Spring...almost

(Emma admiring a cutting from the Bottle Brush Tree-Callistemon rigidus)
One of the funny things about living in the deep south is that Mother Nature loves to tease us-especially this time of the year.
(these are camellias from my father in law's bush)
For example, for several days the weather was gorgeous-blue skies, light breeze and temps in the upper 70's. Flowers are blooming everywhere and you can just smell spring in the air.
We even planted some seeds in pots outside (thankfully I've learned to keep them covered with plastic for a while). Then we wake up the next morning and it's 30! I realize some of my friends have a lot colder weather right now so 30 doesn't seem so bad. For us, I think it's the 40 degree drop in about 12 hrs that makes it so hard to handle. Regardless of the temperature, the promise of spring is everywhere. That makes the little drop in temp tolerable for a while longer.

(Emma picked these azaleas. I love the vase-it reminds me of an old milk bottle. )

A Simple Little House

A Simple Little House
I like a simple little house
With flowers by the door,
An ample larder for my needs
And not much more in store.
I like a window toward the sun
And doors that open wide
The trickle of a bath for birds
With feathered friends beside.
I like a tidy nook inside
Where my books and slippers lie,
A cup for tea, a magazine,
A warming hearth nearby.
I like some trinkets on the sills,
White ruffles at the panes,
The comfort of a sturdy roof
To shelter me from rains.
I like the cozy ambiance,
A place of sweet retreat,
Where life unfolds along the way
And each new day's a treat!
~ Virginia Borman Grimmer

Just a note-we finally signed the building contract to start our house. It's been years and years in the making. Hopefully a year from now we'll be in our dream home-Mamre:

"For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto The Lord." (Genesis 13:15-18 KJV)

God is so good!

Happy "belated" birthday Emma!

It seems that almost every year since Emma's been born, we've been on vacation for her birthday (New Year's Eve). One year we were duck hunting in Louisiana, another year we were in Canada and this year we were in Colorado.

(We celebrated her "real" birthday with the big girls in Colorado. She loved the chocolate cake her daddy got her.)

She's never been able to invite her little friends to a party. This year, I told her we'd have a special friend's party after we got back home from Colorado. What did she want to do? Well, her plan was to take all of her friends to Disney World! That wasn't quite in the budget! LOL! Instead we went to Build-a-Bear-picked out a friend and some clothes, then over to Chick-fil-a for dinner and ice cream. She and her friends had so much fun. I honestly did too (it was a very stress free party for this momma)!

(Here are the party favor bags I made each of the girls-including Emma. Each bag was monogrammed and held a rhinestone ring, a wooden horse to embellish and a beaded princess necklace they could string at home).

Happy 5th birthday to my precious baby girl! I hope you enjoyed your special big girl party.

(Emma's new friend that she made all by herself-Anna Tulip)

A "happy" for me!

Look what my sweet friend Candice gave me the other day:

A "happy"-that's what she calls a gift that's given just to bring delight, happiness, etc to the receiver. That's exactly what this gift did for me. I was shocked, surprised and elated all at once! Mostly because my dear friend is very, very pregnant and has a list of other things to finish before this little man arrives (any day now). Every time I look at my apron and dishcloth I feel warm and loved inside. I'm so blessed to have her as my friend. Merci ma petite soeur!

Colorado

(Here we are at the airport in Pensacola, FL getting ready to leave for CO. Can you believe that all these girls-plus me and Mark- and all that luggage fit into that little SUV behind them? Needless to say-we were packed in!)

I can't believe I'm just now getting around to posting about our trip to Colorado! Shame on me! We arrived in Steamboat Springs on Dec 29 and didn't have to come back home to reality till Jan 18. It really was like being in another world. There was tons of snow (one day we got 14 inches!) and the views were breathtaking.

(one of the runs we went down)

Mary and Grace each invited a friend to go along for the first week. We could not have asked for 2 sweeter or more well behaved girls. We've known them both for several years and they really just fit right in with our family. Neither Madeleine nor Ashlynn had skied before. After a few days of ski school they could both get down the mountain pretty well.

As for my girls and their skiing, thankfully they take after their daddy! Mark skies beautifully, with perfect form. It's nothing for him to "fly" down a black (these are the most difficult-green is the easiest, blue next, then black) run. Mary and Grace follow right behind him. Emma went to ski school for a few days too. How would I describe her skiing? Can you say, "No fear" ?!! She's so cute. She bends forward slightly, puts her hands on her thighs and points her skies down the mountain. She had no problem skiing the blues. What was so cute was watching her cruising down the mountain, then all of a sudden she goes to the edge and stops. The first time she did this I almost panicked b/c I thought she was going over the edge! A second later, she says, "Momma, look how beautiful!". My baby was just stopping to enjoy the view!(Emma in ski school)

You may be wondering about my skiing. Well...let's just say I won't be trying out for the Olympics anytime soon! LOL! Seriously, I love to ski, my form is just kind of lacking. I joined the adult ski school for a couple of days and had the time of my life. I met some of the nicest people. The second day I even went down a black! I was so scared I'd kill myself! I have to admit it was very exhilarating and such a boost for my self confidence.

Our last day there we all skied together as a family. The cutest thing was hearing Emma (as she flew by) screaming, "This is the best day of my life!" and hearing her sisters giggling with pleasure as they followed her. That last night, we took the gondola up the mountain to a restaurant. The view was spectacular! In the gondola, coming back down after dinner, we were all cuddled up, wrapped in blankets for the 20 minute ride down. We sat and talked about how much we had enjoyed being together and just having fun on this vacation. That's what it's all about-family fun. It was the perfect ending to a perfect vacation.

(Me and Emma with our friend, Juliann.)

My Sweet Father-in-law

I've always loved my father-in-law (fil) from the first time I met him. He's gently and sweet, charming and funny and oh so intelligent! Oh, and he always smells so good! Just the right combination. Over the years I've been married to his son, he's been through so much-(the death of his first wife, his mother and his second wife). Through it all he's praised God and never doubted God's plan. He's such a wonderful example for us. He's honestly more of a father to me than just a father-in-law. He's the type man you want to go to with your problems, to curl up in his lap and be consoled. He accepted me into his family with all my problems-with all my flaws- and he's loved me unconditionally.

(my father-in-law and my husband:my 2 favorite men)

Now, he's not perfect! LOL! For example, he's very independent. He won't let us help him at all. In fact, he seems to do for us instead! Just tonight he brought the girls and me dinner-homemade chicken pot pie and sweet potato pie! Can you believe that? God not only blessed me with the most wonderful husband in the world, my perfect mate, but also with the best father-in-law. May God bless him as much as he's blessed us. I love ya Paw-Paw!

Enjoying the season

Some days with my girls are more fun than others. Today was a fun day. It was one of the many days when I just sit back and wonder what I ever did to cause God to bless me with these 3 amazing gifts.