Day 30 (#26-30)

40 Things (cont.)

In honor of my 40th birthday today, I am listing 40 things I am thankful for.  You can find #1-25 (or links to them) here.

This is cheating just a little, but this way I can "kill 2 birds with one stone" by showing off our recent family pics AND being thankful at the same time (I prefer to call it "time management").  ;)
26.  I am thankful for my family.  They are pretty much my very favorite people on this planet. 

 27.  I am thankful for my son.  Growing up so fast, fierce protector of his mama, sentimental child, eager to please, a good worker except when he's being lazy, and wants to do what is right, concerned about those who don't know Jesus. 

 28.  I am thankful for my older daughter.  Kind-hearted soul, impetuous, spontaneous, full of energy, hysterical sense of humor, tender heart to the things of the Lord.

 29.  Our baby girl.  Easy-going, joyful, adaptable, growing up too fast, ready to take on the world (or at least our entire house!). 

30.  I'm thankful for some decent pictures of our family ... now to order Christmas cards!  I'm so thankful that I got 50 *free* cards from shutterfly (thanks again, Melanie!).  :)

:::::::::::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::::::::::::::::::Tomorrow.

Day 30 (#16-25)

40 Things (cont.)

In honor of my 40th birthday today, I'm listing 40 things I am thankful for today. 
For #1-5, go here.  For #6-15, go here.

16.  I'm thankful for CAKE!!!  and COOKIES!!   It was obviously YUMMY:

17.  I'm thankful for 2 friends who asked if they could stop by today & brought me the above yummy treats.  We had some coffee and taste-tested the goodies. 

18. I'm thankful for facebook ... today the birthday wishes on it reminded me of the many, many friends I have met from so many places!  There were wishes from Germany, South Africa, Guam, Hawaii, and all over the U.S. (that's where my friends are, not necessarily always where I've been).  Each friend or family member who took a few seconds to write a short wish is someone who has touched my life in some way, and it was fun to read over their names & remember.

19.  I'm thankful for Miriam's nap time each day.  Right now, I'm indulging myself with some blog/internet time ... other days, I use her nap times to get "stuff" done.  Occasionally, I even sneak in a nap myself, but not so much any more since she is now pretty much always sleeping through the night!

20. I'm thankful for sleeping through a night.  Boy does that feel good!!  :)

::::::::::::HALF WAY DONE:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

21.  I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had in the last 40 years to experience so many different cultures, places, and people.  I've lived in some interesting places, and visited some fascinating locations. 

22.  Although I don't always feel this way, I am thankful for the middle-of-no-where place where God has settled us down for now.  There are many advantages of small town living, and mainly, we are here because of the military and because of the church & its Christian school.  I love that my children have been in the SAME SCHOOL since K-4 (and are now in 5th & 7th grades).   I love that they have "roots".  I am thankful they are experiencing many good teachers each school year, and hearing much good preaching and teaching at church.

23.  I am thankful for what each teacher has invested into my children.  Each school year, they have learned not only academically, but their characters have been built and their faith has been encouraged.  Even though we've been through some rough patches at school, the life lessons my kids are learning are invaluable!

24.  I am thankful that my husband believes so adamantly in Christian education for not only our children but also for about 180-something other students that he made it into his career!

25.  Though it has been a hard transition for me personally, I am thankful for all that we have learned these last 6+ years in the ministry. 

::::::::::::::To be continued.:::::::::::::::::::::

Day 30 (#6-15)

40 Things (cont.)

In honor of my 40th birthday today, I am listing 40 things I am thankful for.  For #1-5, go here.

Here are some absolutely frivolous things I am thankful for that make life on this old earth just a little bit more fun:

6.  chocolate.  Need I say more??  Well, I could just say - GERMAN MILK CHOCOLATE!!!  Oh, and Nutella.  LOVE LOVE LOVE Nutella. 

7.  coffee.  Thank you, God, for creating the coffee bean and Starbucks.  Starbucks gave me a FREE DRINK OF MY CHOICE gift card for my birthday.  Plus I just won a $10 gift card as well.  I'm set!

8. for God allowing humans to be carnivores if they so choose.  As much as I am grossed out by the processing of raw meats, I love a good steak, cooked medium well.  YUM!!!!!!!! 

9.  Panera Bread Company.  Our tiny town is getting a Panera Bread Co., opening in December.  Again - like Starbucks - an over-priced pleasure ... but oh so worth it for a treat-yourself experience. AND I currently have a little gift card for filling out a survey for Panera.  How convenient.  :)

10.  Chick-Fil-A.  I drive 80 miles to my nearest Chick-Fil-A here in Middle-of-No-Where, Missouri.  Whenever we go "home" to Tennessee, my preferred stop for lunch/dinner is the first Chick-Fil-A we can find - there is one at the mall in Paducah, KY and one by Nashville ...  I grew up in the Land of Chick-Fil-A, and many students from the Christian college I attended worked there.  I love that they are closed on Sundays ... God bless Chick-Fil-A. 

11.  Schnitzel.  If you've never had a REAL German Schnitzel made by a real German cook or at a real German restaurant, well, I pity you.  ;0)  Oh, and I like mine with a side of red cabbage. 

12.  FOOD ... apparently I am very thankful for stuffing my face with delicious foods and beverages.  This might explain my weight problem.  ;)  Seriously, we are SO blessed in America with the variety and abudance (and dare I say EXCESS) of food.  I don't really think I have ever been truly hungry in my life time.

13.  On a less costly note, I am thankful too for Goodwill ... our town happens to have a very good Goodwill store - it's open, bright, clean, and well organized.  It's a treasure hunt to go there - my entire family loves to go.

14.  Our Goodwill store happens to be located right beside a wonderful, affordable Mexican restaurant that I am also thankful for:  El Jimador (locals lovingly call it El Jimmy's). 

15.  I'm thankful for my therapist/hair stylist whose shop happens to be in the same shopping center as Goodwill and El Jimmy's.  I specifically budget so I can go visit her on a regular basis.  For the first time in my life, I have a beautician who does my hair so well that I do not have to come home & re-do it. 

:::::::::::: TO BE CONTINUED :::::::::::::::::

30 Days of Thanks (Day 30)!!

I remember November 30, 2009 so well:  I was 35 weeks pregnant (3 weeks away from meeting a little girl that has blessed our entire family so much!); I was turning 39 years old; and I had just worked my last day as an employee of our church & its Christian school. 

So much has happened in the last year - so much I'm thankful for. 

Today, in honor of my 40th birthday today (I can't believe I'm admitting that on the internet - but really, it's nothing to be ashmaed of), I'm listing 40 things I am thankful for.  But first, I want to say THANK YOU to those who read my blog this month and to all those who participated with me.  I hesitate to name anyone in particular because I'd hate to leave someone out, BUT I must say a special thanks to my friend Bobbie Jo who was the only one who was able to link up EVERY DAY this month!!

40 REASONS I AM THANKFUL:

1.  I am thankful for blogs.  I have finally found an outlet for my writing - and somewhere I can get feedback, have fun, share, and contemplate.  I've made some new friends along the way, and I've connected in a whole different way with some real life friends who blog too.  I've had some really cool opportunities come my way like contributing articles for MamaBzz.com.  Since March, I've gotten $115 in amazon gift cards from swagbucks.com.  And even yesterday, I found out I won a $10 gift card to Starbucks from a blog-friend (and fellow German-American), Monika Hardy.  Blogging is a great hobby!  :)

2.  I should be spiritual and say that I am thankful for God saving my soul & making me whole ... THANK YOU, LORD, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.  Everything I have, everything I am, is due to Him. 

3.  I am thankful for the family I have been given.  Not only are my parents and my in-laws Christians, I have been blessed with a wonderful husband (one of the good guys!).  :)  I no longer take Dan for granted - I've seen too many marriages that are broken or end in divorce over time, and it is only by God's grace and a lot of effort to love and understand each other that I am happily married today.  I'm so thankful for the last almost 18 years that Dan has loved me unconditionally, even as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25).  I am thankful that I'm learning more and more about respecting him as well. 

4.  If you know me, you know I'm especially thankful for my 3 children - and even for the one baby we lost at 8 weeks gestation.  Every child is a miracle, and my children defied the odds that the doctors had given us for even having one child.  I'm thankful for the modern medicine and the long-ago surgery that allowed us to have these children. 

5.  I'm thankful for good health.  Knowing and reading about many who are suffering from diseases and illness and debilitating results of accidents, I don't take each pain-free day for granted.  One of my biggest fears in life is cancer, but I know that even if this ugly disease comes into our family that God will provide the grace to face it.  I am thankful for God's healing - my dad & my father-in-law have both survived prostate cancer.  I'm thankful God is our Great Physician. 

::::: TO BE CONTINUED :::::
I don't want to overwhelm anyone with my ramblings - and I probably need to do a few other things for now anyway.  I'll be back with #6-40 - which will hopefully be more concise.  :)

If you would like to share what you are thankful for today, please link up! 

30 Days of Thanks (Day 29)

Did November just fly by so fast?!   It did for me ... I'm thankful that it was overall a good month - but I think focusing on being thankful sure helps with the attitude!  :)

Today I'm thankful that Dan's grandmother is doing a little better.  She had a good day; I think she was much bolstered by family & friends being there with her.  But you know how these things go:  there are good days and bad days ... We just keep praying.

I'm thankful for this past 4 days off with my family.  Despite being concerned about Grandma, we had some special time together.  Because Dan's parents had to leave for Iowa unexpectedly early, we were able to spend all day Saturday in one of our nearest bigger cities - just the 5 of us!  We didn't really do the whole "Black Friday" thing ... but we did stop by Target on Saturday - and picked up the *LAST* Black Friday leftover portable DVD player.  We've been wanting one for a long time now ... The cashier told us she was surprised they hadn't run out of them yet because they were such a good price; I tend to think this one last player was meant just for us, yet another provision/blessing from God.  :)  We also had family pictures taken; hope to share them some time soon if I can find time to figure out how to scan/copy them?!

I am actually thankful that it is MONDAY ... it means we return to some semblance of order, sanity, routine, and quiet.  Although I just wrote out my to-do list for the week, and it doesn't really look that quiet after all ... :)  Have a good one! 

30 Days of Thanks (Day 28)

Our Thanksgiving Break in retrospect:

Wednesday - 1/2 day of school -

5th grade play with Anna as narrator:

this play was SO cute ... it was a take on The Ugly Duckling, but instead of ducklings, there was a group of turkeys - and the "ugly duckling" turned out to be a PEACOCK.

Thursday at the in-laws:

it snowed!  (flurried?)

 Miriam found her own form of teething device:

 Friday - Silver Dollar City (minus Miriam who stayed home, nice & warm with her grandparents):

 Me & My Hubby:  (I am so thankful to have him in my life!)

Saturday:

We ended up leaving my in-laws earlier than we expected because they were called to Iowa to be with Dan's Grandmother Hutch, who may be dying.  She was put into hospice care on Thursday, and she is not improving.  As I said on FB, we are praying the prayer that never fails:  "Thy will be done."

Grandma is 88 years old and ready to go to heaven.

She's an interesting lady - and Dan was telling our kids about her today:

  She married at age 16 and had Dan's dad right before she turned 18.

She supported her husband through seminary when their two boys were 8 and 10 years old; after this time, she was a church planter's wife.

She had to help support the family by working, and she was eventually a postmaster in her small Iowa town.

When her husband of 46 years died, she married his brother, who was a recent widower.  They've been married for about 24 years now.  Because of this, she has been married to a Hutch----- for almost 70 years!!!!  Guess when you get into a good family, you don't want to get out.  :)

However, I've already told Dan there is NO WAY I'm marrying either of his brothers if we were ever in the same situation (and I'm sure they feel the same way). ;)

Please do say a prayer for Dan's family during this time.  It makes for a bittersweet holiday season when someone you love is suffering.

Through all this, I am so THANKFUL that Dan has a godly heritage.  His grandparents on both sides were good Christians and left a spiritual impact on his life.

Remember the "Ham"?!

I wrote a humorous story about my recent "ham" experience for Mama Buzz:

"The Ham:  A Cautionary Tale"

Hope you get a good laugh at my expense!  :)

30 Days of Thanks (Day 27)

It is hard to believe November is coming to a close ... and now Christmas is looming before us!  For my family, Miriam's 1st birthday is also just around the corner!!  I can hardly believe it.  Time flies ... it really does. 

It is time to start decorating for Christmas, if you haven't already ... do you do much?  In the past few years, I've kept things kind of low key around here, but I do try to decorate for the children's sake.  My older two are actually very sentimental!  There are certain things they look for each year when we decorate.  I'm not sure what things will be like this year with Miriam now somewhat mobile ... but I can't wait to find out!!

Here are some of the special items my kids look for each holiday:

I am IN LOVE with Playmobil toys.  We have this nativity set.  I love that my older 2 kids used to play with it (not so much now that they are 10 & 12 years old); no doubt MiMi will enjoy it one day too:

We also have a Playmobil Advent calendar.

I have a traditional German Advent wreath with 4 candles on it.  We will light the first candle this Sunday, November 28!  Then it is only 3 more Sundays until Christmas.

I have ornaments from all my children's 1st Christmas, one from the first year in our house, one from the first Christmas Dan & I had together.  Those collectibles are so special. 

I love my German Christmas smoker that burns Christmas incense... mine is an oven with a kitty cat chasing a mouse underneath it ... but the concept is somewhat like this one:

You burn little incense cones inside the smoker and get a yummy Christmas scent throughout the room:

I have various snow men and penguins and snowflakes and pine cones I love to see year after year ... I don't really "collect" anything; I just love it ALL!!  :)

What is your Christmas decorating style? 

30 Days of Thanks (Days 25 & 26)

I have to cheat & post a 2-for-1 day of thanks because I'm preparing to enter the Land of No Internet (otherwise known as my in-laws' house) for Thanksgiving for a couple of days. 

And so I leave you with 2 Thanksgiving thoughts:

My first is somewhat silly - but never the less important to ME:  I am thankful for TURKEY this year.  In years past, I have twice had some form of pork or pork roast for Thanksgiving with my in-laws.  Perhaps it is a nod to their Iowa upbringing ... but in my German-American opinion, one should have traditional TURKEY for Thanksgiving!!  My M-I-L has promised turkey this year! 

And secondly, although I miss cooking somewhat, I am thankful to be with some family for Thanksgiving.  Having been a military family in the past, we know what it is like to be hundreds, even thousands of miles away from family during holidays.  Currently my in-laws live 120 miles away and that is the closest we have ever lived to family since we have been married.  It is a blessing that my children can know their grandparents. 

Thanksgiving now still isn't quite the same as when I was growing up and surrounded by lots of cousins, siblings, grandparents, and various relatives ... our families (mine and Dan's) seem to have scattered all over the U.S. as we've grown up and married, so we don't take the togetherness with whomever we can be with for granted. 

Happy Thanksgiving ... to you & yours! 

30 Days of Thanks (Day 24)

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. 

Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more." 

~The Grinch

(I will admit I bought the little pitiful Max plush toy (above) for $5 on Saturday while at Kohl's with my GIRLfriends!!  I <3 the Grinch story!!

AND the profits of the sales go to help kids.)

Can I admit something?  This is not as monumental as the fact that I really don't like Fall ... not even really as shocking as the fact that I really don't like pumpkin pie either. ;)

So, here it is:

I'm feeling a little Grinchy these days.

I think I've lost sight of what the holidays are supposed to be about.

It seems that at the holidays, I am bombarded (by choice, I guess you could say) by retail, blogs touting the "best Black Friday deals," and commercials offering me the "must haves" of the season.  The pressure is on to get the best gifts for the family and for friends ... to indulge and not be left behind when it comes to the latest trends, fashion, and entertainment.

On the one hand, living a simple, quiet, homebody life sounds so good to me.  At home, I can hide out from the world and its lures.  I can be oblivious to what is out there.  The things they show on TV or the internet can be impersonal and not applicable to me and my little world.  I am content with such things as I have - my "cozy" house, my family, my friends, food, clothes, and more stuff than I need. 

On the other hand, I get out and see all the fun and flashy STUFF, and I begin to covet.  I look around me at what others have and then enter the stores and am bombarded with things I can't afford but would really like to have.  The discontent starts to seep in.  I feel myself get all cranky and grinchy and dissatisfied. 

Wouldn't it be more convenient and fun to have more things??!  Yet how much is enough?  John D. Rockefeller said we'd still need "just a little more."

Discontentment is an ugly sin.  It leads to many more ugly sins - coveting, dissatisfaction, ungratefulness.  The apostle Paul warned of this sin and challenged believers in I Timothy that if they had food and raiment, they ought to be content therewith.  He challenged that Godliness with contentment is GREAT GAIN.  I guess God knew humans would struggle with this since one of His 10 Commandments is THOU SHALT NOT COVET...

So, as I approach Thanksgiving, I want to shout, "BA-HUM BUG!"  But I know that isn't what God wants me to do.  And really, inside, that isn't what I want to do either.  I want to give thanks this week for all that I have - the most important of which is not the material things anyway:

My home in heaven is sure - God knows and plans my path.  

I have a wonderful husband who has proven himself for richer and currently for a little poorer.  

My children are my personal miracles. 

I have many faithful friends. 

My physical needs are provided. 

My spiritual needs are as well through my church and my Bible.  

And so, I will focus on those non-material things ... and the world and its sale ads can just pass me by.  The true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas isn't about those things but about a Savior who is enough, who satisfies our souls.  And that goes for anyone - whether you have a lot or a little - presents around a tree and fulfilling a child's Christmas wish is great (and not even wrong as long as it is in the budget), but the truest fulfillment comes from sharing family, friends, and faith.

I am hopeful my Grinchful heart will grow 3 sizes this holiday ... and that the true meaning of Christmas will come through, and I'll find the strength of 10 Grinches ... plus 2. 

30 Days of Thanks (Day 23)

Sometimes I get a little grumpy ... a little discouraged ... down on myself, on my life, on "things".  When I start realizing it and working on coming out of it, I am often confronted with the fact that the reason I got grumpy, discouraged, and down was because I got my eyes off God's goodness and onto MYSELF. 

I am not so impressive by any means.  Anything I have, I have because God gave it to me.  I don't have much to teach, but I have so much to learn.  I don't have many talents, but I do have a few abilities.  I don't have much materially, but I have more than I need ... and all that only because of God's grace.

Today on facebook, one of the book groups I follow asked the question:  What are you most thankful for TODAY.  And at the moment, I could only think of ONE THING:  "Because of God's mercies we are not consumed.  Each day is a gift from Him." 

Lamentations 3:22-23:


22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy Faithfulness, Oh, God, My Father ...
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not,Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever shall be.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!



Morning by morning new mercies I see;


all I have needed thy hand hath provided;


great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!



Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

SAVE $$ on HOLIDAY SHOPPING (Grocery)

Here's some NEW COUPONS that are "out there" right now.  Those Pillsbury baking items may help you save some money on your holiday appetizers & desserts!!?
You can find all of these coupons (and MORE) here.

- Dove Chocolate - Buy 2 Get 1 Free

- Gold Peak Tea - Buy 1 Get 1 Free

- Glade Jar Candles - $1.00 off 2

- Pillsbury Refrigerated Holiday Cookies - $1.00 off 2

- Pillsbury Easy Frost No Fuss Frosting - $1.00 off 1

- Pillsbury Pie Crust - $0.50 off 2

- Dannon 32oz Yogurt - $0.75 off 1

- Hershey's Milk or Milkshake - $0.35 off 1

- Eco-Foil items - $1.00 off 3

- Listerine Zero - $1.00 off 1

- Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush 2-in-1 Starter Kit - $3.00 off

- FOCUSfactor - $10.00 off 2

- Glade Fabric and Air Odor Eliminator - $1.00 off 1

- Theraflu - $1.50 off 1

- Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Cakes - $3.00 off 1

- ProPlan Dog or Cat Food - $5.00 off 1 bag

- Neutrogena Men - $2.00 off 1

- Bayer Aspirin AM - $1.50 off 1

30 Days of Thanks (Day 22)

Today I am thankful for this child - even though it is because of HER that this post is difficult to write because she picked the "h" key off my laptop ...

 Miriam is 11 months old TODAY.  I can hardly believe that in one month we'll be celebrating her FIRST BIRTHDAY!!  I'm not sure how I will deal with that ...

I love that Miriam has discovered books lately!  She loves to look at them, turn the pages, ... and chew on them.  :)

Otherwise, she now wearing mostly 12 month size clothes, but still in size 3 diapers.  I'll be curious to find out what she weighs when we have our next well-baby check up.  She has 3 teeth!

Miriam is learning to wave hi and bye-bye, though she tends to wave backwards.  She can also almost blow kisses ... except sometimes instead of blowing a kiss, she'll lick her hand and touch you with it.  :)~  She is cruising all around the furniture.  She doesn't crawl, but instead sits on her bottom and kind of drags herself forward with one leg.  It looks a little pitiful, but it gets her around. 

I love getting up to her coos and smiles each morning ... and spending my days watching her play and learn and figure out the world around her.  I love that she is overall easy-going and pleasant.  Most of all, I love when all 3 of my children are playing together because it is such a blessing to see them interact and have fun together.  I love that they are MY FAMILY.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 21)

I'm thankful for my friends, specifically my GIRLfriends.  My husband is definitely my all-time favorite person on this planet (most of the time!LOL) ... but my GIRLfriends keep me sane.  They "get me" ... they understand ... they can relate to things like hormones, emotions, and mothering.  I am very blessed with some trusted GIRLfriends - and I got to spend some time with a few of them yesterday (Saturday).

ALSO:  as an added bonus, I will share the EASIEST, YUMMIEST punch recipe EVER.  I threw this together made this for a baby shower yesterday - and I got many compliments, the biggest of which was that many people asked for seconds, & it was all gone by the end of the shower!!  :)

(from allrecipes.com)

1 - 2 liter lemon-lime soda
1 - 128 oz (or obviously, 2 - 64 oz) fruit punch
1/2 gallon sherbet (strawberry or raspberry*)  I used raspberry!
(everything I bought was GENERIC Walmart/Great Value brand)

Just throw all that in the punch bowl.  You can try to make pretty scoops with the sherbet, but it will all melt together in the end anyway!  :)

30 Days of Thanks (Day 20)

Today I'm thankful for Saturday.  Even though I've determined to enjoy every day, Saturday is among my FAVORITE days. 

Some Saturdays we're productive around the house or catch up on work.  Some Saturdays we are LaZy and just spend time as a family, playing, napping, having fun.  Some Saturdays like today we are just busy.  Well, at least I am.  I've got a baby shower to go to ... and then I'm going shopping with "the girls" (and without Miriam - Lord, help me!!).  I really am not going to shop, I'm going to kind of get an idea of what is out there and mainly just to spend some time with friends.  :)

Enjoy YOUR Saturday, whatever you are doing today.

30 Days of Thanks (Day 19)

This morning I am thankful for a good night's sleep.  FINALLY.  I actually went to bed at a "reasonable" time (that was for Melanie) last night and other than Miriam's early morning snack (which I practically sleep through anyway), she and I slept til 8:30! 

Hopefully this is the beginning of a great day - definitely a busy one at the beginning of yet another busy weekend.  Gotta run....

Check Out Shutterfly:

The last 2 years, I have ordered my photo Christmas cards from Shutterfly.  (see above)

This year, the selection is awesome!  I personally prefer religious Christmas cards, and Shutterfly actually has some nice options. 

I love that you can have up to 6 (or more?) pictures on your cards like this "Every Good Gift" folded card.
This "Rejoice the Lord is King" 5x7 folded card is "only" $1.04 each if you order 150 (compare to a fancy, not-even-personalized Hallmark card, that's a good deal!!).

For gifts, there's the Simple Path to Photo Books OR photo calendars.

For all your stationary needs, like address labels, invitations, and thank you notes, Shutterfly also has a nice selection.

I'm getting 50 FREE Shutterfly holiday cards by telling you about this!  Check that offer out here: 
http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Veggie Taaaa-aales, Veggie Taaaaa-ales, Veggie Tales.

There's a great Veggie Tale giveaway going on over at A Warm Cup of Coffee.

I want to tell you about it ... but I don't want you to enter because you'll decrease MY chances of winning! ;)  JUST KIDDING. Go. Enter.  :)  It's okay.