Just another thought

Claude made the comment yesterday how you could tell which houses had children living in them because the snow in the yards were all trampled and played in.

Funny thing is...our yard was the worst one on our block!

"Stolen pictures"!

I've taken some more pictures of my snow girl, but my husband STOLE them from me and blogged about her first!

Anyway, here's my beautiful girl!  I'm gonna take more pics of her today as she "melts away" into nothing.  I'm hoping she lasts long enough for my parents to see her!  They should be here in a couple hours!!!

On a funny note, my cat, Munchkin, who is ALWAYS trying to get outside, didn't really like being outside yesterday!!!  It was hilarious to watch him walk thru the snow!  He was definitely glad to be back in his warm cozy house after that excursion!!!

"Oh, What A Beautiful Morning...!"

Sun is shining, snow is glistening on everything!  It's so beautiful!  I really wish my parents could've seen it!  

I'm not sure what Jack-Jack was doing!  My guess is that he found one of the piles of poop under the snow!  

It's a beautiful thing

Now, for all my friends who are used to the snow or even hate it (MA friends!!!), please understand that to a Florida girl, this is one of the most beautiful things I'll ever see in my life!

This picture was taken yesterday around 2PM from my driveway!

It was so much fun watching Claude throw snowballs and then watching Jack-Jack try to "bring it back"!  He's great at playing fetch, but not when the ball disappears!!!!

SNOW!

Pictures at 8AM when I let my dogs out:

Just a light dusting!

Pictures at 10AM when I went back out:

Even the dog poop couldn't be seen because of the snow!!!

The plants almost disappear!!

I got a kick out of the back of the truck!!!

The forecast says snow until around 4pm then it should lighten up or stop.  I don't want it to stop!  I like it!!!!!  You know why!?!  Because I am a true Floridian and this is what our winters are like:

I love Florida.  It will always be my heart's home!  But, I love NC!  It's my adopted home!

I'm so glad that I'm here!  I wish my parents and my nephews & nieces could see the snow and enjoy it.  Oh well, the best I can do is take alot of pictures!!!!

Tomorrow is going to be AWESOME!!!

The weather forecast for Greenville, NC tomorrow is as follows:

TONIGHT - Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening - then snow likely after midnight. Little or no snow accumulation. Lows in the upper 20s. Light and variable winds - becoming north around 10 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 70 percent.

TUESDAY - Snow. Snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches. Brisk and cooler. Near steady temperature in the lower 30s. North winds around 10 mph - increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of snow 90 percent.

TUESDAY NIGHT - Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening - then a slight chance of snow after midnight. Little or no additional snow accumulation. Cold with lows around 19. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

For my parents' benefit (since they are TRUE Floridians and will be heading up here at the end of the week!!!):
FRIDAY - Mostly sunny. Highs around 60.

FRIDAY NIGHT - Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s.

SATURDAY - Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.

SATURDAY NIGHT - Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.

SUNDAY - Partly sunny. Highs around 50.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SNOW!!!!!!!!

(says the Floridian who loves the cold weather!!!!)

We've got to be crazy!!!

This was the temperature at 12:30am in Winterville, NC! (18 degrees!!!)

So, why, you ask, does it matter what the temperature was so early in the morning?!?  You were probably snuggled all cozy in your bed with blankets all over you!  Right?!?

WRONG!

Claude and the guys decided to make a run to IHOP!

So, we loaded up as many as we could carry in our minivan, and we had a wonderful father of one of the guys, Tom Hansen, come over (at 12:45am) to carry the remaining crew to breakfast!

Most of the guys ordered chocolate milk and "all you can eat" pancakes.

These guys can eat ALOT of pancakes!

I believe Kevin holds the record at 11 pancakes!

All in all, I think they had a great time!  We got back to the house at 2AM and they started playing their video games again.  Claude & I went to bed.

We woke up @ 8AM and Claude went to check on them.  Apparently, the majority of them didn't go to bed until around 6AM.

OH! TO BE YOUNG AGAIN!!!!!

Guys "sleepover"?????

I have a feeling that these guys are NOT going to sleep!!!

BOYS EVERYWHERE!!!

OK... so I get home from the party and find oodles of boys all over the house!  

They are upstairs, they are downstairs, they are outside, they are everywhere!  The only "safe" place is my bedroom!!!

Pictures to come!

Whaz Up!

I'm getting ready to go to a Home & Garden Party hosted by a great lady in our church!  Check out her blog!

Claude's out to Food Lion getting "supplies" for the guys' sleepover tonight!  I am glad that I will be gone for awhile - give them a chance to settle in before I'm here!!!

Pray for Claude.  He's getting sick.  He's taking medicine to try and nip it in the bud.  Just pray that it goes away quickly (& that I don't catch it!!!).

I got a chance to talk with someone who's going thru some of the same stuff I deal with on the infertility issue.  It's amazing how God moves.  I needed to know that I was not the only one going thru those feelings and thoughts, and this lady needed someone to listen and REALLY UNDERSTAND how she felt.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a small help to her!

That's all for now!

Keeping in step!

Galatians 5:25

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

It sounds like Paul is describing a dancer and the perfect partner.  The dancer must learn to follow the beat of the music and keep in step with it.

Sometimes, it's difficult to be led by the Spirit and "hold our tongue"!  It can be difficult to avoid popularity and, instead, repeat that juicy piece of gossip we heard.  It's difficult when the Spirit leads us to be humble and move to say "I'm sorry".  It's difficult to step with the Spirit and release the resentment we feel when we think we've been wronged or unappreciated.  

I can say all of these things with certainty because every one of them I've done (or many times, failed to do).  

Everyday, I should be asking myself "Who am I being led by?"  Am I being led by myself, with my emotions, pride, and fear?  Or, am I being led by the Holy Spirit?

Just something to think about. 

The future generation?!?

Sunday after church, the youthgroup went to the mall for our monthly lunch together.  Afterwards, some of the girls decided to walk the mall.  This is the result of 4 girls and their innocent, silly nature!!!

on a side note...

What a relaxing place to be... on the couch, curled up reading, with my little Jack-Jack laying here beside me!

Paul's commitment

So, after the last blog, I am feeling better because I've been able to "get things off my chest".  I also had great people encourage me and let me know that they are there for me to pray and talk if I need to!  

This morning, I got up and got some coffee, fed the animals, and sat down for my quiet time.  I picked up my Bible and opened it to the place I left off Saturday... 2 Corinthians 12.  So, I am reading Paul's letter and I am amused that the verses I read this morning are the exact verses that I thought about last nite!  Paul "boasting" about his flaws.  Now, I am in NO WAY boasting about my flaws.  I just thought to myself, how divinely timed this was!  

It is against my nature to truly pour my heart out (like the last blog!).  It makes me feel so vulnerable and weak.  I then read Paul referring to his challenge and how he will "boast all the more gladly" about his weakness so that God's power can rest on him.  THIS is my desire.  I want to reach the point of giving in to my own nature and allow my weaknesses to be evident so that Christ can be made powerful in them.  OH MY WORD this is hard for me.  I HATE being weak.  Perhaps this will be my resolution (although I don't make resolutions!!!) for '09.  To become weak (and not be scared of being weak) so that Jesus can become stronger in my life.  

A heartfelt blog

Please forgive me for the length of time between the last blog and this one.  I can honestly say that my  heart hasn't been in it.  The following blog is going to be straight from my heart so please bear with me while I bare my heart to you.

I had a talk with my Mom Friday night and really cried my heart out to her.  I miss her.  I miss my friend, Cindy.  (I've come to realize that being a pastor's wife puts me in a fishbowl for others to watch me.  So, when I need to cry, I'm overly concerned about WHO I can cry to.)  My Mom reminded me that I can always cry to the Lord.  Well, honestly, I know that in my head, but truthfully, my heart didn't see the point.  He knows my heart and I didn't feel like it would do any good to cry to Him over the SAME THINGS that I've been crying out to Him for for years.  I know ALL the "sunday school" answers to these problems.  I feel like Paul when he asked God to remove the thorn in his flesh.  

So, here goes with crying my heart out...

We have ALOT of ladies in our church who are pregnant.  Now, being a "young" church, this is to be expected (no pun intended).  It's still a hard thing for me to be around so many ladies who are having babies when I know that it's not God's plan for me.  I know that there is a purpose for everything that happens.  I know that I'm blessed with a wonderful husband and we have a very special relationship.  I know that I have alot of "kids" at church.  All that being said, I still feel like I've missed something in my life.  I can't explain it and it probably doesn't make sense to folks if they haven't been in that place too.  Even now, typing this, the weight in my chest is heavy.  I want to be happy for those ladies who have been blessed, but I can't seem to.  I want to be excited for those women, but all I feel is hurt and left out.  

Claude says that I should find true joy in the blessing that God has given to these women.  I want to.  But, just when I think that I've found it, (or at least found a way to deal with it), the happiness is overshadowed by my hurt and longing.  

OK, so there.  I finally put into words how I feel about the pregnancy thing.  I ask that anyone who reads this, please pray for me.  I truly want to be happy for these ladies.  Several of the ladies are what I would consider good friends.  So, what kind of friend does it make me that I can't be happy for them?   GREAT!  NOW I HAVE GUILT TOO!  Seriously, please lift this up in prayer.  I would love to know and understand how Paul dealt with his flaw.   

I hope that folks reading this don't think any less of me for the things said.  I just needed to really get out what I've been feeling inside.  I've deleted this blog twice and put it back!  Claude said that I should post it.  He's wise, so I'll take his word for it!