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New Year - Glitter Graphics

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I Forgot that I was tagged!

Tagged by Sister Annette to list 10 random thoughts. I don't usually do these things...but for some reason I'm going to, but I'm not going to tag anyone else.

1. Where are the all good Christian single young men?
2 I look forward to having a son.
3. I wish I played the piano.
4. I can't imagine life without God.
5. If my relationship with God depended on people I would have backslid a long time ago. I would've backslid this past week. I would have backslid today.
6. I love my job, most the time.
7. I wonder where I'll be next year at this time.
8. Brother Nowling won airline tickets to Italy.
9. I won salesperson of the month two months in a row.
10. I love playing games.

That's it!

I Know I've Been A Slacker!

I guess I've joined the ranks of slackers. I don't know why. First I was really busy and then I just wasn't in the mood.

Christmas weekend we had our youth Christmas party at Jessa and Jenna's on Saturday night and then Sunday night we had our church fellowship. Both went well but I spent a lot of time getting ready for Christmas and them.

I don't know about everyone else but we didn't send many cards this year. We basically sent to our extended family and one or two others. We do want thank the Clemens from KS, Thompsons from MN, Sister Albizure from IA, Rosentreters of Canada for their cards and words of encouragement. We actually received a card from a lady that lived across from us when we pastored in Janesville, WI 23 years ago. Wow. If any of the Lewis' read this, Delores Podiwel is still alive and living in her jungle across from what was then The Church of God of Prophecy. We also received a phone call and card, from John Bosio who we knew from that same time in our life and haven't heard from since we left. Quite amazing. Thank you all for your Christmas wishes.

Our Christmas day went good. Life is different with the girls older and our extended family not around. But all and all it was good. We slept in until 7 am and then everyone went back to bed. Usually I don't but I started dozing on the couch so I joined the nap club and took a two hour nap. Then got everyone up and we made a ham dinner. That evening Josh and Jackie came over and we watched a movie and then played Phase 10 and Sister Smith I actually WON!!! Yes, I'm not a total loser.

The rest of the week was frustrating. I'm sick of people and their attitudes.

Today Jenna helped me take down all the Christmas decorations and rearrange the furniture. We're looking for a small living room chair as we need more sitting space when we have company. I don't want to pay big dollars but I want something decent. The thrift stores had several blue ones, but my living room is mauve and greens. So NO to blue! We found a small rose colored recliner but I'm not sure. It's a little to on the pink side for my taste. We'll check out another used store tomorrow and if we don't find anything there we may go with the rose one. I don't know.

Anyway, that's about all that's been happening in my life. Hopefully 2007 will go out good and with 2008 bringing great anticipation of goods things in the Lord.

Now I'm Paying!!!

The nine hours of Rummikube was fun and thank you Sister Smith for confirming that I'm not a sore loser. Brother Nowling read it too...great big grin. But this past weekend I spent so much time playing games (and I loved every moment of it) but now I'm paying the price for it. I am soooooo behind on my Christmas stuff. Be it baking, shopping, cards or wrapping gifts, I don't have any of it done and I have no one to blame but myself. The nine hours was just Rummicube. We played Mad Gab, Balderdash (I kept score), THEY played spoons (Jackie I don't think even if you took it easy on me that you could get me to play that one ~ that one is just to fast for me), Bible Scattergories (which I watched). Come to think of it other then Rummikube and Mad Gab I didn't play all the other games, but I wasn't getting anything done. So as soon as I'm done posting, wrapping gifts I will be doing.

Oh by the way, my major online shopping still hasn't all showed up. Only one shipment out of five. Tomorrow's the last day, if it doesn't come tomorrow then Saturday I'll have to go out and get some of the gifts that are missing. The ones for the girls, they'll just get EVENTUALLY but I had other people's gifts in there. Ugh. The company told me if there was things I didn't get in time for Christmas and I didn't want to call them and they'd send a free return label. That's great, but that means setting on hold for 20 minutes before getting through.

The youth Christmas party is Saturday night so I lose Saturday night so I've got to get a lot accomplished tonight as tomorrow and Saturday morning I'll have to do some shopping. I know stop complaining and get to work. Bye!

After 9 Hours....

After playing 9 hours of Rummikub I remain....drum roll please...defeated. Yes, between Saturday night at 7 pm and tonight at 10 pm we (Isaiah, Jenna, with Matthew coming on board Sunday night and tonight, and Joleesa for a short time Saturday night) played 9, yes 9 hours of one game, Rummikub. I told Isaiah Saturday night he couldn't go back to Bethel until I one just one round. That wasn't asking for much. I said just one round...and I couldn't do it. Brother Nowling always is saying I'm a sore loser, which I always adamently deny and I think I've proved it. We tried to figure out how many games we've played and we're thinking about 40, but undeniably it was 9 hours!!! And I just couldn't win. Many times I would get down to one tile but just couldn't do it. Ugh!. The last two games Matthew would check things out after I did my thing and I still couldn't win. Though I haven't come to hate the game, because I do see the challenge of it...it will be a long time before I play it again (I don't doubt that Isaiah and Jenna feel the same way).

The youth came over yesterday afternoon and made tacos and we played Mad Gab. It was hilarious. Then last night it was Balderdash in teams (I kept score on that one). It was great fun. I love playing games like that and I'm so greatful the youth don't think I "cramp their style" and encourage me to play with them.

But starting tomorrow I've got to get down to business and start wrapping gifts. I also have a little more shopping to do. Where has the time gone.

Please pray for Brother Nowling's mom, she had a knee replacement. After being up here this past summer and not being able to do as much as she would've liked to because of her knees, she decided to have it taken care of so that she can come back this summer and do more. The doctor says her knee was shot. She came through the surgery good but she'll have a long road of recovery. She'll be going in the nursing home for rehabilitation. So if you would keep her in your prayers for a quick recovery I know she'd appreciate it.

A Good Week-end

We had a great weekend. Our precious friends from Bethel, the Suttons visited. It was a relaxing, enjoyable weekend. I truly feel like the Lord put the weekend together for us. Brother Nowling invited Brother Sutton to preach on Sunday. Everything came together on their end and on ours as Brother Nowling actually had the weekend off. He's been training on days last week and so he had the weekend off (and hopefully will this weekend again). Friday night we went Benihanna's for my birthday, a Japenese steak restraunt that prepares your meal at your table. Jessa went with us so there was the five of us. It was one of the most pleasant evenings I've had in a long time. To top that off the food was great too. Then I wanted to play Ibuy but Brother Nowling convince us to go to Best Buy instead. That's ok. We got some Christmas shopping done. And Suttons really enjoyed it. We went home and visited a bit before going to bed. We slept in Saturday, I fix bacon and eggs, then we headed to pick up Jenna and take her work and then shopped at the mall. I guess the Suttons hadn't been to the 5th Avenue mall so they enjoyed it and we all got to do some Christmas shopping done. But then the worst part of my weekend happened. I went to get my hair cut and my regular stylist wasn't in but I thought I'd have it done anyway. The lady butchered my hair. I put my glasses on and I cried. She said she guess we just miscommunicated. She didn't have me pay. I left to go find Jody. I passed a mirror on my way and I started bawling. By the time I found him I was really crying...his response was "you could wear a hat" ~ ugh, men. I went and found a bathroom and cried some more and then washed my face. When Sister Annette found me she hugged me big and I started crying again. I never considered myself vain but I always have felt if I liked my hair, and dressed nicely, even if I was heavy, it was ok. But now my hair looked horrible. If I counted how many times people told me it'll grow out...but it will. I just won't look in the mirror for a few weeks. I do feel sorry for everyone has to look at me though.

Anyway, we then came home and fixed homemade pizza and played Ibuy with Jackie and Josh (the men skipped out with the excuse of Best Buy again, Brother Sutton had to take something back). As you already heard Annette won, but that was fine. It was fun.

Sunday School, morning and evening services were good and the afternoon was relaxing.

I thank the Lord for giving us these kind of weekends (minus the botched haircut; I'm still trying to learn God's purpose for that). Isaiah will be coming this weekend and like I said hopefully Brother Nowling will be off again...if nothing else I finish my Christmas shopping.

Tree is Up AND I Played Ibuy AND WON!!!

This weekend was a good weekend. I had a good time shopping even though I didn't get very much. Then Saturday night we had our youth Bible study and Jeremy was in charge of the study. He did a great job! Then Sunday of course was SS. Matthew came out and after service he, Josh and Jackie and Jenna went and got our tree from the girls apartment. We ate some lunch and then Matthew put the snowflake lights up across the front of the carport (Josh assisted him by moving his truck around so he could reach). The lights are kind of sad looking but they'll do. Matthew had to leave but Jackie was motivated to help with the tree. Her and Jenna brought the decorations up from the crawl space. Then Josh helped position the tree with Jackie underneath in the back. She got stuck and had us laughing so hard. Jenna got a video of it. Maybe she'll post it. Jackie and Jenna put the lights and garland on, then Jenna proceded with the ornaments while I put the decorations around the house. I forgot how much we had gotten rid of when we moved, but that's ok. The house still looks great. My favorite this year I think is how Josh hung our stockings on the wall. They look cool.

Then I finally got to play Ibuy. The four of us had a great time. Whoever we play that game with, we always have a lot of fun and laughs and Sunday was no exception.
The best thing about it all was that I WON! and Jenna LOST ~ smile. Actually that's a game I enjoy whether I win or lose. And I do think I've lost more than I've won.

I really PTL for our youth. It meant so much that the three of them helped (and Jenna too ~smile). Jessa, Joleesa and Jody are working so much, and I am tired all the time and even though I'm really tired, I've really been having trouble sleeping. So they probably don't even begin to realize how much I appreciate their help and their fellowship.

Well I'm going to be early and pray I'll sleep soundly.

Going Shopping, But No Tree Yet!

Yeah, I'm going to do some Christmas shopping today, BUT we still don't have our tree ~ ugh. It's in the girls storage. Brother Nowling's had training Monday and Tuesday (his usual days off), and then worked his usual graveyard shift. When could he do it. It times like this (and many others) I wish I had a son!!! Although, I'm always exhausted so I need my girls help to decorate any way and I don't know when that would happen either. BUT I'm going SHOPPING!. I don't know what I'm going to get everyone yet, BUT I'm going SHOPPING!

Oh by the way, I hate ordering online. I ordered mega things online from house decorations, to Christmas gifts for work, church and family. They were shipped in several packages throughout the month as early as November 3rd and they're STILL not here! Ugh! Now what do I do. Brother Nowling called on it Wednesday morning (the company is IL so the time difference makes it hard for me too) and they told him to give it until the 30th and if doesn't come then they'll fill out paperwork for us! The 30th has come and gone and still no gifts. I haven't paid for it as it's something you can pay after you receive it...but so many of the items were just right for the people I chose them for and even better yet, so was the price! Deep sight!

Have any of you met a man that loves candles. Yes, I said a MAN. My husband LOVES, LOVES, LOVES candles. Get this, have any of you been to a Partylite party? You know those gorgeous, beautiful, terribly expensive candle parties. Well I guess someone where my husband works brought in a book for one of those parties and he bought this beautiful moose/tree shadow centerpiece for a coffee table. It's gorgeous, but I would never had pay the price for it that he did. Jenna asked me if he got it for my birthday ~ laugh, roll on the floor ~ she knows better, he bought because HE likes it. He has reminded me oodles of time while I'm out SHOPPING today to be sure and get a candle for it. I better not forget or he may not let me in. I tell you though, strange as it may seem for a man to like candles. It's great for us!!! ~big smile.

Oh, Jackie and Sister Smith said they'd play Ibuy with me, oh and Nathan too. I'm a happy lady, the only thing is the obvious; Sister Smith's in TN and Nathan's in Bethel. But Jackie's here so I guess there's hope.

Everyone have a great day. I'M GOING SHOPPING! (You'd think I'm shopping deprived ~grin, but actually last Saturday I bummed around the stores by myself and bought a few Christmas decorations - I'm just in the mood today.)