Finally an Update - and the Winner is...

I know, I know?! Life is busy for ALL of us lately - especially this time of year! I hope for you, like me, that at least SOME of your busyness is FUN and relaxing! I am alive and well and gearing up for some much needed 'down time' for the holidays! Yes - that is right! You read that correctly! FOR the Holidays... not after - but before and during! I have just a small touch of OCD and I set a goal for myself every year to be finished or at least mostly finished with all things Christmas by December 10th... I still have a bit of wrapping to do - and I need to drop off the cards and letters to the post office... plus of course, those last minute (non-7-11 type) Stocking Stuffers are still on my list - but all the gifts are bought and everything seems to be lining up so I will be completely done by the end of the week - with PLENTY of time to actually be able to ENJOY the holidays! I even have a whole week before school vacation - so I can relax and read a whole book (or three?) before vacation officially begins! Nice!!! It makes all that crazy running around I have been doing the past few days seem worth it!

I have been a busy girl... but much of it is busy doing things I LOVE...

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up EARLY (when it was still FREEZING outside!) and went for a hike with my Dad and my sister! It was frosty out but it really helped me to count my blessings and see just how much my life has changed this year! There is NO WAY last year that I would have even considered getting up so early, in the cold, and walking - much less hiking... here are a few photo's of our trek...

I was amazingly not even nervous about Thanksgiving as far as the food and choices... I felt equipped and ready! It helped, of course, that I was cooking a good portion of the main dishes - and I was making a healthier version of each of them! The non-'healthy' eaters didn't even notice and I was able to actually LOSE a pound over Thanksgiving weekend!

On Thursday night, as we were getting ready for bed, I mentioned that I would love it if my Honey would go with me in the morning! Let me first explain this - I NEVER go Black Friday shopping... Chuck has tried to get me to go for years... I'm not a fan! However, there were a few items that caught my eye - and I wanted to venture out to just a few stores! I decided it would be to my benefit to have Dave along to immediately go stand in line for me... then I could get what I wanted to go... it worked like a dream and the only place he refused to go with me to was Office Depot! Here in Yakima, people were in line at that store on Thanksgiving morning... it was a good call to skip it! Here is part of what I scored:

Last week, I was asked at the last minute to go along to help out with a women's retreat! At first, I was asked to come along as part of a Prayer Team to pray for the speakers, as well as offer some personal prayer ministry to each woman. This is what I LOVE! I am a huge believer in teeh power of Prayer and I know that Papa speaks to me and through me in prayer - so I was excited to go... of course, once I committed to going - I was 'let in' on the secret of being one of three people going and the likelyhood that God tricked me and would end up wanting me to speak!? Now - I LOVE to do this - and haven't had the opportunity for awhile... however, as most of my faithful readers here know, I am a PLANNER... this means I like to study and research my message and write it all out so I know what I want to say... and well, there was just no time for this?! God was going to force me to simply trust that He would give me the right things to say/share and we would be flying by the seat of our pants! This is what happened, and while it was completely out of my comfort zone - it was also VERY powerful! It was asmall intimate group - about 16 of us in all... and every single woman went home changed and empowered... Papa made sure that each one of them knew that He is especially fond of them! It was up in an area of my State that I have never seen - and as you can see yourself, it is gorgeous up there! To be honest - I was sort of hoping for snow! Still - you can imagine how beautiful it must be when blanketed with Winter!

(Sorry you silly girls... it's the only Group Shot I have with me in it!? LOL?!)

I got home on Saturday and Sunday night was our town's Christmas Lights Parade and Tree Lighting downtown... our church choir sang during the Lighting as well and we all were FREEZING - but it was super fun!

Monday was my weekly study - which I am still SO loving!!! And yesterday was a CRAZY day - which included a one on one Bible study, writing/typing/printing/copying/folding our Family Christmas Letter, shopping and getting the rest of the Christmas gifts, working out, and wrapping gifts... whew?!

What did I do today, you ask? Today I led a Flipbook class at our church and we all had a blast making these super fun, super quick little mini books... and next up is finishing a few on my own, working out, picking up Kayelyn and going to meet her new cousin Lincoln James Cole (who arrived after over 30 hours of labor for poor - and TIRED - Mommy Heather!) Tonight we have a dinner at the local Mission and I will finish up with the wrapping of gifts! So - that may explain why I haven't updated lately - but it's at least for the most part been a Good kind of busy!!!

Oh - yes... and the Winner is...

My last post on Thanksgiving asked for comments and we would give out a RAK... well - after randomly listing the items you all are thankful for - which were ALL great, of course! - the winner is "Lipstick, in every color!" (~ Denice~) You can be expecting something in the mail SOON!!! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

Scrap Happy!

~Karrilee~