...she would do Boomama proud...!

I love Boomama! Her blog posts are hilarious, her stories are just full of southern wonderfulness, (which I can appreciate as a transplant to the South), and the lady loves cheese. And I happen to think cheese is a love language, of sorts. So last week, when Rachel and I were out for some school shopping, we stopped in at Steak-n-Shake for a quick lunch, and here's what she ordered:

Y'all - that's a grilled cheese sandwich, a side of cheese fries, and a side of cheese to dip the sandwich in, just in case it wasn't cheesy enough! The girl loves her cheese! I think Boomama would approve..... And no, that isn't a big black bug on the plate - it's the logo.

Rolling on the River

Our property is bordered on one side by a river. We often go and sit on the bank and watch it flow, look for fish, and last Fall, we saw beavers swimming in the river. But generally, we don't go IN the river.... But last week, when it was quite warm, the kids begged and begged to be allowed to swim in the river. Honestly, I was a little horrified. I mean, who knows what is in that water? But hubs reminded me that people have been swimming in rivers for years, and calmed my fears by pointing out that the river is down really low right now so it is very shallow. After eliciting promises from R&J to NOT SWALLOW THE WATER!, and to shower thoroughly after swimming, I relented. So we all headed down to the river...

I got a little bit distracted by the gorgeous leaves and flowers on this vine, which grows everywhere on anything that is standing still....

Here's the river...

Dogs like to swim too...

I think the dog is telling her "Come on in, the water's fine!"

In my prowling around my the bank, I found these! Wild blackberries! They are small, but the ripe ones are delicious!

More pretty flowers (weeds)...

The kids had a blast, and it was fun and relaxing to sit and watch the river flow.

Memory Verse - July 15th

Lately I have been praying up a storm with intercessory requests, and as far as I can tell, I don't see them being answered. I saw a cute little placard in a store recently that said "God has three answers to prayer: "Yes", "Not now", and "I have something better in mind". So I'm reminding myself to TRUST HIM, and that even when I don't see things happen, He is at work. So the verse I chose to memorize is:

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." Ecclesiastes 11:5, NIV

Top Ten Tuesday - the Bucket List

Jenni is hosting “Tuesday Top Ten” lists, and today’s top ten list is our “Bucket List”, things we’d like to accomplish before we depart this earth. Not something I think about often as I tend to focus too much on what I need to do this week, today, IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES (shriek)!!!

But anyway, here’s my “Bucket List”, and you can check out Jenni’s here.

1. See my kids grow up

Yes, it’s painful at times, but after so many years of struggling with infertility, I have been richly blessed to be “Mom” to these two…. They are well on their way, and I want to see their journey unfold.

2. Fulfill my purpose

As corny as it may sound to some, I believe with all my heart that God DOES have a specific plan and purpose for my life, and I don’t want to leave this earth having missed it. I don’t think it is necessarily just one thing, or some grandiose task that He has planned for me, but perhaps, my purpose is fulfilled in millions of everyday moments. Whatever it is, I want to fulfill it.

3. See the Northern Lights

I’ve always been fascinated by the whole idea of the Aurora Borealis, and I even love how the name just rolls off the tongue. To me, it is God’s show of dancing, shimmering light, his version of a laser light show without the obnoxiously loud rock music and raucous fans…..

4. Make something beautiful (or many things beautiful!) in stained glass

Sunshine streaming through stained glass invokes such vivid colors, unlike anything that can be achieved on paper or canvas. And yet working in stained glass requires precision, math, and technical skill, which all appeals to the left-brain part of me. Artistry by engineering, if you will!


5. Learn to play the piano

I’m not interested in learning to play classical pieces for a recital, but would be thrilled to be able to bang out some chords and a recognizable melody. I can picture us now, all gathered around the piano like the Waltons, while mom (me) plays a hymn. Oh, I'm kidding... That is NOT my family at all...!


6. Plan and plant a gorgeous garden

I’d love to have massive beds with gorgeous shrubs, flowers and such and garden benches and a gazebo to make the garden an inviting place to just…be. And yes, I’d also like to have a great kitchen garden too, with fruits, veggies, and herbs. I enjoy all aspects of gardening EXCEPT the heavy digging needed to prepare the beds and soil, which is probably why this is nowhere close to a reality…

7. Leisurely travel

I’m not interested in the “see 7 cities in 7 days!” types of travel. Hubby and I like to be able to take our time and noodle through a place, with no agenda or time constraints. Some of the places I’d like to linger are Venice, Ireland, Australia, Scotland (my heritage), and Austria.

8. Take a balloon ride

Only because I am really afraid of heights, and I want to show myself that I can…..

9. Make amends and restore relationships

Honestly, I don’t want to be on my deathbed realizing I am leaving behind broken relationships. I’d love to leave with peace of mind and no regrets about the people I love.

OK, there you have it! Leave me a comment if you post your own list, as I’d love to hear yours.

Fireflies...

Stars on Earth

As daylight dims,
And darkness grows,
They rise on a whim,
Fireflies, aglow.

What great delight!
I watch them dance,
Sweet, sparkling lights,
I’m entranced!

Mimicking stars,
Cast in milky night skies,
The heavens on earth,
Twinkling fireflies.

In a time when it seems our country is becoming so politically divided over issues and actions, my prayer is that we, as a nation, will cry out to God, and that He will heal and restore us.

I became a US citizen in 1990, and I am so proud to call myself an American!

Carly

I am so thankful that James, at age ten, is not yet at the stage where he is interested in girls. Hopefully we have a few more years until he is awash with teenage boy hormones, but in the meantime, he has taken a fancy to a girl he met while staying up at his Granny and Papa’s house a few weeks ago. Carly is the granddaughter of my in-law’s neighbor, and she is often at her grandmother’s house during the summer days. She’s a year or so younger than James, and very much a tomboy. “I really like Carly”, James told me after they met. “She likes to play football, and basketball, and she doesn’t want to play with sissy girl stuff.” Hmm, I thought to myself.

Since then, James has been to Granny’s house several times. “Do you think Carly will be able to play?” he asks shyly, as we drive. “I hope so,” I tell him. I am surprised with how tenderly he talks about Carly, and how much he looks forward to spending time with her. And I am a little nervous too; I am definitely not ready for school age crushes and broken hearts, and I pray that this friendship will not cause James embarrassment, hurt or pain.

So about ten days ago, Tom and I took Rachel and James on a family drive, noodling our way through NE Alabama and back into Chattanooga. We had a great time just driving on the back roads and stopping wherever we saw something that interested us. Towards the end of the day, we stopped at a truck stop on the interstate to fill up with gas and get drinks, and as I was making my way to the drink fountain, I saw James browsing through the typical tourist trinkets that abound in truck stop stores – keychains, refrigerator magnets, shot glasses, knick-knacks, and such. As I was filling up my drink cup, James came up to me and tugged gently on my arm. “Can I get this?” he asks. "I want to give it to Carly," and he opens his hand to show me a keychain, with the name ‘Carly’. I am honestly stunned! He has never bought anything for a girl before, other than his sister, and of course that doesn’t count…. I find myself in a bit of a quandary because I am always telling Rachel and James not to waste money on stuff like this keychain, but I think it is a good thing that he wants to get her a present. I find myself rattled and confused because I am not sure how to handle this. I’m sure he asked me knowing that Tom would probably tease him if he found out James wanted to buy a present for a girl. So I stick with my rules, but feel instant regret as I tell him “No, you may not get that!”, but right them , Tom comes up, and sees what James is asking for, and he also tells James “NO!” and sends him out to the car.

I finish getting my drink, and the whole time, I am feeling so bad for James. I like that he thinks about people and wants to do nice things for them, and I want to encourage him to have a tender heart and want to do things for his friends. But admittedly, this whole boy-girl friendship thing is just throwing me for bit of a loop; James would never think about buying a keychain for his other friends, who all happen to be boys. What does this mean??? Aaaarrrgggghhh! So I head over to the keychain rack, I find the ‘Carly’ keychain, I pay for it along with my drink, and I slide the keychain in my jeans pocket. I’ll give it to James later and he can give it to Carly.

The drive home is uneventful, and when we get home, James heads straight up to his room. After a few minutes I go up the stairs, planning to talk to him and give him the keychain. As I am walking down the hall, I see Tom in the room with James, and Tom is fishing a keychain out of his pocket too. He bought the same keychain! So I give James the keychain I bought, and now James has two of them to give to Carly. We laugh and shake our heads. But I feel restored somehow, and I am squirmy with happiness inside that Tom bought one too, as it revealed a sentimental side of him that is hidden too often. As corny as it sounds, it feels good. Even if it is just a silly keychain.