Cockscomb, Lantana, and Purple Wave Petunias

On occasion, he surprises me with flowers.

 

Fresh bouquets are a treat...

... but window boxes full are my favorite!

Thanks Sweetheart!

(You fill my life with color.)

Welcome to the Club (the 40 Club)

My friend, Suzanne, was born today...forty years ago.  I'm so glad.  

She is a happy part of my life.

Some twelve-ish years ago, we met.  A mutual friend introduced us and I invited her to lunch along with her little tot, Mabry.  (She now has 5 little tots.)

We had some chicken salad in the backyard and let our little ones play while I proceeded to drag out ALL my scrapbooks for her to see.  Obnoxious.  

(She still wanted to be my friend.)

We've walked through much since that first greeting which has included yard sales, girls trips, play dates & parties, four more births and adoption!  We've shared a whole lot of laughter and a few tears.  Our girls love to be with each other.

She crafts and sews and bakes up a storm.  Her house is a happy place to be.  And she serves, serves, serves like nobody's business.  She is a sweet addition to this world. 

Happy Birthday, Dear Friend!

You are one of my favorites! 

  

Formal Gratitude

For how her heart is as delightful as her appearance... and she didn't even care that she scuffed her freshly painted toenail polish.  "Nobody is going to be looking at my feet."

For how Nana swooped in for a one day visit 

and got to see her grandbaby all dolled up.

 For how three is really not a crowd... 

and how they love each other in the most beautiful way.

And for how we have piles of pictures just like this.

 For mommas who care about making things special and elegant.

And for how they appreciated the effort.

For how they know each other backwards and forwards and upsidedown...

...and enjoy all the uniqueness!

For how we snuck downtown at 10pm to see them all dancing on the rooftop and how little sis waited up on her to get all the details of her happy evening.

First School Formal

A joy-making occasion!

 

The Birth of a Kindred Spirit

 

She was my very first friend when I got married, moved, and attempted to navigate a brand new town.  Newly married herself, she and her husband came up and introduced themselves in Sunday School at the church where we were visiting.  Soon after, she called and invited me to lunch.  To this day, it's one of our favorite lunch spots... Brick Street Cafe.

We have seen a bunch of life together.  Our first two children (Her's boys, Mine girls) were born only two weeks apart each time.  When she called to tell me her third was going to be a girl, I cried! 

She is a treat giver and often delights me with an unexpected surprise...just because.  

She likes to sew, and craft, and design, and create!  And it is fun to share that with her.  She likes fabric, and paper, and ribbon, oh my!  We share ideas and thoughts and find it impossible to surprise each other with homemade gifts...because "great creative minds think alike", and we've both already done it!

She's an amazing mother.  You know, the kind who cuts up her strawberries, sprinkles sugar on them, and keeps them in the fridge when her kids need a snack. I admire her and wish to be like her in so many ways.

We have laughed till we cried and cried till we laughed...together.  And we have shared heartbreak and happiness in life's trials and joys...together.

We are opposites in so many ways.  She's always on time, I'm rarely NOT late.  She's got her ducks in a row.  Mine are waddling in all different directions. 

She is a loyal and faithful friend.  The kind who loves you no matter what.  

And she's finally caught up to me and completed the 4th decade of life!
 

 

Happy Birthday, My Dear, Sweet, Forever Friend!

“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Tub Wisdom

We decided to clean the house this afternoon, because the weekend ahead is full and packed and we just wanted to get it over with. 

When we clean, the girls and I each take a job.  There are three choices for the regular weekly clean:
1.  Bathrooms
2.  Vacuuming
3.  Dusting

Today was her day to do the bathrooms.  She finished and I just happened to go in and inspect (which I rarely do).  There were several strands of hair in the tub.  I called her in.

Daughter:  What?

I pointed to the tub.

Daughter:  What?

(She needed an explanation.)

Me:  This is not clean.

Daughter:  (Disgusted look.)  Yes, it is.

I decided to table the conversation and wiped out the tub myself.

I knew it would not take her long to come find me and inquire... and she did.  

Me:  If you went to a hotel and found the tub looking like that, would you have thought it was clean???

Daughter:  No, but...

Me:  (Cutting her off) Yes.  There are no "buts".  And, by the way, try to have a better attitude when someone corrects you if you are wrong.  

(Unfortunately, she learned that little "skill" from me.)

Addendum:  That same child got emotional when the newest picture of our Compassion child came in the mail today, because she looks sad.  She also wrote a letter to a widow in our church this week...just because.  And she wasted no time making sure I knew she was sorry about the tub.  (That's just how she rolls.)  Love her so.

Open My Eyes

 

I woke to the sun pouring out of the sky.

I remembered to thaw something out for the crockpot. (Major feat!)

The girls were ready for school at 7:15am which left time to run in Publix and grab some sort of lunch with the pennies we scrounged up at home... BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR HOUSE TO MAKE FOR LUNCH.  Except Nana's leftover Split Pea Soup and I had already claimed it and threatened my family's lives if they ate it.  (Nana's Split Pea Soup might just be my favorite thing on this whole entire earth.)

I remembered to take my Zyrtec.

One of my students corrected another during morning share time on the proper use of the word "Ironic" and it just made me belly laugh.  Third graders....gotta love 'em.

My students and I made a sweet surprise for their mommas which required the sewing machine, so that was fun.

The girls and I drove over to DD for "Free Iced Coffee Day" and found it to be a refreshing after-school snack on this warm spring afternoon.

It was our weekly trip to the food pantry where we packed produce and stocked the shelves and laughed all the while.

Andy called.  He was having a good day.

There were checks in the mail and therefore money in the bank for a big (very necessary!) grocery shop. I scooted off by myself to tackle the task leaving the girls to get their homework done before Youth Group.

The sweet older lady who bagged my groceries and walked me to my car shared her whole life story with me in the Publix parking lot, which included almost dying in 1979 while living in NYC to living through a hurricane in Florida where her husband was "mangled" in a car accident and survived to her move to Anderson 7 years ago where she has planted roots and only has 2 years before she can retire with Publix.  She hinted at writing a book about her "crazy, wonderful life" when she retires and I hope she does, because her enthusiasm in sharing it (despite the fact that I was sweltering outside my car and my ice cream was melting in the backseat) was the highlight of my day for sure.

There is Fajita Flank Steak warm in the crockpot for when we all congregate at the table after Youth Group.  I've already grated the MJ cheese and cut up the fixings for our meal together... thankful for another day of His provision.

I turned on the AC.  Don't judge.

We might sit and watched American Idol tonight, although it "ain't" much worth watching anymore because we had to say goodbye to Brunell Taylor last week and he was the best thing to ever happen to that show.  Bummer.

Somehow I got a quiet house for about an hour.  Grateful for a moment to sit and reflect on this day.  This morning, I asked God to keep my eyes open to all of it's beauty.  "Don't let me miss YOU!"  I pleaded.

And there He was.

Did you see Him?   

 



   

My Cup Overflows

 

They laugh at me because I make a friend in every store.  

And they roll their eyes because I can stay in one for hours that is filled with fabric.

 

 But they have showered my life with "happy"...these three.

   

 And four days with them fills me up with joy.

      

 Everyone needs friends who like to make cute things.

'Cause crafting with friends is what makes the world go round.

At least for one weekend out of the year.

 

   

 Grateful for another fun-filled trip to Nana's Bed and Breakfast!