We're Hanging In There

I thought I should update y'all on how we're doing.

Welp, not much has changed.  The Hubs got word this week that a job we had been praying over for 2 weeks did not go through.  He has taken it really well, but I'm sure it's more to keep me comforted.

God is providing. 

Thankfully, his unemployment finally got approved and his previous company sent him a check for a partial week of vacation.  Such a blessing.

Hubs also spent the 2 weeks building his grandmother a small porch off the back of her house.  She's been begging him to take on the project, but there just hasn't been time until now.  Meme was very generous in compensating him for his labor.

not a final picture, but just had to share!

She also gave us money to fix the beautiful crack in my beloved (hee, hee) van's windshield that was the result of a 2x4 being shoved into it!  And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm still driving it....cracked windshield and all.

The Hubs confessed that he had a really difficult time turning in our September tithe check knowing we had very little savings.  In obedience to God, he wrote the check and turned it in last week.  Words cannot describe how proud I was.

We received an encouraging card in the mail and a generous gift card just a few days later.  It brought tears to my eyes and humbled me immensely.  God is so good!

We have been fairly busy with all sorts of committments...youth activities, school stuff, birthday parties, dinners with friends and sleepovers.  I truly believe it's God's way of keeping us from focusing on ourselves.  We've had very little time to sulk and have self pity.

I'd lie if I didn't say that I'm tired and weary.  Tired of trying to hold it all together and be strong on days my husband needs me to be.  To keep finding joy even when I just want to stay in bed. Holding back the tears when someone asks how I am.  Tired of suppressing every want and desire of all things material.  Tired of praying for the same thing for the last 2 years.

But thankfully, on days when I just want to give up, God gives me the encouragement I need.

I found this verse on a friend's facebook wall and have been reading it almost daily:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1Peter 1:6-7

God is providing and he is using this long time of trials and grief to build my faith.  To build the faith of my husband so that it may be proved genuine.  And in the day that this trial comes to an end, we will be able to give all the glory and praise to him.

xo

Lori

Halloween Ready

In previous posts I've mentioned Bestie S. My dear friend that is all things thrifty and decorating!

Ry spent a Sunday with her daughter and came home begging to decorate for Halloween. You see Bestie S decorates for every holiday from the front door to her upstairs. Knowing her, even the bathrooms have decorations!

And well, mine do not. I decorate for Christmas and that's about it.

True to Beatie S and her generous nature, she delivered a bag of Halloween decorations. Ry was literally over the moon with excitement!

I embraced the enthusiasm and went with it as the girls began hanging stuff all over my house.

I forgot to snag pictures of the beautiful neon pink and green garbage bag pumpkins gracing my front yard, as well as, the spiders and bats hanging all over the girls' rooms. 

While this is in no way my dream fall decor, they worked so hard and I'm so grateful for the simple joy it brought to my girls.

I sure do love that Bestie S! Everyone needs a gal like her!

Pumpkins and Apples, Oh My!

This week we made our annual trip to Ellijay in order to visit Burt's Farm and RJ Reece's Apple House.  It was the first crisp, cool day of fall and I was stoked to be able to throw on a scarf and some boots for the trip!

We decided to make the hour and half plus trip on a week day since the Hubs isn't so keen on huge crowds.  Little did we forget that it was Columbus Day and well, apparently school was out in the neighboring counties.  Luckily, it wasn't near as bad as 6,000 plus crowds that Burt's attracts on Saturdays!

While the girls are sadly nearing the stage of being less than excited about hayrides and pumpkins, they were great sports.  They even allowed Dad to put them in the wheelbarrow as we've done for nearly 7 years even though they barely fit!   

We picked our pumpkins, rode the hayride and took a few pics and then headed up to the Apple House.  A newer tradition for us that the girls absolutely LOVE!  We do all the things we're NOT supposed to do.  Ya know, like climbing the trees.

And climbing into the wooden crates.

Oh and then there's the ladders we're not supposed to climb.  Ooops!

And, I'm pretty sure I saw a rule about not eating the apples as you pick them.

What you don't see is the girls (and Hubs) throwing apples and tossing the less than perfect picked apples.  Such rebels.

It was a blast and I assure you that the Hubs strategically placed every apple into our $10 bag to ensure we got the most for our buck!  I'm not kidding.

We ended the day and carried off our apples just as it started to drizzle.  The perfect way to kick off Fall....my absolute favorite time of the year.  Well, other than Christmas of course!

xo

Lori

Our Anniversary & A Cemetary

I mentioned here, that the Hubs and I celebrated 14 years of marriage on October 3rd.  Since it was a Wednesday, we were only able to squeeze in a coffee date while C was at youth group and Ry at a friend's.  Luckily, we were able to escape Friday night for some much needed alone time.

We headed out to Downtown Roswell and ate at a cute little restaurant called Nine Street Kitchen.  We ate outside at a little table on the lawn. It was really the strangest set up I had ever seen.  They literally had patio tables covering the lawn with handmade fleece blankets on the chairs.  There was also a Picnic area in which you could sit on the grass and dine.  Somehow, I didn't quite see the romance in eating salmon in the grass.

Anyhoo, it was a sweet little place to dine and chat by candlelight.  We also spent some time browsing the shops that lined the street.

Since the Hubs refused to allow me to ask the server to take our picture, he offered a solution.  We'd stop at the historic cemetary just down the road. Yes, the cemetary!

I must admit that I was a little excited.  It had all these really cool headstones and was home to some famous Roswell citizens.

So, we goofed around, took a few pictures and then headed to Starbucks

I was quite the original way to spend an anniversary...but it was an absolutely perfect way to overshadow the fact that it was our third anniversary in which we've spent unemployed.

Life is good.  And perfectly, imperfect!

xo

Lori

Birthday Celebrations

I mentioned that my baby girl turned nine a few weeks ago, but I didn't get to share pictures from her celebrations.  We spent her actual birthday as a family at the Atlanta Zoo.  We hadn't been in since we moved here and our first experience was awful.

Of course after taking 2 pictures, my camera died.  So, forgive me for not having zoo pictures!

We enjoyed the crisp morning weather and the low attendance.  A perfect early fall day!

Our favorites included the pandas, Kelly the elephant and the parakeet house.

As part of her gift, we signed Ry up for a tumbling clinic at the local gymnastics academy.  To say she was excited would be an understatement.  She came home begging Daddy to build her a balance beam.  And I'm happy to report that after scavenging in Grandpa's basement, the beam has been built.  That Hubs is an awesome Dad!

The celebrations continued a few days later with a family dessert party.
 

 

We concluded the never ending birthday with donuts at school during lunch. I'm pretty sure it was the best birthday ever!

xo

Lori