Winding Down 2010

One of my 2011 resolutions needs to be to do a better job at blogging. I think about it.. I even say "I need to put that on the blog."  But life has a way of happening and I get caught up in it and don't blog.

I didn't think I would ever get in the Christmas spirit this year. Not sure I ever really did.. at least not the way most folks do. God has a wonderful sense of humor. Christmas Eve night I slammed my foot.. little toe to be exact... into the leg of a chair and did a bit of damage... swelling and bruising commenced... I was certain it would be fine by Christmas morning. Nope!  Couldn't walk on it at all. So I spent Christmas and the day after sitting with my foot propped up ... being waited on others. I say often that I want a day like that... I lie! LOL!  I got tired of it quickly and then it hit me..... like so many things in my life, it is about control. I wasn't in control and it was driving me nuts. Could my husband and son really bake the brunch casserole (which I had made the night before) as well as I could? Would we have all the foods I planned? Would it be done "right" (which means done my way)? 

Guess what... we had plenty of food and it was great... it was a lovely day and whether it was done my way or not, it was right.  It ended up being one of the most relaxed days I have had in a very long time. That was the best Christmas present ever, just wish I could have gotten it without the pain in my foot! LOL!

As always, my husband decorated the house in and out... it was magical... here are a few pix....

Mia loves to chew on our coco mats!  We have tried so many things to stop her, but nothing has worked. See her handiwork on the bottom corner?

This next photo has nothing to do with Christmas. It is just so rare I get a good photo of Mia.  I think she is an Amish dog and fears taking her photograph steals her soul!  I caught this shot of her truly by accident. 

Mac stood at the front door while I took pictures. He couldn't understand why I was outside without him! LOL! Look at that sweet little face watching his Momma.

My husband will tell you he doesn't care for wiener dogs... he prefers big dogs and wants a chocolate lab. Ha!  I have evidence that he spoils them... he is giving them a sausage and cheese ball (actually a pinch off one not a whole one each!) They both adore they Daddy! 

On a different note... I do a word of the year each year... well, I have for the past 3 years. My 2010 word was Change and it has been perfect!  There have been a lot of changes in our lives... 1 child graduated from High School (I homeschooled him all the way.. no more homeschooling is a big change!)... and he started college... the other graduated college. She was headed to grad school in another city.. ended up staying home.. is working.. and seeking God on what she needs to do next. Lots of changes with my level of activity at church (all good!)...  changes in income as retirement deposits and insurance premiums have gone up.. but also changes on deeper levels... and with priorities.  So it seems fitting that here at the end of 2010 I would make a big change. When I was a little girl I had long blonde hair... then in junior and senior high I went short.. Dorothy Hammil Wedge!  In 1996 I mentioned I needed a hair cut. My husband said "Let it grow" so I did. Over the years I have had small trims and given hair to Locks of Love twice.. 10" once and 12" another time. On Dec. 16 I donated 14" to Locks of Love and then got about 2" more cut off to create the new do.

Here is a before and after of the back of my hair:

I am pretty sure the friend who cut my hair added all that gray in the process! I don't remember it being there! LOL!  Maybe that is another one of those 2010 changes!  Wonder if 2011 will bring more...

Happy New Year Y'all!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a most wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  I truly think it is my favorite holiday.  Unless we are traveling to see family, we open our home to anyone who needs a place to come. Over the years we have had a number of elderly widows (friends of my mom's), an exchange student, and friends who are estranged from family or live to far away to go visit.  This year it looked as if we would have just the 4 of us and my mom.. which would have been just fine. But at the last minute, God sent us some folks to love on.... 2 of my daughter's co-workers and a friend of my son.

My husband is very artistic and loves to create lovely decorated tables for the holidays. He is a master at using things we have had forever (many bought at thrift stores or on clearance) and he always brings touches of the outdoors inside. Here are some photos of this year's Thanksgiving Table....

I think the kids and I take for granted having such a lovely table, but our guests always love it and feel special because of his efforts.

I wish I had taken a photo of the table filled with people.. it was a lovely sight.

After the big day, we spent the rest of the holiday hanging out at home.. enjoying each other's company... working on various craft projects... watching movies... reading... doing yard work (the boys not me! LOL!)... Mac and Mia loved having everyone home.

Mac guarded the iron while I was sewing....

but his resistance was weakened by the sunshine and he fell asleep....

Mia enjoyed sitting and sleeping in the sunshine too.... she is our pretty princess girl and she knows it!

Mac snoozed with on the bed with out daughter....

and Mia choose the couch.. I found this position interesting!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Here's looking to a lovely fun Christmas season!

Catching Up... Looking for Fall... Flower and Garden Show

I have been woefully negligent with blogging.  I am too busy enjoying the journey to blog about it, I guess!   We are in search of Fall here. I live in the deep South and Fall isn't really a season here. It is more like a guest for a few weeks.  We have had hints.. some cooler temps and breezes.. but then the heat and humidity came back. I think they were jealous of the attention we were giving the crisp cool weather.  That taste of Fall is enough to send us into Fall mode. My husband is a very artistic and creative fella and he loves to create with flower and leaves and such. He had a blast decorating the house for Fall.

Here is our front door....

I love that he also decorates the back door. You have to come through the garage to get here, so pretty much the only folks who see this are us... he figures we deserve some loveliness too!

Of course there has to be some decorating inside too...

the Breakfast Table

I was given some pears... these are just a few... they have been peeled and sliced and cooked until nice and soft. Tomorrow they get pureed in the food processor and then they get turned into Pear Butter.  My first time to make it.  Hope it is good!

Last Friday, Hubby and I went to a Fall Flower and Garden Expo. It is in a small town south of us and is a huge deal. The largest show of its kind in the Southeast with 1000s of folks coming. It was really lovely and I am sure it will be come a regular excursion for us. Here are just a few pics of things we saw...

That is the joy I've been finding on my journey... I hope you find a bit every day as your journey through life.  Look for it.. it is there!

Semper Fi!

I have a number of nieces and nephews (and now great ones too!).  My niece, De'Ana, was the first.. born just 19 weeks after my 9th birthday... the last is my nephew, Collier, born 1 day after my 27th birthday. Most of the crew lean towards De'Ana's end of the age spectrum. In fact, my mother call all the grandkids born before my daughter (who is 19 months older than Collier) the big kids.  My 2 kiddos and Collier are the little kids... although at 23, soon to be 21 and 18 they are not so little any more!

Being wedged in age between my 2 kids, Collier and my 2 spent a great deal of time together at our house...at their house.. and often at Mamaw and Papaw's house.  In many ways I feel like Coll is one of mine.  I have no doubt he has no concept of house much I love him. He has one of the best smiles that stretches all the way to his beautiful blue eyes.  There is a mischief behind those eyes and a wit that is very similar to his dad.  Like my kids, no matter how grown he is I still picture Collier as a little boy with a blond bowl haircut running around laughing as he played.  

Today that sweet child of my heart graduated from Basic Training and is now a Private in the United States Marine Corps.  I am proud for him and of him! I know this was more rigorous than I can begin to imagine, but I also knew he had what it takes to persevere... and persevere he did!

Funny thing... when I look at this picture of Collier.. the man... the Marine... I still see glimpses of my Collie-Bug behind those serious eyes.

I love you, Coll....

Turn Around and You're a Young Man Walking Out the Door

There is a song from the 60s called Turn Around.  Part of it goes like this...

Where are you going
My little one, little one
Where are you going
My baby, my own

Turn around and you’re two
Turn around and you’re four
Turn around and you’re a young girl
Going out of the door 

I am experiencing a bit of this today... only it is a young man who walked out the door. The younger of my 2 children... my son... had his first day in college today.  I am not nearly as emotional about it as some thought I would be. This child was born running towards an independent life.  But it is still one of those moments where you stand back ... watch... remember... and ponder what is ahead.  

I sent an email to my husband that said "The strangest thing happened today. I was in Luke's room this morning... he was playing in his crib all cuddly and sweet... I turned around to put some things away and when I turned back he was up and dressed and headed out the door to college!"

I feel as if it really were just that fast at times... but then I also have 18 years of memories that prove it wasn't quite as quick as that. I had the privilege of homeschooling my son from 1st grade through graduating this past May.  I would not trade one minute of that time with him and his sister (whom I homeschooled from 5th grade on).  It was a precious season of my life. And soon I will be able to sing more of this song and a new season will begin...

Turn around and you’re tiny

Turn around and you’re grown

Turn around and you’re a husband

With babes of your own 

"And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40

Bath Time!

Mac & Mia are our 2 miniature long-hair dachshunds.  Bath time for the pups is always a trip here.  Mac normally jumps in the tub before we are ready and we have to lock him out while Mia is being washed or he will jump in with her too!  Mia, on the other hand, hates water with a passion.. except to drink.  The fall out afterwards is the best!  Here is a video (created by our daughter) of the fun. Enjoy!

Super Summer!!!!

The title of this post isn't a rousing endorsement for the summer... although it has been a good one so far... super HOT, but good!  Super Summer is a Camp... a Christian leadership camp for students. You start the summer after 8th grade and go through the summer after your senior year.  The cool thing is you stay with the same group of kids for your entire run. Some will drop out along the way, but no new ones come into your group. Each year you are in a different Color School... the main track is red, blue, yellow, green and purple. From the time you finish red school your goal is to get to purple school.

Now I have to stop and say there are ways for kids to come into the camp who haven't gone the main track. There are other schools set up for kids who jump in mid-stream... silver, gold, brown etc.  It is all about the colors!

And there are a ton of kids there! I believe this year, which had record numbers, was close to 1500 kids. How terrific is that!!!

And each night they have a big rally with a worship leader and speaker... it is their Rainbow Celebration... very cool! Lots of Bible study.. small group discussion... mission projects... some free time and rec each day.

And friendships... the kids who stick with Super Summer year after year make so many friends.. many they only see at SS each July... others they will run into throughout the year. It is not unusual for my son to see someone and say "Hey, don't you go to Super Summer at MC?"  They might not be in the same color school, but they have seen each other from year to year.

My son started SS the summer after 8th grade and has gone all the way through... today is his last day of Purple school and I must admit I am a bit sad. I have seen him grow into an amazing Christian leader over the last 5 years... and part of that growth is the result of Super Summer and of the people he has met there. It has also been a very special time for him and his best friend. They met when they were 5 and are like brothers. They room together each year (and oh my the things they take for their room!).

With all the color themes, the kids go crazy.. some more than others. You dress in your school color... many dye their hair to match... paint faces etc.  Each year each color school has a name... some I remember are the Green Meanies... True Blue... Purple People Eaters...

My son and his buddy got together and spray painted some shirts for them to wear...

they both got one that says this...

and my son did this one for himself...

                                                                     "Speak Love"

and then when they got to SS, their purple school leaders gave them their school shirt...

They are the Purple Pandas. I like the panda on the shirt alot.

In about 90 minutes I will pick my man-boy up for the final time from SS. Seems like yesterday he was coming home from red school (1st year) and telling me all about it.

I feel certain he will be back as a worker in the years ahead. He loves SS and he knows the value of it.  Still... it seems like there have been a lot of endings this year... and yet I know the beginnings are coming soon....