Quick Before I Get Sidetrack'd

My wonderful SIL Lu has tagged me for a meme. The rules are really easy: write six things that make you really happy and tag six people.

1. Sweet baby giggles. There’s nothing like hearing my two year old or my eight month old laugh, I mean the big, belly laughs. They make me smile.

2. Great friends (and neighbors). I feel so blessed that God led us to a neighborhood with such great neighbors. My best friend lives two doors down. We have a ton in common and enjoy hanging out all the time (literally, we see each other almost every day); we also do things together as families since our hubbies get along great, too. Then I have my other good SAHM friends, and my best friend that I had to leave behind in Knoxville. I’m quite blessed in this realm.

3. Clean sheets. I love climbing into a bed made with sheets fresh from the dryer. The feel of clean sheets on my skin and the smell of dryer sheets on my pillowcase are delightful.

4. A really good book. Give me a well-written book with a great story and I could read for days on end. Books that meet my “great book” criteria aren’t all that common, but when I find one I relish it.

5. My family. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and two great kiddos. My life would not be complete without them. Sometimes the kids make me want to pull my hair out, but they bring great joy to my life.

6. Christmas trees. I love Christmas. And my favorite of all Christmas decorations are Christmas trees. I own three (we only have one up this year because of the little man) and would keep them up year round if Matt would let me. I love the ambiance they add to the house, the beauty of the lighted branches, and the way the ornaments look. Just can’t get enough of them!

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if there is anyone still reading after my unintentional blogging sabbatical I would love for you to play along!

My good friend L and I get together several times a week to walk, chit-chat, and let our kiddos play.  Her son D is about four months older than Little, so they either play well together or fight like cats and dogs.  They always ask to see each other when they are apart for several days, so at least we know that they really do like each other.

The last couple of days, D has been at our house in the morning while L attended appointments and meetings.  When he and Little are together you can never be certain what imaginative play might take place.  A scene from my house Monday morning…

The kids come into the living room talking about putting their shoes on so they can go to the park.  D grabs his sandals and Little gets her dressier brown shoes.  Amazingly, all four shoes get on the correct feet.

Once shoes are on feet they begin to “get their stuff together.”  D gets the doll stroller and says, “Let’s go to the park.  Gotta ride stroller first.” and off they go to the “park” (Little’s bedroom).

They play contentedly for a few minutes.  As I walk down the hallway I peek into her room and see them sitting in the floor with all of Little’s picnic basket paraphernalia spread out around them.  They are happily “eating their lunch” and talking amongst themselves.

There are moments like these when I just stop in amazement at the little girl that my baby is becoming.

And in other news…right now the Little Tyke’s mailbox is an oven.  Wish my appliances morphed like that.

There are a variety of characteristics that cause one to classify another as their “good friend.”  It may be that she is the one you can talk to about anything and everything.  Maybe she is the one you’ve known most of your life and is as close as, or closer than, family.  She could be the one you would turn to in an emergency.  It could be that she is the one that you call first to share the heights of your joy or the depths of your sorrow.  Or maybe she is the one you can call at a moments notice to watch your children for the ten minutes that it takes to run to the drugstore for diapers.

Yeah, that definitely qualifies as a good friend.  And I am thankful everyday that God has placed her in my life.

This weekend a group of 13 ladies (including me) were able to get away from everyday life and take a little retreat. It was a weekend filled with girlie activities, girlie food, girlie conversation, and staying up way past my bedtime.

We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a lake house owned by the parents of one of the ladies. I wish I had pictures to share of this beautiful house, because my words will not do it justice. You entered into the main level of the house which included a living room, dining room, kitchen, and powder room. The floor throughout the area was gorgeous tile, a huge gas fireplace with stone hearth and chimney anchored the living area, and the kitchen was filled with granite, tile, and stainless. Upstairs to the right were 2 bedrooms and a full bath; upstairs to the left was a “grandkids bunkroom” with 4 sets of bunkbeds, a full bath, bookshelves, toy boxes, a game closet with about 150 board games, and lots of room to play. The downstairs (3 stories total) had a nice big television viewing area, a pool table, an air hockey table, and a theater room with a 400 disc DVD changer. Other amenities included beautiful views from the back deck, a hot tub, and lake access (though it was a bit chilly to be on the water this weekend). And one of the neatest things about the house was the scripture used throughout the decor; there were scripture tiles in the floor inside the front and back doors, scripture in the wall decorations, and scripture on knick-knacks all over the house. It was truly an amazing house and such a blessing that we were able to stay there.

We spent the weekend watching movies, gabbing as only a group of ladies can, and eating delicious food. On Saturday my friend Lindsey set up a “salon” area downstairs and did haircuts for several of us and practiced wedding hair with our soon-to-be-bride. A group of us stayed down there pretty much all day watching TLC (What Not to Wear and Miss America Reality Check), watching others get their hair done, and making bead crafts (the lady of the house makes bead jewelry and has a bead collection so big it overwhelmed me just to look at the boxes); others stayed upstairs and worked on scrapbooking; and still others just enjoyed good company. That evening about 10 of us piled into the theater room to watch the Miss America Pageant on the projection t.v. It was such fun to watch the pageant with other women – we talked about the contestants, we critiqued, and we laughed hysterically at the lipstick all over Miss America’s face when she was crowned.

It was so wonderful to have a weekend like this where we had no agenda, no plan, and no commitments. We were free to spend time together, spend time alone, and spend time with God. I am grateful to Matt that he was willing to stay home alone with Little and allow me to go. It was refreshing and relaxing; and even though I came back tired from the late nights, there is a feeling you have after a time like this that transcends the tiredness.

Sometimes it is good to have a break. And as Lindsey told her husband, “it was so girlie it would have made you gag.”