Good Saturday Morning! I can't believe this is my third Saturday here at my new home with my Mommie and Daddy! If you've been keeping up with me for the past two full weeks, you will know that I've pretty much changed the way our family lives around here! Every day is a new adventure! Mommie said we just never know what to expect from day to day, but we are having fun together finding out what special things God has in store of us each day.
In addition to our adventures, we are also looking for three special "gifts", or "blessings" each day, from the Joy Dare collection by Ann Voskamp. The "prompt" for today is for "3 Gifts Found Outside". Mommie said we don't have to do these in order, but they are just suggestions for ideas for how to look for the gifts found around us each day that God has blessed us with. We kind of got behind the last couple of days, but we are still counting our blessings even if we don't always share them here.
So for today, our "three gifts found outside" are in these next pictures...(and above).
Seeing the Canadian Geese on Still Waters Pond is always exciting for us, particularly on this morning that we took these pictures...it was very very cold and foggy on the pond, and yet the geese were still there to make us smile!
Next we saw this big old fat Red Shouldered Hawk way up in the tip top of the old dead pine tree in our yard.
He was calling out to us to let us know he was there, and again, we stood and smiled in awe of God's beauty in nature.
Looks like he's wearing a big winter coat!
Now, this is kind of funny...because all we can see is the tail end of the "little ring-necked duck" who likes to dive down into the water and pop back up again. She is still swimming around Still Waters Pond by herself and likes to entertain us now and then with her antics. But you have to be quick to get a picture before she dives back under the water!
Mommie says she isn't sure if we should count this as a blessing or not, because this neighborhood kitty likes to roam around and lay in the yard watching the birds and hoping he can catch one unaware. But he is a pretty kitty, and I liked seeing him walking through the yard today. I don't think he'll let me pet him, however.
Now, Mommie definitely did not think this was a blessing today...this stray dog was running wild through the woods where we take our walks. There was another dog too, but it had already run past when we drove up. They appear to be strays and we don't know if they are friendly or not, so we drove on past and went further down the road before we got out to take our walk. She said the "blessing" was that the dogs ran on and did not bother us or even bark at us.
When we felt safe to do so, we got out and checked our wild plum trees to see if they have more blossoms:
Mommie said this is definitely a "gift" found outside!! Every day the trees get more and more blossoms on them, and they are almost completely white now!
I told Mommie that I thought they were a blessing 'cause they are SO pretty, and they will provide food for the birds...oh, and nectar for the honeybees too!! That's a good thing, isn't it? We will just have to be careful if they bees start gathering around them so we don't get stung.
Okay, now here's the best part of living here with my new family!
Last night the family gathered for a spaghetti supper here at our house!
And my big brothers Benton and Scott were clowning around with me. Our Aunt Peggy (another Auntie I haven't met in person yet), gave my brothers these funny t-shirts for Christmas, and this is the first time they have both worn them together.
They look like they aren't too sure about who I am and if I am taking their places as being "Mom's Favorite".
Mommie sent a picture to Aunt Peggy, and she said we need to find a t-shirt for me that says "I'm Mom's Favorite" too! That would really be funny. I wonder if they make t-shirts like that for little tiny girls like me?
Here's the family gathered for a great spaghetti dinner. Aunties Rose and Sherrie brought the spaghetti sauce and the garlic bread, and Mommie cooked the noodles and made a salad. It was all DELICIOUS!
"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
While Mommie was writing this today, my big brother Scott came home from work (he goes in early on Saturday and comes home before noon) and made a wonderful breakfast for himself, using the blueberry muffins we made yesterday:
He made blueberry muffin french toast and sausage:
They sure smelled good, and he said they tasted really good too! Maybe I can learn some more cooking ideas from him! Mommie says he's a very creative cook!
Well, I hope you are having a happy and relaxing Saturday! Thank you for visiting us here.
Oh, and I was SO happy to see my identical cousin Tracie out for a walk in the rain with her Mommie, Aunt Debbi. If you want to see her too you can go over and visit her at
Debbi's Front Porch! You will be amazed at how much we look alike!!
Bye bye for now.
Love,
Lily Grace
xoxo
The hawk does look like he is wearing a big coat. I always love seeing the geese. We haven't gotten too many geese here in a long time. They must be all flocking to see you Lily Grace. That spaghetti looks so good that I am headed to the freezer to put out some ground beef to thaw. Thanks for the idea. Y'all have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon Miss Sandy! Thank you for visiting me today. Yes, that hawk does look like he has on a big feathery coat. He must be trying to keep warm! I didn't see the geese yet today. They were here yesterday morning, but today they must be in another pond somewhere. They like to fly around to different ponds. The spaghetti was very good, especially because our family was together to eat it! We had a great time. I hope you have a good time with your spaghetti dinner too. Maybe Tucker can come and eat it with you? Bye Bye for now. Have a nice weekend. Love, Lily Grace
Deletewow, that is one big hawk :) I am so very glad those dogs didn't try to harm you. We have geese that stay here year round, they are comical to watch :) We love spaghetti here as well. Today were having homemade chili nothing better on a cold day. I hope you have a great weekend
ReplyDeleteMMMM, Chili sounds really good. Tonight Mommie made something called "Hobo Stew". She said she will tell about it later or maybe tomorrow. It is also good on a cold day. Right now we are under a tornado warning and expecting rain and thunderstorms, so we are watching and praying it goes away. So far so good. We'll keep praying... I hope you and Mr. Gator have a great weekend too. Mommie said she sent you a reply with more info about me. It's probably on the last post or wherever you asked her about it. I hope you can find a little friend like me to keep you company. I know she'd love to see your baby piggies and be there with you and Mr. Gator. Keep us posted! Love, Lily Grace.
DeleteOH WOW Praying that tornado (went away) do not like those things yes hobo stew is fantastic. We are under freezing weather spose to start snowing around 11 and not tapper off till after 11 tonight. Thank you for the information from mommie. I will check it out. The baby piggies are growing so fast you would love them, we also have a pygmy goat who is Mr. Gator companion we have a small zoo. I hope you have a blessed day. Love Gina
DeleteI looked thru the comments, do you think you can ask your mommie if she would leave me the info about you on a comment on my page? I do apologize
DeleteGreat photos of the hawk and the geese and of course of your brothers with their t-shirts on! Scott's breakfast does look good and so does that spaghetti dinner! Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Miss Terri. My brothers are really funny. They pretend they don't really like me that much to tease Mommie, but I know they really love me. They've been very nice to me. The spaghetti was yummy. Have a good night. We are under a tornado warning right now so pray it goes away!
DeleteHi, Miss Lily! Guess what? I saw a red-shouldered hawk in my yard today, too! Aren't they majestic? Glad you are getting better acquainted with your big brothers and your aunties. I'm sure they will be glad to spoil and fuss over you every chance they get. Thanks, too, for your gift photos. I loved them!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Thank you Miss Martha Jane! Oh I am so happy you have red shouldered hawks where you live too. Maybe they are cousins to our hawk here! Wouldn't that be funny? We are happy you liked our pictures. We have fun taking them. Mommie is teaching me how to take pictures. It's a lot of fun. Bye bye for now. Love, Lily Grace.
DeleteOh, I could sure go for a plate of what Scott's making! Gotta love a man who knows his way around a kitchen! I'm chucking at the look on that kitty's face; not so much the feral dog. Good thing momma's got a strong hold on you! Say, these first two pictures look like there's a big-screen television across the pond. Is that a neighbor's home all lit up? Sweet dreams, little lady!
ReplyDeleteOh Hello Miss Myra! Yes, my big brother Scott is always making something good in the kitchen. He was a cook in restaurants for many years so he has lots of practice. Yes, we were not too sure about the dog, but yet he just stood there and watched us drive by and never moved or barked. Mommie thinks God was keeping him under control so we would all be safe. Mommie says that big screen you see is a sign alongside the road on the other side of the pond. The sun was reflecting off of it making it glow. We are having thunderstorms right now and lightning so we probably won't be going to sleep anytime too soon. We are under a tornado watch. But we feel safe. Thank you and good night!
DeleteWhat beautiful blessings you found today! I met Ann Voskamp once, about a dozen years ago, now. She is a lovely woman and she talks as beautifully as she writes. Everything she says is like a poem. lol She is just the sweetest thing, too. When I met her, her first book 1000 Gifts was still on the NYT best seller list and she'd been on all kinds of TV shows, but she still came to a relatively small convention for Christian women bloggers. She gave away several hundred copies of her book and signed every single one with a personal message. She also prayed for each person who was going to read the book by name. Even if you had her sign one as a gift for someone else who wasn't there, she'd pray for them by name! I think she would find the adventures you have with your Mommy absolutely delightful! The pictures with your brothers are cute and funny. You are a blessed girl to have found your way to your family...and you are a blessing to them, and to those of us who are getting to know you. Have a wonderful Sunday! I'm very excited. My husband is going to go with me to the church I have been trying out. That's a very big deal!
ReplyDeleteOh Miss Stacy!! I am so happy for you to be able to go to church today with your hubby! That IS a very big deal! Mommie says any time a family/couple can go to church together is very special and wonderful. So we will pray that all goes well and that you and your hubby can go to church and have a blessed time of worship together. Mommie and Daddy will be going to church this morning too. I stay home and watch the video on the computer with my friends here, and we sing along with the choir and have our own little Sunday School. Sundays are always special. Mommie says you are blessed to have met Miss Ann Voskamp in person and to have her sign your book and pray for you. Mommie likes her books too and appreciates her ministry. I wonder if she would like to read my adventures! That would be really neat if she did! I would count that as one of my blessings/gifts if she did!! Well, Mommie says we need to quit talking and get ready for devotions and then breakfast and then church, so I'd better go now. Bye Bye, and I hope you have a nice Sunday! Love, Lily Grace xoxo
DeleteSo many nice picture! Thanks for sharing Lilly. How do you put the white edge around your pictures? Have a nice week!
ReplyDeleteThank you Miss Susan! I am so happy you came to visit me here at my very own blog!! I do hope you will come back again! Mommie said that the "theme" design that she uses from blogger puts the white edge around the pictures automatically. She isn't sure which one it is and would have to go check on the layout/design page to figure it out. You would have to change your layout/design to get this particular design. She said she will check and get back to you. Hope you have a very nice day!
DeleteMiss Susan, Mommie says the "theme" is "Watermark Flower". Hope that helps!
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