When your not looking..

If you have a toddler, you know what I mean!!  I was rinsing out Makayla's pjs in our spare bathroom..turned around..and this is what she did when I had my back turned...

The toliet paper terror!

Off to my room where mom won't suspect a thing!  Oh and I just had to get all of my books out of my bookshelf in a mere few seconds to boot!

"Hey Mom!  What's up?"

"I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"Ok!  Back to playing!!"

I'm guest posting today!

Hello all!  I'm guest posting for Callie today at Through Clouded Glass..I hope you'll head over and read what I had to say about what being a new mom has taught me!

Autumn..in my 'town'

I don't know if you'd really call where I live at a 'town'.  More like a community I guess!!  Anyways..its been lovely here lately and I've been out enjoying the nice weather and snapping pictures away like a wild woman photographer!  Here is life in my town..in autumn-time...



Are the leaves turning to shades of orange, red, and yellow where you live?

Too much...



There are alot of ways this subject can go...

Too much is something that happens to all of us in one form or another.  It got me to thinking tonight.  Sometimes we feel like we have too much to deal with.  Too many problems.   Too many burdens.  And we want to ask "Why?". 

I think sometimes (not always..), some problems start with ourselves.  Let me explain a bit...

This verse came to my mind..

~~Psalm 55:22 ~~

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer the righeous to be moved.

Notice that it says to cast your burdens on the LORD.  Not each other.  I know we are to help one another..especially in times of need.  Thats the great thing about being a Christian, we can reach out to one another and PRAY for one another when one is in need.  But there is a limit.  Dumping all your problems on someone over and over again isn't a healthy relationship.  Especially when you consider we ALL go through trials in this life.  God didn't promise our daily walk to be a bed of roses.  Just because someone else's life may appear to be smooth and stress free doesn't necessarily mean that it is. 

We all reach our limits.  The great thing, though, is that God knows what that limit is.  He knows how much we can handle.  He also gives us the power to say "no" when we need to.  We don't have to keep taking abuse.  We can tell our friends "no" when we've had a hard day and need to talk about more positive things.  It doesn't mean we don't care.  It means we're trying to stay sane.  And trying to stay a good friend.  Though we can sometimes sense when someone has had 'too much'..but sometimes we can't. 

No matter what you may be going through right now, there is or has been someone who has walked down the road your traveling.  Someone has felt the same way you do now.  Someone has felt taken advantage of.  Felt cheated.  Has felt betrayed.  Or used.  That life has handed them a bad 'hand'. 

It gets better.  It may not get better in our timing.  But God has it all worked out in the end.  And thats what matters most.

'Weekending'

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Ours was good..we had some GREAT weather for getting outdoors!  Makayla enjoyed stomping around in the leaves....

How was your weekend?

(Linking up here and here)

An Update on the Homefront...

I thought you guys might want to know what all has been going on around here lately with our family! 

• Thomas is healing from his lawn mower accident really REALLY well.  Maybe a little too well!  He's been driving us completely NUTS the past couple of days (we were having to keep him inside due to the stitches) and just went totally bonkers last night (he came rip roaring through the house at top notch speed and about jumped right on top of Ravey making a bee-line to the couch).  Ravey was NOT happy.  :-/  Today we threw him outside for the day.  He did totally well and isn't bothering his stitches any..so I think thats what we are going to have to do is just keep him outside until 'stitch removal day' comes on monday (unless it rains). 
• Damon has still been busy job hunting.  In case you didn't know or are perhaps a new reader, my hubby has been unemployed since March of this year.  It has not been an easy time for us by any means, but God provides and has seen us through and will see us through until the end (when he gets a new job).  We want it to happen NOW..but of course thats human nature.  God has His own timing and we're trusting in Him as best as we know how.  However, I think looking ahead to Christmas in a couple of short months, I've never been more bummed.  I know..its not about the presents..it really isn't.  But sometimes its hard to be in a joyful mood and feel celebratory when your going through such a rough time in life.  If you don't have anyone else to pray for, pray for us. 
• Our church started a choir a few months ago and I can't say how much I have enjoyed it!  When they first mentioned that they were going to start one up I was totally on board.  I truely enjoy singing even if I don't sound that great!  We have sang as a choir in church now probably 3 or 4 times and I just love, love, love it!
• I have still been making alot of things homemade.  The two I'm totally hooked on for life though are fabric softner and laundry detergent.  I don't think I'll EVER go back!  Oh and using hydrogen peroxide for window cleaning is even better than vinegar water I've found!  Can't tell you the last time I bought a bottle of Windex (total waste of money)!
• Makayla has reached a couple more milestones.  I try to steer clear of saying too much of what she is or isn't doing at the moment (I'll explain more in a bit)..I just don't want other moms to possibly feel badly that their kids should be doing things at the rate she is.  Don't get me wrong..I'm not saying she's a genius or anything (of course she's a perfect 10 in my book..but hey..she's my one and only kiddo!)..but I've read blogs where kids start talking at an early age or walking at a ridiculous age and I feel like I'm doing something wrong.  Am I the only one who does that?  Anywho..on October 1st she nursed for the last time!  I decided once she reached 1 year old (back in May) that I'd let her nurse for however long she wanted to.  I figured she'd push me away when she was done.  And that she did.  I was a little shocked..but not totally suprised either.  What suprised me even more was what happened the VERY SAME DAY.  She just took off walking!  Guess she decided she was going to become a big girl all in one day! 
• Now..yes..Makayla was 16 months old before she started walking (though she'd been taking a few steps for a whole month prior)..but that was ok with me.  My peditrician told me at her last wellness visit (at 12 months) that they don't even look for them to start walking until at least 15 months old.  Anything before that is fine of course, but she just let me know that was the norm.  I know with experience from everything else..kids learn things at their own pace, in their own timing.  Just because a book says something doesn't mean your kid is going to do it exactly that way.  It doesn't mean they are going to do it in exactly the same time.  They might do it earlier..or later.  I had a run in with someone in the community (who shall remain nameless, but is the same person who said I looked like a 'fat cow' when I was pregnant..for anyone who remembers!) the other day and when I told them Makayla was walking..their reply was, "Well I was starting to wonder about her!".  Wonder what...thought myself..your NOT trying to say something is wrong with my child developmentally!  Let's just say my mama bear instincts inside were roaring..but the Christian in me prevailed and with God's help my mouth stayed shut!
• Oh..and today we got our car paid off!!!!

That's about it for now..hope you've enjoyed catching up!

It's the Great Pumpkin!

Linking up here and here today!

On Friday, we headed to one of my favorite festivals our great state of West Virginia has to offer.  The Pumpkin Festival in Milton!!  We try to go to this every year..they have the biggest pumpkins on display that were grown around the state as well as some tasty treats (pumpkin ice cream!).    The weather was perfect and it was a great day!

The pumpkins!

The biggest one this year..it weighed in at 951 pounds!

Baby Girl had a good time too!

We had to take a picture here instead of the 'prettier' display..a certain other mommy and her little daughter were hogging the display area taking pictures..which I don't mind..but give other people a chance too!

Who cares about the pumpkins..walking in this grassy/hay-like area is more fun!

Not much into looking at the camera...

The one picture I managed to get of Damon..he got some fresh roasted corn to eat..yum!

Cute old stage coach



I thought the display of american flags on the bank this year was absolutely gorgeous!  Usually they line up (in rows) pumpkins that the school children have decorated here..but this year they put them somewhere else (right where you come in) and put the flags on the banks this year..MUCH better and so nice!!

After all the craziness from the previous days events, the trip to the Pumpkin Festival this year was definately what the doctor ordered!!