Live from NY it's................................................

Peek at my Pad #7, not really………..

I promise to resume Thursday’s to where I really reside, next week (well I’ll try anyway).
Last spring I “won” tickets to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in NYC. The taping day was yesterday, and it was VERY FUN, he is HILARIOUS, and very professional, his guest was Bill Kristol, who is founder and editor of The Weekly Standard, the influential journal of politics and ideas located in Washington, D.C. He is also a regular panelist on Fox News Sunday and an analyst for the Fox News Channel.
Mr. Kristol served as chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle during the first Bush Administration. So, this was an interview of complete opposites………………………….. Both men were really good sports, especially the outnumbered Mr. Kristol. I laughed so hard my sides ached. Included you will see my 2 friends (hubby was taking the picture), and myself.
God is good, Life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie

election, already.........................

Ok vote already…………….
Not to sound like a broken record, but it is time for ELECTION DAY!! My kiddos want Halloween candy, I want election day!!
On Thursday I will be going to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart….
I know, GREAT timing………….(BIG GRIN)
This will be full of laughs, (hopefully not many naughty words by host or guest) and ALL about the election. My heart is heavy, selfishly this economy has greatly impacted my family. Our country has had mush success the last 15-20 years, and many things have come crashing down all at once. I am really not sure what the “best” situation will be in Washington DC, I do have an idea of the results. (Bit of a CNN news junky)…………..
My prayer is truly for peace in this nation, and unity, we need a change.
For whatever it is worth please VOTE, and be kind to those around you, this is a dark world in need of light.
God is good, life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie

peek at my pad #6

Peek at my Pad #6
Today I am on the outerbanks of Virginia beach, not really an island, but kind of one…………………..
Due to the economy (not good), and my Aunt owning a second home here (FREE), we decided this would be a fine place to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary. My husband and I are enjoying the quiet seclusion this type of atmosphere allows.
I think we have somewhat forgotten life BEFORE kids. We were married 4 years before our oldest came along, but that was quite some time ago. Each morning we leisurely rise, make coffee, chat, all while watching the waves crash upon the shore. It is simple, and beautiful, just what we needed at this time in our lives. If you are wondering how to picture this, think of the current film RODANTHE, set on the outerbanks of North Carolina, house on stilts.
It is at this time we can revaluate where our lives are going. Our children are growing and changing, becoming more independent. What should we be focusing on in our mid-to late 30’s. Today I am praying for direction for the future, and God’s grace on our country.
God is good, Life is hard, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

been tagged..........................................

Tagged I’m it…………………….by http://doulamomma.blogspot.com/

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm……
A few things nobody/ very few people know about me:
I was once engaged to someone else not just my hubby,
My middle name is Louise,
I am thinking of going back to college (need to decide what I want to do when I grow up),
I always wanted 4 kids,
I LOVE to move, everything about it (CRAZY),
I am thankful for the good and bad in my life,
Dirty carpet, and dishes in the sink, drives me crazy,
I am socially liberal, and morally conservative,
I am currently sitting at the ocean on the outerbanks of VA,
Tagged you are it!!!
Leave me a fact about you,
God is good, Life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie

my heart............

If you could view my heart you would see happiness,
At what life experience has brought, and my faith carried me through.
If you could view my heart you would see a person who feels compassion for those experiencing loss.
If you could view my heart you would see a friendship waiting to occur.
If you could view my heart you would see a Mom who has been blessed by other women’s choice.
If you could view my heart you would see a person blessed by love from her parents.
If you could view my heart you would see a broken heart mended by a huge scar that God has gently placed, both with grace and as a reminder.
If you could view my heart you would see love extended to where you are today, and hope for tomorrow.
GOD IS GOOD, LIFE IS HARD, I AM BLESSED,
Carrie

girls fall weekend..................

Girls weekend...................
FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was an amazing weekend, peek color for autumn. We went to Rhinebeck, and Woodstock NY. As an avid knitter, and beginning spinner, I was thrilled to go and see the sheep and wool festival in Rhinebeck.
The best was good company, cooking with girlfriends, and enjoying the heavenly surroundings. My kiddos were well taken care of at home, this always gives ME a calm feeling. It will be 3 years next month that we have lived in NJ, I feel incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends in a relatively short period of time.
If you have time in the next few days or weeks, look, and really SEE the amazing fall color around you.
God is GOOD, life is hard, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

Peek at my Pad #5

My naughty cupboard-
This cupboard was originally thought to be a prohibition cupboard. Our house was build in 1925, the term Prohibition refers to the period from 1920 to 1933, during which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were banned nationally as mandated in the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Prohibition of alcohol can also refer to the antecedent religious and political temperance movements calling for sumptuary laws to end or encumber alcohol use. It is a funny little cupboard on the first landing of our staircase. We currently use it to store board games. So the only naughty thing you could do would be to spell a bad word using "scrabble." It is funny to think of someone using it as their “naughty” cupboard, stashing “bootlegged” alcohol.
Thanks for taking a peek at my pad……………………………..
God is good, life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie

No I did NOT!!

No I did not say/ think this week………………………………...

Now we all have those sneaky little thoughts. You know, the ones you think and do not say. Sometimes you need to ask God for forgiveness but mostly you just say to yourself, “don’t think about X.”
Well, I most certainly did not think my husband is a dork.
I most certainly did not tell my 4 year old, I CAN call Santa Claus.
I most certainly did not pull into a handicap parking spot, throw on my hazards, and return a book.
I most certainly did not say, "that is so retarded."
I most certainly did not tell a telemarketer that Carrie doesn’t live here.
I most certainly did not think the service this Sunday, “WOULD NEVER END.”
I most certainly did not agree with my 9 year old that I am the “easier” parent.
I most certainly did not think that living alone on an island for a month would be a GOOD THING.
I most certainly did not think, “oh S***”, when I dropped a gallon of milk on the ground……………………………..

Like many other people, I got this idea from another blogger, mycharmingkids.

What did you CERTAINLY not do?
God is good, life is hard, I am blessed,

Does it REALLY need to be so UGLY?

Does it REALLY need to be so UGLY?

Why are politics so ugly? It is not supposed to be a fight of beliefs or religion, right? Yet, every 4 years, the ugliness rears it’s head. This year seems especially bad, due to the economic fall in the US markets. I live in a VERY liberal area of the country. My state will support the democratic party. I will NOT tell you what my plans are for voting, I will say I never vote straight party line. My husband says he is an “independent.” But, he generally votes one particular party. My sadness is that in this great country of tolerance, we are very opinionated, and often NOT tolerant at all. This election season has saddened me greatly. I bought my husband a particular sign for our yard…….. (He has been fond of this candidate for sometime, and I think this person is also very experienced) It caused many people to become visibly upset. I did realize some people would disagree, but the outward distress was unexpected. We agreed to let our kids also have an opinion, and their school friends feel very strongly about the other candidate. WELL, this was a mistake, people stopped their cars, gave their “2 cents“, yelled, laughed, and caused us to……………………….. TAKE both signs down. Having said that, a woman canvassing door to door stopped by, she asked me if I knew who I would vote for, I said yes, she said, “who”?
I said, “I am not comfortable telling you.”
She said, “Oh yeah, well, GOOD LUCK.” (In a real negative tone)
Why? Why, so negative?
In the next 3 weeks, I pray we can be loving and peaceful to one another.
God give my grace.
God is good, life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie

Love the next generation.....................

Love sees now boundaries…………..

Love between kids and grandparents should be free of baggage. It is all the love with none of the discipline of parenthood. (This is of coarse unless grandparents must become their grandchildren’s guardians)
When I watch my parents with my kids, all I see is adoring unconditional love. I can count on one hand the number of times my parents have felt the need to discipline my 3 children in 11+ years. On the other hand, I can’t count how many times I have had to be strict/ and parent in 11+ years…………………. It is with complete joy, and a true gift that my parents can, and are so involved with my children. As adults we all try to blame our flaws on our childhood, and dear old Mom and Dad. But, if you were loved, and nothing catastrophic happened to you, then consider yourself BLESSED. The things that bother us about our parents, probably also bother us about ourselves. Make a conscious choice to do things different. If this isn’t what you had, maybe someone else will fill that role for you and your children. (I pray that is the case)
Next time your parents are visiting your home, and playing with your kids, watch their faces. Both the children and your parents will have an uncomplicated sense of JOY!!!
God is good, Life is hard, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

Peek at my pad #4

Cuckoo clock…………….
I am quirky and love unusual things. But…………………….. I also love things with a history, or nostalgia. My husband on the other hand likes modern, sleek lines, and minimum amount of “things” around him. How did we end up together………………… That’s another story!! My father in-law generously gives us a monetary gift for our anniversary each year. Last year I asked for him to order a specific Cuckoo clock. Well, he dutifully did so, and it took FOREVER, (it is made in Italy), truthfully I forgot about it. Many months later when I was out of town, a box the size of Texas arrived. My husband called me on the phone saying, “what the heck did you order, that came in an enormous box”? I said, “nothing, I can’t remember ordering anything that would come in a HUGE box, just open it and see.”
Knowing my husband as well as I do, he didn’t open it. (Always willing to wait, never rushing, or impulsive) Now off on a tangent, this is something I could really embrace as a God given gift, and learned skill. The amount of self-control he has is “biblical.” Not me, the minute I got home, I ripped it open!!!
There it was a beautiful cuckoo clock, burnt orange with a white bird, sleek modern styling. A deer shadow with horns at the top, kind of in honor of my Dad, “the hunter.” Much to my surprise, my husband liked it, and it happily resides on our living room wall, making a joyful “cuckoo”, each hour.

Lesson, like what you like, try to have more self control, opposites do attract.
God is good, life is hard, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

Small miracles........................

Simple things………….
In the simple things we see God’s beauty. For me fall is full of this amazing simple beauty. Today was my 4 year olds pumpkin patch trip. It was a little crazy, something like 3 other preschools also there at the same time. Looking around all you could see were beautiful trees turning shades of gold, amber, and crimson. The pumpkins were ripe, the perfect shade of orange, all slightly different. Kids go and see nature and it’s beauty with complete belief it will always be wonderful and exciting, full of “newness.”
As adults we forget how special these moments in time are for all of us. The farm didn’t work itself, it took many hard months/ countless hours of skilled labor, each season and it’s temperatures , precipitation insure the outcome. It is truly God the almighty whom created this for us all, and he delights in our joy . See all there is to see in this harvest season with a childlike view of the small miracles.
God is GOOD, life is hard, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

There is choice.................

There is choice in adoption…………..
I don’t often get really emotional over things. I try to keep that “in line“, so to speak. I mean, I love to make people laugh, and I am really sarcastic. But, cry and break down, well…………. Not too often. As with any Mom, I have a soft spot when it comes to my kids. They have made me the woman I am today. My heart beats fast when they are hurt, I am emotionally crushed when other kids are “mean” to them, I am filled with elated joy when they have accomplishments, I feel pure peace stroking their heads and cuddling. As many of you know my husband and I were blessed 3 times through adoption. Today in the mail was a bulletin from the adoption agency. Inside my husband found a poem from one of our children’s birthmothers. It goes as follows :
“A sweet child- all alone.
You come to him with a smile.
You take the time to clean his knee.
And when he cries, you wipe his tears, and he smiles.
A Mom- all alone, and so scared. She doesn’t know what to do. Her tears are welling in her eyes. She fears she won’t go through. The woman she meets is as sweet as can be. But, is anyone good enough for her baby? Five years later, I watch you at the park. You are the most beautiful child I have ever seen. I turn around and realize, I made the right choice. You deserve the best, and that is what you have.”
By Jaime Fuqua

I am blessed beyond measure. I am grateful for our birthmothers choice.

God is GOOD, Life is HARD, I am BLESSED,
Carrie

Christmas everyday..............

Peek at my Pad #3
Well I am a little artsy, and nutty. You could say it is “always Christmas time at Carrie’s.” This is the view from outside my “remodeled“, vintage style kitchen. This used to be a breakfast nook, now it is filled with pantries, dog dishes, office supplies, back packs, car keys etc. The focal point is the arch, and hung on it are old graters, with Christmas ornaments, some lovely old ones, others battered and tattered. It just makes me happy to see the rusty graters with twinkley, sparkly, ornaments. Some may say this is ugly, others would say it is junk repurposed, I say it is “homemade art.”
God is good, Life is hard, I am blessed,
Carrie