Me Again

I say that because I finally feel like "me" again. No more crazy stress and pressure with house stuff. It's so relieving to get things all surrendered to God again! :-)

Yesterday was a gloriously normal day around here. After devotions I got busy in the kitchen in preparation for today's pot-luck. I made a pumpkin roll, a double batch of sugar cookies, a Mexican casserole and a turkey noodle casserole. Katie helped me make the cookies, then all of the kids helped frost them. They turned out sooooo good this time--just like Emilee's. :-) We used our autumn shapes cookie cutters and ended up with orange and orangy-brown (ha!) leaves, acorns, and apples. Then we put fall sprinkles (in the shape of tiny itty-bitty yellow and orange and brown leaves) on top. They looked so cute on my purty fall platter with the pumpkins all around the edges. Simple, silly little things like that that make me happy. :-)

Hhmmm. That's about all I can remember about yesterday.

Today was a GREAT day. Had to get up earlier than usual to do some final pot-luck prep and make sure the house was in tip-top shape (still gotta be ready for "showings" at all times, you know!), but we actually weren't late to church. Wa-Hoo! I'm ashamed to admit that we're way too close to being late most of the time. James would deny that, but you could take a survey at our church and I'm sure the majority would verify that statement. ;-) I can't remember the last time we actually WERE late (except for a few weeks ago when traffic was backed up because of an accident--not our fault), but it seems like there have been a LOT of times when we come flying into the parking lot, slam 'er in park, and rush into the building with only a minute or two to spare. Ha! We've GOT to get better about that!!! ANYWAY...

Sister Galaviz did a good job with the Sunday School lesson today. She always does a great job. I will miss her teaching. If we ever actually move, that is. Ha! JUST KIDDING! We know we'll move, we're just still trying to work out the details. ;-) We had a good song service as well. Our last song was Some Day and the Lord really began to bless and move. At it's conclusion, Brother Chris asked a few different people to stand and read the final verse and to read it like they meant what they were saying. "My loving Savior I shall see, Some day, Some day! With Him in glory I shall be, Some day, Some Day!" Then he had sister Yolanda say it in Spanish, followed by Brother Platero in Navajo. It was so cool and such a blessing! I love the thought that all of us--from different backgrounds, nationalities, and languages--are all partaking of the same thing and SOME DAY we'll all be together with our Lord in glory! And as much as I LOVE hearing people praise God in different languages, I'm sure I'll love it even more when we're all speaking the same language. :-)

Brother Chris then proceeded to preach a message that just stomped all over my toes. He's good at that though. ;-) It was very much like Brother Dustin's message at the General Assembly about knowing and LOVING the truth. Lots to pray about and enact in my life. I love messages that give me direction.

After the service we got busy enjoying all of the food that had been prepared for our Harvest Missions Pot-Luck. Everything was soooooo good! Often times at pot-lucks I'll make Mexican Luncheon. James hates it, but it's one of my favorites--so pot-luck is the only time I really feel like I can make it, you know?! I was disappointed that there wasn't any left after the meal today, but it all worked out okay because we came away with some of the Platero's Navajo fry bread (WOW--it was soooooo good today, even better than last time!) and some of Sister Yolanda's pasole. I'd never tried pasole before, but I really liked it. Even though it has hominy in it, Mom!!! Aren't you proud?! I remember being very young (when we lived on Eastcrest) and you tried to serve hominy at dinner one time... Ha! That didn't go too well, as I recall. ;-) Anyway, I decided today that when we get to Alabama we're going to have to win some Spanish people to The Church of God right away. We need them at our pot-lucks!!! Ha!

After we got everything cleaned up Brother Chris gathered us together and shared just a few scriptures (about the man and the treasure in the field--the souls who would be saved--and the pearl of great price--The Church of God) before dismissing us. It was a wonderful day with lots of wonderful people, wonderful fellowship and wonderful food. :-)

We made it home at 3:00-something, I think. We all put our pj's on right away. I love that on Sunday afternoons. :-) Then we let the kids watch Facing the Giants while I dinked around on the computer. I've been sucked in to Rummikub! A couple of weeks ago Mandie sent messages to all of us former Colorado Springs girls (Melissa, Tammy, Cathy, and me) saying we should set up a game night where we could all play Rummikub online with each other. Ha! Sounds great, right?! I mean, HOW COOL that friends who live in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas could all "get together" for a girls game night! I decided I'd better learn how to play the online version so I'd be able to beat them all (I like to think ahead like that--ha!)... and now I'm addicted! I usually play one or two games at night after I put the kids to bed. It's a nice way to wind down... but still, it's bad to feel yourself pulled toward something like that! Ha! I haven't been able to play with the girls yet. Though last night I was online and Mandie sent me a message inviting me to play The Price is Right with her. Crazy! Melissa and Cathy were online too and it was a disaster trying to get all of us into the same "game room" at the same time! We were writing messages back and forth the whole time and I don't know about them, but I was cracking up!!! Ha! It was a blast. Even though we never all made it to the same place at the same time, TRYING to get there was hysterical. :-) And all I have to say is, Mandie is one mad Price is Right player. ;-)

I told Mandie at some point that I was going to have a hard time explaining to my mother that I'd spent the evening playing games with Melissa and Mandie instead of proofreading the Evening Light. ;-) So when we finally gave up trying to coordinate a game together I did read the first half of the paper before calling it a night. That was good, right?! I read the rest of it this afternoon, so I'm all ready with my corrections now. AND I enjoyed a mad fiasco online with Melissa and Mandie last night. :-)

Guess that's it. Tomorrow we have our septic system inspected. We're not doing it for the Crazy Lady (I think Jason convinced her not to make another offer--we're not going to include anything else for her!), James just thought it would be good to have it inspected and make sure everything is good and we can pass and all that stuff. We'd hate to get into a sale contact with somebody and THEN find out if we have issues, throwing a kink into the closing date and all that. This inspection is good for the next three months, so as long as we sell the house before that (oh, please?!) we won't have to have another inspection in order to sell.

The only thing on my list this week is laundry, ironing, cleaning house, and packing for our trip. We leave for Alabama on Wednesday! Wa-Hoo!!! At one point in time I would have expected that we'd be leaving for Alabama in a MOVING TRUCK by now (!), but not just yet. We're going down for Minister's Convention this weekend. I am so looking forward to it! I'm just so thankful that we'll actually BE where we're supposed to be, even if it's just for a little while this time! James will go back pretty quick if we don't sell the house soon, but I'll enjoy being there this time for as long as it lasts. We'll be in Convention on Friday and Saturday, then we're planning on going to the local services at our home church, Bessemer, for the first time on Sunday. We'll spend the next few days checking out houses in the area. That will be fun. I love looking at houses. :-) Mom will be with us, too, so that will make it extra fun! Dad is preaching a revival in Bessemer beginning next Wednesday, the 27th, and continuing through Sunday night. James says we'll stay for at least the first night of that, but then we may have to head back home. We'll just play it by ear and see what happens. For now I'm just so, so, so happy and excited about this trip! We're praying for a glorious Convention and looking forward to meeting all of the folks down there. :-)