Tradition #1

Through the next week, until Christmas day, I will do a blog post everyday about a Holiday tradition that we have at our house. I hope this gets you in the Christmas spirit!

#1- Let's start with the tree... Every year when I was young my family and I would drive out to a Christmas Tree farm to cut down our desired tree. After it was sawed down we would drag that tree for what seemed like miles to get it ready to take home. Even though it was freezing, I always loved going with the whole family.

A few years ago that Tree farm was shut down for business, so we settled for picking a tree at Lowe's. Most recently, we have gotten our tree from a local tree dealer from North Carolina. They have great trees.

For some reason we have always had a live tree. I guess it just smells like Christmas in the house. I can't imagine a Christmas without a tree. Great memories!

Where do you get your tree??

That time of year

Christmas lights, stockings, trees, nutcrackers, candles, shopping, cookies, ornaments, candy canes, ginger bread houses, caroling, bells, sweaters, Santa hats, fuzzy socks... 

yup it's that time of year. Let the count down begin.

Chacos... their very own post!

 

My beloved Chacos have made a few quick appearances on this here blog, but now I think it is about time that I formally introduce you to them...

My Chacos have been just about everywhere with me. You saw them in a picture to Colorado last summer, in a picture at the Grand Canyon... so yes, I like to say that they have traveled all over the U.S. These Chacos have been my companion for about 3 years now and they are still in tip-top shape! They are great shoes. I would barely even call them a sandal... I walked all over Arizona in these shoes and they never let me down:)

So, since these shoes have treated me so well these past few years and will in the years to some, I thought they deserved their own post...

Dear Scarecrow,

Dear Scarecrow,

You will soon be taken down, put in the attic and replaced by Santas... but don't worry things will be ok. I will miss you, because as you leave, fall goes with you. Don't worry things will be alright. I'll See you next year.

Until then, Maddy

Thank You

Thank You for Your Word

Thank You for Your promises

Thank You for Your sacrifice, Your blood shed

Thank You for Your blessing

Thank you for Your guidence

Thank You for Your love

Your protection, Your power, Your might

Thank You for Your silence

Thank You for Your patience, Your persistence

Thank You for Your people

my family and friends

Thank You for a second chance.

-Amen

Happy Thanksgiving!! We have so much to be thankful for:)

5 things...

5 things... 5 things i like, enjoy, or things that just plain make me happy:)

 

 

Shadow pictures. Any kind of shadow. I love them, they are so unique. I especially like shadows on a building from trees. The best shadows make an appearance around 3-4 o'clock.

Bare feet. Their the best. None can compete, except maybe Chacos, but that is for a later post. Bottom line... i love bare feet, they make me feel free :)

Mirror pictures always turn out so neat. I love taking mirror pictures and looking at other people's mirror pictures. Mirror pics can tell a lot about a person from small details that you have to pay close attention to.

 

 

 

Fall leaves. Who doesn't like fall leaves?  They are gorgeous, unique, and make the world so colorful. Fall leaves is one of the reasons that I am almost completely against leaf blowers... just let the leaves fall where they may...

Apples, refreshing, sweet, satisfying, enjoyable crunch... bliss. I cut my apples a special way that makes them even more enjoyable... i wouldn't say I am the only one that cuts my apples that way, but I like to think so sometimes ;)

Psalm 139:13

"you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

-Psalm 139:13

I have recently gotten into knitting, I actually knit an entire scarf, and let me be the one to tell you that it took a l.o.n.g time! A lot of endurance and diligence, not to mention time go into knitting a scarf or anything for that matter. The cool thing about knitting is that you can do it anyway you want, it's your creation.

For me to think about being knit together in my mother's womb is pretty incredible. Not only did He knit my body, but He knit together my spirit, my character, my mind, my soul. He knit me together in a way that no one else is knit together. That's pretty special... no, that's really special!

The scarf that I knit is really special to me, because it is something I spent a lot of my time on. If my purple scarf is that special to me, I can only imagine how special I am to the Maker.

"November's Party"

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~Albert Camus

October November gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, "October's November's Party"
 

No Complaints...

It's a great day to be alive, the sun's still shining when I close my eyes...

 Life's great... the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the leaves are a wonderful array of warm colors, the clouds are unique, the birds are out and singing (my cat is on the prowl), it's sweater weather, thanksgiving is near, I love my friends, I love my family, God is good, I have no complaints...

The Power of Love

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix

*Pictures at Washington park and downtown... Oct. 3oth

Oct. 31st

 

We don't usually do much for Halloween except maybe handing out candy to small neighborhood children, occasionally going to a Halloween party hosted by friends... nothing big.

One thing I really enjoy about October 31st is seeing all the little tots parading down the streets in their super hero and princess costumes, huge smiles on their faces, chocolate smudges smeared across their lips, carrying a bag of candy that weighs more than they do.

This year was extra special... at least it was for a camera nerd like me... :)

I got the privileged of possessing a Canon Rebel Xis for the whole weekend. The camera belongs to the person I take pictures for at FPD events, and he was so kind to let me keep it for the weekend, and let me tell you I was on cloud nine for the last couple days until I was forced to give it back.- Telephoto lens, manual zoom, auto focus...a camera nerd's dream... *harp music

So, My first thought was... Ok, I have this great camera... where do I even begin? 

Well, my mom took me downtown to Ridge Avenue (the 'hoppin' neighborhood) on the night of trick-or-treat.  There were t.o.n.s of people... so many that several police men were in need. 

I felt like such a creeper with my huge camer snapping pictures... so I only took a few...

Next my mom took me to Washington Park to 'snap some pics'- which i will post later.

The weather was great, the night was fun.

After dinner at a deep-dish pizza restaurant downtown we ended the night with a show at the Grand Oprah House :)

Nothing too exciting, but something fun and out of the ordinary to enjoy!

It's November??

Ok, am I the only one that is trying to grasp the fact that is is already November 1st?

Not July, not September... NOVEMBER!? 

I was just counting down the days until Summer break... hyper-speed studying for my last exam and... I did what I told myself not to do... what I tell myself not to do every January 1st... I blinked. Why do I keep doing that?

I'm not sure why... but I did, and now, here I sit, dumbfounded, flabbergasted at the fact Christmas is less than 2 months away. It's crazy to look back and see all the ways that I have grown this year. Not only have I gained a few inches length wise (yeah that's right I used to be a shrimp-o), but I have also grown spiritually. I've dug deeper into the word, searched harder for His will, my eyes have been opened, my ears have heard. 

Now I can only think... a year from now... where will I be? If so much had changed this year, what about next year. What else will I learn? Where else will this road lead me?

My mind can't even grasp the thought of where I will be next year, but what's great is... I don't have to worry about it, I just get to sit back, relax and watch the Maker do His thing :)