Lazy Weekend

 

 

 

Happy Monday.  I sure hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I had a very leisure one.  Friday night I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with my folks and it was wonderful to just sit and catch up with them.  That is one thing that I have missed all those years of living away from home.  Just having the time to stop in for impromptu visits and grab dinner out.  Life really is about all the small things isn't it?

Saturday my folks were having some trees taken down on their property so I decided to run over there that morning to watch all the activity.  I had never seen one taken down and I was simply fascinated watching the guy in the bucket truck take down the trees.  After he finished, hubby decided to gather up some of the wood for our fireplace.  The fireplace in our home is gas, however we can use wood too.  Plus hubby is planning to build me a firepit in the backyard, so we will need wood so this is a good time to get it.

 

This is the back of the house, and eventually we will add a deck.

 

 

The back yard as it is now.  We are so excited that we will have room for a garden.  They have a small one (in the above pic).  We also will be adding a fence so that we can give our Yorkies, Barclay and Bella a place to play.

Saturday evening we went out and met up with some friends at the cutest and coolest little Ice cream shoppe. FB page here They have wonderful food and scrumptious desserts.  Had the best time.  This is a group of friends that travel together.  For those that don't know, after my dad retired from driving a truck, he started driving a tour bus and he loves it.  This is a group of couples that go on a lot of his trips with him.  Wonderful bunch of people.  Anyway, we meet every three months or so someplace and have dinner, go shopping of something. 

Sunday was a very rainy and gloomy day here, but we got some much needed rain.  So we were thankful.  Hubby actually came into work for awhile and I stayed home and worked on my bible study and  had my quiet time. I cherish  that time of the day when I can sit alone with God's word and spend time in prayer.  I've actually started coming into work early @ 7AM so that I can do my devotions and reading in the quiet of the office.  It always gets me off to the best start. 

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen baking some banana nut bread as my bananas were getting overly ripe.   Slicing squash to put in the freezer. And just puttering.  I really do enjoy being the kitchen.  As I was preparing my bread, I started thinking about all the goodies I want to make this Christmas.  I hate to admit how excited I am getting about the upcoming holidays.

 

We also got the results from house inspection.  Several things on the list that need to be taken care of by the now owners, but shouldn't be anything to major.  Hoping all goes well with the appraisal this week and then we will get our closing date.  Getting excited about that too. 

 

So that is a brief recap of my weekend, nothing fancy but fun and relaxing.  What did you do for the weekend?

Blessings,

Cindy

Decisions Decisions

 

 



 

Hey y'all....I've been contemplating changing my blog again.  Thinking I would like to come up with a new name and look.  I would like something that would be a better reflection of me in this new chapter of my life.  Since I hope to be sharing more about my home (now that I will have one) and projects and homemaking etc...I want a different vibe.  However I still love the look and feel of my blog now, since I am not in my dream farmhouse I feel it is a bit misleading.  Maybe someday I will have that farmhouse...but if not I want to be content and happy right where God has me.    So my question is this.  Should I change it?  If so, what would you do? Suggestions are greatly appreciated.  What kind of things would you like to read about? 

Yesterday we had the inspection on the house and we are waiting on the results of that.  The bank has ordered our appraisal and once it is done, and if all comes back fine we will be ready to close.  Hoping for the first week in Sept..  We would really like to get moved in before things get really crazy here at work.  October is a busy time for us as we are in the insurance industry and we will start with all the open enrollments for healthcare.   Wow has this job opened my eyes to the needs everyone is faced with with affordable healthcare care. 

I must say that I am grateful and blessed to be working along side my hubby and have the freedom to come and go here.  I never dreamed we would be able to work together, but God has blessed this from the first day.  Can't tell you how happy that makes me and I love my job.  For the first time ever really.  God is so amazing in how he works things out.

My cup runneth over! 

K...now y'all put your thinking caps on and help me out here....

Blessings,

Cindy



Prayers do get answered!

Hello friends, I have been blogging for years, sharing parts of my life.  Things I love like my home and faith and family and such.  Although for the last several years my life has been in a holding pattern. (therefore no desire to blog) Since 2010 when I sold my home it seems like my creativity just stopped.  Even before selling my home, the creativity had stopped.  We spent 18 months prior to selling, remodeling the house for sale.  Since then I have been in a holding pattern.  One of my true loves is my home and all that that implies.  But since then, I have been living in rented places where my creativity has been staunched.  And I have HATED every minute of it.  Call me weird but when I can "play" in my house, I feel alive and so much more productive. Am I crazy?

Over the years I have been keeping  notebooks and pinterest ideas for just the right time. And guess what.  The time is finally come that the creative juices are starting to flow.  :)

 

I have gone from a divorced single mother of 3, to a married wife of 6 adult children and a grandmother to 4 adorable (1 in heaven) grandsons, and 2 precious granddaughters and another grandchild on the way, due in October, and also became a partner with my hubby in business.  So life has really took lots of twist and turns for me. Not to mention I relocated back to my home state of Kentucky to be closer to family (parents).  But through it all God has been faithful and provided for us not in our time but his. 

 

You may be asking yourself why all this information.  Well hubby and I finally bought our first home together.  (It's not our forever home) but one that we can "play" in with some home projects.  And we are beyond thrilled. So all this to say that I hope to be back to blogging in a more consistent manner.

 

We haven't closed yet on the house, but will soon and move in sometime in Sept..  I hope you will join me.

 

 

Blessings,

Cindy

Time for action



Some days I feel so torn....not sure where I am going or what I should be doing.  Do you have days like this?  My heart and mind just rush around with endless thoughts and worry.  And at the end of the day I find myself right where I was and not much to show for the day. Such a waste.  Needless to say, I don't like days like that or the feelings that follow.

Time to redirect my focus....get it off self and onto others and something productive.  Believe me, at times it is easier to tell yourself this than to actually do it, but I have faith that "this too shall pass".

After several weeks of confusion, I have made it my focus today to do certain things to get me back to a better and balanced place:

• Daily quiet time with my bible
• Prayer time (my prayer request list is long)
• List making and goal setting
• Spend time on something that makes me happy.
• Learn something new, ie how to use a new software, how to use a new application for my phone or computer, or a new craft.

Most times I find that I have these types of feelings when I am thrown out of my routine or off my daily schedule. I'm a creature of habit. ( And if you have read my last post, you know that I just experienced my daughters wedding.) Hence these feelings of confusion, mixed in with lots of "negative self talk".  Please tell me that I am not the only one that has "negative self talk" from time to time.

I found a article that I archived for reading (over and over if needed) and it was needed today.  Here is the post title and date of the post.  Coincidence I don't think so.  God's timing is always perfect.

How to Stop Negative Internal Chatter

June 25, 2013 by Rachel Wojnarowski

 

Rachel gives us some great and helpful tips on how to combat this negative internal chatter. Rachel says:

 

Just in case you need the points I need to stop the negative internal chatter, I decided to share them with you. Here we go:
1. Starve the stomach of self-pity.
If you don’t feed it, it will not grow.  Circumstances are not ours to control and they may not even be ours to change, but they are ours to conquer.

2. Give thanks in everything.

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thess. 5:18

I’m thankful that this verse uses the word “in.”  Because there are things for which I struggle to be thankful. But I can be thankful in the circumstance because there is always something to be thankful for- for who God is if nothing else.

3. Pull those weeds out before they take root.
When I saturate my mind in Scripture, I find that the weeds aren’t even given a chance to take root. Then they dry up and wither.

4. Water the blooms.
Last Thursday night we had prayer meeting. Water.
Each day I’m doing my best to keep up with the Bible Reading Challenge (just caught up!!) The Word is water.
Sunday morning I heard God’s Word preached in church. Water.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Jn. 7:38

Great tips Rachel. You can see her whole post on the topic here.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share a bit of my struggle with you.  Feel free to share any tips on how you combat confusion and negative self talk.

 

 

Blessings,

 

Cindy

From Miss to Mrs..

The big day has come and gone...

Such busyness the last several months trying to get everything ready for my daughters big day.  With my daughter living some 800 miles away she did most of the planning herself and she did a fabulous job.  I am quite proud of her ability to pull all this together while keeping her cool. 

There were many emotional days in between over the last several months. Lots of emotions for this momma. Lots of time C.R.Y.I.N.G. …..  Tori's big day was as beautiful as she was a bride.

The days before began with lots of pampering and enjoying the moment.  From hair highlights to nails.  To adding the finishing touches to wedding favors, and centerpieces.  To rehearsal dinner, and family time with lots of laughs.

Her venue was on the picturesque Chesapeake Bay waterfront at the beautiful Anchor Inn.  A perfect location for her as she is a beach bum at heart and has always wanted a wedding on the water.  Her wedding colors Guava and Malibu added the perfect touch for this girls dream wedding. It reminded me of being the tropics.  So Tori!

Here are a few snapshots of us getting ready.....

After make up and hair ( Mom and Daughter)

Sitting and waiting for the limo. She is/was beautiful.

Helping Tori get her necklace on.



Mom and I in the limo heading to the "Anchor Inn"

Important dates

I think hubby and I took around 300+ pictures, but we haven’t had time to edit them.  But this is a sneak preview.  Part 2 to follow shortly. 

Blessings,

Cindy

Daydreaming Again!

Good Morning!  Oh how I wish we could really sit and talk over a cup of coffee or tea, or coke if that is your preference.  But since that isn’t possible this is the next best thing.
Yesterday I spoke of praying and wanting a new home.  Well I have been “pinning” lots of ideas for a new place.  After moving as much as I have in 35+ years I kinda know what I would like to have in a home.  Check out some of these ideas I have pinned.
I love barn doors!

Photo source

 

I love old cabinets in the bathroom, would really like to have something like this in mine.  What ya think?

What about a butlers pantry? 

Photo Source

Those are just a few things that I would love to have in my new home, one thing I noticed about these pictures is I must like WHITE.   However, I’m realistic and will most likely not find these things in any home I can afford, so I will be more or less doing some DIY’ing. 

What would you like to have in a forever home?

On another note, hubby and I are taking the previous owners to the agency we bought to dinner tonight.  We absolute love this place and can’t wait to have dinner there again.

This is what their website has to say:

Federal Grove History

In 1785, General Jonathan Clark (eldest brother to William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition) was awarded 10,000 acres of land for his Revolutionary War service. The land grant had to be taken west of the Green River in Kentucky. His first stop was here at Federal Grove where his daughter, Eleanor and Son-in-law, Benjamin Temple would in 1805 establish Federal Grove, a 1,700 acre plantation. At the peak of Federal Grove in 1840, the farm had grown to over 2,000 acres, had 26 slaves and a sizeable wheat, corn, and livestock operation. At the death of Mr. Temple, Eleanor left Federal Grove and later sold the property to Captain Harrison Wood.
Captain Wood re-named the settlement Woodville and established a general store, blacksmith shop and one room schoolhouse on the site of current Federal Grove in the late 1850’s. As the Civil War unfolded, it is said that Captain Wood fled for Texas in fear of his life. Although there were never any battles near Federal Grove, it was a major thoroughfare for traveling soldiers of both Union and Confederate forces. As they traveled they simply took anything they needed along the way.
In 1871 a young gentleman farmer by the name of James Monroe Hall purchased Federal Grove and the property remained in the Hall family until 1991.
Blessings,
Cindy

WE Did it

Finally!  My sweet hubby has had a dream for a long time and that is to own his own Insurance Agency, and after much patience and prayers, God  opened the door and now it is a reality.

  Last Friday we took possession of a existing agency as the new owners.   This has been a long process.  It took us literally years to find a agency for sale where we wanted to be. Close to home so we could be near my family.  But we feel that God opened the door and to such a perfect place.  We find that God answers our prayers when they are persistent and believe he will.

This has been a long time coming, and I haven’t felt at liberty to speak about it until now.  After many attempts and let downs, we had grown weary of it ever happening.  However there was always a little voice that keep urging me to not give up. So thankful that I listen to that little voice.   So back in October when we felt that this venture was possible, we were asking God’s direction.  Our biggest prayer was that this was God’s will for us. 

So I am embarking on a new venture too, as well as my son (see yesterdays post).  We are in the process of relocating our office space, per prior arrangements to the sell.  We have signed a lease on a new space and will start the moving process in a couple of weeks.  We still have things to get set up in the new space, phone, internet, etc.  .  I’m excited about our new space, it has a large reception area(my space) and several offices.  At the moment we will only be using 2 of the 6 offices. 

Hope to share some photos with you as things start taking shape. 

The last several years have been  a plan and wait state, and now we are ready to see what God has in store for us.  We have also been praying about a new home.  Unfortunately with the move back to Kentucky in ‘12, we have been renting a small duplex and all of our household goods are in storage. We continue to pray that God will find us the right house at the right time.   I’ll be honest and admit that at times it has been hard to not just “do” something, but I know and believe that God’s plans are far better than anything I could ever put together so the waiting game continues.  God’s timing is perfect.

So as you can see, I’ve had many things going on around here since relocating back home. Hence the  lack of blogging.  I really didn’t feel I had anything to share, I figured you would get really bored with more “waiting”post.  

Blessings

Cindy