LIFES LITTLE GARDEN: Our Gift To You

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Our Gift To You

Our Christmas present to each other this year was a trip to Gatlinburg, Tenn. in the Smoky Mountains. We left the day after the wedding. We took these pictures while we were there and this is our gift to you. Enjoy the pictures. I hope you all have a Blessed Christmas!

14 comments:

Alice Grace said...: What great pictures, looks like a winter wonderland! God bless you and all your family at this beautiful time of year as we celebrate the birth of our Lord!; December 24, 2009 at 9:15 PM
Jocelyn said...: Merry Christmas Valerie. Your pictures are beautiful. Some look like a postcard. Enjoy your family.; December 24, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Drucilla's Stitches said...: Oh, Gatlinburg is gorgeous this time of year, especially with all the snow!! We only live about 1 1/2 hours away and visit often. Your pictures are beautiful....precious memories!
Merry Christmas!!; December 24, 2009 at 10:02 PM
caknitter said...: Wow, that was a great Christmas gift. I especially like the second picture, beautiful. Valerie, I hope you have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones.
Merry Christmas, friend.
xoxo
Martha; December 24, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Pat said...: Beautiful photos. Were you close to that deer or did you use a telephoto lens? May you have a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy year in 2010.; December 24, 2009 at 10:49 PM
StitchinByTheLake said...: I want that cabin! Beautiful pictures Valerie. :) Christmas blessings, marlene; December 24, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Lori said...: Lucky you! The Smokies are my favorite place on earth. Gorgeous pictures! Merry Christmas!; December 24, 2009 at 11:50 PM
Thearica said...: Those are awesome photos! Thanks so much for sharing them with us on this frosty Christmas morning!

Happy Holidays!; December 25, 2009 at 6:00 AM
Kim said...: It looks beautiful! That is a crazy big amount of snow!; December 25, 2009 at 7:52 AM
Nanci said...: Gatlinburg is gorgeous in the winter and looks like God's country. Have a wonderful Christmas.; December 25, 2009 at 7:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Beautiful photos! Wishing I could see the Cove in person. Christmas blessings.
Connie
xo; December 25, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Mandy said...: These are beautiful pictures!!! Merry Christmas and thanks so much for visiting Davis. He loved showing you all of his gifts from Santa...It meant more to us than you'll know.

P.S. Check out the pic of y'all on Davis' website. There is something funny in the background.

Love you both,
The Parkers; December 25, 2009 at 9:19 PM
Darla said...: The newlyweds weren't the only ones on a honeymoon, huh? Gorgeous area!!; December 26, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Cindy Wynn said...: The pictures are absolutely beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing them with us! Love you; December 28, 2009 at 1:36 PM

Our Prayer

Lord, help us to PLAN, PREPARE, & PLANT what you would have us to. Help us to WEED out of our lives what should not be there. Lord, help us to GROW through you in our relationships, our attitudes, and our lives, always being in your will. Help us to always walk with you. Help us to get our priorities straight and choose joy. Let us always be thankful and content even in the storms because we all know it’s going to rain. Help us to be ready. We also know that sunshine follows rain and joy comes in the mornings. Thank you Lord.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

I Work For A King

I Work For a King

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

Flylady Routines

Morning Routine

Have you made your bed?

What's for supper?

Get dressed.

Unload dishwasher/Wash dishes

Laundry

Swish & Swipe

Afternoon Routine

Declutter 15 minutes

Do something fun just for you!

Bedtime Routine

Pick up house before going to bed.

Plan for tomorrow today so we will wake up and smile.

Focus on Me.

Daily Schedule

Monday:

Home Blessing Hour/Catch up Day

Zone: Laundry room

Tuesday:

Free Day

Zone: Bathrooms

Wednesday:

Desk Day

Zone: Living areas.

Thursday:

Gofer Day

Zone: Bedrooms

Friday:

Baking Day

Date Night

Zone: Craft room/office/Kitchen

Saturday: Play Day

Sunday:

Church/Rest

Some Of My Favorite Movies

*The Bridges of Madison County

(My all time#1 favorite movie)

~Clint Eastwood & Meryl Streep~

*An Affair To Remember (My #2!)

~Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr~

*The Notebook (Top 3)

~Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams~

*It's A Wonderful Life (#4)

(Excellent-Never gets old)

~James Stewart & Donna Reed~

*Something's Gotta Give (Top 10)

~Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton

*Love Story (1970)

Ali MacGraw & Ryan O'neal

*A Walk To Remember

(Romantic, Heartbreaking, Emotional)

~Mandy Moore & Shane West~

*The Bridge over the River Kwai

~War Movie~ (Excellent)

*Brief Encounter

(Oldie but goodie Love Story 1945)

*To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

~Gregory Peck ~

*Sorry Wrong Number (Horror 1948)

Barbara Stanwyck & Burt Lancaster

*One Flew Over the cuckoos Nest

WARNING Rated R but very good!

~Jack Nicholson~

*Gone With The Wind (Wonderful)

~Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland~

*Cool Hand Luke (We both love this one!)

~Rated PG Paul Newman~

My New Years Resolutions

To be content
To give thanks in all things
To take joy
To give grace
To receive peace

For from Him
And through Him
And to Him
Are all things.
To Him be the glory
Forever.
Amen.
~Romans 11:36

***********
Study to be quiet.
Mind my own business.
And work with my hands.
1 Thessalonians 4:11
***********
To be a better Wife, Mom, Gran, Granddaughter, Sister, Daughter, Aunt, & Friend
***********
To take every opportunity to be quiet.
***********
To slow down and smell the roses
***********
Me Time
***********
To Show Myself Friendly
Proverb 18:24

Granny's PERFECT Quilt

It is PERFECT. Perfectly PERFECT. Oh I don't mean perfect stitches, or perfect seams, or perfectly square. It is PERFECT for snuggling under on a rainy, dreary day. It is PERFECT for wrapping up a grandchild who is spending the night. It is PERFECT for making a house when draped over a chair & an end table. It is PERFECT for winding around and around a doll. It is PERFECT for covering up in the car when the air conditioning is on full blast. It is PERFECT for laying on the carpet and putting a baby down for his nap. God has touched Granny's heart and her hands, and her life. He has made her an artist. He has given her the gift of PERFECT quilts.

Written by Marlene B. about the quilt she bought from Granny. (Excerpt from Oct. 7, 2009 post on her blog)

www.stitchinbythelake.blogspot.com

Thank you Marlene for blessing Granny!

Stay At Home

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O'er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.

Longfellow (song)

"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into it's soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller