A Little Extra

As it is Monday, it is grocery store morning here.  Yes, I lead a glamorous life.  As I was walking around Publix, I found some nonperishable things that are on sale and put them in the cart.  There is usually a big donation barrel in the front, but there wasn't today.  I will probably take it to MUST last this week and drop it off.   Before this blog I wouldn't have thought to do it, but I am learning to look for these opportunities!

Kids Come In Handy

James' Grandma was in the hospital again recently and is now back in the rehab facility.  Today I mailed a picture Lauren colored.  The one time the girls have met their great grandma, Lauren really took to her, so I hope it brightens her day!

Completely Crazy!

The girls and I went for our weekly pizza night and made a huge mess.  (Big shock really.)  Our waitress was very nice, as usual.  I gave her extra in the tip to make up for that.  Can't wait for Daddy to come home tomorrow!

My Mother's Daughter

This morning Kaitlyn and I dropped Lauren off at school and went for a peaceful breakfast at Burger King (with our coupons in hand).  I picked a table and we sat down and ate.  After a few minutes I noticed the man sitting at the table closest to us.  He looked like he had been there a while and was still drinking his coffee.  Then he started talking to me.  Oh the topics he chose!  He kept talking about the things people have survived.....It was a good thing I had finished eating!  I really did not want to chat with him, but he seemed either a bit on the crazy side or lonely.  Either way, I gave him my attention and didn't just ignore him.  I must have been wearing my "talk to me; I'll listen" t-shirt!

No One Puts Sarah in the Corner!

Yesterday the 2 people who run the gym I go to were very helpful to me.  I had trouble with a new member and they kicked him out!  It wasn't just me that he bothered and they had been warning him, but still. Going there had become stressful, but I didn't want him to run me off.  I loved that they stuck up for us!  I wrote both of them thank you notes today and told them how much happier I am now.

Souper Bowl

Our Church's big give this month is to bring in canned soup on Sunday.  We are part of a food drive to help stock local food banks.  I bought some cans today while shopping so it is ready for Sunday.  I like to be prepared!

Thank You!

We received yummy cookies from Carrie and Maggie on Tuesday, and I didn't want to return the Tupperware empty!  I put in some chocolate tea bags and a bath bomb that helps you sleep.  Nothing like chocolate and a bath for relaxation!

No Stamp Needed!

For some reason I have had a friend on my mind since yesterday that I haven't seen in about 16 years.  I know through Facebook she has had some tough things happen in the last month.  I don't know the details, but I took this as God whispering to me.  I just sent her a message with a few Bible verses that she may need to hear.  If it doesn't exactly apply to her at this moment, they are still good reminders!  After Job 23:10 "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold" I told her to think about how shiny she is going to be.  Maybe she will at least smile.  (Hey I chuckled!)

A Happy Family is a Fat Family

I knew James' parents were coming over tonight, so I involved them.  They had been out of town for a while, and I figured both wanted to see the girls.  I made brownies with peanut butter chips and gave them some too.   The girls wanted more and James is eating more now.  Good call I suppose!

Books Books Books

Since the girls got a LOT of books and coloring books for Christmas, I am going to go through the old ones and give some away.  If they haven't used older ones yet, they aren't going to!

The Post Office Must Love Me!

An update from last week:  I chatted with the mail lady Saturday, and she thanked me for my note.  She said it made her cry!  She had been out Wednesday, trying to deliver mail in the ice.  The heat was out in her truck, she slid all over the place, and even almost pinned a man to his mailbox!  After 6 hours, she gave up.  So it was so nice the next day for her to get a thank you.

Today has been busy, but a tragedy happened to a family in our Church this weekend.  An 18 year old member was killed in a car accident on the icy roads.  Her family has been on my mind, even though I have not met them.  I am sending them a card to let them know I am praying for them.  I can't even imagine.....

More Baking

James had not been in the office since last Wednesday, so I thought I would ease his transition.  I made cookies for him to take in and put in the kitchen there.  I bet they lasted about 5 minutes!

Running Out of Ideas This Week

We managed to get out of the house this evening and go get some pizza.  Our waitress gave us pretty good service, so we left a bigger tip than normal.  It is not a big deal, but hopefully it was to her.

Nothing Stops the Mail Huh?

Unless you live in GA during a snowstorm.  Our mail has not come all week, but I can't complain.  I haven't exactly braved the weather.  But I think it will tomorrow since they were delivering some.  I can't imagine driving around in the cold all day with icy spots everywhere. So today I wrote a thank you note on a post it thanking our mail lady for her hard work.  And maybe, just maybe, she will see it sometime this month.

Food for a Snowy Day

With day 2 of being snowed in, I was once again limited.  But never fear, I had stocked up on baking supplies last weekend!  This morning blueberry muffins sounded good, so I made a batch.  After lunch we went for a walk and took a couple to some neighbors behind us.  Hot muffins are great on a cold snowy day!

I Really Am Becoming My Grandma

This week is going to be tough with the HUGE amount of snow we have!  I don't have many options as we can't go anywhere....I am sending my aunt Vivi a card since it has been awhile since I have done that.  Who knows if it will be taken by the mailman anytime soon, but I will try!

Good Service

This afternoon I got a Great Clips haircut and had a fun conversation with the girl who cut it.  I decided to give her a couple dollars more than I normally would for a tip.  Didn't cost a lot of money, but I got a big smile!

Pictures

I love being able to take advantage of Lauren's love of drawing (and her ability!)  Since Boppa and Nana gave them crayon rocks we decided to have both girls make cards for them.  This worked fine until Kaitlyn didn't want to share the crayon rocks and had a 2 year old meltdown.  Hers may not be finished.  Lauren really enjoyed it though.  They can go in the mail tomorrow.

Gotta Do What I Gotta Do

 There is a 5K walk/run I want to do in less than 3 months, so I am a bit more motivated to get rid of Christmas treats now......James' parents gave us these great biscuits with a layer of dark chocolate on top.  They are so good, but I ate the first box myself.  The other one was unopened so I took it to the bank today and told the teller they could have it.  I do like fattening other people up!
A follow up from yesterday:  Holly told me this morning that I told her just what she needs to hear.  She was on her way to take her Dad to get an MRI of his brain.  The cancer had started in his kidney, then went to his lungs.  Now they are looking at his brain.  I am amazed that God put her in my mind yesterday without me knowing what was going on to give her a reminder from Him. 

A Reminder

My friend Holly's Dad is sick.  She herself is a kidney cancer survivor and now her Dad has cancer.  Since she is a very caring and encouraging person, I think she forgets that she needs encouragement too!  She has asked for prayers, and I am glad to do that, but I sent her an email tonight with II Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  I reminded her that God is strengthening her family's faith and to rely on Him when she gets worried.  She already has a strong faith, but we are all tested from time to time.

What Would We Do Without Friends?

James and I had Lauren's parent/teacher conference today, so I asked Carrie to keep the girls for a little while.  Of course Kaitlyn was cranky all morning and made me nervous!  Since Carrie was so nice to help me, I brought donuts for her family.  Enjoy, Jenkins family!  ;)