Weddings? I Love Weddings!

Small but quaint, with a vintage flair; this is the order of the day. The preparations are coming along nicely; the colors are all complementing one another well right down to the table linens and black napkins which were totally not planned.

The spoken words for the service have been typed, hole punched, and carefully placed into a black book.

Now it is time to get all gussied up and head back down to restaurant where we will join with family and friends for a gala occasion.

We feel bitter/sweet as not everyone we know and love can attend. Please know that I wish you were here and we carry you in our hearts. I have my camera charged, poised and ready and I will post lots of picts for your viewing pleasure!

Today is the Theologian and the Soldier's day. Hope I don't cry too loudly in anticipation of having to let her go. I know she is getting a good man to make a life with and this is really how it all has to be.

Love, love, love... it truly does make the world go 'round.

We used this idea today.

Wedding Day, Coming Right Up!

Tomorrow is the big day for the Theologian and the Soldier. We will go decorate the room at The Lamplighter and the dinner/wedding will commence at 7:00 p.m.. I chopped all of the lettuce for the event today while at work. Chopped champion, right!!

I now have seven rides in on Addy. She is so sweet and willing. She had ten days off and still she enjoyed/behaved this week of working her in the round pen and putting some laps on her in the arena as well.

The wind is blowing here in 80 mph gusts tonight. I hope to sleep anyway as we were awake by 4:15 this morning. I got my bed washed and put back together and put away all the laundry from our trip. Things are getting back to order.

My boss goes on vacation next week so I am on everyday. Should be fun. But, it will seem to make another week fly by. April is fast approaching and March slipping into the history books. All is well.

Time for bed. Tomorrow's a new day. A great day for a wedding!

A familiar sight here in Wyoming.

Ordinary Bill Pay Day!

I worked all morning, till 2 p.m. to be exact. Then it was off to the post office and back home to pay bills. Praise God all the bills could be paid with a small amount of grocery money to spare! We may think we worked for the money, and we did, but it is God who gives us health, strong arms and backs to do the work, and a mind to think it through. Construction Man works very hard and is very loyal and devoted to his family. I have been blessed!

Our oldest, the Theologian, will be wed to a fine young man, the Soldier, on Saturday evening. We are so proud of both of them and can't wait to see them off to a bright and interesting future together.

All in all, a very productive day. And with leftovers for dinner, I am settling in to watch my favorite show, 'Chopped', tonight. I hope it's on, I haven't checked the listings.

Tell someone you love, 'I love you!'

"I LOVE YOU!!!" :) :) :0

The Handsome Guy is in the Stang!

Most of our trip was spent driving. Construction Man went one morning and rented a car to get up to my parents from Vegas. Of course we had to drag the strip with the top down and the music cranked. Too much fun!

"If everything seems to be under control, you're not going fast enough."
~~ Mario Andretti

Five Things

I have a confession to make. I am a list maker. Though I have counseled young women to stop the madness of following their list to the point of insanity, I still make a list and really enjoy crossing things off of that list. I am no longer driven to accomplish all that I add to my torture paper, but I do still keep a record of what I believe needs to be done each day.

Today I would like to suggest that you ponder five things that you do everyday for comfort, survival, general health, or whatever it is that drives you to feel accomplished or finished or done at the end of each day. I'm sure each of our lists will vary.

1. Wake up early. This is sometimes not an option as the older I get, the sooner I wake up in the morning! But you can really get a lot done in a day by adding a few hours onto the frontside.

2. Fill my mind with the truth--such as the Word of God. After wacky, anxious dreams all night long, I need a solid foundation to base my day on.

3. Drink fluids and eat carbs. In other words, I need my toast and coffee! This may have been a learned behavior as my mother still does the same thing each day.

4. Encourage loved ones. My day/life would not matter much if I did not hug Construction Man and catch up with the three lovely daughters to make sure they know how much they are loved. Then it's on to mom, dad, brother, relatives, friends... you get the idea!

5. Go to the store. Wonder what I would do if the store closed. Doomsday preppers may have a good plan with the storage and gardening etc. This is really where the list kicks in as I am always forgetting something from the store.

Obviously the top four are not on my list to cross off. They are essentials. However, the dentist, the eye doctor, the hair stylist, the occasional lunch or coffee with friends, the plane flight times, the need for dog bones, putting out the garbage on Tuesdays, changing oil in the jeep, and the need for more cream for my coffee seem to appear more often than not!

What's on your list?

Make amends with someone today. Hug your family. Time is short.

Home Again, Home Again

Well we arrived home again yesterday. I have been gone for a total of almost 10 days. Too long... Hank the Cow Dog was so glad to see me!

Of course the Beautician, the Theologian and her Fiance were here to greet us. They prepared us a nice dinner and we visited far into the night once again. I'm getting pretty good at staying up past my bedtime!

Our trip was so amazing. We visited with family each day, ate and drank and even went "garage saleing" on Saturday! The weather was lovely, the pool warm, the breeze balmy and the music rockin! The flights were on time as well.

I am thankful for our family. We shared many moments and memories and hugged a lot! I am so loved!!! I hope they know that they are too! Thank you all for your care of us!

The Casablanca in Mesquite, NV.

Mom can get us free rooms with her points and that of her friends there!

Tell your family you love them today. Don't wait. :)

Made it to Vegas... headed to Mesquite tomorrow!

The weather is cool, but the sun did shine today and it is suppose to warm up during the week.

Can't wait to see my mom and dad, my brother and his kids! :)

We are having fun. Lots of eating and enjoying Irish music and fish and chips in a sweet pub here at the Mandalay Bay. Not very many people as it was a Sunday night and a Monday. Nice for us!

I'm back... I'm leaving...

Chrysalis was wonderful. So much fun to lead kids in song and just to love on them, hug them and listen to them.

We leave today at noon to head out for Vegas. I am tired, but happy.

I'll keep you updated on our travels.

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Las Vegas is a resort whose two chief sorces of income are seven and eleven."

~~~EVAN ESAR, 20,000 Quips & Quotes

Off to Chrysalis

I leave a little after noon tomorrow for a youth retreat in a neighboring town. I am in charge of the music. It is basically a three day retreat/short course in Christianity for high school youth. We have 37 kids signed up for this event! I am excited to love on the students, sing a lot, eat together and share our stories. I have done several of these weekends and come away so amazed at what God can do in all of our hearts. The team has been meeting for weeks, praying and working on talks and details to make the weekend turn out well. Should be wonderful. I'll let you know.

Third Ride

Today will be the third ride on my filly. She is so amazing! She is very willing to please and give, and listen. We have a good stop on her, she backs well and is already responding to leg pressure and then my hand. Smart, smart girl!

What a joy to watch her figure it out! Horses are one of the most amazing creatures God created. I just love her!

I'll try to get some picts of her and I together.

Nurse Child and Josiah left Saturday to go back to Washington. They had a very uneventful week of just hanging and eating. We watched all three "Lord of the Rings" movies and marveled at how well directed they are.

I cooked every evening... from steak with red wine, mushroom gravy to spaghetti... we ate and ate and ate.

It was nice to have all three girls under our roof for a few days. Josiah did ask Construction Man if he could marry his daughter. Construction Man agreed with several conditions! Josiah complied. At this moment, two young people are very happily blessed to be in love!

Wordless Sunday...

Happy Birthday, DAD!

Today is my dad's birthday. It's been on March 10th every year for all my life! He is a very humble man that has never really seemed to want us to make a big deal out of his day.

That's one of the things I admire about my dad. He is humble. He does not make a big deal of of things. He is able to take life and circumstances as they come and roll with it for the most part. He can get mad, but he also exhibits self control.

He is logical. He sees things for what they are. People too. He calls a spade a spade. He can recognize somebody without integrity from a long way off. But he also gives people a chance to work things out.

My dad is an inventor. He can build or repair anything. He has great knowledge of how mechanical things work. His hands are never idle.

Since retirement, he has picked up stained glass as one of his hobbies. He is an artist. He would humbly tell you that he isn't that good at it, but he is! He has created so many beautiful, colorful creations to fill all of our homes with a touch of him. From window art to lampshades he has a real eye for color and pattern.

My dad loves my mom! He loves his kids too! We have been blessed with a father that will work and provide for his family. He never stops caring about us and making sure we are all ok. He is a man's man.

I love my dad with all of my heart.

I thank God for him!

His garage/workshop

Dad and my brother-in-law Dan

Never, never, never give up!

My coffee cup I got yesterday from the local coffee parlor read: "Don't you dare give up!"

Coincidence you say? I submit to you it is not!

Lately, with all the uncertainty surrounding our lives, I have been feeling a bit insufficient and weak. I have wanted to 'give up'.

But I can't. My parents never gave up. My husband does not give up. My children have not given up. Giving up is not an option. No matter how hard it seems. No matter how dark it gets before the dawn. Things are not as they appear and we can keep going for one more day.

As a matter of fact, I am not the one in charge!

I forget this fact sometimes and think it is all up to me. Thankfully it is not.

"My grace is sufficient for you.: ~~ God

Line Driving Outdoors

I have been line driving Addy for the last few weeks. Today I showed up at the barn and readied her for driving but the arena was being used for a class that I was unaware of-- Thursdays from ten to one.

So, I lead her around the back of the barn yard amidst the huge round hay bales, farm implements, and cars whizzing by on the nearby road.

I lead her back to the hitching post and proceeded to hook her up to the long driving lines. Off we went! Soon enough the surrounding fields of curious horses began to line the fence. We had quite an audience before it was over. We walked, trotted circles and practiced plenty of stopping and backing. She showed off "real good" in front of her stable mates! It was amazing to me that I had her in hand the whole time even though she shied a bit in various places. We made laps around the outside of the arena, up and down the canal bank road and after about a half an hour, back to the hitching post. She rocked!

The next step is getting on. Can we say helmet? I'm not above that these days. Oh, she is going to be spectacular in the cutting arena. I can hardly wait. :)

Cast Away

We watched 'Cast Away' again... it was on TV last night. Tom Hanks is a mastermind. He's not much to look at but, boy, can he act.

I woke up this morning amazed at how his life went from bad to worse. But, he survived none the less. Even when he didn't want to survive, he survived.

One of his last lines in the movie was, "I know I gotta keep breathing. The sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"

I am learning about the only thing I can control in this life is my attitude. I can make a plan, and it is probably prudent to do so, but the good Lord will order my steps. And all the while my will is being conformed to His. Sanctification. God showing us mercy and grace as we learn how to live and die in this place.

So, at the end of the movie the character, Chuck Noland, is faced again with a crossroads. When you think about that, we are all faced with a crossroads every moment of everyday.

"I could go east, I could go west; it was all up to me to decide." ~~Bob Seger

That dang free will! Such an enormous plan that I don't have any answers for. One thing I do know for sure: God is good and He loves us more than we can fathom. I hope to choose wisely today!

Cheers!

Roll, roll me away, won't you roll me away tonight...

Shut up, Rush!

With being in the spotlight, such as the personality of Rush Limbaugh, comes great responsibility. As with those whom have gone before him, it is so easy with so many words that come out of a talk show hosts mouth in a day, to eventually say the wrong thing.

We've all done it. You know, the point when you've said too much--crossed the line. Then you try to back paddle and find that you are only digging a deeper hole into which you should probably crawl! That ole flood of irreversible talking just to hear the sound of your own voice. I hate it when I do that! You can never take back words. Once released into your world, can and do set it ablaze. The damage done.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending Rush. He's a big boy... no pun intended! He's been in this long enough to know better. But, you've heard the old adage about being given enough rope. Choke, choke, gag, gag, sputter, sputter!

We would all do better to speak less. Listen more and generally mind our own business.
We can stand up for what is right with our actions... not just empty words.

Case in point! Ferme la bouche!

...because God is love.

Construction Man spoke at his grandmother's memorial service yesterday. He talked of love and how it is the "greatest of these." (faith, hope and love) Her life reflected all three along with grace and style!

I woke up this morning after a very difficult day yesterday and a sleepless night, and heard the words "the reason the greatest of these is love is because God is love, and He is the greatest!"

I did not just make these things up...

1Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4:7-12.

Love, love, love.

Many things are done for love, but "God so loved the world..." you know the rest.
It's sacrificial love that speaks the loudest and moves the mountains. When we know how much we are loved we tend to make better choices for ourselves. I am thankful for a family that loves one another well. :) Look out better choices, here I come!

"In real love you want the other person's good..." ~~ Anonymous

Seek peace today and pursue it.

Nurse Child is On Her Way

We are expecting company today! Our youngest and her boyfriend will arrive this evening from the Seattle area. They are driving. I hope the four mountain passes they have to pass through are clear and dry.

Before they arrive, we have a memorial service to attend for our Grandma Betty. Construction Man will lead the service, his brother will do the eulogy, and I will lead the three hymns Grandma B picked out before she died.

All is well. Just another day in paradise! Probably a bitter-sweet day though.

Rolling out dough for cabbage rolls.

Nurse Child going to winter formal a few years back.

Bird's Eye View

Got to go riding with my friend Kelly yesterday. We rode to the highest peak behind her son's house and stood there gazing out at the Pryor Mountain Range by Bridger, Montana. She asked me why, or better yet how I could be so grumpy/angry when we can ride horses anytime we want, and have views like this one. I didn't have an answer. I just rode silently for sometime behind her as the warm tears glided down my cheek.

The wind was blistering cold and all my extra clothes could not keep out the chill. But, it was still so peaceful and enjoyable to be atop a horse in the company of a noble woman and close friend. God is good.

There is much to be thankful for. I will try to remember.