Friday, December 4, 2009

Coffee Talk 12.04.09

Good Morning, Company Girls! This is the first time I have blogged, other than a contest post, in two weeks! I have been missing it like crazy! However, life gets in the way, sometimes! I have had so many posts in mind for recent days, but as each day has closed around midnight...I just have lost the inspiration to sit and type and have gone to bed instead. I could probably have weeks worth of posts, but truly...I think I'll just type up a quick recap and try to get back on track next week!
Two weeks ago we left the plains of West Tennesse for the rolling hills of West Virginia. We spent two pretty leisurely days driving (as leisurely as driving can be with four adults and four children, because Tigerfan's parents went with us). We stopped several times to shop and see sights. Our first stop was about 2 hours into the trip when we fled into Target to replace the pacifiers I had left at home. This was ESSENTIAL because 1 toddler plus 4 adults and three other children in a car for over 10 hours provides a NEED for a stopper!
After arriving at Tigerfan's Aunt's house she BLESSED him with a big hot pot of gumbo..the way to his Louisiana heart! The next day the boys went to the pro-football Hall of Fame, which they loved while the girls and Tigercub shopped. In a very small mall. For a very long time. And then...on Tuesday...we went to Amish country. Oh. my. soul. I am telling you, I KNOW God doesn't make mistakes...but my heart is in Amish country. To drive down the road behind a horse and buggy, or look out a window and see the "buggy parking" sign, or to go to the cheese factory and bakery and sample all the Amish made goods. I pleaded with Tigerfan to buy me a house there...but he said no. I begged Baseball boy to buy me a chicken, he said he would if I would buy him a horse and buggy. We are home. No chicken. No horse and buggy. Sigh!
We returned to Tigerfan's aunt's for a delicious Thanksgiving meal complete with fried turkey and rice dressing. Mmmmmmm! And then after a bitter black Friday attempt at getting a good price on a Christmas present for Football boy, we began the return trip. With Tigerfan fussing the WHOLE way about what America was coming to when you have to get up at 3:00 in the morning just to get in line to HOPE to get a good price on an item...I try not to bring it up too often, he is still tender!
Anyway, this week has been filled with laundry, school and getting back into routine. The house is mostly decorated for Christmas, although the outside wreaths are yet to be hung. Like everyone, the next few weeks are FILLED with activities we must choose between and I am trying like crazy to make sure that Jesus doesn't get lost in the midst of it all.
As for Small Things, I did GREAT in November. I completed EVERY task until the last day when we were out of town and I didn't have a printer. I was so proud of myself! And then...I FORGOT to turn in my points! Can you believe that? But, I am off to a good start this month! I am back on track with my exercising and spent 15 glorious minutes sitting with Tigercub reading yesterday...and soon I will be cleaning my kitchen counters off for today's points!
I have missed everyone greatly and can't wait to hop around and see how everyone is doing. I am leaving you with a few pics of the house all decorated up. Last year I participated in one of the little bloggy Christmas tours, so if you did that...these will look familiar, they are the same ones...but, you see, I do not have a decorating bone in my body, so once we figure out how to do what we like, it stays like that forever (or until Tigerfan changes it), so my house looks the same this year!
Have a blessed weekend!







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9 comments:

No Longer 25 said...

Wow you have been busy! Sounds like you had some fun though too. I visited West Viginia in 2002 and it really was a beautiful place - one of my favourite in the US so far.

Your house is looking great - very well prepared for Christmas already. We are getting there too, it's so much fun to look at all the decorations and the memories they remind us of.
Jade

CindyC said...

You have had a full week! Thanks for inviting us in again. :) Welcome back home.

I really like your Christmas decorations; they look so cozy and classic. I am with you when it comes to decorating creativity - I don't really have it, so I stick with how things are. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful trip. We live very far from anything that would be considered Amish country, so that would definitely be an interesting adventure for us if we ever went thata way.

Love the Christmas decor. We don't even have a tree or anything of the sort. Our decorations consists of Christmas cards that we receive, old ornaments I got from work's holiday party, and Melody's winter crafts. =p

Keep it up with the Small Things!! And I hope you remember to turn in your points this month. I was good all the way until Thanksgiving last month. Oh well.

secondofwett said...

I love seeing all your Christmas decorations....I have to do that yet...we get our tree this wknd!

Kim said...

I love the Amish. I always think I could live there and be Amish and then I think about technology. I like the simple life idea.

Sounds like you have had a busy week.
Your house looks great by the way.
Blessings!

Unknown said...

Hello! What a coincidence...we stepped away from blogging for about the same amount of time. Sounds like you were busy. I've never been to West Virginia but would love to travel through there some day. We have an Amish community about an hour away and during tourist season especially we see their stands set up with baskets and other things they are selling. We'll also see a horse and buggy on the roads from time to time. I love the idea of that level of simplicity as well, but don't know what I would really think if I was living it.
Thanks for showing us your Christmas decorations too. Very nice. I really like those tall glass canisters with candy.
Enjoy your weekend!

Shawna Atteberry said...

It sounds like you had a great trip. I love the lamp next to your Christmas tree! It's gorgeous.

mholgate said...

First let me say that I love the festive look of your blog! I need to create a new header for mine.

I also love your decorations. I am a woman of simplicity, myself. So our Christmas decorations stay simple. I have a snow globe collection that I bring out each year. Other than that, we have a tree, an advent calendar, lights around our window, and stockings hung by the fire. I might put out a few candles here and there today, but that's it.

I love your hutch! It is beautiful and I hope I have one similar to it one day. :)

Have a great week!
-Melissa

Anonymous said...

I love your decorations! Love your blog decorations too! Those are some great looking ornaments at the top!
I loooooove decorating for Christmas! It's a form of worship for me I've realized. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the whole idea of Jesus entering this world to save us, to save me of all people that I decorate and cry...cry and decorate.

Your trip to VA. sounds wonderful! So happy you had a great time. And can I just tell you I've had a fascination with the Amish my whole life. My mom is from Lancaster County. I grew up going there to visit my grandmothers 10 siblings. There are only 3 sisters left. I used to sit in the front yard of my great Aunt's house with a bonnet on waiting for a horse and buggy to come along. Uh, that was when I was a kid not last week :) Have you ever read any of Beverly Lewis's books? Her stories all take place among the Amish. She does extensive research which makes everything very accurate. Great books!

Have a blessed week!
~LydiaCate