Listing my gifts..

If you haven't seen I have a page on the top of my blog called 1000 gifts
This is a page i have dedicated to listing my blessings...

I updated it tonight..i am past 250!!

Wow!

I am blessed!!

Blog Series! Readers Guide to 1000 Gifts

I just finished reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.

I had everyone telling me that it would change my way of thinking..it was very inspirational...and I am not one to read inspirational books. I like books that actually tell a story.

I was pleasantly suprised when I did starting reading One Thousands Gifts...that it was a story. It is almost a biography of a short time in Ann's life. You get to know her personally...her struggles as a mom and wife. When you see an author..on TV..always happy and thakful ...you think..I'd be happy and thankful too if I had the perfect life! ..but you find out quickly that she doesn't ...at all.

Her house gets messy...
her children fight...
she is ready to give up sometimes to anger and complaining
she worries about money
she loves her husband and her kids
she gets  lost in daily chores
she longs for something more...

Don't we all?

I wish we had a chart ...where God says when you do 249 loads of laundry...I will do the rest for you since you did 249 in my name.

Nope...don't work like that.
We will do endless loads of laundry....
endless loads of dishes
cook endless meals
wipe endless amounts of runny noses

But if we see those things as "chores".....that's what they are
If we see those things through different eyes...as gifts.....that's what they are!!

That's exciting!!

So this book has changed my way of thinking...it has changed the way I look at my life and "my chores"

When I was looking around Ann's blog A Holy Experience..I came across a Reader's Guide for her book. I haven't read the questions...I have no idea what they are about...but it is to make yourself dive a little further into the book and put it into your perspective of life.

So I thought when I get the chance to sit and blog..going through the readers guide would be cool to do.

Have you read One Thousand Gifts?

Join me in doing the Readers Guide!

If you haven't read it...I urge you to put it on your list to read!!

Could you live on $1.25 a day?

$1.25

Could you survive on less than $1.25 a day?

Survive125 is a game brought to you by 58:, a global initiative to end extreme poverty by living out Isaiah 58. And Compassion is part of the 58: Alliance.

In Survive125, you are asked to make the daily decisions nearly 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty face every day. In doing so their struggle becomes yours.

Are you ready to play?

Here is your assignment:

• Play Survive125.
• Take note of how you feel and what you are learning as you play.
• Write a post about about the decisions you had to make and your reasoning for doing so
• Introduce your readers to Survive125 and challenge them to play and to share the game with their family and friends.

This game is an engaging and simple way to inform people about the devastation of extreme poverty.
Allow God to use you today by raising awareness about the issue of extreme poverty.

When I played Survive 125..I found myself making decisions saying...What the heck! One is not any better than the other..so it is just a toss up! I had already given up on life ...after playing this game...if I was in this situation. I am not one to really push for a certain charity. I love all charities and may God Bless all those that start them and run them...but this game kind of put me in a poor foriegn country. It was crazy! Our country isn't the strongest it's been ... our own country is going through alot...but at the moment..we have our own free will to drink water...or go to McDonalds if we don't feel like cooking. There was questions in this game that were unanswerable to me...I signed up on Compassion to be a blogger for this cause. So every once in a while they will send me an email with a special cause they are bringing attention to and I will blog about my feelings..not hard...and I hope it brings awareness to the few that I reach. I do hope you play the game....and come back and let me kow how you felt playing it.

Small Spaces Sunday Link Up

Rachel over at Crimson to Wool is doing a linky party of all our small spaces. Today in this world some people are focused on getting the Biggest house they can get..even if sometimes they can't afford it. Most of what we buy is to impress other people. I admit it. I do it. Well..I can say ..I did do it. I have actually gotten to the point in my life where I buy things for me...for comfort...for joy...because I love it! It is OK to have a small space. I'm starting to think now that small is good.

I remember sitting in my grandma's house..all in the kitchen...talking...bonding..loving...making memories that we didn't know we were making...and most of the time there was standing room only.

Anyway...the point over at Crimson and Wool that Rachel is trying to make is that even the small spaces in your house deserve love.

 In every small space...big space...refridgerator space...mirror space...we should glorify God. I am a big believer that we should decorate our homes with scripture. It should be apart of what we look at every day. Jesus doesn't just fill churches with his spirit...he fills my prayer closet....he fills the space by my nightstand where I kneel and cry out to Him....He fills the locked bathroom when I go in there to take a good look at myself and wonder how in the world He still loves me and blesses me so abundantly!!

So fill your small spaces with Jesus!

My small space today is the space at the end of the hall...or beginnign of the hall. Looking at the picture...the left is the front entry way to the door..and the right is the living room...back behind is the kitchen. I love this little bench bench because my husband had deemed it a place to tuck his shoes when he gets home from work. It is where I lay my purse. It is where I lay anything I need to remember when I am walking out the door. I bought it at a yard sale for a few dollars.

The wreath above it was a God thing..because I had been looking for a long while for something to fill that space above the bench and while in an antique shop one day I spotted it! Loved it! Love the homey ..primitive look to it. Then when I got home...is when I realized that the back of the bench was birdhouses!! Which matched my wreath. I have no idea why I didnt' see the birdhouses on the back of the bench before...blind eyes I guess.

I love this small space! I see it every morning when I wake up. I usually see "Daddy" shoes and then "Baby Girl" shoes beside each other ...and remind myself that I am truly abundantly blessed!

Pinteresting!

Here are my weekly pins...

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest...
I am a pinning machine...
I have a problem with pinning and not doing

I will work on that though...



How funny is this wedding picture? I love it!

What a sweet idea for a girl's birthday party...Lyla's birthday is coming up...on my to do list!

I so want to be this couple this year for Halloween!!

Will Gregg dress up like this for me....

probably not!

Taking applications for chimney sweeper.

Love this!

Call me old fashion but I think this is super cute and you better believe when I get off here..after I get a Dr Pepper I am going to try this!

Just a little Olympic inspiration

Love the mirror!

Hello!

Super cute!

Kinda Minnie Mouse-ish

but sweet!

SO IMPORTANT!!!

I honestly try to remember this EVERY time Lyla is talking to me..

no matter what it is about ...or how many times I have heard it

to her

it is important!

What have you pinned this week?

Grey's Anatomy Spoilers!!!

Oh my word!!

Oh my word!!

OH MY WORD!!!


I just came across an interview with Shonda Rhimes....maker of Grey's Anatomy...and she was talking about the upcoming season!!!

I am so super excited!!

I am so into Grey's it is almost ridiculous
Seriously...

I record it on my DVR ...put my child to bed....pop the popcorn or dip the ice cream....grab the "comfy" blanket...pile up on the couch and I am in the Zone!

So if you watch Grey's ..you know the last episode ended up with everyone in a plane crash on thier way to back to the hospital I think from thier testing..I can't even remember now...but a few have died...and the major ones are still alive..for now...Arizona is in bad shape....Owen fired Teddy..for whatever reason...I am just waiting for those two to rekindle a relationship...Chief and Avery's mom were getting kinda close....April sucked it up on the test and got no offers from another hospital...

So exciting....

Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Well..here is what I have gathered from interviews....


SPOILERS ALERT!!
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ANY DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW UPCOMING SEASON BEFORE IT AIRS .............STOP READING NOW!!!!!!!!












So here is the first exciting detail:

Quote from Shonda Rhimes
“I can confirm to you that Meredith, Cristina and Derek survive,” . She also added that additional deaths and departures are possible, however."

She wouldn't say anything about Arizona but that it is going to have a huge impact on Callie...

Also the first episode back ...will be all of them after the plane crash..back and living life....but things will obviously be different....they will all have a different attitude of course....then the second episode will go back to the plane crash and show how they all ended up rescued and blah blah...

There is talk that Mark ..Mr McDreamy...won't be coming back....:sadface:
How will Mark's upcoming departure be handled? I'm really proud of the way we're handing his exit. I really wanted and fought for that character to be given their due. I didn't want to come back to this season and say, "Mark Sloane is gone." I really wanted to give that character his due and we came up with a beautiful and creative way to showcase that and that goodbye.

She actually said that a number of people could be departing....WHAT!?

There was also talk about maybe showing other hospitals than just Seattle Grace since Alex and Jackson and Cristina were accepted to other hospitals..

could Greys and Private Practice join together??? .........................no way

We all know Lexi died...but Shonda said...there will be no funerals....even if more depart...no funerals this season....

There will be alot of time spent of Callie this season
and we will see a very different side of Merideth

Here is another QandA
What kind of Seattle Grace will the docs be returning to, clearly it will be a bit depleted with a few people moving on. It's going to be a very interesting place. We've been calling this season the season of romance and talking about playing up the romance of surgery and the romance between characters and the romance of friendships and really mining that as much as we can so it's not going to be a dark season.

Will the Chief (James Pickens Jr.) and Adele's story continue to be explored? We love Loretta Devine, so anytime we can get her we are thrilled. So yes. We have a really beautiful and painful journey that we want to really have a chance to watch and see.

What's next for April (Sarah Drew) now that she doesn't have a job? When we come back to April, she's back home on the farm so how she gets back to us at the hospital is going to be a very interesting journey.



I found the interview on: Hollywood Reporter


I am so excited to watch!!
Can't wait!!

Do you watch Greys?

Are you a fanatic about it like I am??  I sure hope I am not the only one!

mickey's philharmagic

I had to copy and past my title because I couldn't remember exactly what this place was called at Magic Kingdom..I can not say that last word

Philharmagic

OK...moving on

Here is Lyla and I ready to watch the show!

It was nice to get in here ..it was air conditioned!

I know I have said this before ..but the detail of everything was amazing!!

This was like the waiting room...while the other movie ended before ours began

This one was all about the Disney shows.it was awesome!

The screen wasn't just in front of you..it went half way down the walls on the sides of the theater..so it really felt like you were "There"

We watched Donald and the orchestra

We flew with Aladdin on his Magic Carpet

We went Under the Sea with Ariel ..which was a little freaky for me because I don't like being far under water..and it felt like we were under water...weird!

It was by far the coolest movie we went to.

There were alot of 3D movies and interactive movies at Disney World...very cool!!

I am having a problem....making the last few pictures larger..so sorry you cant see them

I feel gulit for our Lawn Guy

Is it just me?

Why do I feel like this?

I dread when the Lawn Guy comes over to mow our yard. Now our Lawn Guy doesn't look like the guy above...He is a very nice guy that we go to church with...I just seen this picture and had to post it!

My husband has been working so much..that here lately he hasn't had time to mow the yard..
So a guy from church does it and we pay him. I am so grateful he does becasue we would live in a jumgle if he didn't. Also..he does a Great job!

But I get a feeling of dread when my husband tells me he is coming and I am going to be home. I feel bad that I am sitting in here while he is out there. I feel bad that it is hot outside. He moves all the limbs that fell from the storm last night..and I didn't know this but he just asked me for a shovel so he could shovel up our Great Dane's poop in the backyard.
I know ...I know...I feel so bad!!
Should I shovel the poop? Where does he shovel it too?
I don't know!

I don't know!

God Bless that man for what he does...and I truly appreciate him!





What special thing do you do for your Lawn Guy? Do you do anything special for him?

Fantasy Land

Fantasy Land!

This was the most fun part of the Magic Kingdom park!!
Every ride was a ride that Lyla could ride and we rode EVERY ride!!

We had to first ride the famous teacups...kind of a let down for me...I guess I had it pictured more elegantly in my mind...Anyway....We had fun!

Lyla had her color of teacup picked out..and so to ease any drama that we may have my wonderful husband..almost ran to get the one she wanted...She sure does have a Great Daddy!

Doesn't he look so happy to be spinning around and around and around in a teacup?

Here is the back of castle...just as beautiful as the front

Look at that vine going up the building!

That is what I loved the most about Disney World..

It literally made you feel like you were in another world

I tried to see if I could get a picture of inside the castle ...but I couldn't.

I know you can go in there..but we never did.

I am DEFINATELY going to next time!

I took over a thousand pictures of Disney World when we went!

I had always dreamed of going..and honestly never thought I would. If it wasn't for my wonderful hard working husband I would have never been able to go. I am truly blessed!! And we are even talking about taking Lyla again in a couple years!! YAY!

Have you gone to Disney World?

How many pictures did you take?

Pinterest Art

I think this is actually my first Pinterest idea ...DONE!

I have thousands of pins...none of them actually done..

Ha!

So ..I am super excited about actually doing one....

We did stickers to say

Rejoice in the Lord Always

and then water colored it!!

I think for my first Pinterest idea..

and a cute art project for the girls...

It was a HIT!

We all had fun doing it!

I gotta try actually DOING more Pinterest-y things!

What is the latest thing you have done that is Pinterest-y?

found an old wordpress blog post

beautiful weather=great family time

11 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment

by nikkibrewer24in UncategorizedTags: family, Lyla, weather[Edit]

The past few days here in Arkansas have just been lovely! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, it is the epitomy of a great day!
Lyla has been in sundresses and flip flops and we have been outside most of everyday.
My mom bought her some sidewalk chalk so now our driveway is covered in chalk. But I love it! You can see all her little drawings. I took a picture of them because I think they are precious! She also has a swing that you hang in the tree and one day she took a nap outside in her swing. So while she was alseep I pulled some weeds outside. She is getting so big that we are also taking walks together. We will walk right across the street to the sidewalk and walk a little ways down and then back up to the house..and she thinks we went really far and gets so excited!
Spending all this time outside has gave us great family time and time for me to realize that my baby girl is growing up. You always hear parents say that…”Oh they grown so fast” But to look at a picture of Lyla two months ago and now…is a major difference.
Two months ago:
she could only babble..no real words
she has way less hair
She loved to be held and carried
Now:
she says sentences…like…Daisy do you want to eat? or Mom I want a drink or I want my movie
her hair is getting so long it almost goes in a ponytail
she doesn’t want to be carried or held anymore…a finger to hold will be just fine
she takes care of our dogs…helps feed and water them and take them outside
she is starting to use the potty like a big girl
it is so crazy! I’m so excited for this summer and getting to spend all the time I can with her!!!


Isnt it crazy how time flies!! Wow!!
I actually remember that day!

TomorrowLand

Back at Disney World!!
Last post we were looking at the castle and Main Street!!

Today is TomorrowLand!

It all looked very futuristic.

Little Miss Lyla was just a few inches shy of riding a few rides but there was quite a few that she could ride...and she loved every single one of them!!

Here are entering into the Laugh Factory!

When you got in the Laugh Factory...the windows had scenes on them like you were in thier city!!

One of our fav rides was the Buzz Lightyear..

One: because she was tall enough

Two: because of the live Buzz to keep you entertained while waiting your turn!

Here is Baby Girl and Daddy in thier spaceship ready to shoot some monsters!

How incredible is this last picture!

Gregg is super serious about his play!!

Disney World Vacation 2011 contin...

I know I know
It has been a year since we have gone to Disney World
When we got back I was super excited to get everything uploaded and blogged about...
but as time went on..
I swear I have ADD...
I forget about it...and move on to something else

So a few girls I know went and are going to Disney World this year for vacation and have motivated me to post the rest of my pictures!!!

My last post about vacation was our Sarfari Trip at Animal Kingdom...
Fun!
Hot!
but Worth it!
Lyla played on my phone the whole time...
Me and Gregg has a BLAST!

Moving on...
The next day we went to Magic Kingdom!
This is truly where you can fall in love all over again....believe that dreams can come true...and be a kid!!

Here we are ...ready to see the Castle!

This is the view from the bathroom...whatever park we went to ...the first thing I did was find the bathroom!! With me having gall bladder problems..and a two year old...we both needed to know where the bathroom was...and quickly!

Love these horses! They were HUGE!

The rest is just mainly pictures of all the old time architecture...

I loved it!

I felt like we were jolted back in time to when things were easy and fun

I could literally stay there forever!

This was the back of the train station. There was a train that would take all around the outter edges of Magic Kingdom so you could take it all in. I wanted to do that..but we got so busy..that we didn't have time.

There were guys all over the streets rolling hula hoops..selling balloons and ice cream..juggling..it was so much fun! It looked like a little old city...but with a carnival twist of fun! The road were you first walk it was called Main Street and each little park ..Fantasy Land..Tomorrow Land branched off from Main Street.

Here is our first view of the CASTLE!

My favorite picture OF ALL TIME!

OF ALL TIME!

How awesome to get a picture of your princess looking at a princess wedding gown!!

I will try with everything in my being to make that gown be her wedding gown when she gets married!!

Crystal Castle

$35,000

Magic Kingdom was my most favorite park out of them all..because if you wanted to sit and rest you could stop in one of these little shops and have an ice cream to relax.

Here is our first glimpse of TomorrowLand

Thank goodness each park had a map...even with the map we stayed kind of lost...by our own fault though..trying to keep up with a two year old and read a map...little difficult!

I could sit and look at this castle all day too...

It had so many details!

Every time we watch a Disney show now and the castle comes on in the intro to the movie..Lyla screams, "I seen that castle!!!"

I am almost just as excited as she is to say I have seen it too!!

I made this picture pretty big so you could see the wire coming from the castle. Every night at Magic Kingdom they have a fireworks show. And a good ways into the fireworks show Tinkerbelle zip lines across this cable all the way across the park..Her outfit is lit up so you can see her and she is waving her wand..so cool!!

Next up: TomorrowLand