A chocolate milk kind of day

I've been in a funk all week. I'm not sure why. I've been a little tired and I've had a few sniffles. Neither of those is enough to send me so deep into a funk though. I did tell someone that I felt as if I was dog paddling (think about how much energy that requires and how little distance you travel) . . with a rope in my teeth . . .tied to a small inflatable boat . . .in that boat are some people I love. I feel like I've been trying to keep a lot of folks afloat. Anyway, I told a friend that I was in this funk and she told me a great story.

A friend of hers was rushing out the door to drive her two grandsons to school and I'm sure they were running late. The older boy was grumbling and complaining but the sweet second grade boy said, "Grandmommy, today is going to be a great day." She asked him why. He replied, "Well today is Friday and Friday is Chocolate milk day so it is going to be a great day." The older brother said something like, "You idiot. Today is not Friday. Today is Tuesday. You won't get any chocolate milk today." That sweet second grade boy was not "brought down" by his big brother. He replied, "Grandmommy, today is going to be a great day. It is Tuesday but it will be Friday soon and then I can have some chocolate milk." (I don't think my friend reads my blog but if she does and I have any details wrong . . I have the most important stuff right - the "stuff" that I "heard.") Our attitude makes such a difference in life, doesn't it?

I must admit that she told me this right before I left work and I had a couple of errands to run on the way home. One of those errands was at Target. Guess what I bought? Yes, you are right. Some chocolate milk. I drank that chocolate milk with a smile on my face.

Partners in Crime

Last week, I met two of my high school friends for dinner. Jamie is on my left and Christie is on my right. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Brio along with a drink or two and lots of laughs. Jamie was a year ahead of us in school. I was in the band with Jamie (I was color guard and band librarian - geeky -what can I say?). Christie and I became friends in middle school and continued that friendship all through high school and a few years after. Jamie, Christie and I were all three on the Annual (now known as yearbook) staff. We spent many hours in the little annual staff office. Great memories. Neither of them have ever married so their lives are a little different from mine but we still have many things in common. Since Jamie is a well known organist here in town, he plays the organ at Trinity sometimes. Christie and I both love to read and love many of the same authors. I loved hearing about both of their travels to Napa Valley and trips to New York.

Since my parents are not living, I never go back to Tarrant. To be honest, I rarely see anyone from Tarrant. I have kept in touch with my friends Kaye and Faye (they were in our wedding) but we only see each other every year or two. I see my friend, Genny at church and I love that we grew up in a small Baptist church and have both ended up in the same large United Methodist church. So . . .it was a really nice evening with "old" friends, Jamie and Christie.

weekend fun

Just a few pictures from the weekend - will add more later. Here are our sweet "children" - can I still call them "children" when they are approaching 24 years old? Glenn was in a wedding this weekend and men just look so handsome in a tux, don't they? Laura looked beautiful that day also. This is one of my favorite pics of the weekend. Gary and Dona were laughing as we gathered in the lobby of the hotel before leaving for the church.

Here we are all dressed up and ready to go. Don't you love those curtains behind us???? (hotel lobby curtains!)

Mark with his "other sons" - Kaylor on the left and Levi on the right. We love all these boys as if they were our own.
This is when we first arrived at the church. Gosh, I love these friends. Dona on the left, then Phella is to my right (isn't she a beautiful mother of the groom) and then Kim.

I love this picture of Kim and Dave! It was about 5,000 degrees outside (ok - it was really only 95 or 100) and I was trying to hurry...

Laura was helping Guy by pinning on his boutonniere.
We were early for the wedding . . .the guys were sitting in the church lobby. Gary, Mark, Dean, Guy and Dave.

The father of the groom - Guy!!

The beautiful couple dancing at the reception. I have many more pics and will post more later. What a wonderful wedding!!

dinner with friends

On Saturday night, we joined some of our Sunday school friends for dinner at Dale's in Vestavia City Center. We had a very large table and we were talking quite loudly. At one point, they closed the doors to the rest of the restaurant . . guess we were too loud :-) We had our favorite waiter, James. I should have taken his picture. Here is a cute picture of Preston and Frances. They are such sweet friends! This is trouble . . . just saying. Anytime that Roy and Mark sit together, we know we are in trouble. I think they laughed a lot. I know they talked about killing beavers at the farm and who knows what else.

This is the whole group - Frances and Preston, Howard and Carolyn, Fred and Liz, Pam and Scott, Butch and Roy, Mark (and I should be sitting there but I was taking the picture!), Sally and Dickey, Kyle and Lynn.

Our Sunday School class is really large class so it is good to schedule several smaller outings a year so that folks can get to know each other. We feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of this Sunday School family.

To Grandmother's House we go . . .

We actually do go to Grandmother's house . . .almost every Sunday after church. (this week, we actually went to the Dragon - but that is not a normal Sunday!) This was last Sunday at lunch. Over the years, we've played cards with our children while either waiting on lunch or after. Here is a picture of George playing cards with Grace. All of our kids know how to play poker!!

They are discussing who won the hand - I believe George had 2 Aces and 2 queens . . .can't remember what Grace had.

This is where all the cooking takes place. My mother-in-law is a great cook. She cooks an amazing roast beef! I can't remember everything she served last week, but I do remember that we had squash casserole. She usually has a meat, a starch, two veggies and a salad. There are always rolls and there is always, always, always dessert!! Lunch on Sunday is a tradition in our family. (and it is actually a "coveted" item . . .one friend of ours wants another invitation - we've tried to get her to put "Sunday Dinner at Mrs. Susie's" in the youth auction at church, but we haven't been able to convince her. Yesterday, Laura and I were talking about how we need to cherish each day with Grandmother (I've never called her mother or Susie or Mrs. Elliott . . . usually I call her Mark's mother! Since the children were born, I call her grandmother just like they do!)

Grandmother is on the left. Mark is carving some more roast beef and Bill (Mark's younger brother) is serving his plate. While the kids were growing up, we had a table full on Sundays - there are four of us and Grandmother and Bill and Rebecca and George, Alice and Grace. When both Glenn and Laura were living in Auburn, we had many quiet Sundays - if George and Alice and Grace go to Clopton (Alice's hometown), then it would be just Grandmother, Mark and I (because Bill and Rebecca don't usually arrive in time to eat with us). We've loved having Laura live back at home so that we have her with us on Sundays. Sunday lunch at Grandmother's house is definitely a tradition!

Kristi's birthday

I love working at Trinity UMC. I love working there for many reasons but one of them is because I get to work with people like Kristi. We've worked together on and off now for over 6 years (she took a maternity leave in the middle of that time). Kristi is a great friend . . .and she had a birthday last week. Here she is in her office surrounded by all of her surprises. Donna gave her the cutest picture frame and a candy jar full of miniature candy bars. Ann gave her a really cute sleep shirt. I gave her a lunchbox and some other treats. Here is a picture of her surprises. Can you see the picture frame? I think we could make those - it is covered in newsprint (made in India and an Indian newspaper! but we could use the Birmingham News or the Black and White) and then there are these really cute felt flowers and cut outs in a bird shape with felt underneath. I didn't do a very good job of explaining that but I promise it is really cute. Donna finds the cutest gifts!

We will use any excuse to order lunch from Franklin's Homewood Gourmet and a birthday is a great excuse. The baby bleu salad with chicken is wonderful!! I hated bleu cheese until I had it on this salad.

I think this is a great picture of Jeanne (I was trying out my new camera!). Isn't she pretty? She was at the "party" along with all of our other co-workers. (she is another sweet friend - see what I mean? It is just a great place to work surrounded by all these neat young adults!)After eating our healthy salads, we had to have birthday cake.

Happy birthday, Kristi! I hope all your wishes come true!!

Does anyone know her story?

Can you see her? Tucked up against the tree? She is there every single day whether it is 105 degrees outside or whether there is snow on the ground. Her clothes change with the seasons. When it snowed this winter, she actually had on a fur coat. At Easter, she was holding either an Easter basket or an Easter purse (couldn't tell from the road). She sometimes changes positions in the rock garden. My sister, Becky and I have wondered about her. We would love to know her story. Is she simply a "scarecrow lady" to frighten away some critters or is she in memory of a lost daughter? Anyone know her story?