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Some photos for you to enjoy :) (Another Quick Catch Up Post)

I hope the day finds everyone well and happy :). I have been lurking and reading a lot lately but honestly my brain has been too fried to re...

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Brrr, Good Morning (*shiver `n` shake*)

I guess you can tell from the title that it is a bit cool here this morning. I'm loving it. We had our windows open yesterday and last night and it feels so good, chilly but good. We had a great service at church last night. We have been visiting a great little church not far from home and I love it there. Not sure if it will be our new "home" but if it is  I would be happy. We will be enjoying a fellowship dinner there Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it.
We took a lil trip to North Carolina Tuesday. We had a great time together as a family. We love to roadtrip and it was a hoot and a half. We got to see some turkey and elk and drive and walk through the clouds which wsas so cool. Clingma's Dome was cloaked in heavy clouds due to the rainy weather we were having. The kids decided the next time we hike it they want to do it when the cloud cover is heavy. Not sure if that will happen this Fall because they will be closing the road at the end of October.
The leaves are showing some color on the road to Clingman's though if any of y'all are looking for a nice drive. On the NC side of the mountain there is some color too. Driving over from Cherokee to Maggie Valley you can see some yellows are reds.The leaf report also said the drive through the Blueridge Parkway is showing color too. Plus Maggie Valley is getting all decorate for Fall :) I love driving down that road and seeing all the decorations.
If you would like to visit the Smokies  this Fall here are some links to check out the Fall foliage report and guided history tours.
 http://smokiesinformation.org/nature-wildlife/fall-foliage-updates/
 http://smokiesinformation.org/things-to-do-see/ranger-guided-events2/
 http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm

Have a blessed day! Blessings ! ~ Nikki

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Long Time Away...Needed A new Mindset

I have been away from this blog for a while. I have been lurking and reading my blog roll faves but whenever the thought of posting to my own would flit through my brain, all I could see was a blank page. Sometimes things happen in life and it drains everything in you. Mine has been a landslide of changes since early August. Basically I have just felt whiny and irritable because life didn't work out according to my plan this Fall and I let it steal all my joy. Worry has been my constant companion. And I should know better...I do... it is just sometimes getting your heart and head to sing the same tune is a difficult thing. To make a long story short (and therefore reducing my chances of whining even more), I lost my job and my funding for school. So I have to put off my Nursing classes for another semester and maybe even next Fall. No job (plus the loss of "extra" cash left over from my school loans, which helped pay some things) has meant things are more than tight here at home. No new job yet although I'm looking :) My DD's funding was affected to so she had to put off her classes til Spring. All that combined with all the "little" things just made a mess of my plans and I have been  upset and moody and heartbroken....you know, all the things a mature ( I once thought) CHRISTian should be. Anyway, I'm tired of feeling whiny. I decided to put my big girl pants on and move on. I need to focus on the good things God has done for me and concentrate less on what I feel like I "lost". Yes, I have efficiently been chastised :)
So , in the spirit of a renewed mindset... Preacher had surgery last week and is doing well. Maybe he can now have relief from his shoulder pain. Fall began to sneak in around the end of August (to say it is early is an understatement lol ) and all the wildflowers of the season are in bloom and cooler temps are here YAY! I had a wonderful birthday cookout with my family in August. We just finished our first week of homeschool and it went fantastic ( by the way , I will be updating that poor neglected blog of mine ). My DD made this cute template for me for Fall. I love the crow. She mad it using coloring sheets and PSP :) Best Christmas gift I ever bought her!
I do have a most urgent request for your prayer lists, my BIL Chris (whom I love like my own brother) was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He is praying for healing...will you pray with us ? The fact his cancer was found at all is a pure God thing so I know God has great plans for him through all of this. His wife (Preacher's sister) and daughters long to keep their husband and daddy around for a while longer so please be praying for them.
So much good has been given me than I could put here in this blog post and I have been too self absorbed to enjoy it ... but I'm gonna start to now lol So I'm off for a bit but have a great day ... get out in the Autumn sun and have some fun today...I'm going bug hunting with my baby DD :) Life is good...God is good ALL THE TIME :) If I ever forget that again will you kindly remind me ? Thanks:) Blessings ! ~ Nikki