Sunday Letters

Dear Emma,

This week you got the news that your best friend, Regan, wouldn't be in your homeroom this coming school year.  NOTHING could have been worse in your mind.  The 2 of you had to be apart in 2nd grade and you still say it was terrible.  Bless your heart.

Although I asked you this week if you were ready for school and you told me 'yes', I found this on the kitchen counter ....

Haha! I always say our calendars are like a diary and yours tells it all :) You are VERY excited about your teachers this year, but you're not looking forward to the schedule.

None of us are, Emma!

Dear Olivia,

You and I have had some time to ourselves this week (Emma was spending the night with a friend) and I have enjoyed our time so much.  You are just so sweet.

And, eventhough you wouldn't dare tell your sister, you are lost without her here.  You get very quiet and reserved as soon as she leaves and don't really come out of it until she's back home.  I can't tell you how much I love that you love her so much.  But, because you may be a tad bit stubborn, when Emma asks you if you will miss her, you say "Not to hurt your feelings, but No!"

By the way, you're really not fooling anyone :)

Dear Eric,

You make me laugh so hard when we're running in the mornings.  That's no small feat at 6:30 am.  Oddly enough, that has become my favorite part of the day.  Who knew? Thanks for pushing me.  I love you.

Dear Daddy,

Happy Birthday! I love you so much! (By the way, I love how Emma is looking at you in this picture :)

Friday Love

These things are making me smile today ....

** Emma finished her Summer Reading book report for fourth grade.

Each child (2nd through 12th grade) is required to choose a book from the required reading list, read it over the Summer and write a brief summary of the book.  The paper is due the first day of school.  Emma could have done this a week after school let out, but she's just now getting to it.  I guess it's a blessing she has it finished, but I've stayed on her all summer to do it.  I hate to procrastinate and she has read a gazillion books this Summer that would apply.

** Olivia is a reading machine.  She is taking after her big sister and always has a book in her hand.  We were getting ready to leave for church Wednesday night so she grabbed a book to read 'just for a second, Mama'. :) I love that.

(It was 'hat' night at church for the kids, so she had to wear her Supergirl hat!)

** My new vase ....

While I was with Cathy the other day, we walked around in a store uptown (downtown?) and I saw this cute vase.

I had to have it! Eric is always bringing home fresh flowers for me (I know, I know) so I knew this would get a lot of use.

I can't wait to fill it with daisies (my favorite flower), but I had these miniature roses already, so I used those.

Isn't it pretty?

My friend, Rita, told me yesterday the top is called a 'vase frog'.

I'm sure many of you have heard of them, but I never had. 

I love it, though.  (Supergirl kept trying to get in my pictures.  She said "You take the weirdest pictures of stuff, Mama"  ha!)

I have tried to find more of these online since Cathy told me she has one that looks a little different.  I'm not having much luck, but I did find this one  ....

Photo: Farmhousewares

I'm going to keep my eyes open for more.  I love them!

** Monday is August 1st! Which means The Help is really close to coming out in theatres.  It opens Friday, August 10th.


My Mom asked me this morning what night I wanted to go see it.  Well, not the 11th!! Why would we wait?

Opening Night! (Leslie, get ready!)

Redemption

It was a little past 7 am this morning and Eric was leaving for work.  My girls had already started playing and were in dress-up clothes. 

Ofcourse, Eric had already kissed and hugged them goodbye.  But, they raced to the front door to watch him drive away and wave a few more times.

 I saw them standing there holding hands and got a huge lump in my throat.

Maybe because I am studying a lesson for Sunday that has me thinking a lot about my own past and how MUCH God has redeemed in my life, but the sweet Spirit in my home and the love here is not lost on me this week.

I wasn't suppose to have a husband that loves me so well.

I wasn't suppose to have two of the most beautiful and loving girls God created.

I wasn't suppose to have this life.

But because what Satan means for evil, God uses for good ...

And, because God has restored to me the years the locusts have eaten ...

And, because God turns ashes into beauty beyond what I can imagine ...

I have all of these things and more ...

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion,

we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen,

The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126

We Still Have Some Summer Left

I have refrained from saying Summer is coming to a close, mainly because I am in denial.  Truthfully, August is, indeed, upon us.  I admit I am ready for my favorite season of all .... Fall.  The cooler temps and beautiful colors are all tempting, but with them come early morning school schedules and busyness that I am just not ready for.

Plus, Emma found out yesterday that her very best friend is not in her class this year.  Because not much more matters when you're 9, she was heartbroken last night and stayed up late crying about it.  Eric consoled her with an ice cream sundae at 10:00 pm. :(

Thankfully, we still have a few fun things planned before school starts .... a couple of trips, church camp and cool playdates.

Like today ...

My best friend, Cathy, came to town and we met her at the pottery place so the girls could paint.

(Olivia & Maura ~ Emma & Casey)

 Look at Cathy so serious about that pottery - ha! (She'll hate that I put that on here :)

Cathy gave Olivia a birthday gift full of art supplies, so all she wanted to do after she opened it was draw :)

We had a great afternoon ...

The funniest thing happened at lunch.  Cathy took the girls into the restaurant while I put my bag in the car.  When she walked in, a guy we went to high school with looked at Cathy and said, "Hey, aren't you Deidre?" I walked in right after he said that and bless it, he looked confused.  Ha! I don't think that's happened to us since we used to dress alike.

 The sister I never had and friends since 3rd grade ....

And, the best part was we were able to say 'goodbye' and add "See you in a few weeks" at the end.  We never get to do that, but the girls and I are going for a visit in a few weeks.

We can't wait, Cathy! We love you!

The Inches are Falling Off

It's 8:00 am and I just got out of the shower, crawled back in bed and don't want to move. 

Eric and I got up early to run again this morning.  It was definitely one of those mornings that, had he not been with me, I doubt I would have followed through.  Running in my neighborhood is so monotonous and without him to talk to me, I get so bored with it all.  Well, that, and the scenery in my neighborhood is nothing like Fripp Island.  While on vacation, I felt like I could have ran a marathon :)

I even rode my bike 8-10 miles a day and seemed to never get tired.

Weird, huh?

Anyway, while running our first mile this morning, I said "Ok, you are going to have to talk because I am struggling."  Usually, I'm the one rambling to make the time go by faster, but I was too busy reminding myself to breathe.

So, he did.  He talked.  Actually, he whispered "You got this.  You got this.  You got this."

Really? That's all you got?

I didn't say anything back .... until mile 3.

On the third mile, I felt like I would probably die and I said "You need to talk to me and you need to come up with something better than 'You got this, you got this'.

So, he did.  He said "You can do this.  Imagine all the weight you're losing in your right ankle and your tailbone".

Cracked me up!

You see, I have been running every other day for 8 weeks now.  I am eating healthier and have only drank water the entire time.  Not even sweet tea.

I know!

But the horrible truth is that I haven't lost one pound.

NOT ONE!

Last night I was telling Eric I was, in fact, noticing a difference in other places.  Sort of like things are shifting a little. 

For instance, I can tell a difference when I put on my favorite black shoes on Sunday mornings, I have to take up a notch in the ankle strap of my right shoe.

And, when I sit in a hard chair or even the bathtub, my tailbone feels like it's protruding and is seriously uncomfortable.

And let's not forget my watch feels bigger on my right wrist and my left .... ahem ... chest area is smaller while the right remains the same.

So, running is paying off, I guess.  All these areas are important.  Losing weight in your tummy or your thighs is overrated.

Pretty soon, I'll be able to wear my watch on my ankle ... and well .... that comes after a lot of hard work y'all.

Living Proof Live - Part 2

You can read Part 1 here.

Saturday morning, Amy, Jennifer and I went to the arena EARLY.  We were to meet the other volunteers to have prayer before the doors were opened.  I loved this time.  We prayed for everyone from the technical guys, to the concession workers, to Beth and Travis. 

And, then we put on our blue vests ...

"Attention Walmart Shoppers ....." haha

Afterwards, I had one thing on my mind and that was to save seats for the ladies from my church.  I felt so bad that they had to sit near heaven the night before, so I wanted them to be close.  I was able to get them seats right beside where I was sitting ... some on the floor and some just above the floor.  I wish I had a better group shot, but this is the best I could get ....

 Lynn, Heather & Phyllis :)

(They may kill me for putting their picture on here :)

Just before the conference began, my friend, Lynn told me I had won a giveaway on the Lifeway Women blog.  I had no idea!

I was able to finally meet Sophie (BooMama) at the Lifeway Women booth.  I have read her blog since the beginning, so I was so happy to meet her.

I also met Kris Seidenkranz from Lifeway (she also blogs at AllAccess).  Instead of the prize they had promised (a Bible Study member book), they told me since I had a blog, they were going to give me an entire Bible Study kit!

AN ENTIRE BIBLE STUDY KIT!!!

I think I may have screamed.

But, oh the pressure.  I wasn't sure which one to choose so I told them I needed to think about it and would be back after the break.

Therefore, Winkler's Grove Bible Study ladies, we will be doing ....

What a neat prize!!! I was so thankful I had spent some time praying and asking God to confirm what our next study would be.  I had narrowed it down to 2 and was waiting on confirmation.  I got it and I'm really looking forward to it.

The rest of the conference was so good .... from the worship to the teaching.

I'll post more about it later, but I always feel so encouraged when I get to go to a conference like this.  Sort of like it lights my fire a little more and pushes me to do a better job.  God is just so GRAND in everything He intends for me and I fall more and more in love with Him every day. 

Oh, and I should add I was able to go back and get a picture with Beth after the conference (well ... with a few other Siestas :) I say I got one with Travis too because that's him in the green shirt behind me.  See ... can you see? haha

I left feeling very full .... and very excited about what is next for me and the women in my church.  We're planning our first women's retreat that we are begging God to direct, show up and bless.  We're starting a Fall Bible Study soon that I couldn't be more thrilled about.  God has a plan and I want to see/experience every bit of it.  I love him so.

I also love him because He providentially brings me friends I wouldn't have otherwise met ...

 Amy, Jennifer, Me

And, for the record, in this picture I have on my flat flip flops.  I'm thinking y'all are just short - hahahaha

I love y'all so much!

Living Proof Live - Day One

Thanks for all of you who prayed me to Charlotte on Friday for the Beth Moore conference.  I had so much peace traveling that morning as I left my family at the beach.  Truthfully, I enjoyed having 5 hours to myself in the car, listening to MY music as loud as I wanted. 

I arrived in Charlotte early, with plenty of time to check in to our hotel.  I was meeting my friends Amy and Jennifer before we had to head to the arena.  This is when I became a bit anxious.  Amy asked me months ago if I wanted to volunteer at the event as an 'encourager'.  An 'encourager' is what I've always called a 'blue vest lady' (ha!).  Our only responsibility was praying with any women that came forward during the invitation or break time.  I have prayed for months that God would settle any anxiety I would have while praying with someone.  To me, that's such a fragile, sacred time and I didn't want to get in the way of God working in someone's life.

He worked it all out.

Back to Friday night ...

We got to the arena an hour before the doors opened so we could meet with the Lifeway team.  We listened to these women talk about the event and what was expected of us.  My heart was SO heavy and burdened about something in particular.  In all the rush, I had pushed it to the back of my mind, but when I finally sat down and heard these ladies talk about the Lord, I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I looked at Amy and whispered that I was on the verge of tears and about to have a moment.  She looked at me and WAS ALREADY CRYING, so good grief, it was a green light.  I cried like a baby.

God is just too much sometimes.  Who am I that He is mindful of me?

That's all I could say to myself all weekend.

After our meeting, we found our seats and waited for the doors to open.

I realize I look like an amazon woman compared to Amy and Jennifer.  It was really the result of a very bad shoe choice.  I knew it would be a bad choice, but in the hotel, Amy told me they were cute.  That remark clouded my good judgment and I wore them even though I knew better.  Later that night in the hotel, when I thought I should probably just amputate my feet, I told those girls to not even try to tell me those shoes were cute Saturday morning because I was wearing my beach flip flops!

Enough about my feet.

Ladies started pouring into the arena and I started seeing people I knew.

My sweet friend, Lisa.  Lisa and I met through my friend Pam. 

Bless Lisa's heart.  Whenever I see her, I just want to throw up all my prayer requests in the 5 seconds I get to see her. 

Do you have friends like that? Ones you know without a shadow of a doubt are going to fall on their face and pray for what you need? Lisa is that ... or atleast I hope she is because I treat her as such :) Lisa, sorry if I scare you.  I love you so much!

Then, I saw my friend Tracy.

Tracy and I met in Houston in January at the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration.  You can read about that here.  I was so happy to see her (I think she is so wise!).

I was getting a little antsy about the ladies from my own church making it to the conference.  When they finally got there, I realized they were sitting up at the very top close to heaven.  But, these two walked down to see me before it started.

This is Kaley and Chelsea.  They used to be in my high school girls Sunday School class and are 2 of my favorite people.  This was their first women's conference and they were telling me how different it was compared to a youth event.

Ummm ... yeah.  I love you girls!

Right after we took our picture together, it was worship time ...

Oh, the JOY!

The worship may be my favorite part of any event.  When Travis sang In Christ Alone (My Absolute FAVORITE), I told Amy she may have to step aside so I could run the aisle.

But, then I remembered my blasted evil shoes, so I stayed put.

But, it was GOOD y'all.

More later .... Some really cool things happened on Saturday!

HOT Days at the Beach

I was going to post last night but once we came in for the night, I was way too tired.  I've been getting up early, running with Eric and riding bikes for miles during the day.  I've said several times I feel like we can just go and go at the beach and never get tired, but last night it all hit me.  The heat yesterday probably had a lot to do with it too.  It was HOT yesterday and the humidity was so thick.

Eric, my Daddy and my brother, John Patrick went to play golf.  I told them they were crazy to play in the heat.  I took the girls for a ride on the golf cart a few times to get ice cream while they were gone ...

.... and then my Mom and I took them out on the beach.  We stayed out for hours.  It was the only place bearable since you could feel a breeze on the beach.

Today was no different.  Before we went to the beach, we took the girls to the children's activity center so they could tie-dye shirts and pillow cases.  This was a lot of fun, but it was in a cabin with no air .... so it was HOT.  We came back and went straight to the beach.

Olivia is making me some cherry pie :)

My sweet girl LOVES the ocean.  She rarely comes out unless she stops to make a few sandcastles.  She is fearless!

We came back from the beach to get dressed for dinner.  We have cooked every meal all week, but decided to go to one of the restaurants on the island tonight. 

We went to Bonita Boathouse.  The view from the deck ...

Some pics from the porch ...

After dinner, we stopped for a few pictures by the inlet ...

 I love this picture of Olivia and her beloved blankey ....

We were so glad to have my niece Anna with us this week, but we really missed her sisters Lauren and Taylor.  They didn't come with us because they went on a different trip to Kentucky they had planned a long time ago. 

Tonight is actually my last night here.  I will leave my family in the morning to drive back to NC for Beth Moore's Living Proof Live Conference in Charlotte.  As much as I'm dreading the drive back by myself, I am looking so forward to going to the conference.  My friend, Amy, has graciously asked me to volunteer for the event, which I am so happy and honored to do.  It should be a fun time!

I can't wait to share more ....