High Five for Friday :)

Linking up with From My Grey Desk.. Every Friday she does a Top 5 post of your favorite things from the week.


1. I have been coughing my head off and tonight got the right meds that will hopefully help!!



2. Went to my Sunday School Classes Christmas party and it was so much fun hanging out with everybody.. oh and the food was delicious too.


3. Our prayers being answered about finding a house here in Starke. The home inspection today went -okay- there are a few things the seller needs to do before me move in. Praying it works out, we are SO ready to move!



4. McDonald's Peppermint hot chocolate. It.is.AWESOME and my new favorite thing :)



5. This week we were quizzing Gracie on Jesus and his birth. We were amazed that she remembered everything that we had taught her. At the end she said "Mommy, I Love God".. It made my heart smile so big! I love that little girl more than words<3

Christmas Tour 2011

Over on Nestor and Kelly's Korner blog they are having a Christmas Tour and I'm going to be SO busy the next few days so I thought I would go ahead and take the pictures of my house tonight and post.
 I love decorating for Christmas. Its so much fun. I usually start decorating Nov. 1st but this year I actually had my house all done on HALLOWEEN- yes that's right :) We went trick or treating and came home to Christmas hehe!

Next year, I'm going to go with more ribbon in my tree's, I think. That seems to be very popular!!

Here is my Christmas Tour! Enjoy :)

My pine cone wreath on the front door

The Foyer

My Nativity's- I love them! 

My living room tree

The lights a glow

I get new ornaments every year! I love these two!!

My mom made my dining room centerpiece. One of my favorite things!

Kitchen Tree... Plus my snowman wall hanging.

Gracie's PINK tree

Gracie's cute Princess Snow girl door hanger

I love Snowmen and this is my favorite one. Its made of Bells

Guest Bathroom

Our bedroom tree

Buddy comes each year!

This picture makes me smile because as I was walking around taking pics-
 Gracie had to take some too! 
I love how she is my little mini me!

On This Special Day

I love Christmas. I love reading books each night to Gracie and at Christmas time I bring out her favorite Christmas ones. I usually store them after Christmas so that they will be special through out the month of December.


On Pinterest, I found a really cool idea to do next year with her and her books. It's a countdown to Christmas. What you do is wrap 24 books (any topic you like) and each day your child gets to unwrap them and you read the book as a family. What kid doesn't like to unwrap things?!? Plus I thought it would be more fun to make our elf Buddy give the gift each day..



Today, we went to the Library's Christmas party. Gracie had so much fun singing songs and making her marshmallow snowman (eating him was the BEST part). I picked 2 books that I thought she would love to read. Her favorite one- of course - was "On This Special Day"... It was so sweet because it talks about the birth of Christ and how even the smallest animal a mouse came to see the newborn king.



The pictures were beautiful and the story line was an easy listen too for Grace.




On a winter's night, Mother Cat and Little Kitten wonder at all the visitors–a donkey, a lamb, three mice, a calf–who stop by their barn to rest as they follow a bright star. Curious, the cats follow the animals to a stable, where they find a very special baby- Jesus. Although neither the holiday nor the baby is named, most children will recognize the context. There is nothing new or noteworthy in this simple Nativity story, but the glowing, soft-focus photo-realistic illustrations of adorable barnyard animals will appeal to young children.–Eva Mitnick

**BUDDY UPDATE**

Buddy has been a very busy little Elf. He just loves to get into things and making messes is his specialty. He also loves to play jokes on Gracie. Each morning, she is thrilled to go and search for him and when she finds him she gets the biggest smile on her face!

So far Gracie has been good enough for Buddy to sit in a different spot. Although, today Buddy left her a note/warning about her bad behavior and to remind her that he is indeed still watching.

Here are the latest Buddy Adventures, wonder what he'll do next.... HINT: It has to do with Rudolph>>> He whispered it to me this morning!


Buddy FISHING for Gold Fish..


Trying to open the cabinet


Playing Hide and SEEK!!


Giving the snowman a hug!

Day 12: Gracie found Buddy with a note!


Better Be on your best behavior! I'm watching!!

Show Me Christmas *Wish/Prayer List*

Every year we have a Christmas budget on how much we can spend on each other and family. We then match that and give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. It seems like every year we need less and less and Stephen is the hardest to buy for. My wish list is different than others because of the fact I don't need much and what I do want comes from prayer :) So first I will give you a list of things I want, but don't need and then my prayer list of the top things that I need prayer for right now.

My Wish List:

A new Camera because my old one recently broke (its not even a year old) :/

A Kindle Fire. These things are awesome!

I LOVE these and would love a necklace like this

Can't go wrong with a Giftcard

These are from Bath & Body works! I LOVE their stuff!

Monet trinkets

 I LOVE these little boxes. They have all different styles. I found them recently at Bealls Outlet for $6.99

This is my favorite scent! I need more Bubble Bath stuff!

TOMS

Because I'm starting to be a coffee drinker!

My Prayer List:

A Passing Home Inspection for our new home

We will close on this house at the end of Jan 2012

• My dad would get healthy (This is a tough subject, please join me prayer for him.)

I'm so thankful for all that I have already been blessed with. Our family is the strongest and my husband is the best man I know. I have the best little girl who brings joy to our family each day- oh and laughter! We have the sweetest church family anyone could ask for.

What do you want for Christmas???

Head over to From Mrs. to Mama and link up your wish list!

Merry Christmas,

Where will you spend eternity after you die?

Today, was one of my all time favorite Sunday services. I'm so thankful that the Lord placed Stephen and I at Madison Street Baptist. I cant begin to express what I felt today. Rev. Rick Coram spoke and it was powerful. I was convicted and then some. He preached on when our time on this earth is done where will your home be?!? Will it be in Heaven or Hell.

So many times we think of lost people as people who are outside of the church but many times the people who are most involved in church are the ones who are lost. Rev. Rick spoke about his wife coming to know the Lord after being married to him the Pastor for 10 years. He said that his wife for a long time was embarrassed to come forward because of the fact she was a pastor's wife.


 My question for you today is- are you living a lifestyle that would honor God. Have you really accepted him as your Savior and the Lord of your life. Or are you living a lie, because your to ashamed or embarrassed for people to know that your really just a sinner who is lost.

What ever your case may be please today accept Jesus. I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't have him as #1 in my life. I know my heart would be full of bitterness and hate. I'm thankful I have the reassurance knowing Jesus is there on my side.

Lately, I have felt so scared at the Lord's 2nd coming. Today, God spoke to me and I felt so much peace knowing that I will get to spend eternity with Jesus, the angels, and my loved ones- who I miss so much,

Today, the angels in heaven rejoiced because 8 people came forward and were saved. My eyes filled with tears of joy knowing this.

The Bible teaches us that ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23.

The only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ and His shed blood. There is a wonderful 3 step recipe for Salvation. I call it the ABC's of the new birth.

A-ADMIT that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:23)

B-BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for your sins. (Romans 5:8)

C-CONFESS your sins in a prayer of repentance. (Romans 10:9-10;13)

You can receive Christ by praying this simply prayer....

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Right now, the best way I know how, I repent of my sins. I confess that you are Lord. I receive you into my heart this very moment. Thank you for saving my soul today. I will serve you because I love you!