Her Children Will Rise Up and Call Her Blessed....

My sweet Momma celebrated her 80th birthday on September 21.  The weekend after was our official celebration.   We had a couple of family dinners and my brothers came in from out of town, but the big do was a surprise party that Saturday afternoon.  We held it at a local center in our town where my mom volunteers.  Hubby and I did the set-up and take down... food, flowers and decorations ... inviting etc. with lots of help from our kids and their significant others.  I have to say though, the vast majority of the work and what kept everything running smoothly was that man of mine!  He is a big ole sweet fella with a heart of gold. Many of Mom's friends thought he was the caterer and commented on needing his name and number.. they might want to hire him.  Hmm...could be a side job in his future.  LOL!

Mother had a great time. We hoped for 50 - 60 folks. Had over 100!  All 4 of her children came with their spouses.  3 of the 11 grandchildren were there with their honeys and 1 of the 10 great-grands.  We are a scattered bunch, so it is tough to get us all together in the same place.

Here are some pictures from the day.....

Young Love...

I have prayed over the years for our children and their future spouses and while no one is engaged at this date love is definitely in the air.  Honestly, we never encouraged dating. That sounds strange to many, but hear me out. There is no reason to latch on to another person and spend lots of alone time with them just for fun.  We felt it better that our kids spend time with friends.. developing friendships.. and when they found someone they had a deeper interest in.. someone they felt God was leading them to.. then they would prayerfully move forward to see where the relationship was to go.

Our daughter wholeheartedly agreed. Not so much our son. He was interested in a few girls in his teen years and did quasi-date them. I say quasi-date because they met through church activities and their dates consisted of going to youth group events or our with family.  All these were extremely short lived relationships.

In the summer of 2009 while at Camp, he met a girl briefly. They linked up on Facebook as kids do and found they had mutual friends.  Over the next few months their friendship grew and they eventually decided they wanted more. That was 2 years ago this December.  My husband and I feel sure that she is our future daughter-in-love and we are thrilled.  They are just so made for each other. Both have a heart for ministry... they lead worship together... they do Bible study together... pray together... it is just awesome to see! They also act silly and laugh and giggle and occasionally get miffed... all those things that come with love.  Our son is in college.. so no wedding bells for a few more years.  He has to be done with school and able to support a wife ... and children!

Our daughter has recently started seeing a young man.  Because he lives in another town, we have not had as much time to get to know him. That will come.  He is a cute fella.... not that looks matter... and the more I see them together ... well, the more I see them TOGETHER.. Know what I mean? They fit each other well. They have similar wants and desires for their futures. I love that he is very supportive and encouraging to her.  My husband says "He treats her well".. that is important to a dad.  (Sidenote... poor guy can never be good enough for her... that is part of the Daddy code) They are a bit challenged by the distance but modern technology helps... skype, emails, texts etc. make us a lot closer than we really are... and both of them know the drive between where he lives and where we live very well!  They are in that early stage of a relationship where they are getting to know each other... pondering the possibility of a future together... no wedding bells there either... but I wouldn't be surprised to hear them coming their way one day.

And so now my prayers are slightly changed. I pray for these possible future spouses by name.. and while some of the things I prayed for in the past are still on the list, there are new things being added as we all get to know each other.

My kids are 4 1/2 years apart... I thought God did that to space things for me... I have a feeling that won't be true with weddings... I expect these 2 will come within a year of each other at most.  Should be a wild ride... just sitting back and waiting for lift off!

The Lovely Bowls....

I love old things... vintage some might say.  My favorites tend to be things that have been passed down through the family... glassware from my grandmothers, quilts they made, embroidered linens, cast iron.... even knick knack type things.  And occasionally I will purchase something "old."

So recently I was drawn to a set of Pyrex bowls at an estate sale. Saw them on Day 1.  Full set.. great color and pattern... loved them... but did I want to spend the $.  Not that day.

Mentioned them to my husband who immediately said "Buy them!"

We went back on day 2... they were still there.. 25% off... nope, just couldn't do it. I decided that if they were there on Sunday at 50% off I would do it!

So back we went after church Sunday and there they sat patiently waiting for me to come and take them home.

Aren't they cute?!

And here is the kicker... these were not cheap... even at 505 off... they are considered collectible by many... so what do I do with them? Are they displayed on a shelf or in a cupboard? Nope!  I USE them! Life is too short to only display the special things!  I am enjoying the heck out of them. The big one is perfect for muffins and cookies.. the next size down is now my favorite bowl for pancake batter.. I love the way the handles are made so that one is a bit wider to act as a handle and the other narrower and tapered to be a spout. Love it! Why don't they make bowls this cute and functional any more!?

Both my kids like these. I think I will keep my eyes open for a set to put up for each of them to have when they start their own home. And I think I will keep my eyes open for more vintage goodies for me to enjoy today!

Barb

Snowy Surprise

I live in a part of the US where snow is extremely rare... especially real snow. We get excited over a flurry of flakes and if anything actually sticks, well we shut down our businesses and hunker down for the "blizzard!"  Despite the lack of snow here (or maybe because of it) I love things with snow flakes or snowmen on them.  A dear friend, who lives where it really snows!, knows my love of snowy things and sent me the cutest happy recently.  It was truly a surprise and I cannot wait to wear it come winter.

I wonder if I wore it now if I would feel cooler?  Might have to give that a try!

Wrens!

My last post talked about my obsession with dachshunds... well one of my other obsessions is birds.. OUTSIDE birds. I am not a fan of birds inside in cages, but boy do I adore the ones out in our yard who flit here and there and sing, sing, sing!  My mom is a bird nut and no doubt passed the love of our feather friends on to me and I have done my best to pass it on to my kiddos.

We have a small covered patio right outside our back doors and we almost always have a wreath or basket hanging on the wall. Over the years we have had birds.. usually wrens.. nest there. We have watched the momma and daddy flit in and out building the nest and feeding the babies... we have listened to them chirp warnings and such to each other... heard the babies calling for food (boy can they get loud when they are hungry!)... and we are rather use to being dive bombed when we open the door to go outside. It has been a year or two since we have had a nest and I, for one, have been missing those little birdies. So I was super excited to see a nest being built recently and then to hear baby birds chirping away.  I kept wanting to grab a photo, but never seemed to have the time. Last night my husband... who is 6'5" and can peek in to the nest with ease!... said "You better snap a picture tomorrow.. these babies are about to fly the coop!"  So I grabbed a stool and my camera and snap a couple of shots today.  He is right... the bitty babies are not so small anymore.. no doubt they will be leaving soon... I am thinking before the weekend is out. I will miss them a bit... but it is time.  I think I will feel that way when my own nest is empty.  :-)

Those Crazy Furbabies .....

As anyone who knows me or reads my blogs knows, we have 2 furbabies in our home.  I grew up with dachshunds and am totally obsessed with the crazy things!  They are, to me, the best dogs ever! Not perfect... not by a long shot!  But I love pretty much everything about them from their regal snout to their massive need for belly rubs! They are just wonderful!

2 years ago this past May, my husband brought me a fuzzy red male dachshund... a miniature long haired one. I was use to smooth coats, so this fuzziness took a bit of getting use to.  3 months later we went and got another one!  This time a girl... black and tan... another mini and long-haired.  They are as different as night and day at times, but as close as litter mates.  And they provide a great deal of entertainment in our home.

It was obvious early on that Mac was all about playing and toys. He has soooo much energy!  Unfortunately, he loved chewing up and destroying his stuffed toys... which led to surgery and a week at the vets (don't ask about the bill!) so those toys are now banned from the house. He loves to run and fetch and play keep away.  We found these wonderful balls made for dogs that do the trick. They look like tennis balls, but are not that fuzzy texture. They are a fairly hard rubber. This is the only toy he does not chew up!  Mac's ball has become a pacifier. He carries it everywhere!  Even to eat!

How on earth he is able to empty out that small bowl when the ball takes up all that room, I will never know.

But he does!

Mia occasionally snatches the ball. She loves to lay on it and torture Mac, who will just sit and whine for it.  I have no idea why he will not take it from her. Normally he is the top dog... very much the dominant personality. He can bug the snot out of Mia.. jump on her.. wrestle her... but he will not take a toy from her. Go figure!

Overall, Mia is not a toy lover. She can pretty much take them or leave them except when we are gone and put them in their room.  I always toss in the 2 balls and 2 Nylabones (great for pets would chew!).  Inevitably when I return I hear muffled barks... I will find Mac with his ball in his mouth and Mia with BOTH bones in hers!  I so wish I could capture that sound and post it here. It is hilarious!

Miss Mi is always so proud of herself for having those 2 bones in her mouth!  It really is the funniest thing to see. When I take down the baby gate, she will prance out with great pride and then run and hide so Mac won't get the bones. She hates to let them go!

I wonder what I have in my life that is like Mac's ball to me... my pacifier or security blanket... that thing I think I must have to be secure... or what I snatch onto and clinch in my jaws for dear life like Mia and those bones.  I suspect I look as silly to God as the pups do to me. And just as I say things like "You would enjoy that meal better without a ball in the bowl!", I suspect He says the same to me.  And just as Mia's barks are muffled when those bones are in her mouth, I wonder if my prayers are "muffled" when I am chewing on something I should put down?

Ahh those wiener dogs... entertainment and object lessons... got to love 'em!

Has it been that long?!.. and the specialness of today...

I am shocked and appalled at myself!  It has been forever (OK... 4 months) since I blogged.  That is terrible!  And sadly I didn't realize it had been that long. I know I kept saying "I need to do some blogging"  and then I would get busy and think... "Tomorrow"... I just didn't realize how many tomorrows came and went since the last blog.  And so many other links in the journey... more than I can remember and write here.. Mia celebrated her 2nd birthday... Hubby celebrated his day too (a few more than 2!)... our son completed his first year of college debt-free and with great grades... our daughter totalled her car (which she loved) and has been on a 2 month journey to find a new (to her) one (and no, she has not found it yet)... the flowers I love so much in our yard have basically withered and die due to extreme heat and drought in our part of the world... it has been a harsh summer and isn't over yet.... our air conditioning, on its last leg, is being coddled and nursed by our repair guy who plans to replace the whole kit and caboodle (but hopes to make it to fall before he has to climb up in our attic and work!)... much more has occurred... most of it will be forgotten (some already has been!)... the journey has continued, but I confess the joy has wavered some and given way to a bit of weariness and apathy. 

And yet there is a deep abiding joy in my heart today... a thankfulness and love for God and the beauty of His plan for my life.  The summer after my freshman year in college I swore off boys... I was just tired of them... tired of the one at home who took for granted I would always be there when he wanted me to be... tired of the one I had dated that year in college who wanted to map out my life by his terms (I have to laugh.. he told me if we were to marry I would not be allowed to work outside the home. I was furious!  The funny thing is years later I was a stay-at-home wife and mom who homeschooled her children!  The difference? It was my choice.. with God and my husband, but not an order.)... I had lost myself... too busy trying to be who other people wanted me to be. So I set out to find me. I worked full time that summer at my mother's store (trust me, she did not believe in giving her kids a cushy job... I worked!)... I joined an exercise place (this was 1981... no gymns, but there were fitness centers for ladies)... I ate healthy, exercised. worked and started talking to God again... truly talking and listening at times.  I was happy and content with my life.. no need for a guy.. I had God and I had me.. that was enough.

My hometown has a small local theater group... NLT.  Each summer, high schoolers put on a play. The director was a sweet spunky lady named Frances.  I came to help her with props and such and ended up the assistant director.  It was a blast!  We were set to open July 17, 1981 (a Friday night). It would be a short 2 night run... just long enough to show off to all the parents and friends who would be coming.  On July 14, Frances told me I would need to pull the stage curtain between acts. I said fine and went to give it a yank. Ha!  It would not budge for me.  I went back to Frances and told her we had a problem. "Well, you could ask Bill to do it. He is the stage manager for the theater and will be here every night."  "Who is Bill?"  To which she relied... "Bill C.  Don't you know him?"... and then with a smile and a bit of a twinkle in her eye "You should meet him."  She pointed me to a small group of young adults and specifically to a man with wild curly hair.  Even sitting I could tell he was tall (6'5"... 1 foot taller than me!) I went over.. introduced myself and asked him about pulling the curtain for me. He smiled the entire time I talked.. the best smile (I see that smile in his children today)... and said "Sure."  And then I noticed that his eyes smiled. It was the cutest thing (still is!).

I had no idea that this tall fella would ask me out 2 nights later.. and that we would have our first date on July 17, 1981 and get married on July 17, 1982!  Here I had sworn off boys... and God dropped the most wonderful man right into the center of my world! 

It has been 30 years since that faithful meeting (which wasn't really our first meeting, but that is another story!). I would love to say it has been a fairy tale perfect 30 years... it hasn't been.  The first year I was 5 hours away at college... not an easy way to build a relationship and plan a wedding.. long before Internet and Cellphones (oh the phone bills!  But oh the letters.. real ones.. on paper that you had to wait for!).  The 29 years of marriage (which we will celebrate this Sunday) have had lots of ups and downs and twisty turns and loop-de-loops.... hard times.. sad times... happy times... and more blessings and grace than we ever deserve!  I expect the roller coaster to continue, but I also know we will live Happily Ever After because we both know the Lord and know exactly where we will be for all eternity.  Until then, we will walk hand in hand through this journey God has given us relishing in its Joy!