~Veterans day choir, Ladies' night out, mini burlap stockings, and more.~

~Kimberly and the GBS high school choir sang some patriotic songs for Veterans day.  It was nice.~

~Kimberly is in the back in the green blouse, and her cousin is in front of her.
Kimberly is really enjoying singing in the choir.~

~A couple weeks ago there was a Ladies' night out for our church ladies.  Deanna was gracious and opened up her new home to host the party.
Tara made these cute "Grinch kabobs.~

~Laura made these cute cupcakes with Turkies on them.~

~Deanna's kids made this Cute "snowman" using a creamer bottle.  Dee served her sugar for the coffee in 'em.~

~We had such a fun evening visiting and laughing our heads off.~

~Sharon, Janie, and Susanna.~

~Michele, Heather (Yours truly), and Deanna.~

~There was Lots of yummy food that night.~

~I brought the Jalepeno dip in the pie plate and the tortilla chips in the basket with leaves on it.  2 Ladies brought trays of my favorite...Shrimp and sauce.  =) ~

~Then we had a White Elephant gift exchange.  Most of us brought nice gifts, but a few brought funny/gag gifts.
I ended up with some of the GAG gifts, like a Home Interior picture (Stay tuned to see what I do with it =), and cans of Nasty tomato sauce.  =)
The next evening Grammy came to our house and brought me 3 NICE hostess' gifts cause she felt sorry for what I had received the night before.  You are the BEST Grammy!  =) ~

~Opening gifts...

~and deciding Whose gift you wanted to STEAL! =) ~

~I decided that I wanted to take a nice White Elephant gift.  Like I said earlier, I couldn't find ANYTHING in my house that I wanted to get rid of =)...so I decided to whip up some little burlap Christmas stockings, added " 5 bucks for Starbucks" inside them, and threw some candy in the bottom of my homemade gift bag.
Here's the stockings.~

~And here's my homemade gift bag.

I'm sure you've probably seen this before.
But if not, just take your Gold Medal flour bag, shake out extra flour in the bottom =), roll down the top, punch 2 holes in either side, add some binders' twine and tie knots on the OUTSIDE of the bag, and....~

~Voila...you have your own cute country gift bag.
(I recently have been on a SPRAY PAINT Binge and I spray painted Mary's high chair that my gift bag is sitting on.  Her chair had been a dark green with pink flowers on it.  =) ~

 

~Later I made these stockings as a hostess gift for another dear friend.~

~And today...I finished 12 mini burlap stockings to put on our Christmas tree when I set it up next Friday. =) ~

~I trust that each of you have a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  We each have so much for which we need to Thank Jesus!!!~

~Our Romantic Get-away!!~

Life has kept me RUNNING!!!  

Last week Phillip and I were gone for 3 days (Mon-Wed.), then on Thursday night was a Ladies night out with our church ladies.  We were supposed to bring a White Elephant gift, a drink, and a covered dish.  

I didn't want to bring a tacky white Elephant gift, and I did NOT have anything in my house that I wanted to give away...=), so my Thursday was pretty much taken up with making up some little burlap stockings in which I tucked a little money for Starbucks in them, and added some candy all for my White Elephant gift, then made my food and drink, and ran out the door.  (Pics coming later.)  

Then on Friday, we had our 2 Pastors and families, and our director of Music and family over for dinner.  (Pics coming later.)

Then Saturday we went over to help and be with my Daddy and Moma, and of course Sunday we went to church.  Here's some pics from WHERE I WAS LAST MONDAY--WEDNESDAY!!  =)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~Jesus and some of our DEAR friends made it possible for Phillip and I to spend a couple nights in Serenity Log Cabins as a gift for my 40th birthday.  

Here we are leaving our house and heading to Hillsboro!!~

 

 ~When we came into Hillsboro, OH, we quickly ran to a consignment store and a couple antique type stores.  Then since we knew that the cabin has a microwave, toaster oven, small 'fridge and freezer, and coffee pot...we went to a grocery store and picked up things to cook/eat at the cabins, so that we didn't have to go anywhere on Tuesday.  (Can you tell we were NEEDING A BREAK from all the RUNNING we normally do? =)

When we woke up the next morning....this is what we saw out the back door of the cabins!!!   SNOW!!!!!  YEA!!!!!  Thank you, Dear Jesus, for the F.U.N. Snow!!!~

 ~I just read my Bible and devotional book, and then wrote in my journal, drank coffee, and looked at Christmas magazines nearly ALL THE DAY LONG!!! (Phillip was in "HEAVEN" too, by reading His Bible, Holiness books, and taking a Chilly walk to pray. =) ~

 ~We braved the elements for some quick pics. =) ~

 ~Silly Phillip went out in his bare feet.  BRRRR!~

 ~One thing we love about this cabin are all the FUN personal touches that Gina gives it.  Goblets with Hershey kisses, and tucked behind the white bath robes (that stay with the cabins) is a bottle of sparkling grape juice.~

 ~Isn't it so pretty and romantic?!!~

 ~Fun coffee cups with flavored coffee creamers tucked inside.~

 ~Out for coffee together on Wednesday morning before we left town.  My sweater I'm wearing Phillip brought to me from Colombia.  =) ~

 ~Besides everything else I've been doing, I decided to make some new kitchen curtains.  This is the BEFORE picture.  These apple curtains were on loan to me from a friend.~

 

 ~I made burlap curtains that I ended up GLUING together, for my sewing machine DIED right when I was going to sew them. =) ~

 ~An up-close pic.~

 ~And the burlap curtain I made for the back door in my kitchen.~

 ~I also NEEDED/Wanted another coat rack for visitor's coats...for we have lots of visitors. 
I didn't have money to go and buy one, so I PRAYED that God would INSPIRE me to come up with a coat rack with something I already have. 
That is when I thought of the OTHER door that matches the one in our living room!!!
 So, I came home, asked Phillip to Please put some antique hooks that we already owned on that door, and Voila....~

 ~We have a New coat rack...with hooks that even little Mary can reach!!!  =) ~

~So....I turned the Big 40!~

I told someone that I don't feel old...just feel VERY BLESSED at the life God has given me!  He gave me such a wonderful caring husband, 5 precious loving children, wonderful parents and siblings and families, and LOTS of Great friends!  =)  One of my enemies friends teased me that I didn't look a DAY over 40!  Little Turkey!  =)
~Here's my simple centerpiece for my actual birthday.  I just grabbed my little bike and threw a real pumpkin that we got from our Church home school group's hayride (pics coming later) in the little bucket.  =)  I love the little curly que stem on that pumpkin.

~And I made my GG's cheesecake for my dessert.  Simple, not too expensive and light and yummy.  Maybe I'll have to post that recipe on here soon.  =) ~

~I used scrabble letters to spell, "Heather is Forty." (A dear friend just gave us a scrabble game.  We had one in Colombia, but had no room to bring it back, and we knew that Jimmy and Farly LOVE the game, so we left our game there for them to enjoy. =) ` 

~Then Laura and I got to do a RARE thing and go out shopping together.  We had a fun afternoon running to Old Time Pottery which is a store that is like The Christmas Tree Shops on Steroids.  =)  It is HUGE.  Full of crafty things, any kind of frame, glass jar, floral, pillows, ETC.  that you could want.  Then Laura bought us lunch, and we ran to a consignment store, and HERE we are at Coffee Emporium where she took me for a fun visit, some DELICIOUS coffee, and a yummy oatmeal maple scone.  =)  She even bought me a bag of that yummy coffee to take home called, "Autumn Fest!"
It was a delightful day chatting with each other, and just enjoy being together!
THANK YOU BUNCHES, Laura, I had a Blast! ~

~Then I had a couple families over to help celebrate my birthday.  ~

~My Birthday table.~

~My sweetheart surprised me by buying me flowers.  My friend Kimberly sent me the link to this sign that I thought was so cute!  It says, "Keep Calm you're only 40!"  =)  I printed it off and made it a part of my centerpiece.  ~

~I bought some discounted Halloween candy to add to the table.~

~Laura and Brittany and my girls were a big help getting all the food ready and serving all the plates.~

~Laura made 3 yummy fruit pizzas.  They were BEAUTIFUL and yummy too!  Here I am holding one.  I guess I forgot to take a close up.  I thought the pizza was going to show up better in this pic.  =( ~

~The kids enjoyed some smores in our backyard. ~

~Rob and Dee brought this BEAUTIFUL Autumn Poinsettia as a hostess gift.  Isn't it so pretty?!~

~I tried to get the colors to show up in the pic, but this is the best I got.  ~

~Here's my new coffee cup.  It says, "On a scale of 1-10, I'm a PERFECT 40!" =D ~

~And Rob and Dee gave this card to Phillip and I. Phillip turned 40 in September!
The card says, "Worried about turning 40?  Millions of people turn 40 every day, But do they POUT and COMPLAIN and SNAP at EVERYONE?" ....

~And the inside says, "Sure they do, OLD PEOPLE are like that!"  =)
 (Rob and Dee aren't too many years behind us...so I'm SURE they weren't calling us old.  =)

My in-laws sent me a card that says,
 "Daughter, Wherever you go and whatever you do, you bring so much joy by just being you!" 
It was a such a SWEET card!!!!
Thank you to each of you who wished me a Happy Birthday!  I have had a WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY WEEK!  =)