Today I am 36.
Thirty-six.
The last few years have not been the best of birthdays, however, this year has more than made up for them.
It has been fabulous.
I am blessed.
I love my birthday.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
From the archives...
[my birthday post from last year]
Life...
So, I'm thirty-five.
Yesterday, my actual birthday, I was not in a very good mood after getting up. I wasn't in a bad mood-but I had kind of sidestepped the fact that Nattie had been gone a year on my birthday. I had successfully avoided thinking about it - much. But it hit me Saturday morning and that along with just some general blahs worked to make my birthday, not so enjoyable. We salvaged the evening with dinner out and ice cream and cake & declared today a 'do over' day.
So today-after waking up late and missing the early service at church we headed out for a day of fun in the sun. We went to a local state park to swim. The sun was hot (105) but the water initally walking in was CHILLY (it's spring fed), after getting adjusted we began to splash and swim and have a really good time. About an hour and a half into our fun-we noticed a commotion on the other side from us and then after a series of events about 20 mins later a young teens body was pulled from the water. I witnessed someone drown today. It all happened very fast, and it was surreal. We didn't really know what was going on & it was across the way from us so we couldn't hear what was going on but soon the pieces came together.
Upon seeing the body surface, I immediately started crying and I just prayed, right there, out loud. I grabbed my kiddos hands and prayed like we do when we see an ambulance go by or a car wreck we pass. I prayed for God to be there, to be with them & I just cried. I heard a momma crying in agony and my heart broke into a million pieces. The pain of watching that, I cannot, I never, ever, ever want that to be me. Of course the lifeguards and staff/park rangers were adminstering CPR . We were tidying up our stuff and getting ready to leave as the amublance arrived.
We headed back toward home and stopped at McDonalds and grabbed cokes and let the kids run around and play in the playland. The kids understood the kid was injured and possibly was going to die-but (thankfully--is it wrong to say that?) they were also kind of oblivious to how serious it was -- all that had happened. Anyway, they ran and played. I drank Diet Coke and keep singing from "Blessed Be Your Name" in my head...
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your nameOn the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name
I believe the words of that song, so strongly. I do. But I don't understand. I don't understand pain. I don't understand suffering. I don't understand a young mother dying and leaving children. I dont' understand molested children. I don't understand cancer and babies with birth defects. I don't understand suffering and pain and hurt and the cries of a mother watching them bring her lifeless child to the surface.
But I understand God. In the very middle of the foggy haze of my limited human understanding, I know in my soul that God IS good. GOD IS GOOD. The world may not be good. The choices people make may not be good. The results of living in a world of sinful people may not be good. BUT GOD IS GOOD.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say Blessed Be The Name of the Lord.
Life...
So, I'm thirty-five.
Yesterday, my actual birthday, I was not in a very good mood after getting up. I wasn't in a bad mood-but I had kind of sidestepped the fact that Nattie had been gone a year on my birthday. I had successfully avoided thinking about it - much. But it hit me Saturday morning and that along with just some general blahs worked to make my birthday, not so enjoyable. We salvaged the evening with dinner out and ice cream and cake & declared today a 'do over' day.
So today-after waking up late and missing the early service at church we headed out for a day of fun in the sun. We went to a local state park to swim. The sun was hot (105) but the water initally walking in was CHILLY (it's spring fed), after getting adjusted we began to splash and swim and have a really good time. About an hour and a half into our fun-we noticed a commotion on the other side from us and then after a series of events about 20 mins later a young teens body was pulled from the water. I witnessed someone drown today. It all happened very fast, and it was surreal. We didn't really know what was going on & it was across the way from us so we couldn't hear what was going on but soon the pieces came together.
Upon seeing the body surface, I immediately started crying and I just prayed, right there, out loud. I grabbed my kiddos hands and prayed like we do when we see an ambulance go by or a car wreck we pass. I prayed for God to be there, to be with them & I just cried. I heard a momma crying in agony and my heart broke into a million pieces. The pain of watching that, I cannot, I never, ever, ever want that to be me. Of course the lifeguards and staff/park rangers were adminstering CPR . We were tidying up our stuff and getting ready to leave as the amublance arrived.
We headed back toward home and stopped at McDonalds and grabbed cokes and let the kids run around and play in the playland. The kids understood the kid was injured and possibly was going to die-but (thankfully--is it wrong to say that?) they were also kind of oblivious to how serious it was -- all that had happened. Anyway, they ran and played. I drank Diet Coke and keep singing from "Blessed Be Your Name" in my head...
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your nameOn the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name
I believe the words of that song, so strongly. I do. But I don't understand. I don't understand pain. I don't understand suffering. I don't understand a young mother dying and leaving children. I dont' understand molested children. I don't understand cancer and babies with birth defects. I don't understand suffering and pain and hurt and the cries of a mother watching them bring her lifeless child to the surface.
But I understand God. In the very middle of the foggy haze of my limited human understanding, I know in my soul that God IS good. GOD IS GOOD. The world may not be good. The choices people make may not be good. The results of living in a world of sinful people may not be good. BUT GOD IS GOOD.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say Blessed Be The Name of the Lord.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Things making me happy...
-really good coffee
-birthday weekends full of family and fun
-cards, lots of cards-making me smile
-chocolate
-diet coke
-no calories counting till Monday. Hee!
I hope you are set to have a great weekend.
We are off to pick up my nieces and nephew in a bit from their last day of school. Then they are spending the weekend.
For now I'm off to have more coffee--enjoy your Friday & your weekend.
-birthday weekends full of family and fun
-cards, lots of cards-making me smile
-chocolate
-diet coke
-no calories counting till Monday. Hee!
I hope you are set to have a great weekend.
We are off to pick up my nieces and nephew in a bit from their last day of school. Then they are spending the weekend.
For now I'm off to have more coffee--enjoy your Friday & your weekend.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
what's going on around here...
[for Rhonda]
[if you click through any photo it will take you to Flickr to the complete photoset]
[picture heavy!]
These are the baby chicks...they are all feathered out and are terribly cute. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I don't love sitting around watching them. Chickens are fun & funny to watch. The next few are of two of this batch, both roosters and they are already fighting...which is cute too.(although you can't let them, becuase they will hurt each other, even this little)
We put the garden in on Good Friday and it is blooming out and promising a summer of good stuffs! (yay!)
It's just a little managable patch with peppers, beans, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Say what you will, squash blossoms are beautiful...
and finally AE wagging one of the poor kittens around...
I'm 3 skiens into the star afghan I'm working on -- and while I don't love the colors (just using up stuff in my stash) I am loving the way it works up.
Tomorrow my nieces and nephew finish school for the year. We are celebrating. I'm picking them up from school and taking them for ice cream. We have a fish fry tomorrow night & a family (it's MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!!!!) cookout on Saturday. Sunday IS MY BIRTHDAY (did you know? *grins*) and we are having an ice cream social after church Sunday night. It's going to be a good weekend. I'm going to be Thirty-sixteen. DUUUUUUUUUUUDE.
[if you click through any photo it will take you to Flickr to the complete photoset]
[picture heavy!]
These are the baby chicks...they are all feathered out and are terribly cute. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I don't love sitting around watching them. Chickens are fun & funny to watch. The next few are of two of this batch, both roosters and they are already fighting...which is cute too.(although you can't let them, becuase they will hurt each other, even this little)
We put the garden in on Good Friday and it is blooming out and promising a summer of good stuffs! (yay!)
It's just a little managable patch with peppers, beans, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Say what you will, squash blossoms are beautiful...
and finally AE wagging one of the poor kittens around...
I'm 3 skiens into the star afghan I'm working on -- and while I don't love the colors (just using up stuff in my stash) I am loving the way it works up.
Tomorrow my nieces and nephew finish school for the year. We are celebrating. I'm picking them up from school and taking them for ice cream. We have a fish fry tomorrow night & a family (it's MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!!!!) cookout on Saturday. Sunday IS MY BIRTHDAY (did you know? *grins*) and we are having an ice cream social after church Sunday night. It's going to be a good weekend. I'm going to be Thirty-sixteen. DUUUUUUUUUUUDE.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
thinkerly
Nattie said ''thinkerly'' or at least I think it was Nattie. I've been thinking of her a lot lately. Two years ago, on my bday, Dana called to tell me Nattie had died. I can still remember the exact place I was standing when she said the words.
I feel so blessed to have known her, even if it was for a short span of time. I love that she introduced to the Mitford series of books. Anytime I reread those, I think of Nattie and I smile.
Nattie loved pedicures. She liked the color purple and she loved daisies-like me. Every year since she died I've painted my toenails purple for the month of June to honor her memory. Today I got my mani/pedi via the gift certificate my mom gave me for my bday. I spiced things up a little (Nattie would like that, I think) and got a french pedi only with purple tips & had then put a daisy on my toenail too.
I still miss her.
I am more than thankful that I was able to know her.
She was truly, Sparkly Nattie.
Le Sigh.
[tomorrow I have garden pictures and chicken pictures and little girl w/kitten pictures!]
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Right now...
I'm sunburned...
ouch-my thighs are a lovely shade of red-eeek!
I have two kiddos sacked out. Exhausted from a long day, full of swimming and then playing with friends.
I have a crochet project that makes me happy--even though I don't love the yarn. (colors...ugh) I love the pattern. It's a star. It makes me happy.
My heart is breaking for a friend. A friend that has shown more grace in her situation than I think I am capable of mustering. She truly amazes me. Encourages me. I am praying for her--and so thankful for her example.
I'm reading The Spirit of Sweetgrass by Nicole Seitz. I read another of her books last year for review and fell in love with her writing.
Tomorrow I have a mani/pedi--that's a goooooooood thing.
It's my birthday week-that's a gooooooooooooooooood thing.
Today was a hard day in a lot of ways. My heart hurts today. But the thing is--this isn't it. It will get better. My Momma always says, ''this too shall pass'' & it will. There will always be bad days--but then, there are those days that take your breath. Those perfect days. They make all the bad days managable.
This is me.
Making it.
Day to day.
Now-the older boys are in bed & I have to do the trash run.
Tomorrow-after the mani/pedi. I get to resume 'farm duties' ...and
there will be chicken pictures
just for Rhonda. :)
ouch-my thighs are a lovely shade of red-eeek!
I have two kiddos sacked out. Exhausted from a long day, full of swimming and then playing with friends.
I have a crochet project that makes me happy--even though I don't love the yarn. (colors...ugh) I love the pattern. It's a star. It makes me happy.
My heart is breaking for a friend. A friend that has shown more grace in her situation than I think I am capable of mustering. She truly amazes me. Encourages me. I am praying for her--and so thankful for her example.
I'm reading The Spirit of Sweetgrass by Nicole Seitz. I read another of her books last year for review and fell in love with her writing.
Tomorrow I have a mani/pedi--that's a goooooooood thing.
It's my birthday week-that's a gooooooooooooooooood thing.
Today was a hard day in a lot of ways. My heart hurts today. But the thing is--this isn't it. It will get better. My Momma always says, ''this too shall pass'' & it will. There will always be bad days--but then, there are those days that take your breath. Those perfect days. They make all the bad days managable.
This is me.
Making it.
Day to day.
Now-the older boys are in bed & I have to do the trash run.
Tomorrow-after the mani/pedi. I get to resume 'farm duties' ...and
there will be chicken pictures
just for Rhonda. :)
And so it begins, again...
Yes, this used to be my craft blog-however, now, it will be *the* blog. I don't do well maintaining one blog...heh, so to think I can have 3-4-5 covering different things/areas (books I've read, homeschooling, crafting, gardening...) is just crazy.
So Kudzu & Koolaid has combined them all & you can look forward to a hodgepodge of a little bit of everything.
If you've stopped by, thanks! I've missed you.
I hope you are looking forward to a fabulous summer!
So Kudzu & Koolaid has combined them all & you can look forward to a hodgepodge of a little bit of everything.
If you've stopped by, thanks! I've missed you.
I hope you are looking forward to a fabulous summer!
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