A Beautiful...

early birthday present from one of the sweet ladies in our church 

What a nice surprise! :-)

~♥~

Katie brought home the pumpkin and gourds from her field trip yesterday.

I just love decorating in the fall.♥

Now, I'm not fond of bugs, but I *do* think this winking one that Katie carved a couple weeks ago is cute.

He smiled at everyone who drove by. :-)

I hope you're all having a great weekend!

Take care,

~Melanie

Fall...

is in full swing around here. I love this time of year...all the pretty colors and the cooler weather does my heart good!

It's hard to believe our first nine weeks of school are almost over...time seems to be flying by!

I just snapped this picture outside my front door this evening. We don't have a lot of color here yet, but it's coming. :-)

Things here have been quite busy lately. We've had some very serious issues to deal with in and around the church and school. My husband has had quite a time of it. Pastoring can be very stressful, and lately it has been stressful on a whole new level. But, God has helped us through so many things, and we are praying that very soon we'll be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yesterday was Pastor Appreciation Day at our church. We had a potluck dinner after the service, and some of the kids put on a cheer for us. It was all very sweet. One of the families put this card together and we thought it was so cute...very creative. :-)

 I happened across this blog not very long ago. As I looked through the posts, it just touched my heart...these poor Ukrainian orphans all but forgotten. Thankfully, some folks have taken an interest in these children and are helping to provide basic necessities for them.

Oh, my sweet friends, as I looked through this blog, I was reminded that we in America have so much!

 I'm sure they would appreciate any donation you could give. There is a donate tab at the top of their blog. What a genuine care and concern they have for these precious ones!

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.   - James 1:27

I hope you all are doing well...thanks for stopping by! :-)

Take care,
~Melanie

Recent Randomness

Thanks to a very generous family member, we were able to spend a few days at the ocean last week. I hadn't been in over ten years! Oh, I hope it's not that long before I can get back! It was so beautiful. There's something so peaceful about listening to the waves hit against the shore.

A yummy cobbler made with our blackberries. Mmmm......it was good!

 Have been enjoying these this summer...just plain ole tomato and mayo...some kind of good! :-)

 Earlier this week I hung some clothes out to dry. The weather forecast said there was only a 20% chance of rain that day...*wrong*. Well, the clothes got wet and the pins did too, so I brought everything inside...the clothes went in the dryer, and  I laid the pins out to dry. When I came back a little later, I found Oreo taking a nap on them! He is so funny!

 This picture is one I found from back in the spring. The blossoms from the cherry tree were so pretty with the pinks and purples in the background. What a beautiful sunset that was!

School will be starting again very soon! We were out this week getting some supplies for this lovely girl....

 we've been blessed to have for the past sixteen years.♥

Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Take care,
~Melanie

simple blessings of summer...

What a treat to have this beautiful rose of sharon by our front door to greet us as we come and go...
 

 bees hard at work...

 

the pretty little crape myrtle given to me for Mother's Day...♥

  daylily...

 a surprise acorn squash plant my husband found...I *do* remember throwing out some seeds earlier in the year! :-)

 fresh blackberries...so juicy when they're warm...straight from the vine to my mouth! Mmmmm....

picking some to share with a neighbor...

  beautiful weather so I can hang the clothes outside...

thankful for the shade and the gentle breeze while I hang them up!

sweet Oreo...

being camera shy...*smile*

Thank You, Lord, for all your blessings!

~Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. -Psalm 68:19~

Take care,

~Melanie

Enjoying the Summer

We're enjoying the summertime here! Our weather has been pretty nice so far...a few really hot days, but average for the most part.

Dad gave us this blackberry plant a couple years ago. Wow!! It has really taken off! We've eaten a few, but most of them aren't ripe quite yet. My husband said something about making pancakes with them. That sounds good. :-)

We visited with family last month and had a nice, relaxing time.

Mom and I went driving around the little country roads. We made a few stops along the way. This spot in particular was especially beautiful!

This is Tingler's Mill and the Swinging Bridge restaurant in Paint Bank, VA. The website has some great pictures!

So peaceful and beautiful!

This is a little fish pond stocked with rainbow trout.

They're pretty big! There was a little machine there where you could get some food and feed them.

We also stopped by the Cheese 'n More Store in Gap Mills, WV. This place has been here as long as I can remember. The name describes it perfectly...cheese and lots more - spices, mixes, candy...all sorts of things. I didn't think to take a picture of it, but it's stacked full of yummy stuff!

This bridge is behind the store. You can order lunch and eat it by the little stream if you like, so that's what we did. :-)

 Hope you all are enjoying your summer too!

Take care,
~Melanie