Monday, October 12, 2009

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like

Halloween!



Ok, so it might not really look a lot like Halloween around here, but I'm beginning to feel the time crunch!  So much to do, such excitement to share!!  I FINALLY got the 3rd Annual Halloween Party Invites created and posted the "event" to facebook and gave the kids each their own 25 invites to hand out to their friends and classmates, our costumes have been ordered and the first few goodies and prizes have been bought!  Whew!  AND one of the biggest hurdles has just about been topped- THE MUSTANG!!!  It's 99% done and will be making it's exit and debut trip home THIS weekend!!  (No offense to the Magneson's, but we're ready to bid it adieu! ~ As I'm sure you're ready to welcome it home!!)  So then, on to yard work... and tree cutting, and clearing and raking and more yard work...  Nothing T can't handle in a day... or two!?  But it's soooo worth it!  In the past 2 years, we've had incredible weather and turn outs and somehow we manage to throw it all together when we're never really sure how it'll be done!  50+ kids plus all of their parents and friends, a pot luck, crafts and games, a costume contest and S'MORES!  What could be better?!  LOL!

What could be better?!

How about a NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS WEDDING?!

ON HALLOWEEN!!!!

Nick and Jessica are getting married!  We're all very excited for this wedding!  Of course, many of us are shipping the little ones off for the night, for a night of adult entertainment, dining and dancing and Haunted Housing right across the street at The Edge of HELL!!!  How very cool is that?!

But that's not the only reason we're shipping off the kids....  I'm in charge of making the wedding cake!!  I've never made a wedding cake before in my life!!  So, I've become OBSESSED with the Ultimate Cake Off and Ace of Cakes, I've taken cake decorating and fondant classes and I'm still having nightmares and stressing out just a little bit about this!!  And I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about my cake topper?!  I've researched them and ordered one- STILL WAITING- apparently I missed the "being shipped from China" part... the SLOW boat from China?!  Time permitting and talent pending, what I'd really like to do, is make Jack & Sally (aka: the bride and groom) out of gum paste....  one can dream....

So, other than flavors and stacking and cooling and frosting and the ultimate "how to's," here are some of my inspirations:   (shhhh, don't tell, I have the ultimate say, so whatever happens, it will be a surprise!!)







Wish me luck... 



Monday, October 05, 2009

God Sightings



Last spring at church, we started preparing the kids for VBS and one of the discussions we would be having with them then....  God Sightings.  Ever since then, it's been something we discuss and we share the different ways we've seen or experienced God in our own lives each week.  The kids always have some amazing answers- sometimes they're just fun and sometimes they've really put a lot of thought into it, but each week they share something.  Some examples include the experience they have in church, or in witnessing a rainbow, the fight they overcame and avoided with a sibling, or the baby puppy they recently adopted, the green grass, the dinner they had together with their family, the changing colors of the leaves....  This week, we had one great story from my helper and her daughter who talked about her Aunt's house that burned and the two strangers who came to her house and alerted her to the fire, how the next day when they came back to sift through the remains, her two kitties who could not be found, were.... and how the ONE wall that remained that did not burn had one thing on it still remaining, a crucifix.  A definite God Sighting- one that lasted, one that stayed to remind the firefighters and the Aunt how God was there, God was watching and looking over them, keeping them safe and sending his love in strangers to get her out and keep her safe. 

God's love is always near.  I witnessed my own, personal God Sightings this week- once last week when I was making a quick stop to pick up some medicine for Anthony, before getting on the highway and traveling across town.  Just before I got out of my car, I had to get that one last drink of my sweet tea in the car- unfortunately it went down my wind pipe instead and boy did I choke... I think I had a coughing fit in the parking lot for at least 10 minutes- I was so embarrassed, but fortunate to have been alone.  Finally, I cleared my throat and went in. After leaving the store and getting on the highway, I immediately encountered bumper to bumper traffic sitting at a complete standstill!  Not more than 5 miles ahead was a horrible accident- I sat there for no less than 30 minutes- watching the emergency crews come and go, the tow trucks came....  it was heart wrenching as I drove past... silly how one little coughing fit could set you back just long enough to avoid such a big thing.  I never really thought much of it though- then yesterday, among my list of 101 things to do, I was passing the car wash and thought- what the heck, my car's dirty, it's a nice day...  I almost never wash my car...and I know I really didn't have the extra 5 minutes to squeeze it into my already overbooked schedule- but I did... then later as we were turning in to go to my office, another bad accident had just occurred.  Just long ago enough that everybody had gotten out of their cars and moved to the curb- but still recent enough that no body else was yet on the scene.  Too close for comfort!  Was it kismet?  Maybe.  I'm just glad to know that my own Guardian Angel is always watching over me! 
And that God is there too! 

Watching. 
Waiting. 
Listening. 
Healing. 
Helping. 
Holding. 
Loving. 
Knowing. 
There.