Fall Snack Mix...great little gifts!

Sharing with you my homemade Fall Snack Mix today...
I made a big batch last week for Abigail's MDO teachers,
just for a little Fall "thank you".
{they seriously deserve SO much -
can you imagine teaching a bunch of 2-year-olds?}

This could be a sweet little gift for anyone...
neighbors, teachers, friends, doctor.
or even just to munch on during Thanksgiving weekend football!

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I got the idea from Pinterest
(where else?) :)
You could add anything fall-ish, just be creative!

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I used:

Cheeze-its
Salted Peanuts
Square Pretzels
Cocoa Puffs
Honet Nut Cheerios
Candy Corn
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Chips
(or Butterscotch Chips)
Reeses Pieces candies

(yes, please to all that stuff, right?!)

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And i found those cute little jars at Walmart for 3$ each!
and had some left-over fall ribbon from some crafting.

Just mix it all together in a big bowl,
add it to the jars and put the ribbon on!
(totally all self-explanatory, I know).

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I taped a little note on top of each jar
to say thank you...

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Her teachers were SO excited to get them!!!
And luckily I made a bit too much, so we've been munching on it all weekend!

So simple, I know.
But sometimes the simple little gifts go a long way!
Enjoy!!


And come back tomorrow for an awesome
GIVEAWAY!!!


go link up here for some more lovely today...

Pictureless Post Link-Up....I'm just processing.

Today I am hosting our second link-up
for "Pictureless Post...Just Write".
I'd love for you to join in if you want!


I'm gonna be honest...
I don't have a ton I feel led to write a whole post about right now.
It's not that there's nothing on my mind.
I think it's actually that there is TOO much swirling around up there
at this moment.

Lots to process,
lots to work through, lots to ask for God's guidance on,
lots to just trust Him with . . .
Figuring out how to best discipline Abigail at such young age.
This has caused me a few tears the last few days.

Working on re-connecting in our marriage.
We feel like a little bit of "us" has been lost since we moved..
because of work schedule, my exhaustion, Abigail's attention needs,
and not having a babysitter to get any alone time.

Asking the Lord for guidance on exactly what He want us for us
as far as fellowship right now.

Hurting for several friends who have experienced miscarriage recently,
and processing the year it's been since mine.

Balancing things I need to get done (around the house) with resting,
and trying to get off my feet more...my pregnant body is getting
pretty uncomfortable and exhausted.

Processing that my life is about to change in 6 1/2 or so weeks,
when I become a mama of 2.
What that will look life, feel like, what it will change.

Trying to listen to the Lord about things I KNOW He wants to
teach me right now,
about abiding in Him, and not living under a spirit of performance
as I go about the responsibilities He has given me.

yeah so, that's where my head is.
{thanks for listening} :)
Maybe He will lead me to write more about some of these things as I process them more.
But it felt good to just get them "out" here anyways.

If there's one thing I do know in this moment,
it's that He is GOOD, and that He will meet me where I am,
even with a million things going on in my head.
Because HE is able to keep up with it all.
Because He's the One who hold it all together.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Join in and JUST WRITE:
(and feel free to add this button to your blog post!)


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Love you all!!
-S

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loss, healing, and Project Hope . . .

One year ago today, November 19th,
I woke up from my D&C.
Feeling empty, sad, unable to see God's hand, and too sad to cry.
and I was now having to have to deal with the physical part of it,
because my body would not "pass it".

"pass it"? seriously?
a baby.
like it's a kidney stone or something.

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I am honestly thankful that the Lord spared me the terror of my body going
through what a lot of women go through with a miscarriage.
I never had the bleeding or cramping or seeing what
had been a life in my toilet.
{oh, my heart wrenches at the thought...
and grieves with those of you who have been through that}

Having that surgery was awful too.
If Im keeping it real with you,
the only good part of that entire week was when they gave me the anesthesia.
(hey, just being honest).
Just for one second as I went under, I didn't feel the darkness
that I had felt for the last 9 days.

This week, one year later, has been hard.
Like I've mentioned before...I am always really affected by
annversaries of things,
and my emotions tend to be really in tune with the memories I'm dealing with.
and if you are thinking that I have been harping on this too much this week,
I have no apologies. I'm just being real and sharing my heart.
Loss is not something to just sweep past or "get over".

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but my main struggle after that miscarriage
was trusting and believing that He really did have my best interest at heart.
And trying to not deal with fear of it happening again.

A year ago,
my thoughts were things like:
"He knew! He knew the greatest blessing in my life has been being a mommy,
so why would He take this away from me?
Doesnt He want the desires of my heart to be fulfilled?
He must not."

BUT
in the midst of it, I am looking for, trying to remember,
wanting to recognize,
the redemptive power of my Heavenly Father in this.
Remembering that HE is the author of life and death,
that He had plans for that little one in Heaven and not on Earth.
That He wanted to get to me in a very deep way,
to eventually remind me and show me that He DOES care about my desires,
my heart, my dreams.

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And I'm here to testify that He did remember me.
He remembered my desires.
He met me in the darkness, and pulled me out of those lies.
He is good. He loves me.
He loves my children, and is loving on that little life in Heaven now.
He even gave us another little girl that we will get to meet very soon.
He have me back life.
(and I don't mean just a baby growing inside.)

We can't just muster it up.
I believe that this walk with Him is in NO way about
"pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps".
That is NOT a relationship.
And what the Lord desires with us is RELATIONSHIP.
To have these very conversations with Him,
to listen to His voice, to be real.
He wants to MEET US where we are.

HE LOVES YOU.
He KNOWS your heart's desires.

I've said this before, but again...
I write this with a sincere and sensitive heart,
as many friends and women have losses which are greater,
or long for the day when they will have a baby in their tummy or in their arms.

Several friends have lost babies farther along that I did, or after birth,
and I cannot imagine the pain they still deal with.
To some, the 10 weeks I had a baby in my belly last Fall seems like an eternity.

I have a strong desire to bless those mamas in their darkest hours,
to be the hands and feet of God to them in their sorrow.
and I hope you will join me...

{click on this button to read more}
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Some of you have already heard about this amazing project
by our sweet bloggy friend Laura.

Blessing mamas after they have experienced loss
with a memory box filled with things
to help acknowledge and remember the little life they have just said goodbye to.
This can be POWERFUL.

But if you havent,
if you don't know the precious thought
behind Project Hope...
I hope that you will go read her blog and check it out.
There are lots of ways you can help.

Thanks for listening,
for being there, for encouraging words, for the prayers...
not just for me, for but all those that have experienced loss.
It is a blessing to be reminded
that we have a loving Father
who DOES care about our desires.

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PS dont forget to come back and link up tomorrow
for Pictureless Post...
Id love to have you, and get to know your heart better!

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Pictureless Post Link-Up is back on Sunday!!

Several of you joined in last time (thanks!),
and I wanted to remind you that it is back THIS SUNDAY, the 20th!
and every Sunday!!

The point of this link party idea
is to encourage us bloggers to
JUST WRITE.
with no worry or time put into the effort it can be
to take, upload, organize,
edit, and pick the "right" pictures for your blog posts.

JUST WRITE whatever is on your heart or mind to write.
seriously, it doesnt matter.
We just want to hear your heart on "paper".

It might just amaze you how fast it can come out...
uninhibited writing. unedited sharing.
LIFE.


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Grab a button to spread the word,
and add it to your post if you join up on Sunday!!!

Hope to see yall then!!

LOVE YOU ALL...
more than you know!!



THANKFUL link-up {and a winner!}

first of all...
**the WINNER of the sweet giveaway from Blossom and Vine is:
(generated by random.org)
Jen! email me!**


TODAY.
Today is a day I am linking up to give thanks...


in NO particular order...
here are (just) a few things I am thankful for right now.

These two....
they share dimples, grumpiness in the morning,
and a love for each other that is the most amazing thing to watch.

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That the little girl in my belly is healthy and (very) active!
{she keeps me up at night all. the. time. with her gymnastics}

That we live in a small town now,
where school buses drop kids off at their houses,
where people actually pull over for ambulances driving by,
and we can go see Daddy at the office anytime we want, in 5 minutes tops.

That this little Diva keeps me on my toes, and makes my life SO fulfilling.

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That I have a husband who is so obedient to the Lord and is faithful to
do whatever is in front of him.

That Thanksgiving is next week and we get to spend time with family,
eat yummy food,
and go to a good friend's wedding.

That Abigail is sleeping so well in her "big girl bed"
and is growing up every day into such an amazing little girl.
{she is still my BABY though.}

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I am thankful for blogging.
SO thankful.

Thankful for God's continued
provision for our us.

That my North Face will still zip up over my pregnant belly.
barely. but it does.
(if you know me, you know I wear my North Face like every day)
...im hoping to squeeze (literally) out another week or two or wearing it,
but you may see my wearing my hubby's after that! :)

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That I am making some new friends in our new town.

Thankful for good friends who may live far,
but stay so close.

That I have the best little sidekick,
who is constantly making me laugh.
(chillin like a queen in the Target basket...and just hanging out while mama showers)

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I am thankful that she makes me stop to smell the flowers.
She makes me appreciate the small things.

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That I have the best job in the world as a full-time mommy.
(even though sometimes I miss going to the bathroom
without a little person climbing all over me) :)

For the Texas Aggies (yes, I said it),
They have had a horrible season but I love them nonetheless.
my blood will always be maroon.

For AMAZING grandparents,
who love on our little family so well.

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Chai Tea with Soy at my newly found local coffee shop.

Going to get my Chai tea on Tuesday and Thursday
mornings after I drop Abigail at Mothers Day Out.
(guess where I am now?!)

For our home, and that it feels like home.

for our newly discovered love of JUICING!
fresh, healthy, and fun. (and messy too, but worth it!)

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For life dreams and goals,
and for a husband that is continually willing to talk about them with me.

For technology, that has allowed me to be part of this amazing blog community.

For our little girl growing inside.
(who now has a name, but you'll have to wait 7 more weeks, sorry!!)

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That it is getting cold.
(there was frost on the rooftops this morning...yay!)

for prayer. and that I have a God I can speak with anytime.

for Shirley Temples.
this pregnant momma deserves a "drink" sometimes too!

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for this smile.

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Go link up today and share what you are thankful for:


and over here too:

The Fontenot Four

BLESSINGS!!
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