Mi Familia

I have so many things to be grateful for. This is the time of year where we reflect on those things. I am grateful everyday for these things. Since it is that time of Season however, I take a little extra time to ponder and praise God for the wonderful gifts He has given my family. It has been a rough road if you have been a reader for some time, you know my story. This last year and 1/2 have been quite eventful in many ways...Some bad and some very wonderful. This last 9 month have been hard for me since the passing of my beloved Gramma. I have been struggling with depression and fighting my way out of it. I can tell I am slowly coming back....Though it is taking some time. The other hard thing I deal with is the distance between our son and our family since he had moved to Washington. I am very proud of him for making it out on his own and working a full time job, getting his first apartment with his best friend from childhood...But it is the distance that is hard. It has been 9 months since I last saw him at my Gramma's funeral. The good thing is he is very close to us and we talk or text often. It just rips my heart out to know I can't just give him a hug or stop by or have him over for dinner....It is the distance. It was a blessing that he was able to fly out for my hubby's ordination service. He was able to get a couple days off work. This Momma was so thrilled and blessed beyond measure to finally hold him again and give him Mama kisses. His little sister cried when he came up to the door to greet her...and the tears were worse when he had to go home. She loves her big brother and misses him dearly. The visit was short...Too short for my liking, but it was sweet. We stayed up with him till after 2AM the first night just talking and hanging out with him and Mr. Darling's Mom who also flew in for the occasion. 

My heart was full...Just having us all here under one roof. I sat in the middle of my two babies and held them close for a while. It was just what I needed... Mi Familia!!!! I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to fly him here to be with us to share a very important milestone for our family. It was so nice to have meals together, to visit with each other, to laugh together and capture a few images through the lens, just for memories. My family...Mi Familia!!!  

They mean the world to me! I am so blessed.

It is unfortunate that we will not be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together with our son, But, looking forward to making a trip up his way for vacation in the Summer. Another long 8 months or so before we are all together again as a family. I am already counting the days. 

Draw Near...

This Thanksgiving was very special to us.We had two wonderful Thanksgiving's spent with our closest friends. Thursday was sweet and simple, and relaxing. My friends wouldn't let me do a thing. I tried..They wanted to serve. It was so nice as well as their fellowship. Then on Saturday we spent another wonderful filled day with friends, food and fellowship....It was so wonderful to spend time with friends who truly care for you, who will and have been there through the thick of it all. Friends who will take the brunt of your pains. We are truly blessed with the friends we have...And the food, was out of this world wonderful.
 
After Saturday nights dinner we just hung out all night talking, laughing and watched a movie...snuggled down in our jammies till late at night and had a sleep over. These will be cherished memories we will forever keep close to our hearts. Real friends are hard to find I must say. These ones are keepers.

We have all ( my family) learned many lessons on that fact. It has been revealed to us in many ways the last couple years. Some ways have been gut wrenching and hurtful and others have shown their true colors while there are the few who have stuck through as loyal, genuine, caring relationships. It has been a hard lesson to swallow in some cases yet I can say those lessons were for our good and surely God's way of revealing to us to see what is bad, what is rotten and what is false as well as what is good, what is pure, what is true. This has only made us grow closer in many ways as a family but especially has only drawn us closer to Christ. It has opened our eyes to see the ones who are really there, the ones who will forever have your back. So, now as we move into the next chapter of our lives...We have started to let go of those rotten apples among us, so that we may draw ever more closer to our Lord who will never forsake us. In time we will heal, put it all behind us & move on and rejoice. The weight is lifted.
And sometimes that is what you must do. Let go of things that weigh
 us down and yes, sometimes that means letting go of certain
people in your lives and holding on to the ones who lift you up in spirit and prayer.
 
I am thankful to God that He gives these hard lessons to us,
even though it may be uncomfortable or painful in that moment.
The heavy load was purchased by His blood...
For me and my family, so that we don't have to bear it.
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Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you.
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66. The love of Christ and knowing
we can draw near to Him.
67. Bountiful blessings
68. Thanksgiving Fellowship & Fantastic Food
69. True friends
70. Truth

Autumn Afternoon

There are so many things to be thankful for...Though I don't care for the heat all that much, I am thankful for the longer Summer weather we had this year...Yet, I was longing for cooler, crisp sweater weather...We finally got hit with some of that weather this weekend ( Long Over Due ). It was quit nice to wear a sweater and smell the cold in the air.
 
I cut some flowers from my backyard to put on our table for some Sunday Soup with friends after church. I filled up a sweet vintage red checkered thermos...I love the colors.
   
The leaves here have been falling late as well, due to the extended
Summertime weather we have had. I think the trees are confused...

I also put out a couple Thanksgiving decorations. This will be the last Thanksgiving spent in this house. We are already packing up our stuff to be out of this house by the end of this month...We will be putting our stuff in storage and possibly staying with my mom until we get a call somewhere. I am so thankful to God that he has provided for our needs this long since Mr. Darling graduated this last Summer. I know God has something in store for us...We wait patiently on Him.
Give thanks to God.

Thankful Tree Give Away

I know it's early for Thanksgiving...But, it is never too early to give thanks for everything. As mentioned last week, I went on a women's retreat with some ladies from my church. We did this really simple craft. There was some left over, so of course I got permission to take one. I just knew I had to have a give away with this sweet thankful tree. A winner will receive a big jar, raffia, twigs and round colorful papers to write your thanks on and hang on the tree. I am so thankful for so many things in my life...So many blessings even on the hardest days. I am so thankful for this blogging community, I have had the pleasure to meet so many of you wonderful people, reading your blogs, you all give me so much inspiration. I just really want you to know how very grateful and thankful I am for YOU...My readers. Many of you have become my friends and have been here with me and for me through the years, many of you are new here to my blog, I welcome you all. You are all so awesome. I wish I had a whole truckload of these sweet trees to give to everyone. So here we go. Enter my Thankful Tree Give Away by leaving me a comment and tell me what you are thankful for. Become a follower if you are not already...That's it. We will draw a name this Sunday evening. I will let you all know then who was picked. Just know that even if you don't get picked...it certainly doesn't make me less thankful for ya. Many blessings to you and yours this weekend.

My Heart Is Full....

Yesterday, the sun was softly glimmering through my windows leaving a lovely glow throughout the house. I love those sort of days. Truly breathtaking. Even when your very ill. You heard me right. We are ill again. It all started in the lungs, with a lovely fever, the perfect sore throat and pounding headache topped off by an angelic cough and flattering runny nose. Fun, fun. I was down for three days this week.Not fun when you were just getting into your mojo. just praying that it's not phnemonia. I need to get myself together...I have an order in for my shop and a tea party to plan this weekend...And it's Friday...Oh no, it's Friday already and the week has slipped away.
   
 I also continue to think of the many gifts and blessings my life has, some are right there in front of me and some are hdden, just waiting to be found. I am not about to let the flu get me down, even then I can think of the many blessings I am ever so thankful to God for. My heart is full of them.
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13. The way the sun shines through my window on a beautiful Winter morning.
14. True love.
15. Each step I take is never taken alone.
16. Soothing a sore throat with tea.
17. Seeing myself in my children.
***
Have a blessed Friday.

Here & Now

 

In my Shop

Today I will not worry about yesterday or worry about tomorrow...I will focus on Here & Now...Today I will find true joy in my life whether big or small. I will remember today and always that He loves me no matter what.. I have so much to be thankful for and so many gifts & blessings to count.

    

Sorce:Wheatfield

Enjoy your Here & Now.

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7. Knowing I don't have to pick petals off

a flower to tell me that He loves me.

8. How someone took the time to make

 all these wonderful afghans (gannies)

9. Hot cocoa with whipped cream and

colorful sprinkles on a chilly afternoon.

10. Old books...to read to my girl every night before bed.

11. Little things that remind me of my childhood. Like when my

Uncle got me my first Kewpie Doll when I was a young girl about ten.

12. For the Here & Now

Finding Joy In This Life....

How content are we really? I live in a Country that is pretty spoiled with stuff. These things I see often in people when I am out and about in the world. We are supposedly going through a recession...But I see people buying, buying, buying. Must be nice. Well, after thinking about it and even getting upset about it, I realize I have no reason to be upset for someone else's bad decisions or debt or depression. I gotta worry about my own. It's not worth my time or energy to allow others to steal my joy...It doesn't do me any benefit to get bothered about people or things going on around me that is completely out of my control. I cannot control others and their attitudes, or their hearts, and I can't make people like me. For if they don't well, it is their loss and their problem. I have come to the conclusion with much thought and prayer to really hand it all over to God. I no longer feel and know there is no benefit or good that could come from trying to find my self worth through man (people). I don't need to find my worth in anything else but know I have worth in God and my wonderful supportive husband and two beautiful children. There have been years when I wondered why I didn't have a lot of friends. I yearned for friends up until recently. Now, heading into my 40th year, and the counsel of my soon to be Pastor hubby, it has finally sunk in that I don't need to even worry about all that for God has given me many blessings right here and right now. I can now see the ones who truly care for my family and I, ultimately it is God who cares, who is always there for us and will never let us down.

I have wasted so much time worrying about things when there were so many joys I think I missed. So have my children. We are in a tough spot right now...where we have been here for almost four years so my husband can go to Seminary to better our future and will possibly be leaving when he graduates this May. Four years ago we moved away from a home my children knew well, a church and friends we were very involved in then moved to a different state. I was lonely for friendship here, but seemed not many want to get too close to you because you are only here for temporary...I was even told by one woman I tried to befriend that she has decided not to get close to me as a friend for I am a seminary wife. Yeah, I was told that to my face. Yes, it hurt my feelings, little do they know what a tender heart I have or the background I came from, I see now it is only their selfishness...Though she does not want to get to know me, I can still say I love her because she is a fellow sister in Christ..I have learned this hard lesson through several others as well. My dear hubby pointed out though, that it is not me, that it is them for whatever reason they are that way we will not know but can pray for them...He consoled me to find joy in the people that do care and want relationships and be content in them. No matter what I can find joy in the Lord...and my family. So true. Am I that stupid not to realize that? I feel so much better now, I am ready to move on in the here and now...To be completely content in all my situations and be able to thank God for each and every gift even if they don't seem like gifts...or even find gifts and joy in not so good circumstances.

This, I think by golly is a lesson I need to be learning real quick before my husband gets a call into the Ministry...Because no matter where we go or who we affiliate ourselves with there is going to be some chaos, drama and sin. For this very reason I need to learn now to not worry, be content and keep my eyes open to all things and see them as lessons and joys. I have to realize that not every one is going to like me or my family as a whole and you know what, that's okay...I don't need them to feel that way. My main mission is to find my true joy and content in God and my husband and children. No matter how someone feels about me, I can only just love them, because Christ loves me. And that doesn't mean that everyone has to be my buddy bud. I feel like a weight has lifted and I can still be me.

Through all my crazy thoughts and worries over little things...I continue to read Gods word...which always brings me back to sanity. I have also recently started to read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Vokamp.... Really good book...Very poetic like and heartfelt and makes ya think geesh even little me can find joy in all circumstances even the little things that may not mean a thing to Joe Shmo down the street. I decided to even take the challenge and write and record pictures of the things I am thankful to God for..His grace abounds, His gifts to me are all true joy. I am prepared to keep my eyes wide open to those hidden and blatant joys around instead of finding faults or negativity in the things around me, for that is not a very healthy life to live. I dare not want to feel that way any longer.

I wish to act like Paul who wrote in Philippians 4:11~12
"I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation,
whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little."
I wish to learn too...
So here you have it my first six gifts/joys
 through pictures this weekend.

1. Starting every morning off right with the Bible for breakfast.
2. Warm oatmeal with vanilla and cinnamon that
 will stick to my bones all morning through.
3. Precious smiles that prick my heart and wakes me up from a dull day.
4. Gannie blankets to keep me warm while we are trying to conserve heat cost.
5. Shoes for our little piggies protection.
6. Soda Pop dates with my kids
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More gifts and blessings coming soon.
Perhaps this will inspire you to do the same. Have a wonderful weekend filled with real joy in your real life.

Give Thanks....

 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday Mr. Darling.....

Today is My dear Mr. Darlings birthday. Today he turns 40.
 
I thank God for him everyday. Happy Birthday to my love.

Today I am thankful for:
96. My dear Mr. Darling being born.
97. Mr. Darlings dimples
98. His sweet XOXO's
99. Mr. Darlings loving heart
100. He is a man of God.

Back In Time....

  
This weekend we went back in time to the days of The Civil War. Where President Abraham Lincoln was President and we were at war between the North and the South. A time where ladies wore big gowns and hoop skirts with their hair up , where men wore button ups and trousers and children went to school in little one room school houses. We hopped on the stagecoach to be a part of a special 150th Civil War Anniversary Event at the HistoricVail Ranch.For the Re-enactment of the discovery and arrest of the Showalter Secessionist Party in November 1861.There were Displays, costumed soldiers, camps, and demonstrations...With a Barn dance that evening which I will blog about next time.   
We met soldiers dressed in their uniforms, holding their rifles and pistols as they shot off many rounds for the spectators. There were lovely ladies in full gowns and pretty hats making braided ribbons, selling their goodes at the merchantile and roaming around with parasols.
 

     
We also met a very talented artist who was working on his little peg soldiers...His drawings are brilliant and depicted the era with fine skill, and brought everything to life. You can see his love for American history in detail and passion. If you love or know someone who would appericiate Historical art from that era or bygone days be sure to click the links.
    

We learned much about the history of the Civil War to our very own history in our town during that period. It was quite fascinating really.

   
They also provided yummy homemade cookies and apple cider to keep us warm as it was a chilly afternoon. We enjoyed conversation with many of the people among us learning as we went along and trying to grasp the time at hand...We felt as if we were truly in the past for just that moment.
       
The firearms were shot off periodically which would make you jump when you least expected...Yet only gave the feeling of that day even more authenticity. It was really a delight to step back in time hearing the sounds and smelling the cool air while taking in the sights with our own eyes....It was almost magical since we are really into history. I love anything that brings history to life and this just cut the cake.
     
Another memory we will cherish of that day was a visit with this man...His name is Malcolm Barnett....He has lived in our town his whole life as he is a 4th generation member of his family who truly has roots and knows all the history of our little town. He sat with my kids and I for some time showing us pictures pointing out his great grandfathers and even pictures of  himself as a young boy from a book that was written with all the history of our city. It was so sweet. He was the sweetest soul .....
     
My visionary taste buds were on full tilt. It was a day that really in many ways blessed us. I am not sure how many spectators felt the way as I did this weekend...But I sure did appericiate the effort and time that was put into this weekend...As they work to preserve our history through these means.
  
If you ever have a chance to do something like this in your own town...I encourage you to go and feed your family some history come to life...it is a fun interactive, hands on way to enjoy the fruits of the past.
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Today I am thankful for:
91. History
92. My town
93. Re enactors
94. To touch, to feel and to see wonders
95. Our freedom