Fall Fellowship 2010

It's that wonderful, crisp, cool time of the year! How I love fall...pumpkins and leaves, etc! And it's actually finally beginning to feel like fall here in Florida! Thank God!

Last Saturday we had the annual Fall Fellowship at church. We were here for it last year, only Russell and I weren't married at that point. My mother-in-law, who is also the pastor's wife, had all of us ladies make a bunch of food because this year we invited another church to join us for the fun. I made chili, ziti, coleslaw, 20+ grilled cheese, and a cake. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it. I sure missed my mom's dishwasher when it came time to wash all the dishes I got dirty. =D

As you can see, I got a TON of dishes dirty. Once clean, they were stacked rather haphazardly. I joked with Russell, "Don't slam the front door or walk heavily when passing by, and PLEASE don't turn on the washing machine!!!" It feels like we are experiencing an earthquake the way that thing bounces around while its spinning out. =D

The day of the Fall Fellowship dawned bright and clear with perfect temperatures! Russell and I did our best to dress up as cowboys (the costume theme was cowboys and Indians). We were going to buy maroon plaid shirts so we could match, but decided it wasn't a necessity in our budget. (Yes, this is the first picture since it happened. I cut my hair...personally!)

Over 60 people showed up from Old Paths Baptist Church.

Everyone brought a ton of food! I organized a craft with the little girls at church, and together we made paper wreaths and a paper chain to decorate the fellowship hall for the festivities.

This is mine!

Starting out the day, we signed up for the various contests, etc. Russell signed us up---the Russell Maynard family---to have our family picture taken on the hay bales with pumpkins. I haven't gotten those pictures yet. I was also signed up for the chili contest, the baking contest, and the sewing/craft contest.

Last year Russell almost got his head whacked off while holding the log for whoever was chopping during the log-splitting contest. I held my breath and offered silent prayers as I watched my husband this year as he helped while Aaron hacked away at the log. He was fine, thank God, and even entered the contest, getting 3rd place!

This little girl's grandma made her costume. Isn't it cute?

And here are the kids in their costumes. I'm pretty sure Rylee, the little girl in front and all the way to the right, won first place as a cowgirl.

There is my mother-in-law and several of the other adults entered in the costume contest.

We sure have a beautiful church building!

I enjoyed holding one of the little babies in our church.

Russell was one of the judges for the baking contest. With me not being able to eat sugar, Russell is used to basically having a sugar-free diet, so he had a splitting headache after consuming all those sweets. My poor boy! He told me he never wants to be a judge for the baking contest ever again. He sure changed his tune quickly! =D

Can you guess which cake is mine???

I entered this banana split cake into the contest and won 1st place for how it was decorated. I was told I would have won 2nd place for how it tasted, only they wouldn't give one cake two ribbons.

A dear friend sent me this seashell pattern as a wedding gift, and I recently finished making it and then framed it to enter into the craft contest. It won 1st place! Thank you, Naomi! It's beautiful!

My prizes! Thanks be to God, who gave me the ability and strength! If it wasn't for His grace, which allows me to awaken and get out of bed every morning and breathe His air in my lungs, I could never accomplish anything.

After all the contests were over, many games of volleyball had been played, and much fellowship was made, we closed off the night with a singing around the bonfire. It was a wonderful day!!!

Girls' Tea Party Craft

My mother-in-law planned a tea party for the little girls in our church and asked me to find a craft to make with them. I researched the internet and came up with my own version of something that seemed do-able. So, on Thursday the two of us went shopping for craft supplies. The store didn't carry exactly what I needed, so I improvised a little. I took a few pictures of the back of a wood craft kit to get more ideas...

Too cute!

I framed Russell!

Hmm...something like that...

The finished product!!! I decorated my frame with cherries because I plan to hang it in my cherry kitchen. I love the verse: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. When our faith's foundation is stayed on a powerful God instead of men's wisdom, we will never be disappointed or moved!

Piecing chips together into some resemblance of an animal...

And this is how they turned out! I had a lot of fun. The piggy made me think of Grace, because she loves pink and pigs. And then Alisah loves dogs...and horses, I believe. The pretty, delicate butterfly made me think of Annika. I miss you girls!

So this afternoon we had the tea party. As we waited for girls to arrive, Rylee nudged up next to me and asked slightly critically, "If yow awe mawwied, what awe yow dowing hewe?" (Translation: "If you are married, what are you doing here?") I then informed her that I was there to do a craft with the girls...and tried not to feel intimidated by a little girl less than half my age. =D In this picture she was quite pleased that red + blue = purple and thought she would share her discovery with the rest of the world (well....those who visit Hannah's blog, anyway). =D

The busy little workers...

The girls didn't know what to do with their hot tea. Rylee was attempting to rip open her tea bag before I rescued it. Anna, another little girl, was totally distressed that her tea bag was "getting wet." She was amazed that the bag had to be submerged in the hot water. These are Southern gals! Hot tea is a foreign thing down South, which is a very strange phenomenon to this Northern girl. When Russell and I order a beverage while eating out, I sometimes get tea. The waitress always asks "sweet or unsweet?" Now, in my Northern mind tea is one thing--HOT--and nobody every asks about a sweetener. But in the South tea is cold. So when I get the "sweet or unsweet" question, I always answer: "Hot!"...which kinda throws the waitress for a loop. =D I really am trying to fit in down here. But there are some things I won't give up.......

Isn't it a beautiful sight? My cup of hot tea during morning devotions. This lovely rosebud teacup is one of the many Mrs. Kamps has bought me over the years. I think of her every morning when I use it. It's one of the ways I try to maintain a "girly" feeling in a "man's world" kind of place.

The busy bigger workers... I don't know what I would have done without Grandma and Aunt Trish to help me. It was "Miss Hannah this" and "Miss Hannah that"! Very busy but very fun. Our next craft will be for fall/Thanksgiving. My brain is already going!