Election Day.

 Election Day came and I voted!  The two candidates seem like total different views and I said a prayer as I laid down to sleep.  God please be with our nation!  We need YOU!  Mike stayed up to watch the news and at 3 AM, he came to bed and whispered in my ear that Trump is our new President.  I thanked the Lord and went back to sleep!  I went to visit Mommy D the next day and I told her the news!  I was excited to watch the news today!

This really was an answer to prayer for me!  I know others may feel differently but God have mercy on this hurting, selfish nation!  We need YOU!

Walking into any store right now, you will be surrounded by Christmas!  I love it!

The kids are SO into Christmas and put wreaths on their bedroom doors already.

With the wish lists beginning, I can't help but have this on my screen saver!

The smell of gingerbread biscottis filled our home once again!  We love these and I'm getting ready for the holidays and this seems to be step number one!  Bake something!

Also, I am using Mommy D's puzzle boards for the first time in my house.  I sat around this table many a times with her as she loved doing puzzles.  This is the first puzzle for the season!  Here we go!

I'm still reading through the Bible and we are nearing the end!!!!

We are currently in the in-between mode of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I have never decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving because I always feel like I just need this Thanksgiving holiday to reset my priorities and think of others more than myself.  However, the kids have been begging to set up some decorations and the pumpkins are not nice anymore.  I did add some Christmas festivities to the home and rearranged the living room furniture.  Austin was so excited when he got home from school that day!

Never before did I have Christmas in the house by November 15.  Always a first, right?

Hadassah's volleyball team that she helps coach made it the finals state game!  They went into game five with each team winning two.  Then the Linville Hill Versity Team lost.  Second place with much pride is well earned!  Good job ladies!!!!

This takes a lot of dedication and work to coach and we are proud of how Hadassah loves it and puts a lot of energy into coaching!

We swung by Crumble Cookie on the way home because Ashlyn's been eyeing these up for weeks now!

Austin is wearing this nonstop!  He loves the Grinch.

Ashlyn spent the night with Hadassah and snuggled so many puppies!  Arie has five vibrant puppies and they are so cute right now!

Another day, another visit!

A friend shared about frame TV art and I love it so much!  The back porch looks so nice with it lite up!

I helped my mom set up her Christmas decorations and she has such pretty decorations!  I love her farmhouse at Christmas time!

We made a quick greenhouse stop and look what we found!!!!!

You never know what photos I may find on my phone these days!  Look at these cuties!

Also, we last minute decided to go to the movies and watch the "Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and even though I thought it would have more comedy in it, I loved it.  The kids chowed on popcorn as they watched the movie!  Christmas time is the best ever!!!!

And Little Miss went to the eye doctor.  First visit ever.  She laughed as she said she feels like a praying mantis looking through this machine and Austin and I laughed because she was right!  Her vision is fine but her focus works over time causing a lot of headaches.  I sure hope glasses will improve this for her!

Wait!  What?  Snow in the forecast?  Austin was so excited when Ashlyn shrieked and yelled out this morning that it's snowing outside!  It was true!  Snow flurries danced in the morning air and its cold outside!  I just mowed the yard on Tuesday and now it snows!  Welcome to Pennsylvania!  Also, the football in Cleveland looked crazy with the snow blowing everywhere at the game.  Let the snow days begin!

I was so thrilled to have the morning right here at home and watching it snow and drinking my coffee all in a slow mode!  It's time to get cozy, update the blog, go through some emails and enjoy the day!

It's also time to get the bird feeders filled up for the pretty birds that come around!

Happy Friday, friends!!!!!  The weekend is upon us and Thanksgiving is next week!  What an exciting time of the year it is!  Enjoy the turkey!  Love on your families!  Drink some hot cider or cocoa!  Stay warm!

November is here.

 

Wow!  November is here and the holiday season is approaching!!!  The shopping malls and stores are filled with Christmas decorations and the Amish grocery stores that I love so much have thanksgiving plates and fall foods available!  November is the month of thanksgiving!  Giving thanks!  Remembering where all our blessings come from ... from God above!!!!!  It's a time to gather with family and eat turkey and filling and pumpkin pies!  It's cabin time as the hunters walk through the woods in hopes to shoot a deer!  School has a special thanksgiving party!  Leaves are still falling!  The weather is lovely and it's time to finish up any outside work because it won't be long until the ground will be very cold and freeze.  

This November is election month also.  May God have His way and may His grace shine on our nation today!!!!!

Walking through the park each morning gives me exercise, catch up with our daily chat with my friend Linda as we walk together and see the beauty of the day!!!!  There has been one stunning morning view after the next!!!!

The sunrises and sunsets are just the best in the fall!!!!

Autumn splendor!!!!!

It's so golden and fills a teeny bit like I think heaven will feel like!!!!!

Matt and Lena have lab puppies and this one was so cute when we pulled in to pick up Austin the other day!

We cheered loudly on the sidelines as Hadassah coached the Lady Warriors in their Districts Finals!!!!!  VS Ephrata and they won!!!!!  This is so much fun!!!!

It went to game five but they WON!!!!!

We are so proud of you!!!!!  Hence the cheerleaders!!!!

Arise Collective came around to perform the show PILGRIM the musical once again.  We are excited to have them showing at LBC this time.  It holds a much bigger crowd and many more can come watch this powerful showing!

We helped with a snack on Saturday.  It was wonderful to work side by side with Darlene and Geneva!

Thank you for coming back to our town Arise!

Arie had puppies!!!!  All five puppies came over with Arie on Sunday night as we watched football and Arie got exercise with Mike in the back fields!  They are so cute and the kids held them so much during the evening.

Christmas movies have begun and with puppies and a Grinch sweatshirt and popcorn ... life is good!

Every year I try to not get into Christmas moods until after Thanksgiving because this is how I feel too!

However, the past few years I realized that we can still celebrate Christmas in November and get started with all the fun festivities because when I wait until December to decorate and 'do all things' .... I feel so rushed!  I'm trying to prove to myself that it's OK to work ahead on Christmas cards, etc!!!!  So, this year we might be listening to Christmas music way before the radio begins playing our favorite songs!  This year we might be buying some gifts earlier!  I let the kids decorate their bedrooms last night with wreaths and lights because they asked if they could!!!!  Typically I would have said NO way!  Not yet!!!  But it's OK to have hearts of gratitude all the while preparing for the best holiday season of all!!!!  I think we need the holiday Thanksgiving to remind us of our blessings and really give thanks to God but I also now that one day of thankfulness is really not the goal.  It's a heart posture of gratitude that the Lord is honored with!!!!  All year around!

Happy November friends!  May you have much joy as you prepare for the holiday season that is upon us!