Looking forward to an exciting day......

I am looking forward to an exciting day today. I'm hosting my annual Pampered Chef party for May. Every May they hold a Help Whip Cancer campaign where certain proceeds for various items go to help with the research and education of Breast Cancer.

I can't wait to see what awesome dishes we will be "whipping" up in our fight for the cure. We are going to try a little Mango Confetti Salad; barbeque chicken sliders, and white chocolate fudge. A friend of mine has a delicious pink dessert she has offered to bring and I can't wait to sample it.

One of the specials for May is a coupon holder in pink zebra design.  

It snaps right on your buggy so you won't forget to use your coupons....a problem I seem to have a lot of the time. I'll remember to get the item and remember that I have a coupon....until time to pay. Then I get home and clean receipts out of my purse and find the coupon I had meant to use. Having this on my buggie will remind me to use the coupons....unless I forget and leave the holder on the buggy. :)

 All in all, it should be a wonderful time of good food, good friends and fun times.



Faith Filled Friday

There are so many instances of faith in our life. As you all know, faith is my keyword; my motto. I just love the word. I was pondering whether to continue my Faith Filled Friday due to a lack of people to interview; but a couple of my sweet friends urged me to continue. I was debating what to do when I went to church this past Sunday night. Lo and behold, the message was about faith. The pastor encouraged us to step out and trust the Lord. So I will continue it each Friday until I'm led otherwise.

I do not feel like God would have given me this wonderful gift of faith if He did not want me to share it with others. Faith is what keeps me going day after day. Faith is the one thing in life you can never ever give up on. Without faith, life would simply be an empty void. No hope for a future; no dreams to come true. I am reminded of that beautiful poem "Don't Quit". I know you have all heard it numerous times but it is so true. We need to keep the faith; stick with our goals and never ever give up on our dreams.

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown



Always walking....

Do you do a lot of walking? I don't mean the kind where you are exercising or taking leisurely strolls. I mean the kind of walking where we are always walking toward something new or walking away from something old. Our daily lives are filled with walking. We walk toward a better tomorrow. We walk away from a hurtful situation. We walk into the arms of a loved one. We walk side by side in support. Our lives are full of walking.

I love the walks that we take that go down the road of God's choosing, not ours. Those times when you struggle with situations and you can't make heads or tails of which way to turn. Those situations where you just scratch your head and think "What???" When you truly let go and let God, He will turn you in the direction He wants you to go.

But we still stumble. We still falter. And sometimes He has to drag us kicking and screaming. I have been dealing with an issue that I didn't know how to handle; which direction to go. I was struggling with what my mind wanted to do and what my heart was telling me to do. God placed a lady in my path this week that gave me some very encouraging words that confirmed what I felt God wanted me to do in this situation. I came home that night and one of my dear friends from England had done a post on the very topic that was on my mind. In her post, she confirmed exactly what the other lady had been telling me. Even using the same bible scripture I had been quoted that day.

I felt a peace come over me and I knew then how God wanted me to proceed. So, I simply took the Guiding Hand He was offering, turned my steps around, and walked away from the situation. It was literally that easy because I followed His will, not mine.

I have received blessing after blessing from obeying His will. Don't you just love when you let Him take control and give your struggles over to Him.  It's good to feel that sweet peace that comes over us when we can feel Him smile and say "My child, well done."

Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."



Well, I survived......

I had an awesome time in Cades Cove. There is nothing like spending a day with a group of about 40 first graders to put life in perspective. We had a blast, although it was a little rough getting out of bed this morning. My poor ankles may never be the same. They required appropriate walking shoes, but I apparently don't have appropriate walking feet. Little bit of pain this morning.

We were barely 5 minutes into our walk, when Ranger Ashley stopped us because there was a deer in the thicket right beside us. The little doe just stood there as we all snapped her photo.

 Our theme of the day was the animals that live in the wonderful natural habitat of the park.

 They discussed various animals found in the park and let the everyone feel several different animal pelts. Caleb was not too fond of the skunk. You could just hear him thinking, "No way am I going to touch that one."

  He did love the bear skin. He had no problem with it.

Until the ranger walked off and the claw came near his knee. He couldn't move fast enough out of the way.

After we learned about the various animals and insects found in the Park, we had a scavenger hunt. They had hidden 15 animals and insects in a section of the Park and we had to find them and identify what type of animal....mammal, reptile, amphibian, insect, etc. My little team was one of the first to find and correctly identify them. They were so proud of themselves.

 We then played a little game that had them all laughing and having a ball.

 Our final "quiz" for the day was a relay race where Ranger Mike described an animal and the child had to go find that animal out of a pile of stuffed animals at the end of the race.

 Caleb was really into the relay race, cheering his classmates on.

And after the day was done, they still had the energy to act silly.

What was I thinking.....

As I prepare for my day today, I'm sitting here thinking "What have I gotten myself into?"

It started out innocently enough. I'm driving down the road and a voice pops up from the backseat "Mamaw B, will you go on my field trip with me in two weeks." My answer, "Of course". I love taking trips with school classes and never say no. It normally involves field day on campus or a short jaunt to the local Optimist park for a picnic and time on the playground. How difficult could a field trip be.

Well, I guess I will find out today. I am going to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with two groups of first graders and will be chaperoning several children in my group. When I found out the trip was to Cades Cove, I thought, "Wow this will be fun." Keep in mind that my trips to Cades Cove are always spent in a car as we drive the 11 mile one-way loop through the cove and just watching for wildlife such as bear and deer, which are in abundance.

My daughter gave me the paper this weekend with the details of the field trip. As I read through it, I couldn't help but wonder what I had gotten myself into. Words popped off the page such as "wear layers of clothing" or "there will be some hiking" (did I mention how lazy I am when it comes to walking and did I mention BEARS) and then there was the line "prepare yourself with appropriate footwear" and the "bring a backpack with lunch, water, rain gear and a towel to set on as there are no picnic tables where we are going." And the worst one of all "no soft drinks".

So let me get this straight.....

#1- I am going to be walking with a group of rowdy first graders through the wilds...carrying food ...where bears are in abundance and will come right up to you if you HAVE food.

#2 - I apparently will be on rough terrain....hence the "appropriate footwear"

#3 - I have to carry a backpack (again, did I mention I can sometimes be a little lazy)

#4 - I have to do all this while not being allowed any caffiene or sugar

This is not looking good.

And on a final note, they failed to mention there are VERY limited facilities in Cades Cove. One set of restrooms when you get there and another set when you drive half way around the loop, which we are apparently not going on.

If I was you, I would stay tuned tomorrow to see how this turns out. We are taking a group of first graders somewhere with limited restrooms AND telling them to bring water to drink. I would love to know who organizes these things.

Note to self - In the future, when a grandchild says "Will you go...", get details before firing off an excited YES.

Miscellaneous Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.

I went to church yesterday morning and my secret sister had left me a gift in my seat. It matches my bedroom or my everything room, where ever I decide to use it. I love it. I love anything floral so it was a huge hit with me.

 As you all know, I love tea sets and whenever one of the granddaughters is over, we play tea party. I found this adorable set at Walmart for just $5.00. Papaw donated a little serving tray from the kitchen and I found a doily I wasn't using. So now they have their very own tea set that we play with.

 It's that time of year when graduation announcements will start arriving. I got my first one yesterday from Miss Amber at Church. Congratulations to a very special young lady. I have a niece and a nephew graduation this year as well. I am so proud of both of them. My niece is going to college on a softball scholarship and my nephew has joined the U.S. Marines and will leave for basic training in August. I wish them all well with their endeavors.

 Our church blessed each mother with a beautiful flower and pin. I love little surprises like that.

 A dear sweet friend of mine handed me a little package last night with these neat gifts in it. Thank you Ms. Clara

 It wouldn't be a complete weekend if I didn't have a bargain or two to show you. I got this neat little basket at Target Saturday in the $1.00 section. It's perfect for my desk for the little things like stamps, message pads, Post-It notes, etc.

 And of course a new little bucket, also from the $1.00 area at Target. I have a closet addiction for pencil holders. Don't ask me why, but I have to change them out periodically or I get bored with them. Most people won't even notice a pencil holder, but I do. It's got to be roomy because I also have an addiction for pens (pencils, markers, highlighters, I could go on and on)



Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Mom.

There will never be a song sung or a poem written that could convey the love Mom has for us. She is the epitome of Motherhood. Caring, giving, loving, nurturing. She is always there for us whenever we need her.

I would love to wax eloquently on all the wonderful things that make my Mom the best mom in the world, but there are just not enough words to describe all the wonderful things she has done for us and taught us over the years. I am blessed to have such a great mom. I know I speak for all four of her children when I say, WE LOVE YOU MOM. YOU ARE THE BEST!