My funnest birthday in YEARS! : )

This is the night before my birthday and to celebrate, Nicole and I went to see one of our favorite movies...again. ;-)

Nicole and I were on our fruit and veggie diet on my birthday...

so we went to HyVee for lunch and ate from their delicious salad bar. yum!! :-P

After lunch we spent a good 1-2 hours at a VERY COOL thrift store picking up unique furniture and nick-knacks for decorating the store that Nicole and her mom, Susie, are opening in November.

Later we headed to the Old Market and spent the entire afternoon strolling through
neat old shops and take photo shoots.

This is the SO fun 1950's Candy Shop!

Trying on cowboy hats at the very cool leather store where most coats were over $2, 000!

Below: We found the ole' "secret passageway"

We both had tons of fun doing this photo shoot. I just wish I had a nicer camera so the pictures would look a bit better, but what I have works! ;-) It's nice and small and fits into my side pocket on my all my skirts or pants.

Have any of you ever been to "the slides" in down town Omaha?? If not, you HAVE to go!

They are SO fun... Just be sure to bring a box of wax paper (it makes you go faster if you sit on a sheet of it). It's totally free and makes for some very good memories. : )

Thanks Nicole for helping make my birthday so wonderful... ;-)

I love you, sis. <3

The sights, sounds, and memories of fall in Nebraska

The turning colors of leaves, bonfires, the sweet, sentimental aroma of fall, corn fields golden ripe, listening to the wind roll and dance colorful leaves down the road, brisk afternoons watching Husker football while eating popcorn and candy corn, and playing family football at halftime.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Going to craft shows at the local high school with my aunt Darla,

apple pies, roasting marshmallows, heading to the yard with my family

and raking leaves into piles higher than your head!

Pulling the boxes of "fall decor" from the attic and beautifying our house, visiting the Nebraska City Orchard and picking apples, sipping hot cider, "harvest" scented candles ablaze in the evening, racing through corn field mazes with siblings, selecting the best looking pumpkins from the pumpkin patch to decorate with and use to make delicious pumpkin pies,

and last, but not least...hay rack rides at dusk.

There are so many memories and things to love about fall. God has given it to us to enjoy.

Can you think of your favorite things about this beautiful season?

Please share with with all of us by leaving a comment. :-) This should be fun!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

and comes down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Happy (late) birthday, Nicole!

I'm so thankful for you, sis. I don't know what I would do without you! You're the big sister I never had the friend I can tell "anything" to. I can't help but smile when I think of all the memories we've made together!

Here are just a few of them...

• our late-night tickling fights (I always won, and I still win!),



• the week-long trips down to your grandma's



• the SO many games of Pitch, 99, and Scrabble we've played at meal times



• last candle season spending whole days in our pjs and working hours upon hours decorating candles together,



• all the out-of state trips doing Sonshine and Company with just the two of us and finally collapsing into some random hotel bed at some insanely late hour,



• late night shopping trips to Walmart where you "buy so much" cause I'm "with you" lol,



• 4 wheeling together up and over the rolling hills behind your house (remember that time when you, Caleb and Kaydee were riding on the back and I almost tipped us? ),



• the many late 2-3 movie nighters snuggling with blankets on the couch, laptops on our laps, Kaydee lying on our legs, and eating frozen pizza and drinking MD, all while watching chick-flicks : D,



• trying on hilarious prom dresses



• the lone country road with that invisible vehicle headed towards me. :D



• Sunday afternoons at the dollar theater



• Sonic has to be our favorite food stop, we've been there dozens and dozens of times together!



• picking Jenny up at the train depot at almost midnight. Thankfully we had Kaydee with us...there were some interesting looking people hanging around...



• all the nights you've crashed at my house



• working on the NCHEA curriculum together
  


• being students together at CYIA back when I first started and staff together now
  

• Keeping each other awake when driving long distances at all hours

• letting me cry on your shoulder all those times when life seems the bleakest. You're the best at comforting!



• teaching clubs with you in Falls City every year (remember the time last year when you got sick and I had to teach the whole club by myself?! ...not fun...

We've done so many things together that it is almost impossible to remember everything! Thank you hon for all the good times we've had. May God bless your 22nd year and bring you even closer to Himself. I love you, sis.

Good bye till next Monday!

I'm trying something new, taking a week off of media. Only making or receiving necessary phone calls and text messages, no Facebook, certain music, e-mail, blogging, TV of any sort, or movies. For a whole week! I know for some of you this may sound like what you already do...almost. But for me, this will be quite a challenge and I want you all to keep me accountable, ok?

I want to make this a week set aside for working seriously on relationships within my family and drawing closer to my heavenly Father. Please be praying for me! Thank you. : )

P.S. After next Monday sometime, look for happy birthday posts that were really due this weekend. :-P

Happy Birthday, Liz!

Yeah...I know it's late. But I finally just uploaded my pics from last weekend on to my computer. : ) Hope you had a grand day, dearie. : ) Now that you're 20, you must remember to give us "teenagers" maternal advice on how to conduct ourselves. ;-)
You have been an awesome friend for so long and I am very thankful for you. May God continue to bless you with your sweet spirit and lady-like attitude. : )

Here's a funny pic of you at Wheatfields at your SO FUN kind-of surprise birthday party last Sat!!

"...how many times have I told you not to disturb me while I'm making phone calls!" lol

-love ya, Liz. : )