Relationships

Some weekends are full of chores and doing things we need to take care of around the house. For me, this was NOT one of those weekends....it was wonderful! Instead, I spent a lot of time with friends and family and feel genuinely recharged by these relationships...

*The boys and I took a drive on Saturday morning to go see my Grandma Marge. She lives about an hour an a half away, so I was able to just sit and talk with my dad during the drive. We don't get to do that very often so it was really fun! Nothing better than having a conversation with my dad without having to chase little boys around--love those car seats:)

*My grandma is almost 90 and no longer full of life. It was really good to see her because she loves seeing the boys and she has this very special affection for Parker...but it is also so hard to see someone in that state. I can't help but hope for a speedy trip home. However, it was really special to see her and we did see a little glitter in her eyes, a teeny bit of feisty behavior, and definitely her joy in seeing the boys. It was crazy seeing her and Griffin together--one so new and just starting out, and one so old...

*On our way back, we stopped for about a half an hour and spent some time with my Aunt Beth, Uncle Terry, my cousin and her children. We really don't spend that much time with them, but I really wish we did. I feel like my cousin and I are so similar in a lot of ways and could really hit it off if given the time. Funny how that happens.

*We spent Saturday afternoon with a dear friend who has recently returned home after a long time away. I can honestly say she is one of my very favorite people in the whole world. She's totally normal and so easy to talk to...but her heart is amazing and she sincerely loves people. She's got something special. After spending just a few hours with her, I again felt so honored to be her friend. I'm not going to say her name because she might feel embarrassed....I don't know. But I love her and I'm so glad she's home.

*After church on Sunday, we went out to my parent's house and spent the day with them. As always, so fun! We ate, talked, and played. We even went to the nearby Air Force base to see the airplanes and play on the playground. We had a great day!

*Phone calls, emails, even text messages from special friends from close by and far away. I love technology for this reason.

*And finally, late last night, my sister and I had a great, deep, sister to sister conversation over the phone. I've missed her and I am so glad we talked. Love you, Kels!

I love writing lists like these so I can look back at them later and look at the many amazing relationships God has blessed us with. I really do feel recharged and so thankful.

*I must add that I was able to enjoy this weekend like this because my wonderful husband spent the bulk of it working in our yard, making it look beautiful. He really is so amazing and he works so hard. Thank you, Joely.*

Fruit of the Spirit...

Recently my blog was recognized for containing posts that exemplify fruits of the spirit. I can't tell you how humbled I felt when I received the email. God's timing is so funny. The email came yesterday and let me tell you...I wasn't feeling so "fruity". Thank you to the person who nominated me! As Amanda would say, someone was obviously thinking about how to give more life.

I was actually really shocked because I sometimes can't see the fruit. The funny thing is that if you're looking for a blog with lots of spiritual wisdom and great teaching about God's word, I'm not your girl. I read and love blogs like that, but I have found that isn't who I am. I've actually tried to blog like this before and it never works out...sometimes I delete the posts and sometimes blogger does it for me:) But this is what I do...I try to share life experiences--MY real life experiences. And some weeks, this might mean a bunch of pictures of my boys or accounts of our some of our family happenings or maybe even a rant about a naughty little boy. I also try to share about struggles and joys I'm experiencing. I like to share about these things as they are happening, when I can document some authentic feelings. I try to do this instead of sharing about a lesson learned after the fact, when I could doctor it all up to be a pretty little package. Make sense? Because my life isn't a pretty little package; I'm a work in progress and I hope that this comes out loud and clear!

Thank you! I have been so blessed...

Now check out some of the other blogs connected with the link!