Coolest Tutorial Ever!!!

Check out this awesome tutorial I saw over at Laura Thoughts. This is revolutionary especially if you have a dressing table. How cool. Anyhow, thought I would share. 

I'm off to find some thrift store frames!

Ohio + Autumn = Magical

The name -- of it -- is "Autumn" 

-- by Emily Dickinson

The name -- of it -- is "Autumn" --

The hue -- of it -- is Blood --

An Artery -- upon the Hill --

A Vein -- along the Road --

Great Globules -- in the Alleys --

And Oh, the Shower of Stain --

When Winds -- upset the Basin --

And spill the Scarlet Rain --

It sprinkles Bonnets -- far below --

It gathers ruddy Pools --

Then -- eddies like a Rose -- away --

Upon Vermilion Wheels --

 We are loving the Autumn in Ohio. The colors are amazing and the feeling in the air is a bit magical. I love Autumn! It has almost always been my favorite season. The leaves putting on their color show and the wind helping them to rain down is just incredible. I'm so glad we are getting to see Autumn in Ohio, love it!

 I had such a good time walking down this little lane with my family. Enjoying the beautiful color show God puts on for us this time of year. 

We are leaving Ohio on Friday morning headed to one more conference in Iowa before we head back to Texas. I'm so excited to get back to Texas and see our oldest son Cody. We have been on this road trip for 3 months and I miss my kid. I'm actually doing great on the road without him, which has really surprised me but I still can't wait to see him. Also we'll be packing up all the Bible and things for the container and loading them up and shipping them the end of this month. One our things are gone we only have 4 more weeks to wait. I'm so excited.
By the time we get home winter should be in full swing. I can't wait!!!

 

Gypsy Christmas in Croatia and Stuff

We were so blessed to get to spend some time with our good friends, the Madonna Family in Sterling Heights, this past month. 

We love these folks and Mrs. Madonna is one of my all-time favorite preacher's wives. She's one of the sweetest ladies I know. 

Anyhow, Covenant Baptist Church in Sterling Heights participated in the Gypsy Christmas and loaded us down with filled shoe boxes.  

Many of our Gypsy children have never received a Christmas present before and the one we give out will be the only present they get for Christmas. It's my favorite time of the year. I love those children and I delight in seeing their smiles as they open the small gifts. 

  

Josh and Hannah were in charge of fitting them all in our little trailer. Luckily they all fit. 

We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas this year. We're taking a container back filled with Bibles and other things. We're so happy to have some room in the container to bring some personal items and lots of stuff for our Gypsy Christmas project. 

We have a great group from Bible Baptist Church in Rendon, TX, who decided to knit scarves and hats for our Gypsies. They along with several other churches have knit, as of right now:

37 pairs of gloves

1 shawl

1 poncho

1 pair of socks

31 headbands or earmuffs

10 blankets

854 hats

1,560 scarves

They call their project, Wrap Croatia for Christ. Pretty awesome! I'm so glad that the ladies at Bible Baptist had the vision to make a difference for little children they have never seen. It gets very cold in Croatia and many times the Gypsy children aren't dressed warmly. I'm gonna have so much fun wrapping those little children for all the ladies who took the time to make a difference. 

On a side note, we're almost finished with our 3 month trip. I'm tickled because a week from Thursday we head back to Texas and guess who I get to see...CODY!!! I have never been away from our oldest son Cody for more than a few days and he has been in Texas at Bible college while we've been on the road. 

As we travel and people find out that our son is staying behind for Bible college I hear all sorts of reports. From, "oh no, it'll be the worst time of your life." to " I cried every day and I still cry after all these years." 

Very seldom do I meet a mother that is okay with her children being gone. I can understand for sure, I love my kids way too much but I'm a realist. I know for them to serve the Lord and do His will they have to eventually get out. I'm happy Cody is in Bible college and doing well, it's the Lord's will that boys become men and that's how it happens. 

Sometimes I feel a little guilty that I am doing so well without him but them I realize that it's probably God's grace being poured out more abundantly in my time of need. I'm okay with it, thank the LORD!

On a second side note (he he) we are getting ready to pack up and head home. We will be back in Texas around the 15th and then pack up our container on the 1st of Nov. and then we'll be flying home on November 29th. I'm so excited! I can't even tell you how I'm looking forward to going home. Not only going home but we get to see all of our Croatian church family and friends.  Anyhow, God sure is good to let us serve Him in Croatia, we're privileged. 

awesome!

 i saw this over at Home Stories A 2 Z and had to share it. this is so neat. since we're up here in Ohio and all the trees are gold and red and it's breeze and cool it's time for scarves again. i love to wear scarves and this is a great cheat sheet. enjoy!