Christmas Fun with Sunny....

This year is the first year in several that my dear friend Sunny is getting to spend the holiday's at home (in the same country :) anyway).... She was in for a visit during Thanksgiving. On Sunday night she came over and we decked the halls of the Crum household! We drank hot apple cider and put up the tree and talked and talked and talked... It was so nice to have her here!

Pumpkin Carving...

Me and Tate decided to carve one of our pumpkins today... It was a beautiful day so we swept off the small landing in front of the porch and started work... Tate, of course being ALL BOY!!! only wanted to hold the knife - which of course made mommy a nervous wreck! He also wanted to draw all over the pumpkin - note the random lines! All in all, we had a good time and ended up with a pretty good jack o' lantern!!!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

October 30th was Mom and Dad's anniversary - Trick or Treat here in the county.... Happy 32 years!!!

Pictures of Hollis Woods....

This week I was working on some last minute homework... I had to have a book to base some Lesson Plans on... The entire time, I thought I would do the plans on Sarah Plain and Tall... Well, I couldn't find the book so I called my faithful reader friend, Vicky... Thinking she may have Sarah Plain and Tall on hand, I dialed the number... She didn't have it... but... She tells me she has another good one - Pictures of Hollis Woods... So thankful to have a book but a little dismayed to have to start over, I proceeded to begin my homework again... I finished the homework and my mom arrived home with the book in hand... Now it was time to read it...I started that night and was instantly hooked... I had to stop and turn the lights out so my hubby could sleep for the next days work - regretfully... The next morning I was up bright and early to do some Observation hours at the school but I came right back home and sat down to finish the book before my class... I tell you this may be a book aimed at young readers but I LOVED IT! It was a beautiful story of love and acceptance. I encourage everyone to read it! Although many tears flowed throughout the book, my heart was happy at the end... A beautiful story for sure! Thanks Vic for that one! It's now on my list of must haves... and I can't wait to watch the Hallmark movie either! Wonder where we could find it!

Trick or Treat fun........

Yesterday, I received one of the two costumes I had ordered for Tate - Lil' Frankie... Still to come is Itsy Bitsy Spider... I snapped a few shots of him and thought I would share... Let me know what you think... I'll be sure to take of few of the spider costume too... (I was actually a little disappointed with the quality of the Lil' Frankie costume - the picture was very misleading... but he loved it and with a little work I can fix it to what I thought it would be...) Also, I'm including a pic of my faudershock... Anyone know where I might find some mums? I've been on a search and apparently they are very hard to come by this year - LOL! Notice my beautiful gourds - courtesy of my dear friend Vicky! I LOVE THEM!

The Tale of Three Trees

A Tale of Three Trees is a beautiful folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt and one of my most recent purchases. If you haven't read it, you should! It's a beautiful children's book that will adorn the shelf of my classroom!

Tate Man enjoying the Harvest Fest Pageant and Parade

Fall is once again upon us....

I absolutely LOVE this time of year! There are so many fun activities... festivals, parades, pageants, costume shopping... Not to mention decorating faudershocks and most importantly simply enjoying mother nature's gorgeous surroundings... The temperature is just right... Not too hot, not too cool... I could just sit for hours and enjoy the sounds, smells, and feel of fall!!! The leaves falling and rustling all around you... Apple Cider comes out on the shelves (Not only one of my favorite tastes but also a huge favorite smell!!!) Oh and of course I get to pull out my sweatshirts for the cool evenings! Fall simply feels like a time of relaxation to me!

My Birthday...

Yesterday, I was officially another year older... I spent the day with my wonderful husband and my Tatie-bug... My momma made me a wonderful Tiramisu which was delicious! I had lots and lots of birthday wishes from friends and family! Thanks to all of you - I love each and every one of you!

Ladies Retreat in Gatlinburg....

This past weekend, me, Tate, my momma, and Wendy, packed up to travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the East KY District's Ladie's Retreat..... and I was so glad we did... My dear friend, Sunny, came up from Cleveland, Tennessee (where she currently resides) to visit with us. We all had a wonderful time... I can't wait until we can all get together again... Only this time, my dear friend Vicky must come along!!!

Happy Birthday To My Dear Friend Sunny!

Tomorrow is my dear friend Sunny's birthday. I wish her a wonderful and blessed day!!!

Alexander......

Well I have to say that, after the nervousness of beginning a new class has worn off, I am thoroughly enjoying my children's literature class.... My teacher is a hoot - she is a super skinny woman with the greatest sense of humor. I grow more and more fond of her with every class. I believe she truly LOVES what she does. Every day we enter and she has a stack of children's books to read to us and a stack of newspaper articles pertaining to something in the education world. For the majority of the class, we are taken back to our younger years and we get to hear her enthusiastic voice read some of the most delightful books! I have already started a list of must haves for my little guy Tate! Christmas at our house this year may consist of lots and lots of books!!! At the top of my "to buy" list is a collection of books by Judith Viorst. My favorite being , Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I can't wait to get them!

My Hubby With The Title He Deserves....

Yesterday Dave was the "best man" in a wedding.... He looked sooooooo handsome! Here are a few pics!

Happy Birthday Tracy!

Today my brother turns 29..... I wish him a beautiful day and many more wonderful birthdays!!!

My Wonderful Husband

On August 21st, my hubby and I celebrated our 4th year of marriage. He, being the thoughtful guy he is, sent me 1 dozen pink roses with a black and silver bow attached (the colors of our wedding) - oh and some silver balloons, too. They were gorgeous. The lady from the flower shop brought them in and then showered my desk with rose petals! Wasn't that sweet? I am so thankful to have him. I think that the four years we have been together seems like 20 - and I don't mean that the way it sounds but rather that I just can't imagine life without him now.... We have already traveled so many roads together and along the way realized just how much we fit.... God surely knew what he was doing.... I look forward to many, many more years!

A Good Day........

I believe everything happens for a reason..... I believe every person's path you cross is for a reason.... I believe every friendship you make is for a reason....The reason may or may not ever become known....

Whenever Dave and I were dating, he would take me with him to visit his friend's shop, Threads Embroidery. We would sit for hours and visit with Lee, Wendy and Arty. I had went to school with Wendy but had never known her well. It was during this time that I was planning our wedding. She offered to help with the decorations and such, so I took her up on it..... Over time, we became great friends. Now we consider them to be some of the dearest people in our lives. Through the years, we have learned how special they are... Their hearts are made of gold! There are few people in life that you encounter that you can say that about...

On Saturday, Wendy asked me to make some chicken and dumplings for the next day, her mom was getting baptized at church and they were going to have dinner. Of course, I was more than happy to do so... Well as the "never on time" person that I am, I was running behind and was not going to be able to get the dumplings done and make it to church... So I called and said I would meet them in the church parking lot after service. Mom went ahead and took Tate. Dave and I arrived there about 1 or so and were waiting in the car. My mom comes running out of the church and says I need to come, Wendy was getting baptized.... Needless to say, I was not dressed for the occasion but I couldn't miss it... I entered the church and was filled with so much emotion.... For so long, I had prayed for my friend and I was witnessing an answered prayer.... It was a wonderful feeling....

As we left the church, I was hugging everyone and as I hugged Wendy's mom, I said, "Today is a good day, Betty." She said, "Today is the best day of my life." My heart smiles....

Later, I received a message from my dear friend telling me how much of an influence I had been along the way and how when she looked out at the crowd the only person she saw was me... She said she knew it was God's way of telling her to thank her best friend.... Again my heart smiles....

It seems like over the past week or so, I am seeing so much of God's work in action.... Sometimes a little confirmation that's he is in the midst can take us a long way! I am truly thankful!





I

Once Again a Student........

After years and years of trying to muster the courage and somehow find the time and money, I am once again a college student....

As the procrasinator that I am, I decided Friday (the last day to register for classes) that I better get on the ball if I were going to get started back.... I hated to let yet another semester go by without making some sort of effort.... So, with my mind and body a bundle of nerves, I managed to spend an entire day at the Prestonsburg campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College and come home with a Children's Literature class to begin! Yes, it's only one class, but it's a start... With a 2 1/2 year old, a part-time job and an empty pocketbook, I decided that the one would suffice for now... I'll just be getting my feet wet I suppose...

I am strangely excited to be starting back but horribly nervous at the same time... I would have never imagined that I - being what I feel like is a fairly self-sufficient person - would be sitting in the parking lot of the college ready to turn around and come home because I felt so sick at my stomach....... I somehow managed - and on my own (with a lot of prayers to God so I guess I shouldn't say I was on my own) to enroll for my first step to finishing the education I have always desired to complete......

Now, let's see how this procrastinator survives the return to the collegiate world.... Wish me luck or better yet send up lots of prayers!!! I'm sure I'll need them!

Getting Started......

Well after looking and thoroughly enjoying my dear friends, Vicky and Sunny's Blog Spots, I have decided to create my own... I am just getting started but will hopefully have the hang of it very soon...... I will start with some pics recent pics of our family.......