I Need Your Help...

Oh my sweet blog readers, I am so sorry for my absence! I have been battling lovely sinus issues and been a little stressed, but I am back. I am ready to catch up on my sweet fellow bloggers posts that I have missed for the last week and a half. I have missed posting as well and have lots to catch up on but today I need to ask you a favor. I have a few prayer requests for you guys.

• I am, as you may remember, taking blood thinners, for my DVT. This past Wednesday I went to the doctor and had my usual labs drawn. The results came back and my levels were high, meaning my blood is to thin. So this is not good it places me at a higher bleeding risk. My doctor adjusted my dose and I go back in 5 days for a recheck of my labs.
• My sweet friend Victoria, her husband Cody and daughter Logan are going through a hard time right now. Cody's father was in a horrible motorcycle accident about 2 weeks ago. He is still in the ICU and in critical condition. Please pray for him, his name is Bryan.
• Ok so you may be wondering why I am stressed. It is a little thing called a job. I have had a really hard time finding one. I have applied for 21 jobs and been rejected from all of them since I have no experience. Ugh super frustrating. So I have applied to Duke University Hospital's Specialty Nurse Internship Program. They are accepting applications for new grad RN's. So please pray that I hear back from them soon and get called for an interview or that God opens a new door.
  
• Finally I ask for your prayers for fellow blogger MckMama. Her son Stellan is in the Pediatric ICU. You can read his story and battle for life since the womb here. To find out more about him and his current condition visit www.mycharmingkids.net or follow her on twitter @MckMama.

"With God all things are possible"
Matthew 19:26
"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."
Psalm 1:24
"Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands."
Psalm 78:7
"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love"
Psalm 33:18

Thank you for your prayers.
I am so thankful I serve a AWESOME God who hears our prayers!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.We all have our imperfections and done things we would rather forget. Every Monday MckMama tells about her imperfections and things she certainly did not do and poses the opportunity for her readers to do the same. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here is goes my first Not Me Monday post.

I was not at all LAZY this past week, not me. I certainly did not sleep past 11 am five days this past week, no not me.I most definitely did not wash a load of towels and then forget about them for two days. Nor did I still dry them and just throw extra dryer sheets in the dryer so they would not smell mildewed, not me. I did not spend most days not doing anything but laying on the couch watching T.V. instead of cleaning my home, not me. I surely did not throw clean shirts I had tried on but not worn in the dirty clothes basket instead of hanging them up. Even if it means I will have more work for me in the end, not me.

What did you not do this week. Write a comment response to this blog it truly is therapeutic!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and Pumpkins....

Sorry ya'll for the delay, Bob was on fall break from seminary classes last week so he was home a lot more than usual. Therefore, instead of blogging I enjoyed quality time with my hubby. This post is all about pumpkins. One of the first things people associate with the season fall is pumpkins. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I love simply pumpkins, the are great for decor and carving. I was able to carve my first one last year (picture to right) and can not wait to do one again this year. I am hoping in the next few days Bob and I can go pick out our pumpkins. While surfing online for pumpkin ideas I came across some cute sites. So I thought I would share and hopefully upload some pictures of my own soon!

Here are a few links to my favorite sites of ideas:

Hershey's: the offer great tips to carving and templates for free

Country Living Pumpkins: unique carving designs

Pumpkin Lady: this site has templates you can purchase & free ones there are some cute ideas!

Martha Stewart Pumpkins: this site has templates too!

Huggies: They have Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty Templates

As far as Pumpkin Decor:

How about this cutie from Martha Stewart! Pumpkin Creatures

How about this Cinderella pumpkin from Hallmark's Fantasy Pumpkins- I LOVE IT!

I love Her Southern Charm decor:

The Party Dress also has some adorable ideas:

I hope if you were looking for ideas this helps or inspired you to get creative. If you have any great links or pictures of your own online simply post the links in my comments section, I love feedback. If your not a follower of my blog please become one, I love to see who reads my ramblings (simply click follow the blog at the top where the blogger bar is or on the right side there is a followers box)!

Happy Fall Decorating and Carving!

Check out this giveaway...

I went to college with this gal's husband. She is having a giveaway on her blog go check it out!

Click Here!

http://matandwhitney.blogspot.com/2009/09/life-and-times-first-giveaway.html

Happy Friday!

Remembering Poppa...

I am on the verge of tears as I write this blog today. Today marks two years since the passing of my beloved grandfather, who we lovingly referred to as Poppa. My heart is still heavy with grief and filled with sweet memories. My grandfather, was like no other. He loved to give others a hard time and would say whatever he felt at whatever moment with no other thought. I remember the many lunches and dinners spent at his favorite restaurants: The Quickie, El, Maya, Old Times and Waffle House. I look back on the times we spent discussing his life growing up, the stories that brought many laughs and "you really did that". I remember fishing on the lake and him always messing with a tackle box, or taking apart and then putting a fishing pole back together. I even loved that my grandfather was a temperamental man, it all was part of his character. When he was sick I enrolled in nursing school. He used to say, "When you get done you can take me out of here and be my nurse." During my first semester of nursing school I got the phone call in Mobile, saying that he had passed and that was truly the hardest time in my life. I had never lost any one that close to me at that point. Saying goodbye was so difficult, I could not wrap my mind around the fact that I would never see him again. He is one of the reasons I never gave up throughout the difficulties of nursing school. I would remember how he proudly told his nurses I was going to be a nurse and take care of him one day. This year that dream care true when I received my nursing degree and was pinned. I wished he could have been there. Even more so at my wedding, the pain stung like a knife when he was not there to see me marry the love of my life, nor is he in the pictures I have with me today. I am so thankful to have had my Poppa in my life for so long. I miss his dentureless smile, and him saying "I love you too" on the phone. I even miss his complaining. I am so grateful that the Lord blessed me with a wonderful grandfather. I miss him dearly and today I remember him and celebrate his presence in my life! I will always miss him but will see him one day soon in heaven.

It is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say

It is well, It is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul

It is well, It is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part, but the whole
Has been nailed to the cross
So I bear it no more
Praise The Lord, praise The Lord, oh my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and The Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul

It feels like Fall...

It truly feels like fall here in North Carolina. I have woken up to mornings this week that it is 48 degrees outside and the highest temperature this week was 76! I absolutely love this weather. The early mornings I am up I find myself bundled up on the back porch enjoying my coffee and the cool weather. Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon on the porch, tackling a crafty project and working on things on my computer. How could I resist beautiful 68 degree weather. I hope that you are enjoying fall as well. To celebrate my favorite season I have a basket of delicious North Carolina apples on my kitchen table, and I made my first wreath. Monday night I went Connecting Point which is a gathering for the women of Southeastern Seminary. The theme was get crafty which inspired my creative venture to make a wreath. So I went to Micheal's and purchased the supplies for less the 10 dollars. I then looked at an online tutorial began my venture. I was really happy with the end result. It was also a lot of fun! Now my fall wreath hangs proudly on our front door.

The yummy apples on our kitchen table...

Beginning the wreath making process...

The finished product...

Long overdue...

This post was promised a while back. I spent the first 2 weeks of September visiting my family in Georgia and took a lot pictures but here are a few from that wonderful visit.

My 97 year old great-grandmother and I

My Nana and I

My bestie came for a visit-Best Friends divided AL-AU. I miss Heather.

Saragrace- hamming it up, this little booger is who is in most of my pictures

My mommy and I

My silly dad
Cuteness- little miss Saragrace playing with the ipod she loved that it played music outloud
Kait and I with my Grandfather
My little sister Kait and I after our haircuts

I simply cant wait to see this sweet one year old agian- she smiles when you pull out the camera

Hope you enjoyed a few pictures from my visit!