Thankful Thursday – Our Nation’s Independence

I know I’m a couple days behind but this really is something I am truly thankful for. I’ve mentioned in an earlier post about my trip to Africa and how thankful I was for the little things like Toilet paper. We have so much in this Nation that makes us “rich” in the eyes of those around us. Is our country perfect? No. I’m I 100% pleased with the direction our country is headed? No, but I can say that there is no other place I’d rather live! :)

Now for a brighter note :) here are some pictures of our 4th of July celebrations. We went to Watauga Lake with our Pastor and his family and Craig – now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever got a picture of Craig :S maybe next year.

I did get his picture! Well the back of his head… but its a picture! Brock and Kenny tried to be “Ninja” and stand up on the raft…

…It didn’t last long!

We also went to see fireworks but I didn’t take any pictures… Sorry :S I hope you all had a good 4th of July and that you remembered the reason we celebrate.

Coffee Time!

After yesterday’s post about how beautiful and warm the weather has been lately, today, its still beautiful but the temperature on my way to work was way too cold for the short sleeved shirt I had planned on wearing! So what better way to warm up than a cup of coffee.

I bought my first, fan club coffee mug!

What was the purpose you might ask…

• 16oz of coffee for the price of 12oz – Like I really need the extra caffeine.
• A punch on my card, with 6 punches I get a free cup of Joe. – I didn’t get punches before unless I paid for a larger size coffee.
• A free cup of regular coffee just for purchasing a mug.
• Special deals that only fan club mug holders can get :)

More coffee for less $$$ always sounds like a good deal to me!

Year in Reveiw

Last week I started Blogging about Blogs because I like to learn about other blogs that I might be interested in following and thought maybe you would too… maybe not but I’m enjoying doing this anyways!

This week I was reading Casual Blogger Caroline, the writer for Casual Blogger, also blogs about blogs, and does “Good News Minute” on Sunday mornings where anyone can post some good news they want to share on her Blog. She did this survey about herself on her blog for “All about me Monday” I thought it would be fun to do this myself so these are my answers to the questions not hers.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

I did a lot this year that I’ve never done, I went to Africa and Colorado, two places I’d never been before and I’ve eaten more weird things that I can mention! I also got to go to a Broadway Musical – I guess that’s what you call it -

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t even remember making any resolutions last year, so…. I’m thinking the answer to this one is a no! I made the resolutions to read more, serve more, and get more organized. So far the organization one is going well!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes my friend Lara had a beautiful little girl this year and then two ladies I work with also had little girls…. Oh! and my sister-in-law Jessica had a little girl as well! she just started crawling on Christmas Eve so we all got to watch her!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Well, I wasn’t so close to her necessarily other than the fact that I know she prayed for me as a student in her husbands classes. Mrs. Childs, AKA: Tiger. She passed away just before Christmas to be with the Savior she loved so dearly. 


5. What countries did you visit?

Ghana, West Africa!


6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

A Husband! That will happen June 4th for those of you who didn’t know!


7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 7th – The day my work threw me a party because I was finally done with school but they were going to miss me because I was moving to the new Barbershop instead of staying with them.

July 22nd – The day we got to Africa.

September 3rd – The day Kenny proposed.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Paying off my car was pretty big!

9. What was your biggest failure? 

Almost not being allowed to travel with the Ensemble for spring tour because of having too many demerits :( I’m so glad Doc took the time to reprimand me and give me a second chance even when I didn’t deserve it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I’ve always been pretty fortunate in the health area except for some minor back troubles because of my job I can’t think of anything.

11. What was the best thing you bought? 

My ipod touch, I bought it during the after Christmas sales but technically still in 2010! I’ve been able to get so many things done a lot faster and more efficiently with it. 


12. Where did most of your money go? 

Bills and Walmart…. I hate walmart. 


13. What did you get really excited about? 

Getting engaged, the musical and going to Africa are at the very top of my list.


14. What song will always remind you of 2010? 

What Wondrous Love Is This. I learned to play this song on the hand bells and my melodica while in Africa. 


15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

• happier or sadder? Happier.
• thinner or fatter? No change.
• richer or poorer? Richer but not financially, more in family, friends and experiances 

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? 

Taken more pictures, made more out of the everyday things 


17. What do you wish you’d done less of? 

Less being lazy and procrastinating. 


18. How did you spend Christmas? 

Kenny and I had two Christmas’ that were both special, we spent the week before Christmas with his parents in CO and had a great time and then we spent real Christmas with my family. I learned a lot about him being home in CO and hopefully he enjoyed my family as much as I did his. 

19. What was your favorite TV program? 

I try not to watch a lot of TV because I already don’t have enough time in my day but I do enjoy watching CHUCK, He is a civilian spy for the CIA its hilarious!

20. What were your favorite books of the year? 

The Three Mrs. Judson's – its about Adiniram Judson’s three wives that he had during his ministry. You very rarely get a good look at the missionaries wife, this book includes some of their diary entries so you can see where they struggled with everyday life just like we do. Sometimes I think we lift these people up like they never had doubts about going to the mission field or troubles once they got there I guess that’s why I like this one so much.

21. What was your favorite music from this year? 

Kenny is always listening to sound tracks from different movies I really like “The Man From Snowy River” after falling in love with the music I got to see the film while we were in CO and loved it as well!

22. What were your favorite films of the year? 

The Princess and the Pea – Disney

The Man From Snowy River

Knight and Day 


23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 23, we were in Arkansas on the way to my cousins wedding and spent that particular day going to flea markets and thrift stores (which I love doing!) I also got my first free birthday Starbucks coffee! 


24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 

I can’t say that I would change much other than my attitude about certain situations which would have made things go smoother. I had a pretty good year as a whole!

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? 

I just like to be comfortable, defiantly jeans and a nice shirt are my “Go To” outfit of choice. I typically don’t wear a lot of jewelry as a matter of fact I’m wearing the necklace that Kenny got me for Christmas and I have been since he gave it to me :)

26. What kept you sane? 

My parents keep my feet on the ground and Kenny always has my back.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. 

To trust in the Lord and give Him glory for everything! He knows my needs and He cares about my wants too.

Christmas Traditions

There were a lot of things I wanted to share about how my family celebrates Christmas but I kind of let it sneak up on me. So for my last “Christmas Traditions” post for this year I’m just going to give a summary of what we do on Christmas Eve.

My Grandpa was born on Christmas Eve so my Grandma tries very hard to keep his birthday special but separate from Christmas celebrations. So, Christmas Eve dinner(supper, depending on where your from) is his birthday part of the day.

 

Grandpa blows out his candle (its a grave stone that says, “Over the Hill, too OLD to count!”) and opens his birthday presents. After cake is done and the dishes washed, only then does Christmas begin.

My Dad always tells Grandpa that he is the only man he knows older than Jesus!

 

My Grandparents give each of the un-married, grandkids “Christmas Clothes Money” to pick out a new Sunday outfit for Christmas. So once dinner is cleaned up we all go change into our Christmas clothes and take way too many pictures.

We’ve been doing this for a long time! When we were little they only lined us up by age, now its done by age and then height to see how we’ve changed and grown over the years.

 

This picture (taken in 1988) from left to right:

Robbie Shahan, Missy Shahan-Hutchins, Ben Heffernan, Stephen Shahan, Abby Heffernan-Townsend, Becky Shahan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The picture on the left is all of us in 2008 (the last year everyone was at Grandma’s for Christmas) lined up by age and the one on the right is us lined up by height. :)

 

This is just my family Right to Left: Dad, Mom, Robbie, Jessica,(sis-in-law) Matt, (bro-in-law) Missy, Stephen, Christina,(sis-in-law) Me, Austin(the only grandchild at the time, Missy was expecting Jonathan!)

 

 

This is my Mom’s sisters family Right to Left: Dale, Jody, Ben, Elizabeth,(Ben’s wife) Candace, Abby, Marcus

 

 

After all the pictures we have what my Grandma calls a candle light service. Christmas is so commercial and this is a good way to get your focus off of the presents and on thanking the Lord for what he’s done in our lives through the year. We always start with my grandpa (since he’s the oldest) and everyone shares what they are thankful for in the past year. This picture is of Austin, he was still pretty young when this was taken, but he said he was thankful for Mommy and Daddy :)

One year Grandma decided not to do our candle-light service anymore, she said she thought that none of the grandkids would miss it (and I’m sure it made a mess). The next year my oldest brother, Robbie, I think he was 16 at the time, came to her and said, “we’re doing a candle-light service aren’t we?” She immediately started breaking out the candles! I don’t think we’ve missed doing it since. Its always been my favorite part of Christmas.

Well that’s pretty much it for the Christmas Traditions I hope you’ve enjoyed a peek into our family and maybe you’ll use some of these idea’s with your own families.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Veterans Day!

 
I grew up in a household that was always proud to support our country and the men and women who gives their lives for our freedom. My Dad is a veteran and as a young girl I spent lots of time at the feet of other veterans who I have developed some treasured friendships. Because of this background Veterans Day just can not go un-noticed!

“But the freedom that they fought for,

and the country grand they wrought for,

is their monument to-day, and for aye!”

                  ~ Thomas Dunn English

“This nation will remain the land of the free

only so long as it is the home of the brave.”

~Elmer Davis

“Freedom is never free” ~Unknown

“I think there is one higher office than president,

and I would call that patriot.” ~Gary Hart

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.

It means a strong desire to live

                                         taking the form of readiness to die.”

                                        ~G. K. Chesterton

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” ~Mark Twain, The Notebook, 1935 

Thank a Veteran Today!

P.S. If you are a Veteran or Military Personnel living in/near Rutherford County stop by Spindale Barbershop, 111 West Main, Spindale, for a free haircut.

Thank you for your service to our country!