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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Our Thanksgiving Table

Since it's technically still October, I then believe I can still post this "Thanksgiving/ Harvesty" post on what my Thanksgiving table looked like. I was super happy with how it turned out, and it was a great celebration of the goodness of God and our many blessings!

Mini Thanksgiving List 2013

My hubby, he is the best.
My kiddos, and especially having a baby girl around.
Homeschooling - and our new Classical Conversations Curriculum! love it - thanks LJ for the referral.
My home, though it needs many a repair, I am thankful we have it, that we have the rooms to rent out and host guests in. It is our little haven, and I'm so thankful for it.
A fruitful garden this year, and friends with a shared passion for organic foods/ homesteading and canning/ preserving.
Authentic, fun, challenging, divinely given friends to share all the seasons of life with.
Peace in the midst of the storm.
A song to sing for every situation.
So many happy memories over the past year, and the last 20 too.
Soup.
Youtube and Netflix.
Yoga Pants and green smoothies.
New journals and empty idea books and a new pen.
New followers on my blog who leave comments :)

Our Table
I decided to do up a large "centerpiece" at one end of the long table and have it "trail down" the rest of the table. I used all florals and greenery from my yard (and possibly my neighbors yard!
The goal was a "free centerpiece" - it was acheived. I added in the pumpkins which had been pink, spray painted them gold - added real and fake fruit from around house to an old cornucopia basket and an elevated glass bowl and presto!...free fall beauty.
Additional View
I knew the grown ups would want candy too!

Place card was a leaf shaped sugar cookie with nutmeg and cinnamon.
I used cardstock with chalk and tied together with twine.
Changed out JT's blinged branches with leaves for the pink birds which we used for the bday
party a few weeks before. Added in my turkey and voila, mantle done.
Kids table - personalized pie plates with goodies.
Plush Mr. Turkey had a couple of candy cornucopia's for fun.
Mmmm...Dessert Table - pumpkin Pie!

Thumbs up means it was a success to me!
Thanks for reading today, how did/will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Together

Today's Five Minute Friday topic was...

TOGETHER

I love to get together with people. To really "be with" people, in a real and authentic way. Ever since high school (maybe even before), I had this innate ability to steer clear of relationships that I felt would honestly be a waste of time.  If I sensed they were superficial with me or that they weren't being honest with me (or themselves), I mean, not everyone is going to like/ trust/ open up to me, right? I'm OK with that. I've always tried to be the kind of friend that I would want for a friend. It's hard to convey this without sounding like I'm full of myself...

I'm just confident that I'm a good person to have in your life because of the One who lives in me.



I believe that God's design was for us to be together with others. He said it was not good for man to be alone. He also says that he puts the solitary into families...that it's better to have a friend who is close by than a brother who is far away...that two are better than one...He depicts the church as His bride and as a family of brothers and sisters...and to let brotherly love continue... I think He doesn't want us to be alone. That He designed us to be together.


 

I've got some really great friends. There's that old adage that if you can count your good friends on one hand you are a lucky "man". I would say then, that I am among the luckiest.

I've chosen to see my life as a garden, and all the people in it are the living things that have been planted there. When I gave my life to Christ, I recognized that He is the Gardener of my life, not me. So I don't really have a say as to who/what is done with the plants in my garden...how long they bloom or produce or even when they need to be removed. Every plant in my garden have seasons, some are long term, some are short. Some are ever blooming, some I'm still waiting for the first bloom, years later.


Some of them are people I see every week (or more), some of them because of different seasons of life or distance, I see only rarely...but we have one thing in common, we are real with each other. We pick up where we left off, there's no worry or fear that one or the other of us is hurt or offended by our lack of time together, no insecurity...there's a common thread that I do my best to convey that I care about them and want to spend time with them (as do they). Some are friends that we laugh together - a lot. Some are friends who together we lament over and solve all the worlds problems together. Some are people I immediately call when I need someone to pray. Some are the ones you have tea with, others a glass of wine, some both. Some have kids, some have no kids, some are grandparents and a few are still in high school or college. Some share the same blood as me, most don't. Some live in other countries, some live a few hours away, others live on my road...most share a relationship with Christ, but some don't. Many I've known for almost 20 or more.

 
 

Being together takes work, it takes effort. I requires dying to myself, often. I try to consciously not be overbearing or bossy or a know it all or any other traits that I know are my own weaknesses, and trust that my friends are well aware of their own and do my best to give them the benefit of the doubt, and not judge or draw attention to their weaknesses, rather to Christ and to the blessings we already have.

 
I want to be an encouragement. Someone who, when I've been with them and after we've parted, they feel better, uplifted, helped and loved. I hope to learn from others much more than I can teach, though I will share any wisdom that has been passed on to me, since it's not my own...it's not mine to keep :) I try to be a light, a messenger of hope and someone who brings peace wherever I go. I love to get together with people. I love the people in my life, the flowers in my garden. I'm very very blessed indeed.

 



Linking up HERE

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Ist Birthday and Dedication

I love to throw a good party... you know, with a theme and lot's of details. Beautiful decor and really really good food. For a long time I felt like I needed a reason to do this for others, for bridal or wedding showers, for work or church events. I felt like I needed to justify all the effort, not just for myself or my little family. However in the most recent years, not having a specific church or work family to party plan for and I also realized that if I can't put that effort into celebrating my own little family, I really shouldn't be doing it for others...

So we pulled out all the stops to celebrate our Baby Girl's 1st Birthday and dedication ceremony.

Scrumptious dessert table...all sorts of decor was borrowed from bestie JT of course (keeps the costs down) and the heirloom quilt was dear hubby's grandma's - perfect for the pink baby girl party.
Mason Jar Ring Pumpkin
Pink Harvest Theme with Diamonds and Bird Houses
Perfect opportunity to display the baby books and a year of photos. 
Painted pink pumpkins and pearls...
The birthday girl checking out her balloons in her pj's with Grandma before the party starts.

Menu: Harvest Soup, Split Pea Soup and Beef Stew
  
Pretty in her party dress.
With Grandpa and Nana
Dedication
Great grandma reading a scripture verse
Everyone shared a verse
Including big brother
And Geema
Mom and Dad read a letter written for your first birthday.
Surrounded in prayer
Great Grandma, Aunties and Mama in front of the Photo Wall
Cupcake!


Presents!



Baby Jar Jelly Bean Favours
Thank you to all the friends and family who were able to celebrate with us! A birthday on September 30th is the perfect way to kick off celebrating Fall each year, looking forward to it :)


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