Service at the Gaffney Soup Kitchen

My church sponsors The Gaffney Soup Kitchen. Our family serves there once a month. In December we were blessed to be able to serve twice. We heard that they would be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so our Bishop arranged for us to serve lunch on Christmas Eve. The above photo is of some of our youth serving at the buffet (two boys on the left are my sons, Michael and Barron) Below are the youth helping in the kitchen. That's my sweet son, Adam standing on the bucket so he can help wash dishes. A priceless photo for a mom to sneak!

My sons really get a lot out of this service. Their hearts are so big and full of love for the sweet people that we serve. They amaze me when it's our Saturday to serve. They wake up early and keep asking if it's time to go yet. The Lord has truly blessed me. It broke my heart that we ran out of chicken this week before everyone was fed. We continued to serve the final 30 minutes with no meat. There were a couple of us in the kitchen with tear filled eyes. I want to make sure that does not happen to us again somehow! We did have an unually large number of people to come on Christmas Eve so we were not as prepared as I like to be. We fed over 70 people!

Tastefully Simple

I just signed up to be a Tastefully Simple consultant>>>>see the Logo to the right>>>>>>>
I went to a friend's party and loved the stuff. I went searching info online and found Liz Baxley. She and I had dinner Monday night and she gave me so much information and the great advice to wait until today to sign up. I get some extra goodies for signing up today. So, I will begin to party in January. Hosts get double benefits in January! Call me if you want to book your party before anyone else!
Ooopps letting time get away from me. Gotta go get the kids at school.
Be back later.

Stocking Swap

I got my package in the mail today from the Stocking Swap. I handed it over to my husband to stuff my stocking on Christmas Eve. It was so hard not to open the box up but I want to get some surprises in my stocking on Christmas morning too. Tara arranged the swap. See her blog here http://www.thewell-roundedwoman.com/2008/12/start-shopping-for-tiny-treasures.html and then bookmark her site so you can participate next year. It is very exciting!
Thanks Ruth for the package. I can hardly wait! Thanks Tara for having such a great idea and doing all the matching for the swap. I will post a photo on Christmas of all of my stocking goodies so check back.
I also went to Asheville, NC again this year to see the Food Network Gingerbread houses from the 2008 competition. They were all awesome. The contest is held at the fabulous Grove Park Inn. You can tour the Inn and see the gingerbread houses and Christmas trees on several floors. It's FREE! We took a group of teens from our church and some adults to help chaperone. I think everyone had a great time. I will post some photos later too.
I have to get to church. We are taking our youth singing to some shut-ins tonight.
Thanks for checking my blog and see ya later.

Family Fun magazine

The greatest kid crafty magazine will be $4.59 a year tomorrow only at http://bestdealmagazines.com/ . There is a deal a day this week so you can check each day for the deal of the day. Woodcraft is one and so is Daily Walk which looks like a good magazine. I love this website and have been a customer for years. I used to pay full price for Family Fun but I have ordered from here now for about 6 years.
Sorry that I didn't get around to posting the photos yet. I will do it real soon. The camera is in my purse all the way across the room! I am snuggled in bed watching PS I love you with my DH.
Got the boys 2 puppies today. Really cute puppies! I have to take some photos of them to post too.
Lights out the movie is getting good!

Stocking Swap

http://www.thewell-roundedwoman.com/2008/12/stocking-swap.html
This is such a great idea. It's like the old Secret Sister fun we used to have at church.
I signed up for this. I hope I remember this next year so I can do it locally with some friends.
Are you ready for Christmas?
Jacob and Lindsay are heading to NYC for her audition for Fiddler on the Roof. Y'all keep them in your prayers. This is a call back from the open audition that she went to last month.
Jacob came down this morning to borrow my punch fountain and I got to cook breakfast for Journey. She is talking so good now. I took some photos of her last Wednesday when we all met up at Scrapbook Creations and then went to lunch together. I hope to post them tomorrow. She had on the cute little coat that I got her several months ago and the sweetest little boots I ever saw. She is a total doll.
My cousin's wedding was beautiful today. The reception was awesome too. We had a great time. The band was terrific and Cherokee National was never decorated so elegantly. It's always nice to see a couple start their lives together.

Hobby Hut

Here is a photo of the new hobby cabin that my sweetheart bought for me last week. I think he may have just wanted all of my stuff out of the house! Barry worked nonstop to insulate, panel and wire my cabin. I have a phone line and satellite tv too! The fall flag was a Christmas gift from my daughter last Christmas. It says "Steph's Hobby Hut" The benches on the front porch were made for me by my friend Shannon's Dad. They fit perfectly. There is a Welcome sign on the front wall (hanging in the shadow beside the front door) that was a gift from my Mom when I got my first apartment in 1986. Yep, I hang on to things! My friend Vicki was here yesterday. She said she would dig up some flowers out of her yard to landscape around my porch. I am so blessed with great friends and family!

Below is the corner for my Revolution station and my embellishment collection (well, some of it)

This is a view of one of my windows. I have 3 windows and each has a fabulous view of the fall colors on the trees outside right now. This summer, I will be able to see the kids in the pool from one of the windows too. The curtains were nearly a steal from Pottery Barn. They were 70% off Saturday! Great since I had to buy 4 to cover 3 windows and the door. Under the window is my collection of Stampin Up ink pads. I have to break down and buy the turnabout thing for those soon! There is quite a collection of Sizzix dies and Stampin Up stamp sets on the shelves to the left. My Cricut, light box, and paper trimmer are on the rolling storage drawers which contain all of my punches and some other goodies within reach. See the beautiful yellow and orange maples out my rear window! I keep this curtain tied up when I am in here!
Below is the other shelf on the other side of the rear window. It has paper blocks, card idea magazines and more embellishments in baskets. In this photo, you can see the cord for the light that I hung over my table this morning. I will have to have an extension cord for the shop light. Then the cord can be hidden in the rafters for the loft. I have 2 loft areas for extra storage. Barry is putting me a small refrigerator in this weekend. Drop by for a cold beverage sometime!
Let me know you are coming! Because I also have an alarm on my building. My silly son said "Mom, nobody wants your craft stuff" Well, I ain't taking no chances! See ya soon.
Thanks for looking. Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Welcome Nancy Lopez!

Hi Nancy, if you find your way here to look at my cards! See the column to the right and click on cards. That will show all of my entries with cards in them. I plan to contact you soon to set up a Stampin Up class for you. It is a lot of fun. You, your daughters and friends will love it.