Royal Ambassador CampOut

We were invited to the R. A. Campout. I heard someone say something about "at the Lake" and "Lake house" so I thought it was a safe bet that I could go with our little boys for a while with no problem.

HO HO. We arrived (after only bottoming out in the Accord once on the mile long, pot-hole filled, dirt path) to find this:


Then THIS arrived!!!!!



Thank you for the demonstration, but I'm going home NOW!



Here are some of the guys!

Not sure what the symbolism is with this tree... but I just snapped it anyway.. figured it was a "guy" or "rugged Campout" thing.


Turns out that "lake" really meant "RIVER" and "house" really meant "Tent."

What a beautiful spot it was! We had so much fun eating hot dogs burnt on a BLAZING fire, roasting marshmellows to make smores, chatting, laughing, and watching boys just be Boys.

Faith, Family, Friends... that sums it up!

Last week all this was delivered to our house!!! #2 Appreciation supper! (October has not been kind to my waistline!)


These two ladies helped to arrange the meal. The one on Gideon's bike did the flowers and brought the gourd candles that were so cute. The other made an apple pie in an iron skillet!!


Entertainment for the boys was included in the package too. (I may give up eating out and just have meals delivered!) too bad they don't cater.


The boys LOVED using Pumpkins (grown by some other church folks - THANK YOU) like Mr. Potato head - old school style. (Did you know Mr. Potato head used to just contain the parts and you had to supply the spud???)




Note my newly refinished table top! Hubby did a GREAT job! That was our first meal on it too!

Thank you to ALL the sweet Red Hill folks who poured out so much love to us during this Pastor appreciation month.... and all year long.

We serve an Awesome God, and some pretty Great Folks too!

I had a Birthday Tuesday!!

Blowing out the candles... it's so much fun that we have a tradition of doing it twice!


Carvel Ice Cream Cake. Like no other. EVER. It's my Birthday and I CAN lick the plate with my blue tongue.


I now have this great hair and makeup table thanks to a thoughtful Husband. I had to paint and recover the chair... but I love it all!


Happy Birthday to meeeeee!! Thank you Lord for another year to serve You!

Busy days around here!

My Honey has been Attacking the "Honey do list" with a vengeance during these last three weeks! -insert big WHOO HOOO here-

This past Saturday we thought we would do some projects... this is the third Saturday that we have been working on home improvement stuff. We are taking advantage of the great weather. I must say though, last Saturday, October 10th, it was over 85 degrees and about 90% humidity!! So, we cleaned out the garage.... and our pores tooooooo!! Some fall weather. :) Anyway, it was cooler this past Saturday, a mere seven days later... VERY cool! It was about 58 degrees, I think. Too bad we sold Rodney's old (way too big now) coat on Ebay!! He couldn't very well stain and sand in his new jacket. ... so I, kindly, suggested that he do all the sanding so he could stay warm.

This table has served us well. We picked it up at a yard sale in Knoxville, TN for a mere $50 for the table, two leaves, and 5 chairs. The top has never been perfect, but as the years have gone by it has gotten tacky. So, we are sanding and refinishing just the top. I think we matched it pretty good too!

The boys enjoyed the very chilly day outside too.


Daddy said he would pay them a penny per pecan if they'd pick them up. (Is it overprotective if your child wears a helmet to pick up pecans??)


Ready for the first coat! That one table leaf is just a home made one that came with it.... thus the non matching.


Time to warm up. This is just after the monumental first Hot Chocolate of the Season!! The boys LOVE hot chocolate. (note the substitute kitchen table)

Rodney pulled his OLD Simon game out and tried to teach them to play it. Boy, was that a hoot!!! The game would blink, Red, Blue. Gideon would push blue!! Then it would do Red, Blue, Green and He would hit GREEN!!! AHHHHH It was SO funny! Perhaps 5 year olds REALLY can't play games rated for 7 and up.


Those Red Hillers reading this might say this is Rodney "Practicing what he Preached." Sunday it was all about not complaining.



Well, let me tell you, the whole time he scraped that putrifying, decaying mouse off of the floor behind the washing machine, he didn't complain a bit!!!!! Not even from the horrendous, nauseating smell! ACKKKK


No complaining here as he cleans rotting mouse off the rake!! LOL (I'm dying laughing here.) But he really didn't complain...actually we had to laugh over our first major complaining test of the Day.


Ok, on to other things.

See this chair? Got it for $20 in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania at a thrift store about 6 or more years ago. (I had recovered the seat, obviously during my "Plaid" phase. Did anyone else have a plaid phase?)

Sorry for the bad photo, I actually forgot to take a "before" and had to dig this one up and crop it out.



Saturday and Today I painted and recovered it. Now it goes with my new makeup table in my bedroom. Don't ya love my oval mirror??? $2 at a yard sale in Knoxville, didn't even have to paint it!! (the sign above it says ---> Seaside Delightful Days ) My Sweetheart got the table and lamp for me for my B-day!!


What a blessed girl I am!!


One non-complaining day down..... lots to go!

Do you remember Haman?? The Jews sure do.

This is an odd post for me, but I was reading Israel My Glory magazine and came across this article. I was intrigued by the song. Then I read the word "Hamantachen" and actually knew what it meant!! Haman's Hat!!! (click on picture to enlarge it)

After I got over my shock (that my brain still functions well enough to recall that) I remembered where I had seen that word before.

It was on this recipe that Wendy had given me years ago.

Here's a close up of the pic in the article. I wonder if this is the ones in my recipe??

Anyway, you can enlarge the picture and hopefully read the article. It was so interesting to me. Happy Wednesday to ya!

@ the park

This was last Thursday. The weather was just so pretty that we headed for the park.


Me and my trusty camera case. The yellow and blue blurr in the background is Gabe.


Strangest see saw ever!! Guess that's why Rodney's cracking up.


He matched the playground!!!

The family that slides together.....

This little bird loves a playground.

We had never seen a 3 way slide before this one!

We are so enjoying fall. Hope you are!

Pastor Appreciation Supper!

Tonight four wonderful ladies in our church brought supper to our house for Pastor appreciation Month!!

Complete with flowers, the meal included:
pears
sweet corn
green beans
candied yams (hammy yams as Gideon says)
butter (lima, for us Northerns) beans (they must have known I am completely inept at making southern butter beans like my Husband loves.)
broccoli casserole
home made sour dough bread
home made rolls
butter pecan bread (I tried not to eat the whole loaf)
slices of cake (didn't have room to taste and see what kind)
pumpkin cookies for the boys
dog bones for the boys (graham crackers)

OH, and rotisserie chicken... how could I forget... Gabe tore up a leg and then licked the bone.... I have proof. ... see next pic.

Gideon couldn't get enough in at a time. Notice how many forks he has!!!

The boys greeted each lady at the door with pure excitement!

I hope I didn't forget anything... I don't FEEL like I forgot to eat anything. Whewwwww!
Thanks so very much to all the ladies who brought us food! It was so thoughtful and we enjoyed it very much!