bike riding

I came home from work Friday to learn that Makayla has learned to ride her bike. That fast? Finally! About two months ago Tim took her training wheels off, and since then her bike has been in the shed. I don't know why she decided to learn Friday, but it only took her between the time she got out of school and the time I got home. I was starting to worry about her because she's 7 years old. Would my child be normal if she never learned to ride a bike?
Sunday, we went for a family bike ride around town. It was great! I had been waiting for this for a while now. I have been wanting to go bike riding, but Makayla has been the hold up. As we were riding, my pedal started coming off so I stopped to see if I could fix it. I was in awe, when a complete stranger offer to fix it. He went back to his shed and brought back a wrench. I am not used to such friendliness. It is so awesome to know that there are still people like that out there. This has been also been a great reminder that I need to get back into my exercise routine. I was very hot and tired after the bike ride, but it gave me lots of energy later in the evening.

short-time visitor

This spider made is home on our deck during the month of August. At nights, he made a large web to catch his meals. By the mornings, the spider and his web was gone. I don't know where he has gone, but I'm glad he stopped by for a while to eat all our pesty bugs.

9-11 changed my life's path

As I drove to work this morning, the radio was talking about how 9-11 effected peoples lives. For me it was a new life. I remember being at work that morning. My supervisor told me what happened. I never tuned into the news. My first thought was that a small plane lost control and flew into the tall building in New York I had never heard of before. As the day went on I learned more and more about what was happening. The event of the day was really messing with me. That evening I went home and pondered why people would do this. I came to the conclusion that it was an evil thing and that I wanted nothing to do with it. Previously, the Lord had been tugging at my heart. But at that point, the evening of September 11, 2001, I made a decision to live my life following Jesus...I am saved! Never again will I be the same person.

financially blessed

I have come to notice here lately that God is really taking care of us. We thought it would be a struggle to live on a one-person income, but truthfully is has been a blessing. We are not struggling at all! As I drive to work in the mornings and park in the lot, I notice that pretty much everybody has a newer vehicle. I am proud to say that both of our vehicles are paid for. Not necessarily all, but a lot of other people are still paying for their newer vehicles. There are lots of other things that we don't have which helps us focus on God. We do have basic TV and phone, but we do not pay for extras. I use a calling card to call long distance when necessary. Yes, it's a pain, but it saves me money. I am very suprised that I am living so easily without the internet. I do have access to it at work, but I realized that I could live without it if I had to. In actuallality, we would end up wasting too much precious time on the interenet. Most libraries have internet access if one really needed it. Also, since we live in a rural community, we have found things like a strawberry/blackberry farm and an Amish community. It's so exciting to find those things! We can enjoy the little things including a financial-stress-free life. By following God's direction for us to live simple, He has really blessed us!

dining table & chairs

Shortly after we settled into our new home, we purchased this table and chairs. My mom and sister knew of someone who was updating their set and sold this one to us at a very frugal price. I had been wanting a new dining set for a while, and I'm glad I held off from purchasing one from the store.