The Way I Always Do

April 11, 2017

Back in April, I tagged along with my brother and sister and a few of my sister's friends on a hike. It was the first really warm day we'd had and the trail was buzzing with people. My sister and her friends meandered along while my brother and I took the lead. We stopped every now and then so that people could take pictures or look over the edge or do whatever it was they wanted to do with a short break. 

Somewhere along the way I decided to look for ferns. I didn't know why I wanted to find some so badly, but it seemed important. I told my brother that the woods don't seem like the woods without ferns. Things were really green and there were all these little yellow flowers everywhere, but I couldn't find a single fern. 

I shrugged my shoulders and let it go. We hiked on until we came to this clearing where we decided to set up a hammock and take a long break. My sister and her friends messed around with the hammock while my brother and I climbed around on the rocks. After a while, I took a seat in the sun and my brother took the camera to snap a few shots. 

I was keeping an eye on him, the way I always do when we're out and about, but eventually I lost sight of him. He had climbed down into a dip in the rocks. All of a sudden I heard him yell, "Ferns!"   He came back into view and held up the camera signaling that he'd found my ferns and had taken some pictures of them. I smiled, the way I always do when his sweetness reminds me just how much he loves me. 

Ferns remind me of summer camp and hikes and my grandparents' front porch. They remind me of the cool shade of the woods and nights spent going back and forth between the porch swing and catching lightning bugs. They remind me of growing up and growing old. They remind me of who I am and where I've been. They remind me of days gone by and days yet to come. Maybe that's why I was so set on finding some.

We found some ferns. We finished our hike. We smiled and laughed and took pictures. We made memories. 

A month later, I'm still thinking back on them. The way I always do. 

Christmas Survey 2016

December 18, 2014

Last year, I came across this post on Skylar's blog and immediately took the time to copy down the questions with plans to answer them this year! Feel free to copy them and answer them on your blog. If you do, be sure to let me know because I'd love to read your answers!

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I am terrible at wrapping gifts. That said, I appreciate and prefer wrapping paper!

Real tree or artificial?
We haven't done a tree at all since 2010. If I was going to have one, it would be real.

When do you put up the tree?
We normally got the tree the first week in December and then let it rest in the garage for most of a week.

Hardest person to buy for?
The person that I don't have any ideas for. There isn't one person in particular that this is always true of. I tend to be pretty good at coming up with gift ideas, but occasionally, I will be STUMPED.

Easiest person to buy for?
My Mom. I also always have one million ideas for my sister.

Favorite Christmas film?
Oh, this is HARD. I'll choose Holiday Affair.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I love it when we do a cold cut buffet for Christmas. In the past I've made broccoli salad and Trish's Bean Dip to go with it.  This goes soooo well with the endless board games and movie nights and lazing around that Christmas vacation brings.

Snow: love it or hate it?
As long as there's no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Colorful or clear lights on the tree?
Clear. 

Favorite Christmas song?
This year? Christmas Night in Harlem. Usually? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen or Oh Holy Night.

Do you celebrate Advent?
YES!!! It's my favorite thing about Christmas.

Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Stay home. 

Favorite Christmas cookie?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I used to be sooooooo afraid of them, but then I made them and now I love them.

Favorite Christmas tradition?
Advent and Epiphany. On Epiphany we have atiyfs for breakfast, open the presents from our parents, and have a Middle Eastern feast.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning.

Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The cold? Other than that, I wouldn't change a single thing.

What is the “sil­li­est” fam­ily tra­di­tion you do, or miss doing?
I don't think we have any silly traditions. Do we?

What do you want for Christmas this year?
I need some new sneakers. There are a few books, movies, and cds that I'd like. Reach Records always has a Christmas sale which makes me nostalgic over t-shirts. I'm getting old because there's a face lotion that I love but that's a little $$$, so I'd be quite happy to unwrap a new bottle of it.

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?
All of them! I'm excited that my sister is home this year. I wish my brother could be here and that Ron and Julie and Jay would come over like old times. Our decorations are still in storage, so I only have the "extra" garlands and lights to hang. I look forward to Christmas as we know it sometime SOON.

I'd love to hear your answers! Feel free to make a post of your own this week. :) 

On My Mind

December 9, 2016

I drafted this post back on December 9th. Everything I wrote is still true, so I'm leaving it here for you to read. Well, everything except, the snow has continued off and on since then and we're up to nearly a foot of snow. :) 

The first real snow is coming down outside. We're on a "winter storm watch" which basically means all of the kids are EXCITED. I dropped the van off to get the snow tires put on earlier this morning, so I'm okay with it. Settle in with a cup of something warm and let's chat...

I've been doing so little reading and writing lately that I almost don't feel like myself. What's something that's such a huge part of who you are that pushing it aside affects you? It's definitely reading and writing for me. I've even attempted to carve out time to go to the library so that I can sit down at a clean table and just WRITE by the big windows. That's another thing...I'm not one of those people who plunks down in a coffee shop or restaurant or library to do something like that, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Going non-stop has me celebrating any day without any place to be. Apparently I need to stop getting so excited. Each time I've had one, SOMETHING comes up.

We made it through tech-week!!!! My Mom and I are in charge of props for my brother and sister's current show. We've done a lot of tasks over the years. This is a first. I was super nervous about it, but I think I may have found my "thing". We'll see how it goes during an actual show. Last night, I actually dreamed about not being able to find something. I couldn't figure out what I couldn't find and I couldn't remember the person's name that needed it.

I've been rejoicing in the fact that God answers prayers. Dwelling on this truth has been so good for my soul!!!! I've got a list of things that I'm praying for. It reminds me to check back with people and to praise God for the ways He responds.

While I did pick up my Advent study (I'm finishing the one I started last year), I haven't put up the Christmas decorations, mailed my Christmas cards, or bought a single present. It's nearly the middle of December. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for!

What's on your mind? 

The Great Book Chase

My love for used books started about four or five summers ago when my Mom and I started scoping out library sales during the small town festivals in our area. Sometimes I'll see a book at several sales before I finally realize that I'd better buy a copy. That's what happened with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I'm not sure who I have to thank for the hunt that began during the summer of 2013 when I decided to buy that first Harry Potter paperback. I'm thinking it's a combination of my brothers, Amy, and Robyn. The four of them were constantly telling me that I just HAD to read these books. Everyone is shocked to find out that I've never read the whole series.

My Grandma bought my brother and I the first three HP hardbacks as they were released. I read them and then stopped. I mean...Number four is LONG. They were releasing movie versions AND I wasn't sure that I would be able to pass the test to get the points I needed for the Accelerated Reading program at my school. I watched my brothers devour them right along with my Mom, I got just as excited about everyone else each November when a new movie was released. But I never read the books.

So, I bought that first book and The Great Book Chase began. I promised myself (and my brothers, and Amy, and Robyn) that I would look for the books and that as soon as I had them all, I would read them. I wasn't sure how long it would take, but I was determined! My rules were simple, each book had to: come from some kind of used book sale, be paperback, and cost $2.00 or less.

As of October 2016, I officially have the entire HP series in paperback. It took years and if I remember correctly, it cost me about $4.29.

I can't remember where I got the first book. I THINK it was during a book sale in the basement of the library in a town 40 minutes away from where I grew up. I wish I could remember, because it seems so important, but I can't. Once The Chase became "official", I started keeping track. In 2014 I picked up the second book at our town's own big book sale that my family used to help with. I was sooo excited about finding it unexpectedly.

Most of a year went by and I found number four at a goodwill while we were in town for my brother and sister's drama class.

Most of another year went by and my brothers were starting to get impatient. I'm sure both Amy and Robyn forgot alllll about it. But, I was always looking. Occasionally my Mom and I would go out with the single purpose of chasing down another book in the series. Last Christmas she and both of my brothers were super close to buying me a brand new set. I told them to be patient, but I knew that I was running out of time. I HAD to find these books. 

The strange thing about HP is that you'll see TONS of Sorcerer's Stones, quite a few Chamber of Secretses, and every now and then you'll see The Goblet of Fire. But, tracking down 3, 5, 6, and 7 seemed IMPOSSIBLE. They just aren't out there. I don't know if people stopped buying after 1 and 2. I don't know if people that have books 3 and up actually LOVE their books and aren't willing to part with them. Either way, it certainly made the book chase a little more exciting.

So, I put a little more effort in this year...I found numbers 3 and 7 at a thrift store that benefits a local animal shelter on June 14th. It was during one of "The Great Book Chase" excursions. We went to every single store, several yard sales, and looked at EVERY SINGLE BOOK they had. We found them and I scooped them right off the shelf. This store wanted $1.00 each, which was okay with me. I was in for a special treat.

Once I got out to the car I was looking at my copy of The Deathly Hallows. It turns out that it's the UK version and it had a bookmark from Italy tucked in at chapter 5. I snapped a picture and texted it to my brother.

After that exciting discovery, we were pumped. Not only was I getting closer to having the whole set, but I now had one book that seemed to have come from some super interesting person. I kept hoping that I'd run into another one of their discards. Before I knew it, summer was over and we were focusing on getting our house packed up. My little HP obsession was on hold.

Then, a few weeks ago, my Mom and I were out on a Sunday after church looking for "relics" for our church's Reformation Day celebration. I wandered over to the books to do a quick glance JUST IN CASE. I found 5 and 6!!!! They were pretty beat up and I debated on whether or not I should get them. My Mom did what she always does and said that I didn't have a choice (thanks, Mom!!!). Books were 75% off that day and so I got them BOTH for about 29 cents.

My set was complete.

I always thought The Great Book Chase would end when it began, on some unsuspecting summer day. I pictured myself plodding through the books at the pool and the lake and out on the back patio. It turns out, I began my journey with HP on a Sunday evening in November.

Something else exciting happened...My sister (who hasn't read ANY of them) has decided to join me! We read the first chapter last night taking turns after every sentence (we never read this way, but I knew it would be a fun memory to make, so we did this time). During the early days of the chase, I accidentally bought a second copy of the first book because I couldn't remember if I had it. She'll read that copy.

The hunt for my set is complete and after spending so many years chasing these books it seems strange to be "done". Maybe I'll start chasing down a set for my sister.

Have you read this series yet?

Do you collect used books? Which ones are you currently chasing after?

Just So You Know...

The days leading up to my birthday were full of "Oh, my! Your birthday is in ____ days." and "Um...Not to disappoint you, but we don't have anything for you." and "So, our auditions are on your birthday." With a September birthday, it's rare that we celebrate ON my birthday.

When I was growing up, my friends (my two closest friends happened to be a set of cousins) were always out of town on a yearly trip their whole family took. When I was a little older, my brother's football season took precedence. And then there were work schedules to work around. I've learned not to set my hopes too high or to expect too much. By September 12, summer has come to and end and people are trying really hard to settle into their fall routine.

My expectations are low, but birthdays are my favorite. I can't help but be excited and a little hopeful that SOMETHING great will come my way. Just about every year SOMEONE comes through with a surprise up their sleeve. This year, it happened to be my sister.

I woke up knowing that the day would be FULL and yet also realizing that the birthday activities would probably happen on a later date and that was okay by me. I was hoping for a dinner at home with my family in between all of the running around that the day held. Well...First thing that morning, (after my Mom and I got back from driving by a house we might have wanted to buy) my sister said, "If you're taking a shower, you need to go do that. You need to get ready! We have things to do!"

My sister (like the brother that falls in line between us) is TERRIBLE at keeping secrets. She wants to tell you what she is getting you or doing for you and she basically BEGS you to make her share her secret. I am the person that loves those kind of surprises so I plug my ears and say "lalalalaaaaa" and refuse to let them let the cat out of the bag.

I got ready to go and packed a jacket and some water and my camera and we were off for surprise number 1. Once we were on the road, she told me that there were three surprises and that she was going to need a bit of help navigating. She asked me questions about road names and I helped us get to destination number 1. All along the way I was secretly hoping that it was our favorite Chinese buffet, but it was a little early yet, so I wasn't sure if there was something else going on....We got closer and closer and SHE TURNED ON HER SIGNAL! Destination number 1 WAS our favorite Chinese buffet.

We got out and took pictures in the parking lot and then we went in and got seated and she was BEAMING. I mean, I was EXCITED, but she was REALLLLLY excited. When I first got my driver's license, I used to take my brother and sister to do fun things out of town. The thing that meant the most to my sister was going out for Chinese. The year that I taught them, I would take my brother and sister along for afternoon grocery runs and we would stop for a late lunch. It's been a little tradition of ours to make time for a sister lunch on HER birthday. This time SHE wanted to take ME out for MINE.

The food was excellent and we had a great table and we ate until we couldn't eat any more.

Next up was a stop that I couldn't figure out. We drove and drove and we went to a part of town that I knew had NOTHING birthdayish in it. I knew there was a Sonic and a Wendys and a WalMart, but that was all I could think of and neither of us were ready for any more food or drinks. I was genuinely confused. This made my sister even more excited than she already was!

Finally, we pulled up to this mini golf place and surprise number 2 was out of the bag. We got out only to learn that it wasn't open. Now, this surprise meant more to me than you have any way of knowing. In the PNW mini golf consists of wood boards with holes in them set up at the ends of green carpet. One of my favorite summer activities in SC was going to putt-putt golf courses complete with waterfalls and caves and bridges and basically a real golf course made just for families who don't have the time or the skills for real golf. My sister, a PNW girl, has never been to what I call "REAL putt-putt" and I've made a promise that we WILL do it together some day! So, she found the closest mini golf and made it her goal to take me. Again. I loved it!

Since surprise number 2 didn't take as long as my sister anticipated, she said we needed to do something to burn off some of our food. She let me choose, so I asked her if she wanted to walk a trail that reminded me of the one I walked by the canal in MA. She was up for it and I said that it would work as long as we could find a place to park.

We drove and drove and due to college having started back up and a MAJOR construction zone, we couldn't find a good (or legal) place to park. The good news was that our food was burned off AND we were right by destination number 3. The funny thing about that is that my sister wasn't EXACTLY sure how to get to that stop or how to ask me how to get there without totally giving it away. We pulled into the complex where it was to do some walking there instead and she said, "Oh good! It's here!" I said, "What's here?" She said, "Oh, nothing. Stop reading the signs."

It was too late...This is a complex I'm very familiar with and I thought for sure that our last stop was going to be for frozen yogurt. We wandered around for a bit and then headed down the street. Straight toward the frozen yogurt place. But, then, she said, "We're HERE!!!!" I looked up and realized that she was taking me to a bookstore/coffee shop. It's one I've been wanting to go to WITH her since we were here on vacation back in 2014.

Now it was my turn to TOTALLY BEAM. We wandered around looking at books and journals and just checking out the whole store. We weren't in there two minutes when MY SONG (Drops of Jupiter by Train) came on over the sound system. The minute the first chords played I got quiet and said, "This song WOULD play." Everything was PERFECT. We made our way around the store a little bit more before ordering a chai tea (my sister) and a hazelnut latte (me) that we took out to a bench in the sun.

We made it home in time to rest for a little bit before heading out to their auditions....As soon as their auditions were over, we booked it over to a Mexican restaurant (at my Mom's planning and insistence).

We ordered their cheese dip and heaping plates of food (I got a beef burrito with rice and beans which actually turned out to be a bean burrito thanks to our lovely server, but I didn't notice until the next day when I was heating up some leftovers) and just had an all around great time. I spotted my old science teacher and his wife and an older guy sitting on his balcony reading the evening away. All through dinner the phone rang and rang with people hoping to catch me for a quick birthday chat. By the third call, I was laughing when I answered the phone. We finished dinner JUST in time for my brother to make it to call backs.

Call backs lasted and lasted and lasted. I sat in the car reading and catching up on phone calls as the sun set. It was a great way to close out the first day of my 26th year and left me with plenty of time to reflect on how special this "Just so you know...." day turned out to be!

Thank you, dear sister!!!! Your joy in helping me ring in 26 meant a TON. You know that I go back and forth between loving our life in this town and wanting to run for the hills. This day reminded me that there is nowhere else I'd rather be. I love you and your love for me. Running around to each and every one of your surprise destinations was THE most fun I've had in a long time. I <3 i="" nbsp="" u="">

How do you celebrate birthdays?

Are you a surprise keeper or a "Oh, let me just tell you everything!" kind of person?

Packing Up

May 18, 2014

This time last year had us settling into a new rhythm at The Queen's Cottage. When we first came we thought we were going to be here for three straight months. We thought this was going to be a "vacation" home that would provide my brother and sister with the ability to audition for plays and the rest of us with the ability to have a place to stay while we were looking for a place to buy so that we could move to this town. As you all know, the three months came and went and turned into six and then ten and now twelve. My brother and sister have been in show after show. They got summer jobs. They found a group of friends. They are always going and doing and having the time of their lives.

Our other house - the house that we've called "home" for nine years now - is officially being sold. The buyers are just waiting for us to get everything packed up and moved out. This means that we'll be leaving behind the little town where we spent the last 20 years. I've come and gone a lot over the years, but I always returned. During every one of the seasons that I spent living away from that town, I knew that I had a room full of my stuff at "home" and a town of people who would write me letters and call just to chat and welcome me back as soon as my time away was over. 

This last weekend, we went back to do one of the final rounds of packing up. Packing after not living in a place for a year is TOUGH. First, we had to CLEAN. Then we went room by room sorting and organizing and game planning while packing what we could all along the way. We made A LOT of progress and narrowed it down to the things that could and had to wait. Now that there are officially buyers, it's coming to an end. Nothing can stay. It all has to be boxed up. This last weekend we packed up the decorations, took down the wall hangings, emptied all of the kitchen cabinets, and packed up the things that were still hanging around in closets. There were two moments that really got to me.

The first one happened in my bedroom. I stood on my desk chair - the one with the plastic blue seat that used to belong to the school and became mine when it ended up in the dump back when I was in sixth or seventh grade - and carefully took down the curtains. There was something so final about taking them down and folding them up. All of a sudden, I saw my room the way people will see it until it becomes whatever room the new people make it into.

Later on, I used the packing tape to tape up the last box of this trip. When I was finished, I gathered up the inventory sheet, the sharpie, the pencil, and the tape. I put each thing away and when all that was left in my hand was the packing tape, I had to decide what to do with it. Without even thinking, I headed straight to the kitchen. I opened the cabinet by the telephone and reached up to put it in its place on the top shelf. As my hand hovered over its spot, something happened. The tape didn't seem to belong there anymore. The cabinet was empty and it felt foolish putting the tape back there again. 

I walked away from the cabinet knowing that I would write about that moment. I was wondering what the new owners would be filling those shelves with. I thought about how they won't know that we kept the packing tape there or that my Mom often kept her little treats right on top of her extra checks on the bottom shelf. And then I thought about how they won't even care. 

Packing up is something I've done A LOT . It's not the work of packing that is tough, but the work of thinking your way through the process that is the real work. We've put the work in and we're almost ready. Every trip could be our last. After that, the town won't be home anymore. Instead it will be a place that was home. 

I left the tape. For now, it's still where every single one of us will expect to find it. Ten years from now, we'll think of it as belonging in that cabinet and we'll picture it sitting there when we can't find it.

Curtains and tape have a lot to teach us. We'll be taking them and their lessons with us wherever we end up unpacking all of these boxes and the memories that go with them. 

Three Days in June

This summer has been one thing after another. I keep talking about the potlucks and the hike and the cookouts and and the geocaching and the plays and the FUN. Today, I've got some pictures from the last few weeks of June.

One dream I've had for a while now is to have a game night once or twice a month. I haven't PUSHED it. We finally had one and it was so much fun!

It happened to be a Monday night and we learned this game called "Secret Hitler" that my sister learned while she was visiting at our Uncle George's house. It turns out that this game is one that is the most fun when you have a ton of people playing it (I LOVE games like that)! We had snacks and chats and played two or three rounds with Aubrey and her Mom before finally calling it a night.

The next Monday was spent with my Mom and brother at the amusement park....We had a BLAST. My brother officially likes ALL roller coasters. He acts like I've lost my mind for having to ask him, but I'm used to being the only one aside from my Mom who truly enjoys the things.

Anyway...We rode the train and a handful of rides and ate enough BBQ for several grown men and came home ready for a long night's rest.

 

During the final weeks of their big show most days had us all feeling like this ^...Like our lives were flipped, turned upside down...Working with the costuming, settling into our new schedule, attending rehearsals, taking friends up on invites, and doing the normal day to day things of life was A LOT and it all seemed to be happening at the same time.

Life here is sooooo very different than it was in the town I spent the last 20 years in. It's a good kind of different, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't take some getting used to. Just when I think I have it figured out, something changes and I get to start figuring it out all over again. It's good for me. SOOOOO good for me. Even if it does make me want to run back to my old town and the slow, quiet life we lived there. :)

After all of that, I took a morning to myself to recharge and catch my breath because the calendar was just as full going into July....More on that another time.

How has the summer of 2016 been for you? I'd love to hear allll about it!

16 and 49

Birthdays are some of my favorite holidays. There's nothing quite like decorating the house, making special plans, picking up the perfect gift, and celebrating the ones you love. We celebrated 16 for the last time in THIS generation of our family back in January and the whole day was bittersweet (as soooo many monumental days are for my youngest brother).

My Mom, sister, and I woke up EARLY to start the decorating process so that a certain someone would be surprised when he woke up. Streamers, balloons, banners, and a balloon avalanche that fell on him when he opened his bedroom door. I whipped up a batch of cinnamon biscuits for breakfast after that and then the day was full of all the usual things. School, housework, a trip to the grocery store for the cake that he finally told us the flavors of (chocolate and chocolate).

We had been expecting to have to go to rehearsals that night, so the SPECIAL plans were very up in the air. At the last minute, we found out that we would be able to stay home and do whatever we wanted. He chose burgers and chocolate chocolate cake. The night was YOUNG and we were excited to celebrate 16 one more time!!!

We went to this reallly popular burger joint where they serve napkins.

Ignore my Mom and look at that cute kid who is super excited to sink his teeth in a cheeseburger. :)  After our dinner out, we headed back home to put the finishing touches on the birthday cake. My Mom has done allll kinds of cakes in her day. Completely from scratch or from a box. Heart shaped, Lego, Pony Shaped, or frost your own cupcakes. They're always fantastic. Always. For whatever reason the boxed cakes are still a special treat.

I didn't get a good shot of him blowing out his candles, but this one is one of my favorites from the entire day!

These two have been mistaken for twins for most of their lives. The bond they share is one that I have been soooo blessed by. Just the other night, they were up late working on memorizing some Scripture and studying for their Two Ways To Live class. I was soooo tired and I really wanted to go to bed, but I couldn't bring myself to break up their study session. They sat in on my sister's bed and alternated between studying and laughing so hard that I think the neighbors could hear them. THESE are the moments I live for.

He finally got a baby bottle pop! LOL!!! My sister threw that in with her gift because she knew it would make his day. It did.

That's how we do 16 for this kid. It's a day I won't soon forget. These teenage years have been sooo full and being a part of them has meant more to me than he'll ever know. My brother is sweet and caring and TOUGH and strong. He is funny and tells his own jokes that are soda hilarious. He loves all things Lego and has been a natural performer ever since he was a little boy. When he sings, people stop to listen.

The other night, I passed by him when he was taking his stage makeup off. I caught a glimpse of us in the mirror and stopped. He is almost taller than me. It won't be long now and he'll pass me up. When he does, I'll celebrate with him then too, but he'll still be and always be my youngest brother.

Celebrating 49 looked a bit different. The Sunday before my Mom's birthday, we went out for a spontaneous lunch at The Outback after church. We went all out with a bloomin' onion, steak and potato, and a salad people are still raving about that had pecans, bluecheese crumbles, and a dressing that was the right balance of sweet and tangy.

On her actual birthday, we had a full house. Zachary and Monica came to visit and brought flowers and chocolates with them. My Mom and I started the morning by running to have the oil changed. We were first in line and had it done before we knew it. While we were waiting my Mom said, "I bet there's a geocache here. I just know it." After handing the keys to our car over, we trooped around the parking lot and logged a cache within a few minutes of looking!!! From there we headed to the library to pick up a hold that had come in for my Mom only to find out (for the second day in a row) that it wasn't open.

After that, I made everyone a big breakfast of waffles, bacon (thanks for taking over the frying, Monica), and potatoes. We had stayed up LATE the night before, so everyone was really looking forward to some time to just veg. My brother and sister and Zachary started watching Brave and Monica and I played cards. Eventually I went with my Mom and Monica to the thrift store to look for a vase for the flowers.

We came home to find the study area turned into a dance studio. My brother and sister spent much of the day teaching Zachary their dance routine to "Tellie" and trying to convince him to let them film it. Costumes were designed and everything, but no official music video was made. THIS TIME. 

I think part of the reason that I love birthdays is the amount of excitement that is in the air. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary. In fact, the whole oil change business and driving all the way to the library only to find that it was closed are the types of things that can lead to a lot of frustration. BUT. Here we were trooping around town and thrifting and having an excellent time. Birthdays make everything seem memorable.

When we returned home, I turned a bunch of leftovers into a lunch that left us all so stuffed we didn't even have dinner. I sliced up some meatloaf which we turned into sandwiches, I made my favorite stovetop mac and cheese, and served some green salad for good measure. Later that afternoon Zachary and Monica left and we got things ready for the big celebration.

Here's a pic of my Mom doing what she loves with all four of her children around her. This puzzle is a TOUGH one.

Before we knew it, it was nearly 9:30 at night. We were all so stuffed from lunch and she never would tell me what kind of cake she wanted, so I talked her into banana splits.

And then it was time for the gifts...She wanted three things: Aladdin on DVD with the extra scenes, the new Downton Abbey board game, and a blacklight flashlight. Two out of three isn't bad. :)

One. And the looks on their faces are my favorite. :)

Two. (A note saying it was coming in the mail. Apparently things take a bit longer to ship across the ocean. Who would have thunk?)

Hallllloooo.

You get one realllly good shot with my Mom and I ALWAYS mess it up. I LOVE her face in this and wish that I hadn't reached up to fix my bangs. She's beautiful.

You can't know how blessed I feel to be able to spend the entirety of another birthday with my Mom. She's my Mom, my Blessed, and she's also my FRIEND. I thank God for giving me the Mom He did. We've seen A LOT and together we've learned life's most important lesson, namely, blessed be the name of the LORD.

That's 49 and 16 before it. 2016 is shaping up to be a great year.

If you've made it through alllll those pictures and my long descriptions, you're amazing. I really need to work on writing narrative and showing rather than telling. Until then, thanks for reading my rambles!!!

How do YOU celebrate birthdays?