Request

To all of you who are going to see New Moon tonight...please don't tell me anything. I'm not going until December 2nd. That's my birthday. I know that waiting that long to see this movie could quite possibly mean that I walk around with my fingers in my ears for the next week and a half and may even lead to a small bout of insanity in which there will certainly be gnashing of teeth and tearing of clothing but it's a small price to pay. I mean, how many of your husbands VOLUNTEERED to take you to see it?!? Yeah...exactly...worth the wait.

Now, go in peace and enjoy yourselves, but keep your mouth shut when talking to me. Kay? Thanx!

Just in case...

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Burba Lake

Paul and I have made it a not-so-regular tradition to go for walks/runs around Burba Lake here on Fort Meade in the early evenings. It's actually quite beautiful for being in the middle of an old Army Post and the girls love that we always see all kinds of critters on our walks around the mile wide lake. There's beavers, squirrels, turtles, ducks, geese, fish and sometimes we even see a few deer.

Yesterday, I had a few errands to run on base and so, I thought the girls might enjoy a little break from the constraints of their carseats with a casual stroll around the lake. I was right. Neither of them said a word as we meandered along the path, stopping every few minutes to take a picture or two. They seemed super content as they leaned back in their stroller, savoring the breeze as it gently blew their fine hair across their faces in whispy strands.

The trees are beginning to change color on Burba lake. Little hints of red and gold make sporadic patterns in the leaves. I can't wait to see what they will look like in a mere matter of weeks. Don't you think God is a patient painter? I mean, I'm so anxious to see the trees in full fall foliage and God knows that it's best to do these things slowly so that we enjoy them more thoroughly. Waiting to see Burba Lake all decked out in beautiful earthy tones is almost as hard as waiting for New Moon to hit theaters!...did I just say that out loud?...Moving on...

The other thing I love about Burba Lake is that I always find something fascinating. This time, it was acorns. I know, I know, maybe not so fascinating to someone who'd always grown up around them but for me, a gal who's spent most of her life in a tropical climate, acorns are something to marvel at.

Can you believe that the tiny seed contained in an acorn can grow a huge oak tree?!? Isn't that amazing? Why is it so hard for some people to believe in the existence of a Creator. I mean, wow.

And this is Eva's favorite part of Burba Lake.

She loves the bridges. There are two and every time we go over them, she runs over to the railing looking for her "friend," which is a small turtle. I seriously doubt that it's the same turtle she sees every time, but she believes it is and that he is her special turtle friend.

So there you have it. An afternoon stroll around the lake in pictures. I Hope you take some time to walk around your neighborhood this weekend and marvel at the changing season. How great is our God that He provides us so much beauty right outside our windows, in our own backyards!

Happy Weekend!

Shameless Twilight Fan

I'm a nerd. I'm going to preface this post with that small tid-bit of information. I'm a total dork.

That being said, did you know that there are only 140 days left until the release of New Moon?!? Well, I thought you should!

Giving In

I'm one of the few people that have NOT read any of the Harry Potter books. I pride myself in this fact for some reason. And no, there's no moral reason behind it. They just never really interested me. So when all of the insane madness began brewing around the Twilight series, I shrugged my shoulders and paid no attention.

After all, I'm more of a Dr. Dobson, Elizabeth Elliot, Beth Moore kind of girl. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of fiction here and there, but when I indulge in fiction, it's usually something really tame like Nicholas Sparks, Richard Paul Evans or Francine Rivers. I do LOVE a good love story.

So, when my sister-in-law, Jacquie looked at me last week and insisted that I read the first book in the Twilight series, I gave her the "You're on crack" look and asked, "Why? It's about vampires for heaven's sake." She then began to gush about the budding romance between Edward and Bella, saying things like, "it's the most amazing love story ever" and "Oh my gosh Anne, you'll be so addicted."

Well, as Paul and I walked around Borders this morning looking for stocking stuffers for the girls, my eyes caught a glimpse of the black covered book on the rack in the center of the store. I curiously walked over, looked at the back (for the price, NOT the synopses) and mulled over the decision, to buy or not to buy.

I bought it. I'll begin reading it tonight. And I'll just tell you now that I'm a bit of skeptic when it comes to this book. We'll see...