It's a Party!

When your kids get to a 'certain age' the invitations to birthday parties slow down a lot until they just stop coming.

So to say that Mike and I are ridiculously exited, and honored, to receive this one is an understatement.













WooHoo! It's a party! :)

Yep, there was quite a bit of excitement around our house when this invitation arrived because this birthday party will be special for many reasons. But of course, Mr. Will is super special for many reasons as well :)

Will is our 'small group baby.' And by that I mean that his parents found out he was on his way about the same time God began placing us all together. So as a result we got to travel through the doctor visits, the updates, the ultrasounds, the nursery plans, a shower to pamper Mom and ultimately Will's much awaited arrival :)

If you've ever been part of a small group - you not only understand the closeness and amazing relationships that are developed - but also the deep attachment we have for this precious little fella. And that's not to mention the way my heart smiles each time I'm referred to as Nana Shelia :)

We love this little guy, and we're pretty fond of Mom and Dad too. (jk :) We're already looking forward to many more parties in the future.

Now . . . if I can just get my husband to calm down until we have a chance to shop for that gift!

Yum!

First, let me say it's not my intention to turn this post into an advertisement or a commercial. But I just finished my mid-morning snack and my taste buds are literally jumping - so I had to share.

I'm not a big breakfast eater, never have been. And I'm pretty sure this would never make the list as a Breakfast of Champions. But if you even think you could savor the taste of a decadent, creamy piece of Key Lime Pie - then you have got to try this stuff. You will not be disappointed.

This stuff is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

All I can add is 'Welcome to de islands mon' . . . :)

Stay-cation!

Mike and I were fortunate enough to get away for a quick trip this past weekend. We're discovering lots of options for our type of travel. We're homebodies who don't require a lot to 'do' while away, so our only goal is to rest, relax and spend some uninterrupted time together.

This weekend was another such get-a-way for us. Or as the politically-correct now say, a 'stay-cation'.

We chose a place that had a pool, naturally, and a gorgeous view of the water. It doesn't matter to me - lake/ocean/river or stream. I just love being near the water.

The first morning, I was awake early. Darn internal clock! So I quietly made coffee, grabbed my book (YAY!!) and took a cup out to the balcony - where I witnessed the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen. Absolutely breathtaking . . .
















But not to be outdone, the view at night was every bit as amazing. We looked up to see a sky filled to the brim with stars. This is a view that living in the city robs us of. I had forgotten how spectacular it is. Each sunrise and each star-filled night reminded me of God's power and His love. It also reminded me of lyrics of a song by Nicole C. Mullen that I love called Redeemer.

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
and Who told the ocean you can only come this far?
and Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

But aside from witnessing the brilliant handiwork of Our Creator, we also managed some pool time.










It was really nice on Friday because we pretty much had it to ourselves.

Or so we thought.

Not sure if you can see them in this photo, but we heard the sound of a helicopter and looked out to see some apparent training exercises going on. And silly me! I thought it might be someone parachuting in for lunch :)

We enjoyed being away and already have our next trip booked. We won't be by the water next time, but that's ok. It'll be cool enough to take advantage of the fireplace they offer :)

I can't say enough about what time alone and away from the distractions and the hustle and bustle of life can do for your marriage. But I can say that it's a habit we definitely don't intend to break anytime soon.

(http://youtu.be/tpCaNBhK4S0)

Unexpected detours . . .

As I was preparing to leave work Thursday afternoon the clouds moved in and the bottom fell out. And as bad as I wanted to get my long weekend started, I decided to just wait it out. It rained pretty steady for at least 10 minutes, yet at the time it seemed much longer. We knew it was a pretty heavy rain due to the amount of water gushing from the downspouts and into the alley behind the DA's office. That's sort of our amateur rain gauge . . .

The rain eventually stopped and the sun popped right out. We grabbed our things, headed to the garage and I headed home.

I always leave by way of Franklin Street and drive past the University Landing Apartments. But as I traveled that same path that afternoon, I realized as soon as I topped the little hill that an unexpected detour might be in my best interest.

The intersection had flooded quickly as a result of what we had assumed was just another pop-up summertime shower. Unexpected detours. They come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?

Oh yeah . . .

Weekend trip coming up! Excited and can hardly wait.

And I love the fact that I'm having to decide between TWO books to read :)

Hope I remember how.

To read, that is . . .

Later!

Frazzle Time

Ok. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm stalked by a time sucking black-hole. That or I fill my days with way too many goals concealed as busyness. Either way, more often than not I spend most days tied (possibly self-induced) into a frazzled knot.

There is always so much more I wanted to accomplish at the end of every day. Or every week. Or at least every weekend. You know, those two full days off each week. Some things seem really important and some are probably not important at all. But they are still things that I imagine are of the utmost importance. Places to go, people to see, things around the house - from replacing bathroom floors to placing photos in chronological order. And the list goes on and on.

I guess I've always had this problem (I'll admit to that) but I really thought this would magically become our time in our lives to do whatever we want - whenever we want. Ok, I hear you 'empty-nesters' laughing out loud right now . . .

But for some bizarre reason I really did assume life would really slow down once it was just the two of us. So I've found myself wondering a lot lately if it's not gonna happen - or if we just haven't figured it out yet?

I mean come on. Realistically it's a given that there should be more time, right?

So maybe what we really need to do is ask ourselves - do we feel like we need to fill it - or do we not know how to relax if we don't?

Hmmm . . . .

Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

The Man Who Never Knew

Haven't had a chance to blog recently. But in the meantime this is more important than anything I could share today ~ trust me.

I’ve wondered at times what kind of man this Judas was. What he looked like, how he acted, who his friends were.

I guess I’ve stereotyped him. I’ve always pictured him as a wiry, beady-eyed, sly, wormy fellow, pointed beard and all. I’ve pictured him as estranged from the other apostles.

Friendless. Distant. Undoubtedly he was a traitor and a quisling. Probably the result of a broken home. A juvenile delinquent in his youth.

Yet I wonder if that is so true. We have no evidence (save Judas’s silence) that would suggest that he was isolated. At the Last Supper, when Jesus said that his betrayer sat at the table, we don’t find the apostles immediately turning to Judas as the logical traitor.

No, I think we’ve got Judas pegged wrong. Perhaps he was just the opposite. Instead of sly and wiry, maybe he was robust and jovial. Rather than quiet and introverted, he could have been outgoing and well-meaning. I don’t know.

But for all the things we don’t know about Judas, there is one thing we know for sure: He had no relationship with the Master. He had seen Jesus, but he did not know him. He had heard Jesus, but he did not understand him. He had a religion but no relationship.

As Satan worked his way around the table in the upper room, he needed a special kind of man to betray our Lord. He needed a man who had seen Jesus but who did not know him. He needed a man who knew the actions of Jesus but had missed out on the mission of Jesus. Judas was this man. He knew the empire but had never known the Man.

Judas bore the cloak of religion, but he never knew the heart of Christ.

We learn this timeless lesson from the betrayer. Satan’s best tools of destruction are not from outside the church; they are within the church. A church will never die from the immorality in Hollywood or the corruption in Washington. But it will die from corrosion within—from those who bear the name of Jesus but have never met him and from those who have religion but no relationship.

Judas bore the cloak of religion, but he never knew the heart of Christ. Let’s make it our goal to know … deeply.

(From Shaped by God / Max Lucado)

Weekend Trips :)

Booked a much needed get-a-way today!

Truth be told, we both actually prefer hanging out at home, I suppose for numerous reasons. We are completely family oriented and don't like to miss any opportunity to hang out with them, we're blessed with so many comforts of home and we've spent our entire marriage perfectly content to be there.

Of course we're not hermits or anything like that. So we do love the occasional vacation, but it can be a struggle for either of us to get away for an entire week. Not to mention the dread of playing the ol' catch-up game afterwards.

We've discovered over the last several years that it's really a lot of fun to take weekend trips - alone. The first time we did this it was for an anniversary. I gave it to Mike as a gift - although I'll admit I got to enjoy it every bit as much as he did. :) It's actually a pretty funny story ...

There was a time when getting him away from home, even for a weekend, was almost impossible. And with the kids being older and hanging out with friends most of the time I thought it would be nice for just the two of us to get away. So I made reservations, secretly packed, loaded the car and made arrangements for the dog. All I told him was that I had a surprise and he needed to be home and ready to go 'somewhere' when I got home from work. Pretty sure he thought we were only going out to dinner.

The trip began as we drove past all the restaurants, then onto the interstate and even past the exit for one location he thought by then we might be going to. But we just continued on as I repeatedly insured him it was going to be a pleasant surprise.

I had printed directions- via mapquest (yeah I know, I know...). Anyway, when we finally reached the destination - according to mapquest - we sat staring, in the dark, at a cow pasture! It was at this point that I had to 'fess-up about my little surprise and tell him I had booked a weekend at a Bed & Breakfast- sight unseen even.

Now let me assure you, it might have been dark in that cow pasture, but I promise I watched the color drain from that man's face! Anybody who knows Mr. He Man Homebody - also knows that he would rather do practically anything besides stay overnight in a stranger's home. I kind of felt sorry for him. I could tell he was ridiculously nervous, but trying not to make me feel any worse. So here we are - it's dark, we're lost, banjos begin strumming and we're headed to a stranger's house for the entire weekend. And did I mention it was dark?

So as we lock the doors and stare out into the dark - and trust me, the moonlight and stars did nothing to help - I called the number on the reservation and got detailed directions from the Inn Keeper. She did inform us once we arrived that mapquest was never able to find them. Ya reckon?

To make a long story short, because that's all of the details I'm sharing, our first weekend trip was wonderful. I'm happy to say that Mike is now a convert and weekend trips are something we both continue to enjoy.

We highly recommend trying a B&B. Promise you won't regret it. You're pampered, they are relatively private and extremely revitalizing.

The owner of this one (http://www.bbonline.com/ky/wildflowers/index.html) has to be a twin of Martha Stewart.

If you run across any memorable ones, we're always on the search for our next one. :)

It's Official . . .

We are officially Empty-Nester's :)

Priss is happily married to her Prince Charming. And Michael has now relocated and is settling into life by the sand and surf.

Yep, the ol' empty nest. But I try not to use the term too loosely.

1) For some reason many people associate the fact that a couple has been married long enough to now have an empty-nest with an impending divorce!

2) The nest is not always empty. We still have fledglings dropping by regularly, which is perfectly fine with us.

It's really a weird feeling. The whole knowing that it's just the two of us now. That we're free to come and go as we please without being concerned if others are coming and going too. It's so weird.

We're still trying to adapt to so many random things. Some are really easy - like doing less laundry or loading and unloading the dishwasher a LOT less often. Yet others might take us a little getting used to - like shopping just for what we like to eat or downsizing meals for just the two of us. Feels strange.

So it's probably best if we try and adjust to this new lifestyle slowly. Because if there were -and there probably will be - a $3,000,000,000 Governmental Study on The Empty Nest I'm sure statistics would show that this kind of freedom feels as if one's system in shock.

I for one am enjoying the tingle!

:)