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?

A Saturday At The Library

While we were out shopping in the city last Saturday, I asked if we could swing by the library before heading home. My Mom and I went in while everyone else decided to go get some food and make some stops of their own. This turn of events meant that we had as much time as we wanted.

The little bookshop where they sell used books for a song and a dance was open, so that was our first stop. I found a little book of short stories by Herman Melville right away. As we continued looking through the shelves, a lady came with another cart and left it by the entrance. I wandered over and almost immediately my eyes fixed on "Fitzgerald". I turned to make sure that these books were allowed to be sold and then snatched it right off the cart without a second thought. My Mom settled on a copy of "My Antonia" because we keep hearing about Willa Cather, but neither of us has read any of her books. 

With our new treasures in tow, we headed into the actual library. I went in with a list of books on my phone. My Mom sat right down at the computer to look for whatever books she had in mind. After browsing my way through the shelves and coming up with NOTHING (all the books on my list were checked out), I went back over to have her work her magic with the computer JUST IN CASE something was not shelved yet.

When we both realized that none of the books we had hoped to check out were available, we started browsing together. I pointed out books for her, she found random books that looked interesting, and then I was reminded of a the next book in a series that I had been saving for later. She went to look for something and came back with the newest book in another series that I got hooked on this spring.

We walked out with a stack of books. When we got into the van, we looked through the loot and one of the books in the pile was one I never noticed as we were checking out. I said, "This one looks REALLY good!" And she smiled and said, "I'm going to read it, but I got it for you."

I love my Mother! And I absolutely adore slow Saturdays at the library with all the time we need to weave our way through the shelves looking for the perfect stack of books.

What's your library strategy?

What's your go-to genre? 

A Month of Saturdays: June 2015

The four Saturdays in June went by with a whole lot of fanfare!!! We've had one of the hottest Junes I've ever experienced  which seemed to get everyone into the summer spirit right away. We kicked off June by taking my brother to get his learner's permit and having0 lunch at my (our?) favorite Mexican restaurant! As the "baby" in the family, his firsts are always our lasts, so both my Mom and I got a little teary eyed as we all walked out the door at the DMV.

Two weeks later, he had his first drive in Driver's Ed and my Mom and I geocached our way through town while he was out cruising. It was a beautiful day and we found all the caches we were after, plus one extra! At the second cache we were trying to find, our GPS systems were saying different distances. My Mom followed her machine and I followed mine. I found the cache and walked back to tell her, when all of a sudden, she said, "I found it!!!". I said, "Um....Did you TOUCH it?" (thinking that she had watched me find it and was now teasing me.) She said, "Yes! I touched it!!! Why?" And I said, "Well, I found it! And it was back over there where I just came from." So, then we both started cracking up and watched as we each found the one that the other had found. In all of our geocaching that has NEVER happened!

After we finished all of our caching, we decided to go through the store to get something to snack on. We settled on donuts, a chocolate malt for me, and chips and dip (BBQ with Cheese Dip) for her. We like to keep it healthy!!!! We took our snacks to the park that made it very easy to pretend we were in Savannah, GA for the next 45 minutes while we ate and read and tried not to read every perfect line to each other.

The last Saturday in June was peaceful. I got some blog work in (stuff I still haven't shared, even though I was planning to share it all right away), went through my weekly spit and polish routine, and really enjoyed the day.

June went by with a flurry of school and gardening and milestones. All of sudden we're in the middle of July, it's cooled way off, the wheat trucks are headed in and out of town with their bounties, and summer presses on!

A Wardrobe That Works: Making It Happen

After I decided to make my wardrobe work for me, it was time to make it happen.

Step One: Wash all clothes and have a sorting party. I made sure all of my clothes were clean and then I scooted things around in my room to give me a big space to work in. As I emptied out my closet, I sorted things into piles according to type of clothing as well as what I wear, what I don't wear, and what I needed to try on.

Step Two: Take a break so that you can come back to the job with fresh eyes. By the time I quit on the Friday before last, I had a MESS on my hands. There were a gazzilion hangers and I was beginning to wonder if I could REALLY do this. It was so bad that I didn't even attempt to make any more progress that Saturday. I took care of other things around the house, went to a movie (Tomorrowland), and tried NOT to think about the disaster waiting for me. I was out of town the next day which turned out to be the perfect excuse to let it wait one more day.

Step Three: Finish what you started. When Monday rolled around, I decided that this job WAS going to be finished and that I really was doing the right thing. After straightening up the piles from Friday, I emptied out the chest that holds my winter wardrobe and every single drawer in my dresser so that I could sort those clothes too.

Step Four: Get a second opinion and make your final decisions. After all of the sorting, I had a basket full of clothes that I KNEW could hit the curb and a pile of things that I wasn't quite sure about. Starting with the stuff I knew I was ready to part with, I hauled each pile into the living room so that I could get some second opinions. With the bulk of the job behind me, Monday's work went pretty quickly.

Step Five: Listen to MY Mother (yes, I said MY Mother).  It was difficult at times, but my Mom reminded me that as soon as you get rid of something that you haven't needed for a long time,  a week or two will go by and all of a sudden you'll wish you had it and you'll regret that you got rid of it. I can't remember exactly what she said next, but basically it was something like, "It's going to happen. Just be ready for it and move on." 

So...That's what I'm doing.

Let's go over what I kept:

Go-To Uniform: The outfit I wear when I don't know what to wear. I love it because it's comfortable, I can wear leggings if I suspect chilly weather, and I feel put together when I wear it.

Mix and Match: These are the items that I pack whenever I'm leaving town for a a few days. I do wear a few of my favorites just because, but I kept most of them because they are my traveling clothes.

Dresses: If I'm not wearing something from one of the "uniform" categories, I'm probably wearing one of these.

Other Uniform: Along with my dresses and go-to uniform, these are the pieces that I tend to wear during the spring and summer months. 

As you can see, I kept quite a bit! There are five to six items from the mix and match category that will probably find their way out of my closet when I go through things one more time when the season is over. In the meantime, I'm just glad that I finally took the time to make this change!

Do you think you'll jump on the capsule wardrobe bandwagon?

(SIDE NOTE: I took pictures for Kiki, but you should know that I didn't photograph everything I kept. While I did cut down on my gardening/work clothes, pajamas, hoodies, and comfy clothes  stashes, I did not take the time to photograph them.)

Deciding On A Wardrobe That Works

September 12, 2014 /// As candid as it gets...

I'd like to start this post by saying, "My Mom is always right." By that I mean, my Mom is always getting into things and trying to tell me how great they are. After a few years of scoffing, everyone else gets into that very thing she was trying to get me to appreciate and THEN, I come around.

Examples: Board Shorts, Meal Planning, Harper Lee, Coconut Oil, Essential Oils, and the list really could go on for quite a while.

The latest, "Mom, you are a genius!!!" moment has to do with the idea of a capsule wardrobe. After watching my Mom trim down her wardrobe nearly 10 years ago and just keep a handful of items for each season, I thought she was crazy.

I mean..."What about that sweater that you've worn every winter?!?!? Or those shoes that go with everything...Yes, I see the scuffs, but those clogs are practically an heirloom! And that t-shirt!!!! What are you even going to WEAR?!?!?"

Fast forward to the last few years and the capsule/minimalist wardrobe CRAZE! I saw it and thought that it SOUNDED like a good idea, but one that really wasn't for me. I read post after post after post and not a single one of them changed my mind. Until last Thursday when Anne posted about the ten item wardrobe. Something clicked and I KNEW that I needed to do this. I made up my mind and set to work first thing last Friday morning.

It's been a week and I can't emphasize how great it feels to have gotten rid of ALL THOSE THINGS! Anne's post reminded me that I really do tend to reach for the same handful of items. I began to wonder why I would keep everything else when I don't ever wear it in the first place.

I didn't narrow it down to any specific number and I definitely have more than 10 items for each season, but I have a wardrobe that will work for me.

The garbage truck already came to take the pieces that were beyond hope, my sister went through and picked a few pieces she loved, and the rest of it will be given away. I decided to tote the things that I wasn't sure about. My rule is that if I don't pull it out by the end of the season, then it will be given away. I also plan to go through this season's clothes when it's over to get rid of anything that I didn't wear.

Just thinking about the outcome makes me excited all over again!

What do you think about capsule wardrobes?

Lessons From My Mom

Last month Kiki wrote about "being good enough" and as I was typing out a comment, the idea for this post was born! 

March 3, 2012

I don't think I talk about my Mom on this space very much. She is hands down the most influential person in my life. We have been extremely close pretty much my whole life. She has taught me so many things and if I could just remember half of them I'd be sure to go places!

My Mom always taught me...

 To do my best - She pushed me to do things well, but to be okay with my limits.

To not be afraid of failure - Her exact words go something like this, "The only thing worse than failing is never even trying."

To listen up when learning opportunities show up - Her Dad told her "The only stupid question is the question that you never asked." and she made sure to pass that same wisdom on to me. Pay attention, ask questions, and GIVE IT A SHOT.

That I'm okay - This started when I was a baby. She would always acknowledge the pain and then quickly move on to helping me "brush it off" and reminding me that "it isn't any trouble just to S.M.I.L.E."

These pieces of advice have never let me down.

See , Mom? 

I have been listening!

And don't quote this post 

next time I'm struggling 

with something! :) 

I love you !

A Life

Taken as we flew by the trees and the sunset on the way home last night...I know it's blurry, but I kind of like it!

Last night I went to bed FULL. Full from the joys that God has placed in my life...

I've been gardening and using things from my garden.

I've been chatting with friends via e-mail and skype and phone. 

I've had some good times with my family even in spite of the imperfection that is five people living under one roof. 

Yesterday was Mother's Day and that little day was part of what made me feel so FULL. That one day represents countless LIFETIMES that have been and are being spent on one of the most admirable accomplishments of which humans are capable. 

I don't take having my Mom in my life lightly. For one thing, that was never something guaranteed to me. One choice at the beginning of my life or one choice as my life progressed and she could have been rid of me for good. Somehow she stuck it out, she kept the baby and then she kept the kid. For another thing, God does not guarantee anything. Life is HIS and He does with it as He pleases. 

Since it was Mother's Day, I tried to make the day special for my Mom (I'll tell you more about that later). We went with our family to a small production of The Wizard of Oz. The day was long, but fun.

Saturday I read and wrote and we continued the Emma "marathon". There was a trip to run  some errands and pick up groceries. 

Sometimes life is the same, ordinary, predictable cycle and sometimes that cycle just leaves you FULL. 

Before bed I read these words by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

"Christianity is not a theory or a speculation, but a life;

not a philosophy of life, but a life and a living process."

I'll be coming back to that quote for a while...It says it ALL so well. This life, this living process, was GIVEN to us by God, the one who created us! We can be sure. In Him, we are ALIVE!

I also read these words from 1 Peter 4:11 

"...whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God; 

whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-

in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 

To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

That's it...I've been "feeling" FULL, because I am full!