Sunday, February 27, 2011

A Girl Among Men

After going to the ladies retreat I came home to a decorated house!
Our youngest could not wait to turn the fan on!!
How do you know you're in a house full of men when everything around you is pink?
The decorations are hung up with DUCK TAPE!!! LOL!!!
Got to love being a Girl among Men!






Saturday, February 26, 2011

Laughter is Good Medicine

This weekend it was my birthday! Can you believe I get to have another 39th birthday? Yep! All year last year I thought I was 39! Then a few months ago someone said 2011 in a conversation and I thought....wait a minute 2011, I'm not going to be 40 this year I'm going to be 39!! I had a good laugh that I get another 39th birthday!!! Not only was it my birthday weekend but it was the weekend of our ladies retreat which I look forward to each year!

You know how you are with your girlfriends at a ladies retreat? You stay up to late laughing and being a girl! This year they had a surprise birthday party for me so of course we ate, stayed up to late, laughed and enjoyed leaving all the cares of the world for just a little bit and became girls! It was great!!!

The next morning when waking up of course you're tired! Its a good tired and waking up with a renewed spirit and focus is a wonderful way to wake up. It was a beautiful morning in the mid 60's so we had the front door open. As I sat down to put my make-up on God gave me a good laugh in the form a little visitor!
This little guy came to greet me! Not only did he greet me but he kept trying to come in and join me! As my sister and I sat at the table he kept watching us I'm sure waiting on something to eat. He would put one foot in the door and all I had to say was "No, No!" and he would step out. Then a few minutes would go by and he would put one foot in the door and again I would say "No!" He would turn around, make a circle on the porch and come right back. He stayed there the whole time I was getting ready and the two of us had a nice little conversation!
After I finished getting ready he walked me to the van as I packed. Then he came back to the condo and waited for me to come out again. After getting in the van and going to the main building for our meeting my heart was blessed at the little giggle I had as I enjoyed God's creation. Little did I know my friend followed me! As I was sitting in the meeting I was sitting near a glass door and who but my little friend was standing next to the glass door as if he too wanted to attend the meeting!

Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor if we just take time to look for it in our day! Today my heart is overflowing with His goodness towards me and I am truly blessed at His love for me. I count it all joy.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

A Special Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day! Any day set aside for me to show my husband and boys how much I love them is special! I know some say; "Its a commercialised holiday" but I just say bring it on! Any day to say I love you is special in my book! This year I was pondering on just what Valentine's Day means to me. I remembered back to when Mark and I were dating and our first Valentine's Day. He was one of those guys who thought it was just another day...well, that was until our first Valentines Day. After cooking him a home cooked meal in my new red dress he was hooked! tee hee!!! Then I started thinking about the Valentine's Day's in the past that our boys cherish. This year we celebrated much the same way. Waking up with a special gift from Mark for me and the boys, a fun home school day, Heart shaped pizza for dinner along with a yummy dessert. All that was special but what made Valentine's Day special for Mark and I was what happened the Friday before....

The Friday before Valentine's Day Mark took the day off work. He had been working a lot of extra days so we were all happy he had a day off! That day I had to deliver chocolate to the market downtown so Mark got up early and went with me. While out, we decided to enjoy the morning together doing some shopping as well as going out to breakfast.

While at breakfast I was looking around the restaurant thinking to myself what a nice time it was to spend this time together. I looked around and saw the busyness of life as people were texting, reading the paper, talking on the phone and even some older people eating all alone. I sat there pondering how special it was to be sitting together with Mark and how it made me feel special that he chose to wake up early on his day off to come with me. About that time an older couple came and sat at the table behind us. They both walked with canes, he came to the seat before her pulling out her chair. She sat and he went to the bar to fix his plate. As he fixed his plate she got the table ready placing a napkin on his side, unrolling the silverware, ordering their drinks, fiddled in her purse and got ready for their time together. He came to the table, helped her up and she went to fix her plate. As I watched them my heart was blessed at the tenderness between them. Once she fixed her plate they enjoyed a quiet conversation, at one point we heard him say to his bride, "You're hair sure looks pretty today!" Mark and I both looked at each other and shared a smile between us. I wondered just how many Valentine's they'd shared together. As I watched them I could see the love he had for her and she for him. It was a simple meal but when they walked in the room the simple breakfast turned into a special Valentine's Day. As I sat enjoying the company of my husband I realized even more how blessed I am that God chose to give him to me.
As Mark and I were walking out Mark said "Why don't we pay for their bill?" I had no idea he was being blessed by them just as much as I had been. We went to the register and wrote them a note, paid for their bill and walked out of that restaurant feeling a little bit closer to one another and looking forward to our future together.

God is so good.....

As we walked out of the restaurant my phone rang. It was for a chocolate order $5 more then we just paid for their meal! He never ceases to amaze me!