Thankful Blog #18

Away in a Manger

Today I was in a little boutique and as I made my way to the back of the shop there was a precious little boy about three years old sitting on this very "fru fru" sofa eating a double doozie chocolate chip cookie. Do i even have to tell you he had icing all over his sweet face and fingers. I wish you could have seen the face of the precious woman that was helping me. I am just loving watching this little man enjoy every bite of his cookie and the sales woman  is obviously disgusted and seems to be awkwardly distancing herself from him as if he had coodies. After a few minutes his mama scooped him up in her arms, icing and all and headed for the door. She snuggled him close and pretended to nibble his cookie. Before they even made it to the door, the mama was covered in icing. It was a sweet picture. Honestly it reminded me of how Jesus scoops me up and holds me close no matter how much icing I have on my hands. I am far from perfect. I have made more than my share of mistakes. My heavenly Father doesn't distance Himself from me, instead He runs to me and His love covers my sin. Because of His grace I am forgiven and I am loved. I am His and nothing can separate me from His love. Today I am thankful for God's grace and forgiveness towards me. He loves me icing and all. Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #17

Twinkle LightsToday I am thankful for twinkling lights. I could even eat cottage cheese if it was wrapped in twinkling lights. I love them. I had a couple of errands to run yesterday and in two of the four places I went I was surrounded by wreaths and garland and twinkle lights. So yes, I came home with all of it. So KK  and I turned on Christmas music and hung garland in the kitchen, the den, and up the bannister. Then we loaded it down with white Christmas lights. Oh my goodness! It not only smelled divine, it looked absolutely fantastic! The boys came in while we were cleaning up and they both were so awesome to encourage KK and me. It was not hard to see how proud we were of our handiwork. Both boys said it looked great and was beginning to look a lot like christmas.
Then Eddie came home. Girls, I've told you this before, but as fabulous as men are they are not mind readers. If you want them to know something you have to tell them. If you wait for them to notice things like a new hair cut or new outfit or a clean house...you might be waiting for a really long time and then we all know at the end of the day you get your feelings hurt. So I met Eddie at the door saying something like.."Oh my word baby, KK and I have worked so hard all afternoon you won't believe, I mean look here, look there, can you smell it, wait till you see the bannister, can you stand it? don't you love it? Isn't it fabulous? Aren't the lights gorgeous? Honestly there was absolutely no doubt I was looking for compliments and my sweet husband rose to the occasion! I love it! He didn't even ask how much it cost! I love that even more!
I decided this year I'm going to really decorate beautifully, do a few things differently, and best of all put twinkle lights every where!
As I blog under the lights, I am thankful for twinkle lights!
Love love love Ruthie

Thankful Blog #16

Thanksgiving Day!! It was the best ever! It was filled with family, fun, and food! I love it!

     As a child we spent thanksgiving in Seagrove Beach at my grandfather's beach house. It was so much fun! The weather was always unpredictable so we packed shorts as well as winter coats. When I was little, Seagrove was very quiet. There were very few houses and the very popular Seaside Community was just a grove where we played hide and seek. Today I still spend thanksgiving in Seagrove Beach, FLa, but it is a very different scene from when I was young. Seagrove is now home to a large number of homes, cottages, restaurants, shops, and galleries. It's a fairy tale place to be. It's my favorite place to be. This week we've had gorgeous weather and temperatures in the 70's. We've rested, fished, read books, played games, shopped, people watched, the list goes on. But the most fun thing has been being together! And that is what I'm thankful for today, my family together in my most favorite place.

Uncle Pete Aunt Katie McKeever and Oli

All the grandchildren

My man

Me and my man

My sisters

Zack and Luke

Mason Duncan and KK

 

Pete and Paw Paw

Eddie and Taylor

Anne Banks

McKeever

The girls

Towns Oli and Luke

Paw Paw

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful Blog # 15

So Thankful
I will definitely post the day later, but I just spent some  time with the Lord this morning before anyone else was up and I was overwhelmed by His goodness and I wanted to wish you all a Happy Day!
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me,
Bless His Holy name,
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits.
Psalm 103:1-2

Thankful Blog #14

FamilyLast night Towns and I watched a movie on cable called Four Christmases starring Reese Wtherspoon and Vince Vaughn. They lied to their families about where they were spending the holidays so that they would not have to spend the holidays with their families. They told their families they were doing charity work when in actuality they were headed for Fiji to enjoy spa packages and snorkeling. Long story short, flights were cancelled and the couple ended up spending Christmas with family after all. Today I was out with the girls and it seemed like every time we turned a corner there were families out enjoying the day. It was obvious that grand parents were visiting and families were beginning to gather for the holidays. There were pictures snapping,videos rolling, and lots of memories being made. This thanksgiving I will be spending the day with my family and yes there will be photos snapping , and videos rolling and lots of memories being made.
In the movie Four Christmases  we travel with Witherspoon and Vaughn to spend the day with each of their families. There were funny moments, awkward moments, and of course touching moments. They dreaded the day with family, and they even discussed an exit strategy before they went to each home. However, as you would guess, at the end of day they realized family, no matter how crazy, is irreplaceable.
I love those kind of movies, the ones with happy endings. The ones about families that hug and kiss at the end. I think its easy to take families for granted. It's frightening how easy it can be to be careless with words and actions around family.This thanksgiving I want to be like those cheesy movies and laugh at awkward moments and hug and kiss at the end of the day. Only I am going to love it all at the beginning of the day. Be thankful for your family today. I am! Enjoy every moment!
Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #13

Out With the GirlsI was jogging today and Ingrid Michaelson came on my ipod. I'm not sure of the name of the song but the first line of the songs says, "They say that home is where the heart is, I guess I haven't found my home...."I've heard that song a million times and I don't know why I chose today to dwell on those lines. I think it's because my house is full today and it's so nice having everyone home for the holidays. Today the boys went fishing so the girls spent the day together. So today I am so thankful for girl time. We had such a wonderful day! When Eddie and the boys got home I could hardly wait to tell him all about our day. We ran to the grocery store and I gave him every detail of the day. Funny, the day was nothing spectacular, but every minute was special and memorable. Towns and I began with a long run.  MaryCam and KK met us at the end and we got a drink and snack and people watched while we talked. Then we window shopped and ended back home and we fixed a big lunch. We spent the afternoon talking and reading and being together. I really didn't want the day to end. Once the boys got home we fixed dinner and put in a movie. Just a normal day. I love a normal day when everybody is home. "They say that home is where the heart is..." Where is your heart?  Think about it. Is that an easy question for you or not such an easy question? The song writer says she hasn't found her home. There is something about that line that breaks my heart. Where do you make your home? I hope you have found your home! I hope your home is a safe place for you. I hope you find love beyond measure in your home. Today I am thankful for spending the day with the girls. I hope you find just as much pleasure in the small things. Home is where the heart is. Where is your heart?
Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #12

A Car Ride Today

I am thankful for a car ride!  Today my family spent the day in the country. We took three different vehicles because the boys like to have their trucks in case they need some kind of tool. Anyway it just meant that the girls and I got to ride together in the car and talk non stop! I love that!
A while back I read a book, The 5 Love Languages and I learned that I love to receive love through physical touch and closeness. It doesn't mean that I have to be hugging all the time, I just like being with those I love.
I will never forget one time I told Eddie I was having a cruddy day and I just wanted him to know. ( Just between me and you I think it's a good thing to let your man know what your feeling because if you wait for him to read your mind you're going to be disappointed every time. ) Anyway, it was a Saturday and sweet thing I knew he had a list of things he wanted to do that day, but he put his list aside and turned into this incredible machine. He cut the yard, cleaned the kitchen, folded the laundry, and the list goes on. At the end of the day I was weepy and my cup was completely empty. He looked at me like ..What? He went over the list that he had done and couldn't believe that I was not doing good. When I explained all I really wanted him to do was sit with me and be where I was. He was stunned that's all I needed. When he runs errands I love to ride in the car with him. I just like being where he is, and when we are in the car I get him all to myself.  I love a car ride. I loved being with the girls in the car today because we were together without distractions and we really got to talk. I love knowing what they think about and sharing stories and jamming out to the radio. It's a good thing. Next time you're in the car with your children or your spouse, turn off your phone and relish the moments.  It's pretty cool and you might just learn something. Today I am so thankful for car rides!
Thanks for stopping by!!!! Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #11

I love happys

I could hardly wait to write this blog, and I can't keep it in any longer, I am so thankful for happys. If you have ever received a happy you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't know what a "happy" is, it's when someone thinks of you and surprises you with a sweet little treat for absolutely no reason! I must admit my day was a little over packed and I knew it. It was one of those days where you put a smile on and just do each thing on the list until it's complete.  They were not hard things or bad things, just a lot of things. Anyway, after my workout(the only fun thing on my list today) I walked out to my car and there was a gift bag hanging on my door handle. If there had been a hidden camera you would have seen a smile spread across my face a mile wide. I looked around to see if I could see any clue as to who might have left me a treat, and then I just remember laughing. I hadn't even looked inside the bag and my heart was flying and my day went from ordinary to fabulous in about 2 seconds. I jumped in my car and shut the door just so I could take it all in. I know that sounds crazy, but it's amazing what a happy will do to you. Like a child at Christmas, I peeked in the bag and I spied a note. I pulled it out with incredible anticipation. It read"Happy Beach. Happy having all your family together. Happy Thanksgiving! soooooo thankful for you! I cried and laughed all at the same time.
As I looked through the rest of the bag, I found cookies wrapped in ribbon and cellophane and some delicious chocolate covered snack mix. I just sat there with a huge smile on my face and an even larger lump in my throat. There was no name on the card so I sat there wondering who could have done this. Someone knew my schedule, my car... but the best part? Somebody thought about me. Somebody took time out of their day to make me treats and make my day. I sent a few texts asking who might have dropped me a happy and then I thought, do I want to know? Maybe I do but maybe I don't. Then my phone buzzed and I could not open the text fast enough. My precious friend replied, "Maybe :)" That text sent me over the moon! It's crazy how something as little as a happy can touch your heart in such a big way. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me feel special. Yes, that's it! It made me feel special!
It blew me away to know someone was thinking about me today. It also challenged me to send a happy to someone. Yes it takes a little time and it takes a little effort, but I am a testimony that it makes a really BIG impact! So, go send a happy to a friend for no reason other than you love them and you are thankful for them. And to my sweet friend, thank you for thinking of me! I am thankful for you!
Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #10

Today I'm thankful for my quiet time. With a big family and endless activities it's difficult to find a few minutes of quiet. Honestly it doesn't matter if you have 5 children or no children, finding quiet moments in a world filled with cell phones, I pads, and laptops is tough. It seems like there is always buzzing or ringing or something of that nature that desperately fights for our attention. What is that? I ran in the bank yesterday for two seconds and when I got back in my car I had  a text message and two missed calls. Anyway, I'm so thankful for my quiet time. I know quiet moments mean different things to everybody, but for me it's time alone with my Heavenly Father. Once I've cleaned the kitchen from breakfast and kissed the last child goodbye, I go in my study to my favorite chair and sit with the Lord. This morning was so sweet. With Thanksgiving next week and Christmas just around the corner my mind was over crowded with ideas, projects, lists, and a million other things. So I sat in my chair  today a little preoccupied, to say the least. As I began to tell the Lord about my huge list, He sweetly quieted my mind and allowed His peace to wash over me. In His presence I experienced true rest. He quiets me with His love and rejoices over me. Zeph.3:17. He delights over me. I don't know how you find rest in this hectic life, but there is nothing like the shelter of the Almighty. You can rest there. He waits for you. Meet Him there. I know there is nothing in me that deserves His perfect love, but today I am thankful for my quiet time with Him.

Thankful blog #9

Simple Things
Can you tell from my photo what I"m thankful for today? Look again. I'm laughing out loud right now thinking about what you are thinking. I truly could have blogged a hundred things I'm thankful for today, but I chose something I love love love. Today I'm thankful for...clean sheets. For some of you reading this, "clean sheets" might have been a let down. However, for others of you, you know what I'm talking about. Ahhh to crawl in bed after a long day and have those sheets pulled tight yet incredibly soft and not to mention they smell like heaven. Sometimes I wonder if I love it so much why don't I wash them every day.  Maybe I wouldn't appreciate them as much. I don't know, but I do know I look forward to going to bed when I have freshly washed sheets. There is nothing finer! Really the only word I can think of is "yummy." I love clean sheets.
As I was thinking about sharing this blog today, I thought "clean sheets" sounds so silly to be my thing I'm thankful for today. But really so many times it's the simple things that make us smile or make our day a little more special. I think we get so busy we don't take the time to appreciate the small things. Like a smile from a cashier or an encouraging word from a friend, or even a goodbye kiss in the morning. It's those simple, ordinary things that make our day extraordinary. So open your eyes, see the world differently. Notice the simple things and be thankful for clean sheets.
I'm thankful you stopped by! Love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #8

Tuesdays with the TwinsToday I am thankful for the bookstore. You're probably thinking what's so great about the bookstore. Let me tell you, going to the bookstore is like taking a mini vacation from the world. So every tuesday the twins and I take an hour and a half  mini vacation. We live for it! In fact  today about 1:00 KK texted me and said she couldn't wait for the bookstore. We do the same thing every tuesday. We leave the world behind and head inside the bookstore straight to the cafe. Depending on the weather we treat ourselves to a latte or a frappuccino with a muffin, pretzel, or brownie. Once we've chosen the perfect snack, we find something to read and meet back in the aisle of "personal growth." We find it's the least  visited section so we can sit and visit uninterrupted. We spend the first half of the time sipping our coffee and sharing about our day. Topic of conversation always finds its way back to books we've pulled on hobbies and we discuss all the projects we are going to begin.  The last part of our time is spent reading a book or magazine of our choice. KK actually finished a book today that she started on our tuesday visits in Oct. Fox looks at tons of different stuff, its hard to keep tract of it all. I read Somerset Studio magazines. Today I read and bought my favorite, "Where Women Create."
We love our special time in the bookstore. It's so nice to put the day on hold and disappear into a world of coffee and conversation. We leave the bookstore refreshed and inspired. Try it. Pick a day, take an hour, leave your phone in the car, treat yourself to coffee and a mini vacation. You'll be  hooked. I'm thankful for tuesdays with the twins at the bookstore!
Thank you for stopping by! love love love Ruthie

My favorite magazine

You can find us in personal growth

Always reading something cool

KK finished her book today!!!

Thankful blog #7

Western Lake
for sale
Blue Giraffe
Watercolor, Florida 

Happy Monday! I must say that Mondays are not exactly my favorite day of the week. I'm always a little sad that the weekend is over and everybody goes back to work and school. And have you noticed that when you ask someone on Monday how their weekend was they always say "Not long enough!" Anyway, I decided to change Monday and make it great. So the Monday after Labor Day I called my mom and my sister who lives in town and invited them to lunch. We had such a great time I said we should do this every Monday. So we meet at the same place and the same time every Monday for lunch. We haven't missed a Monday yet. So today I am thankful for lunch on Mondays with Mama and my sister. We had a fabulous time today. It rained the whole time we were there, and we did not even realize it because we were talking non stop. Honestly we cover about 100 topics every few minutes or so. It's really nice because even though we live in the same town we really don't see each other except on sunday while passing in the hall at church. So it's a perfect time to catch up.
Do you do lunch with friends or family? I really don't or didn't because it is right smack in the middle of the day and I think of all the things I could have gotten done while I was there. And really by the time you get gone you can't do anything because you have to be in the carpool line in an hour. But I must tell you that my Monday lunch is one of the highlights of my week! I don't care that it's in the middle of the day and quite honestly I'm sad when it is over. Seriously, at the end of the day what is the most important thing? Getting that third basket of laundry done? Or that second diet coke over a sweet conversation? I hope I did not have to tell you that the relationship is way more important than the load of laundry. We are relational. Sometimes I feel like I have to remind myself of that. But when I do have lunch or walk with a friend or do a diet coke with someone it fills my cup every time!   So take a couple of things off your list! That laundry will wait! Be intentional about inviting someone to lunch! I now look forward to Monday! I am thankful for lunch on Mondays with Mama and my sister.

Thankful blog #6

Fall in Love

Have you ever been in love? I remember the first time I met Eddie (my husband) We were at a swimming party for perspective YoungLife leaders. I remember feeling kinda weird because I did not know many people there. I was standing awkwardly in the shallow end of the pool with a friend, when this good looking guy(eddie) dove off the diving board and swam underwater all the way to the shallow end and when he came up for air he was right in front of me. I kid you not, at that moment it was as if we were the only 2 people in the pool. My body froze, I could not move and speaking was out of the question. This fine guy looked me in the eyes with a hypnotic gaze and smiled this dreamy smile and introduced himself and said he had wanted to meet me. I honestly don't think I responded and I blinked and all of a sudden there was splashing and talking and moving and Eddie was gone. Feeling so stupid I got out of the pool grabbed my stuff and left. I thought I'd blown my chances of ever meeting him again but a couple of days later he called and asked me out.Three and a half years later we were married. We have been married for 23 years and my heart still skips a beat when he calls my name.
This morning I was sitting in church worshiping The Lord with my family and I was overwhelmed with how very much I love Him. So today I am thankful for falling completely head over hills in love with Jesus. There is nothing quite like being in love. And there is no love that compares to the love of Jesus. His love for you and His love for me is infinite, and there is nothing that can separate you from His love. I love in Isaiah43 verse 1 where it says "Fear  not! For I have redeemed you! I have called you by name! You are mine!" I love that He has called me by name! And I absolutely positively love that I am His. So fall in love with Jesus today and be thankful for it with me!
love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #5

Saturday Surprise

Today is such an easy blog post! What am I thankful for? Saturday surprises! It began with the boys bringing me the biggest basket of dirty clothes you've ever seen in your life! I love surprises that come in baskets! Then KK and MaryCam and I went to Costco and got little surprises in every isle. Every time we turned down a new isle there was a delicious surprise sample in cute little cupcake papers. My favorite? The flatbread with chicken salad. Divine! Then I ran into Michaels because it's right next door to Costco.  I got a fun little bag of surprises for myself that I could hardly wait to get home and create with . I love Michael surprises! KK and I made one more stop before heading home and we got a surprise phone call from Towns. She and four of her precious friends came home to watch the game and have a fun girls day. So we got out the dip and chips and diet coke and talked and laughed all afternoon! And I bought them a little surprise at Costco. The new Harry Potter movie. So they turned out the lights and had a movie night! Then my sweet husband came home and put  hamburgers on the grill and we finished the night with ice cream and chocolate sauce. What a fun day full of fun easy surprises! I love fun and easy! Family, friends, fun....Such a great day filled with surprises. I love it !
I'm so glad you dropped by today, another sweet saturday surprise! love love love Ruthie

Thankful blog #4

Special Time with my little Pie

I could hardly wait to blog today and tell you what I'm thankful for! At our house we call it "special time." Today I had "special time" with KK! We planned this day about 2 weeks ago and couldn't wait for it to get here! We both got up early , dressed up, toasted a pop tart, and hit the road. Our destination? Perch in Auburn, AL. Perch is a jewelry studio. You can purchase original handmade pieces, or you can create your own jewelry with an endless supply of beads, charms, gold, silver,...the list goes on and the possibilities are as big as your imagination. From our house it's an easy 40 minute drive, a perfect amount of time for fabulous non stop conversation! What a treat  for me to get to have KK all to myself. Before I knew it we pulled up to our favorite jewelry store. The brightly painted green door not only welcomes you but cheerfully invites you to step inside and dream. The vintage inspired shop has old frames strung with wire to showcase beautifully designed earrings. There are antlers framed on the wall to hold necklaces of all lengths and designs. Gorgeous old doors are the backdrop for countless strands of spectacular beads. Scattered throughout the room are bowls and muffin tins filled with beads and charms and anything else you could possibly need to make the perfect piece of jewelry. You would love every square inch! You would also fall in love with  owner and artist Barbara Birdsong! She is amazing! She is there to make your dreams a reality. Barbara teaches you and serves you and makes your jewelry design process fun and fabulous!
KK and I spent 45 minutes choosing the perfect jewelry combinations. Then we sat down at this long table and began to create. That was my favorite part, just talking and laughing, no phone, no homework, nowhere to be, just being together and having fun. I didn't think it could get any better and I looked up and there was Towns in the doorway. She had finished class early and came to hang out. So fun!!! We even saw Stacy and MeriDean Hamilton walking by to eat lunch next door. Of course I grabbed them and introduced them to Perch! What a treat!Once we finished our pieces of jewelry we walked next door for lunch at Amsterdams. Delicious hamburgers, fantastic fries, and my favorite...great company and conversation!
We wrapped up our day strolling down College street and visiting two of our other favorite places, Wrapsody and The Villager. MaryCam has been bragging on the Christmas decorations at Wrapsody so we had to check them out. She was right! Great decorations and perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Her sweet friend Natalie was next door at the Villager, so we stuck our heads in to grab a hug and then we were back on the road headed for home. It was the perfect day from beginning to end! I am so thankful for my "special time" with KK today!!!
Love love love Ruthie

KK and Me and Barbara Birdsong

Love the frames and antlers

KK creating her necklace

Gorgeous

Barbara helping a group of ladies. Notice the good looking door s in the background!

So much fun seeing Stacy and Meri Dean!!!!

Lunch next door with KK and Towns!!!!!!!!

Pretty great Christmas decorations

Decorations were wonderful

Gifts for everyone

I am thankful for special time!!