Thank you, Lord!

Things that make me happy and/or make me giddy, in absolutely no particular order!

Clean Sheets

Getting in bed with clean sheets after a shower

Hearing my kids say I love you!

Hearing my husband say I love you!

Hugs

My puppy curling up next to me

Email from friends!

Comments on a blog ;)!

Clean house (I don't get this one very often.)

Wednesday night Bible study group

Starbucks

Enjoying going to work every day

Being appreciated

Giving encouragement to someone and knowing I've helped in some way (that's a God thing!).

Singing to a great worship song and thinking I sound GREAT!

Quirky sense of humor

New Cover Tune Grab Bag videos from MercyMe.

New features on blogspot.

Chocolate.

Winning a sweepstakes!

e-bay...sometimes...when I find what I want

God is so good - all the time! He's poured out His blessings on me. This week I got hired on as a permanent employee at the place I've been temping. I watched my daughter driving behind me (as I was driving). Both of the girls had a safe flight to see their dad for his 40th birthday surprise. Our church had a tailgating tent set up at one of the HS football teams and we were passing out free food, t-shirts and footballs! All for His Glory! My grandmother had outpatient surgery and is recovering well. God has given the South a bit of fall weather! It feels MARVELOUS!

I have some new bloggy friends! I'm glad to have friends - new and newer ;). I hope you've been having a good week. *hugs*

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

Pretend I have a creative title ~

I wish I had a creative title, but creativity isn't one of my gifts or talents, so let's pretend it's creative.

I don't even know where to begin a post about the weekend. The conference was phenomenal. Wait, I don't want to start there. I want to start with the peeps God put in my path this weekend. On my flight were some ladies (Siestas!) from Birmingham. It was nice to have someone to walk and talk with during our layover. (We also shared the flights back!) We rode the shuttle to our respective hotels and met a couple of other ladies too who were going to the conference. One of them didn't blog, but she had met Beth Moore when Beth stayed in her FL house! How cool!

On Saturday, a couple of Siestas were in the hotel lobby and we caught a taxi to the Dome together. After the Fiesta, we ran into each other and they invited me to go eat some really good Mexican food with them! Thank you, Deb & Heather, for inviting me and listening to me babble. (I pretty much chattered the whole time we were together - the downside to my being by myself for too long.)

There were two sweet women who I sat with on Friday and Saturday, D'Ann and Holly. We didn't have a whole lot of time to chat, but I could just tell they were nothing short of precious. They made sure I was loved on during the conference! Thank you, ladies, for making sure I had someone to sit with and for showing me love!

We were split into groups for group pictures with Beth, Amanda & Melissa. Can I just tell you that they are all so tiny??? Size 0 maybe? I got to hug Beth & Amanda! I was telling my daughter that they knew my name, and she said "Were you wearing a name tag?" *sigh* I had already come to that conclusion, but I was trying to think they knew my name because of my witty and snazzy comments on the blogs. Oh darn, who am I kidding? I'm going to keep on thinking it's because of my wit!

The Siesta fiesta was fun. It was neat to put some real faces to some of the blog names AND I just loved seeing Amanda & Melissa interact with each other and their momma! After hearing so much about them through the various studies I have done, it was just neat to see it first hand. I could so picture Melissa saying to her mom, "Are you going to boss me today?" tee hee hee

Beth said "peeps" during the conference and said Melissa told her she should never say that again! I loved it (the fact that she said peeps).

The conference was out of this world. When Travis started the worship music, I started crying. I was so overwhelmed with all the beautiful voices worshipping at the same time. We had a song that we sang a Capella and none of the praise team was singing, and I thought that the sound was so sweet that it must be the sound God hears when we sing His praises. Ummm ummm mmmm.

I didn't get to see a whole bunch of San Antonio AND I missed the PJ party! I was so tired when I got back to my room last night and I was sinusy feeling that I fell asleep! I think all the non-sleep of the last month and the past couple of days just caught up with me.

Oh, the topic of the conference was about inheritance and how I'm an heiress of God! Yahoo-Jah!

I have to get ready for my first day of work :-)! Mary, you're the only commenter (and probably reader), so I hope you've enjoyed a tiny recap. Oh, I forgot my darn camera!!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

Weekend in and around Savannah, GA

My husband is in the Army, and he's stationed in Louisville, KY. When we met and married, he was a recruiter with the AL National Guard, and he wasn't supposed to be leaving. However, as is life, this ideal work scenario didn't work out. Hubby deployed to Kuwait and then became part of the active Army. Since January 2, he's been stationed in Texas and Kentucky. Since he's been stationed in KY, he's gone to Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Georgia! He's done more traveling than staying in KY, which is one of the reasons we aren't living together. Anyway, he's currently at Ft. Stewart, which is outside of Savannah, GA for the next 3 months.

Because of work schedule, he isn't going to be able to come home very often, plus he doesn't his car which will make it hard for him to get home…I don't have a lot going on right now *cough* and I thought it would be a good time to take a road trip! Friday, after the girls got off to school and I dropped Maggie off at the vet for the weekend, I headed on to Savannah. From Birmingham to Macon, I had all sorts of things to look out and signs to read. However, from Macon to the Base, there was NOTHING to keep me amused. It seemed to take longer for that part of the trip than the 5 hours it had taken to get to Macon! I did have a book on tape (Teacher Man by Frank McCourt – very good!), which helped pass the time.

I had good timing because hubby got done with work about the time I was passing through the Base! I picked him up and we headed to his temporary home quarters. Oh me oh my…his quarter is a tiny hotel room with 2 beds and mold on the ceiling! One of the chairs had so many stains on it, neither of us would sit in it. He's going to be in there until November and there is a chance he'll have a roommate! Holy smokes!! I certainly hope that doesn't happen. I mean, I love the man with all that I have and I wouldn't want to share that space with him for 3 months!!!

We went to Savannah last night and got a nice hotel room in South Savannah. Oh the bed and pillows were heavenly and everything was so clean! There was even a coffee pot J. We went to downtown Savannah and took a horse carriage tour around town. I've always wanted to do that – it looks so romantic. (You aren't really expecting the smells of the horse and those aren't romantic.) We took a private tour at a public tour price *score*! We saw where Forrest Gump sat waiting to take the bus to Jenny's house; the house from the book Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil; places Julia Roberts filmed "Something to Talk About". After the tour, we walked down to the waterfront and walked (and walked and walked and walked) around looking at all the shops and did some people watching. There's a City Market, so we walked down there too. Come to find out that on Saturday night it's more of a City Bar Scene. Oh we found Paula Deen's restaurant, but it was closed already.

I don't get out and do much physical activity (gotta work on that), so I wasn't quite ready for all of that walking. Luckily, I wore my "comfortable" flip flops...*cough* My dogs were barking loudly by the time we made it back to the hotel and the memory of the super hard bed from the night before was alive in my memory and my back. I was very happy that hubby remembered to pack the generic Advil®!

We enjoyed a little lunch and Starbuck's before I had to hit the road back to Birmingham. L I tried to get him to come with me, but you know his employer is a little funny about folks not showing up for work. They threaten soldiers with things like court, demotion and prison time if you don't show up! Can you imagine?

I had a nice time spending time with hubby. We really needed some alone time, without any interruptions or kids needing chauffeuring. It felt more like "old times" where things were comfortable and easy between us. Praise God for answered prayers. We have to keep on communicating, but this weekend was nice start. I don't know when we'll be able to do this again because the troops they are going to be training will be in GA soon, and he won't get much off time. Also, there's this whole need for me to be employed and not having free time. We're hoping he won't be working without time off, but we just don't know yet.

I didn't get back in time to get my Maggie from the vet, and my other dog (who is older and doesn't tear up things so he can be left unattended) was looking forward to her coming back. He was so excited to see me drive up and walk up the stairs, but he seemed quite disappointed that Maggie wasn't with me.

I'm looking really forward to Friday, when I'm in San Antonio and I get to meet fellow Siestas! Yahoooooooo-JAH!!! I have lofty plans for the week (like working out and cleaning) OH and fall bible study starts on Wednesday! (I'll have to see who has signed up and get the workbook so I'll know what I'm supposed to do.)

Beautiful Art

In my blog hopping, I found this beautiful picture. Since I'm relatively new to blogger, I hope I give the appropriate links and credits.



The picture was found here