State Fair 2011

Here's Melissa in front of Big Tex who is sporting his new shirt from Dickie's! Melissa got to come here for work this week so she was able to join us on our annual trip out to the State Fair!

We always have to visit Fletcher's for one of their famous and delicious corn dogs! They added a new one this year with turkey meat! Melissa tried it and said it tasted just like to original one!

Such a State Fair tradition! A must eat if you go to the Fair! SO good!

Life size butter sculptures in a refrigerated case! Pretty amazing!

I LOVE the dog show and the pig races! Always entertaining!

My family at the Midway!

The Fairgrounds surround the Cotton Bowl.

Bill and I near Big Tex before the parade and as we were heading to the car exhibits before the fireworks and laser light show!

My two adult amazing kids at the International Boulevard!

I picked out my next vehicle! A Hybrid Highlander Limited for my Nana vehicle in a few years!

Melissa and I pretending in the Highlander! Trying it out!

Melissa picked out this Lexus RX 500h for her next vehicle, someday!

Cupons get more expensive every year! It is not cheap to go out to the Fair!

Corn dogs ended up being about 4.50 each this year after you bought your cupons!

Bill and I always test drive the Chevy's and get our freebie every year! Do you like our t-shirts?

We considered it an extra special blessing this year that both our adult kids were in and willing to join us on our annual day at the Texas State Fair! Such a nice evening!

Thank you Lord, for simple blessings!

Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"

Psalms 128:1 "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His way!"

Things I'm Loving Thursday!

I am loving that it is State Fair time again! I am looking forward to going next week with my husband and my daughter!

I am LOVING all the rain we have been having!

I am loving the Texas Rangers and the play offs!

I am loving these lower gas prices!

Today, I am tempted to share with you "things I am NOT loving!" Lol! I am just not loving stress from work and now I am 52 and going back to my doctor next week to try to figure out what is going on with my cholesterol for the first time in my life! I am not overweight, I take my fish oil and baby aspirin, and I eat very very healthy but yet my total cholesterol was high this last time. uggg..... Genetics and pre-menopause I guess? We shall see.. Doctor again next week....Getting old is just the pits sometimes but it does beat the alternative, right? Anyway, things I AM loving are:

Sam's has these wonderful huge and delicious Gala apples in 5 pound bags! I am loving them!!

Our wonderful painter, Cesar Garcia is truly amazing! It is time, after almost 13 years, yes, to repaint the interior of our house and he is doing an outstanding job!! He is neat and does such perfect work! I have his number if anyone in the DFW area needs a great and very trustworthy painter! I give him a key so he can come and go while we are at work and it is working out so well!!

My wonderful husband, Bill! Yes, I am loving him always, but today extra appreciation of him is being felt by me! He is my constant encourager, listener, motivator, and friend! I could not make it through this work year without his constant encouragement! He is such a blessing!

Thank you Lord, for so many things to be thankful for! I am loving having some windows and door open right now with the temperatures nice and cool!

2 Samuel 22 "Therefore I will give thanks unto thee O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name."

I Chronicles 16 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever."

Things I'm Loving Thursday!

Hawaiian Hazelnut K coffee cups from Bed Bath & Beyond! So heavenly delicious! Mmmm....

I love the "Cool Nights" line at Soma and I have this new print and style in a short gown and LOVE it! I don't get too hot at night in these wonderful designs made just for ladies my age!

I'm so excited! We have a painter coming today to start our first time to repaint the inside of our 13 year old home as well as the outside west and east eaves that Bill couldn't reach when he repainted to exterior!

Got ours yesterday!

Ate here Tuesday night! So good at Northpark Mall!

What are you loving today?

Twisted Root

Bill and I ate here recently for lunch and had the most amazingly delicious burgers ever!!

Twisted Root Burgers is located on Commerce Street in Dallas in Deep Elum and if you haven't been here you must go!

They have a very unique atmosphere and absolutely delicious food!

Yes, I did let Bill order whatever he wanted and yes, that was a beef burger and fries! I had a turkey burger on wheat and sweet potato chips and they were so good!The decor is very unique and the staff is quite entertaining! You are given the name of a celebrity to wait for your order with. When they say for example, "Kojak" or "Eva Longoria", "Your order is ready!" it is quite entertaining as they share other facts and funnies as you get up and go claim your order!So true! So true! Lol!

Fun and very tasty! Great unique atmosphere!

Their sauces were amazing! The Chipotle one was my personal favorite and it was not hot! If you haven't eaten at the Twisted Root, you must put it on your list of places you need to visit!

Intercession = standing in the gap for others

Ephesians 1:17-18 says, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe!"

There are seasons of varying needs in the life of a minister. Right now is a high needs season. There are SO MANY right now, whom we are lifting up in prayer with very serious needs.

It is truly an honor and a privilege to stand in the gap and prayer prayers of intercession for others. It is amazing how at times like this, the expected feelings would be sadness, depression, and the feeling of being over whelmed and heavy burdened. Surprisingly God steps in and gives the intercessor an abundant amount of His Grace! I don't feel down but I am encouraged and hopeful! I am kneeling at the throne of the all powerful God who knows all, provides all, is all present and all sustaining. I am amazed and I am strengthened to continue to pray, intercede, pray on behalf of, and even plead with God for those I know and love.

Here are the precious ones I am currently lifting up to God in prayer:

The family of Carolyn Cavins as they grieve her recent passing;

The family of Bob Morton as they grieve his passing;

Chris Snow and his family as he fights cancer and we are confident he will beat this! Also praying for his precious daughter Carson as she prepares for dialysis;

Sarah Roberts as she so beautifully and bravely beats Leukemia! She is almost there!

My sweet Aunt Audrey who just lost her husband Tom Tope,

Her son and my cousin Bob Wimpee, as he has open heart surgery tomorrow at Baylor Hospital in Dallas.

Freddy Young as he recovers from major heart surgery! He is so precious and amazing!

Ray Bush as he recovers from Prostate Cancer surgery;

My sweet friend Lynn Patterson as she battles breast cancer;

A precious young pastor and his wife as they heal from resigning from a church and move on;

Elsie Calloway in the hospital with undiagnosed problem;

Ruth Brundrette who just fell and broke her hip last night;

The Snook family in Livingston as they face a new reality after suddenly losing Jay Snook;

I Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually."

Lord I lift up these to you.

New Travel Pro Rolling tote!

Dillard's had this Travel Pro Rolling Tote on Sale for 1/2 price this weekend and it matches my new light weight bigger bag I purchased recently! I needed a new rolling bag for work since I now have to tote my heavy laptop back and forth every week day along with papers etc. So I was thrilled to find this available and on sale! I can use it for work everyday AND it matches my travel luggage that is lighter now that most airlines charge so much for your bag and it has to be under 50 pounds to not incur an additional charge! I also got the matching light small duffel carry on bag that can piggy back on top of this tote and I can then roll it all and save my back! I just had to share my recent find!

I had been looking at the Baggellini collection but it was far more expensive and actually heavier. Bill was pleased with my choice and my purchase! On our next Disney trip I can use one for my carry on and Bill can use the other as his and then I can piggyback and roll them while he wrangles his golf clubs and his bag!

Labor Day Weekend at the Skaar house!

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I am truly enjoying this weekend to rest after my first two weeks back at work full time as a public school speech pathologist. Last weekend I worked ALL weekend online getting all my student's records, goals, arded time for speech, and then doing my schedule of services. I started doing therapy this past week and I am SO thankful for this weekend of rest! Friday night we drove to Waco for our Alma Mater's first home game and it was glorious! Baylor won over TCU 50 to 48! TCU played a good game and they will go on to have a great season I am sure but so will we! It was an extra surprise and blessing to end up getting to sit with my cousins, Gay Lynn and Bob and their spouses and some of their children, as well as near Brad and Jeannie H., (my husband's best man from our wedding) and my daughter and her husband and their best man and maid of honor, Stephanie and David! All of us are Baylor graduates! So much fun was had by all AND BU won the game! So sweet!

Now we are enjoying the rest of this holiday weekend with today, a wonderful morning church service where Bill spoke about "Virtue" from II Peter 1:5 "For this very reason make every effort to add to your faith, virtue" Virtue = moral excellence

We are enjoying keeping Zeus and Gabby this weekend as their human parents are out of town. We love dog sitting!

We are also loving all this college football! A&M is ahead of SMU right now.

I'm so sad that A&M is wanting to leave the Big 12. The future is uncertain for our conference now. Oklahoma Sooners will probably be next to leave and OSU will probably follow. So so sad.

Really makes me miss the good ole days of the Southwest Conference. Looks like Super Conferences might be the thing of the future.

This was our dinner tonight! We grilled out while the puppies had playtime out back in this cooler weather!

The men in my house this evening! Bill, Brad, and Quinlan is in from Baylor for the holiday weekend!

Oh, yes, Zeus was so happy to smell and hope for scraps after our dinner! Yes, he did get some scraps and some bones to chew and enjoy!

These shrimp kabobs from Schwans were a great compliment to the steaks and so easy!

Me supervising puppy play time in the back yard while Bill grilled!

Zeus supervising the grilling!Gabby frolicking in the back yard! She may be 16 but she still loves to trot and explore around the grounds!

Zeus loves being at Aunt Pam's house! Ahhh.... this is the life!

Such cute sweet furry friends! Our guests for the weekend and each a joy to us!

I hope you are having a restful, relaxing, fun, Labor Day weekend.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen is from the hand of God."