Favorite Things Swap...

I recently participated in the "Favorite Things Swap" hosted by Mamarazzi. For those of you who may not know, she runs a first class swap and I would highly recommend participating the next time another one of her swaps rolls around.

My partner for this swap was Liz and she sent me some great goodies...She sent me a pair of oven mitts, a cute notepad, recipe cards and holder, a pie cookbook, room spray, and a water bottle. How fun! I will definitely put them all to good use! Thanks, Liz!

Since Chris is out of town, the girls and I had a night on the town last night. We started off with dinner at Chick Fil-A...you all know how much I LOVE that place! Then, we saw the new movie "UP". We all enjoyed it a lot, but it does have some depressing moments. In fact, I almost broke down in tears a time or two! We finished up our night with a stop by Sonic for some Sonic Blasts! What a great ending to a fun evening!

Today, Abby and I lazed by the pool with one of her friends, which was heavenly! I started the book I got for Christmas..."Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks. He's one of my favorite authors. So far, so good!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Slow Me Down, Lord!

Since returning from our trip to Colorado, I feel like I've been clipping along at a very fast pace. Go here, go there...get this done, and that! Just doesn't seem like I've taken much time to simply BE. Well, this poem, I think, is perfect to share today...it's a favorite of mine. You might be familiar with it, but I hope it still touches you, nonetheless. It's a good lesson for us all.

SLOW ME DOWN, LORD
~Wilfred A. Peterson~

Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me,
Amidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music of the sighing streams
That live in my memory.
Help me to know
The magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations of slowing down to look at a flower;
To chat with an old friend or to make a new one;
to pat a stray dog;
to watch a spider build a web;
to smile at a child;
or to read a few lines from a good book.
Remind me each day
That the race is not always to the swift;
That there is more to life than increasing it's speed.
Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life's enduring values
That I may grow toward the stars
Of my greater destiny.
Hope each of you has a wonderful weekend and that you're able to find delight in the world around you!

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why."~Eddie Cantor


P.S. I'll be having a giveaway next week...I'm announcing it on Tuesday! No special occasion; just simply felt like it. I don't think you'll be disappointed! Oh, and I am, once again, participating in Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap. If you've never done it...you should! It's tons of fun! Just click on the button to check it out, but, don't delay...there's a limit of 100 participants!

A Box Of Surprises!

Today is "Thankful Thursday" hosted by Rhondi over at Rose Colored Glasses. It's such a great time to count some of your blessings...check it out!
Well, I recently signed up for the "Favorite Things Swap" hosted by Mamarazzi of Dandelion Wishes. She runs a first-class swap, so if you ever have the opportunity to join in, don't pass it up...it's a lot of fun! Well, I was so thrilled to learn that my swap partner was going to be one of my sweet bloggy buddies, Amy, from The King's Table! I've enjoyed getting to know Amy, so I knew she would be the perfect match.

Yesterday, the doorbell rang and I scurried downstairs to see who it was. The mailman had left me this box on our front porch...from Amy! I felt like a child on Christmas morning!
I rushed to the kitchen to find a pair of scissors to cut through the tape, then the rest was history! I tore into that baby so quick, it wasn't even funny! Here's what I found inside...
There was the cutest cupcake book, along with sprinkles and baking cups. She sent me a beautiful cup and saucer with this Bible verse, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently on Him"~Psalm 37:7 on it. How about those socks...aren't they adorable? Then, there's a little pumpkin that says, "Give thanks"...so cute! Of course, the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg won my heart immediately!

Now, tell me that this monogrammed bag...in my favorite color combination...is not the prettiest thing you've ever seen? Come on, I dare you! I absolutely LOVE it! I can't tell you the times I've needed something just like it to lug all of my stuff around in!So, on this "Thankful Thursday", I am very thankful and blessed beyond compare by all the friendships I've made here in this place we call Blogland. Amy, you are certainly no exception. Thank you for your kindness and your generosity. Your gifts made my day, but it was the thought that you put into choosing each one that made all the difference!

"True friendship isn't about being there when it's convenient; it's about being there when it's not."~Author Unknown

Gifts From Across the Miles...

"Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness..."~Richard Bach

About a couple of months ago, my sweet friend, Lindsay, asked if Abby would like to be pen pals with her daughter, Jessica. I passed it by Abby, and without any hesitation, she said, "Yes!" I had told her that when I was her age, I had a pen pal from Auckland, New Zealand and I still have the letters she wrote me. They've exchanged letters back and forth several times already. Just last week, Jessica sent Abby a letter and something special that she put together herself...Abby was so excited!!!

Here she is reading the letter she got from Jessica...all the way from Yorkshire, England!
This is the CD Jessica compiled for Abby with some of her own favorite music. She did such a great job! Abby and I have really enjoyed listening to it...some songs are familiar; others are not, but we love them all! Here's a postcard Jessica sent to Abby. We enjoyed looking at the various pictures...and dream of the day when we'll get to see it all in person (our fingers are crossed BIG TIME!). Abby has had such fun getting to know Jessica and learning about life in England, and hopes their friendship continues to grow!
I, also, recently participated in my very first swap...a Valentine's Day Swap! My swap partner was Jackie, whom I met through blogging awhile back. Anyhow, I was so excited to get the package from her! Here's what I got...
Needless to say, the Hershey's kisses were a huge hit...notice I said, "WERE"? Yep, we can't keep chocolate around here very long...GONE IN A FLASH! The swap was a lot of fun...nothing like getting a surprise in the mail, right? I'm going to be particpating in a couple more swaps between this month and next, so I'm looking forward to it!

♥Make today a day worth remembering!♥



P.S. You may have seen the news...but, it looks as if Baby Harper gets to go home today! Isn't that wonderful??? She has come so far...thanks to the power of prayer and God's unending mercies! Be sure to check out Kelly's blog for her latest update!

Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap!!!

I don't usually post twice in the same day, but thought I'd pass along some information you might enjoy. I just recently participated in my very first swap and I learned about this one, so I'm going to join in, too! Should be fun! Just click on the picture below and it'll take you where you need to go! Come on, now...get hopping! :)