Christmas Tree

Because we haven't been decorating enough Christmas trees recently we decided to decorate ours today. (This season all sorts of songs come into your head) Gabriel and Mya had a wonderful time helping. They could only reach a short distance without being lifted up so the bottom of the tree was heavily decorated (as seen in the picture below!). It was fun watching them get exciated about being able to hang the ornaments all by themselves. Enjoy...:)

Mama's Christmas cactus heavy with blooms...

Thanksgiving Trip

Thanksgiving was a very enjoyable holiday. However, it was a very short trip. We left at 7:15 am on Wednesday morning and was back home early Friday morning about 12:30 am. Wednesday a group of Dad's extended family visited the grave of their 3rd great grandfather. Aunt Missy was also brave enough to let us help put up her Christmas tree. Thursday all but one of Dad's siblings came for a bountiful dinner. Cousins Phillip, Curt and Andrew

Do I need a caption on this one?

Dad and his brother Mark. Can you tell?

Knitting Creation

Thanks to a still very patient and encouraging teacher here is the latest knitting project! I coudln't get mama to model hers with me so she took the pictures instead. Now that winter has arrived this hat will be handy dandy for the cold weather! Brrr shivers!!!

God's Grace

Monday after class I was heading to work, over Kent’s Ridge. Due to an early morning rain the roads were still wet. About the 3rd or 4th curve, I about ran off the road and I must have somewhat panicked. Therefore the rest of the incident is quite a blur I do remember going over into the left lane while my foot was heavily on the break and hitting the guard rail. During this time I remember thinking I am going to die, my foot is on the break and I am not stopping. Thus I slide into the guard rail and thankfully I stopped. (As mama said it was my guardian angel that held my car) What is so special about me that God allowed me to stop within (it seemed) like inches from the edge? As you all know I can not answer this question but I do KNOW that I am very thankful and blessed to have been able to continue driving my car and that I was not injured. After I started breathing again I pull over to see the damage done to my car. The way I hit it sounded like it tore up the entire left side. When I get out (quite shakily) I see that not only can I open my door but the front bumper was ‘slightly’ scratched. Before arriving at work I call the parents and tell them what had happened. Thus dad and mom came down to see the damage done to my car. Dad also noticed the damaged done to the back end that I had not even noticed. Amazingly the headlight was not damaged and the front bumper was still attached. So to end this post I would like to say:
I am very thankful the way God watches over His own! Thankful that there was not a car coming the other way! Thankful I am not in control of my life and that I do not know what tomorrow holds! I am VERY thankful in many ways I can not even express!Also I would like to thank my wonderful parents who not even once fussed at me but jokingly said we could salvage parts of the red car!

....in John Deere Green...

Songs are just bursting into my head right and left (be thankful you don't have to hear me sing them!). While visitng Chrisa in Georgia on our shopping trip there was a fabulous scrabooking store. I refrained from buying anything...well...ALMOST...:) I did purchse some John Deere stickers because I had a splendid idea of creating a John Deere picture. So....here is a picture of the picture (with Mama's assistance) I created. I asked dad if he would hang it up for me and Monday seems to be the day, so perhaps I shall have to take another picture when it is hanging on my wall.

...made for walkin'...

Friday Mama, Carrie, RA and I went shopping in Bristol. (the shops are exit 7 are nice, no more driving to Johnson City) The only thing I was really looking for was a pair of boots. (My favorite pair I have been wearing are 4 years old. The zipper was replaced once, but now they are looking a little worn) So, I found these on our very last stop. Perhaps I should come up with a name for them....

Fall Break

This past weekend I ventured to Georgia to visit with Chrisa (it was convienient that our fall breaks were the same time!) I drove the ENTIRE way by myself and did not get lost. However, here I was crusin along and I see a sign that 106 is closed ahead and local traffic only. I thought it would be down to one lane but BINGO I was wrong! All of a sudden the road came to a complete end with signs in the middle of the road(if the signs weren't clear enough there was dirt AND a excavator as well). Thankfully they had the detour well marked with signs and afer a 'few' phone calls I made it safely to Chrisa's. (And thanks to many prayers on my behalf!) We had quite the fun weekend (we did squeeze a wee shopping trip & also had lunch with Uncle States and Aunt Jane, among other various activities) because it zoomed quickly by!
I didn't actually take any pictures until the way home. The leaves were so gorgeous I stopped at an overlook and took a few pictures.

As I was driving along it brought to mind Noah, when God promised he would nevere flood the whole earth again. The creation is also marred by sin but the seasons still remain and the leaves continue to turn into beautiful fall colors. Genesis 8:22: "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, And day and night shall not cease."God is not only merciful and gracious to His children by forgiving, loving and taking us as His own but also giving us His beautiful creation to enjoy!

Finally!

The weekend of October 4th Clara, Ann, a good friend of Clara's from college, Gabe, Mya, Alena, Chrisa, Meg, Uncle Randy and Aunt Missy (Dad's youngest sister) all came for a visit! Chrisa and Meg performed their duo recital on the 5th.

After saying all of that, we did not take too many pictures since it was a pretty busy weekend. Uncle Randy took some of the kids and Chrisa and Meg lookin pretty in their dresses.

The house sure was quiet when they all left but it was a fun weekend! :)

Gabriel and Mya anxiously awaiting their birthday cake that Grandmama made for them

RA reclinin' at the table enjoying a candy bar.
Uncle Randy took pictures of Chrisa and Meg all dressed up. This was one of my faves:)

Long Time...

Someone was saying it has been a while since I had updated you blog viewers on my interesting musings...so here you go. :) Actually I am going to put some pictures up (later this weekend) but they are not available as I type this so ya'll will have to wait. So in the midst of waiting I hope ya'll are having a WONDERFUL day! :)

Spider Sac!

Here is the promised picture of the Garden Spider egg sac! This brings to mind Charlotte's Web. (Will Tempelton come and save them) If these baby spiders hatch we are going to have an abundance of garden spiders!

Pianos and Spider Sac

Chrisa and her roommate Megan perfromed their duo recital this past Friday. Dad and mama were there to hear them (and from what I heard there was quite the turn out!) but since none of her sisters were there to hear it she and Meg are coming in this weekend to perform it again.

In other news...mama trimmed up her crepe myrtle tree today and guess what she happend upon? A brown 'blob' that looked very much like something that had been left over from our friend the garden spider. So...once again I got on the internet and what did I happen upon but a picture that looked like the brown blob outside. However, it was dark when I finally looked it up so my anxious blog views will have to wait for a picture... :)

Cornered...

Happy Groundhog Day!! (Oh yes, that is in February isn't it?) Today Mama heard Peachy barking and this is what she found. A groundhog cornered and our 'vicious' dog was trying to get it. She did try to attack it a few times (a battle scar to show for it on her leg) but in the end the groundhog won and Mama let Peaches come into the safety of the back yard!

Education at Work?

Yes, I actually made this! (Haha...isn't that a funny joke, me knitting?) Mama and I are taking a knitting class through SVCC @ the Appalachain Art Center. This is the first 'project' that we knitted. Our patient teacher is calling it a 'face cloth'. (The next one is going to be a bag. If it looks like one it might be a small miracle!) A side note: Our friend the garden spider is at long last gone. Now we are going to be taken over by nasty flying bugs:)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad!! Wouldnt' you know the camera would be completley dead when needed? So I had the trusted back-up of my phone. (Is that tacky or what? haha!)
This is what it looks like, Dad uses his pocket knife to open presents.:)

Dad accidentally found out what one of his presents were, so in this picture he was putting on his I- knew-what-it is-excited-face...

Happy Happy Birthday Dad!!

In Other News...

This is going to be a very randomn post (are you surprised?). Actually I am procrastinating (ie...I NEED to go learn about cells and such) but not wanting to do that I am going to post some pictures. :) (Aren't I a good student? haha)

In car news...my car now has a new thermostat. It went dangerously close to the H (doesn't that mean HOT?) and then it started smelling. Upon arriving home Dad took it to the Dr. Thankfully it fixed that problem. NOW it is making a very loud noise (presumably coming out of the muffler) that sounds like a macho truck.

Tomorrow, the 8th, if it continues to be weather in the 90's it will break record for this time of year! The record is 16 days of sultry weather.

This is new decor that Mama purchased for 'my' bathroom. :) Isn't it pretty?

Another spider picture! As you can tell, I am a little fascinated by this spider. It is so fun to watch! And it quite pretty, even though it is a spider.

The Yates' (thank you so very much!) gave me this wonderful JD bag!! I was quite excited about it! "Nothing Runs like a Deere"

I Spy

Aren't you glad I have this blog to post all of my new things? Today, Mama, Carrie, RA and I went on a small (it was actually small) shopping trip. This new quilt for my bed is what we spied. :) (Is shopping a game of I Spy?) ANYWAYS...it really does add some spunk to my room and accents the window treatments very well!

Do you dream in green?

GUESS WHAT~! Here is something else John Deere! (Do you dream in green?) I found this John Deere hankie at a gas station and it called my name. (Despite the fact I didn't know what I was going to do with it) So when I told mama I would like another JD purse she had the idea to use the JD handkerchief. The finished product is a very cute and stylish JD purse!! (It even has two handy dandy pockets for my keys and cell phone) :) Thanks Mama!! :)

Garden Spider #2

Today, thanks for Dad's help with the camera!, we not only got a better shot of the spider (who as you can see from the picture is having another meal!) but also found out it is called a Yellow Garden Spider (thanks to Wikpedia!). For those of you who are tired or just plain grossed out with these pictures of the spider this will be my last post of it! (Unless it traps something REALLY amazing in it's web!) :

Spider and Prey

Today as I was walking outside I heard this flapping of wings noise and this is what I found. This spider has built a web in this crepe myrtle and had caught its supper. (Some type of beetle looking bug with big wings) The spider eventually entangled its prey and its wings stopped flapping. (If you trace the black bug up you can see the yellow and brown on the spider) :)

Some of you requested updated pictures of our 'pup'.Her hair is slowly but surely growing back. She is sporting a little bit of fuz. Perhaps we will have to buy her a sweater for winter from Old Navy. :)

More of God's Creatures

It seems that we have been blessed with an abundance of deer! (And why does our neighbor feed them? Not for the food) Mama took these pics the other day of these fawns grazing. They are very entertaining to watch play and leap about!