Blue Ridge Mountain High

Just posting from Blue Ridge Mountain @ the Gillespie Gap NC Mineral Museum Cyber Cafe. ;) It's beautiful on top of the world - right here in our own homestate. Happy Spring Break!

Lunch at the Mellow Mushroom Asheville - amazing! More fun to come, for now, I've got mountains to climb with the Tigers and Mountain Man. God is good!

Mabel's Labels is Turning 5

Mabel's Labels is Turning 5!


Mabel's Labels Inc.
www.mabel.ca

To Celebrate - Orders placed between 12:00am and 11:59pm EDT on Thursday March 27th will be shipped with a coupon for free Sticky Labels, our original product that started it all.

Feel free to post about this on your blog. We want all of our loyal customers to feel the Mabel Love!


Join the fun! And have a fabulous day!

Easter and UNC Beckoning the Bragadocious

 


While our Easter began celebrating the Risen Saviour, we later celebrated the continuing #1 streak. It's a good tradition. ;) Here we are on another lovely Carolina trail. Sunny and warm. Happy Easter! And carry-on Carolina!

Happy Easter '08

He Is Risen!
Praise Him!

 
 
 


*eggs dyed today with the Cherubs.

UNC Continues the Theme #1



Thanks guys!  It was beautiful!
 
Nice win on Good Friday!  Happy Easter early Ya'll!

UNC Celebrates the Life of Eve Carson

What an amazing presence Eve Carson had at UNC!  you can still feel it on campus today - as thousands met to celebrate the life she lead so well in the halls of University of North Carolina! 

As a Mom, I couldn't help but empathize with the family.  As a girl, my heart was heavy so I did what most have done, I left my own message as I struggled to comprehend what happened. 
 
As I left campus, I couldn't help but notice what a better world this would be if we would all heed the words on Gerard Hall:  "To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."  Micah 
 
The Tar Heels Basketball players said it well, "Rest in peace, Eve!"

Tar Heels Rock!



UNC Basketball is what it's about here! We're all Final Four ready. Oh, by the way, I was happy to find out this morning as I realized that I was sporting Tar Heel Blue on St. Patrick's Day - locally "That's OK, you're wearing 'the Blue!'" ;) So goes Carolina Blue! Perfect to me.

Our Tale of Two Twins


It happened the other night.  One Twin has lost both front teeth!  The other twin has two baby teeth. The Tales of Two Twins...who are very much a like and yet so much their own little people.  As they long to be bigger boys, Mama is longing to repeat a family tradition, "put a brick on their heads to stop them from growing!" lol   My, if only that would stop time.  My little guy is handsome without his front teeth.  So is my guy with his baby teeth.

Thankful for every minute we have together. 

Warmly, 
CarolinaMama 

March Showers

Fortunately, we got a rain that was truly needed.  We're still working on that drought deficit.
It made for some good family time on Saturday.  Then Sunday was a normal sunny day but
oh so c.o.l.d.  Spring must be around the corner. 
 
Meanwhile, I've discovered another great reason to wear hip pregnancy clothes,
Ann Taylor Maternity clothes.  Every expectant Mama wants to look and feel awesome while
awaiting their bambino.  Go to: http://crazyhipblogmamas.com and signup to win a pop to your
Spring Maternity wardrobe.
 
In most important news, the Tigers are about to lose three of the four front teeth very soon.  I
can hardly stand it.  And that forth one, we lost it about two weeks ago.  It's almost more than I
can take in - the Cherubs are growing up.  Handsome they are.  So this Monday I'll start embracing
the next stage - in an attempt to brace myself all at once! 

The Best Basil Cream Chicken

Thanks for stopping by with Lysa Terkeurst's Recipe Share. If you just arrived ;) make sure you check out Lysa's Ministry @ Proverbs31. These ladies are amazing. Go here: http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/ and of course, here: http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com
Love participating in my 'first-ever' Mr. Linky link. ;)  Anyway,
we love this one and it's easy and a totally different taste and
that is always nice too.  I served a nice salad along side.  And
to the best of my knowledge, I think I discovered this from Cooking
Light.  Internets please pardon me if it's been passed around and
I confused you with Cooking Light.  All the Best and Enjoy!
 

Basil Cream Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. cubed uncooked chicken breast
1 1/3 cup chopped green onion
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. oil
Saute the above until the chicken is cooked. (tastes better if it is not over-cooked)
1/2 c. margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. whipping cream
2 Tbsp. fresh minced basil, or 2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. white pepper (I used black pepper)
Make the white sauce, add cooked chicken and serve over fettucini.

Blessings!

Beatitudes and Happiness

It's Tuesday and I'm still savoring the message we heard Sunday at our church. It was on the Beatitudes and our Happiness. Just a little recap and the way it spoke to me. I just love that saying about how God shows up. Sometimes I just get myself into the place of worship. I'm not going through the motions, but some mornings I am. Sometimes just out of sheer exhaustion from anaction packed week and weekend. Other times, I am seeking Him and thankful that He will show up. So I show up and it gets good. :) Why I am surprised, I don't know.

Here are a couple of things that just beckon me still: "Why do we try to out grow this dependency on Christ?" What a full question! Who am I to try to "out grow" my absolute need for Christ on an every day, every minute basis! This truth in question form just centered me and really completely encouraged me. All the times I think I am not enough, I cannot do it, I am so needy for Christ. Voila! That's exactly where He wants me. Calling out to Him because He is enough and can do miracles every day! He will!

The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they w ill be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13"You are the salt of the earth.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.


Just for the sake of the outline, here are a few things I'm focusing on. As our pastor pointed out, they're not the most popular, you won't see them on the latest "book review" titles, or are they easy truths. However, they are sound and based on the Beatitudes. So why seek happiness in another form.

"Beatitudes are the attitudes that the believer should have in his life."

1) Happiness is commitment to Christ when His will is confusing. This speaks volumes. As women don't we get confused if we can't get our way right now.

2) Happiness is the person who persists following God through pain. Ouch! Um sir, you're talking to me right here. Can I just say I'm right here right now. It's' not always fun. I mean personally I have an awesome family and am having the time of my life and am happy. Yet, there is this 'area' of a situation that God and I are wrestling it out. I pray, I give, I don't get my way. The "Pollyanna" in me, she wants rosey glow all the time. She doesn't have room for the 'pain' of waiting on God.

3) Happiness is obedience when it's obvious. Honestly, I don't have a whole lot on this one because I think I was still in awe of how that last little point number two hit home to me. I took home Obedience = Happiness. :)

4) Beg God's happiness each day! And in that 'situation' I mentioned above, I am right here begging His happiness and His strength to keep re-releasing myself to Him and trusting Him in the journey ahead.