A BLACK FRIDAY INDEED

it was for many an Ag. Honestly, I usually do not get emotionally involved in A&M's football games, but I felt myself wanting to cry after this one. I mean like even days later. It was the pinnacle of heartache.

The obligatory Thanksgiving recap - here we go.

First,the week went nothing like I had planned. I think I stayed home exactly ZERO days. I spent the first part of the week purchasing turkeys for HH so he could smoke them.

I never understand why he has me buy pre-made marinades and such. He always makes up his own. The man is not a recipe follower. AT ALL. Which, at times, can drive his rule follower of a wife crazy. A free spirit in the kitchen.

Thursday was spent doing what most of you did - eating, watching football, eating some more. The MCs and I were going to take in a movie, but we took in a nap instead.

Friday, we ventured to the movie theater and stayed away from stores as much as possible.

Saturday we made an impromptu trip to Bass Pro, because it is the Christmas season and I am all about free ornaments made out of those fishing bobber things and a FREE picture with Santa. However, it seems everyone else in the area was all about a FREE picture with Santa as well, and while I am a fan of FREE, I value my time. Standing in line for an hour plus was more than I was willing to pay. But we will be back Santa, don't you worry, 'cause I am getting me my FREE picture. It is worth all the other money someone finds to spend in the store while we wait. Sunday, the MCs and I headed to church while HH worked. After lunch we went jeans shopping for MC 2 at Target. A complete bust in the jean department, but a total score for Charlie Brown and Rudolph Christmas propaganda. I am sucker for it every year.

I just realized I left out that we started decorating for Christmas on Saturday as well. We watched Christmas movies, had hot chocolate, and completely abandoned my plans for simplicity and all natural decorations. There are lights around our door, across our mantle, and at one point in time, completely strung across my living room and wrapped around HH's recliner.

I am a hold out for not decorating until after Thanksgiving, so to be up and going this soon is huge.

Then the Sunday night reality check came in when I realized I had not done a single thing for work like I had planned. Nor had I made the MCs do any school work as I had planned. I hadn't froze any leftovers like I meant to. I did not have my kitchen table cleared off like I wanted to. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

So this morning, I got up at what I thought was 4:30am, only to discover it was 3:30am (I have got to set those clocks on the phone back!), and instead of doing anything about all that I didn't do, I am here talking to you. By now it is 4:30, which makes it much too late to go back to bed and think I will get up in time to get everyone ready and out the door.

So....

Up and at 'em.

Yep....here I go.

Getting the day started.

No burning daylight for me............

Okay, I really am going now.

Have a wonderful Monday!

BEAT THE....

you know....

outta t.u.

WHOOP!

TALKING TURKEY....

Cooking tips?

Nah.

I am going to talk about these turkeys.

See this?

This is not what they are doing this morning,

Or have been doing all week.

And when they do, it is not even in their own bed.

Monday we went "shopping".

MC 1 declared it the best day ever.

As much as I would like to think it was spending the day together he enjoyed so much, I am pretty sure his grand sentiments had much more to do with him getting a jacket he has wanted for what seems like all his life. A jacket he has slept in for the last two nights and worn for the last two days.

MC 2 got some cop cars that I have yet to see him play with.

And this turkey....

discovered the joy of smoking his own turkeys last year and is in full turkey smoking mode again this year.
Which means I am in full turkey smoking mode.
It also means some of us will be up all night tonight because we like nothing better than waiting until the last minute.
The pressure....we live for the pressure.

So as I scavenge the store for the last of the fresh birds, I hope your preparations are going great. I hope you get to spend Thanksgiving with the turkeys you love and cherish. I hope your faraway turkeys come home to roost for a few days.
Do turkeys roost?
I think they do.
I think I heard that in a hunting show one time.
Probably Waddell...yep, I bet it was him.

I pray, for me as much as you, that we remember in all our doings, to be thankful for the very ones we are doing for.
Above all, thankful to Christ Jesus, the One who did all for us.

I SEE A PATTERN HERE....

At first I thought it was an accident,

because these things get loose and fall off....

then I found these and I think it was no accident.

THE THURSDAY BEFORE THE THURSDAY...

is where we are. So far this week has been full of epic fails, medical drama, and MCs with insomnia which means a mama with insomnia.
For my part, I contributed to the epic fail. Actually, I pretty much owned it. I did own it. Right in front of MC 1. Stumbled right over a big stone in my way called MY FLESH, completely blew it, and then had to spend the next two days explaining how being a Christian does not mean you always get it right. That even Christians sometimes choose to do what they know is wrong because they are just ticked off. About how when that happens, no matter the scale of fail (hehe), your faith in Christ Jesus and the forgiveness only He and God can provide is what allows you to be picked and set to walking again, and the next time, I can choose a different response.
Yep....good times.
The medical drama...HH owns that one. Praising the Lord he is fine, but Tuesday found him not so sure. Probably would not have been so bad if I had not left my cell phone on my room, while my physics kids and I raced balloon powered rocket cars, but I did. Needless to say when I finally got the note that said husband called, on his way to the ER, and actually called him back, HH was a little miffed at me. FYI - we avoided the ER and visited our local doctor and all is well.
And now I found myself up at 3:21 because I forgot to wash jeans last night and we are desperate for clean clothes. MC 2 has been in our room since about 2, a repeat of last night. MC 1 just got up, wanted to play his DSI and is angrily falling back asleep on the couch.
And I just realized I need to look over a couple of tests for the little darlings at school, so I reckon it is a good thing I am up on this Thursday before the Thursday.....
I hope you have a great one!

I CAN...IT'S NOT...

Mrs. Beverly has been our neighbor for several years. Other than the occasional I have your mail or I am coming to pull weeds off the fence, we really did not have much interaction. I was working, and after her mom was put in an assisted living residence, Mrs. Beverly was just our reclusive neighbor.

The first year I stayed home, we visited more often across the fence, but we still did not spend a great deal of time together. This past year was a different story. It started because she had car troubles and needed to get into town about once every two weeks. I had the time so when she asked, I obliged. When her car broke down a few times, she called me to come get her. We talked about God and church. We talked about raising boys and trying to do the best you can. We talked praying for and loving them when they don't. She told me of her loves past, and her desire for companionship now.

And because she couldn't sleep and listened to late night talk radio, we talked global warming, earthquakes, and terrorists attacks.

One Sunday about a month and a half ago, Mrs. Beverly called me after I got home from church and told me she needed to go to the hospital. She was sure she had Lyme disease. When I picked her up, she was crying. Never....N...E...V...E...R... had I seen her show any emotion. I knew this was bad. I took her to our local ER and waited while they cared for her. What they found was even more severe, and Mrs. Beverly was rushed to another hospital that could handle her failing kidneys and sky rocketing blood pressure. They rushed her out so quickly I did not even speak to her.

While in the hospital, it was discovered that she had cancer. Her return home meant she needed dialysis. During the week, a medical van would pick her up, but on the weekends, another neighbor and I would accommodate. The talks on these car rides had different overtones. We talked Jesus. We talked dying. We talked about her fear of dying alone or in pain. We talked how long she thought she would be with us.

The last trip I took with Mrs. Beverly, she told me about the angels she believed she had been seeing. We talked about what she thought Heaven would be like. I asked her is she was ready to go, which she was. I am ever so grateful that the Lord gave me the boldness to ask if she knew Jesus as her Savior, if she had surrendered her life to Him, and ever so happy to hear her say a resounding yes. Then, with tears in both our eyes, I told her we both knew that regardless of how much time she had left, this wasn't the end.

That was the middle of October. Mrs. Beverly passed away the first part of November. Her brothers were here and she was surrounded with friends I believe.

Why tell you all this?

Not because I need you to pat me on the back. I don't. Truth of it, I did not always serve Mrs. Beverly with a joyous heart. There were times I did it because I knew it was the right thing to do. It wasn't always convenient. It wasn't always what I had planned to do for my day. Don't get me wrong, I was always gracious and courteous, but some days it was with a bit of a begrudging attitude. Because some days I saw it as a bother. And who can be bothered?

W...E...........C...A...N........

We can.

You can.

I can.

We can be bothered to stop. Stop and listen. Stop and say hello. Stop and give a hug.

Looking back over the last year, I feel a mixture of shame and gratitude. Shame for how I wasn't as willing as I should have been. Yet, mixed in that is a gratefulness for the times I did have with Mrs. Beverly.

Maybe you feel you can't be bothered. Bothered to write a letter to a relative. Bothered to stop in on a widow, or a single mom, or a married mom, and say hi. Bothered to help someone out if you can. Bothered to share the love of Christ. To be His hands and feet.

Can I say with utmost humility, yes you can?

You and I must.

Why?

Because, as I told Mrs. Beverly, we know this is not the end.

Titus 3

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

TRUE TO EACH OTHER AS AGGIES CAN BE

I am an Aggie.

Unashamedly.

MC 1 : Mom? Do you like the Aggies?

Yes

MC 1: But aren't they kinda bad in the second half?

Yes.

MC 1: Then why do you still like them?

Because that is what loyalty is all about. Good or bad, I still like them. Just like Jesus likes us good or bad and how I like you.

MC 2 (from the back seat) : Yeah! She still likes me when I am bad!

Yes I do and Jesus love us to.

And that is how you use college football to make a theological point.

Every chance we get peeps, every chance we get. Impart the knowledge of Christ to your kids or your neighbors kids or the church kids.

Every Chance WE GET!