Girlfriends

Last weekend I attended our church ladies retreat.  It was the first one I've been able to go to and I was really looking forward to not only the time away from the routine but a chance to get to know some of the women in my church a little better.  I am not sure when it happened, but at some point along the way I sort of forgot how to make new friends.  It isn't that I haven't wanted to...I just felt...frozen.

I know some of the difficulty in maintaining friendships and developing new ones just comes with the territory of being a grown up and having a family.  What very little free time you have as a wife and mother is often spent passed out on the couch or catching up on the 12 episodes of Parenthood on the DVR. 

But my problem seems to go a bit deeper.  I feel and actual wall up sometimes when I am in a room full of women I don't know well. 

It's kind of funny because I used to really shine in social situations.

Now not everyone in that lovely little house on the hill was a stranger.  Some I have known and loved since I was a child and some I have grown to know and love over the past few years, but several were completely new faces or ladies I had wanted to get to know better but hadn't been able to step over that wall.

But something wonderful happend for me on this retreat.  I prayed about those walls and made and effort to leave them behind me as I made the drive, and I can honestly say for the first time a while I felt like I truly made some new friends.

An amazing thing can happen in a setting like this.  No tv, no laundry, phones off, no shopping lists calling your name.  When you have free time....

REAL FREE TIME

with nothing else do do but sit down with one or a group of ladies and chat.  You get to hear so much about who they are and where they come from and what is on their hearts.  And when you stay up till nearly 3am just being silly...I mean laughing from you gut, eyes watering because you are too sleepy to filter and everyone is saying whatever pops into thier head silly...you tend to bond.  It has been WAY too long since I've laughed that hard.  It was a time of growth for me.  A much needed reminder that I need girlfriends, I need FREE TIME, and every so often I need to stay up past my bedtime and be so silly my sides hurt.

To the ladies of Arden Church, thank you for filling my heart this past weekend.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's, grandma's, step-mom's, and mom-to-be's!

A Post Easter - Easter Message

So...did you have a nice Easter?

We managed to squeeze a little egg dying in between baking cookies and riding horses and watching movies and shopping for Easter outfits. 

Millie is quite the artist, just like her sister.  She enjoys being creative and had a blast coloring eggs.

Next on the agenda is this beautiful boy's 7th birthday party.  In past years I've got a tad overboard on planning and spending and making a huge deal out his birthday.  I'm afraid I've set the expectations pretty high for myself.  I am going to make a real effort not to spend so much time on pinterest this year and try to keep it simple.  Besides I'm running out of time, it'll be here in a few short weeks!

I can't believe he's going to be 7.  I know I am biased and all mommy's think their kids are the best, but as far as 7 year old boys go...he's a very sweet one. 

I am proud to be his mommy and so blessed to be the one he wants to snuggle with when he gets sick

(except of course that I in turn get sick but I'll suffer through almost anything to get to kiss that sweet face.)

 

Our Easter celebration started off with a Good Friday service.  This is something our church hasn't done in the past but I very much enjoyed starting the weekend off with the right focus.  Just like any holiday it's easy to get wrapped up in all of the prep and making sure it's a special one for your kids you forget to take a moment and focus on what it really means to you and sharing that importance with your family. 

For me, Easter is everything.  With out the sacrafice Jesus made for me I would be hopeless.

 

Easter Sunday was full of family and food and colors and smiles.  We put on our new fancy outfits and headed to church to sing praises to our risen savior.  We hunted brightly colored easter eggs and shared a delicious meal prepared by hands we love.  We gave thanks for salvation and the blessing of family that we hugged and spent much needed time catching up with.  And I personally ate way too much chocolate...like all week.  (Curse you Cadbury!) 

  

I know it's late but from our family to yours I hope you had a wonderful Easter and the truth of what it is all about resonates with you all year long. 

You are loved, beyond your comprehension.  

A pretty big day

I know Easter was a week ago but after the day was over I needed time to re-coup.

This Easter was kind of a big deal.

The kids at church were darling as usual. Singing on stage complete with hand motions. They all looked like little Easter outfit models straight out of the catalog while they hunted eggs.

















This year Devin offered to host the celebration at his place, which would bring our families together for the first time. I had no worries about how our families would blend. The first time I met his family I knew right off the bat they were much like my own and our families would mix well.

It was more the pressure of getting the place decorated, cleaned, obtain all the requirements to host a party of 20, and have tasty hot food on the table at once that had the both of us working hard for days. The day went off beautifully.























We celebrated all the wonder that is Easter as well as two birthdays and the joining of our two families. Words can't express how excited I am to be a part of Devin's family and see my own grow with the addition of so many amazing and beautiful people. We missed those that couldn't be there but there were smiles and hugs and loves and just a small taste of the celebration to come at the wedding.

A big day, a good day, and plans are in full motion for THE REAL BIG DAY!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm in my PJ's, the parade is on, the fireplace is lit, the sound of kids playing and the smell of bacon and coffee surrounds me. Truly we are blessed.

Thank you God for every undeserved blessing.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I love flowers

I love my church family.

This beautiful display arrived last night. They smell so good!





Today Elijah and I will watch "Up." We've never seen it. I've stocked my Netflix queue with Disney movies for us to watch together while I recover.
I love Netflix.

I've been spending these hours on the couch editing a lot of photos taken over the past couple weeks.
I love my laptop.


The pain has increased over the last couple days. I love pain meds.


My mom has been an awesome nurse. She helped me get a shower yesterday which resulted in standing water all over her bathroom floor. She said "well at least I'm getting my bathroom floor cleaned."
I love my mom.

Church in Africa

We went to tent services at night as well as Sunday morning service at the church where we stayed. During the worship hour(s) The young people would get into groups and take turns up front in a sort of African line dancing.

It was beyond cool.







On Sunday service every nearby village had a choir and we were treated to a performance by each. Wow. Of course I expected the music to be awesome but I was literally brought to tears by the sound of their voices. There is a quality to the voice of Africa that is wise, haunting, beautiful, and not like anything else I've ever heard. Unfortunately I never did figure out how to get my camera into video mode which I'm still kicking myself for because I never want to forget that sound. God may have created a dry and harsh land in Africa but He gave the people the gift of music and when you're standing in the middle of a hot and dusty tent listening to that sound I'm pretty sure it's a sample of what heaven will be like.

Walking in Okorosave

We woke up to the most amazing sky the last work day in Okorosave. I could tell this day would be a special one from the start. Knowing this would be the last full day spent in the village saddened my heart but I was also excited to share with the children the story and activities I'd prepared.

Doesn't this sky just look like God is shinning His glory down on the town?
Nothing short of stunning.








The "girl work" on the structure (which didn't include welding and climbing up on shaky scaffolding) was already done so the ladies decided to take a walk through the village to see some of these homes up close. The kids came out of their huts to walk with us, and of course pose for a shot or two.





























Check out this termite mound! These things were everywhere and sometimes up to 10 feet tall! Don't mind my less than fashion-ista attire. Comfort and dress code were the priority. The best surprise was it's too dry to sweat!





While we were strolling through the village this little QT was sent out by his mama wrapped in hand made goods for sale. Now that's good marketing!








Not only did I fall in love with these kids but I also gained a bond with every member of our team that went. Sharing something like this is beyond words. These ladies all became my friends, my 2nd and 3rd moms, and my nurse (when I twisted my ankle and got sick.) Not to discount the men, the kind of giving and selfless men that could handle a group of 9 women for 2 weeks! : )

I will cherish each of them and this experience we shared for the rest of my life.







Are you bored with my Africa pics yet? I hope not because I'm only about 1/2 way through the trip. And I love sharing them. Every time I look through the pics for another post I'm taken back and it does my heart good.