happy halloween!

It's still perfect beach weather here on Tybee Island.

Smile and.....

give someone some candy today.

pumpkins

These boys make my heart sing!

Tonight at their house,

Mark is carving

pumpkins!

One will be Ant Man and the other Dead Pool.

I will see them on facebook soon, I hope.

Mark is a Master carver,

but having to do both of these will require

some major time & work.

Saturday is Halloween!

It STILL feels like summer....

I love it!

Should be a perfect night for some early

trick or treating on the golf cart

after a Chili Party out at Robbie & Elizabeth's 

haunted house.

And then....

on to Thanksgiving

when I get to see these guys again.

Already planning some exciting adventures

for every day and night they are here.

Of course their cousins,

Lucy, Harry, Gus, & Archie will be a part.

Don't get to see them often enough,

so have to make the time together very special.

Boat Parade

Hilton Head

Jim & Nicks

to name just a few.

Love the holidays!!!

Love the Kids!!

Love the holidays with the kids!!!

flooding

My beloved little island,

the one where our condo sits,

was cut off from the mainland yesterday and today.

We haven't been able to get down there to check on things.

The shot above is the Tybee road.

Have never seen the tide this high.

It peaked at 10.43 feet.

To the right is the bike path that goes all the way

to Fort Pulaski.

I love to see the tide high in the marshes.

It is Awesome what our God does.

All of that water comes in for a spell,

and then it goes back out again.

We are not consumed.

Great is His Faithfulness.

now is the time

Don't miss Salvation.

Now is the time!

Time and eternity are available to us at this moment.

Once we die,

its too late.

If you are waiting around...

waiting to be 

good enough, strong enough, holy enough

for God to love you,

You are wasting your time.

He doesn't love you based on how good you are.

God loves us because of how bad we are.

We were, dear friends, 

born into sin.

Our nature was opposed to God from the very beginning.

Also from the very beginning 

He provided a Way.

God appointed His very own Son,

Jesus Christ,

to be perfect for us,

to be sin for us.

When He died on the cross,

He gave us His righteousness,

His goodness, His holiness.

We don't stand in our own goodness,

we live and have our being because of what He did for us.

We don't call on God.

In our sinful state, He draws us near to Him

and gives us faith to believe.

If you have the least little inkling of desire for God,

it is because He gave it to you.

Stop and say...

"God, I don't know anything about You,

but I want to know You and Your Son and Your Spirit."

He will answer this request,

He will begin to teach you and show you the way.

Don't wait...

Don't let your time run out!

Now is the time of salvation.

As for me,

I was a wretch,

I still am a wretch apart from Him.

I still sin every day.

I doubt,

my faith is weak at times,

I forget that I must wage a battle every day

for my mind and my heart.

It is most times hard to obey and to remember.

But,

God loves me

 because I come to Him through 

His Son Jesus Christ.

There is no other way to be saved.

Jesus said...

"I am the Way,

the Truth,

and the Life.

No one comes to God except through Me."

John 14:6

that thing about monday

I set it aside as MY day.

Up before 5 to God's word and prayer.

Then on to the housekeeping which I love.

Sheets get washed and reapplied....

I would do them more than once a week

 if Bubba didn't protest.

Other clothes get washed and the bathrooms get scoured,

There are some phone calls in the midst of...

Amanda and I 

catch up on our weekends.

A friend calls to set up lunch for tomorrow,

The doctor calls to inform of yet another infection.

But all along, work gets done.

the washer and dryer are humming,

the dishwasher is purring.

Soon it is time for lunch.

I have some good leftovers from the scrumptious

meal Bubba prepared for our family

on Friday night.

I grab my favorite book,

fix a glass of tea and warm my meal.

I read while I eat...

my favorite time of the workday.

Afternoon is set aside for E Bay...

taking pictures and getting things on to sell.

I have made more than $100.00 dollars just today.

At some point Bubba comes home.

He goes up to his place and shuts the door

as I vacuum away all of the dirt that accumulates

every single day.

I just finished cleaning the kitchen floor...

down on my knees with a rag and white vinegar.

I still have to iron,

but will be in bed by 8:30 with lights out at nine.

God says in His word that we should do our work as unto Him.

Being a happy worker pleases Him,

no matter what your job is,

I am so thankful

to still have the energy to work hard.

The orange roses are on my island.

I played with them in my picture editor.

I think they are gorgeous!

*I will sleep like a baby tonight.

Another way working diligently is good for you.

our grandchildren

A laugh for Saturday....

Last week for Gus' birthday party

I filled a pinata with all sorts of things,

some candy,

some healthy snacks,

some pencils,

glow sticks,

and toothbrushes that light up.

Along with all of those things were these glasses

with a fake nose,

I must admit I bought them just for this picture.

Amazingly,

they look pretty real,

except for Gus,

whose nose is obviously the wrong color.

Of course,

there always has to be a silly picture taken too!

*These kids light up my life!!

come walk with me.....

over to Little Tybee Island.

At low tide down on Tybee Island

it appears to be an easy walk/swim over to Little Tybee.

The tide goes out really far exposing 

sand bars and shallow water

enticing one to make a journey over to explore.

But,

these waters are treacherous.

Once over there,

after some exploring and shelling and sunning,

when it's time to come back,

the tide rushes in,

making the trek extremely dangerous.

Many have drowned

 in these seemingly calm waters.

This made me think of sin.

Sin looks enticing,

harmless,

even rewarding,

but once in, 

the damage is done,

you lose your soul and maybe even your life.

Its hard to come back,

you are caught in the tide,

it pulls you under and you are gone.

"Flee Immorality."

I Corinthians 6:18

lunch with charlotte bell

Today, after Bible Study,

I had lunch with Liz and Charlotte Belle.

Liz and I were planning our

 Halloween celebration.

and Charlotte came along to make my day.

She is, as a passerby said,

a "beautiful rosebud" of a baby.

I caught this smile on my phone camera

 and had to share!

After we ate and planned,

I took her to my side and she was playing with my purse.

Quick as a wink,

without missing a beat,

she reached in and pulled out my credit card.

We laughed and said,

"She sure is starting young."

Charlotte Bell is seven months old

and weighs 17 pounds.

She is going to be a pumpkin for Halloween,

complete with an orange tutu

and her signature bow,

I can't wait to see her all decked out.

All of our children love Halloween!

I can't wait!!!!

at the beach with Jake and Eli

Different children,

different swing,

same beach!

The grand canyon at Tybee.

Formed at the flood.

No star fish this time.

We all love the beach!

Amanda and her Dad.

Brothers ~ always!

highlights of.....

....the party for Gus!

Granddaddy admiring the pinata he just hung from the pine tree.

Lining up to play "goal posts on the head football."

Archie just scored the first 50 points.

Granddaddy dishing up the delicious ceasar salad.

The children's (Power Ranger) table. 

Gus is special today.

Gus took the first hit at the pinata....

Lucy brought it down.

The loot distribution.

Opening gifts.

Cutest little King Peter of Narnia 

with a Power Ranger cake 

ever!!

I love kid's birthday parties!!!

gus turns five

Another celebration...

This time it was for our youngest

grandchild.

His name is Gus.

Gus turned 5 yesterday,

and what a party it turned out to be.

Somewhere in the course of the afternoon,

Gus became 

"Peter of Narnia" fame,

complete with costume and sword.

He has the kneeling with the sword just right.

Gus at Five

Gus has a real glow about him...

You can see it in the picture.

He is one of three brothers,

 and he has his big sister, Lucy, to watch over him.

We call him Gussie a lot,

He still sits in the high chair,

He loves the movie Frozen,

but its kinda something 

he only looks at here at Grammy's house.

He loves to be read to,

take bubble baths,

spend the night here,

He loves Star Wars and Power Rangers,

running on the beach,

and Oreo's dipped in milk.

We are so blessed to have him in our family.

Happy Birthday Gus!

good morning....

It is a brisk fall morning here at #6.

God has allowed us to have another day to

enjoy His bountiful blessings!

"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You:

Let them ever shout for joy,

because You defend them;

Let those who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield."

Psalm 5:11&12

"Let the morning tell of Your unfailing love!!!!"

beautiful day at the beach....

Not perfect but cute!

We tried and tried but we couldn't get the kites up.

The tide was super low ~ no breeze.

Fishing for minnows in the tide pool with reeds.

We found this many star fish in the rock pools.

Brothers ~ always

I love the beach in October!!

even closer.....

25 at 67

The Last Five....

David & Erika

Amanda & Mark

What a joy to watch our children

live their lives,

make their mistakes,

raise their kids,

grow in the Lord.

Its been so much fun every step of the way!

I love the church,

the whole concept of what it means to be

The Church.

To join with other believers in corporate worship,

to sing praises,

to hear God's word proclaimed.

What Amazing Grace!

Our Ebay Business.

Very clever for someone to think of this.

Cleaning out,

selling,

making a little money,

saving it for our 50th anniversary trip with

the whole family.

Getting close to $3,000.

Maybe in 4 1/2 years we will have enough.

The Condo at the beach.

My happy place.

So thankful!

Last of all and most important,

God is sovereign.

He is ruler over all.

He has everything under control,

and all things are working out according to His Plan.

Believers are secure in Christ,

and will live forever in eternity with Him.

He has written a book to tell us how to live and how to die.

It has endured and will continue to endure

until all is said and done.

Amen!

As I conclude these 

25 things at 67,

I fall down on my face in 

thanksgiving realizing.....

everything I have comes from God.

He sustains me,

He allows me to take my next breath.

closer....continued

25 at 67

The Next Ten

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

No stress...

just a day to be with family,

a reason to cook a feast,

a day to give thanks to our Maker

for all of His immeasurable blessings.

I have a strange fear of opening my front door.

The lizard that lives there 

is not to be deterred.

He has been dispatched to faraway places twice.

only to return and reclaim ownership.

Freaks me out!

The Bible is my favorite book.

There is no way to get to the end.

Every time I read it,

more is revealed.

I have a telephone phobia.

I do not like to call people for fear of

disturbing them.

This is a very real and stressful problem for me.

I am doing Bible Study Fellowship this year.

We are delving into the book of Revelation.

There is a promise in the first chapter for us...

"Blessed is he who reads

 and those who hear the words of this prophecy, 

and keep those things which are written in it; 

for the time is near."

Revelation 1:3

Sanctification,

the process of being made like Christ 

and fitted for heaven after salvation

 is a lifelong process.

I am a very slow learner.

Just this week

God showed my a life changing truth

that I didn't know before.

Thankful He keeps working in us.

I bought an orange quilt for our bed.

I will have a picture of it up soon.

I love all things pumpkin too.

Fall is a good season.

We are all here on this earth for a purpose.

Life is not random.

Somewhere we fit into His plan.

One day we will know how He used us for His glory.

That is so exciting as we face the future.

Fall has beautiful light.

I love how brilliant the sun is,

how long the shadows are.

Summer is slipping away quietly.

Before we know 

it will be dark and cold.

That's okay

because God is the light of truth

and He shines brightly

in our hearts.

5 more tomorrow,,,,

25 at 67

closer to eternity....

....with every passing step.

I am working on a list of twenty five things

that illustrate my life at age 67.

These all came to me this morning

as I was working at the house.

Ten for today....

I am not afraid of death.

One of the promises that I hold tightly to

is that I will live again all through eternity

because of what Jesus did for me.

When I see the ocean,

something comes over me

that I cannot explain.

The ocean speaks to me of the vastness of 

God's love.

Grandmotherhood

 is amazing!

Who would have thought??

Decorating and keeping 

our home

is still one of my greatest pleasures.

I have finally learned to say NO.

It is infinitely better to please God than man.

My husband is my best friend!

He knows my heart,

He keeps a close watch over me,

He points me to the Word of God in the midst of

my frequent follies.

My friends are gifts....

They never give up on me.

All of us are busy with our lives,

grandchildren,

our many health issues,

and our various comings and goings.

When we come together,

we take right up where we left off.

I have,

as the apostle Paul calls it,

"A thorn in the flesh."

Depression 

rides around on my shoulder

as a constant companion.

I have asked God to remove it from me,

but so far He has not.

Amazingly,

He has used it for my good.

He has drawn me very near to Him

and He has taught me that His grace is sufficient.

If that is what He chooses to sanctify me,

then so be it!

I want only His will for my life.

I am not one who can grow things.

I have accepted this fact

and will be moving on from that desire.

I still love to go to Hester and Zipperer's though

 and just look at 

all the beautiful plants.

I love with a passion that cannot be quelled,

with a burning fire that cannot be put out.

It grows stronger every day.

Love is good...

it is the best!!!

at the beach 2day

Bubba and I 

drove down to the beach this afternoon

 to see what the high tides last week 

did to the new sand. 

Well,

 it seems that about half of it

 went back out to the bottom of the ocean

where it originally came from.

Kind of a futile endeavor

 I think.

The wind and the tide 

do their own sculpturing of the beach.

There's not much that mere man can do about it!

At least some of it stayed put,

and they are still out there dredging,

so maybe it will all work out.

The sun came back this afternoon.

I was beginning to think that it was gone for good.

It turned out to be a beautiful day at the beach.

Indian Summer at its best!

Look how blue the water is...

and you could see Hilton Head so clearly.

Thankful tonight

 for all the prayers that have been answered.

That God is near to all believers.

That He cares 

about the tiny little details of our life here on this earth,

and that He is preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him.

what they're doing now........

Eli is experimenting with hair products.

Lucy is doing a lot of sewing.

Gus is earning money helping me work.

Harry is riding his new Mongoose bike.

Jake is going to be Ant Man for Halloween.

And Archie?

Well.

Archie is becoming Americanized rapidly 

and with the greatest of enthusiasm

early ball

Just found Lucy outside playing ball

 in her nightgown

before 8AM.

With Lu you just never know.

We watched the new Cinderella movie together last night,

 definitely went to our sleep with 

"Happily Ever After"

in our minds.

She and I just love that movie.

We are going downtown this afternoon

to finish the apron project.

If this happens,

I will have a picture on tonight of 

me wearing the finished piece.

Looks like Savannah,

in its safe little nook on the map,

will escape most all of the torrential rains

that are a result of two powerful weather systems.

God controls the wind, you know...

He sends it where ever He wills.

This catch was a stretch!

Love that energy.

It is done.

Lucy finished the apron this afternoon!

I will be wearing this new apron at our 

 Thanksgiving Feast this year.

Now what will our next project be?