Riverbend Ramblings

Labels: Daily Life, Outdoor Life, This N That

Labels: Daily Life, Special Days, The Kiddos, This N That

I'm hitting the road this morning to vacation with my mom and the girls. We've got a seven hour drive ahead of us on the first leg of our 15-day trip. I'll share more when we reach our destination. If you think about it, please pray for us as I'm sure the interstate will be busy this holiday weekend.

 

Labels: Daily Life, Fun Stuff, This N That

I don't get emotional over blog posts very often, but I've been teary-eyed after reading Ann Voskamp's last couple of posts.

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Sometimes you just need a different perspective.

Labels: My Thoughts, This N That

Siesta Key

It's been a little while since I've posted, so I thought I'd give a quick update. We've had a great summer. The kids have enjoyed staying up late and sleeping in. They all went to our church's summer camp out in the woods. We spent the most relaxing week ever at a condo on the Gulf coast. I could have stayed there forever.

I think my friends up north have over a month left of summer break. We start back to school on August 20, so the kids have just over two weeks left to be lazy. I actually won't be going back to school with them. I officially hung up my principal hat at the end of July. I'm sure I'll still have plenty to keep me busy, but I am looking forward to the change of pace.

There are some really good back-to-school sales right now during Florida's tax-free weekend on clothes and shoes. I have some $10 off coupons for Ko*hl's and hope to find the tennis shoes for all of the kids there. Wish me luck!

Labels: Daily Life, Family Life, This N That

• Bookworm and Curly Girl both did well at their piano festival, although we're still waiting on their scores.

• It is feeling more like summer than spring, but we've still been getting a cool breeze in the evening which brings temperatures down into the 60's. I hear thunder rumbling in the distance as I type.

• I've been planning our annual Mother's Day luncheon, which is just a couple of weeks away.  I'm really excited about this year's guest speaker; she is a riot!

• My blogging friend Liesa @ Life by George recently hosted a giveaway, and I won! Liesa rushed me a package full of goodies.  She did a great job of picking out some personalized items that were just perfect for me.

Labels: Giveaways, This N That

Happy 2011! I didn't post anything during the Christmas holidays. It was nice to take a break from "everything" and enjoy time with my family. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well. Best wishes to you for a very blessed year!

Labels: This N That

Don't these muffins look delicious? I took Bookworm and a friend of hers on a little shopping trip, and we decided to eat lunch at a new-to-us restaurant. When we first sat down at our table, our server asked us if we needed a while to look at the menu. I told her that this was our first visit, and we would need a few minutes. We enjoyed our meal and were impressed with the good service. When our server brought the check to our table, she also brought a take-home box filled with four of the biggest muffins I'd ever seen. She said she wanted to give us something special on our first visit--on the house! Wasn't that nice?

Labels: Blessings, This N That

Finally...I'm getting around to an update. Our trip to Georgia was wonderful! It was so nice to get away for a few days. My hubby preached a revival meeting at a church in the Atlanta area. We stayed in a hotel for the week and took several day trips. Since a hotel room tends to get cramped with six people in it, we only took Bookworm and Lil Nut with us for this trip; Mickey and Curly Girl spent the week with their grandmas and had a mini-getaway with us when we returned to Florida. We had been looking forward to seeing our Eatonton friends for quite a while. We spent part of one day visiting with as many as we could. These folks kept our freezer stocked with garden-fresh produce while we lived in Georgia. Mr. H has a huge garden every year. They sent us home with several jars of hot pickled tomatoes. That might not sounds very appetizing, but the are delicious! Mrs. Cameron is very special to our family. Her husband is the one who passed away Christmas day following an electrical accident. She still has a beautiful smile on her face and has continued to serve the Lord faithfully since Bro. Cameron went to heaven. Our last stop was at the plantation our friends live on. Lil Nut spent some time on the swing with Mattie, her little red-headed friend. This is Mattie's baby sister, Mae. Bookworm didn't want to put her down. I sure miss those rolling hills! Some "old" friends made it to one of the revival services. Bookworm is pictured with Brittany. Brittany's parents, who used to be a part of our ministry here, are now missionaries with Wings Bearing Precious Seed and help distribute Bibles around the world. It was great seeing them again. I am already looking forward to our next trip to Georgia, even though we don't know when that will be! I'm thankful for the years we spent serving the Lord there and for the good friends He has given us.

Labels: Family Life, This N That

Apparently I just can't get enough of this traveling thing. Right now I'm sitting in a hotel room just north of Jacksonville. My hubby had to be at a conference at a church in the area tonight, and he brought me along for the ride. I drove. :) It was nice to have a three and a half hour conversation with him on the ride up. No kids. No movie playing on the DVD play. We didn't even listen to any CD's. We just talked and enjoyed being together. It was nice. I also found something new to bring me joy. White Hot Chocolate from Dunkin Donuts. Yum! The kids went back to school today. They bundled up in their heaviest jackets this morning to fight off the cold. It's supposed to be freezing in our area for the next few days. Now, I know those of you from the North think that lows in the 30's and highs near 50 are bearable, but it's a big change for us Floridians who are accustomed to hot weather. I even heard some talk that the citrus and strawberry growers are very concerned about the cold affecting their fruit. I spent the morning in my office and popped in a few classrooms before heading off on this quick trip. I'm looking forward to the church service tonight, a time of fellowship with some preacher-friends and their families, and a long ride back home with my hubby tomorrow. Stay warm, wherever you are.

Labels: Daily Life, This N That

Here's proof for all of my friends up north that spring really is on the way. My azaleas are blooming again! We've experienced a bit of a cold snap here this week, but with the sun shining and flower buds beginning to open who can complain? :) I have spent the last couple of days working on little projects around the house. It feels so good to complete things that I've been putting off! Little touches here and there in a room can make such a difference. I'm looking forward to our mid-week service this evening. It is such a blessing to fellowship with my church family, sing a few hymns, pray for those with special needs, and hear a message from God's written word. I'll leave you with a verse someone shared with me today: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 KJV

Labels: My Thoughts, This N That

Our church's radio station ministry, Gospel 90.3, kicked off its annual three day Restoreathon this morning. The "Restoreathon" is so important because this is the only time during the year that the station seeks to raise funds for its operating budget. As a non-commercial Christian radio station, it is solely supported by listeners. The format of the station is conservative gospel music from sacred hymns to bluegrass, Kings James Bible preaching, and Christ-centered programming. We grew up listening to Gospel 90.3, so when we moved to Georgia we missed the station so much! We purchased wireless speakers for our computer and placed them throughout the house so that we could tune in via the internet. Now that we're back "home" I forget that I can listen on the radio, so I still keep it playing on the computer most of the time during the day when I'm working around the house. It is such a blessing to know that people all around the world can listen to music that honors God 24 hours a day! You can listen live to the Restoreathon by going here. My husband worked at the radio station for several years, and he's helping out as a DJ during the Restoreathon. You can hear him at 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST. The crew he's on the air with during the morning shift is hilarious! For my praying friends out there, please remember to pray for the radio station, the staff, and the volunteers over the next couple of days as we experience revival on the radio. :) image here

Labels: This N That

I've been tagged by several of my blogging friends to do the "7 random things" meme. Well, here goes! 1. I was a Presidential Classroom Scholar when I was 15. I spent a week with some of America's brightest kids and met many of Washington's elite. It was an exciting time! 2. The obstetrician and assisting nurse that delivered me way back in 1976 also delivered my firstborn in the same hospital. 3. I'm left-handed. Extremely left-handed. 4. I auditioned to sing with Bill and Gloria Gaither when I was in the third grade. I didn't make the cut, but I got over it. 5. I'm double jointed yet not very flexible. 6. I play the flute and clarinet. 7. I will eat practically any food. ~~~~~ If you would like to participate, consider yourself tagged. Let me know if you post your seven things; I would like to read them! Also, it's not too late to enter my giveaway. :)

Labels: This N That

Our family is currently in Toledo, Ohio, attending a Bible Conference at the Hope Baptist Church. There is great preaching and singing each morning and night. You can listen live to the services here. We're also enjoying being able to fellowship with good friends we've served with in the ministry over the years. It's just a little taste of what heaven will be like. I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Labels: This N That

This past weekend a group of ladies from our church spent the day together at a ladies' conference at a church near Atlanta. We had a wonderful time fellowshipping together and gleaning from the many sessions available.

The keynote speaker was Mrs. Carol Trahan. I was so blessed to hear her personal testimony of how God has used personal tragedy in her life to mold her into what He wants her to be through complete surrender. You can read more about Mrs. Trahan's ministry at her website.

The main auditorium was beautifully decorated. Here are a couple of pictures of tables set up in the hallway.

Breakfast and lunch were catered and served in the gymnasium. It was decorated so elegantly. This ice sculpture of two hearts was the focal point.Lunch was spectacular! The food was delicious, and the table setting was a feast for the eyes. One person at each table won a centerpiece; I came home with a beautiful calla lily.

I attended sessions on homeschooling, coordinating baby/bridal showers, and a special talk for pastors wives. A very godly woman who has been a pastor's wife for over 50 years shared some important helps for pastors' wives. Her talk was my favorite one of the day.

I took several pictures at the Showers of Blessings session. Tables were set up with theme ideas for baby girl and baby boy showers. The three-tiered box cake was actually made out of styrofoam, but it was so lovely.

This was my favorite display. Simple elegance--just perfect for a spring bridal shower.

Check out these adorable cookies.

This cake wasn not made out of styrofoam! It was just gorgeous and was given away as a door prize during the last session. A very sweet pastor's wife was the recipient, and she had the greatest little story to tell as she graciously accepted the cake.

She said that when she arrived home that evening, a missionary family would be there waiting on her. She had gone grocery shopping the day before and had really planned to try to come up with a frugal menu that would still be appreciated by her guests. She used coupons and purchased the store specials and was able to stay within her budget. The only thing she still needed was a dessert. She had actually prayed that God would give her an idea for an inexpensive dessert. Now, I sure do like how God answered her prayer! She was able to take this cake home with her and serve it to the visiting missionaries. How neat is that?
I enjoy attending this conference each year and appreciate the time and effort that the hosts put forth so the rest of us can be blessed. I'm so glad that I'm not the one in charge of such a large event!

Labels: This N That

Yesterday I brewed a cup of tea every hour and added 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin C crystals and a dropper of echinacea & goldenseal. I started feeling better almost immediately. Our local grocery store just started carrying this honey vanilla chamomile tea, and it is delicious.

I'm going to try this prescription again the next time I start to feel under the weather. It's an inexpensive alternative to a trip to the doctor's office. :)

Labels: This N That

Labels: Contests, This N That