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On a mission trip...that is! My husband and I will be leaving on Friday for Costa Rica. There are 17 of us from our church who will be spending 9 days with missionaries there. This is my first mission trip and I am excited (and nervous). We know the missionaries there (Jeff & Danette Cooper). In fact, I taught Jeff when he was in the 2nd grade. We don't know what all we will be doing, but we do know that we will be hiking into the jungle and sleeping in tents as we minister. I have two pictures that I copied from another mission trip in the jungle where we will be. The following picture shows one reason I am a "little" nervous. I don't like high places and we have to cross over a log. It rains there every day all year BUT this is the peak time (I've been told) so there will be lots of water under this log. I asked how long the log was and was told that "it's only about 25 feet across". I was also told, "it's only about 20 feet down". I may be the first one to scoot across on her bottom!
This next picture show the hike through the jungle. We have been told that it's about a two hour hike. I'm not as nervous about hiking as I am crossing that log! I'm trying to get everything packed tonight because we are having to take our luggage to the church Wednesday night to weigh it and pack it all in a trailer. It's difficult to know exactly how many clothes to take and keep your luggage under 50 pounds. 
I won't be posting again until we return. I would appreciate your prayers. I am expecting to see great things from God as we minister to the people there.
Here's the 2009 version of Granddaddy & Gigi with their grandbabies. It is fun to look at how they've changed. It's not so much fun to see how I have aged but pictures don't lie! We had an absolutely wonderful time. The weather was beautiful six out of seven days...can't complain. The children had a great time. Granddaddy cooked breakfast every morning until we convinced him later in the week that cereal, sweet rolls and Pop Tarts would be just fine. I think Zack would have rather had the biscuits and gravy all week!
If you have read any of my posts about my favorite things, you already know that my favorite food is vegetables from the garden. I absolutely LOVE any of them....peas, green beans, corn, squash, okra, and tomatoes.....add a slice of onion with the meal, some cucumbers in vinegar, and make some hot cornbread and I am in heaven! Being a girl who was raised on a farm, I have so many wonderful memories and thought it was exciting on the days my mother and aunts would spend time under a tree shelling peas, snapping beans, and cutting off corn. I didn't realize then how much work it was....I just saw how they laughed and talked as they worked. As I got older I found out that it was work---but work that I truly enjoyed. When I married there wasn't any question about gardening....it was something that was a part of me. So each year we have had a large garden (usually with my brother-in-law). Those days of harvesting our "crops" would be times that I would pull out the pans for shelling and my mother-in-law and I would do our canning together. It would be those times where she shared knowledge with me that I will treasure forever. 
As the years have passed, I no longer have my mother, aunts, or mother-in-law to share these days of shelling, etc. It's during these days that my mind goes back, and I remember the things they taught me.....maybe not in words....but in observation. There's a song that we used to sing many years ago in church "Count Your Blessings". It's on these days that I am counting my blessings for having these people in my life. People who HAD to work hard but I NEVER heard complain. People who had few material things but were rich in the things that mattered. People who taught me that it is important to sit with family and work....to slow down and enjoy life at home. 
I worked at school with my daughter, Amy, last night helping her hang curtains in her new classroom. When I got home my husband had picked a bucket of peas (our first this year). He had even shelled this big bowl himself. I was thrilled....I'm counting my blessings for him today!
I feel like it's Christmas at my house today. I have looked every time I was out for glasses with cherries. Earlier in the week I posted about it and I received a comment from a sweet friend, Kristen. I taught Kristen in the 2nd grade (many years ago). She told me that she had some glasses that had cherries on them and she'd send me a picture to see if they might be what I wanted. I loved them and told her to let me know how much she was asking for them. Her reply was, "You can have them because they are taking up space in my cabinets". There are 11 tall glasses and 2 juice glasses. Of course my husband wanted to know which glasses I was going to get rid of in my cabinets.....men just don't understand how much we love our dishes! 
I LOVE these, Kristen. I will think about you every time I use them. Thanks so much.
Tonight is Girls Night Out.....with my daughter, Amy. There aren't many times that just mom and daughter have together, so I treasure the times we do. This time it will be even better. We are going to see a special friend in the production of "The Sound of Music". I remember going to see this movie years ago and loved it. Now I will see Lisa as Maria. I have heard that she is awesome. We had planned to go earlier in the week but didn't get our tickets quickly enough.....many performance have sold out. So this morning at my house "The hills are alive.....with the Sound of Music"......CAN'T WAIT!!
Late Saturday afternoon my daughter and I took a trip to one of our favorite places....The Thrift Store. When we first got there she said, "Mom, I love it when we aren't rushed and have time to look." I always go to the dishes and wooden items first. (I'm still looking for glasses with cherries). I spotted the bread box and put it in my shopping cart and then took it out. It cost $6.88 (where do they get these odd numbers?) I knew I wouldn't use it for a bread box but with a little (it didn't take much) encouragement from Amy, I decided it had to come home with me. It will be painted (black, of course) and I will use it to put my phone books in. Right now they are taking up one of my kitchen drawers but they fit perfectly inside. The other wooden item is an oval tray. It's scratched up pretty bad, but it'll be painted also. Amy suggested that I use it on my bathroom counter (between the two sinks). I'm trying to decide what color it should be...if I do use it there.
Here are the two treasures again. Look at the space inside that bread box and see the little legs on the bottom of the tray.....I loved that part. Yes, the tray only cost $1.48. The spray paint will come out this week and I'll share the make-over.
