An Empty Canvas

Tracy / September 18, 2006

Fall is in the air…and thanks to a productive weekend…we’re showing signs around our home!

Our outside “welcome”.

Welcome to our home!

I can’t keep people from making other words from my Autumn blocks. How many words can you make from Autumn?


The weather has been beautiful….Courtney took these pictures from our yard this morning.

Crepe Myrtle

Purple flowers at the end of our home. I’m not sure what they are…does anyone recognize them? I was given a cutting by my Mom’s 98 year old neighbor, Mrs. Franklin as a baby gift when Matthew was born.

We’re not exactly sure where these little flowers came from
either…we didn’t plant them but we sure are enjoying them!

Our marigolds are bigger than we’ve ever had them.

Still tomatoes growing!

It’s looking like we might get more rain for all these plants today!


I love the fall…cooler temperatures, beautiful falling leaves and afternoons playing ball in the yard with the children…there is nothing better.

It’s been a great weekend…we’ve gotten so much done over the last couple of days. I’m glad to say that the “de-cluttering our yard” project is going very well.

We made one trip to the local landfill, weeded and clipped flowers that needed some over-due “love” and straightened what was left. I was pretty pleased with the results thus far.

I have started a few Christmas gifts…the first two are dish cloths. I still have several more of these to knit.

I’m also knitting little Christmas trees for my own tree and to add to Courtney’s hope chest…this is just the beginning for these little guys…I still have more work to do before they are finished.

Prayer Requests

My Mom just called from the service station with her SECOND car repair problem this weekend! UGH!

Please pray for Jenny, one of our LINES’ yahoo moms that is expecting and will be relocating due to her hubby’s job.

Pray for me, I woke up with the “yucks” this morning.

Today I’m Thankful For

The progress that we are continuing to make with the websites. (Now you can post public comments on my site! I love it! We’ve been working on this for awhile!)

The cool, refreshing, wonderful breezes that are blowing in with the impending fall season. Ahhhhh!

All of you! I’m thankful for the many letters of encouragement and advice that you all send in!

Emma’s new words and yes, the ever growing fuzz on her head! Perhaps pigtails aren’t that far off???? (O.K., for those of you who have seen Emma’s little head, I know I still may have a bit of a wait!)

A brand new week. I remember once asking Courtney what her favorite color was and she answered white. I was surprised by this for a moment…I was expecting the typical red, pink or purple. I asked her why and she said “because I can make it any color I want!”. That’s how I view Monday’s. They are like a clean canvas ready for you to paint them and make them into anything that you desire. I’m thankful for this Monday!

Tracy’s Task

It’s Master Bedroom week on the Holiday Grand Plan. My bedroom needs an overhaul! Remember that yard sale that we were going to have a couple of months back, then Paul at the last minute had to work? Well, here are the results of that! I want this stuff OUT of my bedroom. My work is cut out for me.

Also on the list is the following:

Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
Make one extra meal for freezer again labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
Buy two canned food items from menus (get 2 of each item, one to use and one to donate to food drive).
Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes
Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts.
Make list of any table and bathroom linens that need replacing before the holidays, and pick up a few each week

I’m sure I will not be able to purchase 1/8th of our Christmas gifts this week. Especially considering 5 of my children’s birthdays are in the months of October and December as are my nephew and my Father-In-Law. I’m just going to keep my eye focused on making sure that I’m making progress and that we are not buying our whole Christmas at the last minute!

As for the canned goods…I already have my food drive stash started as well as my freezer meals. Over all, I think I’m making good progress.

SO, all that to say, for today, I’m focused on my bedroom. It needs to NOT look like an extension of my storage space. (My husband will thank me!)

What I’m Learning

First, that a praying mantis can fly! I’m not sure how I lived through so many years of my life not knowing this but it was a harsh lesson as one flew past my head Saturday night while I was SITTING IN MY LIVING ROOM! Needless to say, my knight overcame this horrible beast and he is no more.

My husband has one “special” sense of humor….amongst the latest email I have received from my site was this:

The Comment is: “Hey VineGirl,

That is one hunk of a husband you have there.

Does he do dishes too?”

Ha!Ha!Ha! Paul! You just keep to your own site and let me work on mine! 🙂

Today’s Scripture Meditation:

1Thes 3:12-13
“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”
(NIV)

May we all be blameless and holy!


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