Q&A

Here is a fun meme that Kathy tagged me to complete.

Here are the questions she had for me to answer:

1. What is your favorite holiday and why? I would have to say it's Thanksgiving

2. Where did you go on your last vacation? On a cruise to Ensenada Mexico

3. What do you enjoy doing on your free time? making greeting cards

4. What is your favorite Bible verse? Philippians 4:8

5. Have you ever been to Las Vegas if so what did you think? I live in Vegas now...at first I would tell people I don't really like Vegas but I moved here because that is where my sister lives... but this morning at church I was convicted when the pastor's son gave a testimony of thanksgiving... he said he is thankful to live in Las Vegas because that is where God has put them... so now I realize that I need to be grateful for where God has placed me during this season in my life.

6. What is your favorite easiest recipe that people really enjoy when you make? that is a tough one... let me think... I would have to say Taco Salad

7. What do you like most of your occupation? well I start a job tomorrow so I will let you know what I like most after a week of work.

I'm tagging anyone interested in participating. If you don't blog but want to join in on this fun, just leave your answers in the comments section.

Here are the seven questions to answer:

1) What are you most thankful for?
2) What has God been teaching you these last few months/weeks/days?
3) What is your favorite Bible verse and why?
4) What is your favorite hymn?
5) What do you most appreciate about your parents?
6) If you had to share one piece of advice what would it be?
7) What is your favorite day of the week?

Hope some are able to join in and share!

Have a blessed week everyone!

Cross Country Trip

It has taken me forever to post the rest of the pictures from our cross country trip but I do want to share all the great pictures.
Since I posted lots of pictures on Facebook I am going to try and link to all those pictures. (let me know if the links don't work)

Oct 19th - New Mexico

Quarter Horse Museum - Amarillo TX

Oct 20th - Painted Desert and Petrified Forest

Oct 21st - Grand Canyon

Wax Museum

It's A Winner!

I am pleased to announce that we have a new recipe. Kathy brought home a pork tenderloin yesterday, I called Mom this morning to get a recipe and tonight Paul, Kathy and I enjoyed eating it!

Here is the recipe... I am not sure where Mom got the recipe but I wanted to blog about it so I can keep it handy.

Slow Cooker Pork

Dry Rub:
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika

Mix dry rub together and cover entire pork loin. Wrap in plastic and place in fridge for 2 hours.

Wet Mix:
2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
garlic

Take pork out of fridge and place in slow cooker. Pour wet mixture over pork and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

First Two Travel Days

Our trip started early Sunday morning. We have hotels already planned out for our entire trip so we know each day where and when we are stopping. Our first day was to drive to Memphis. For me when I hear Memphis I think BBQ and Elvis. So we found a local hole in the wall. The food was delicious however we felt like we had to eat fast and leave because we had to illegally park in the McDonald's parking lot next to Corky's because there was no parking at Corky's. After our stomachs were full, we headed to Graceland. We didn't really do any research on it so we didn't know what to expect. We got their 45 minutes before closing...paid $10 for parking and when we asked about touring the house, we found out it cost $30 a person. Wow... that was a shocker... especially since none of us were big Elvis fans. So instead we walked around in the gift shops and took some pictures to prove we made it to Graceland.
Our second day driving took us as far as Oklahoma City. This drive was around 7 hours and when we arrived we were all tired and hungry. We stayed at a Wyndham Garden Hotel and we were impressed. It had a beautiful atrium were we played one game of hand and foot before we decided to go to bed.
We ate lunch/dinner at Kona Ranch Restaurant which was right next to the hotel.

The food was delicious. I had to take a picture of the coconut shrimp because I thought it was so cool how they put the K in the sauce.

Thank you all for praying for us as we travel. God has blessed us with little traffic and beautiful weather.

Gold Rush Days

Since I don't like to drive (although I have been driving for the past few weeks) Kathy and Aunt Judy flew in to help me make the cross country trip to Las Vegas. Mom and I took the MARTA down to meet them at the airport. Let me just tell you, when we all get together there is never a dull moment... we are constantly laughing and enjoying life.

Aunt Judy is really enjoying driving the truck. I don't think Kathy is going to have a chance to drive it during this trip.Our first stop was to go to Canton to show Kathy and Aunt Judy the cemetery where Mike's ashes are.I also wanted to get a picture of the engraving on the marble. Saturday morning we got ready to go to Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega... of course we had to wear the matching shirts that Kathy got us.

I was too busy shopping to remember to take pictures so the only one I ended up taking was this one of all the Mr and Mrs Gold Rush contestants. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed walking around so much that we ended up buying more stuff than we ever planned to. To solve that problem we went to Walmart and bought a container to put everything in and strap it in the back while we travel cross country. Since the container was empty and we didn't want it to fly away while we drove to the hotel, we tried to stuff it in the back seat where Mom and I were sitting. Lets just say that didn't work too well. I had to snap the picture though because of course it made us all laugh to see how Mom ended up sitting to get the container to fit it.
On a serious note, I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family who is always willing to sacrifice for each other. I love how closely knit my family is. Thank you God for each one of them!
Tomorrow morning we start our cross country trip to move me to Las Vegas. Please pray for safety as we are on the road.

No Seats

A lesson that should be taught in all schools. . and colleges

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks from her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it..'

Sunday Funnies

LOT'S WIFE

The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, 'My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,' he announced triumphantly, 'and she turned into a telephone pole!'
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GOOD SAMARITAN

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you
do?'

A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, 'I think I'd throw up.'
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DID NOAH FISH?

A Sunday school teacher asked, 'Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?'

'No,' replied Johnny. 'How could he, with just two worms.'
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HIGHER POWER

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?'

One child blurted out, 'Aces!'
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MOSES AND THE RED SEA

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.

'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he got to the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were
saved.'

'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked.

'Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!'
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THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter.

Little Rick was excited about the task - but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly,
'The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know.'
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UNANSWERED PRAYER

The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.

'Well, Honey,' he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. 'I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.'

'How come He doesn't answer it?' she asked.
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BEING THANKFUL

A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?'

The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'
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UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER

During the minister's prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Tommy's mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, 'Tommy, whatever made you do such a thing?'

Tommy answered soberly, 'I asked God to teach me to whistle, and He did!'
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TIME TO PRAY

A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.

'Yes, sir.' the boy replied.

'And, do you always say them in the morning, too?' the pastor asked.

'No sir,' the boy replied. 'I ain't scared in the daytime.'
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ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS

When my daughter, Kelli, said her bedtime prayers, she would bless every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past). For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, 'And all girls.'

This soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this closing. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, 'Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?'

Her response, 'Because everybody always finish their prayers by saying 'All Men'!'
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SAY A PRAYER

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.

'Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer.' said his mother.

'I don't need to,' the boy replied. 'Of course, you do.' his mother insisted. 'We always say a prayer
before eating at our house.'

'That's at our house.' Johnny explained. 'But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!