How to climb a tree

So much has happened over the past 6 weeks since I last posted.
Nothing bad. Just stuff. Life. Work.
Also, I just needed the break to "think".
About stuff. Life. Work.
To kind of reassess.
And to re-prioritize.

I can so easily get life all out of kelter.


Over the weekend, Ronnie, Colin and Jigs were here.

We had a fun weekend.
They helped us do some clean-up and
spruce-up to get ready
for a party this Friday.

The guys grilled for Mother's Day lunch and did yard stuff
while
Ronnie and I spent the better part of Sat. afternoon
watching mindless, but fun tv
while she worked on my hair.

We missed the rest of our family
being here for the weekend.
And so.....since Lily Kate didn't get to see this for herself......
here is Jigsy boy climbing the big tree in our
backyard.

Crazy, silly, fun Jigsy boy.
He's the King of all the world !!!!!!!

And all is fine. Until he wants down.
Then he has to have help.
What a dog !

Hope your weekend was fun-filled and fabulous,

Gwynie Pie

Easter Sunday morning
Colin, Ronnie and Jigsy-boy

Colin and Devin

The Boles -- Blake, Lily Kate and Dana

Just a few pictures from Easter weekend.
Cupcakes made by Dana and
decorated by Pie and Lily Kate.

I had grand plans for this centerpiece with very specific placement
of the yellows and pinks.

Then -- Lily Kate wanted to help stick the flowers in the foam--so this is
her arrangement.

I figured I could always re-arrange them after she went to bed
so they would be just perfect for the table on Sunday.

After she went to bed, however, I looked at the centerpiece
and realized just how perfect it was already....
and I left them exactly the way she fixed them.

I love it!
It makes me happy!

And here's Jigsy-boy after
he was assaulted with cascarones. We went through several dozens
and confetti was dropping off everyone the rest of the day.

Very fun !!!

It's finally here

Wonderful, beautiful Springtime
I am loving the way Spring is springing this year.
But then, I am always pretty crazy about this time of year.

A Sunday afternoon drive around the ranch
shows the "hope" that is in the beginning of every Spring.

"All things made new."

Around here, there are two sure signs that winter
is over --- the mesquite trees leaf out and the scissor-tales show up.

We saw our first scissor-tale yesterday
and the mesquites are just popping out.


I am praying that your week is a blessed one.
This week - between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday --
my very favorite week of the entire year.

The sacrifice that was made for me (and you) is
breath-takingly amazing.
I don't ever want to take it for granted
or speed past it.
I just want to take it all in.

I read Luke yesterday and will read
John today,
followed by Matthew and Mark
later this week.

I don't think I have ever just sat and read the entire
book of Luke at one time like that.
Such a powerful experience.
One that I would recommend.

I am also working on dressing up the house for
the weekend - all the kids are coming home.
And Pops is dressing up the yard and porches.

I'll be back later in the week with my new Spring-y
home and porch decor pictures.

Happy Wednesday all !

Gwynie Pie

Until further notice.........

Gotta show you my super,duper, fantastic, awesome

birthday gift.......

My family got it for me. TOTAL Surprise !!

I'm studying my manual, playing with the settings,

taking a few pictures.....and I LOVE IT !!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you my sweet family!Last Friday night we went out to dinner with two couples who are some of

our dearest friends --- yet over the past few months/years

we've spent less and less time with them as life

has become busier and crazier for us all.

How DOES that happen???

Anyway, had a delicious dinner at The Wharf,

complete with birthday cheesecake -

soooo good!, then went to one of their homes

for coffee and dessert and visiting.

This sweet little "stash" of fun was given

me by my friends.

Little did Mendi know that I was about to re-do my kitchen

with a 1940's, old-fashioned feel.

The cute towels fit in perfectly.

And Jill gave me the Hobby Lobby card.

Always the right color, size and fit.

Love it! Thanks friends.

We all need to just STOP and smell the...........
a little more often. Just kickin' back and visiting was the best.

My mother always gives each of us $$$$ for birthdays.
That way we can use it for what we need or something
we've really been wanting.

Weeeellllllll -
I've really been wanting my pre-pregnancy waistline
back, but I'm told they don't sell those in stores,
else we'd ALL have one.
Sooooo looks like I'm gonna have to work for it.
With one of these ---
The Abcircle (as seen on TV) is really a very fun
workout. Once I tried it, I was hooked.
AND that's saying something.
I am not easily impressed with forms of exercise.
Found it at Bed, Bath and Beyond
of all places.


Also - found this.....sitting there at Ross
the very last one of it's kind
just waiting patiently for me to find
it, love it and take it home with me.

Funny enough, William and I have been talking a lot lately
about this very sentiment. We don't want to just
celebrate the big occasions of life, but also
celebrate the everyday ones.

This sentiment pretty much summed it all up.
It's become our new motto.
Our words to live by.

"Until further notice,
Celebrate
Everything !!!!"

Gwynie Pie

A few of my favorite things...

Ingredients for a Wonderful Birthday Weekend ---

Bubble wrap which was wrapped around THE most fantastic birthday present EVER!!!! More about that later......

The bubble wrap alone provided tons of fun.


Biggest fish ever caught by Lily Kate. She's holding up a worm. She didn't want to hold the fish. Well, of course..........duh..........worms are so much
less??? gross than a fish???? eeeewwwww


OKAY, let me explain this very, very sweeeeeet picture.
It's my birthday! Soooo, I go by Halfmann's to get MY very favorite pie -- chocolate cream.

Hey, I'm gonna share.

Also pick up a few crescents and a couple cream cheese brownies.
Just for good measure, ya know.

My mother sends home a huge box of sweet rolls, donuts and various
pastries from the bakery.

And we end up with chockit pie PLUS a ton (no pun intended) of other bakery
fun!

Notice the fresh fruit. We're not ALL bad.






Lily Kate and Pops taking Lady Bird out for a spin around the pen.


Just a few of my favorite things from the weekend.
Gwynie Pie

Oh LOOK !!! It's the lawn boy.

Naaaaaahhhhhhh........Not really. just kidding with ya.

We don't have a lawn boy. But then...you knew that.

AND that is NOT our yard.

I woke up this a.m. to the wonderful sounds of this tractor mowing the ballfield across the street in front of our house. It's a little community park that is maintained by the county. The workers were here in force weedeating, mowing and grooming the whole place.

It looks so good after they have been here. AND it smells fantastic !!!!

Freshly mowed grass........one of the best smells of summer.

Makes me want to go find my bottle of Coppertone.....another on the "best smells of summer" list.

I truly LOVE hearing the sound of a lawnmower though. It tells me ONE of my favorite times of year is here !!!

Spring! Followed by another favorite time of year.........SUMMER!!!!



Now ---- THIS ----- is our yard.

Lots of end of winter green out there.

It'll be tackled on Saturday. Wonder if a nice plate of cookies could bribe the man on the tractor to drive across the street
to "turn around" in my front yard????? hmmmmmm.................... Happy Spring everyone...........

Gwynie Pie

Snow Pictures

Just wanted to add a few more snow pictures since we have this so seldom.

Well -- seldom until this year. I heard the guys on The Weather Channel calling Texas "the new snow belt".

Crazy, I tell ya.

Snow Day

When we opened the front door this morning -- THIS is what greeted us.
















Looking out our front door onto the ballfield.


Wonderful! William is home today - he is giving the Lenten sermon tomorrow so he's busy finishing that.

I made a mean skillet of migas for breakfast -- possibly my favorite breakfast food. Yum! It was soooo good!'

Chicken Tortellini Soup for lunch today. We're going to try a new, super quick and easy biscuit recipe. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Happy Snow Day to us!

And happy Tuesday to you all!

Gwynie Pie

Happy Valentine's Day

I have wanted to make a candy Valentine's card
for William for a couple years
and time always just gets away from me
BUT
This year I did it!

I had to go to several stores -- Dollar Tree, a couple of conveniences stores, Walgreen's -- and finally came up with the candy I needed to "write" my story.

Here's what it says:

Baby - when we met 48 years ago we were just a couple of NERDS.
As time went by we became the THREE MUSKETEERS, minus 1.
Then we were blessed with 3 wonderful SUGAR BABIES!
and now we have a sweet (picture of grandaughter)and life is
GOOD AND PLENTY of room for more!
Sure -- it wasn't all SNICKERS and CHUCKLES.
We had some hard times and felt the CRUNCH.
But...the Lord always gave us EXTRA grace, EXTRA love, EXTRA forgiveness.
Why I wouldn't take 100,000 GRAND for what we have.
Not even ONE MILLION DOLLARS!! I SKOR-ed big when I got you!
And ya know what? We are still a couple of HOT TAMALES and
you are still my BIG HUNK.
I love you forever. g

I just attached the candy bars and gum to poster board with duct tape.

The hard part was spacing everything out so it would all fit on the page.

I had so much fun hunting down just the right candy and putting this all together.
AND William absolutely loved it.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day y'all.
Love ya,

Gwynie Pie

Ladybird and Friends

Blue, clear sky.

Wonderful, mild winter weather.

Great friends.

Good Sunday dinner comfort food.

A cooperative horse.

Happy kids.

What a GREAT day!!!

Ahhhh ~~~

Gwynie Pie

I have taken an "accidental" break from blogging for the past few weeks.

As I've mentioned, I have a part-time job now. Only --- I've been working

3+ days a week -- more than I had anticipated.

That's a good thing because it has

forced me to learn the job.

BUT -- it's taken a LOT out of me.

I've been so tired. Getting up at 5:30 each day,

trying to learn a very precise job

(lots of rules - no room for flub-ups).

And just the routine of getting everything

ready for the next day the night before

has been a challenge.

5:30 is NOT the time to be stumbling

around trying to decide what to wear

or what to take for lunch :)

Also -- there is much discouragement

to deal with.

I know I'm a smart woman,

with the ability to learn.

However.......

I have not exactly been

affirmed in this knowledge.

I end most days feeling defeated.

Embarassed.

With a gnawing in the pit of my stomach.

That "what did I do wrong today?" feeling.

Everyday brings something new --

and just when I thought I had learned

what I needed to get through the day.

Learning something new is just a challenge.

To anyone.

At any age.

At any season of life.

I've been frustrated with myself.

Cried many tears the past few weeks.

I just want this job to be a little easier

and clearer than it has been.

And I don't want to let anyone down --

not my employer.

not my family.

not my husband.

not myself.

I'm very humbled by the fact that

I'm just not very good at this.

This working out of the home.

I never have been very good at it.

And THAT'S the truth!

I'm good at many things.

Really good at some things.

Excellent at a few.

And that has always been OK with me.

I've just concentrated on those areas where

I am excellent.

And quite honestly --

those places where I DO excel .....

those are the "places of my heart"

those are THE most important to me.

My home.

My family.

My husband.

My God.

Sooooo --

I am frustrated.

embarassed.

discouraged.

AND I'm in complete and total admiration

of all those women who would

waaaaaay rather be at home

BUT

who go out into the big world

every day, to jobs

they may or may not love.

For so many, it is simply a matter

of having to work - financially speaking

- and not a matter of choice at all.

Well there you have it.

I've confessed my "secret".

Say a prayer for me, please?

I know this is about a whole lot more

than "just" a job.

There's much more going on here.

I just want to hang on

and answer the question

"What?"

Gwynie Pie

What if.....?

I've been thinking.....

What if....the next time I catch a glimpse of my face in the mirror.....
I say something kind to my reflection?

What if....when I see my familiar image, I look for something positive
instead of zero-ing in on the blemish, the wrinkle, the negative?

What if....when I finish brushing my teeth or
washing my face or
fixing my hair.....................what if instead of travelling down
the old familiar
"oh my good gosh, what has happened
to me (sob)?" road

What if.......................I just SMILED instead?
Wouldn't my reflection just SMILE right back at me?

And what if I said to myself---------- "Self, you are beautiful."

I'm just wondering. How would that change my day?
How would that affect my interaction with others?
How much more confident would I be to go out into the
world and BE?

I once heard a wise woman (my pastor's wife Cindy) say
"Don't ever say anything about yourself that God Himself wouldn't agree with."

That has stuck with me for a long time now. I haven't lived that way always (at all).
But ---- I know she was totally on the mark with her words.

So.....what if.....
we ALL said to ourselves ONLY what the LORD says about us.

He thinks we are beautiful.
He says we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
He Himself put us together just exactly as He wanted --- beautifully.


What if.....we believed it? and then ----

What if.....we live like we believe it? and then----

What would change in each of our worlds? and then---

What would change in the great BIG world?????


I sooooo want to find out! Do you?

Think about it ----

Gwynie Pie

Too busy! Too busy?

Is anyone else out there feeling like I've been feeling lately?

I've really been struggling.....

trying to keep up with everything

and yet...

not really wanting to do anything!

The JOY of life is dulled,

and the energy is drained,

and life has begun to feel like that movie

"Groundhog Day".

Do you know what I mean????

I have, for some months now,

felt all burnt out, empty,

lifeless.

And waaaaaay too consumed

with the Emergencies---

all the while I have let the

Important

fall to the wayside.

I have known exactly what the problem was --

because

I've walked this way before.

It's simple really.

I have "forgotten my first love".

I've become so busy

that I pushed my pursuit of the LORD

and his words

and spending time with Him --

I've pushed it right to, not the bottom,

of my list of "need to do"

BUT no longer at the top of my list

of "must do".

Knowing

confessing

repenting

changing course....

it should be the easiest thing in the world.

Why do I resist so?

In a word - Pride.

I always think I know better.

Until of course it's proven

that I do not

and

will not. ever.

And how He pursues me when I go off the rails....

it is quite amazing.

The sermon series at church has been

First Things First.

WOW!

Profound.

The first book I picked up

(of my 26 book goal for 2010)

is

The Magnificent Obsession

by Anne Graham Lotz.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Every word is as if it was written just for me

and for just this time of my life.

And every other thing I've listened to,

read, watched ---

has had the same message.

You'd think it was a conspiracy of some sort.

And of course, it IS.

The Word tells us that He desires to

spend time with us,

and that He will never allow us,

who know Him, to

slide backwards.....

He will always, always, always

pursue us

and bring us back.

He loves us.

How wonderful

amazing

glorious

comforting.

How are you doing on this 20th of January, 2010?

Gwynie Pie