God knows what I need and when I need it!

The past few weeks have been kind of a blur in my world...hence the lack of blogging that I have been doing! I have been fortunate to have a lot of extra work which has been such a blessing financially however, doesn't leave time for much else. About two weeks ago, the family I work for went on vacation which meant that I had a week off. Talk about perfect timing! Just as things were starting to get out of hand, the Lord knew that I needed some time off. I was able to get some work done around the house that I had been putting off and run errands that were long over due. I got a painting project out of the way (it had only been on my to-do-list since I moved in .... over three years ago!) and I was able to spend some extra time with Joe and Barkley. This last part is so critical because this was the last week that I would spend with Barkley. Last week was a sad week for us because we had to make the choice to put Barkley to sleep it as just awful! I am planning on writing another blog about Bark....so stay tuned, this is more a less a catch up on what is going on my life.

As I am looking back now, I think it is quite amazing that the Lord knew that I would need to be at home with him that last week. Not only was I able to get a lot of things done for myself, I was able to comfort Barkley and Joe those last few days they had together. What a wonderful gift God gave me. The Lord has been so faithful to both Joe and I the past few months. He continues to provide for us is so many ways and I am just amazed at the work he is doing in my life and in our home. Through our loss we have been able to draw closer to one another and to the Lord and we are reminded that the Lord knows our needs and is always faithful to meet them. I know this is something that I will learn over and over again, but today it is fresh on my mind and on my heart and I just thought I would share this simple truth that has once again been revealed to me through unlikely circumstances. How wonderful know that God knows what we need and when we need it... can I get an Amen!

Birthday Wishes...

I have to start by saying this blog is WAY late! I have had this in my head for several weeks but life has been a bit crazy in our neck of the woods and I wasn't able to write as much as I would like! All that to say.....this blog is in honor of my mom! Her Birthday was July 28th and she turned......we'll just say 29 again! My mom is a wonderful lady who loves so many in her life. She wears so many hat's she is a mother, wife, sister, daughter, nonnie, teacher, friend, Master scholar, follower of Christ and so much more! Oh...and did I mention that she is just beautiful! My mom is such a special lady and I am so thankful for her life. She has taught me so much and is such a joy to be around! So even though I am about a month late in getting this posted.....Happy Birthday Mom! I love you so much and I wish I could see your beautiful face everyday!

Some like it hot!

Just thought I would post one of the Corbett's new favorite recipes. It is actually a weight watchers recipes for 1 point chili. It is so good and so good for you! It makes a huge batch and we love to eat on it for days. I often freeze it and take it to work for lunch too, its just that good!

Some like it hot, like Joe who loves it it really spicy. Me not so much but feel free to add as much or as little spice as you would like. I have listed the recipe below with the modifications that I usually do when I am cooking it up! Happy eating!

1 Point Chili

1lb. of lean ground turkey
2 -Medium zucchini
2 -Medium squash
1 -Green pepper
1- Onion
1 -Red pepper ( I just use two green)
4 -Stalks of celery
2 -Cans of black beans
2 -14 oz cans of fat free beef broth (I use chicken....it tastes great)
2 -32 oz cans of stewed tomatoes ( I like to use 1 can of crushed and 1 can of stewed)
1 -Packet of chili seasoning ( I like to use two)

Cook ground turkey all the way through. Cut all veggies into bite size pieces and then put everything together in a large pot and let it stew for about an hour or until all veggies are tender. The longer you let it stew the better it gets. Enjoy!

The Flowers in my Garden

Genesis1:11 'And God said, " Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind.' What an amazing creator we serve! What beauty God has given us in so many different forms and what beauty we find in the small things that he has created like the plants of the earth and the flowers in or gardens. For the past several years I have been working on a small flower garden in the front of our house. While it is not even close to being finished and needs tons of work I am starting to see some of the beautiful blooms from things that I planted over the seasons. I snapped a few pics of some of the flowers that showed up this year. The funny thing is that almost everything that bloomed this year was purple! Kind of random, I promise I planted several different colors! I can't wait to see what comes up next year! Here are a few pics of some of the buds that showed up this year! Enjoy!

Dennis and Kate Tie the Knot!!!!

Last weekend Dennis Bengtson and Katie Ryan made it official and said I do! Joe and I were both a part of the bridal party and had a wonderful time dancing the night away! I have attached a few pics from the night. It was a wonderful celebration and everyone had a great time, good food, great music and open bar .....so EVERYONE was on the dance floor all night long. The bride was beautiful and the groom as happy as could be. Thanks for letting us be apart of your special day Dennis and Kate. We are so happy for you! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Bengtson!

Pretty Toes!

Earlier this summer my mom accomplished a great task...she drove from Charlotte, NC all the way to Moodus, CT. This is a solid 14 hour haul and my mom wasn't afraid to put on her big girl panties and get in the car and come and see us. It was such a huge help because she was able to bring us a car that my Aunt was passing along to Joe and I (talk about a blessing she is- I have a blog coming on her in the near future). Mom did it! In early June she hit the road with a few stops along the way tobreak the trip up, but a day or two after leaving Charlotte she arrived here. It was so nice to get to spend time with her one on one. I don't get to have her to myself very often. One day while she was here I wanted to treat her to a girls day to thank her for bringing the car up for us. First we went and got pedicures, then out for lunch and ended the day with a movie. It was so much fun to just have a day with me and mom! I forgot to take pictures while she was here, I don't know what I was thinking. I did however manage to snap a last minute pic of our pretty toes! Thanks for coming all this way mom and for a wonderful girly afternoon! So fun!

Summer Reading

As everyone knows I am not the best reader and writer. I struggled for years as a child with the two subjects and only now as an adult have learned to enjoy reading as a pleasure activity. This summer I have read a few books but one stands out in particular. The women's ministry at my church does a book club/discussion four times a year and they try to pick books that are New York Times best sellers. This summers book was called "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust." By Immaculee' Ilibagiza. It was a powerful book that both Joe and I read. I would encourage anyone to read this book. It is amazing to see how God works in this young woman's life and protects her from those who are trying to kill her. She spends 91 days in a tiny bathroom with 7 other women while they were being hunted during the 1994 genocide where over 1 million Tutsi men, women and children were killed. This is a powerful book and I hope that many of you take my advice and read this story. It was an amazing and powerful experience, God definitely used this story to remind me that I need to live in His truth and hide his word in my heart, not to mention a powerful reminder on the power of prayer. Happy reading!