Giving Thanks

It rained on us!!!

#So the first thing I am thankful for is an inch of rain. We need every drop. And I am thankful for every drop.

#That my children and grandchildren are protected by Gods mighty hand.
Which reminds me of the time my 2 oldest grandsons were with me and after forgetting to stop and get gas I told them we needed to pray that God would get us to a station before we ran out, on the Interstate. When I saw that, yes, we were going to make it to one, I said "thank you God for making sure we didn't run out of gas." One of them immediately said "oh, we ran out, and God pushed us." And the other one said "with His mighty hand." They were both 4 at the time. :D

#I'm thankful, as always, for our children bringing up our grandchildren to love and serve the Lord. NOTHING could make me happier!

#I'm thankful for all the comforts God allows us to enjoy. Even though I sometimes say "why me???". As in, who am I to deserve this? I try to never take any of it for granted. And pray that I never hold anything so tightly that it would hurt to let it go if He asks me to.

#Bamboo starts that my husband dug from a bar ditch on his way home from work because he remembered me saying I wanted some for my "in progress" pond. And for him digging the holes for them. ;)

#Birds singing outside the window. I am sure they are thanking their creator for the rain too.

Have a great next week. And don't forget to be thankful.

                                            








i

For Kate

To Kate,
May all your memories be sweet.
http://chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com/2013/09/just-breathe.html

Giving Thanks Friday (on Sunday)

Oops, I'm late this week. I was enjoying having my husband home for a change and totally forgot. Not to be happy, but to write it here. :D
This week I'm thankful for:
                                      



# Having my husband around for a whole week! He got lots done on his own "to do" list and that makes him happy, so it makes me happy.

# Good news on some medical tests.

# Cooler temps. High 80's, low 90's is definitely a start to cooler weather.

# Hearing and seeing grandchildren playing and hollering in the pool. They can do both for hours. ;)

# Coffee in the morning, hot tea at night.

Have a great week and don't forget to be thankful!

                                   

Clouds

Yesterdays sky was beautiful.

 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handywork. Psalm 19:1

                                        
                                                                               

Giving Thanks Friday

Today I am thankful for:

1. A sweet text from my husband.

2. God allowing us to be part of His bigger plan.

3. Our faithful dog Molly who greets us every morning like we've been away for weeks instead of overnight. :)
                         

4. Sweet, genuine blogger friends.

5. Flyswatters! :D

Have a wonderful weekend. And don't forget to be thankful.

                                   

 

Giving Thanks Friday

A sweet blogger always has a Giving Thanks Friday on her BLOG and shares things she is thankful for that week.
I will be sharing as well. Thankfulness really is a key to true happiness and contentment.

This week I am thankful for:

1. My sweet grandson getting the cast off his arm. Now he can swim for real. :)

2. A sweet surprise for my husband when he found out he now has 6 weeks PTO every year!!

3.Cool mornings and evenings even though it's still around 100 daily.

4. My husband only has a few bruises (and bruised ego) after getting bucked off a horse while breaking her. (saddles fault, not his) You land harder when you're over 60!

5. A full day spent with my daughter. A little shopping. A little eating.  A lot of driving. :)

Have a great weekend. And don't forget to be thankful. :D

                            

Gone Home

An update to my last post. mygramma'shouse
I am sure she would appreciate prayers for her family.
Thank you.

Pray

If you are a believer I ask for prayer for a sweet blogger lady. Please click HERE and take just a few minutes to go to her blog and read her prayer request dealing with her husbands last days.
I believe  lifting each other up in prayer is the most precious thing we can do for each other.
Thank you.

Testing

Sharing from Tanzania trip 2010.

On the prowl.

Did someone say "CHEETAH???"

Zebra for lunch?

Baboon babies

 Making faces for the camera is fun no matter where you are.

Candy from a stranger? Umm, no thanks.

Living is hard.

Beauty even in the hard places.

Construction on the high rise. Yikes!!!

My favorite faces.

Another cheetah sighting. Every guide wants nothing more than their passengers to see it all!!!

Safari patrol?

It's no fun living next to road construction!!!

Beautiful Maasi ladies. Mother, daughter, daughter in law and granddaughter.

Inspiration From Gods Creation

Use this link to see Fog rolling in over SF. Amazing time lapse video.

Sometimes I miss It

I love our sunsets but sometimes I am busy cooking or cleaning up after, or whatever, and before I know it it's dark and I've missed another one. I probably have more pictures of sunsets since we moved here though than anything else. Tonight as I was passing a west facing window my eye caught a glimpse of orange and if you know anything about me, I love orange. :) This is what I was blessed to see.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1

Sweet dreams.

sharing at Rurality Blog Hop and

Give Me The Goods Monday 

 

 

 

Mrs. Scissortail Flycatcher

We spent my husbands vacation time building a deck for our my pool. His idea. Mine would have been a week away. But whatev.
It was sweet of him to build it for me before I fell off the rickety, swaying, twisting ladder. My grandson said he was building it cause he knew if I got hurt I wouldn't be able to wait on him. Papa said he knows him too well. ha
Anyhoo, when I got up on the deck to help lay the floor I noticed this nest.

 
 It happens to be in the tree with the rope swing. Right in the
middle of the branch you see below. Maybe mama didn't know about hollering boys swinging from the branches when she was busy making her nest.

 
Which by the way was totally serendipitous. The 5th step up happens to be the perfect place to launch from.

 

Her nest is made totally out of cotton bolls from the field next to us. The scissortail flycatcher (our OK state bird btw) is supposed to be "aggressive in defending her nest". This one not so much. Although she may be telling them a thing or two. I couldn't hear her over the boys whooping and hollering. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts On This And That

I read the cutest post on A Haven for Vee and a similar one she inspired on Scene Through My Eyes.
I have my own "jumbled thoughts" so thought I'd share some of them. Maybe she can get a regular thing going.
As I read about the pansy pressing on  Scene Through My Eyes I thought about my grandma whose name was Pansy. I really miss her and think about her often these days although she's been in heaven for many years. I remember her in capris always.

Which made me think of seeing someone wearing them when they first came back in style and thinking how they looked great on my grandma but I'll never wear them. Never say never, right?
I worked at the college when I had that thought which made me think of the time an electrician came into my office and said he was told I was the one with all the "information". So he asks "why is the sky blue?" Now, I had just watched educational television the night before when they covered that very subject. When I gave him the answer he agreed I did know it all. ha Which led me to think about the time I was wondering why the town of Retrop was named Retrop. The next day there was a story about the town and how they wanted it to be named Porter but that name was already taken so they just spelled it backwards. Which made me think of spelling bees in grade school and how much I loved them. Whenever I finally got a word wrong I was convinced that they were really the ones who were wrong and just didn't know it. That made me remember my dad telling me once how he had only been wrong once in his life. And that was one time when he "thought" he was wrong. lol Wow these thoughts can go on forever. I think I better quit while I'm ahead. Oh, and those pictures of my sweet grandchildren in the middle of the post? That was just a random thought. I think it worked. :D 
Have a great night.
p.s. I'm sharing over at Anything Goes Blog Hop.

                                                            

ALL GAVE SOME and SOME GAVE ALL

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.




"Some Gave All"

I knew a man called him Sam the Cane few folks even knew his name
But a hero yes was he
He left a boy came back a man still many just don't understand
About the reasons we are free
I can't forget the look in his eyes or the tears he cried
As he said these words to me

All gave some some gave all
Some stood through for the red white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me think of all your liberties
And recall some gave all

Now Sandy Cane is no longer here but his words are oh so clear
As they echo throughout our land
For all his friends who gave us all who stood the ground and took the fall
To help their fellow man
Love your country live with pride and don't forget those who died
America can't you see


And if you ever think of me think of all your liberties
And recall yes recall some gave all some gave all

 

Billy Ray Cyrus

This post is in honor of Sgt. Don McMahan, who served with my son in Iraq. He gave all.

                                                           

Priorities

/neighbors-share-touching-embrace-in-moore--

 

Short video worth watching. The hug seen round the world.

 

 

 

 

okla--

tweet by Sean Copeland

Moore, Oklahoma

Blessed Rain

Last night we received rain. Woohoo We sure need every drop. I took some photos of the storm in progress. There were a couple of the most wonderful surprises as it unfolded.

First couple show the rains all around us and wondering will we get some of it. So many times it is soooo close.

As I moved looking North...

And then East, I noticed the most beautiful lighting. Where the sun behind is shining/contrasting so beautifully with the dark clouds in front.

This is by far my most favorite kind of light.

(My) Pictures do not do it justice! Trust me, it was gorgeous!

Our freshly tilled garden is showing promise. Already enjoying the most delicious white radishes and green onions.

As I am still oohing and aahing, I notice a rainbow forming.

Even better! A double rainbow! Pardon the horrible focus. For some reason I changed to manual. eck!!

Although my manual focus fiasco almost totally ruined it, it's a FULL DOUBLE RAINBOW. I couldn't capture it all on camera but my eyes could see it all. And it was awesome!!!!!

Our pot of gold.

And then...HALLELUJAH The rain started.

And then hail. It was sounding much bigger on the back porch roof than it really was, which was making me a little nervous...

So I moved to the front porch and waited to document that we actually had enough to make puddles.

Our yellow spots in the lawn are due to wild rye which somehow made it's way to our yard this year. I "harvested" with the riding mower. ;)
I will always praise and thank God for every drop of rain.

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." [Matthew 5:45].



I am also praising Him for my mother today. She had emergency surgery early Sat morning after being taken to the ER by ambulance. Turns out she had a pin hole in her bowel that was giving her fits. Dr. was able to fix it and we expect her home in a few days. :D

Have a blessed Sunday.