Weekend Wrap-Up and Still Counting Gifts

I'm joining in the "A Defined Life" for the Weekend Wrap-up.  Why not click the button and join in too.

This beautiful bush is across the street from work.  There are 2 of them and they are so beautiful.  I don't know what kind of flower it is, but I love their color and there are so many blooms.  I took this picture on my way into work on Friday morning.

I was sitting on the front porch with my camera and computer enjoying the beautiful evening on Friday night.

My daughter's youth group had a silent auction to help make money for their trip the International Youth Convention next month.  Look what I got.  A Vera Bradley Tote Bag.  I totally love it.  Right now I have my crochet in it (I'm still working on a baby afghan. I completed several rows tonight at church while watching a Beth Moore Video.).

Still counting my blessings and praising my God.  Click the button below to join in with "A Holy Experience" and the challenge of counting 1000 Gifts from God.

I'm thankful for:

150. Both of my nephews graduating high school
151. Kelli being able to call home on Wednesday. So blessed to hear her voice.
152. Knowing Kelli is so happy with where she is and what she is doing.
153. Having time with Kerri and Tracy and joining friends for some good food and some wonderful bluegrass music on Monday.
154. Getting some OT this week.
155. Hearing wonderful words of wisdom tonight from Beth Moore from her Believing God series.  I learn something new every time I hear this series.
156. Fun time watching TV last night with Kerri and Tracy.
157. Having time on Saturday to just be home and sleep in.  No where I had to be and a wonderful husband who took Kerri where she needed to be so I could rest.
158. Time today to visit with my sister-in-law and see pictures from their vacation at Disney World!
159. Lunch with Mother and Father-in-law.  Fun laughs together.
160. Impromptu lunch with my sister on Friday.
161. Mom and Dad both well enough to be at both church services Sunday.

Friday Fragments

Joining in with Friday Fragments. Click the button above if you'd like to play along.

These are my Gerbera Daisies.  I love them.  See the angel.  That was my grandma's.  It was given to me when she passed away.

This why I like to sit on my front porch.  I have these flowers to look at, the hummingbird feeder (although I haven't seen a hummingbird yet this year.  Also, I love listening to the wind chimes when the wind is blowing.

Since I gave Kelli my camera for the summer, I've been trying to get used to my old Kodak camera.  So I was practicing taking a few pictures in my office.  This is a small spot of color in my office. I found out tonight that my Kodak is having some problems.  So now I'm shopping for a new camera.  Considering a Canon PowerShot SX130IS.  Anybody ever use this camera.  Sure would like to know what you think of it.

Beautiful skies when I got home from work tonight.  I love Sky shots.

I got a skin for my Kindle Keyboard and I love it.  It fits really nice and I love the color.  I also, got the cover to protect it and it makes it easier to hold. 

Here's what the inside of the cover looks like.  For some reason I'm really into pink lately.  Seems most everything I buy is pink. haha

These guys are my nephews.  They just graduated high school tonight.  Aren't they handsome.  I'm so proud of them.

Here they are with my baby sister.  Believe it or not, the one sticking his tongue out is the oldest.  He is so like his daddy (my baby brother).

 

Here they are with my mom and dad.  See how good my mom and dad look.  They are getting better all the time.  Thank you God.

Here they are with their parents.  That is my baby brother on the right.

Here is Kerri and I with the graduates.  It was a fun night.  I'm so glad we were able to go.  Congratulations guys!

Kelli called me last night.  She was able to get away from the camp in order to get some supplies she needed.  While she was at Walmart getting stuff she called.  It was so good to hear her voice.  She is having a blast and loves the camp and people already.  I hope she takes lots of pictures and makes lots and lots of friends and through it all, my prayer is that she'll grow closer and closer to God!

Well, that's pretty much how my week has been.  Hope you've had a good week too.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Click the button above to join with and playing along with Joyce and friends.

1. How many students were in your high school graduating class? Did you know most, if not all of them?
I don't remember how many students there were, but no, I didn't know all of them.  I probably knew who most of them were, but I didn't really know them.  

2. What was the last thing you photographed?

Our neighbor's snowball bush

3. Pickles-love 'em or loathe 'em? If its love what's something you eat that needs a pickle?
Neither.  I don't love them, but I don't hate them either.  My favorite pickle, is a bread and butter pickle and I like them with a barbecue sandwich. (not on it, but with it).

4. What's a stereotype you seem to perpetuate without meaning to?
I can't think of a thing unless it would be the dumb blond one.  But I'm more of a bleached blond than a real blond.  haha

5. Ever been horse back riding? If so is it something you enjoy? If not, do you have any interest? Did you watch the Kentucky Derby? Will you be watching the last leg of the Triple Crown this weekend?
I have ridden a horse before, but it's been a long, long time ago.  We used to live on a small farm and for a short time we owned a horse named Honeybunch.  She was so old and swaybacked.    We would ride here sometimes.  When she was headed away from the barn, you could not get her to do anything more than walk.  However, when you would turn back towards the barn, she would race like the wind. (Well, it felt like it anyway)  Remember it was when I was a kid.  haha

6. What's your favorite 'wedding' movie?
"27 Dresses" was pretty funny.

7. What is one 'tourist attraction' in the USA that you'd like to see in person?
The Grand Canyon

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Monday night we went to a local pizzeria that was having live bluegrass music.  Something we've never done before, but it was so much fun.  Good friends, food and music!

Mayberry

 This past weekend, we took a quick trip to NC.  Kelli is working at an International Youth Camp for the summer and we drove her down.  She is so excited about this opportunity and I'm really happy for her too.  I gave her my camera when we got there because she said hers had broken and I didn't want her to be without a camera this summer.  So the pictures I have on this post are from my phone.

The small town of Mt. Airy is not real far from Kelli's camp and this is where we stayed.  Mt. Airy's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Andy Griffith.  And Mayberry is based on some of the places and people he grew up with.  On Saturday after dropping Kelli off at camp, Tracy, Kerri and I went to the older section of town and took a walk and shopped in the stores, etc.  It was a lot of fun.  Below are a few of the pictures I took. 

This is the first store we went in.  It was a really cool place.  I bought a little turtle and a frog figurine to place in my flower pots.  I loved these stores.  They are in really old buildings and they had wood floors that creaked when you walked on them.  I don't know why but I didn't take any actually pictures of the stores, just the signs for some reason.  oh well...

Here's the Blue Bird Diner where Andy and Barney had lunch on the show all the time.

We had already had lunch, but I wish we could have tried this Pork Chop Sandwich. 

They really did have a Floyd's Barber Shoppe.  I'm pretty sure it cost more than twenty-five cents though.

They had this wagon and mules giving people rides through the town

Here's Andy's cruiser.  They also gave rides in the back of the cruiser.

There really was a Wally's garage (where Gomer and Goober worked) and they had Ellie May's soda fountain.  Mt. Airy is such a cute place to visit and it was a great way to spend the afternoon.  I hope next time, to have a regular camera so I can get some more pictures.

Then Sunday on the way home, we passed the exit for Bob Evans' farm and decided to stop for a late lunch and I got a picture of his home.  I don't know if you have Bob Evans' restaurants or sausage in your area, but we do and we love it.  So it was a treat to see where he lived.  However, the barn gift shop, etc was closed.  Hopefully we'll go back in the fall when they have their fall festival.

We didn't want to be too obtrusive as someone still lives here and was actually sitting on the front porch reading. It was a beautiful day and a great time to be sitting out there.

All in all, it was a great weekend, but a very fast trip.  Hope you all had a great weekend too.

Still Counting Gifts

Continuing on with Counting 1000 Gifts - Click the button below and join in with counting 1000 gifts.  It's a great way to be reminded of how great God is and how good he has been to us.



Things I am thankful for:

140.Safe travel to NC Friday and then safe travel coming back home on Sunday.
141.Kelli being thrilled with her new summer job in NC.
142.God blessing Kelli with the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and hopefully make a lot of new lifetime friends.
143.Fun times visiting Mt. Airy, NC, the hometown of Andy Griffith (I'll try to show pictures later this week).
144.Beautiful weather on Saturday in Mt. Airy.
145.The last few weeks having time with Kelli before she went away for the summer.
146.Time now this summer to be with Kerri without all the schoolwork.
147.OT at work to help pay for this trip and other expenses. God has blessed me with this extra OT this year and I'm so very thankful for that.
148.After all the travel this weekend, time with my hubby just relaxing and watching TV on Sunday night.
149.Picking up the puppy from the kennel. I miss her when we're gone and it's so fun to be with her again.

Thank you God!

Hope you had an awesome weekend.  I know I did.