Welcome 2010!

{Is it a coincidence that 2010 is the year of the TIGER in the Chinese culture? Or is this the year my Bengals do something great? Time will tell...}

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. Very optimistic about this year. Two weddings to get ready for!




Who knows what else this year holds in store for us all? Only God knows. But we need to meet this year as if we may also meet Him...My new year's resolution is to grow closer to my Savior and to live more fully for Him. I realize new year's resolutions have a way of getting shoved to the side and forgotten about. But for whatever reason...my age...signs of the times...great changes happening...I feel a real sense of urgency about this year. I hope you all do too.

As the world welcomed in 2010...



...it is my hope that we all welcome God into our everyday lives. Not just a celebration for a few days during the Christmas season, but EVERYDAY that we live. God is waiting on us to turn to Him. I pray 2010 becomes the year we get to know Him better and let His love consume us!

A friend from church gave me a book written by Frances J. Roberts entitled, "Come Away My Beloved". I absolutely love it! If you all will bear with me, I would like to share quite a lengthy excerpt from it:

RETURN UNTO ME...Romans 12:2

Return to Me; for I have sought after you, but you have continued on in pursuit of your own ways. I have called to you, but you have disregarded Me. I have placed obstacles in your path, hoping that you would stop and consider and ask of Me, but you have obstinately and determinedly forged on ahead.

Have you learned no wisdom? Have past lessons fled your mind? Are My dealings with you forgotten?

O stubborn and rebellious child, has My love no longer the power to melt your heart? Have My words that you once so treasured become of no value to you?

Put down your anxieties, and trust Me for everything. You need nothing but what I am fully able to supply, with no effort on your part. I do not ask all My children to live in so complete a degree of trust, but I require it of you, because you cannot please Me with anything less.

You are weary, and you should be strong. You are encumbered, and I would have you free. You are hindered by undue concerns, when you should be abounding in joy.

Come back into My perfect will, and finish the task I have assigned you. Anything else is sin. What is legitimate for another is not so for you.

Come close to Me, and I will minister to you and revive your spirit. So shall you go on, even though the climb is steeper than ever before.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

We won this one for Slim...
{And we didn't even back in}





CINCINNATI BENGALS

2009 AFC NORTH CHAMPIONS

It has been A LONG, DRY spell.

It sure wasn't pretty, but one goal for this year has been reached. Now, on to the next one.

Slim, you will be missed.

{Pause playlist on right first}






Rest In Peace, Chris...

It's almost here...

{For those of you who don't know...this is NOT our house! I am just now putting up our tree! What's the rush, I always say. LOL}

I can't believe Christmas is just a couple weeks away. WOW! Where does the time go???

Just updated my blog from "Fall" to "Christmas". Here is a little something to get in the mood...{PAUSE PLAYLIST FIRST}...OVER ON THE RIGHT AND SCROLL DOWN

First up, Cincinnati's own, Collingsworth Family...

Hope you all are enjoying the season. Just remember, Jesus IS STILL the reason for it!!!

Leading the AFC North!!!!!!!

The last time the Bengals had a 6-2 record, the year was 1988. Lauren was 11 months old and we went to the Super Bowl. Just saying...


{Hey, come on, haters...PLEASE let me revel in this...it has been SOOOO LONG!}

PRAYING that Denver beats the Squealers tomorrow night...

Stay tuned.

Sue and Jim's free day...AKA a "Fall Fling"

Well, it has been 2 weeks since I last blogged on here...Time sure flies, doesn't it?



Jim didn't have to work today and since this is supposed to be the best day this week, I took the day off too. We went for a jaunt...starting here: {you can double click on the pics for a better view...}





We both had this:

Uncle Herschel’s Favorite


Two Eggs cooked to order with Grits, Sawmill Gravy, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, real Butter and the best Preserves, Jam n’ Apple Butter (on request) we could find.
~plus~

Fried Apples (me) or Hashbrown Casserole (Jim)
~and~
(choice of one) Grilled Pork Chop;
Hickory Smoked Country Ham; Hamburger Steak (Jim)
Sugar Cured Ham (me); Fried Chicken Tenderloin


YUMMY!!!!!




After that, of course we visited Goodwill where we found some goodies, as usual. Here is the bummer...They gave me a Senior Citizens' discount and I didn't even have to ask for it!!!!! I was mortified... LOL... Not really.





I forgot...before we got to Richmond, Jim took me past the Sunshower Country Club Nudist Colony. Do you think I am kidding? I kid you not! Here is the link:

http://www.sunshower.com/tour2.htm

Jim said he had to put some mirrors in there when he was working for a glass company. This is all I saw of it (or of anything!) Jim says he didn't see anything either...





So then we went to Whitewater Memorial State Park...






It really was a pretty day. And much more enjoyable than spending 8 hours in a cubicle!









While Jim was doing some fishing, I stumbled upon a cute little critter...












The park is dedicated to WWII veterans...






After that, we headed to the Brookville Lake...the second biggest man made lake in Indiana. While Jim was fishing, I strolled around checking things out...



















All at once I hear, "Sue, come here!" Jim has hooked a BIG ONE!














It was a Walleye that Jim estimated weighed around 6 lbs. As usual, he threw it back in.

After the excitement, we had to hurry home...the "kids" (Audra, Darrell, Emily and Quinton) were coming over for supper. And guess what we had???? That's right. BREAKFAST!





All in all, a LOVELY DAY!

2 ways of looking at the world...

...take your pick

{PAUSE PLAYLIST ON THE RIGHT FIRST}






I haven't been on this blog for about a month. I have been over on Facebook, checking things out. Today, I thought I would give my blog a seasonal update and do a blog post. (I even changed the first song on my playlist to "Autumn" by the Edgar Winter Group...for any old hippies that may be reading this! LOL) I started the post and halfway through I encountered the dreaded "You Tube is down for maintenance and will be back shortly". So, while waiting to finish the train of thought for the post, I updated Scooby's "autumn profile picture". Isn't he cute????



Glitter Graphics


OK, so You Tube is back up. Here is the other way to look at the world:



Believe me, THAT was how I viewed my world this past week.

"CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY...PLEASE!!!"



And believe me, a mere bubble bath wasn't going to fix it!!! I am ready for my world to go back to being a wonderful one...

In honor of tomorrow, let me sign off by saying...