

oh, it's too early, but it was fun...

have a great day...

got more to do around here...

pot luck tonight!

more images...

it's been another cold, rainy kind of a day...

no sunshine...

did very little...

not much motivation...

have no idea why...

but these are so cute...

thought you might want to use some of them...

the wind is high and howling...

glad I'm not out in it...

good chance the 3 amigos may be going up for adoption this weekend...

they go for testing this week...

and to get wormed and all the fun stuff...

the adoptions are great this time of the year...

the people have to wait and come back to get them...

but they have to pay up front...

the adoption fees are $45...

and they have to sign that they will have them fixed when the time comes...

they do get a voucher for that...

of course they do a background check during the waiting period with their vets...

and landlords if they rent...

just to make sure they are allowed to have pets...

all of our other babies have been adopted!

to very good AAA+ homes...

yippee!

so it looks like these babies are going to get their forever homes for Christmas...

;)

more piddle fartin' around...

still no totes opened..

nativity under the dome...

will add more stuff there later...

found these 2 guys...

you know there's more...

in the boxes...

in the front bedroom closet...

DH ran out to the VFW and brought breakfast back for us...

$4 takes you all the way and there's no way you can eat it all...

we made spaghetti for the rest of the day...

and it was so good!

39 and rain yesterday, so it was a good day to stay in...

did laundry most of the afternoon...

Craig and I do the main part of the laundry late in the week so we are ready to go for the weekend...

kind of got messed up this week...

seemed like there was a ton to do...

DH goes back to work this morning...

loved having him here for 4 days...

won't be long until he is off for Christmas!

need to make the call today for the kittens to go...

I am sure going to miss them, but I am ready to get back to normal around here...

we will still have Tori and BeauBeau, but they are older and should...

should...

stay out of the tree...

may have to wire it to the wall...

done that before...

hope you all have a good day going back to a regular world...

are you playing yet?

I have been, just a tad...

we haven't opened one Christmas tote yet...

but I had things hanging around...

I am liking less is more...

of course, you know me...

I like to pile it on, too!

Christmas images...

are you getting ready?

I am not sure what we are going to be doing today...

can you believe we have to cook?

yep- we ate almost of that stuff up already!

whoa is me...

isn't this cute?

I have it for my background on the computer...

makes me smile...

shoot, it makes me giggle...

have fun whatever you do today!

our Thanksgiving day...

it was partly sunny, but the wind had a bite to it...

DH wanted to make sure we got a photo of the blooming roses...

it's just so unreal...

we did a couple walks yesterday...

and ate and ate and ate some more...

the rail road came along this week and cut brush down along the tracks...

and left stuff like this...

and just piled the stuff up along the tracks...

they really need to clean it up...

it really was a wonderful day...

and I decided NOT to take photos of it...

I left the camera on the desk...

and we just did what we do...

just us...

Doug went home about noon today...

sent him a pile of food...

he enjoyed being home for a couple of days and we enjoyed us all being together...

and we all cooked together...

cleaned up together...

and napped, watched tv, walked outside...

we talked of Thanksgivings past and those not here...

and we talked about life...

but mostly, we were just in the moment...

and it was a very good place to be...

the guys planted about 100 spring bulbs this morning...

DH and Craig cleaned up the yard this afternoon...

pulled the tomato plants...

put up the hose...

it was in the 60s...

but colder weather is coming this next week and rain starting in tomorrow afternoon...

but we are ready now...

it's not the amount of people...

it's the quality of people...

hope your time was blessed...

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

are you ready to get this party started?

I think I am getting into it...

so much to do...

so many lists to check off...

so, just how many of  you were camped out for black Friday eve?

not me, chickies!

I am still raiding the fridge and blogging here safe at home...

away from all those CRAZY, driven, women with an attitude, die hard shoppers...

I did that one year...

about got trampled...

cured me for life...

I can wait until the half off after Christmas sales...

my bestie had to be at work last night...

so they could open first for BF...

I know she is going to be so exhausted...

and all the cranky customers...

it doesn't have to be like that...

we all need to have a little more patience this season...

because everyone has bad days...

I have photos from yesterday to post...

which I will do later...

today, the guys want to plant my bulbs and hang lights...

not sure if the trees will go up today or not...

I am thinking not...

got some moving around to do and I think the guys underestimate the amount of work that is left outside...

it depends on how much they argue on how fast they can move...

they also stuffed themselves so much yesterday...

lead pants don't move so fast...

I will report back later...

wanted to share...

I had someone post this on facebook this evening...

it's a true story...

her parents always had Thanksgiving dinner at their house and all the kids and grandkids would come...

her mom would cook for days and all the families brought food...

until they passed...

the mom in 2003 and the dad in 2009...

last year the kids and their own families had separate dinners...

and it wasn't the same...

so one of the girls is having it at her house this year...

my friend went over today to help "decorate", because that's her thing...

and her sister went into the living room and found a pin that said MOM on it...

she said- "Mom had one just like this, did you bring it with you?"

my friend said- "No, I have never seen it before.  It must have been here before I got here."

her sister said- " No, I just cleaned that table off right before you got here and it wasn't on there."

they cried and hugged and knew that their mom was with them...

now how's that for a Thanksgiving angel?

you can go back to stuffing your turkey now...

Remember them...

keep them in your hearts until they are back home...

with their families for Thanksgivng...

just so much...

to be thankful for...

we have been so blessed with so much...

so many...

last year I wrote that the best blessings are things we haven't been given...

the trials and tribulations others are facing right now...

if you have made it a year without a fore closer...

a divorce...

buried a child...

watched your home get washed away or burnt to the ground...

lost your spouse...

seen war firsthand...

had a buddy die in your arms...

if your reflections of the last year do not contain any of these...

then you have been blessed beyond measure...

and if these things have come to pass for you...

you know that you have to look at all the little things that were spared...

the joy of the sunrises...

the giggles of a child...

a roof over your head...

and the love of God that surrounds you when everything here is chaos...

gather those close who mean the most...

this could be the last Thanksgiving you will here together...

make it count...

forget...

forgive...

overlook...

embrace...

love...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families...

May God bless you beyond measure...

what do you do when you can't sleep?

blog...

are ya freakin' out yet?

I'm not...

it will come and go no matter what happens...

after supper tonight, DH and I made a deli run...

8 miles south...

got all the way down there in the foggy, drizzly weather...

and no billfold...

he had come home from work and dumped his pockets...

so back home we came and back we went again...

now how senile is that?

I didn't take my purse either...

don't even carry the check book anymore...

my debit card is in Craig's wallet anyway...

he has used it way more than I ever did...

I never go anywhere without one of them anyway...

so it wasn't my fault...

well, I'm going to try going to bed one more time...

if it doesn't work...

I'll be back...