Downs Days: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween !!

Enjoy your weekend !!!

Storybook Dress Up Day 2010

Kinsley went as Cinderella

Guess what Kaden was?:)

My family (in Arkansas) always does a Secret Pal Exchange each year from summer to summer in between reunions:) I have a great secret pal!!! She sent me all these things this week - So FUN!!! She knows me well! We have had a blast singing to this little skeleton's "Come on Shake Your Body" song:) I think I might have a guess as to who it is...like I said she knows me well:)!!!

Halloween Carnival at Northwest Bible

Pirate Day

Kaden's class just finished studying maps and to top it off had "Pirate Day" last Friday!

Here he is searching in the office for clues:)!

The whole class after finding their treasure:)!!1

Ol' Jolly Roger was flying high above Mrs. Brogan's room:)

Arghhh Matey's!!! Kaden and Mrs. Brogan;)!

First Halloween Party of the Season!

Kinsley's friend Emma from school had a Halloween Party last weekend. Kinsley went as a hair stylist:)

Kaden was a clone trooper - surprise surprise - this boy LOVES him some Star Wars!!!

There was a balloon man

And a HUGE bounce house - this is Kinsley and her friend Cason climbing up!

There was also a TON of food - pizza, Little Debbie snack cakes, drinks, chips, etc. etc.

It made me want to have a Halloween party...next year:)!!!

VIP Kinsley

At Kinsley's school each child gets to be the VIP for a week. This past week was Kinsley's turn. You get to make them a poster, a crown, and they get to fill the estimation jar with something special! As VIP you get to hang your poster in the display case for the whole school to see:) - even the fourth graders (Kinsley says):) We decided to do a poster with a picture of each year of Kinsley's life up to this point, and her life verse in the middle - Col. 1:9-12. She was so proud, Curtis said she practically skipped all the way to class!!!

Here's the little VIP herself, holding her poster, and wearing the crown her daddy made her:)

Smiling proudly in front of the VIP display case:)!!!

Curtis's Birthday!

My hubby had a birthday! I made him his favorites - Green Beans Almondene, Cheesy Potatoes, and an Ice Cream Cake from Carvel:) (ok, the last one I can't take credit for, but the thought was there:))

We only had four candles - the kids thought this was funny - we told them it was one for each decade plus 1/2 of one to grow on:) - He is 35:)

Birthday Hugs!

We also celebrated with John and Jae - John's Bday is close to Curt's - look at silly Kai sticking her tongue out at me!

Kinsley copying Kai, and Mom

Dad and Curt

Jae and John - nice face John, wonder where Kai gets it?!!!

Me and my love:)

Curtis you are an amazing man! I love you sooo much! I am so thankful God gifted me with you! You are everything I ever had on my list and more;)!!! LUV YA!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Better Than a Halleluiah!

I heard these words to a song today...God has REALLY been speaking to me through music these days...bear with me:)

We pour out our misery, God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are,

honest cries, and breaking hearts

...are better than a Hallelujah sometimes...

Lord God I praise you that we can rejoice with you in the good times, and oh, how wonderful that feels, but I also praise you that we can cry out to you in the hard times.

I have been sharing with friends a lot of what has been on my heart lately and God I praise you that I have friends that don't judge me, friends that "get" me and that I feel comfortable enough around to be my real, authentic self. I praise you that I have friends who listen, and encourage me, and also sometimes give me a little "coming to Jesus" meeting if need be:)!!

Lord I pray that you help me to always speak words of truth and words of encouragement and love like I have been spoken to over the last month or so. I amazed each time I leave a friend of the words of affirmation that seem to come from You through them!!! I pray that you will help me to be a friend like that, a friend that fills others up with love, encouragement, happiness and joy when they have been with me:) I have not felt like that kind of friend much lately but I know things will get better and I am praying that you will use my circumstances to relate to and minister to others that may be where I am right now, some day!!

I thank you God that you are a god that I can pour out my misery to, and Lord how I rejoice over the words of that song - that you hear them as a melody! WOW! How you delight in our coming to you with our problems, and God I am so thankful for the peace you bring me in the midst of those not so fun times:) Beautiful the mess we are - well, that's good news as well! To even imagine you see our messes or see us when we are a mess as beautiful is beyond me God, but I know you see it all as part of the process of bringing You more glory, and if that's the case, then who am I to argue? Honest cries and breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah sometimes - thank you Lord for this confirmation today - sometimes honesty is all we have left and I praise you that SOMETIMES it can be better than a hallelujah when we don't feel like hallelujah-ing:)

Lord, keep filling me with more of YOU! I pray to continuously seek you in all that I do, I pray you continue to be that voice in my head saying, "You were made for more than this!" - thank you for that song too:)! I pray that I will soon be able to Hallelujah OUT LOUD at your marvelous plans for me, but until then, thank you that I can be honest and authentic with how I feel:)

If you (readers of this blog) are going through a difficult time, I urge you and encourage you to open the Word, find a Christian friend you trust, or turn your radio to a Christian station, just sit back and listen...God has something to say to you! Or tell Him how you feel, it's ok to be mad before God, to bring Him your concerns, and miseries - if you ask Him, I promise you, He will show up, and He never disappoints! I pray you are all Hallelujah-ing today, but if not, I pray that this blog post brings you some encouragement as well:)!!! Blessings!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

OH HOW HE LOVES US!!!!

They sang this at the church I went to today, I wanted to cry...but I just praised God instead:)!!! If you haven't heard this, click on it on my playlist to the right >>>> or just google it and listen. Turn it up and smile:)!!!

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

~John Mark McMillan
"He Loves Us"

Friday, October 15, 2010

Show Us Your Life - Office:)

I'm participating in Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life blogs and today is Show Us Your Office. This is looking into my office from the entry way - I put this red rug under the desk and so far I like it!

This wall of black and white pictures is probably my MOST favorite thing about my office - it makes me smile every time I look at it, and makes me feel surrounded by my family while I work - ahhhh!

These are my two inspiration boards - mostly filled with rooms that inspire me, or other things like furniture, clothing, accessories, that I like - along with pictures of the fam and my beautiful calendar of kid pics my mom makes for me every Christmas!

Here's looking at my desk straight on - hard to hide cords when the desk is positioned in the middle of the room - trying to figure that out still:)

One little corner of my desk, with a picture of my hubby that I LOVE, and my pens/pencils, paint brushes, and colored pencils:) My son made that container the paint brushes are in when he was in preschool - it too is one of my FAVORITE things in my office:)