Pie Party and Some Other Musings

Every year for the past almost 10 years, (minus the 4 years we were in Washington in an 800 sq ft cabin) my family and I have been hosting what we like to call a pie party.  I can't take credit for this AMAZING idea because that would be just wrong to my East Coast relatives who started it way back when, but I will say the minute I heard about a Pie Party I was all over it like Meringue on Lemon Pie.
I usually have it the second Saturday in November because to me it's a way to have Thanksgiving (minus the Turkey) with ALL my friends and family.  It's also a way for me to get my favorite dessert!!

When I was preparing the prizes this year I got SO excited for this party I almost did a happy Pie Party dance. I'm pretty sure it would have looked a bit like Elaine on Seinfeld so I reigned in my excitement and got to putting together those prizes you see up there. We give out prizes to 3 categories; Best in Savory Best in Show and  UGLY but it Tastes Damn Good  aka  UBITDG!!

While putting together prize baskets, I thought about all the families that would come with their delectable pies and my heart overflowed with gratitude for many reasons. The first reason that my heart was exploding with joy, was that I am so grateful to be back here in Nevada. That sentence up there... well it's one that even as I type it I still can't believe I'm saying it. It's taken me quite a long journey to get HERE, and I don't me here as in Nevada here, I mean HERE as in this place of contentment that has come over my heart regarding where ever HERE happens to be. 

I have to say that there have been countless tears shed and plenty of tantrums had, over not having that kind of an attitude. I'm happy to report though, that Jesus has done a work in this bratty girls heart, and it's a good work. A work I know I couldn't have done on my own. 

He has made me realize that it's not about the place, it's about the people. 

I now know that even if he called me to live in Texas(please don't dear Lord baby Jesus) I think I could manage to keep this grateful, contentment going. 

As long as there was Pie in Texas! Psh... of course there would be PIE in Texas!! Those Texans have got the right idea when it comes to pie. I have heard they make a pie for just about every occasion... so yea I think I could manage, but for now I'm staying put with a happy heart right here in good ole Nev a duh!!
I do so apologize to leave you with  mouths watering ...let me  make it up to you with this quote that I feel fits just perfect with this here Pie Party blog and truly is a recipe for happiness. 
 "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with  LOVE, GRACE, and GRATITUDE." Denis Waitley

Halloween 2014

Oh Goodness!

These two middles make my heart skip a beat. 

They are 14 and 13.

That's what their birth certificate says.

But somehow,

my mind and my heart has them stuck at around 3 and 4.

When and How and Why and Where does it happen that before you can even blink you have a full blown Pop - eye the Sailor Young Man on your hands?

Or a Baby Doll that might be "too sweet" for American Idol but not for this Momma?

Oh Goodness.

Oh Gracious.

And that Strong Man on the right... Well he has strong-armed his way into just about every heart that meets him!! Hope you and yours had a very Happy Halloween this year. Now on to some  P I E  =

H4Y

Hello There Beloved Reader,  and a Happy Fall Wednesday Morning to you!
I am beyond giddy to share some photos with you today. Have you ever been SO excited over a photograph that you literally wake up first thing in the morning with nothing else on your mind (except coffee of course) but posting a picture for the rest of the world to see?
No. Huh? That's strange.
Well, that was me this morning and you are the world to me so you get to be the lucky ones to see what I'm talking about. But before we get started with the roll of film that awaits can I just tell you something you may not already know? My Giant and I every Wednesday get the privilege of hanging out with some amazing young people.

Here are 4 of those young people and 1 of those pictures that I couldn't wait to post. Seriously, the moment I took this picture of these beautiful young ladies my heart went pitter, patter. That doesn't happen to you? Hmm.. So strange.

As long as I can remember, in fact even when we were young youthz(say that like Schmidt on the TV show NEW GIRL)My Giant and I have been helping out with some kind of youth group. I suppose we kind of really enjoy youthz... unlike Schmidt.

Would you just look at that bunch of world changers up there?  How could we not totally LOVE each and every one of them. Ok, in fairness 4 of those youthz are our own... but the rest... Although, I did not birth them (thank GOD) in my heart I feel a love for them that can't really be described.
Something else I really can't describe is the joy this picture brings me.

I couldn't tell you why the young man Jeffery on the right is laughing SO hard, but I have a sneaky suspicion it has something to do with that Giant in the Orange Sweatshirt. LOL. Seriously.
Every single one of these young men, young youthz(sorry I just can't help myself) will grow up to be our teachers, doctors, firemen, bus drivers, lawyers, tattoo artists, pastors, fathers, husbands...etc I suppose that's what so exciting about working with young people, ya know kinda like Whitney Houston sang about. We get the privilege, the great honor to teach them well. I'll take a double portion of that please!

  With a slice of goofy on the side!

One Thing I love about Nevada

It's no secret that I am not the biggest fan for the State of Nevada. Ahem.... From the time I was a young teen I would tell people, "Ya know technically, I'm not a native Nevadian because I was born in South Lake Tahoe on the California side." Being on the California side of the Lake was a big deal to me. A VERY BIG DEAL! I know, I know it's so silly, but it meant something to me that my birth certificate says California and NOT Nevada! Maybe it had something to do with that song the Beach Boys sang, "I wish they all could be California girls..."  Oh heck... that's so lame I can't even believe I just typed that out loud!! Moving on...   Since moving away and then moving back I have realized there are a lot of things about this state that I may have been a little hard on it about. I'm sorry Nevada, it's not all your fault that the lawmakers allowed for gambling and prostitution. Or that there is so much brown in this state that I call it Brown Town! Or that your state flower is Sagebrush. Really Nevada?  You're gonna go ahead and call a brush a flower? Can I go on record saying  that a BRUSH does not equate to a FLOWER!! And that your State brush makes me sneeze!! Whew... I feel much better now. As you can see, I don't think I will ever be happy about those aspects of this state, but if I don't focus on that I'm good. People keep asking me if I'm happy to back, and I feel so strange when I go to answer them, because for the most part I am happy to be back with my family and beloved friends. I love my family, and being away from them these past 4 years was not my favorite, but I was finding a way to make it work. I'm also happy to be back with friends that may as well be family. The group of friends we have here are an incredible, amazing bunch.  Still, my feelings are in a quandary.  I'm bewildered, perplexed, and down right confused about how I actually feel about being back. On the one hand my heart is overflowing with joy to be with my nieces, my sisters and brothers, my mom and dad, and my beloved friends. Seriously, all the events that have already taken place in just the few short months of being back have been OFF THE HOOK amazing! It's the kinda of thing that makes me sad for all the 4 years I missed out on this stuff.  On the other hand, when I look down at my feet and they are cracking to the point of pain because of this dry desert place, and I drive down the street and see billboards that are down right offensive and totally inappropriate from my 9 year old boy to have to see, I get down right angry!!
I'm talking down, and right here!
I mean who can blame me? Cracked feet and butt crack on billboards... not GOOD! But, ya know feelings are funny that way. Have you ever had this kind of quandary with your feelings? It's quite confusing if you ask me.  To feel happy and sad all at the same time is a bit of a predicament.  I guess that's why they say,  "It's not really that feelings are bad it's what we do with them that can have serious ramifications" WHO ARE THEY anyway? Well, I'm going to tell you what I'll do with these feelings, I'm going to share them with you and move on to the Sunny side of the Street.  This post is an attempt to stay on the positive side of Nevada. I don't know if you know this about me but I like to say positive if at all possible. So let me tell you what I love about Nevada.
THE FALL . Period 

The Autumn season here is seriously my favorite, and I realized something this year, one of the reason I might love Fall here so much is because this is when all the fun events that I love in Nevada take place.  There are the Balloon Races, Italian Festival, Candy Dance, and of course who can forget the Nevada day parade.  Yes, I LOVE the Nevada day parade!  Don't judge me!!

Would you look at all those crunchy leaves just waiting to be piled up and jumped upon. Washington I love you, but you don't produce crunch in your leaves during the Fall season.  I still love you though. Don't get butt hurt Washington, I'll be back in the summer when it's a hundred degrees here and smoke fills the air.  There ya have it folks. What I love about Nevada is the Fall, and of course more than all the Pumpkin Spice Lattes the world could ever make, I love the people you have here Nevada.  But then you turn icy cold outside and because I'm not a skier Lake Tahoe has no appeal to me in the Winter months so I go back   to loathing this dry desert place.   Just in case you wanted to know ;)

Favorite Captured Moments #5

And so begins the holiday pics.

This top one is still a shocker to me every time I look at it, I think to myself... Self "I can't believe you let your boy do that?"
BUT Before you go thinking I have gone off the deep end by letting my 10 year old get all painted up like a zombie so he could participate in the Michael Jackson Thriller act that he had been taught at school, and practicing all week, and begging, begging to be allowed to be scary and gory for just one night at the Redmond Town Center... just think to yourself... It's Michael Jackson for crying out loud AND DON'T JUDGE!

Well I did let him go and you can see as I have now once again used you my reader as my therapist, that I still have a little guilt over that one.

Moving on, this year I could not stop taking pictures of the autumn taking place all around me. If you have ever read my blog before, and IF you are indeed my friend you know that this is the time of year that I love most. I know shocking, being that my name is NOEL and all, you would think that it would Winter and that I should be a true blue Christmas Elf, but alas the time of year that makes my heart sing is Fall. I must have a bout a ba-zillion photos of trees and leaves from this year alone.

This year Halloween was quite different than in years past. It marked the beginning of an end for the Scofield clan. We were all fragmented and went our own ways on Halloween night. For this sentimental heart it was a rough night. And the picture below marked another big day in my house. Sigh. That's all I have to say about that.

My kids are getting older as children often do. You feed them, they grow. This momma is trying to hold on for what lies ahead is what the picture below captures. My younger brother Jeremy is now on his own. In his own place. Paying his own rent. Making his own dinners. Working a job. Going to school.

WOW!! Seriously, when did that happen? He is an amazing human being. Success number 5 for my mom and dad.

I can only hope to do half the amazing job these two have done with 5, with my 4.

Solomon turned 10 this year. We now have 3 in double digits, SAY WHAT??
Yes, this 10 year old boy still much like his namesake is so wise beyond his years. He makes me think, "They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know. And I think to myself what a wonderful world" You know, I just can't help myself sometimes with the song quotes. It's in my DNA.

The captured moment above was a memory I will treasure forever. When I went home to NV in November for my dad's 70th B-day, my sister Gina's baby shower, my brother Greg's birthday and my mom's birthday, I got the pleasure of having a pedicure done with my 4 year old niece right by my side. She was so precious and wanted only what Auntie Noel wanted for "pol-nailish" and this moment was just so fantastic to me!

For Thanksgiving this year we had the absolute Joy of having Momma Nash here with little Izzy, Auntie Eileen, and Uncle Jeremy. We also had our wonderful friends the Days over. Needles to say with 17 of us in our little cabin it was a true Scofield, Jam em in, Get real cozy, and Enjoy the Ride kind of event!

I loved strolling the Market with the family and having us all together was really so special to me.

For Christmas we headed down to NV because that was THE FAB 4's Christmas wish. To be with family and friends in NV. More than gadgets. More than money. More than toys. They wanted people. Hmmm.... imagine that?
It was a wonderful memory that will hold us all over until we meet again.

We also had our first of what I hope to be many viewings of the movie Elf with some great friends, we brought in the Christmas season eating the Elf diet of Candy, Candy Corns, Candy Canes and Syrup. We came. We saw. We laughed. We quoted all while we went into diabetic shock(JK) and we remembered the Joy of Christmas Spirit, comes truly from LOVE.

Well friends this concludes my favorite captured moments for 2011. It's hard to capture a whole year on film and then narrow it down to your most favorite but I enjoyed doing it, and I hope you enjoy looking at it.
If you are reading this and you took the time to see our life lived out in pictures then know that you are loved and YOU ARE PATIENT :)

Until 2012 readers :) thanks for staying tuned!

I don't have anything really substantial to say, but I want to say something anyway. So here it goes.

School is in it's 4th week of full force for my kids. They are all doing great. I have to say I am a little jealous of their lives. They get the normal routine of getting up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, doing their individual extra curriculum activities, and then going to bed. How funny is it that when you are child all you can do is wait for the day when no one is telling you what to do, and when you are an adult you wish you had the simplicity of childhood?


At this time, I would like to point out that my oldest daughter has the best self management skills I have ever seen! Truly, she is a wonder to me. She has since the time she was a little girl put herself to bed long before the bed time bell rings and it just astounds me. My daughter Chloe and I on the other hand will be burning the midnight oil until the day I die. Total opposites those girls are. It just makes me giggle to think of them. Same DNA, Same Parents, Even Same birthday month... yet so completely opposite!

Anyway where was I, oh yeah back to my kids back to school routine. SO they are back doing great and I am jealous of their simple lives. When we went shopping for school supplies I of course bought some for myself just to feel apart of the busy. Every time I do back to school shopping I think about the movie You've got Mail where Tom Hanks says, "I would like to buy you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils". That movie is an all time favorite for me because I can so relate to Meg and Tom's characters love of school supplies.

Moving on... SO fall is my favorite. I have told you that before. There is just something about this season that makes my heart go pitter patter. The leaves on all the trees around here are showing little signs of the change that is coming. One of my favorite children's stories of all time is a story called "Frederick". I am sure I have blogged about this book before, but it's about a field mouse who when all the other mice are scurrying about to get ready for winter, collecting nuts, preparing their homes for hibernation, Frederick is just sitting there. Seeming to do nothing the other mice get frustrated with him, but later they realize he was taking it ALL in. When it gets dark and there is no longer any color left in nature Frederick starts sharing about the colors he was storing in his mind so that he could tell stories about it later. IN the dead of winter he paints the pictures of summer and shares his poetry. That's what I feel like sometimes when I catch myself just soaking it all up before the leaves fall off and the trees go barren.

I just realized that Fall is nature way of saying that things are dying. It makes me awe in wonder at the God I serve that right before death we get such beauty! Isn't that true in life. Right before the elderly pass, we get such beauty if only we have eyes wide open to see it. This Fall my eyes are wide open to see the beauty. My ears are wide open to hear the beauty. And my heart is full of gratitude for the changing of seasons.

A Perfect Fall Day

Today was an absolute perfect Fall day here in Northern Nevada. I love this time of year so much that I when it starts coming around my heart almost skips a beat in anticipation.
I am not sure if it is the smell of pumpkin candles, the candy corns that are one of my favorites, or just the amazing colors that the trees turn that takes my breath away. Whatever the reason, every year I think I fall more and more in love with this season.
Today I had the thought that I might miss the falls here as compared to the fall season in Washington. It's so hard not knowing exactly what to expect. I am sure there will be slight differences but I am expecting that it will be just as grand as it is here. One thing I have to give credit to Nevada for, and that I have always loved about Northern NV is that we do get a full dose of every single season. Sometimes they are extreme but for the most part they are the typical seasons protocol. I wonder if that will be the same in Washington? It's not that I want it to be the same in Washington it's just some things kind of anchor you as a person. You get used to things being a certain way.
I have never felt more ready in my life for this big change, but now that it is finally here, I am a bit weepy about it all. Strange, but true.
I feel prepared but at the same time overwhelmed if that is at all possible to feel together.
I asked Moses the other day if he was getting excited about getting up there and his response was perfect; "Yeah, that's one of the emotions that is in there."

Okay so here is the song that comes to mind with this thought process

Lyrics go like this;

Seasons change...
People change...

You guess the rest??

Pictures were taken last fall underneath my tree. I would say that I might miss that tree but where I am going is tree country and I will have 5 acres of them :) to enjoy.

Fall 2008

Well the tree has dumped all it's leaves. We have played, and played, and played some more in them and now it is about that time to bag them up and send them out. My tree will soon be barren and that makes me quite sad but at least I feel I enjoyed all the colors while they lasted.

The "Fall" has begun

The leaves have begun to fall in our backyard. We have three gianormous trees on our property. These are trees that made the value of this house go up for me by about 10,000 dollars. That's how much I love trees surrounding my house. I distinctly remember telling my husband that part of why I didn't want to buy the brand new house we were looking at in North Valleys was because there are no trees in new neighborhoods. There is something about trees and the foilage they bring every fall that just makes my heart happy.

So I am sitting here in my living room, looking out my living room window right at the big tree whose colors are changing right before my eyes. Okay maybe not that quick but it seems with the crazy weather lately that they are changing quick. Something I tell my kids every fall is to pay attention to the trees everyday because before you know it the leaves will all be gone and so will all the colors.

I have described the autumn season before as God's natural fireworks. The colors explode in every tree and every year it's different. If you don't think we serve a creative God then you are sadly mistaken. 

Isaiah was so excited to see the leaves falling in the backyard that he first said, "Mom it's snowing" then he ran to the front of the house saying, "I am going to jump in the pile of leaves mom" but alas, the leaves on the tree in front have yet to fall. Weird. I told him that soon the leaves on the front tree would be falling but we have to wait until most have fallen off so we can make a huge pile to jump in.

I think I will jump in them this year!!

A beautiful Fall day

Today has got to be one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen in Nevada. The explosions of color that are happening on every tree around here is amazing. I drive by these trees so much slower just to take it all in. By next week, the trees will mostly all be barren and empty and the weather will get very, very chilly. Right now though , once again I am amazed by The Creator, and how year after beautiful year He produces such awesome beauty for His kids to enjoy. You couldn't paint these colors even if you tried.
I made a carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting, lit candles that smell like fall, and hung out with some beautiful brand new moms while our babies fell asleep in our laps (probably from our non-stop chatter) the leaves fell off the trees right outside my window and I thought, what a gorgoues fall morning. I couldn't ask for better ingredients in life. Good company, Good food, Good scenery, and a very Good God who knows my name and made explosions in the sky just for me.

Fall is in the air around here, and it's about time.

I am so happy that fall is finally here. This is my favorite time of year. Today was a perfect weather day in my opinion. I sat outside and the air was cool but the sun was warm and it made me thankful for season changes. I might not like other changes so much but the season changing is something that I can really enjoy. One thing that I will give credit to Nevada for is the fact that we get a pretty good dose of every season. That's about all that I can say that is positive regarding the state of Nevada. More times than not I wonder why I live in this state, but that is a topic for another blog on another day.
Every year when the leaves start to change it makes me remember that changes are good.

Halloween

Okay , I am going to attempt to communicate my thoughts about this holiday and all others in a way that is very encouraging and correct. Things I do not approve of about this holiday are as follows; intentions to frighten, tricks instead of treats, the gory over the top decorations, the witches,ghosts, and other monsters that are supposed to be ok for kids to be exposed to. These are the evil sides of this holiday that I am opposed to. I am sadened that there will be another side of this holiday that is about death and fear . Because of these traditions that the world promotes I will choose to do things differently with my kids. I do not however want to confuse my kids by telling them that cannot do something that I believe is perfectly fine for them to do. When I asked my 4year old son what he thinks Jesus thinks about Halloween he said "He thinks we should dress up in only good things , he likes good things, not bad things cause we don't believe in the bad things." Just today in my 5 year old daughter Chloe's class a boy wanted to play a game about ghosts and witches and she said, " I don't believe in witches, cause they like the devil." She told me she didn't play his game. WOW!! A light be it ever so small??
I don't think that everything about this holiday is bad and evil though.
Things I love about this holiday; imaginations,creativity,meeting new people and children, neighbors that are no longer strangers, the colors, the costumes,and of course the candy.
I truly do wonder what Jesus would do in this situation, and I have asked Him several times almost every year around this time, and if I ever get a different answer I will certainly obey.
Now, this brings me to one last point, and that is the calendar that Georgia had listed below her post. It also had alot of other holidays on there besides just Halloween(Christmas, Easter) in which the church of satan chooses to have an opposite celebration . If they choose to celebrate death, dying, and fear on that night why can't we as the church of the Living God celebrate life and life abundant. There is no greater joy or life abundant sound than that of children having fun and enjoying life. All the holidays are to me a time to celebrate the blessings and gifts that God abundantly gives. To remember on those days, as on everyday, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and to be truly thankful, and grateful for each one.
I understand completely why other families choose to celebrate differently and I think that is what makes the body of Christ so amazing. We all have different roles to play and choices to make.
I hope my heart was communicated correctly.
history of halloween
http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm
satanic ritual calendar
http://www.care1.org/articles/a23_calendar.htm

Romans 8:26-28 MSG version

"God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves....and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."
Romans 8:26-28
I have had lots of wordless sighs and aching groans lately and I was glad to be reminded that the Holy Spirit is a good interpretor. Thankful that I'm not left alone to figure it all out and that in the end if I keep loving God it will all work out good in the end. Every detail of my life is important to Him.
One of the things that reminds me of Gods detail in life is this time of year. Every time the leaves on the trees begin to change into this beautiful display of colors I am reminded that my God is THE God of details. He couldv'e just had the leaves fall off in there present state but instead we get to witness every year at this time his amazing attention to the details. If he pays attention to leaves on the trees how much more the details of our lives. What an awesome God I serve.