Here I go... Doing another Hodgepodge... "Cause it's fun & I just love Joyce who hosts it... She is an amazing bloggy friend who I feel blessed to know in this here bloggy realm!

Click this little link below if you wanna join the fun!

1. It is officially fall here in North America...I realize not everyone who participates in the Hodgepodge lives in North America but if you do, what's your favorite memory of Summer 2011? If you're not in North America, what's your favorite memory of the season just ending on your side of the world?

At the beginning of the summer we hosted a youth group night at our house (just on a whim) and absolutely fell in love with these amazing kids... We had so much fun and such a connection they immediately started campaigning us to become the new youth leaders. (Something we'd never felt qualified to do.) We told them that night that they were welcome here anytime, and starting that night we had teens here nearly every night all summer... It would be easier to count the number of times we didn't have extra kiddos here. After MUCH prayer and meeting with the pastor and church leadership we came to see that the LORD was calling us to this, even if only for this season of our lives... This summer completely changed our lives and the direction of them. Yea!!!!

2. Your favorite nut? You know I mean the edible kind, right?

Hands down the cashew... Love 'em!


3. What activity puts your sense of balance to the test?

Like Joyce, I tend to have trouble walking... Uneven surfaces outside tend to get me... I try not to fall, since it hurts waaaaaaay more now then it did as a kid, but I usually fall at least a few times a year.

4. How would you describe your sense of humor?

I think I have a good sense of humor... I love to laugh and make others laugh... I tend to be a more then a bit sarcastic... I also have to fight the urge to keep it clean... Taming my tongue has been one of my hardest and constantly on going tasks...


5. September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day...what's your stupid question?

How do you keep a curious person in suspense?

6. Roller skates~hula hoop~jump rope...which activity would you most enjoy? Yes, you have to choose.

I tend to fall over so roller skates are no longer my friend... I am plus-sized so unless it is the larger hula-hoop I fear it would be a hula-belt... But since I injured my ankle about 14 years ago, I am the aforementioned "plus-sized"  and gravity is no longer my friend, jumping rope is virtually impossible... So since Joyce says I HAVE to choose, and this her her game... I'll go with the hula-hoop...

7. What's your most sentimental possession?

Hands down, my scrapbooks...
8. Insert your own random thought here.

Remember way at the end of that too long post yesterday I showed you my start of fall decorating? (If not you can catch up here) Well, I added the mirror last night... Actually Sparky and her boyfriend helped me get it way up there and put a hook on the wall to keep it from sliding and wiping out everything in front of it...

What do you think? I think I like it...

Here is another view...

(or the bear's rear view... HeHeHe... I kill myself...)



Random thought #2... I almost always wear khakis... They fit me better then jeans and go with everything... I also own several navy blue tees... It is a common color folks... I also shop at Wal-Mart more then I care to admit... It's a small town, I don't have a lot of options... People keep asking me to help them... Really folks, just because someone is wearing khakis and navy blue doesn't mean they work there... I know we assume most of the other "shoppers" will be in PJ pants or worse, but come on...

Thanks for listening,

Things to Make You Go Awwww...

This past weekend was the weekend of the much talked about baby shower. My cousin Jim's wife Janine is quite possibly the sweetest person on the planet so I really, really wanted to host a shower for her...

 Unfortunately it was supposed to be in late June or early July sometime, but for many reasons that did not happen... Sparky and I had already picked out the color theme then started back in May planning and purchasing for this "outdoor summer garden party baby shower." Fast forward to late September... The baby has arrived, the "shower" becomes a "welcoming" party... As for the theme... Well, take a look at the weather here on Saturday...

I don't know if you can tell, but it was rainy, gray and overall nasty... So much for outdoor... But having this shower inside our super tiny home required a lot of heavy lifting and planning...

Friday night after the girlies and their guys got back from the football game, I put them to work rearranging all the living room and kitchen furniture... We shifted what we could and moving into Sparky's bedroom what we couldn't shift... It was total mayhem... I was up until about 3:30 in the morning finishing the general set up. and preparing chicken salad... I was dog tired in the morning, but there was much to be done before our guests arrived at noon...

I didn't have room for a "welcome" table, so I just added the frame with the invite in it to the entertainment center... The girlies said they thought I'd put the invite in that frame crooked on purpose... We'll go with that..

 I had planned my summer decor for the top of the entertainment center around this party, so I had to leave it up until after it... I was itching from the first of the month for a change... I am so impatient.

Here is a look at the tables we set up in the middle of the kitchen...

These tables really filled the room up, but I do love the color combo Sparky chose.

Here are the little water bottles I did up for the party...

I did think they turned out pretty cute...

I put sparky in charge of decorating the table because by the time it was time to do this I had lost all ambition and a good deal of my will to live... (I am not cut out for only 2 1/2 hours sleep anymore.) To be truthful I am not a big fan of tables with stuff scattered all over them... I'd have left off the votive candles or clustered then closer to the center vase, put the candy in dishes and the starfish on each napkin as a take home... (Nobody realised they could take these so now I guess I am set for our next party.) Also we had found the little orange and turquoise shot glasses at Homegoods last summer for 4.99 a package and I had planned to put candy in each one at each place... We did this but Sparky believed they needed the tissue paper in them to look "festive"... Nobody knew there was candy in them, so we had plenty of snacks for the youth group kids who came by later...

I didn't say (nor will I ever) any of this to Sparky... Look how happy and proud she looks... Besides, it wouldn't have been done in time if she hadn't stepped up... And who cares if it wasn't how I'd have done it... It was pretty stinkin' cute either way...

Here (in the middle of the adjacent living room in our aforementioned tiny house) is the buffet table... This is before I put most of the food out, but I knew by that time I'd have little time for photos...

I did the little paper straws in the jelly/mason jars that you see all over the blog world for punch cups again... I just love this look and plan to do it again and again! I have a collection of bigger jars starting to build up in prep for our upcoming wedding season!

I needed to get at least one picture of the little peanut in here... I don't feel I can post one of the whole group since I didn't ask everyone if they would be willing to be on my blog, but the lady in white is my Aunt and the lady with baby Nathan is a relative by marriage and is in fact holding the baby, so they have no choice...

Janine (the mommy) is the second one in... Doesn't she even look sweet? Here she is with a friend from work and the girlies after the party... This was just before I kicked everyone out strongly hinted it was time to leave since several members of the youth group would be showing up soon... (Hey, three hours is one hour more then I allotted for this party... and I was dead tired... Besides the youth kiddos don't expect much... If I throw them a bag of chips they are happy, but ladies at a shower are high maintenance man...)

Here is a look at the whole set up... I think 12 is our indoor hosting capacity...

And in two weeks I am hosting approximately 30 here for an engagement party...

Yes, I have lost my mind...

 Speaking of adorable peanuts...

Meet David Ethan, born just yesterday to my best friend Beth (who lives in TN) and her husband Tom...

Here she is... I love this woman... She is a blessing in my life beyond measure... Her and her husband are amazing people and Paul and I miss them terribly. We are very glad they will be here for Cate's wedding (their daughter will be a flower girl) in June...

I really, really, really wanted to throw her a shower, but alas time, money and distance got in the way... I do have a little something up my sleeve, but since she reads my blog I will have to wait to tell you about it... But I am excited about it...

Finally, yesterday I was able to start my fall decorating...

I only brought one tote up, so I started with the top of the entertainment center... I need to go procure some pumpkins and gourds, but over all I feel I am off to a good start.

I do need something to go on that wall up there...

I have a mirror downstairs I think I'll try today...

Here is another angle...

And below are some close ups... Since you didn't ask...

Sparky bought me the flowers yesterday... I admired them in the store and she insisted on getting them for me... She says I do everything for everyone else, the least she could do is get me a $15 grocery store bouquet... Sweet girl, someone should let her know that the least a person can do is nothing, she did something, and for that I am blessed yet again.

(By the way you should have seen Jackson's face when he found out when I decorate with candy it's for looks only until the end of the season... He was so confused...)

 Thanks for listening, 

Another Run In With The Law...

I'm tellin' y'all... I'm a hardened criminal... Remember my last big run-in with the law? (you can read it here)

Last night when we got home from youth group we had another run-in... Cate went out on the back deck for a few minutes then Jackson joined her there... I can only imagine they went out there to talk... Hey, this is my story, if I say they were using their mouths for talking, so be it... Anyhow, (Wow, did things just get awkward?)... Sparky being the typical younger sister grabbed the spray bottle of water (that I use to deter the cats from scratching and the occasional teenager from sassing...) off the kitchen counter and decided to surprise them... It worked... Cate let out a yelp and Jackson gave chase, running smack into the screen door. (ouch...) When Cate caught up with Sparky she tickled her on the couch until she yelled "uncle"... They continued to tickle each other for a few minutes until I told the to "knock it off... Something is gonna get broken!" (ok, maybe I raised my voice... you caught me...) Anyhow, fast forward 20 minutes, we are all sitting in the living room mostly talking (wedding stuff) and watching a little TV when we hear a car in the drive way... Jackson sees a white sedan and assumes it is Sparky's boyfriend... Nope, it's the local police... Someone called in a "domestic disturbance" complaint assuming someone was being abused here! (Now, let's rewind... 20 MINUTES! Is that really a good response time for such a small basically crime free town???) As he walked up our porch he could see us all sitting around on the sofa... He looked as confused as we did. When I answered the door he told me why he was here, and (wait for it) I actually laughed in his face... It was so absurd... First of all... a tickle battle between sisters in no way sounds like abuse... It was laughter... Secondly, on any given night we have at least four but usually more teens hanging out here. Boys wrestling in the front yard, volleyball matches in the side yard, tickle fights are not unusual, and at least once a week they sit out by the fire-pit singing and talking... This is a busy household, and that is obvious to anyone who drives by simply by the number of cars in the driveway... Overall we were pretty tame last night... But apparently we party big here in the 'hood...
That's me... Hardened criminal...

Thanks for listening,

I'm It...

I've been tagged by my new bloggy friend Angela from Angela's Randomness and although I am kinda super busy I'll try to play along... (Mostly because I hate to feel rejected, and would never want sweet Angela there to think I don't love her to bits... 'cause I do! So drop over and say "Howdie" to this sweet blogger who is just a little too obsessed with monkeys!)

So back to business... Here's the rules...

When someone is tagged they are invited to tell 10 random things about themselves and then tag five other people. Enjoy learning some new things about your fellow bloggers!

Now we all know this is gonna be tricky since I only got to 50 on my "100 things about me" post... So I am a little short on material. I am gonna kinda cheat and use this as an excuse to update y'all on what's been going on... Kinda a two birds with one stone thing.

1. The baby shower I told you about way back here is finally upon us... It was supposed to be a summer theme shower, but we could not get our ducks in a row, so it's now a late summer "welcoming" party...

Here's a sneak peek at the invites I made...

It is still up in the air as to if it will be indoors (since it feels like fall here) or out... I will know better as we get closer to the weekend.

2. The "love birds" Cate and Jackson are at the jewelry store as I type this picking up her ring... I do hope she loves it as much as I think she will...

Here they were on the day he proposed...

She is all mad that she didn't even have make-up on or anything and that he's wearing an old stained sweatshirt... I told her if she wanted pretty pictures they should have planned the proposal better... Jackson was speechless since he knew that was aimed at him...

Here they were last night... It had been a long, busy weekend so we decided to put in a movie and relax... They got a little too relaxed... They were sitting up holding hands when they fell asleep, within an hour they had drifted to this... In all fairness, it was mostly Cate doing the "drifting" but I woke them up and embarrassed them anyhow... (That's how I roll.)

But first I secretly took this picture, because... well, face it, they are just so darn cute! I promised her I wouldn't post it on facebook, but she didn't say anything about on here! (again, how I roll)

Please note the state of my house... I was going to crop it, but all of us have busy weekends that leave our homes a wreck by Sunday night... Why hide it... (oh wait... maybe that's just me...) Either way, I'm keepin' it real for you...

3. Speaking of cute...

I seems that young love is in the air around these parts...

These two are so cute I think I may get a toothache...

I may need to come up with a blog name for this fella... He seems to be sticking around...

And Sparky is thrilled... They have a big "date" night coming up... They have decided not to go to homecoming as it is (and I quote) " a bunch of bumping and grinding to horrible music with a bunch of kids who are either drunk, high or planning to get that way." So instead since she still wants to do the "dress up" part he's taking her out on a special date... Sparky and I went dress shopping yesterday afternoon... You know I'll post pictures for you!

Here is where I cheat a little...

#4 - 8. Here are some of Cate's wedding inspiration photos...

(source)

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9. (another cheat) I have a question... She hopes to get married in a field outside a barn in which we will hold the reception... We will have about 100 people there... To rent 100 chairs for the ceremony it will cost $300... We will need another 100 chairs for the reception. Would it be "tacky" to either have guests carry their chairs inside for the reception or to ask (in advance) some able bodied people to help do this task? Or do I just need to spend the money for 200 chairs? I reserved 200, but it seems like a lot of money just for chairs... What do you think?

10. And finally an actual random thought... I am so happy it is sweater weather! I love fall, and fall in Maine is exceptional... The leaves, the cool, crisp days and cooler nights, apple picking, pumpkins, the slight drop off in the tourist population making it less frustrating going out... I truly love fall!!

Now, I'm supposed to tag five people, but I don't know who to pick...

If you want to be tagged just say "pick me" in the comments and I'll add a link to your blog here!

Thanks for listening,

Listen To This...

My pastor played this at church Sunday and I was touched by this song... I went home and downloaded it... Then after youth group tonight there was a little time left over...(I told you we help out with the youth... right? I didn't??? Sorry... Now you know.)  We'd all had an off night and I wondered if there was any point to the evening... But there they were after youth singing together (when they could have been goofing off.) and when I heard them singing this song I was moved to tears... It was beyond beautiful... Even on an "off night" the LORD is there!

This is Leeland... "I Wonder"...

Now don't go and do that thing I usually do when I see a video... Ignore it thinking you'll come back later... Take a minute and listen to this one...

Thanks for listening,

Post Its... 'Cause I'm Lazy...

And 'cause they are fun...

Here goes...

Thanks for listening,