BELONGING

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to belong.  For most of my life I have always felt connected to someone or something, like I belonged.

When you're a child, if you are blessed as I was, you belong to a family.  It's your own little world and it's your WHOLE world.  There was never any question for me that I belonged, that this was my place and these were my people.  I had security, stability and safety in that family.  (A three point outline just like my preacher daddy!)  Funny thing...we moved quite a bit so none of my belonging was tied to a certain house or school or community.  My belonging was all about my family and my place in it-fourth daughter down, second to the baby.  I belonged.

Having four sisters gave me another sense of belonging.  Instant girlfriends and confidants!  They were my first friends, my best friends and my forever friends.  And they couldn't do a thing about it!  They were stuck with me.  But, I never felt like they didn't want me around.  I can remember being very young and being allowed to get up on the bed and listen to Nora read Little Women.  I remember "playing church" with them and always being given a part to play.  Sometimes I got to play the piano and sing a solo:  "I dropped my dolly in the dirt, I asked my dolly if it hurt..."  Hey!  I had a limited repertoire!  There were endless games of Monopoly and Scrabble played.  I was included.  I belonged.

Then, off to school.  Oh how I didn't feel like I belonged that first year!  I belonged at home with my mommy.  Or, at the very least, with my Sissy-sister #2, Rhonda.  Most days were spent in tears behind the bookshelves while my sweet teacher tried to console me and calm me.  I wouldn't have it though.  I didn't belong here without someone from MY world.  Most days consisted of walking across the hall with my 1st grade teacher to Sissy's 6th grade room so she could come out in the hall and convince me to stop crying.  As if that embarrassment wasn't enough for her, she had to play on the little kid's playground at recess and lunch with me so I wouldn't stand and cry, watching her on the big kid's playground.  Sissy made sure I still belonged even if it took away HER belonging!

Eventually I found myself able to feel that sense of belonging at that school and all the ones to follow. Well, except for one but that's another story.  I only spent three weeks there before parental and pastoral intervention plucked me out of there into a school that felt more like home to a shy, awkward 8th grader.  (Yes, I'm still talking about me...believe it or not!)  One of the very best friends I ever had I discovered in school and she definitely made me feel like I belonged.  She is actually the person who gave me the greatest sense of belonging in the kingdom of God.  Judy showed me what being a Christian in every day life really meant.  My eternal belonging was greatly enhanced by our friendship and her influence.

For many years I found myself fitting in, making friends, finding my place....belonging.  It became second nature to me to feel at home in most circumstances-work, church, social.  I didn't understand how anyone could feel like they didn't belong.  How hard was it, after all?  If you wanted to belong you did just that...you belonged!

Sometimes life teaches you lessons that you weren't aware you needed to learn.  Those are the hard ones because they come unexpectedly and sometimes painfully.  For the first time in my life I didn't belong.  At least, in my mind.  Once I felt like a puzzle piece that was put away in the wrong box I started not wanting to be part of any puzzle.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to find MY puzzle box.  I didn't fit.  My life hadn't turned out the way I planned.  My dreams died or were changed.  I didn't just fall into step and march along; I stumbled and fell and even stopped altogether.  Would I belong again? Did I want to belong?

I am finding that life really does go in circles.  I realize that my struggle to belong in the last few years has brought me back to where belonging started for me....my family.  It's different now.  Daddy and Mother are gone.  My baby sister is gone.  But, it's still family...the one I live with and the ones to whom I will forever be bound.  This is my place.  This is where I belong.  If I manage to feel at home anywhere else-church, work, friends-it will just be a bonus.  I belong to these people I call family and that is enough for me today.

Sisters...NG...Poetry

This year I didn't blog about NG.  You probably didn't notice but I did. I mean, it's the highlight of my year for goodness sake!  It's not that it wasn't everything it always is.  It's just that it was different this year.  For the first time in ten years, one of the sisters didn't get to come. 

Many of you know that my sister Nora had a life-changing year and spent many months recuperating and recovering from multiple surgeries.  Life as she had always known it changed so drastically and has yet to return to full normalcy.  Due to all of this, she did not get to join us in Norman at Rhonda's beautiful home.  NG went on; we laughed; we shopped; we laughed; we cried....all the usual things.  It was just without our anchor...Nora.

In spite of that, we tried to continue our "traditions" and one of those is giving each other gifts.  My gift to them this year was an original poem by Shaun Perkins, our own Locust Grove poet extraordinaire.  I think it is my favorite thing I have ever given them.  Looking through my posts tonight I noticed that I never shared them with all of you.  So, I am now.

I got the whole idea from my first trip to Dust Bowl Debris...only my favorite place to shop in Locust Grove and most other places.  There was a time card rack hanging on a post with the cutest cards in the slots.  They were hand decorated and buying the card entitled you to one original poem by Shaun.  I snatched up three of them and filed them away to use for my NG sister gifts.  

Finally, one day this past spring, I got around to emailing Shaun and telling her I was ready for her to start writing.  She said I should send her a little information about each of them and she would take it from there.  I sent her a paragraph about each sister.  




I emailed these to her and in a couple of weeks I received the most wonderfully spot on pieces for each of them:


Now you can see why I thought they were the best thing I ever gave them for NG.

I Hope...

Today was a rough day.  Actually, the past few days have been rough days.  It doesn’t matter what  made the days so rough; that’s not what this post is about.  Just trust me – rough. 

I tried all day to come up with a reason to stay home from our Moms in Prayer group tonight.  I was in a bad mood, I was tired, and I was frustrated.  Surely those were good enough excuses.  But, tonight was our last meeting before school starts again in the fall.  I went.

When I first arrived, I still didn’t want to be there.  (Just being honest)  But, things changed when we started reading our scriptures.  I was the one who selected them and typed them on our prayer sheets so they shouldn’t have come as any surprise to me.  But Psalm 25:5 just jumped right off the page at me- “and my hope is in you all day long.”  My long, rough day had been anything but hope-filled!  I looked at those words over and over.  Why had my day seemed so hopeless?

I decided to read the entire chapter and try to figure that out.  I read it once.  And,  again.  The answer to why I could hope in him all day had to be there.  What was I missing?  I started back through the chapter and only got through verse 1:  “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.”  How had I missed that the other times?  And, was that the key?

I finished the chapter one more time.  A couple of other passages stopped me cold.  Verses 16-17:  “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.”  Verse 21 “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.” 

The answer was one that I had known all along.  I had just let my self-pity and resentment cloud my mind to the point that I had forgotten it.  I wasn’t putting my trust in God.  I was trusting in my version of justice and fairness.  I was trusting in my perspective on my rights.  I was trusting in other people to do the right thing.  (The right thing according to me, of course.) What I wasn’t doing was “putting my trust in the Lord my God.”  No wonder I didn’t have hope.  No wonder I didn’t feel any relief from the troubles of my heart.  No wonder I felt anguished, lonely, persecuted. 

I purpose to put my trust in the Lord before my day even begins tomorrow.  Then I can go through the day in integrity and uprightness.  I hope.  Really, I hope! 

I Know My Redeemer Lives

I am in awe that the Lord who paid the debt of sin is MY Redeemer.  He loves me and He cares about my life and my struggles.  

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? 
And who told the ocean you can only come this far? 
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening? 
Whose words alone can catch a falling star? 

Well I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
All of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives

The very same God
That spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know, my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know 
My Redeemer

He lives
To take away my shame
And He lives
Forever I'll proclaim
That the payment for my sins
Was the precious life He gave
And now He's alive and
There's an empty
Grave! 

And I know
My Redeemer lives
He lives
I know
My Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer

Still in Progress...

It's been about seven weeks since I wrote about remodeling our master bedroom.  I promised to keep you updated.  Don't tell me you haven't even had a second thought about it since then; I know you are checking every day to see if I have posted something.  Well, today is your lucky day.

"We have a long way to go" is an understatement.  Until Blair's room is empty we can't move the treadmill or paint or get new floors.  But, that hasn't stopped us from scouting out things for the room.  I thought I would give you a glimpse of those things.

Love the glass door knobs on this shelf from Dust Bowl Debris in Locust Grove:

 The only item in the picture below that we bought is the mantel.  We pick it up tomorrow but I took a picture of it in the store.  We got in at Vintage Treasures in Pryor.

 A fantastic buy from a Facebook-notice the post flood concrete floors:

I don't know what I will do with these hankies but I have several ideas:

Another great find from Dust Bowl Debris:

Pieces to the puzzle....are you getting a picture in your head yet?  If you are, please clue me in!!!  No, I know what I want.  It is just going to be a matter of getting it all together.  I can't wait!

One more time..........

Last Saturday Dennis and I went to Rogers, Arkansas for a mini-date.  We ate at Ghengis Grill (one of our new favorite places), went to Target and topped it off with Starbucks.  Yes, we are quite an adventurous couple!  These little moments are great for giving us a chance to talk to each other without interruptions.

As we sat in GG, I asked Dennis what his thoughts were concerning our gifts to one another this year.  We sometimes have bought no gifts,other times we buy a gift that is more of a family gift and  there are the years we buy gifts for one another.  I don't need or want anything.  I have enough and more than enough; in fact, so much "enough" that we need a storage building!  (I know, First World Problem)  My suggestion was, at first, no gifts.  But, the more we talked the more we realized that there was something that we both wanted:  to restore our master bedroom ONE MORE TIME!

If you have known us for any length of time you know that our house has flooded completely two times and there have been other minor water episodes that affected the master bedroom.  We have lived in our home for twelve years and we have replaced the flooring in the MB three times.  Currently we have cement floors in our room.  The last flood-ette was this past spring.  We haven't done anything about putting in carpet because of those ever present fears of it happening again.  (And, seriously, it's not like our fears aren't warranted).

Sitting there Saturday discussing Christmas we decided to tackle it one more time.  I had already started a board on Pinterest with ideas for an eventual remodel.  I told Den about my ideas and he was on board.  We have such similar tastes and likes in so many areas.  It has always been uncanny how often we have been thinking of the same thing.   I envision a restful, calm haven for our master bedroom.  My board has lots of different ideas and I know that we won't use all of them.  Sometimes the things I pin only have one tiny element that I like but I don't want to forget it.  (I have a tendency to do that-forget).

I am excited about picking out paint colors and carpet and different elements to achieve the picture in my head.  I have some fun things in mind that I can't wait to show you.  So, watch this space for updates.  Who knows?  You might even be asked to help decide some decorating questions!

Date Day....Too few and far between

Today Dennis and I had an impromptu Date Day.  This is something we have never been good at scheduling for ourselves.  I always say that if we could start over we would date more!  Now obviously, since we have been married more than 38 years, not dating hasn't really hindered our relationship.  But, having a day like today makes me realize how fun it is to date.

We were watching the news this morning and they did a piece on things to do this weekend in the Tulsa area.  One of those things was Vintage Market Days in Bixby.  We talked about it and decided to go.  What a great place!  It had so many things that we loved...antiques, old furniture just waiting to be repurposed, crafts, music, food and so much more.

If the wind hadn't been blowing 40 mph I could have spent hours there.  Dennis joked that someone should have bought a bunch of goggles and sold them at the entrance!  The dirt was blowing like crazy.  I saw one lady walking around with a mask over her face...smart cookie, that one.

We bought something fun for the front yard and some beautiful metal scripture sculptures for the wall. (Say scripture sculptures three times really fast; do it!)  I can't for the life of me get the pictures of those to load on here.  Grrr.

After we left the market we went to Genghis Grill for lunch.  Our first impression was tending towards not so great due to the lack of attention we received from the wait staff.  Finally, a great waitress took pity on us and took care of us even though we weren't part of her area.  Verdict:  amazing food!  We loved it.  We will definitely be going back there and soon. 

Next...a stop at Target.  What I would give to live near a Target.  It is my favorite store.  And, it has Starbucks right in it!  Does it get any better than that?  I ordered my usual-Salted Caramel Mocha latte.  As soon as the young man finished making it and was adding the salt it dawned on me!  I could have had an Eggnog latte!  Next time, my friend, next time!

We came home and agreed that it was a wonderful day.  And, that we need to do this more often.  We are fortunate to have similar interests so we enjoy so many of the same things.  I am already looking at the calendar and making plans.  Yes, I think a second date is in the cards for us!

Office...HELP!!!!

My friend Whitney started a week-long series of embarrassing moments today.  She suggested we link ours to hers.  So.....

When I was a senior in high school I got a class credit for helping in the office of the assistant principal.  One day he and I were working on a large chart displaying the brackets for an upcoming swim meet at the school.    We were working across from each other at a large work table.  I was wearing a cool dress that my sister Rhonda had made for me.  It was adorable!  It was denim and sported little round red buttons all the way down, from neck to hem.  I was drawing lines on the chart with a large t-square.  As I picked up the t-square to move it to another spot it caught on my dress.  I didn't realize that and continued to move it across to the other side of the chart.  In doing so....my dress came completely unbuttoned, neck to hem.  And, there I stood, in my open dress with my bra and panties showing.  Not to mention I was standing right across the table from the assistant principal!  He and I looked at each other, I grabbed my dress and he turned and went into his office and I didn't see him again for a week!!  We never spoke of this again.

Through the Years...38 to be exact!

I can't remember when you weren't there
When I didn't care for anyone but you
I swear we've been through everything there is
Can't imagine anything we've missed
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do

Through the years, you've never let me down
You turned my life around, the sweetest days I've found
I've found with you ... Through the years
I've never been afraid, I've loved the life we've made
And I'm so glad I've stayed, right here with you
Through the years

Our wedding day, May 16, 1974 was the day this journey started.  We didn't have a map for the journey.  We didn't even have jobs!  The biggest surprise of all.........we didn't have a care in the world!  Wow.............when did that change and we become such worriers?


We were just kids:  you were 18 and I was 17.  Grown-ups?  Not even close.  I can remember us talking about how strange it was that no one could "boss us around" anymore.  We couldn't get over the fact that we could stay out late, go anywhere anytime we wanted, even jump in the car at 2 AM for a trip to Hof's Hut, our favorite restaurant!  


I love that we were friends first. You used to write me the sweetest letters.  Be honest, though....you kind of had a crush on my sister Rhonda.  Hey, you even went on her honeymoon with her and Bob!  


We have created a lot of memories over the past 38 years.  With my memory, it would be tricky to try to write them down!  I know that some of my favorite times are just you and me sitting and talking, not always agreeing, but "usually" listening to the other's viewpoint.  I can still remember what quality attracted me the most when I started realizing that I liked you......your kindness and gentleness.  You have always treated me with care, protecting our relationship, never disrespecting me....I have always known I was safe with you.


My shining knight:

Happy Anniversary..........I hope we have 38 more.  

Growing up...........

Katie went to her 8th grade prom last Saturday.  Indulge me.

5 More Days...............

In five more days I will be joining my sisters for NG9! To say that I am excited is the mother of all understatements. This is our annual sister trip.........number 9, as the name suggests. For those of you new to my world, NG stands for Nettie's Girls. Nettie was our dear mother whom we lost in 2005.

This year we are travelling to Branson for a five day, four night stay in a beautiful resort home. Everyone keeps asking me what all we have planned. I can only say for sure that there will be pajamas, food, coffee-lots of coffee, tears, laughter, gifts, prayer, walks (ugh, those health-minded sisters of mine) and a little shopping. If we never left the house to do anything we would still have a great time. I wish I could wrap up what my sisters and I have in one another and give it to everyone. They are my best friends, my link to my childhood, my anchor and my connection to our parents. We are truly blessed.

Last year we went to San Antonio and spent a lot of time seeing the sites and walking and shopping and walking and eating and, did I mention walking? It was so much fun.

I find myself chattering like crazy at work because I am getting so excited. Someone asked me today if I had a lot of coffee. They said they knew that coffee sometimes made me chatty! Hmmmm......maybe a couple of cups but really it is just the giddiness setting in.

I will have a full report when I return. There is no way to convey how much fun we have and to relay all the hilarious things that happen. They just don't translate very well to people who aren't part of our special connection.

I say this to people all the time.......if you have siblings, start a tradition like this. We wish we had started 30 years ago. Do it. You will be so glad you did.

5 More Days...............

In five more days I will be joining my sisters for NG9! To say that I am excited is the mother of all understatements. This is our annual sister trip.........number 9, as the name suggests. For those of you new to my world, NG stands for Nettie's Girls. Nettie was our dear mother whom we lost in 2005.

This year we are travelling to Branson for a five day, four night stay in a beautiful resort home. Everyone keeps asking me what all we have planned. I can only say for sure that there will be pajamas, food, coffee-lots of coffee, tears, laughter, gifts, prayer, walks (ugh, those health-minded sisters of mine) and a little shopping. If we never left the house to do anything we would still have a great time. I wish I could wrap up what my sisters and I have in one another and give it to everyone. They are my best friends, my link to my childhood, my anchor and my connection to our parents. We are truly blessed.

Last year we went to San Antonio and spent a lot of time seeing the sites and walking and shopping and walking and eating and, did I mention walking? It was so much fun.

I find myself chattering like crazy at work because I am getting so excited. Someone asked me today if I had a lot of coffee. They said they knew that coffee sometimes made me chatty! Hmmmm......maybe a couple of cups but really it is just the giddiness setting in.

I will have a full report when I return. There is no way to convey how much fun we have and to relay all the hilarious things that happen. They just don't translate very well to people who aren't part of our special connection.

I say this to people all the time.......if you have siblings, start a tradition like this. We wish we had started 30 years ago. Do it. You will be so glad you did.

The Saving One

My new favorite song. The words are really speaking to me during this season of Lent.

What mercy was revealed
What selflessness and peace
My fate was surely sealed
Until He rescued me
His pardon for my sin
His bounty for my need
From slavery and shame
I am redeemed

And Heaven can't contain
The glory of the Son
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One
His love has made a way
The grave is overcome
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One

No fear can hold me down
Nor darkness steal my joy
For blood has been poured out
The enemy destroyed
Death could not hold Him down
The cross was not enough
To steal away His throne
For He is God

And Heaven can't contain
The glory of the Son
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One
His love has made a way
The grave is overcome
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One

Anyone who calls upon His name
They will be saved
They will be saved
Anyone who calls upon His name
They will be saved
They will be saved

And Heaven can't contain
The glory of the Son
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One
His love has made a way
The grave is overcome
Jesus is the Christ, the saving One [x2]

Anyone who calls upon His name
They will be saved
They will be saved
Anyone who calls upon His name
They will be saved
They will be saved

"They were astonished"

If you are a Facebook friend you are aware that Dennis was in the hospital from Wednesday until yesterday afternoon. Long story short: I took him to the ER in Pryor on Wednesday morning. He was having chest pains, dizziness, headache and just a general bad feeling. They ran tests there-EKG (normal), chest xray (normal), CT of the head (normal) and blood work (elevated heart enzymes which evidently can indicate heart attack/damage). They called for transport to a Tulsa hospital-St. John. Once there they admitted him to the cardiac floor. They started another round of blood work and scheduled a cardiac stress test for Thursday morning. Three blood draws indicated no elevated heart enzymes. However, the stress test showed some abnormalities. So began the long wait and see process while the cardiologists decided what to do next. On Thursday evening it was decided that they would do a CT angio scan instead of jumping right to the heart cath. That was scheduled for Friday morning. That was done and the cardiologist (he saw four cardiologists in total) reviewed it and explained the results to Dennis. There was no evidence of heart attack, no blockage, no tumor, no irregularities of any kind. His explanation was a false positive on the stress test.....it happens.

I have thought about this a lot as people have asked "well, why did he have the pain and this episode if everything is normal? What do they say about it?". I have offered the answer we were given - "false positive" but have decided that just isn't adequate.

As soon as people knew Dennis was in the hospital they began to pray. Technology is such now that people all across the country were praying for him within hours. What a comfort. We pray for God to intervene and to heal and to restore.....then keep asking why and what and how when He does. It reminded me of the story from Acts 12.

Peter was in prison. Herod had him arrested because of his faith. The church was gathered and praying for him. The Lord sent an angel to bust him out of prison. He walked right past the guards without detection. HE recognized how his escape happened: "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

He went to the house of Mary where people were assembled praying for him. He knocked on the door. A young servant girl came to the door. She recognized his voice without opening the door and ran back to tell the others. They told her she was crazy. When she insisted they said it must be his angel. But, Peter kept on knocking and when they opened it they were astonished.

Isn't that just like us? We pray for God to heal and restore and when He does we try to explain it away or we are astonished. Weren't they praying for that very thing?

So, my new answer to what and why and how in the matter of Dennis' hospitalization is answered prayer. Pure and simple.

Our God is an awesome God.

Giveaway time with Whitney!

****Contest Over*****

Go to this site and enter to win something really cute!!!!! Do it.

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

The new year prompts most of us to make promises and resolutions and pronouncements of better eating, more exercise, etc. I have been sucked into that machine more times than I care to number. Good intentions are just that....good. But, they do not always stick. Guilty.

So, this year, knowing that I desperately need to make major changes in order to enjoy more new years, I have decided to take a different approach. Sure, I would like to lose weight and move more and look better and feel healthy. So, I could announce that I am going to go on a diet and that I am going to train for a 5K. You would encourage me and I would try very hard. I might succeed and I might not. It's happened enough times over the years.

My new approach isn't going to be a revelation to anyone but me. Are you ready for it? I am going to convince myself that Food is Fuel. I have been thinking about it for several days and realize that I see food as so much more than that. All of my life food has been joy, happiness, good times, sadness, comfort, a stress reliever............you name it. If the emotion has a name, I have a food for it!

I am the person who knows her "fuel gage" is sitting closer to full than empty but pulls up to the pump anyway.

I don't do that with my car. I fill it up and run it out. I don't keep going back to the station just to top it off. I wait until I NEED to fuel up. Wow! What a concept. I told you it wasn't profound....well, maybe it is for me. It has taken me 55 years to believe that food is a tool not a crutch.

I am going to work on changing the way I look at food and what it does for me. Today I repeated my new mantra a few (dozen) times whenever I thought about grabbing a snack or a soda. "Food is fuel"- do I need fuel right now or just a walk around the office because I am bored and tired? I know it's just one day, but for today it WORKED for me.

So, I am going to try to only pull up to the

when I really do need FUEL. It's okay with me if you ask me about this.

Christmas 2011

Indulge me a little. We had a wonderful Christmas in the Fletcher household this year. There is nothing better than time with family. Here is a glimpse into our "wonderful life".

I love this picture of my girls. They were enjoying themselves or enjoying making fun of the photographer: DAD!

Aaron and his baby sister.

Blankets made by Aunt Debe and her friend Rita. They were a big hit.

Aaron and Jami

The kids in front of our "ghetto fireplace" as Izaac referred to it.

Izaac and his pal.

Another photo of the girls on the porch.

The original Fletcher five.

Ready for dinner.

And now, some shots of my tree which was decorated by Launi Stokes. She did a great job. I love all the colors she added to the tree.

I hope that your family enjoyed the season as much as we did. I totally forgot to take pictures of the ornament/scripture activity we did before Christmas Eve dinner but this is where I got the idea.

Great Joy!

I hope you are taking the time this season to enjoy the JOY! After all, wasn't that the message?

"Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

As the days countdown to Christmas it seems that a lot of people lose their joy. I see it at work and around town-people are weary, stressed, sad, anything but experiencing GREAT JOY! Why is that? Why, as we draw closer to the day we commemorate our Saviour's birth, do we become less and less joyous?

Years ago I decided to enjoy the Christmas season not dread it. And, I think that is the key-it's a decision. Only you can determine what Christmas will be for you. This year, determine that you will accept the message of joy and let it be the mark of your celebration.

A Perfect Fall Day

We had such a wonderful day. It wasn't spectacular in any way, just good. We didn't have to be anywhere this morning so we could sleep in. I got up at 3:30 and Dennis got up at 5:00! I just woke up and had a bit of a headache so I got up, took meds and laid down on the love seat in the living room. I couldn't sleep so I fixed a wonderful cup of coffee, grabbed a quilt and read. Then Dennis got up. He searched for something on television and then turned it off and napped in the recliner. We spent the next 3-4 hours like that. He napped a little, I read a little and napped some myself. It was heaven-no schedule, no rushing to be anywhere.

After Katie got up (10:30-she has no trouble sleeping in) Dennis and I took a trip to Walmart. It was so much fun just to be together and talk and enjoy the time. Then it was back home to put steaks in the frig to marinate and potatoes in the oven to bake for dinner later.

The weather was perfect-we had the doors and windows open to let in the fresh air. Dennis watched football. I read. Katie watched movies.

Dennis grilled steaks that turned out as well as any I have had anywhere. The potatoes were just right. Another component to our perfect fall day!

Vacuuming and folding three baskets of laundry filled some of the time but it was rewarding to have it done. Dennis is always a big help around the house. He really makes a better housewife than me!

Saturday is the day for a phone call from my sister Rhonda. We laughed and talked and enjoyed our time. Then it was time to start getting things ready for Sunday dinner-making a dessert, peeling potatoes and cutting up chicken. I like to have as much done as possible for Sunday lunch so we can eat soon after church. This is the weekend the kids come over and I can't wait to spend some time with them all.

Everyone is in bed now except me. You might be reading this and think "this is her idea of a perfect day?" Well, yes it is. I love days where the little things remind me that they are indeed the BIG things! I hope you have many days like mine.

Mini NG-ette

This weekend was a special treat. My sisters and I had a little get together at Rhonda's NEW house!

It was great that we were able to find a weekend that worked for all of us. We arrived Friday and the fun began. Rhonda had little gifts each day for us. I received bath stuff, a new bracelet and a silicone baking mat. I can't wait to use the mat on my next baking project. She had prepared a fantastic meal of ham, rice, carrots, homemade bread, and pineapple cheese salad. And, she topped our fantastic meal off with her to-die-for rice pudding. We were spoiled rotten. We had to take a little run to Target because I forgot my clothes! Yes, that's right.........my clothes. I had shoes, jammies and underwear but left my clothes hanging in my closet. I was glad for an excuse to go to Target. Why? Well, every Target trip ends with a stop at the Starbucks. Then, it was back to her house for a fun LATE evening of girl talk. Saturday morning was a real treat. Our cousins Sheri and Paula joined us for breakfast-eggs, bacon, Morning Glory muffins and more pineapple cheese salad. And, if I remember correctly, FOUR pots of coffee. Our little breakfast lasted for almost five hours! We sat around the table, we stood around the bar and back to the table. It was wonderful. We have such great memories to share. After we said goodbye to the girls we were off to shop for wall art for a couple of spots in the new house. That was fun. Well, for us, maybe not for the clerks who helped us. We found something for the wall in her bedroom and for a wall in the bathroom. I even got started on my Christmas shopping. We had Ted's for dinner then rolled ourselves out to the parking lot. Full tummies didn't keep us from stopping at Starbucks, though. Rhonda and I tried the Salted Caramel Mocha Latte. So yummy. We spent Saturday night sharing with one another about things that the Lord is teaching us or taking us through right now. We had the sweetest fellowship during this time. I am so blessed to have such great best friends. It was another late night for us which included a crazy round of snacks after 11pm! Shhhh....don't tell. Sunday morning dawned too soon.......the day to leave one another. We sat outside on her beautiful patio and drank coffee and talked. We packed up and drove over to Interurban for brunch. It was delicious. Those last precious minutes were savored until we had to get in our separate cars, Hugs, tears and wishes for safety and we were on the road. I am so glad that we will be together again in just five weeks for Thanksgiving!