For the Birds!!!

Hi Sweeties!!

What is “For the Birds”?  This laying around like a slug thing!!  I know, I know…it’s all part of the healing and recovery, but I have SO much I need and want to be doing!! 

WAH WAH WAH!!!

OK…I guess I’m done whining.  Thanks for feeling my pain!

A pick-me-up!!

Some pretty very “spring-like” hydrangeas!!!  I took this pic in Mt. Dora, and love the delightful memories of time there with my buddy, Jess and Maddy!

{SIGH…}

I can make cards while I’m just sitting around…

 

So that has been fun!!  And I am getting out a bit here and there, but tire easily and then my side muscles start to ache.  Hmmph!

I see the Dr. tomorrow morning for my check-up and am really looking forward to it!!  I just know he' is going to say that I need a week or two more of “slugging it”, so I’m prepared for that!!  He’s a great Dr., and God really blessed me with him!  I will listen and obey, don’t worry!!

It is chilly again here and overcast.  But the light of God’s love is warming me up real good!!

I hope your week is absolutely wonderful!!  I’ll be making the rounds visiting you all!!!

Blessings and hugs, my friends!! 

Have I told you recently how much JOY you bring me????

Becky

Destinations

 

I am the queen of one liners and quotes; any little saying that is full of power and thought provoking.

Today I was reminded of one of my favorites…

THE MAN {WOMAN} WHO WALKS WITH GOD ALWAYS REACHES HIS DESTINATION.

We really have no idea what crazy turn our life could take at any given moment, do we?  Oh we plan and do and strive to accomplish, but we can get derailed, sidetracked, surprised, shocked,  and shaken along the way.

I can tell you, having an appendectomy was definitely NOT what I had planned for ushering in this new year!!  And I’m sure that my dear friend Lois at Walking on Sunshine, wasn’t planning on her holidays and new year including her hubby being deployed to Afghanistan. Hope you’ll pop over and encourage her heart today!

What a wonderful thing to know that NO MATTER WHAT LIFE HOLDS ON ANY GIVEN DAY, if we are walking with God, and committed to learning and living by His precepts,  He is right there with us, and He will see to it that we arrive where we need to be!!

What a blessed assurance in these uncertain times!!

 

Are you walking hand in hand with God, my friend?  There truly is no better thing to do!!!

Grab a hold of His strong, mighty hand, and let Him walk you through all the challenges of this life!! 

May His love rain down on you today and meet your every need!

Joyfully,
Becky

Ahhh…Fresh Air!!!

 

After being housebound due to the weather and surgery, yesterday I decided to take my girls and head over to a favorite local state park…Blue Spring.  Some of you have seen it before, but if you’re anything like me…can’t get enough of it!!

We were only there about 50 minutes, but oh how sweet those 50 minutes were!!

The temp was in the low 60’s, the sun was shining warm on my face, and was surrounded by clear blue skies….Ahhhhh….just what I needed!!

Come take it all in with me!!

This is the beautiful run that flows from the spring.

This sign greets you as you take your first steps onto the boardwalk that lines the run.  There are observation decks built out over the water so everyone can enjoy an up-close and personal view of the run and the wildlife that make it their home.

The water is crystal clear, and such a lovely color!  If a tree falls into the water and doesn’t block the whole run, they leave it right where it fell, as they did with these two palm trees.

Little Miss Em is jumping for joy because she is here and they have a big field she can run in.  You can see her feet off the ground!  She is so much fun to watch!! 

Spanish moss and this cute little fern adorn the trees. 

The manatees make this their winter home, and they are such a delight to see!
There were only 24 counted today, but at peak they have counted almost up to 200.  This is the only one that was close enough to get a photo of.  I don’t think this one is very old.  It was just resting still in the water.

Miss Em trying to see what was down there on one of the observation decks

Hmmm…is that a log in the distance???  UH….NO!!!  That’s a GATOR!!  And using  my professional gator spotter eye I would say that he sits a pretty….8-9 feet long!!  Just about medium sized!!  Yes sweet friends; in Florida if there is water…there are gators.  We do actually even swim in the run a little closer to the spring head, and we are perfectly safe.  They are actually quite bashful and don’t like a lot of activity.  Imagine that…them scared of us!!  HA!!!

Right smack in the middle of this pic is another gator rather well camouflaged.  Can you see him?? 

Little Miss Em “I want to sit in the shade”!  So sit she did!!

 

 This is just the natural beauty of the Florida I love at it’s finest!

My oldest Sam and her Little Miss Em on the way out!!

Hope you enjoyed the fresh air and the lovely scenery! 
It truly just delights my soul to be outdoors and surrounded by the handiwork of our mighty God!!

Have a joyful Wednesday, and spread some of your sunshine around!!
Love
Becky

Pretties and a Talented Friend!

 

 Well Hello Bloggy World!!

How are all of my chickie friends doing out there?

I am still in recovery mode and having to take it easy, but doing well!!  I drove for the first time in 2 weeks and that was definitely LIB-ER-A-TING!!!  Praise You Father!!!

And today was an absolutely beautiful Florida winter day!!  The palm trees swaying in the cool breeze…windows down just cruising along…even hit a couple of yard sales and found some treasures!!   WOOHOO!!!!!

More on those treasures at another time!

Today I want to share a beautiful piece of artwork designed by a wonderful bloggy friend…

TAMI over at Aunt Mimi’s Creations, and her selling blog A Girl’s Gotta Nest!!  Don’t you just love that name??  So true isn’t it girls?  We just love prettifying (YES, I made it up!!!) our home sweet homes don’t we??

Well, I purchased this from her last year, and it is one of my favorite home decor items!  It was mounted on a heavy board, so I found a little gold-ish frame, used some pretty scrapbook paper for a background, and mounted her lovely artwork right on top.

Isn’t this delightful???

It’s current home is on my antique cherry dresser and it looks so great there, but I love it no matter where I put it!  Here it is with a rusty tin cup, and vintage jar and buttons.  Love it!

I smile every time I look at it!!  Thanks for sharing your talent, and for the joy it brings me, Tami!!

Tami and her hubby have relocated and she is getting back to creating again…YIPPEE!!   She pays close attention to detail, which is HUGE with me, and on top of it all is a delightful person!!

See her blog button?  Right over there just below my followers…I know she’d love you to drop by!!

Have a joyful day of praise and worship sweet friends!!

Love ya MORE!!!
Becky

Love Is In the Air!!!

Whew…January 18th ALREADY!!!  Less than a month to prepare for Valentine’s day, and for us crafters….that’s not much time!  Especially since I’m still working on thank you cards from Christmas!!  OY!!!

I paid a visit to my BFF Martha and she had some great ideas, and so did Better Homes and Gardens.

Here are some that struck my fancy…

I have never set a Valentine’s table, except our first year of marriage, but if I do I’ll use this idea scaled down a bit.   So lovely!

Paper heart flowers…you could also write in qualities you admire in the receiver on the petals, and they could be finished off with cute chenille pipe cleaners, too.  These are more for kids, but could be kicked up a notch for grown-ups!!

These little button surrounds are precious!  Wish Sam would let me dress Emily up in them!  They can be made from paper or felt!

The gift of living flowers wrapped in charming embellished paper bags!  Cheer in a brown bag!!

And this I am definitely doing for my hubby!!  Too much fun!!  I’ll show you how it turns out!!

A different take on the “Love Coupons”  A timeless idea!

I am also going to give this a try.  It’s votive holders made with shaped and stiffened doilies!!   Candlelight…so romantic!!

Love the doily envelope!

And how fun would it be to pick up a piece of chocolate and read a sweet thought from the gift giver!!  This is a new fave, and I will do this with every box of candy I give to anyone in the future!!  A “Things I love About You” box of candy!!  Who wouldn’t love that??

Let’s get to creating some fun things and spreading some lovin’!!  The good Lord knows we all have people we can bless with some extra lovin’!! 

I’ll share some more “SWEET” ideas tomorrow!!  Remember that showing someone you care doesn’t have to break the bank!  These are all inexpensive and fun!!!

Love ya BUNCHES!!
Becky

The Birds Are Singing…

 

HAPPEE FRIDAY YA’LL!!!!

And yes…the birds are singing, the sun is shining, I don’t have to wear my sweats today to be warm…truly life is good!!!

I am healing well, and got a full nights sleep last night which has made all the difference in the world!!

I sure do wish I was here…

But that will come in a week or so.  We are all just so excited that the Florida deep freeze has come to an end!!  We LOVE our sweater weather, but this freezing stuff just doesn’t cut it around here!!

Thank you again for the outpouring of prayers, love and concern for me sweet friends.  God is good all the time, and has certainly been good to me.  My Dr. thought it was a gall bladder issue, but last Friday the pain became more localized and I began to run a fever so I went to the ER, and it was indeed my appendix. 

I’d give each of you a gorgeous bouquet of these if I could…

Please don’t forget to ask for the Lord’s mercy on the survivors in Haiti.  Our oldest daughter Sam’s best friend’s parents are missionaries in Port Au Prince, and are ok, but quite shaken as you might imagine.  They continue to have tremors which must be frightful.

Have an absolutely delightful weekend, and remember that the God who holds the universe in place loves you with a perfect love!!!

Bouquets of Love to you!!!
Becky

Thank You Sweet Friends!!

 

Happee Monday!!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much all of your love, care and prayers are appreciated, and all the joy reading each comment and email has brought me!  Each of you truly are gifts to me!!

I won’t be visiting around just yet…still not comfy to sit upright for too long, but wanted to update you.

I have received  lovely flowers, wonderful comfort food, lots of prayer and top notch care!!   I don’t have any complications and seem to be healing well.  The doctor let me leave the hospital saying that I am a healthy lady and would probably be more comfy at home, but gave me the option to stay.  As great as my nurse was, I opted to come home.  So glad I did!!

Thank you again, for your outpouring of love and prayers! 
May God multiply your kindness back to you 100 fold!!

Love ya bunches!!
Becky

P.S.  Keep those prayers coming!!  :o)    I do so want to get on with this awesome new year!!

Dr., I’ve Got What?????

 

Hello Sweet Friends!  I have been missing the past few days because I wasn’t feeling well and ended up in this:

The Doc said my appendix needed to come out, so it did!  What was really cool is that God was so in it all!!  Like I have said, nothing is as sweet as abiding in Christ!!!  Hubby was hunting up in North Florida when he got the news, jumped in the car and made it to the hospital near Orlando 5 minutes before I went into surgery at 1:30 a.m. this morning!!!  How cool is that?  God knew how badly I wanted him there with me!!  My surgery was finished in an hour, and guess what??

I am back at my house and all cozy, warm and comfy surrounded by my family!! Isn’t that awesome??  Praise You Father!!

The hospital staff was amazing!  I was laughing and smiling with the ER staff, and the fun just continued with each staff member I dealt with! 

My hospital stay was brief, but I left feeling truly blessed by God for making this physically painful experience fun and heartwarming!

My nurse was so wonderful that I am going to make a gift basket to surprise her, and my daughter Sam told me that when they gave me morphine before surgery I told the surgical nurse, who was also amazing, that I was going to make some cookies for her!  I even asked her what her favorite one was and am told that she said chocolate chip!!  So, she will be getting some chocolate chip cookies!!!

I just praise God for His goodness to lil ol’ me, and would delight in knowing that you will pray for my speedy healing!!

Love and hugs to you all!!  You’re the best!!
Becky

Changes…..

Our youngest daughter Maddy, who is now 11, is getting a room makeover!  She has been so patient with her Mom.  When we moved in here four years ago she asked for her room to be redone, but I told her it was not very high up on the list of priorities because it was cute and in good condition…plus we needed to sod, take down a 50 ft. tree, and put in an irrigation system!!

Well, we are finally getting around to her room!!

It will go from this rather juvenile print which is under the chair rail along with the pink gingham check, and pale pink above it….

To something “French inspired” like this

Or this!! 

We have all white furniture but want to paint it creamy cottage white like the bed in the above photo (photos from hgtv)

She hasn’t decided on a wall color yet.  We’ll leave the chair rail, but paint it the creamy white, I think.  Any ideas for colors above and below the chair rail??  We’re open to suggestions!  We bought her an espresso brown quilted comforter when she wanted a more natural theme, and I will either use that and just glam it up a bit or make a duvet cover for it.  It just depends on the wall colors.

But, this is my biggest question…how did she grow up soooo fast?  She is an absolutely delightful young lady that just lights up my days…oh how I wish time would just pause for awhile sometimes…you know? 

She still snuggles with me and Randy which is wonderful, but I can see the little girl is almost gone.  Oh my tender mother’s heart can hardly stand it! 

Well, Love and big toasty hugs to you all today!  We are trying desperately to keep warm down here in my sunny but freezing state!!  I can’t even begin to imagine dealing with weather like this all winter like some of you frosty friends do!!

Stay COZY!!!
Love Ya!!
Becky

 

Even If You Don’t Make Resolutions…

 

Here is one for us all: 

{Feel free to use this image}

Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else”.

Such wise words.

God made each of us so uniquely individual and that is just how He likes it!  It is so easy to look around blogland, the workplace, church, the mall etc… and come away feeling that we just don’t measure up somehow. 

We think oh she or oh the so and so’s…they just have the perfect life, or look perfect, or are perfectly talented, or have the perfect children or home or…or…or!!!!

Well, in my 51 years on this sweet earth, I have never met anyone who does!!

So that takes us right back to BE TRUE TO YOU…  The you that God created you to be and loves so dearly!  The one who He delights in seeing rise from bed (bedhead, drool, and all) each and every morning.  Be that YOU!!!

Because YOU are a precious gem in God’s big ol’ treasure chest!!

Love ya BUNCHES, and am praying that your week is one of victory in Him!!
Becky