My Call to Prayer...

I am currently reading "A Woman's Call to Prayer", by Elizabeth George. I have struggled with really, truly immersing myself in a healthy prayer life. I pray often, but just not with purpose. I have felt under attack so far this year, and the only way I know how to combat the enemy is to get on my knees.

So last night as I was reading, she challenges me to stop reading and get on my knees and pray. Well, I'm clearly not good at following directions because I read on and came across something that captures what prayer is to me.

Prayer is so simple;
It is like quietly opening a door
and slip into the very presence of God,
There is the stillness to listen to His voice;
Perhaps to petition, or only to listen:
It matters not.
Just to be there in His presence Is Prayer.

As I read this I so wanted to find that quiet place and "open the door, and just slip into His presence". This filled my heart with peace and the desire to "just be" with the Lord, and soak up His presence.

I just wanted to share with you where my heart is today, and I pray that you find time as well to slip into the very presence of God...He is waiting for you!!

Mother, Daughter Getaway!

Just us girls went to San Diego for the weekend! Mom had this wonderful idea to do a "girls only" weekend with her friend Margie and Margie's daughter Kristi. We have all known each other for about 30 years, so we are like family!

We stayed right by "Old Town". After we checked in, we were all starving so we walked to an amazing Mexican restaurant that makes their own tortillas!! Yummy! Then back to the room for a game night!! Margie brought this game Faces, which was fun and we all laughed so much our tummy's hurt.
Saturday was filled with shopping, massages, reading, coffee and finished with a mud mask from the Dead Sea (thank you Rebecca)!!

I did learn a little more about my family: My sister is a night owl, frequents the Internet at 2:00 am...My mom looks funny covered in mud, and only wears "white"..and I showed off my sleep talking to my family:)
Thank you so much mom for giving us these precious memories and allowing us to just be "us".

Christmas Drama!!

I've had an amazing 2009 so far!! But oh, so busy...
Before I go into 2009, I want to close out 08 in total "Carey" style!

Christmas Eve was so GREAT!! The food was good, thanks to Alicia helping in the kitchen, family was mostly there, emotions were high (mine anyway) and everyone had a fun time just being together. It was pretty different without my brother and his family, but I only cried like 3 times:)
But the biggest blessing of Christmas was our traditional family celebration of our Savior Jesus Christ. The traditions have changed over the years, but the reason that we celebrate is always the same...Jesus!!


Moving right along to Christmas Day!!!


Step One: Invite the in laws over & try to impress them with my gourmet cooking
Step Two: prep in the morning to avoid ANY un-needed stress later in the day
Step Three: Bake Pie..STONEWARE CRACKS IN HALF MIDWAY THROUGH BAKING
Step Four: Cook Ham...GLASSWARE SHATTERS DURING FIRST 30 MINUTES OF COOKING
Step Five: FREAK OUT!!!!! MY OVEN IS BROKEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, OUR COMPANY IS COMING OVER IN 2 HOURS....FREAK OUT!!

We ended up cooking all the food at my moms house and rushing back to our house just in time to greet our family & eat...
Totally stressful, not impressive at all, but we were all together and it makes a GREAT story, and NOW I can laugh about it!

After all the "drama" I was truthfully just happy to be around all my family!! We are growing and changing in so many ways, I look forward to seeing how the Lord works in my heart and the hearts of my family in the coming year!! Yay 2009!

Stole this from another blog....but I like it!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping!! But T LOVES to wrap all the gifts, it relaxes him:)

2. Real tree or artificial? We considered getting an artificial one this year, but we caved and bought a real one, you just can't manufacture that winter pine smell!

3. When do you take it down? Day after Christmas..I know it's early but I get sorta tired of all the extra "clutter"

4. Do you like eggnog? Totally!!!! But I never buy it because no one else in my family (except my mother in law) actually drink it..

5. Favorite gift received as a child? My day bed, when I was about 15!! Loved that thing:)

6. Do you like to know what you are getting or be surprised? I don't mind knowing...however T really likes to be surprised, and to surprise me!!

7. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, baby!! Part of the fun is actually taking the pictures!!!

8. Favorite Christmas movie? All of them....I practically have the whole Hallmark channel recording..

9. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything!!! But I really look forward to the "harvest potatoes" Mmmmmmmm

10. Lights on the tree? Of course!!! We have all white lights, but my parents have multi colored...kinda liking the multi!!

11. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven

12. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Sure, if you call driving an hour traveling!

13. Angel or star on top of the Christmas tree? Angel!

14. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is a theme tree of snowmen!!
The colors are white and red!! Too cute

15. What do you want for Christmas this year? Wishing for a necklace to hold a special pendant that I got from my grandma Betty...

Lacking...

I've been told that my blog has been lacking in content lately. I have to agree, but somehow I just can't put into words what has been going on in my heart. Being that I've been "hiding" in my cave, there has been much quiet time for me to search, ponder,weigh and transform the current state of my heart.

Last week was a very hard week at work. I was so drained emotionally, and spiritually that I couldn't stop my eyes from leaking sporadically all weekend.
Since I can't, as of yet, clearly define all that is ME...I will leave you with some of the questions I am attempting to answer:

1. I find it rather easy to extend grace and compassion to others yet struggle with receiving it for myself, BUT how do I learn to receive?
2. How do i lose the pain of the past?
3. Where is my "safe place" to heal my wounds, where I can recuperate and regain my emotional and spiritual strength?
4. How long will this season of my heart last??

The book I am currently reading is Break Through by Marsha Crockett...
I will close with an insert from the book that grasps where I am this morning:

This is God's tender response to my disbelieving heart: He has marked me as his own and given me hos own name. So, I claim this blessing on difficult days when anger growls deep within. I wrap his name~now my name!- around my ache. My name is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.
I sit with this blessing until I believe and become this name.

Decor Party at Mom's

Every year we all get together and decorate my mom and dads house for Christmas!!
On Friday we all meet for moms famous chili, Alicia's cornbread, and of course Tree Decorating!!




T and I always provide the game for the night, this year we chose the "wrapping" game. The way you play is, you wrap a gift (ours was $40!!) about 7 times, each time harder than before...you can use duct tape, bags, whatever you can to make it really hard to unwrap...the harder, the better!!
So the game is, everyone sits in a circle and rolls a dice..if you roll on a 6, you put on 3 items of clothes (scarfs, hats, etc) that are in the middle of the circle and after you have the items on, you may start to unwrap the gift...but as you are putting on the clothes and unwrapping the dice is still circulating and if someone else rolls a 6, you have to stop and hand everything over to them. It gets pretty intense, and it is hilarious!! Christian won the money but just barely...my mom almost had it unwrapped, but at the last minute Christian rolled a 6!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Day

I had an amazing Thanksgiving!!!!
It all started early that morning with me falling out of bed and spraining my wrist, followed closely by a panic call from my mom about a turkey and a migraine...
She felt a migraine coming on, and there was no one to do the turkey.
Needless to say the day went on, with mom in bed and T, me, Alicia, Rachel and Christian left in the kitchen to make sure that all the food got on the table at the same time. I honestly have to thank God for my mom being out of commission that day, because the hustling, working, and just bonding that was going on in the kitchen with me and my nieces and nephew wouldn't have happened otherwise. It was chaotic and so fun!!! We made the turkey, ham and all the sides to go along with it..MADNESS I say...but oh so fun. My niece Rachel even said she wanted to be a housewife now, because she had so much fun!!



Yay for migraines!! (just kidding mom:)

So the delicious food was followed by a night of games, laughter and new memories!!
Dave, Jenna and family were truly missed...
It was really one of the most memorable Thanksgivings ever for me...
This is one of my most favorite holidays, I love all the family time, and no matter much I don't understand my niece and nephews music, clothes, friends or whatever..We bonded over cheese like no one's business!!!