"Rememberable" Day:)

Greetings from the Johnson's Memorial Day Getaway - actually an out-of-town baseball tournament necessitating a hotel room with pool and breakfast:)

The East Texas Rangers (coached by a tremendously handsome & talented fun-guy) won both their games yesterday. With comfortable consistency, they won two more today and ultimately took the First Place trophy.

However, a rain delay pushed the games back a few hours resulting in the 8pm Championship game actually being hashed out closer to midnight with the full moon high and bright.

Next came the celebratory trip to IHOP where we filled the banquet room and stunk it right on up. Muddy, sweaty players and fans with & without their shoes laughed, sang along with the 80's muzak, morphed self photos with iPhone apps, yawned, and drank coffee as we waited for our early morning food.

By 2:30 AM we were headed back to the hotel.

Now it's after 3. I'm mildly regretting that second cup of tasty coffee.

The boys are snoring in one double bed. The coach is soaking in even more baseball thanks to ESPN...might there be a saturation point? Three trooper-girls are snuggled into the expanded sleeper sofa while one tiny trooper-of-all-troopers rests in her warm & quiet pack'n'play.

My last words to the darlings as we drove into the hotel parking lot?

"WOE to the daughter or son - Verily, I say WOE to the one who arises before dawn...which - with the aid of room darkening drapes - shall be defined as 9:30 am!"

We'll see.

Thank You, God, for a great day. Thank You for answered prayers. Thank You for my family. Thank You for housekeepers, swimming pools, plentiful white linens, and ice machines. Thank You for some days of rest.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Tuesday, May 11, 2010...

Outside my window...dark winds howl as a full day draws to a close.

I am remembering...all the ways that God is good.

I am thankful for...honest friends.

I am creating...a bit of a plan for the rest of May.

I am going...to play the piano for "The Summit"s choir rehearsal tomorrow night. I am really enjoying my summer gig.

I am reading...May magazines so I can pass them along...still.

I am hoping...to be an encouragement to those who cross my path...and to find that envelope of cash I lost last week. (Please, Lord:)

On my mind...all the MOPS moms. We had our last meeting for the year today. I never realized what a tender spot I have in my heart for each of them.

From the learning rooms...Boys are rockin. Girls are in limbo. Mari Alice still thinks her "school" should arrive by mail any day.

Noticing that...it is super late. I have no business being up.

Pondering these words..."Thou art never at any time nearer to God than when under tribulation, which He permits for the purification and beautifying of thy soul." -Miguel de Molinos

From the kitchen...pesto paninis, a crock pot of chili, olive garden salad, and jalapeno cream cheese dip sit poised in the refrigerator for consumption sometime during the next 48 hours. No kitchen duty 'til Friday:)

Around the house...a couple loads of laundry need to be put away, the boys stayed up watching Ranger highlights, the girls have been asleep for a while, and my darling, handsome husband is loading the dishwasher. Ahhhh.

One of my favorite things...Large Sonic ice water with lemon. 25 cents.

From my picture journal...
My man mashing the ball. We have a batting cage in our back yard, now...haven't you heard??


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Regifted Mother's Day

(I wrote this last year but wanted to post it in Mom's honor again.)

Mother's Day Top Ten

Here are tonight's top ten reasons why Mom & I are undeniably mother & daughter:

10. Our cute, chubby toes
9. We love our spot in the Soprano section
8. We have identical hands...the better for keyboarding and cooking
7. We love a graph paper, 'Monk' and 'Mississippi Yummy'...all in the same setting if at all possible
6. Our big, brown eyes
5. We willfully postpone household cleaning....but feel ashamed until we get it done.
4. We can paint our fingernails then grab our keys and drive across town....sipping a glass of ice water: pinkies up.
3. We wiggle when we walk fast...but we can walk pretty darn fast, so deal with it!
2. We can instantly produce a color-coded chart involving any set of facts on the planet.

and the #1 reason we are undeniably mother & daughter...
1. We both have beautiful Moms and gorgeous daughters!




Thank You, God, for my Mom. Thank You for loving me and teaching me through her. Thank You for hearing her prayers for me and the boys over all these years. Thank You for Your protection and peace. Thank You for the devotion and commitment that she and Dad modeled for us. Thank You for drawing us closer to You so that we might know & love You more. Bless Gramma Iona and my girls. May we find purpose in shining Your light until You come to take us home.

Friday Fave AND Flashback Foto...what then?

Late 70's. Young Musicians of MBBC, Irving, directed by Carolyn Badry.
Pensive, if not mournful solo by CDJ:)

I love to sing. (Not so much in front of people...but it's a decent price to pay)

I sing a lot. (Not so much in front of people...but hey, ain't that mighty fine!)

I sing when I do dishes. I sing when I make lists. I sing when I give baths. I sing when I drive...ooh, that is some good, loud, stuff right there!

However, for the past few weeks, my singing voice has been silenced. Once I regained my speaking voice week before last, sadly, I still could not sing. At first, I was so grateful to be able to communicate above a whisper, that I patiently awaited my song's return. Instinct and habit would attempt a melody, only to result in a thin, scratchy rasp.

Yesterday, the mail arrived and I sang through a few lines of the furniture sale ad. Did I mention I sing when I open mail? By the second jazzy phrase of "five piece dinette made of solid oak" I joyfully realized my voice was back. It didn't sound great, but it was ringing on sustained pitches without cutting out.

With thanksgiving and celebration in my heart, and lively Italian arias in my mind, I immediately transitioned into "My voice is back! My voice is back!" To which, the kids sarcastically muttered, "wonderful...that is just great."

I believe they have rather enjoyed my inability to raise my voice or bark commands. Surely they have missed my music! Perhaps not so much:)

James 3:9-10 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

Lord Jesus, thank You for my "quiet time". Thank You for continuing to heal my throat. You know how I've longed to be able to worship You in song. Help me have a comparable yearning to speak blessings to those around me...a consuming desire to build others up. Help me be a faithful steward...not just of talents, but of relationships with those whom You love.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Tuesday, May 4, 2010...

Outside my window...early birds enjoy their proverbial bounty while sunshine boldly streams across the glistening lawn.

I am remembering...God made today. He has a plan and a purpose for me. (hold on while I jot that on a post-it to stick to my forehead:)

I am thankful for...fresh starts.

I am creating...a color scheme for the master bathroom. The buttery yellow wall color turned out to be more butter than yellow, so I'm rethinking the pallet before I choose towels.

I am going...to watch baseball later today. (Statistically, this sentence is true more days than not.)

I am reading...May magazines so I can pass them along.

I am hoping...to keep a gentle, quiet spirit today with the kids. (Last time I wrote this, I lost my voice for several days. hilarious.)

On my mind...all the ways I seem to be failing at motherhood. If I could find victory in that gentle spirit deal, there might be fewer items of concern:) Homeschooling can be such a great buffer for worldliness unless the "School Marm" is a trend setter for argumentative bitterness & lazy complaint. Lord, help me today.

From the learning rooms...Landen is loving his new normal. Luke starts his dvd's this week. The girls are chomping to begin but I must restore order to the master suite before I can give them the attention they need.

Noticing that...Mari Alice is sleeping uncharacteristically late. "The better to blog by!"

Pondering these words..."They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised." Romans 1:25

From the kitchen...beans & rice in the crock pot for tonight, sandwiches in bags in the fridge for lunch, oatmeal for "breakeefast". I wish not to linger in the kitchen today, can you tell?

Around the house...clothing that represents every tedious phase of the laundry process and dust. lots of dust.

One of my favorite things...avocados with onion, tomato, garlic & lime. Not mashed like guacamole...diced & chunky...man, oh man.

From my picture journal...Breakfast at HornCreek 2009
James has apparently recovered from the late night spades event more easily than Philip.

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