Two Years Old, Today!

Today my darling baby boy is TWO years old.

{Flashback} Here he is eating cake on his First birthday

Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday Sweet William!
Happy Birthday to YOU!

…and many MORE!

I’ll share today's party details with you later this week.

A Love Letter

Dear Willie,

Tomorrow is your birthday, and I can’t believe it’s been two years since we looked at you for the first time, our hearts full of love and awe. You still inspire awe in us, sweet William. You always will. Because you might ask someday, and because by then I might not remember the details…. I’ve decided to tell you the story of how you came into this world, and just how glad we are that you did.

Two years ago today, we knew you’d be joining us soon but weren’t expecting you just yet. I knew that I’d probably not get much yard work done after you arrived, so on the evening of July 30, I went outside to pull weeds and straighten up the flower beds. It was a hot day, but other than being the size of a barn, I was in good spirits and feeling pretty spry. I worked for a little over an hour before heading inside. We ate a pleasant dinner and went to sleep.

I woke a little after midnight with my first contraction. I didn’t know it was that at the time, but I had my suspicions. I got up quietly, not wanting to wake your Dad until I knew for sure. I assumed that even if this new pain was a contraction, there would still be many hours ahead of us.  I couldn't sleep obviously, but there was no reason he couldn't.

I went to the family room and turned on the tv for some distraction. I picked up a newspaper and pen from the coffee table, and jotted down the time of each contraction in the margin of the front page.

By 2 am, the pains were much more intense and coming closer together. My hand writing had become a bit shaky and I was afraid I might be missing some of what needed to be written down. I went ahead and woke your Dad.

He was wide awake in a heartbeat, and ready to help. I was pacing at this point because walking seemed to be the only thing that made the contractions less painful. By 3, the pains were coming much more quickly and with more insistence. I decided we’d better go to the hospital just in case you were coming more quickly than we’d expected.

We got to the hospital and I assured your Dad that I was probably experiencing false labor and not to bother taking my overnight bag in. We were there just to be careful after all. I was convinced you weren’t going to be born until your due date which was still a few days away. “They’ll probably just send us home.” I assured him. We checked in. This process took forever. The orderly who wheeled me to my room said she’d just come on for her shift. She laughingly said she’d be home with her feet up by the time my baby was born. I glowered at her until she left.

As soon as we got into the room, I was struck with a particularly painful contraction and leaned against the bed. A nurse came in just then, and said she needed to check me out. I put on the hospital gown and she did her check.

She came up to my side and asked cautiously, “Honey, were you planning on taking some pain medication or getting an epidural?” I should have known this wasn’t going to go well when she called me honey, but I said, “Yes, both please.”

“Well”, she said, “The doctor will be here in a moment to say for sure, but I think it’s too late. You’re going to have that baby now.”

“Huh? What do you mean, NOW?” I asked. This was not part of the plan. Everyone had warned, no PROMISED me that there would be hours and hours of waiting and contractions and then there would be pain medicine and all would be good. I sucked in a deep breath, said a little prayer and concentrated on the fact that women have been giving birth without pain medication since the beginning of time. It would be fine, surely.

The doctor arrived. I’ll spare you the specific details, but rest assured that you were born quickly. “Is he okay?” I asked before they even handed you to me. I was told that you were a very healthy little boy. Just 4 hours and 15 minutes after that first contraction, I was able to hold your little squirming baby self in my arms. I loved you before I ever saw your face, but I fell in love with you at that moment. The pain was nothing more than memory.  Your eyes looked into mine, and though I’m sure all you saw was a blurry blob – the blurry blob said, “Hi William, I’m your Mommy.” Truth be told, the tears in my eyes made you a little bit blurry too.

I know that you think your Dad is a tough guy, and he is. He’s a manly man who would prefer discussing box scores or politics to feelings any day. But even he was visibly moved by the arrival of his son.

There aren’t words that can express how much love we felt for you from those very first moments. Every little thing about you was perfect and amazing. In a heartbeat our lives had changed. We were your parents.

As you grow into the man you will become, I want to promise you that we will always love you. We will always cherish you. There is nothing you can do that could change that. My own Mom used to say that to me, and I didn’t grasp what she meant until you were here. I’m sure there will be times that you do things I’m not thrilled about, but none of those things will change the fact that you are my sweet little boy.

I’ll love you forever, Sweet William. Happy Birthday to You.

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama to share one moment.... via a single photo – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember…”

Tired, but Determined

This week Little Guy has yet another ear infection and therefore he has been sleeping poorly.

He never has been much of a sleeper anyway. He was fourteen months old before he slept more than five hours in a row. He’s never slept past 6am, and only that late on a handful of occasions. Yesterday we were up at 3, and that was after a long night of ups and downs. He wanted to be rocked. He wanted his back rubbed. He wanted me to not touch him, but also not to leave his room. I was a zombie, but I obliged him because let’s face it - we Mommies have a hard time saying no to our sick little ones.

This Zombie Mommy then struggled through a typical day at the office. If it weren’t for caffeine I don’t know that I would have made it. But I did – make it, that is. Last night miraculously Little Guy slept from 7 till 5. That meant that Mommy and Daddy did too, and oh what a difference a good night of sleep can make!

I don’t want to jinx it, but I think he’s feeling better. And just in time too. We are having a 2nd birthday party for him on Saturday. It will be at our house, so there is much to do.

I’m a bit of a control freak (if you know me well, you are wiping the tears from your laughing eyes at this understatement). That means that I’m making the cake (three actually, but more on that in a future post), a lot of the decorations, the invitations and of course attempting to scour our home so that it is ready for an onslaught of family, friends and neighbors. Dan’s been putting in a lot of extra hours outside as well, and I think we’re going to be ready when Saturday rolls around.

Birthdays are a really big deal to me. They always have been. My folks are not rich or fancy and never were, but they always made us feel really special on our birthdays. Mom would bake the cake of our choosing. Many years they were in fun shapes or featured favorite characters. They were always delicious. We were served our favorite meal and there would usually be a few little presents. For years we made each other greeting cards. I think it started as a way to save money, but became a fun tradition.

They threw me a few parties, but the one I remember most was for my 8th birthday. Oh, what fun that was. Dad made a piñata, and Mom made a wonderful birthday cake. All of my little friends from church and school were invited and we had a treasure hunt and a sleepover. It still brings back waves of fond memories all these years later.

It’s that feeling that inspired last year’s 1st birthday party for Willie (baseball theme) and this years’ Sesame Street party. The house will be full of friends and family. There will be yummy cake and ice cream. There will be presents and fun times. Most of all there will be lots and lots of love for the Birthday Boy.

I know we could save ourselves a lot of time if we purchased a cake or rented out a local pizza joint. I know it won’t be perfect, no matter how much effort we put in. But I also know that it will be fun, and Will is going to love having his house full of folks he loves and cake to eat and a few gifts to unwrap. He’s too young to really remember the party for long, but someday we can show him the pictures and he’ll see how much fun he had and know how much this day meant to us.

And so what if we’re tired? It’s worth it. He’s worth it. He fills our every day with joy and laughter and surprise and excitement. The least we can do is give him some back.

I may be exhausted these days, but I’ve truly never been happier.

Green Tomatoes

I must keep reminding myself… I prefer eating red tomatoes. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

These just look so lovely and so very full of promise; it’s hard to leave them on the vine. In the past, I've not always had much luck with growing tomatoes, so I've been quite excited as I watch these beauties grow.

I can hardly wait to taste that burst of juicy goodness that only comes from a tomato fresh off the vine. Looks like my wait will soon be over. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Photo note: Top pic is of the heirloom Black Prince and the lower pic is of a standard cherry tomato hybrid. Both came as small transplants from our local garden store, and have been raised in buckets on our deck. My other plants are coming along too, but don't yet look this good.

Bench (52 Week Challenge - Week 3)

I recently joined the challenge put forth by the Thrify Mrs. She and a friend concocted a goal of making 52 things in 52 weeks. The guidelines are pretty open. You just need to make things you enjoy, and which aren’t part of your usual repertoire.

Here's my result for week three (You’ll see week two’s results when I post party pictures next week - sorry for the out-of-order blogging)…

This adorable little bench was given to us by a family member. It is sturdy (cast iron legs) and just needed a new covering. Admittedly this may not really count at a “make” according to Thrify Mrs, but I’m hoping she’ll let me slide this one time. It’s been a rough last few weeks.

Here's a "before" shot...

When it came to choosing new fabric, I knew that I wanted something neutral, which would also be pretty tough. After all, I live with a little tornado who loves crayons and kool-aid. I had this nubby wool that is brown with bits of gold and orange woven through. I am very pleased with the end result.

And "After"...

Challenge Summary: Week Three
Ever done this before? Not exactly – I'm no pro, but I have recovered kitchen chairs before
Do I love it? Yes
Material Cost: bench was a kind gift. Fabric on hand – $0.00
Time Spent: under 20 minutes
Success - Yes or No? Yes

Hand, Foot & Mouth

I know I said I'd be away from blogging for a bit, but honestly I wasn't planning to not post at all. It's not been party-planning that has kept me from my computer. Instead it's been nursing Little Guy. In the last month and a half he's had back-to-back ear infections, two head colds, & a stomach virus. Now he has "Hand, Foot & Mouth Virus" which causes little blisters in the obvious places (very creative naming of this little illness), W also has blisters in some even less comfortable places unfortunately. He's banned from daycare till the blisters heal so I'm off with him through Wednesday, and then Hubby will take over for Thursday and Friday. Hopefully by next Monday, we'll be all clear.

The good news is that as long as we can keep him distracted from itching or pointing at various body parts to say "OW", he does okay.

Today while he was napping, I built a little fort in our family room. I filled it with some of his favorite toys and books, and some of his pint sized furniture.

He was quite excited when he woke up and discovered his new hiding place. We had fun in it all afternoon - snuggling stuffed animals, playing peek-a-boo and reading books about trains and planes.

Missing work is not something I want to do (or can afford to do) often, but experiences like playing in that fort, will certainly be ones I remember long after my day job has been forgotten.

I'll be back to the grind day after tomorrow, but until then I'll take advantage of every bonus moment I have to spend with my sweet little boy.

Two Years Ago...

this is what I looked like:

Just a few weeks before delivering our fantastic baby boy. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed, and can simply not imagine what we ever did with our time before he was here. He makes every little thing so much better!

I really enjoyed being pregnant. I felt great and found the whole experience to be quite wonderful. But the thing I've loved far more than pregnancy...has been motherhood. There really is nothing that compares (for me anyway). xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be spending most of my free time planning Little Guy's party - so don't be alarmed if you don't see much of me in Blog-land. I'm still here....just super busy being Will's proud Mommy.

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama to share one moment.... via a single photo – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember…”

Curtains (52 Week Challenge - Week 1)

I recently joined the challenge put forth by the Thrify Mrs. She and a friend concocted a goal of making 52 things in 52 weeks. The guidelines are pretty open. You just need to make things you enjoy, and which aren’t part of your usual repertoire.

Here's my result for week one.

As I’ve mentioned before, our house is an older one and has some weird quirks. One of which is that for some unknown reason, the kitchen counter extends beyond the cabinetry. It’s just this piece of counter that juts out by itself. This oddity has always bugged me a little. We don't have a lot of counter space, so chopping it off was out of the question though. We've talked about adding another cabinet underneath but have never gotten around to it. For some time now, we have made the most of the space by storing our recycling bin below it. The recycling bin is useful of course, but isn’t really something I want to display for the world (or the tiny part of it that visits my home anyway) to see. So, for my first week’s challenge; I decided to make some curtains to cover up that underneath bit.

I didn’t use a pattern. I just measured the space I needed to cover; cut the fabric appropriately; folded the raw edges under and did a quick stitch with my Singer. The fabric was left over from when I reupholstered our kitchen chairs. Someday maybe I'll dig out the before and after pictures from that project. It was fun too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Speaking of "before" and "after"... I didn't think to take before pics of this space, so you will need to use your imagination. :)

In case you are wondering….the colors in the pictures are pretty accurate. It really is THAT yellow in our kitchen.

So, once the curtains were hung, they nicely hid the not-so-lovely recycling bin. A bonus feature is that Little Man enjoys hiding under them too!

Challenge Summary: Week One
Ever done this before? No
Do I love it? Yes
Material Cost: Pulled all of the supplies from my craft cabinet – $0.00
Time Spent: under two hours
Success - Yes or No? Yes

Holiday Cake

I took this cake to a 4th of July barbeque. Nothing too major, but it was fun and festive.

The cake was lemon with raspberry filling and lemon frosting. I used a new recipe and was frankly very unhappy with the way it tasted. I was pleased with the look of it though. It wasn’t an extravagant design, but was fun to do – and didn’t take long, which was a bonus for this week!

Next time I’ll stick to the cake recipes (or mixes) that I know are fool proof. Otherwise, it was a good experience.

You Can't Go Home Again... Or Can You?

I was just four years old when we first moved into a small farmhouse toward the top of a big hill – right smack in the middle of nowhere. That “nowhere” hill overlooked an achingly beautiful landscape. Almost untouched by civilization; the hills rolled gently through valleys, river bottoms, hayfields, timber and row crops.

It was a quiet place. One might hear the occasional echo of a far off tractor, a barking dog, or the songs of native birds. In general though, the hills were hushed – as if in reverence to the beauty of the land.

It probably sounds like a desolate existence, but that would be far from the truth. We had each other, and we were a happy little family. We had various animals and lots of places to explore. We were just a short drive from the closest small town, and less than a half mile from our country church (which we visited every Sunday, without fail).

There were other houses sparsely scattered along the narrow gravel road. Though our neighbors were few – many were dear friends. Sometimes all you could see from the road was a lonely mailbox marking a winding driveway.

But we knew. We knew, that if we followed one of those driveways, we’d come upon some unassuming home where someone would offer us sweet tea or cookies and where there would always be friendly conversation and laughter.

We only lived on that lovely hill-top farm for six years; but that time holds many of my dearest childhood memories. Exploring the woods, following my Dad to the hay fields, chasing my dog Lucky, and getting into all sorts of trouble – those are surely days I’ll never forget.

We were close to one neighboring family in particular. For the sake of their privacy, I shall call them “Family D”. We didn’t have a lot of family of our own living nearby, but these folks treated us as if we were part of theirs. All these years later, many members of that family still live in the area. In fact, one branch of Family D lives in our old house, or at least in the same spot. The old farmhouse went through a much needed renovation/expansion some years back, and though some of the original bones may remain – you wouldn’t know it just by looking.

But I digress. Over the years, we have kept in touch with Family D, and recently they invited us to a Fourth of July barbeque being held at the farm where we lived all those years ago. We didn’t hesitate in accepting the invitation to return to our old stomping grounds.

And that, dear reader, brings me to the title of this post. Can one truly go “home” again? It had been years since I’d been to that area; yet my memories remain so vivid that it was hard to imagine reality ever living up to the way I remembered it.

The big day came and it was with great excitement that we (my folks, my brother, and I) went down those familiar country roads once again. My hubby and Willie went too, but this was their first visit to the little farm from our past. Along the way, I noticed that some things had changed over the years. Several homes I remembered - were simply gone. Others had faded a bit from what I now realize might have been their ‘glory days’. On the other hand, there were new houses, and others which had been lovingly restored. It was like traveling through time, but at the same time – seeing it all for the first time. So many years had passed. So many things had changed. Every curve, every hill brought surprises, but also the comfort of memory.

Finally, we were there. As the ‘home place’ came into view, I had to hold my breath just a bit. Yes, things had changed: the house looks quite different, and has actually doubled in size. There is a large pond where once there was none. The hill itself has been streamlined and cleared to improve the view. The tree I had watched my Dad plant in the front yard was gone. Other differences (both small and large) were clear.

And yet, in some ways – it was exactly the same! The mailbox was newer, but it was in the same spot ours had stood. It was there that I’d waited for the school bus and mailed letters to my Grandma. The old barn where I broke my arm, and where Dad kept the sheep and goats - is now red instead of white – but when I poked my head inside, it looked and even smelled exactly as I remembered it. The hill where we used to sled, and the field behind the barn where my pony once ran (and where I’d broken my other arm) remained untouched by time. The general ‘feeling’ of the place was still the same as I remembered.

The trees on the hills still shimmer in the breeze. The air is still fresh and clear. The view from that hilltop still takes my breath away. It still feels like home.

The grill was fired up, and the fragrance of charcoal and sizzling meat lead the way. We were greeted with warm hellos from our dear friends, and counters laden with an Independence Day feast worthy of it’s own Food Network special. Our plates were soon mounded high with burgers, chicken, fried potatoes and watermelon. Into our hands were thrust chilly tumblers full of sweet tea. For dessert there was cake and ice cream.

We chatted with the folks, shared stories of the old days, and we laughed together. My parents, my brother, me, my hubby and our sweet little boy – we were all welcomed warmly. We reminisced and caught up with everyone’s current lives. When it was time to go, we hugged and “good-byed” our way back to the cars - our bellies and hearts full.

It was a lovely day. It is still a very lovely place. It was a day that we will always look back on fondly. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to revisit a bit of the past, but more than that – we are so lucky to have been blessed with friends like Family D.

So, that question again….Can you go “Home” again?

I think the answer is yes. Yes, you can go “home” again. For if your friends and family are with you – wherever you are is indeed home – whether you’ve ever lived there, or not.

Happy Fourth!

Sunday is the Fourth of July. Here in America, the fourth is a day on which we celebrate our Independece Day. It’s a holiday full of parades, fireworks, picnics and family reunions. But more importantly, it is a time to reflect on our nation’s history and to celebrate the freedoms we cherish.

I’ll be largely away from Blog-land this weekend, but wanted to wish all of my American friends a very happy Independece Day!

A few of my favorite American Independence Day related tidbits below:

The Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an oath of loyalty to the national flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892.

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic
for which it stands
one nation
under God
indivisible
with liberty and justice for all

America
My Country, 'Tis of Thee, also known as America, is an American patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody is that of the British national anthem, God Save the Queen, although Smith encountered it by way of a German adaptation. The song served as a de facto national anthem of the United States before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official anthem

My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

The Star Spangled Banner
In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem, Defense of Fort McHenry. The poem was later put to the tune of (John Stafford Smith's song) The Anacreontic Song, modified somewhat, and retitled The Star Spangled Banner. Congress proclaimed The Star Spangled Banner the U.S. National Anthem in 1931.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

God Bless the USA!

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama to share one moment.... via a single photo – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember…”

Blessed

Sometimes I wonder if I should pinch myself – to make sure this isn’t all merely a dream? I’m so very lucky, so very blessed to have a wonderful hubby and sweet baby boy, amazing family and friends, a cozy home and a steady day-job, good health and precious time to spend with loved ones.

I’m truly at a lovely and fulfilling place in my life. I’m not bragging here. I don’t say any of this to boast. I say it to pay credit where it’s due.

Sometimes the blessings in life are BIG ones – the birth of a cherished baby, a good medical report, a miraculous answer to prayer, a resolution to a pressing financial problem.

Sometimes the blessings in life are more subtle - reconnecting with an old friend, receiving a warm letter from a loving family member, enjoying a day with a curious toddler, snuggling on the sofa with my sweetie, watching the sun set, or getting a garbage bag of free clothes.

Yes, I said it – garbage bag of free clothes.

Last week, there was a knock on our door. A sweet neighbor lady was standing there with a bulging Hefty bag hanging from her grasp. One of her children had received some hand-me-downs in sizes that they didn’t need.

Would I be interested? I could have anything in the bag that I thought I could use.

Was I interested?!? Ha! Of course I was!

My Little Helper enjoyed assisting me pull the items, one by one, from the bag. Shirts, dress slacks, swim trunks, running pants, jeans… the pile got bigger and bigger. The sizes ranged from 3T to 6. Little Guy is wearing 2T right now, so nothing was too small.

We laundered the items and carefully sorted them into waiting containers labeled with each size. I like to plan ahead, and had already started bins for the next few sizes. That way if I find an adorable outfit at a garage sale, I can snap it up and not worry that we’ll lose it before it will fit.

One of my favorite activities is ‘switching out’ the closet. Whenever Little Guy starts to outgrow his wardrobe, I head to the basement to get the next bin. When the “new” clothes are in the closet, I launder and store the outgrown ones. If we are ever blessed with another little boy, we’ll have a full wardrobe right off the bat. If we have a girl, we might need to do a little shopping for pink, but that would be fun too – so I won’t complain.

That surprise garbage bag was certainly a blessing. This post isn’t really about free clothes though. I am, of course very thankful for that generous gift from my neighbor, but the intent behind this particular posting is bigger than that.

It’s about the feeling of contentment and happiness that has come over me again lately. I’ve had this feeling before. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to start a blog, was that I wanted the world to know that life can be (and is often) very, very good. I've always been a fairly positive person, but for a bit there, I let myself get sidetracked by some things that came up which worried and distracted me. Now, I’m back, and so very grateful to be HERE, in this time and place.

On days like today, when the sun is shining, my fellas are happy, my family is healthy, a four day weekend is right around the corner and life just seems so amazing and bursting with promise – I want to stand on the rooftop and send a big Thank You to the ONE who blesses me (in the big ways and in the small ways). In reality, I won’t be crawling up on rooftops any time soon. The ladder is a bit rickety and I am not a fan of heights… so instead, I’ll post my feeling here - for any willing eye to read:

Let it be known: We are grateful. We are lucky. We are blessed.

My sincere prayer for you, dear friend - is that you will feel the same way about wherever you are in the world. And if maybe you don’t feel it today, that the feeling will come soon.

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another."

- John 1:16 (NIV)

Image: Art Print by Pat Fischer. Buy it HERE

Lovin' Summer

Oh, I just love summer. Don't you? Warm breezes and lemonade. Carnivals and parades. Fireworks and Ice Cream cones. Picnics and sunscreen. Long drives with the windows down. Time spent with family and friends under the sun.

Oldies on the radio that get stuck in my head all day.
For example, this little ditty from "Greese"
(a fantastic summer song - hope you enjoy it like I do):

Summer Nights
Summer lovin' had me a blast
Summer lovin' happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be

Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights

Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
Did you get very far?
Tell me more, tell me more
Like does he have a car?

Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh

She swam by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off, splashing around

Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights

Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
Was it love at first sight?
Tell me more, tell me more
Did she put up a fight?

Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh

Took her bowling in the arcade
We went strolling, drank lemonade
We made out under the dock
We stayed out 'till ten o'clock

Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights

Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
But you don't gotta brag
Tell me more, tell me more
Cause he sounds like a drag

shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop,shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, YEH

He got friendly, holding my hand
While she got friendly down in the sand
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
Well she was good you know what I mean
Woah!

Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights

woo, woo, woo
Tell me more, tell me more
How much dough did he spend?
Tell me more, tell me more
Could she get me a friend?

It turned colder - that's where it ends
So I told her we'd still be friends
Then we made our true love vow
Wonder what she's doing now

Summer dreams ripped at the seams,

but oh, those summer nights....
Tell me more, tell me more!

Images:
Greese Movie Image via Bing Images.
"Summer Fun II" by Pamela Jones via FineArtAmerica