Family Vacation

Well, my friends I will be out of town for the rest of the week. We are taking a little vacation to Denver, Colorado to visit family. It's my grandma's 75th birthday this next weekend, and I haven't seen her since my mom's funeral 3 years ago. This will be her first time to meet my little ones. I'm so excited. Some of my family have been out here to visit us, but, it will be the first time I've seen most of them since the funeral.

They already have a week of fun activities planned out for us and the kids. I also hope to get to visit my dad's grave while I'm there. I hope that doesn't sound dark and morbid. I'm just looking forward to a peaceful visit, and a little healing time. And the flags should all still be out since today is Memorial Day. My dad is buried at a military cemetery, so they don't allow flowers and decorations, but, they will put out flags for specials days like today.

And if it works out, I'm going to meet up with my bloggy friend Jana at Mustard Seeds. That would be so cool if it worked out. I'm looking forward to seeing the mountains again too. The kids have never seen mountains, so this will be quite a change of scenery for them.

I'm asking you all to pray for mercy journeys for us. We are driving out there, and it would mean a lot to me to know I have family and friends praying for our safety and a good trip. Thanks! I Love You all and will miss visiting with you. See you soon! ~Blessings!

Your Hidden Talent is Your Savvy

You're super sensitive and easily able to understand situations. You tend to solve complex problems in a flash, without needing a lot of facts. Decision making is easy for you. You have killer intuition. The right path is always clear, and you're a bit of a visionary.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things. Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life. You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation. You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon. Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall. You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others. At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults. Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion. A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperament Are You?

Family Outting at the Cleveland Children's Museum

We love to go, go, go. When Hugh is off, we usually have an outing of some sort planned for the day. The kids miss him so much that I try to make our family time special when he is with us. So this last week we went to the Cleveland Children's Museum.

What an adventure. We had never been there before, so Hugh googled the "shortest distance," and it took us through a rather rough neighborhood. He was looking at me like we are so not stopping any where around here. All I could do was laugh, because this could only happen to me. It all turned out OK. We just took a detour through the ghetto. And we had a wonderful day together.

Of course I took lots of pictures. We stopped to eat at the Cheese Cake Factory before leaving town. Yum! I had a bowl of their gumbo, and I have to say it was really, really good. I was impressed. Having lived in Louisiana, I can be kinda partial when it comes to Cajun cooking. It's kinda like bar-b-que. In my opinion, you just can't get good bar-b-que north of Memphis. And I have lived in Kansas City, which is supposedly known for it's bar-b-que. But, I digress. Oh yes, the children's museum. Needless to say, we had a great time together, and the kids wore themselves out. It was a fun little spontaneous road trip.












Blessings on your day!
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Celebrating 8 Years Of Wedded Bliss

Our Rehearsal Dinner.
May 19, 2001 ~Our Wedding Day!

Our Honeymoon in St. Thomas!

So yesterday, Hugh and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. Eight years, where did it go? (In September, we will have been together 14 years all together.)

Hugh and I were fortunate to celebrate the night out alone together. We got to spend quality time -together. No bells or whistles, just quiet, quality time, just the two of us. We spent the time doing something we used to spend time doing as newly-weds.

We went to Boarders (used to be Barnes and Nobel,) picked out all the magazines we wanted to buy and read, grabbed a cup of coffee, dessert, and sat together in the cafe, reading, laughing, and talking.

Last night was about designing our dream home, since we will be buying our first home in less than a year. It was exciting and fun to dream about and plan a new part of our future together. I love him so much. So very much. And I love our life together.

So here's to the next eight, ten, twenty years together. I wonder where we'll be by then. Hugh reminded me, after the next five years, we will have spent more of our lives together than apart. Is it weird that I actually look forward to that part of my life?

-This is the part of me that makes some of my friends and acquaintances want to gag. You know the oooeee-goooeeey happily ever after part. The part that looks forward to growing old together, as we sit hand in hand, watching the sun set on our front porch swing. What can I say, I'm a hopelessly, sentimental, dreamy eyed wife. (sigh~)

Pictures at the Park

These are just a few pictures of an afternoon we got to spend together as a family playing at the park. It is starting to warm up here, but we were still having cool weather last week. I love spending time at the park. It makes me so happy to see how much fun they have. And I'm so glad they enjoy playing together. They're already close friends, as well as, brother and sister.

It's time for A Commitment to Loveliness! I haven't participated in this in a while, and I've missed it. It is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life! This is a fun meme hosted by Emma at Charming the Birds from the Trees.

Here is my list for this week:

1. Work on my posture, while sitting and standing. -I notice that this not only helps my back and shoulders, but, it also reminds me to practice strengthening my abdominal muscles. I used to have great posture, before I gained weight and had children. To be perfectly honest, my confidence took a hit, and my posture suffered the consequences. I started to notice it even when I was sitting. I would immediately go for the corner of the couch, snuggle in, and put a pillow on my lap, to hide as much of me as possible. -I'm ready to move passed that and re-claim my femininity. Or at least that part of it.

2. Get dressed up and spend a night -out laughing and eating with girlfriends. I adore my children, but, every once in a while it's nice to enjoy a nice meal with friends, and a little adult conversation. And I enjoy getting dressed up.

3. Give myself a manicure and pedicure. -Let's celebrate sandals and open toe shoes!

4. Update my spring/summer wardrobe.

5. Get a little sun. I'm not looking for a dark tan, just a nice healthy glow.

Once you have chosen five simple things, post them on your blog and let Emma know in her comment section. And have fun with it. Blessings!

Prayer Request for Baby Barela

Hello my bloggy friends. I have a favor to ask of all of you. This is a picture of my cousin Michael and his wife Esmeralda,and their two beautiful children. This picture was taken last year at his little sister's graduation.

Esmeralda, or Lala, as she is lovingly referred to, is five months pregnant with their third child. They have recently been told that the baby has a build up of fluid around it's brain. They aren't exactly sure what this will mean for their baby, and the doctors are monitoring her very closely. Please pray. As you can imagine they are struggling with anxiety over the possibility that anything could be wrong with their child, as any of us would be. Pray that the Lord will grant them peace in this situation. And please pray for His healing hand to be on baby Barela.

Thank you! Love and blessings to you all!

Mother's Day 2009

" Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water." Ezekiel 19:10.

Happy Mother's Day! On this special day, I want to share with you four very special women in my life. Each of them have mothered me and taught me how to be a loving mother to my own two beautiful children. I am truly blessed to have these women in my life. I hope they know how dear to me they are and that I am celebrating this day in honor of them.

My beautiful mom! She was so loving and nurturing. She was soft spoken and kind. I don't think she ever once raised her voice to me. All she needed was a raised eyebrow to keep me in line. She had a true servant's heart. She always put others first, and I learned the joy of giving from her. The greatest gift she and my father ever gave me was to raise me in the love of the Lord. They lived out an example of a life seeking Him. They prayed together and had devotion every morning over breakfast. They didn't just teach me about the Lord, they helped me to know Him and love Him. Our faith is the most beautiful part of our family's legacy that I have to pass down to my own children. I'm so thankful for my mother, who was a beautiful lady, inside and out. I cherish her memory on this day, since she has gone home to be with our Lord. And I miss her so very, very much! No one could ever take her place in my heart. -There's just no one like your momma! She's a gift to you as much as you are to her.

This is my momma Donna, my mother in love, and her beautiful mother, whom I lovingly refer to as Granny. I'm happy to say that Donna is my friend, as well as, my mother in law. From day one, she has welcomed me into her heart and her family with open arms. We had an instant connection. She is one of the most thoughtful women I've ever known. We share a love for hospitality, a simple classic style, and all things southern. She is also one of the best cooks I've ever met. Like any good southern belle, she knows how to pamper and spoil you, make you feel right at home, and love on ya with her good home cooking. She is fiercely protective of her loved ones, and has a deep rich faith. I am married to a wonderful Christian man who is a product of her raising and her faith.

This is my mother in law/love, Nancy. She has been Hugh's step mom since he was about six. She is an unbelievable woman, I have grown to love more and more through the years. She is graceful and sophisticated, and has a quiet charm about her. I notice a contentment and peacefulness around her and within her home. And she adores her husband. Her love is real and evident in how she severs her family. And it has not gone un-noticed. I love to talk with her about teaching, children and family, our love for books and recipes.

This is my aunt Cathy. She is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Even as a little girl, we had a very special connection. I've always gone to her for advice. She has always been there whenever I needed her. When momma died, she immediately jumped on a plane and came. She knew I needed her before I even had to ask. She helped me get through and to make the decisions I had to make at that very hard time. And she stayed with me through Trey's delivery, just as momma wanted to. She has since stepped in to be the grandma on my side. She is the strongest tie I have to my family and our family's history, now that my parents have passed. I guess that's why I feel at home in her presence. She is the most understanding and compassionate woman I've ever known. And she is also very loving and giving.

I have a rich an abundant legacy to pass down to my children, because of the fruitful women in my immediate and extended family. I am blessed and I hope to pass down these beautiful traits in my own mothering. I hope my children, their spouses, and their children will treasure me in their hearts the way I treasure each of these ladies.

SPRING
The alder by the river

Shakes out her powdery curls;

The willow buds in silver

For little boys and girls.
The little birds fly over

And oh, how sweet they sing!

To tell the happy children

That once again 'tis spring.
The gay green grass comes creeping

So soft beneath their feet;

The frogs begin to ripple

A music clear and sweet.
And buttercups are coming,

And scarlet columbine,

And in the sunny meadows

The dandelions shine.
And just as many daisies

As their soft hands can hold

The little ones may gather,

All fair in white and gold.
Here blows the warm red clover,

There peeps the violet blue;

O happy little children!

God made them all for you.

by Celia Thaxter

The picture above is a flower fairy by artist Cicely Mary Barker. She was a popular, children's book Illustrator and British Artist, whom I first learned about through one of my favorite blogs, Pearl's Sentimental Journey. I think her work is charming and has a lovely child like quality.

Here are a few pictures of the things we have been doing to bring in Spring....

Painting and crafts. We made caterpillars, ladybugs, and spiders. Trey is into bugs and snakes. Anna Grace is loving flowers, birds and bugs right now. They both like playing out in the rain and splashing in puddles. Oh, and I had to include a picture of Anna Grace's first pony tail. So cute.


I hope everyone is enjoying the beauty of God's gifts and the lovely Spring weather! ~Blessings on your day!