Show and Tell Friday

Kelli, over at There's No Place Like Home is hosting another Show & Tell Friday. I decided not to show you any trinkets and such but to introduce you to my cats, Timmy and Sunny.

Oh, sure, they look like peaceful pussycats right now, but that is during the day...At night, they are both holy terrors! Right about mid-night, when all is quiet in the house, Timmy and Sunny are suddenly beset with devilish energy. They jump. They run. They pounce. They knock things over. And then, as if that wasn't enough, they start knocking on our bedroom door.

Pat, pat, pat, pat....BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!

They want to come in....So, we get up, groggy and half-asleep, to open the door. In the pussycats come. They run and jump on the bed! They want to be rubbed. So, we pat them a little and then roll over to go to sleep. Not in your life! Timmy will usually settle down, but not Sunny. He jumps on our faces, paws our noses, tries to eat our feet. So, we unceremoniously, throw them both out of the bedroom.

Pat, pat, pat, pat....BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!

We let them in. They run and jump on the bed. They want to be rubbed. We're too tired, so they play on our faces. We throw them out.

And the whole darn thing begins again.

Then, somewhere near dawn, the darling little furrballs become tired and sleepy. They curl up at the foot of our bed and off to sleepland they go.

BUZZZZZZZZ!! It's the alarm clock!! Time to get up!!!

But not for the tired little pussies. They roll over and go back to sleep all day. They need their rest ... so they can KEEP US UP ALL NIGHT AGAIN!!!

Love,
Elizabeth

Who is this cutie? Just one of many trick-or-treaters that came to Teri's Halloween Party last Saturday night (you can visit Teri at Joyful Liberation).
Above is Teri (in the blue) and Melissa and another cutie. Teri always comes up with the funnest activities to do. Our family always tries to get in on the fun, if we can.
Some wonderful, spooky goodies at the buffet table...
And some witches brew...

There were lots of people and I should have taken more pictures, but I was having too much fun!
There was also a spook-house that the older kids put together in the garage. Teri and I tried to get out of going in there (neither of us like to be spooked), but we finally were coerced. There was a scary-looking alien in there and lots of growling children!
Sarah went as a rockstar (I told her this had to be a modest rockstar).
Robert was a ninja.
Fun, fun, fun!
Love,
Elizabeth

A Family Update

I was trying to upload a bunch of pictures of a wonderful Halloween party we attended this past Saturday, as well as a sweet, little family Halloween dinner we had for ourselves on Monday night, but there seems to be a problem with Blogger and pictures right now. So, I guess I will just make this post an update on our family concerns.

Thanks to all those who have said prayers for us during our time of unemployment. We've had good days and difficult days since Mark lost his job. The challenge has been to re-think Mark's career path, since he has decided that his days in sales are over. Even before the lay-off, Mark was dreaming of doing something less stressful than worrying about quotas and all the pressure pinning down clients. Currently, he is pursuing trying to get a job in education, on either a high school or college level. His degree in Sports Science/Exercise Physiology and his plentiful experience in coaching elite young athletes would make him a perfect candidate for a teaching/coaching position. He would love to do this for a career. There seem to be openings locally. We are praying we may find a fit.

Unforunately, teaching is not a lucrative career. So, I am currently training with Internet Transcribing Services to do transcribing of tele-conferences and seminars, etc. at home. I pray that a part-time income and my husband's full-time job will cover our bills, be somewhat recession-proof and keep us in this nice neighborhood where we are currently living.

I hope that you are enjoying your Autums. I am looking forward to visiting everyone's blogs tonight, when I will have some personal time again.

God bless you and your families.
Love,
Elizabeth

Happy Sunday

Dear Friends,

I hope that you are having a nice, peaceful Sabbath. I use this day to ponder the week's events, to evaluate where I am compared to where I would like to be in my various roles in Life, and to gear up for the week ahead. I love to count my blessings, for there are many, and to ask for strength to shoulder the burdens I am carrying.

How do you spend your Sundays? What makes them special for you and your family? How do you prepare for the week to come?

Have a lovely, blessed day!
Love,
Elizabeth P.S. (Stop by tomorrow for pictures of a wonderful Halloween party we atteneded!)

Show and Tell Friday

It is Show & Tell Friday again over at Kelli's There's No Place Like Home.

Today, I am showing you a beautiful miniature that originally belonged to my mother and was given to me after her death. I love it dearly.
It is obviously from England - my mother was a devoted Anglophile. And, to me, it represents the sentiments of my mother's heart. She had such a longing for hearth and home, but she married a career military man, who moved our family about every two years. We had no roots, no place where we could return. When my mother became disabled in her middle years, her craving to just stay someplace grew even stronger, but life didn't work out for her in that way. Now, I like to think of her off someplace in Paradise, in a little cottage like that above, by a stream, with some of our family cats and lots of the birds and wildlife she used to love...waiting for the rest of us.

Love,
Elizabeth

A Beautiful Hymn

My friend, Ruth, over at Visions and Revisions (link), posted the words to a beautiful hymn that is sung in her church. I fell in love with the words. So, with Ruth's permission, I am posting it below:

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;
it was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.

Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
'twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee;
for thou wert long beforehand with my soul,
always thou lovedst me.

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Elizabeth

Whew, I'm Back!

Hi, Friends!

I thought that you might like to see this little guy I purchased on super sale for $5. I got him on Friday at one of my favorite places in the Salt Lake Valley, Gardner Village. The children and I spent the afternoon there with some dear friends. Unfortunately, my photos didn't turn out from the adventure.

I got really sick Friday night and was in bed the whole weekend. Yesterday, I dragged myself out of bed to have a family outing (the children are home from school on Fall Break). We kept it inexpensive, but had a lot of fun. Then, I went back to bed.

Today, I am up and mildly productive. I am trying to stay positive and up, thinking thankful, abundant thoughts about our current situation. I'd be lying if I said that I don't worry at all. The economy has me very concerned. We know many companies related to the industry my husband was involved in (home automation - impacted by real estate, construction, etc.) which have gone bankrupt. One year ago, we wouldn't have believed that could happen. We don't yet know what we personally will do, but believe that the Lord will somehow provide.

These are very difficult times for a lot of people.

Well, the leaves are beginning to turn here on the foothills of the mountains. It was 35 degrees this morning. So, the frost is definitely on the punkin'!

Have a great day!
Love,
Elizabeth

Hi, Friends!

This is just a note to let you know that I have come down with a really bad cold and will not be posting until probably Sunday night. At first, I was functioning despite feeling bad, but now I feel like I've been hit with a baseball bat. So, I'm off to bed!
Love,
Elizabeth