april showers bring…

Indoor picnics!

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Our Sunday school class has a wonderful fellowship planner.  She gets things done and is so smart.  Smarter than me.  I’d been thinking for weeks that it was a shame that our class had planned an indoor picnic in April.  The weather has been beautiful.  Clear skies.  Warm weather.  It just seemed like picnic weather.

Until Sunday.  We woke up to thunder, lightning, rain, and cooler temperatures. 

And instead of scrambling around, trying to figure out if we should reschedule or try to move the picnic, we very calmly and happily brought our quilts, desserts, and side dishes into the gym, where we’d planned on picnicking all along. 

I definitely had my fill of the homemade rolls and macaroons and blueberry pie and the different slaws and cookies!  And I probably don’t need to tell you that I came straight home, crawled in bed, and thoroughly enjoyed a rainy day nap. 

What a perfect day!

RAoK wrap-up

So Monday was my friend, Sweet Blessings, birthday.  It was a big one.  And all she wanted was for all of her friends to perform a Random Act of Kindness in her honor.  It was fun to watch Facebook that day as people posted what they had done.  Sweet Blessings did 40!  The girls and I chose to do four, one for each decade of Sweet Blessings life.  I know her idea was for many people to be blessed that day, and I can’t help but wonder if she knew that she was going to bless each of us as well…

Our first RAoK was taking some treats to a local firehouse.  We chose the one that our neighbor is stationed at.  He didn’t work that day (and I hope his fellow firemen saved him a treat) but his wife told me that they had worked a pretty bad accident that morning and getting a nice treat was just what those guys needed.  We pulled the treats out of the oven and took them right over.  The fireman that met us seemed a little shocked at what we were doing.  But he was willing to take a picture!

After leaving the firehouse, we headed over to Jimmy John’s for a little lunch.  I love me some Jimmy John’s!  We couldn’t decide exactly what to do next… Buy someone’s lunch?  Give someone a gift card?  While we were eating, it hit us… we bought the other four diners cookies!  It was fun watching their faces as I explained why we were giving them dessert.  They thought it was really nice, said to tell my friend happy birthday, and seemed genuinely surprised. 

From there, we went to Albertson’s to say hello to my dad.  I love popping in on him over there.  He’s always so happy and genuinely surprised.  I always wonder what people think when they see the dairy man kissing a bunch of girls in the aisles of Albertsons!  Albertsons had Gatorade on sale so we gathered up a bunch and headed out to commit RAoK number three.

There is a nice little “beautification project” going on near our house.  These guys are doing a great job and though it’s not that warm yet, they always look like they could use a cold drink.  I was afraid we were going to get the guys in trouble as their boss started to come over to where we were and when he saw my little sign (and I offered him a Gatorade) he smiled and sent over another worker.  This one was fun. 

The last act was a little tricky.  The girls and I had to do a bit of sneaking around but we took care of a little chore for a friend who had just had a lot of company and no working dryer.  Being a laundry fairy for someone else sure is fun… why is my laundry such a chore?

So there you have it.  $20 and a couple of hours and we blessed at least 15 people.  Not bad for a day’s work.  But you know what?  The day blessed MY socks off.  We laughed, we smiled, and felt great all day.   And yesterday?  We were looking for ways to bless people… just for fun!     

              

Project Dance

Our dance studio took part in a dance weekend called Project Dance.  It’s a weekend where  Christian dancers and dance companies come together in a public setting to dance and minister to those in a specific city.  Since we are close to Houston, that’s where we went.  The opening day of the weekend it was beautiful.  The sun was shining and it was warm and balmy.  The next morning, however, it was raining cats and dogs and the wind was from the north, cold and gusty.  To say we were miserable is an understatement.  There weren’t many people just hanging out in downtown Houston that day so the audience was mostly parents and siblings who were bundled up in coats, ponchos, blankets, and under umbrellas while the dancers moved about in their costumes (and ponchos and rain boots).  The first thing the dancers did was learn a “group dance” that they would perform every hour on the hour.  The song they danced to was called, “I am not Forgotten.”  It was the perfect song for this kind of thing… the words say, “I am not forgotten, God knows my name.”  And it’s catchy.  It was fun to see folks who were not “the dancers” join in the dancing. 

 

Even though it was bitter cold, the girls all seemed to enjoy themselves.  There were smiles everywhere (although teeth were chattering, too!).  Having a REASON for their dancing and dancing for their Lord and His glory made the day fun and a blessing to those who were there watching.

Summer’s dance group had many opportunities to dance throughout the day.  They did some lyrical, some hip-hop, but it was all fun to watch.  There were folks there from Dance Revolution, as well as others doing ballet, jazz, theater, contemporary, and worship dances.  There was something for everyone!  I only wish the weather had been nicer and more folks would have been out to enjoy the “entertainment” and ultimately be blessed by the hearts of all of these dancers.  I know I was blessed!  Cold, but blessed!

 

friendship

I don’t know how to explain the friendship between these kids.  They get to see each other about once a year for a day or so.  And yet they spend the other 364 days of the year planning to see each other again.  We planned to get down to see them and their parents over spring break.  We only had 24 hours with them, but boy did they cram a lot of stuff in.

The last time they were together, they made a movie.  And from the second the director said, “That’s a wrap!” they started planning the next one. This year’s movie proved to be a little disturbing. Personally, I think they all watch a little too much Law & Order or something. There’s just something about seeing your babies begging for their lives with guns waving and escaped convicts running loose. The acting, directing, and producing of this movie (Killer Al) was actually quite good, though.

So the next morning, they decided to make a music video. I’m still waiting for it to come out of production.  It’s a secret project, but I can tell you this much… there is karate… and a special appearance by two very “famous” people.

Their mom and I visited and talked a lot.  She made pizza for the kids but made a special trip to a local tea room for grown up, girly food.  And we sat in her beautiful dining room drinking sweet tea and eating cheese soup and cucumber sandwiches.  Oh, and did I mention that I got to hold and kiss on this sweet thing?

I sure do wish we lived closer to each other so our visits weren’t so few and far between.  I’m just so, so thankful for a friendship that picks up right where we left off and is so easy and comfortable.  It’s a God-given gift and fills my heart. 

make new friends… but keep the old…

 

Over spring break we left town to go visit old friends.  I think I just called P old.  Well, I’m old, so I guess that makes her old, too.  Goodness knows, having children the age we were when we became friends makes me feel old! 

And would you just look at that picture and see how much taller Summer is than me?  Wow, any denial I was in about her being taller than me is gone now… I’m old AND short!

You can only imagine how much chatting went on in this house in the 24 hours we were there.  Seven females and P’s poor hubby. Talk, talk, talk.  I swear my jaw hurt when I left. We covered everything from families to teenagers to high school friends. P went to her high school reunion a few months ago… and we stayed up until the AM hours looking at yearbooks and talking about people we knew.

The girls jumped right in to playing and hanging out with each other.  There was talking, playing, coloring, movie watching, stair sliding, and marshmallow shooting all day!  We went to dinner at the coolest place.  It was a hibachi grill.  The girls were wide-eyed and had a ball.  The food was great!  We are definitely going to have to try that again. 

Our visit was too short.  We just don’t get the opportunity to visit as much as I’d like, but I’m so glad we can just pop in on this family and get my fill of fellowship and friendship! 

happy 42nd birthday, hubs!

 

What could be more appropriate than a 42 party for a man who is turning 42?  A SURPRISE 42 party for a man who is turning 42.  Planning this was so much fun.  He had no idea.  NO.IDEA.  Do you know how hard it is to get something past this guy?  Funny thing is, SuperGirl was surprised, too.  Nope.  We didn’t tell her a thing.  So it was kind of like getting two for one on the surprise!

As you can see, the theme was 42, as in the domino game.  I spent the whole week looking for these cheap wooden black and white dominoes to decorate the cupcakes with only to find out my mother had a set the whole time.  She’s so handy to have around!  We even found black and white polka dotted napkins to go along!  (I know Hubby really appreciated the polka dotted napkins, haha.)

I invited our whole Sunday school class, our parents, and Hubby’s aunt and uncle to meet us at a local restaurant for burgers and dominoes.  Turns out, this place isn’t very busy on Sunday afternoons so we had the place pretty much to ourselves.  And that is a good thing because the “SURPRISE” they yelled would have scared everyone else away.  Hubby was stunned.  Speechless.  It was great! 

Everyone enjoyed burgers, cupcakes, fellowship, and some domino playing, which we haven’t done in 42 forevers.  I’m so thankful we have such sweet, fun friends and family who came out to celebrate the day with us.  Happy Birthday, Hubby!

    

wordless wednesday - friends

Women of Faith

If you've never been to a Women of Faith weekend, you are really missing out. I've been blessed to have been able to go three times. The speakers are phenomenal. The singers are out of this world. And the praise and worship with the voices of thousands of women is inspirational.

When I heard that Steven Curtis Chapman AND Mandisa were going to be in the same building during one weekend, I knew I had to go. Boy am I glad I did! My soul has been so dry. My spirit has been so empty. I needed this weekend. And I needed it bad!

Getting to take a road trip with these three gals was the icing on the cake. We talked. We laughed. We cried. We did some silly things. We prayed. We worshiped. And we all left the weekend filled.

I don't know if listening to Steven Curtis Chapman share his heart about losing his daughter or meeting and grooving with Mandisa was my favorite part. Mandisa is a beautiful woman. I thought a lot about what made me think she was so beautiful. Was it her smile? Her skin? Her eyes? After pondering for a while, I came to the conclusion that it was her heart. I figured her music was an extension of what is going on her heart and after hearing her speak, I knew that was so. She loves Jesus. And though I think Simon (and America) is crazy for not keeping her on the show, I'm kind of glad she was voted off American Idol. Call me selfish, but if she was out touring because of AI, we wouldn't have been able to listen to her sing for us. What a blessing she was!!

interview with a 13 year old

1. What is something I always say to you? Hi, Mir.

2. What makes me happy? When your house is picked up, your dishwasher is empty, and you don't have any laundry to do.

3. What makes me sad? When you pour your coffee creamer into your Dr. Pepper and you don't have any more.

4. How do I make you laugh? Giggling... anything you do.

5. What was I like as a child? You were a good friend.

6. How old am I? 38

7. How tall am I? 5' 10"

8. What is my favorite thing to do? Sleep.

9. What do I do when you're not around? The same things you do when I am here.

10. If I become famous, what will it be for? Cooking and reading.

11. What am I not very good at? Shooting hoops.

12. What am I really good at? Being a mom.

13. What do I do for my job? You transcribe.

14. What is my favorite food? Chocolate.

15. What makes me proud of you? When I do good at dancing.

16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be? Betty Rubble, because she is sweet, not grouchy.

17. What do we do together? Laugh, dance, act crazy, clean.

18. How are we the same? We laugh a lot and we both like pink.

19. How are we different? We have different color hair. You wear glasses and I don't.

20. How do you know I love you? You let me come over to your house a lot and you take me places and I am practically part of your family.

21. Where is my favorite place to go? Florida.