Month of Thankfulness: Day 7 & 8

So I have home sick the past two days... YUCK!  And that is why I am going to make this short ... (and also why I am behind a few days)

I don't get sick very often...so when I get sick it takes me out BIG TIME....
Yesterday I woke up and had a fever and was achey all over...

Which led me to the Health Food Store where I bought some medicine and placed myself on my couch for the past 48 hours....

My wonderful Husband brought me home Chicken Noodle Soup and I was only able to eat like 3 bites and then I went to bed at 5:30... WHO DOES THAT?  This girl does!

So I slept really good until 11:00....and then I slept off and on until 7 this morning.... that is a LOT of sleep!

but the good news ...I DO FEEL BETTER...... not awesome yet, but the fever is gone and that is  an improvement.

Which brings me to the point of all of this...

I am so thankful for getting sick on my days off so I could rest up without having to take off work!

And I am Thankful that I have an awesome husband that cleaned up the whole house last night while I was asleep!

Well now I am going to take a nap and maybe when I wake up this time I will be all better!

Month of Thankfulness: Day 3

So its day 3 of my November: Month of Thanks posts.... and if you haven't read the first two days you can do that here!

When I first started writing about what I was thankful yesterday and the day before... I was mainly going off of things that were very current on my mind... such as the Christmas commercial and the pictures from Ethiopia.

But this post is not exactly like that....

This post is dedicated to my Husband! Whom I love and Thank GOD for everyday!

David is probably the most encouraging person that I know and I couldn't be more thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with him!

One of my favorite things about Him is the way he leaves me notes around the house for me to find... or he will text my family or friends and encourage them in ways that are so simple yet so genuine!

look at this cute note he left me this morning!! LOVE HIM

I wish I was more like HIM... 

but I think that is why we are so perfect for each other.... he is Literally my other half and we are a perfect match...

When I am stressed he is my calm and reasoning voice... and brings me back to God's promises
when I am sad he is my comforter...
when I am happy he rejoices with me...

And he can be all of those things ... only because GOD is at the center of our lives.

And I am so happy that that's the case! 

I love that David lets me be crafty and is going to leg me put up my Christmas tree this week even though he things its still too early!

I love how he shares his faith with people at work and calls me out when I do something that is more selfish (and even though that kinda sucks in the moment) I know he is usually right and I am glad that he isn't afraid to help me become a more Godly gal.

I could go on and on....

But for now I just want you to know how thankful I am for my best friend & husband

I love you DAVID GENE!

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 1 & 2

***** So I have been trying to post this for 2 days now and have come to the conclusion that I must start completely over...well almost....the internet/my computer would not have anything to do with letting me post anything!!

I have been wanting to do a themed post... or a scheduled post... and I have been thinking a lot about what November represents and Thought that this would be a good time to start. So I am going to be posting something that I am thankful about every day in the Month of November..... Plus it helps me keep perspective of what the important things are as the Holiday Season approaches.

DAY 1:
November 1st happened to land on a Tuesday. Which is the day David and I go over to my parents house in the evening to watch the Biggest Loser! I think its my favorite show because its so Motivating.

This is a picture of my sister (Arianna), Anna and me if front of our churches
Christmas tree a few years back!!

First of all it reminds me of what happens when you no longer care about yourself and let your weight get out of control.. so I am motivated to stay healthy so I don't get to the point where I am so big I no longer remember how I got that way...

And 2... I love the way it is so inspiring! These people are truly changing their lives and doing the hard work that is necessary to make a difference!

Well enough about that...(this is not a post about the Biggest Loser!) its about what I am thankful for....I guess I could say I am thankful for that but What I really want to write about is a commercial I saw during that show!... or more like commercials.

It was the beginning of CHRISTMAS commercials! I know that is crazy to most of you but I got so excited and lit up inside because its that time of year!

Don't Judge!!

I just love Christmas....and I like to start early because as it gets closer, the more busy and stressful the season seems to get! And I want to be able to enjoy every second of it!  SO.. I am excited to announce that I will be putting up my Christmas tree this week!! Probably on Friday after I get off work....

******** Yesterday when I was trying to post this the first time.... David looked over my shoulder and say..."What is going up this week????" HAHA... What can I say... I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

So I guess, to tie it all back in.. I am thankful that I get to start enjoying the Christmas Season.... The season of Generosity..and remember that its all about CHRIST and how HE came into this world with a purpose...to save the lost!

AND THAT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE!

DAY 2:

Now on to the second day of Thankfulness!

I have been looking through my pictures from my Trip to Ethiopia last October and God has been filling up my heart with Love for these kids all over again!  I have also been looking at my friend Larissa's pictures because she and her husband just got back from there this last weekend!

A group from our church got to go back in October and help build up a church in Ambo, Ethiiopia and hold a Vacation Bible School for the kids many of us sponsor at NEW HOPE Orphanage. And orrigionally I was really frustrated that I wasn't able to go back.... that my timing and God's timing wern't the same!....

Uggh...I know that there is a reason for everything but sometimes its really tough being on the "human" time-line and time perspective!

I kept thinking... doesn't God know how much I want to be there?.... well of course he does! He is GOD! So eventually I came to the conclusion that there must be a reason that I had to stay here this year.

So I started focusing on that... and thinking that At least someone is going back.. And the children will still be loved on and hugged a million times!!!  I am so glad and thankful that even though I wasn't the one who got to go back... they did. And the kids there were able to be loved on and, God willing, I will get to go back next year. 

I am thankful that I get the opportunity to sponsor precious Arague and shower her with prayers and letters! And I am thankful that this world isn't about me...

Even though I act like it is sometimes and get caught up in things that have no value.... But this life is about a bigger story.. and I am glad that I get to be a small....very small...Part of what God is doing!


So those are the things that have been on my mind and heart as of late and I am so thankful that God has allowed me to LOVE Christmas so much... and also given  me a heart for Ethiopia...

Sorry for the delay in the post... technical difficulties..

Stay tuned for more Thankfulness!!

Pumpkin Patch!

SO I have been super busy this week between working, baby-sitting, and the craziness of life! I have had a great week and a lot of it has to do with my wonderful husband!

On Saturday I had to work my usual shift at the coffee shop and David decided that he would take me out on a date day!.. I LOVE HIM!... I was giddy all morning waiting for the the date to begin!

I made us some coffees and we hit the road... David decided to take me do Red Lodge. For those of you reading who are not familiar with the town.... its a little ski town about an hour out of Billings! IT is really cute and has lots of great shops to look at. I always look forward to our road trips. I think it has something to do with the extended amount of time with my wonderful husband!  We had an amazing hour of uninterrupted time to talk.... Can you guess that one of my lovely languages is "quality time"?  It was a chilly day so I got to sport my black and" p-coat"and boots!

When we got into town we had lunch at Bogarts. Its a cute little restaurant on the main street that is based on the famous actor..Humphrey Bogart.    And while we were waiting on our food we decided to Google Mrs. Bogart and found out some really fun facts about his life! David and I are always wanting to learn new things... We also had a differeance of opinion about what the first Disney Movie ever maid was.... I thought it was BAMBI... I was wrong(I hate having to admit that) and Dave was right..The first Disney film to be produced was Snow White in 1937!

When I was growing up my sister, Arianna, when to that movie in the theater! It had to be one of the times the re-did haha! But my memeory of seeing this movie then was looking over and seeing my sister with Wide Eyes, standing up watching the preview for the" Hocus Pocus" (trailer I couldn't find the same one but her is one anyway) and during one part ... The Red Head Witch gets really big on the screen and says that" BOOK" Thats when my sister (age 2 1/2 or 3) looks really close at the screen and then is so scarred! haha.... looking back now its really a funny memory. And I wish we had a picture of that moment! but we don't...

Anyway... Back to our Date (can anyone say bunny trail?)

After lunch we walked up and down the streets going into the little shops... we went in to the Swanky Fork and I love the color of the stores walls.... They are like a deep blue..almost navy blue but not quite. I hope to paint one of my kitchen walls that color!! If I do I will be sure to post that process!

If you asked us what we did in Red Lodge our answer would have to be..."check out all of the stores bathrooms" hahaha between both of us I am pretty sure we saw most of the public bathrooms there! haha we must have had too much coffee and water..

When we heading home we got in the car and did a U-turn from our parking spot to go the other direction.... Ops! And that U-turn happend to be illegal and a office was there to watch the whole thing... So we had to sit and wait.. but the officer was really understading because we really didn't know it was illegal. And we only got a warning! Thank you Jesus! .... David made a comment about how its fun when you get warrnings because you can talk about it but not feel so upset because of the ticket.. I am not sure if I totally understand that but I do know I was much happier knowing we were only getting a warning!

On our way home we decided to stop at the Laurel Pumpkin Patch!  And I would have to say I had so much fun!  We ran out in the pumpkin patch and looked for the perfect pumpkin to bring home with us!  Here are some pictures of our fun Day!

haha the pinecone on the window looks like its part of my hair!

I love this bench!

We liked how this door was painted!

Look at this one

Look at this little guy!

I can't find the perfect one yet

These ones are cute

 We found our pumpkins and are now all set for our Pumpkin-Mainia on Friday!! Hope everyone had a great week! Please keep praying for our friends in Ethiopia and stay up to date with what they are doing here

Frustrations

When I opened up my Bible today it opened right to Psalm 106....and it was perfect for calming my frustrations with everything right now... Its kinda long.. but I am going to share it with you anyway,

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[a]

   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   his love endures forever.

 ² Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
   or fully declare his praise?
³ Blessed are those who act justly,
   who always do what is right.

 ⁴ Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
   come to my aid when you save them,
⁵ that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
   that I may share in the joy of your nation
   and join your inheritance in giving praise.

 ⁶ We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
   we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
⁷ When our ancestors were in Egypt,
   they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
   and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.^[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
   to make his mighty power known.
⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
   he led them through the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of the foe;
   from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries;
   not one of them survived.
¹² Then they believed his promises
   and sang his praise.

 ¹³ But they soon forgot what he had done
   and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
¹⁴ In the desert they gave in to their craving;
   in the wilderness they put God to the test.
¹⁵ So he gave them what they asked for,
   but sent a wasting disease among them.

 ¹⁶ In the camp they grew envious of Moses
   and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
¹⁷ The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
   it buried the company of Abiram.
¹⁸ Fire blazed among their followers;
   a flame consumed the wicked.
¹⁹ At Horeb they made a calf
   and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
²⁰ They exchanged their glorious God
   for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
²¹ They forgot the God who saved them,
   who had done great things in Egypt,
²² miracles in the land of Ham
   and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
²³ So he said he would destroy them—
   had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
   to keep his wrath from destroying them.

 ²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land;
   they did not believe his promise.
²⁵ They grumbled in their tents
   and did not obey the LORD.
²⁶ So he swore to them with uplifted hand
   that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
²⁷ make their descendants fall among the nations
   and scatter them throughout the lands.

 ²⁸ They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
   and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
²⁹ they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
   and a plague broke out among them.
³⁰ But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
   and the plague was checked.
³¹ This was credited to him as righteousness
   for endless generations to come.
³² By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
   and trouble came to Moses because of them;
³³ for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
   and rash words came from Moses’ lips.^[c]

 ³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples
   as the LORD had commanded them,
³⁵ but they mingled with the nations
   and adopted their customs.
³⁶ They worshiped their idols,
   which became a snare to them.
³⁷ They sacrificed their sons
   and their daughters to false gods.
³⁸ They shed innocent blood,
   the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
   and the land was desecrated by their blood.
³⁹ They defiled themselves by what they did;
   by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

 ⁴⁰ Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
   and abhorred his inheritance.
⁴¹ He gave them into the hands of the nations,
   and their foes ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies oppressed them
   and subjected them to their power.
⁴³ Many times he delivered them,
   but they were bent on rebellion
   and they wasted away in their sin.
⁴⁴ Yet he took note of their distress
   when he heard their cry;
⁴⁵ for their sake he remembered his covenant
   and out of his great love he relented.
⁴⁶ He caused all who held them captive
   to show them mercy.

 ⁴⁷ Save us, LORD our God,
   and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
   and glory in your praise.

 ⁴⁸ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.

   Let all the people say, “Amen!”

   Praise the LORD.

If you remember from my last post I was struggling with our "roommates" because they were smoking inside of the house.... well we had talked to our landlord about it and it seemed to improve but that only lasted a few days... and then there was smoke again!!! YUCK.... I so want to be able to come home and get away from everything that I am allergic to... but that isn't happening right now...

Anyway... back to God's word... I felt so refreshed after another really long night awake... due to our upstairs roomies.... they were fighting and smoking... and I WASN'T sleeping...

"Praise the Lord... Give Thanks to the LORD..."  Well thats what I did last night while I was laying in bed awake... I prayed for the couple/family upstairs that obviously not doing well... and I prayed that their kids would some how have energy so they could do well in school today... and that whatever was going on would stop so the house could be at rest.

I also prayed lots... Thanking God that I have a WONDERFUL husband who Love the Lord... He loves me.. and treats me with respect... And That I didn't have to grow up in a family that functioned in chaos like the family up stairs was...

In Psalm 106... God's people begin with praises to him... then they turn away from his love and truth and life gets really tough for them... But when it became too much... God heard their cries and took note of their distress... and for the people's sake... HE remembered his covenant and out of his Great love he Relented...and it ends with God's people praising him once again.

I am just thinking about how... even out of their suffering... God knew that with out their trials they would never fully understand who God is and what life is all about.... Bringing Praise and Glory to GOD....

I might be all over the place... and making sense to only me.. but I am SO SO SO Thankful that God hears our cries and he creates a way for us to praise him no matter what.

I am frustrated with my living conditions...

I am frustrated that I am allergic to EVERYTHING...

I hate that I fell like a "tattle-tell" every time we talk to our landlord...

I hate that because the people up stairs are breaking the rules, we might have to look for a new place to live....

BUT....

I know that God has a plan... and it will all work out in some way or another...

SO..

I will keep on Praising... keep on Singing...and Keep on LIVING For my LORD JESUS CHRIST

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend David, myself and a bunch of others...went up to Luther, MT and camped... well we stayed in a cabin.. so it was a lot less of a hassle than camping... but probably just as fun!  We hung out and just had a really great time. I think the fact that there was no agenda is what made this weekend so great. There was no plan that we had to follow.. we could just be!

Kevin brought up his bow & arrows and David found out that he really enjoyed shooting. He said it was something about how ancient the sport was.... that it used to be the means to get food.... and that there is something really calming to the art of shooting. All of the guys became boys again.. Shooting and destroying things! 

 

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH

I have been reading The Hunger Games Series to David and we are now in the 3rd book. The story is about a girl.. Katniss Everdeen and her story of rebellion against the Capitol and her survival of everything thrown her way. I won't tell you the whole story because I believe everyone should read it! Seriously.. its pretty good.  But David has really enjoyed me reading to him... And I think he is really getting in to the story.

Look at how he poses with the Bow & arrows! He is my own Gale Hawthorne!!! And I loved watching him enjoy shooting so much! 

Leslie with her fort!

Leslie & Kevin have been working on making a lean-to fort across the creek.... So we hiked up to see it and looks pretty sweet.... if I ever needed shelter and came across their lean-to I would be happy!

Kevin, Cody & Garret playing Stratigeo

David with his "kill"

We roasted Giant Marshmallows!

.... "Hey Darci, Let me throw you into the fire..."

Our Beautiful Fire

On the second day we were there we woke up and decided to hike up to the top of the hill/mountain behind the cabin.  It wasn't too long of a hike.. but most of the time it was straight up.. up... up! So I didn't many pictures of that process because my hands were busy trying to keep me on the mountain haha.  David & Cody were every so sweet to slow up and take their time so Molli and I didn't have to go it alone.  We eventually did catch up to the rest of the crew and had a blast throwing rocks of the side of the cliff.. throwing paint balls at each other.. and other random moments. We sang songs and I laughed a lot!

Hiking up to the top of the hill

Beautiful Molli

She was my hiking buddy!

Leslie & Kevin

Leslie & ME

So the paintball gun ran out of CO2 so the girls... (Leslie & Jenine) wanted the boys to throw the paintballs at them! CRAZY but it was a lot of fun. Cody kept saying "This feels so wrong" as Leslie said..."You guys throw like girls"! hahaha

They have welts to prove it... they are kinda hard to see but they are there.

Then Kevin & David started throwing paint-balls at each other... and right when Dave put his head down... He got hit right on the head..

It was reallly good he put his head down or he would have got it right in his eye!

THE HIKING CREW.. Ryan, Cody, Kevin, Molli, Leslie, Janine.. and David & I

After we all came back down from the mountain David wanted to go swimming in the creek. So he ran in and changed.... and I took a shower so I missed all of this fun... but thankfully someone took pictures!! Probably Molli and Kevin.... Thanks!

Dave did nature YOGA...Check it out

Not sure if this is considered a Yoga pose?

The Tree

Then He & Molli got in a water fight... I Guess it was epic

Making it more of a challenge

Cody looking like a true hunter.... with his kill (a decoy Duck)

 Every evening there we all gathered in the living room and had a "Jam" Session. Kevin & Garret played their guitar's... Cody played the jimbe (not sure how to spell that) and the rest of us grabbed anything and created our own instruments.  My favorite was the "Rock and Cup"  or the "wooden spoon & Globe" it was so much fun making music together!  

Which caused us to discover that Cody loves Disney almost as much as I do.... we broke into songs from our favorite movies and quoted our favorite characters.... I loved finding a new friend in Cody. Who would have thought anyone would love Disney like David & I do! SO FUN.

 We probably did a lot more but I can't think of anymore to write.... But I do know I will remember this trip forever......I loved everything about this trip.  We made some awesome new friends!! AND I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend this weekend with my wonderful husband.... and being like a kid again