Category Archives: Fave Five on Friday

FFF ~ Full, Fuller, Fullness…

Time to get together and think on the good things from this past week. I’m joining in with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story our lovely hostess for Friday’s Fave Five.

1. Last Friday we were traveling home from San Diego but before we left I had a nice walk along the waterfront. It was good to walk in the sunshine and see new things.

2. On Sunday we became members of our church. It is a good step for us. Here’s a photo from our current sermon series. The series is called Desperate Days.

3. On Monday I traveled to Canada to get together with the MGCC girls to celebrate a special birthday for two of our girls! What a wonderful time we had at Harrison Hot Springs.

4. After another busy day on Tuesday I had a totally free day on Wednesday. I love days like that mixed in with my busy days. Sleeping in with no time crunch schedule is so peaceful. Being able to enjoy my coffee while reading and watching the sun rise and little birds coming to the feeder is a good way for me to start the day. Don’t worry y’all, the feeder is full again!!

5. We started up our small group again after our holiday break and it’s meeting at our house. It was good to get re-connected.

Hope you have time to consider the good things from your past week. I hope to get around and see what your favorites were. Are you throwing a Super Bowl party or going to one?

FFF ~ Moving Forward…

Oh so much to be thankful for. It’s nice to link up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share our favorite blessings of the past week.

1. With the help of our DIL’s grandmother we were able to book this space for the rehearsal dinner for Katie and Andrew’s wedding. It really is the right place at the right price for our needs. Yippee!

2. After meeting my DIL and her grandmother at the clubhouse we came home just before the new queen mattress set was brought in by Josh and Dear. Laura and I put all the linens on the bed and then we had lunch with my sister Lana and  BIL Steve joining us. The bedroom is still in transition and once it’s complete I’ll post some before and after photos.

3. On Sunday we had a new sermon series start at church and on Tuesday our Women’s Bible Study resumed.

4. I shocked myself by taking the plunge and finally trying on Mother of the Bride dresses. I picked two dresses and 2 pairs of shoes and I’ll have the girls give me their opinions on which if any of the two I should choose.

So…do you think I should keep the dress that goes with the black shoes or the dress that goes with the silver shoes?

5. Thursday night our small group from church joined other volunteers to cook a meal and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to take downtown to a location under the interstate where meals are served Monday thru Thursday nights to anyone who shows up there. We made a taco rice dish with salads, bread and dessert to serve along with coffee, hot chocolate, water and tea. The taco rice dish stayed nice and hot for the whole duration of serving. We served at least 150 people and they were very appreciative and pleasant. Several young men looked like they could have been my sons…  It was a good time for all of us. The ministry is called The Lord’s Table.

I’m getting a late start this morning. Because we didn’t start serving food till after 8 P.M. last night I got home late and got into bed way later than usual. I was surprised when the phone woke me up at 8:23 A.M. Sheesh! The sun is shining bright with clear skies so we are in for a nice chilly day. Hope you all have a nice weekend.

FFF ~ Back To It!

I’ve been away for awhile but it’s time again to get back to Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story. It’s always good to look back and see the good things in your life.

1. It was good to get back to somewhat of a routine.

2. Dear and I rearranged some furniture and are enjoying a “new look”.

3. In the process of rearranging we purged some items that we don’t need and just got in the way. January is a great month to purge. Hopefully I can purge some of those holiday pounds, too.

4. We have enjoyed some wonderful sunrises.

5. Phone conversations with my daughter and daughter in law.

It’s January and for us we are still in celebration mode as both our sons were born in January. We are already looking forward to a birthday meal together. How’s January going for you?

FFF ~ Thankful for…

It’s time to join Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for our favorites from this past week. So many things to be thankful for. Most likely this will be the last FFF I will be able to participate in till late December.

1. Just getting ready for our Thanksgiving meal which we are having early this year makes me thankful. My decorations are very minimal this year but it was good to clean up and to decorate. I love sitting and relaxing in my home when it is really clean and organized.

2. Our son Dan drove across the Cascades on Wednesday to spend a few days and to be here for our Thanksgiving meal. I’m thankful he made it across the pass safely when several cars were spinning out in the snowfall. Our son Josh drove over to see his brother and sister for the evening. I was sitting on the couch enjoying being with our 3 adult children enjoying each other. These times get fewer and farther between with their lives going in different directions.

3. Our daughter Katie is getting to the “oh my gosh I only have this many days before I move stage” and this makes her chatter. It’s been good to take care of lots of last minute stuff with her.

4. I’ve been cooking so much for crowds these days that Thanksgiving preparations seem like a breeze in my head so I’m enjoying the relaxation of this new feeling. My family does not want surprises on Thanksgiving but just want the traditional goodies. This makes for a very predictable and known cooking process…

5. One of the biggest blessings of this last week was planning, preparing, and enjoying our daughter Katie’s bridal shower last Saturday evening. It was so great to see so many old friends of ours and Katie’s. Katie was showered with love and gifts. Prayers on her and Andrew’s behalf were so precious. At the end of our evening the power went out. Thankfully we already had several candles lit and gathered up more to give us more light. My sister Lana walked people to their cars with a flashlight because it was so dark outside with no streetlights.

What is making you thankful this week?

FFF ~ November Already…

Here we are in November and our thoughts more than usual turn to thankfulness. On Fridays we join Susanne with Friday’s Fave Five recalling our favorite things from the week.

1. Lana, Laura, Katie and I had a crafting party of sorts last Saturday. Although our production was real slow and we yielded only 6 little Matryoshka dolls we enjoyed loads of laughter. The making tears fall kind of laughter.

2. Our Pastor finished up the series on Spiritual Warfare on Sunday. One of the great things we were reminded of is that the battle has been won and we respond from a position of victory. We also were shown a great photo of the Shield of Faith and how shields were used in battle forming a solid wall of protection. This was accomplished with others beside you and behind you. We need each other.

3. I’m so thankful for my new faucet and my husband who installed it.

4. I really had a fun night opening the door for our Trick or Treaters! We had a lot and my daughter’s face makeup only scared away one little girl. I had to run after her to give her a candy!

5. I mowed the lawn one day this week and because of all the leaves it was a longer than usual workout. I was beat and when Dear came home from work he knew he was taking me out for dinner. Dear, Katie and I shared some great appetizers and we split a Kobe burger 3 ways. A good meal with no clean up is priceless after a hard workout!

I’ve noticed some bloggers who are posting a thankful post every day in November. It’s been great to read them. We have so much to be thankful for…

I’m looking forward to a weekend with nothing scheduled except for church on Sunday morning. Woohoo! How’s your weekend shaping up?

FFF ~ Cornucopia

My life has been filled to the brim, a type of cornucopia…

cor·nu·co·pi·a [kawr-nuh-koh-pee-uh, -nyuh-]

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea.
2. a representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance.
3. an abundant, overflowing supply.
4. a horn-shaped or conical receptacle or ornament.
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Susanne at Living to Tell the Story helps us join together in highlighting our blessings (favorites) from this past week. I was missing in action last week so my favorites are from the last couple of weeks.
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My horn of plenty has been filled with family, friends, food, travel, and good fellowship.
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1. I traveled to Sacramento for my friend Kathy’s memorial service and was blessed with time with loved ones and new friends. We cried, laughed, remembered, and ate good food together. I did some homework before I left for Sacramento because I knew I’d be on my own for a few meals. I was pleased with the spots I found online and that I could find them navigating by myself in the rental car.
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2. We’ve been blessed with free hotel stays because of previous paid hotel stays. This really has come in handy. Because of a business trip earlier in the year I was able to get my hotel room in Sacramento for free. For an upcoming  trip in North Carolina our son Dan is sharing his points to give us 5 free nights. Since my daughter and I have to travel on the Monday after Thanksgiving which is costing a fortune, getting the free hotel nights lightens the blow!
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3. Last Friday I was traveling to Canada and that’s why I missed FFF. The Mennonite Girls were participating at the West Coast Women’s Show in the Winks booth and on the Kitchen stage. I was blessed again and again the two days I was there. Anneliese shared her home and kitchen with me…such a blessing. Wendy from Winks gave us a lovely spot to sign books. We were well received by the ladies that paid for the show and watched our kitchen stage presentations.
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4. When I got home from Canada my family room was full of family! Our son from across the mountains traveled to spend a few days with us. We had lots of good times together eating some of our favorite foods and enjoying each others company.
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5. Our daughter Katie got the “phone call” telling her when she needed to be in North Carolina to sign for her and Andrew’s housing. After we all freaked out for several hours we made our travel arrangements and were able to breathe again and relax in knowing that God is always there helping us through the big and small things in our lives. It was a “reality” moment making it clear that soon our nest will really be empty. All the wrap up stuff before Katie leaves is happening. Dear and Katie had a few dancing lessons for the Father and Bride dance. They practiced in our family room last night and I totally teared up. Oye! Life marches on…
I want to be perfectly honest here and let you all know that there was a lot of freaking out stressful moments before God’s calm hit our hearts last Thursday in hearing the “let’s go to North Carolina news!” Thankfully the panic lasted just a couple hours!
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Hope you had a week of knowing you are loved by God and He has his eye on you… “His eye is on the Sparrow and I know he watches me”

FFF ~ Fullness

Time to link with Susanne at Living to tell the Story for our favorites from this past week.

The theme for my week was filled to the brim, full, fullness…

Fullness:

1. The state of being filled to capacity 2. The state of having eaten enough or more than enough and feeling full.

1. Friday last we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with our Canadian neighbors. My sister and her husband joined us for a Honey baked spiral ham, cheesy scalloped potatoes, asparagus casserole and rolls. We were full and satisified.

2. Saturday we had a lazy time vegging out in our robes most of the day.  Definition of vegging: to spend time idly or passively. Synonyms: chill, dally, dawdle, hang about, lounge, kick back… And what made this mood successful were all the leftovers from our Canadian Thanksgiving the night before.

3. A new series at church called “This is War”. Our pastor began a series on Spiritual warfare and the first sermon was so encouraging and practical.

4. On Monday Dear, Katie and I had a menu food tasting for the wedding next March. We got to eat so many delicious choices. It was a fun task to narrow down our choices keeping in mind our guests which include some lactose and gluten intolerant individuals.

5. Hearing from Josh and Laura from Hawaii where they are celebrating their tenth anniversary. It’s great to hear that our very hard working kids are getting some much needed fun and relaxation in a tropical setting!

Hope all is well in your part of the world. I’m headed to Sacramento on Sunday to attend my friend Kathy B.’s memorial service. If you think of it I’d appreciate your prayers for her husband Bill and her sister Jeanie as they walk through this separation on earth.

FFF ~ Hello October!

October is taking off with a whirlwind of activity around here. We have so much to be thankful for. The last 7 days have been full to the brim. Here are some favorites from that time. I’m joining with Susanne at Living to tell the Story with Friday’s Fave Five.

1. On Saturday I hit the road early for 2 book signings with the Mennonite Girls. Our first stop was in Washington very close to the Canadian border and the 2nd signing was in Vancouver, B.C. It was a great day with 6 of the other girls. We had time to chat and we met old friends and new friends. I logged in a little over 200 miles on my car that day.

2. On Sunday Josh and Laura came over for a casual meal and we had a good time of catching up.

3. On Monday Katie and I met with her wedding planner and got a lot of details sorted out. I snapped the photo of Katie in front of the post office mailing off the wedding invitations. Even though the wedding is far off 75% or more of our guests are from out of state so we want to give people time to plan their trip.

4. Tuesday night Josh and Laura picked me up for the Sounders Soccer game playing for the U.S. Cup. It was an epic night and we were so happy to win for the 3rd year in a row.

5. We’re beginning to feel more and more connected at our new church. We thank God for bringing us to this place at this time.

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving so I want to wish all my Canadian friends a Happy Thanksgiving. I’ve decided to make a non turkey Thanksgiving dinner tonight. We’re having a spiral cut honey baked ham, scalloped potatoes, an asparagus casserole (more details to follow) and rolls. I’m nixing the dessert this time around. There’s enough cream in the potatoes to count as dessert! OH CANADA! Be Thankful! We’re thankful for our friendly neighbors to the North!

I hate to be a broken record….but if you don’t see a comment from me on your Fave Five it means blogger won’t let me comment.

FFF ~ Goodbye September!

Gratitude is a very good thing. Every Friday we join Susanne at Living to Tell the Story in sharing 5 good things from our past week. Wow can you believe we are already saying goodbye to September?!

A good friend died this past Sunday. Why would I share that in my 5 good things? I’m so thankful to God that I got to know Kathy and that I learned so much from her struggles and her attitude. She knew she was going home and would be with her Savior. Her husband wrote a beautiful tribute to her on Kathy’s blog that you can read here.

As you can see from the photo above we have had some beautiful sunny days this week after some cloudy rainy days. It was nice to get out and enjoy the weather with my camera.

God worked out timing for me to be able to be part of a lot of important events in October including Kathy’s memorial service in Sacramento.

Completed projects around the house.

We decided instead of just me and Katie going to North Carolina to get her settled in base housing before Andrew returns from Afghanistan that Dear would travel with us, too. It will be great to have a man along with us while we get some basics set up for Andrew’s return.

October is as full as a pumpkin for me. How’s your October shaping up? Hope to come around soon and see what you are up to.

FFF~ Hello Fall!

Not only is it Friday again but we are officially in our Fall Season. There are some things that do not change with the seasons and one of those things is the need to show our gratitude or to think on the good things in our lives. Thank you to Susanne for hosting Friday’s Fave Five!

1. Last Saturday our son picked me up for the Seattle Sounders Soccer game against D.C. United. Not only did we win big but we managed to get our hands on a couple free Sounders lunch boxes. They were handing these out to all the kids that came to the game. At half-time when they had boxes left over they let us oldies have one, too, until they ran out.

2. On Sunday after a great church service we went to a Welcome to the Family meeting for new members at church. We are so grateful to finally settle into a home church that is a good fit for us and so close to home. This church is the closest to us in 40+ years of church going…

3. Although Dear and Katie passed along a sick bug to me my bug was very mild and I was feeling well after just a couple days.

4. Katie and I went shopping for wedding jewelery and came up with some great pieces to go with her dress and the price was right.

5. I was grateful for the fresh herbs on my deck that added wonderful flavor to dishes this week. It’s great to just go out and snip the herbs rather than go to the store and pay too much for them.

Hope you are all having a great transition to Fall. I still have to get out and about and see if I can find some great fall color.