One word

last year I participated with my cousin Lily in 52 weeks of adventures. My very first adventure was called documented faith and it was a sort of scrapbook, daily calendar, faith, challenge. I loved seeing everyone take on it all and got through maybe four months of it but that was it. but in January I posted about it as my first adventure here and talked about my One word. for 2015 it was Hope!

Putting my Hope in the one who made me. I came across so may verses that brought me back to my one word:

Hebrews 6:19

Kimberly Geswein Fonts

Psalm 71:14

Source: Aimee Weaver Designs

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for hope and a future."

Psalm 119:114

"You are my hiding place and my shield, I hope in your word."

There were also a number of songs that I heard that spoke of hope. I always found comfort and love when hearing them.

This year my one word is prayer. I struggled with this one. it was popping up all over the place. from praying for a friend of the family that was struggling with cancer, to praying for friends that are missionaries and praying for a college friends family as she was in the last stages of cancer and passed away right before Christmas. Prayer was surrounding me.  I am not always a pray first kind of person even though I know that is how and what I should be. I mean shouldn't I be crying out or praising the One who made me?  I want really focus on how to pray and what to pray and praying for others and keeping a prayer journal.

Prayer is another big one and an out of my comfort zone a little because corporate prayer intimidates me. I know that I all prayer doesn't have to be out loud but sometimes it is good to pray out loud and want to and need to.  my introverted ways and my emotions get in the way of prayers. I can get emotional during my own personal prayers so the idea of crying while praying out loud is just a bit overwhelming.

over all I am just hoping to be better about praying, about meeting with my Father and Creator and building a better relationship with Him. One where I run to Him first and seek Him first.

Adventure 52

this year was the first year that my sister and brother in law were in their new house and it was her year to have Christmas at her house. it was a lot of fun being all together and eating some yummy food and watching the kids play.

one of little girls favorite things was to get a make over from Aunt LC.

I can't believe that this year of Adventures has come to an end. it was a blast playing along. I am so glad that I did. thanks Lily

Adventure 51

adventures is food

lots of food

delicious food

a food experience that i am so happy to have had and shared with such great friends

i wish that i had taken more pictures of the food that we had

it was all so wonderful and delicious

these sweet friends brought gifts (which they totally didn't have too) and wonderful conversation and laughs. they make life good and fun and full. 

thankful that they were all willing to celebrate my birthday dinner here. it was such a great time. adventures are everywhere and i am learning that and seeing that through out this year of adventures that i participated in with my cousin Lily

it has been a fun adventure just blogging about all of my adventures.

Adventure 50

on Saturday we participated in a sweet potato drop with the Society of St Andrew and lots of other people who came out to bag 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes

here is the first crate that we started on

we (the kids and I) have participated in veggie drops during VBS before but this was my Hubby's first time participating in a veggie drop and he just really enjoyed it

Golden boy was so sweet to help the little one.

Little girl and one of her friends working together to bag those sweet potatoes

this is just one section of crates that were loaded down with sweet potatoes

our first crate almost empty

we put the kids in to help grab those sweet potatoes off of the bottom and bag them

Little girl and one of her very best friends. she loves spending time with Jasper. she is my little social butterfly so she was very interested in talking and socializing with everyone there

the sweet potatoes went to many different families who are in need of food all over the norther part of our state. there were a number of organizations that came by and collected bags of potatoes to take to many families.

our very first empty crate

this was another whole section of of crates with more sweet potatoes in them

some of the boxes were completely lifted up and placed on flat bed trucks to be delivered to different places.

if we didn't have this organization to help bag these veggies then the farmers would just have dump these sweet potatoes in the forest to rot. it still blows my mind that we have starving people in America. i loved that my family could help participate in this and seeing that every single truck that came to get sweet potatoes was prayed over, for the families getting them, the hands that bagged them and the drivers and people who where delivering them, just made this experience even more special.

the kids even rounded up and prayed with the drivers after helping load their trucks with bags and bags of sweet potatoes.

this is Little girl holding the hand of an older gentleman that come to pick up some of the potatoes.

and here is Framer Mary Lynn and quite a few of the kids that were there participating in the veggie drop. it was so wonderful to all come together to help.

the Body of Christ, His Hand and Feet.

Adventure 49

first let me say that i can't believe that we are at week 49 of this year and right around the corner from ending the adventures of 2015

it has been so much fun participating in this with my cousin Lily and her friend Brenda 

second my computer at home has been having wifi issues so i can't upload a photo of that i wanted to post about, our group picture from our Sunday school Christmas party. hopefully i can get the computer working again and i can upload that picture right here but i will just say that it was a great time with some great and fun people. i am so glad that we got together and for to hang out with such wonderful friends.

third! another fun thing that has been going on is that our office was given a ginger bread house to decorate for a contest. we did #ahousedivided #an officeunited

i think it turned out so great. i work with a very creative staff and love the ladies so much. 

i mean, is it not the cutest thing you have ever seen. 

Here is the link to VOTE

click the link and then under the logo of the gingerbread house, click the vote tab and then find our house to vote on.
Please go vote for our house.

Adventure 48

Adventures in planning thanksgiving

Since Golden Boy was born we have never spent thanksgiving at our house. we are always traveling to my home town or to my parents lake house. this year my parents weren't going to be home or at the lake house so we decided to stay home. I wanted to have thanksgiving at home. my hubby asked me if i was going to cook a turkey, i thought that i would just get a boneless butter ball turkey and put it in the crock pot. Golden boy wanted to a turkey leg though so my sweet mother in law said she would handle the turkey and i said great, i will do all of the sides. it was fun. i started with my granny's home made macaroni and cheese. a few years ago i asked her for the recipe in her own handwriting. i love that i have this from her, even though i couldn't be with her at thanksgiving this year. i had the added fun of Little girl helping me out too.

we made other sides too, as well as set the table and had loads of dishes to clean. it was a fun day.

 i would have had a picture of the table with all of the food on it, (or at least some of it, all of the food wouldn't fit) but right as it we were making plates and sitting down to eat little girl spilled her whole glass of sparkling grape juice. it was mess. i am glad that we at least got this one before we started piling everything on. she is so me. apparently she i was little i spilled drink ALL-THE-TIME. she comes by it honestly, i guess. poor thing. it was a good day though.

Adventure 47

This past weekend my father in law hit a milestone birthday and we celebrated with in and out of town family. it was so much fun to have all the aunts and uncles and cousins from his side of the family come in to celebrate.

birthday boy and my mother inlaw, two sons and their families

oldest brother and his wife

the baby of the family and his wife and daughter (her hubby wasn't able to come)

the little sister and her husband, two children, her inlaws and a boyfriend

All of us together

all of us being silly

it was  a great weekend celebrating this silly and fun man!

Adventure 45

Adventures in freezer meal preparation.

A friend of mine hosted a freezer meal party at her house.

This was the second time that she did this and I decided to give it a try. it was so much fun. there was a ton of food and quite a few ladies there ready to stock their freezers with the yummy concoctions.

 

Lemon zest (always makes me feel like a fancy cook) ha

 

so much meat, oh my goodness there was so much meat.

 

supplies

here is the list of items that we made:

 



Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Ham, Potato and Broccoli Casserole

Butterflied Chicken with Thyme, Lemon and Garlic

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas

Chili Rellenos Casserole (not spicy)

Hot Roast Beef/Ham Sandwiches

Melt in your mouth Pot Roast

Finger Lickin’ Good Ribs

Italian Beef Sandwiches (making this one on Friday night)

 

It was such a great experience. so much fun too.