Trunk or Treat

The Lunch Ladies

With Dora the Explorer

Farmer Joe & His Scarecrow

Little Miss Zebra

Audrey was just Audrey and Harper looked like a deer in headlights

Miss Lioness


We had a great night at Trunk or Treat, Joey and I were not sure how many would turn out with it being on a Wednesday Night instead of Halloween.  I made up 200 bags of candy and gave all of that out and had to use back up supply for the end. I loved Abby and Harper's costume, Josh was a Safari hunter(Go Figure) Abby's mom made her and Harper's costumes from flees blankets and Abby's mane was from a old mullet wig Josh had.  Very creative..... 

Thankfulness

Thankfulness, feeling or expressing gratitude, glad or relieved about something.  Everyday we should be able to be feel gratitude or glad about something.  Even the small beautiful butterfly that are starting to leave because they know the cold is coming.  I am not thankful for the stink bug, I'm not sure why God created those creatures, and nobody seems to know what they do or what predator wants to eat them.  I thought that my office had little lady bugs in them, but come to find out once I touched one that the shape of the body is just like a large stink bug, but they smell ten times worse than the large ones.  We had a guy from the county mow some of our fields behind office and he said there were millions swarming, he thought they were lady bugs.So I am totally surround by those little creatures. Now on to more thankfulness....
I am so thankful that my husband doesn't care that once a month I treat myself to a massage.  This last one was 90 min. because I had a friend try one for the first time at the place I go to so I got a free 1/2 hr.  I'm still sore from all the knots she rubbed out.  Praise the Lord for a great Sunday school class, the college and young adults let me attend their class and it is great.
Crazy things I am thankful for... pistachios, love those salty things, crowder peas ( good for you and not fattening), soft bed sheets, boy do they help with a good nights sleep. Off to trunk or treat at church, pictures to follow....Charlene & Roy didn't make it this year, PTL!!!!! 

Joey and I went to visit a friend of ours in hospital last night.  Randy had Bone marrow transplant a few weeks ago and is still in recovery process. It takes a long time for this procedure to work, and then he still has a full year of many visit and precautions to take.  I looked at Kelly last night and she looked wore completely out.  She said she was pretty tired and hated the hospital.  We forget when we live our daily lives that so many people are going through so much.  She mentioned a 35 year old lady with 4 small children who just came in for the same procedure and how it just broke her heart.
Life is hard on so many levels.  We has Christians need to be paying attention to the little things, the quiet winds of people, if we take the time to just look in the eyes of people we will see hurt, stress and just plain wore out souls.  If you are having a good day, a good week or even a good year PRAISE THE LORD and look to help someone else.....Also  keep Randy and Kelly in your prayers, Randy was running a fever yesterday and in alot of pain, he has many sores in his mouth, nose, and throat.

Today is another day of thanks... I am so thankful for the beach, we went with some friends to their house in Sunset beach, Joey went out fishing on a boat in the rain, and I got to walk the sands.  I got to see a couple of bull head crabs, I have never seen in the wild before.  I love the vastness of the ocean, it makes you seem so small. I am thankful for the hard working family I have.  A lot of times we might not know what we are doing next, but they all still work hard.  I heard a lady say one time to her husband as he dropped her off at work, are you going to try to work today.  PTL, I have never had to say that , Joey has always worked and always enjoyed working. I am thankful for a funny husband, who still makes me laugh.  I heard Joyce Meyer say this morning be thankful for the husband you have even if he gets on your nerves sometime, because there is a lonely woman who will eat dinner with him anytime.....so true.  I am thankful for a week of being able to stick pretty much to my new eating routine.  I have not craved those wonderful dark sweet drinks as much as I thought I would and on top of that I have learned to enjoy a good cup of pumpkin spice coffee with a litttle Carmel Macchiato  creamer. Who says you can't teach an old dog new things....

Beth Moore

Beth Moore has once again kicked my butt.  "The Inheritance" Bible study by her is very good. I have known for a while that I needed to get myself under control when it comes to eating.  I am not a big eater but what little I eat is bad. So after church last night I went home and decided to total up my calories and carb counts on what I had eaten yesterday.  Now my calorie count was not as high as I thought it would be but my carb count was out of the roof.  Even though I only eat a handful here and there, its the here and there that adds up.  I realized that luscious brown syrup that I was thankful yesterday is the one thing that really has to go.  If I drink just a couple, or maybe three a day that is more than the carb count a person needs in one day.  So that means I don't need to eat the rest of the day.  I can't live on just the beautiful brown syrup. I know we all fight this battle unless your my extremely persistent daughter who cannot live without exercise and really doesn't like food. Josh told me  the other day  write down everything you put in your mouth for a week and see what that tells you, one day of writing was enough, I say I have never been that  little.  But that is a lie,
I thought I was fat at 115 lbs. as a teenager.  I realize now how little I was, for me to be that little again probably means I am extremely sick. But I know that I can shed quite a few pounds and feel better. So as of today, and since I am putting it out there I expect the few of you who read this to hold me accountable, I am watching what I eat and as that old annoying saying on those diet shows goes "its not a diet its a life style" UGH!!!!!
I have learned last night its not that God can't help me do this he has all the power, its more do I really think I can. So I have set a plot (plan) to possess my land. I am not waiting for it to come to me through sickness or something else, I am going after it. I wrote down a few scripture verses to help when it gets hard.
Proverbs 16:3  Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.
I Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
I Corinthians 6:12 You say, I am allowed to do anything, but not everything is good for you. And even though I am allowed to do anything I must not become a slay to anything.
I Corinthians 6:19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself
I Corinthians 6:20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
I Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Thankful Wednesday

Today I am thankful for a little girl named Harper who spent the night last night.  She threw water on me from out of the bath tub, as parent I would have fussed but as a grandparent, I don't care....
I am thankful that I have learned over time, don't sweat the small stuff. I am thankful that Joey has informed me that it is going to get really cold in a couple weeks, like 40's during the day, lets see if my weatherman is right. I am thankful to be able to go to church and no one stop me to hear from Gods word on Wednesday nights. Here are some crazy things I am thankful for, Coconut Lard, it is great for frying, I made chicken tenders last night to put over salads and it gave it just a touch of coconut flavor. I am once again thankful for COKES,  I know they are bad for you but ole my goodness I don't know what I would do without that luscious brown syrup. I am thankful paper towels, I tried to go a week without them and I didn't realized how many I used, try it sometime....
I am once again thankful for a Lord who has a sense of humor, wouldn't  life be boring without a good laugh now and then.

What to do...

Last week I received my new BCBS projected 2014 bill, it went from $558.00 a month for Joey and I to $1113.00 a month.  I just started laughing, what else is a girl to do.  There is no way on Gods beautiful green earth will I be able to pay that ridiculous amount for health care.  I told Joey that the first person that told me how great everything is with the government I would punch in the face and get some of my frustrations out. I spoke with the BCBS guy and he is just as frustrated as I am his went from $600 to $1200 a month.  Now where is the minds of these educated politicians do they think the average US citizen is going to get an extra $500-$700 to pay for their stupidity.  I have come to the conclusion we need to put some good ole boys and girls in congress and get some crap done right. I know in my simple uneducated mind that when your working people are cut to the knees, and this load of crap that we are dealing with hits them the hardest, because poor people don't pay anyway, rich people it doesn't effect as much,  but us average citizens will feel the most effect from the downfall. I am sure most of you realize that we are giving more for health insurance than most of us tithe a month, we will be giving more than our house payments and more than a technical college tuition a year. I would love to see the politicians live a year on our household salary and then go back to the drawing board and see what they come up with.  I know that alot of times we don't understand how people live when we've never really walked in their shoes.  I also know that when we have more we forget how we use to live.  What to do next is a big question in the Nifong home, but I know one thing I am not paying $1113 a month for insurance. So I better start getting creative.....


 

Thankful Wedneday

I decided a few weeks ago to say what I am thankful for and it seem to fall on Wednesday when I blogged. So, I love this song and when it first came out I cried every time I heard it.  It was my theme song for that year.
Today I am thankful for a granddaughter who already has a love for Jesus even the little bit she knows of him.  She loves to pray and sing Jesus loves me and it just makes my heart bust.
I am thankful for gummy bears, I absolutely love them and its about the only thing I enjoy eating lately. Its not great for the ole hips though.  I am thankful for the cool nights, it has made my sleep so much better.  I am thankful for a husband who is not afraid of animals and things like me, heard a bunch of coyotes outside back door last night, then started my crazy thought of not letting Harper run free in front yard, (they might grab her). I am thankful I can be me and know that there are people out there that love me anyway....

Last week I had the house to myself for a whole week.  I don't think that I have been alone for a whole week in the house since 1985. I ate what I wanted when I wanted.  I watched what I wanted on TV. I went to bed when I wanted and got up pretty much when I wanted except for when the cat was crying to get out. I do believe that we all need a week like this every once in awhile.  But it can be lonely, I went out to eat by myself one day and just watched people as I ate.  I can see for a social person how this can be hard on a day to day basis.  I can see that if something ever did happen to Joey and the kids I would have to make myself get out there.  That you can suck yourself in to being home and alone because it is easier but in the end it is so much harder on you.  I went out with friends for a great night of girl time that I so much needed and appreciated. But as Audrey said when she arrived home from their not so great hunting trip, I didn't realized how much I needed Wesley, even after only 2 1/2 months of marriage. I need my family even if they drive me crazy sometimes and trips like this help me to realize that. Here are pictures of my hunters, the hunting was bad but the memories will last a lifetime. They will say one day remember when....

I need a praise day

I need to say some praises today, after a hard day yesterday, today is once again a new day... So I am thankful for air conditioning, I do not like to be hot. I thank the Lord for make-up, it covers up the dark lines under the eyes. I thank the Lord for knowing I am loved even when I don't feel it. I thank the Lord for music, all kinds that soothe the soul and make me happy. I am thankful for who every came up with lotion.  I hate dry skin... I thank the Lord that there are days he reminds me that in the big scheme of life the little things are not that important to fuss over. I am thankful that I can laugh on days that I feel like crying...it is a choice...I am thankful for Gods great sense of humor, look around...LOL