I Think I'm Ready...

The presents are wrapped, the pillows are fluffed, and the cupcakes are baked! Now, we just wait for the birthday girl to get here to let the party begin!

Oh, I wish you could smell these sweet little confections - chocolate cupcakes with homemade peanut butter icing and a chocolate Kiss on top. Doesn't that say "a mother's love"!!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for the ability, despite our current situation, to still be able to celebrate my daughter's birthday with a little something we know she we love and treasure. And the memories we will make together this weekend will be priceless.

I can't wait until she gets here...

God Has The Best Sense Of Humor

I shared with you a couple of weeks ago that I was laid off - again. It's been 2 1/2 weeks of pure, in-the-toilet funk...sorry, but I cannot fake it.

So, this morning my first waking thought was "maybe something good will happen today". I even shared this thought with my mom and cousin in early morning emails. I was simply going to change my attitude and will myself to have something great happen today. After all, I've submitted countless applications to more than 5 local government agencies, followed up with those that have had an adequate amount of time pass and checked in with friends and co-workers that have agreed to be personal/professional references for me.

By 2:00 this afternoon my faith was waining and I was beginning to think today was NOT going to be the day I received the good word.

Then, my daughter called:

Brandi: "Guess what?"

Me: "What?"

Brandi: "JC was offered the job with the City of Virginia Beach today"!

I looked up, shook my head and said in my personal God voice "you are absolutely hysterical"! It was all I could do not to laugh out loud.

So, it was, in fact, a "something good's going to happen today" kind of day. It's just that God answered the kids' prayer first - and that's okay by me! JC's been trying to get a government job in VA Beach for over 2 years. His patience has paid off and I am SO happy for them both. Along with this position comes security, retirement and great health benefits. What more could I ask for the kids!

And the moral of this little story - when I pray, I need to be VERY specific! Ha!

God is good - and VERY funny...

Happy Birthday Brother

Beginning in late September, my family is inundated with reasons for gift-giving...birthdays mostly.

Today is my brother's birthday. Today Charlie turns 47. Closer to 50 than he's ever been before! I'm not sure that most of you even knew I had a brother - but I do. He's 4 years older than me. And if I had to sum Charlie up in a nutshell, I'd have to say this about him. First, I know my brother loves me - unconditionally. We don't have a very close relationship, some of that is the fault of geography but most of it is because we couldn't be any more different than had we come from two different families. He loves a good time; he would prefer that everyone always be happy and free from worry and concern. He is a homebody. He's never been on a plane. He loves to laugh and does so often. He's gotten to be pretty good in the kitchen. He's an awesome auto mechanic. He's loyal - to a fault - to his friends. He lives for the weekend.



We love to celebrate birthdays in my family. They really are cause for rejoice. The birth of a new soul. Oh, what will this little one offer the world? What will they see? How will they serve? We love to acknowledge each others' lives and say "we're so glad you're here".

I won't be with my brother today but he will be exceptionally close to my heart for obvious reasons. And with the great age of computers, I'll be sending him some silly e-card that I hope will make him giggle a little. And I will be praying that he has an AWESOME day and will let Mom and Daddy treat him to a special birthday dinner!

Happy Birthday Brother - I love you...

Thankful Thursday

How appropriate that this Thankful Thursday would fall on the 16th of October. October 16th is a special day in our family...

Isn't it amazing the things you remember about your life? I remember being in the first grade and crying on the days that it rained(?). I remember sneaking out during one of my father's birthday parties to ride my older brother's "sooped-up" bicycle, which I was forbidden to do, and wrecking, hitting my head and being taken to the emergency room (happy birthday, Daddy). I still have the knot on my head from that stunt! I remember "field days" in elementary school and after school dances in junior high. And of course, the football games and band camps and basketball games and homecomings in high school. I remember spending many spring breaks in the outterbanks of North Carolina. I remember dying easter eggs with my mom and brother. I remember sunbathing with my grandmother (we were a very young family - ha!). I remember my mom throwing great parties (we're talking live bands, people) for any real reason she could find!!! My mom LOVES to celebrate an occassion! I have countless memories with my best friend Teri - oh the times we had together.

But the clearest memory I have is the birth of my daughter. Today is Brandi's 26th birthday. And I cannot believe it. How thankful do you think I am? I remember the 16th of October of 1982 like I was experiencing it this very moment. From the moment I woke up that morning to the moment my mom finally made it to the hospital for Brandi's arrival. That was a bittersweet day, my friends. For while I was delivering Brandi, my parents were in Southern Virginia burying my grandmother - my father's mother. But God is good is He not? Because that baby was such - and continues to be - so very special to my father. I can't believe that there is another grandfather out there that loves their granddaughter any more than my father loves Brandi Lee. I can't begin to imagine how he felt that day... I know Brandi didn't "replace" my grandmother for my father but she sure did help fill that void in his heart.

So, today we celebrate my wee one. My little schtoogy. My greatest accomplishment. That which I love more than life itself. My little ray of sunshine. My little woman. My Bran...
I can physically FEEL the love I have for this child. I'm sure you moms know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

"God sent children for another purpose than merely to keep up the race - to enlarge our hearts; and to make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections; to give our souls higher aims; to call out all our faculties to extended enterprise and exertion; and to sing round our firesides bright faces, happy smiles and loving, tender hearts" - Mary Botham Howitt

"The beginning is scary, the end is sometimes sad but it's the middle that counts and is so exciting" - Hope Floats

Happy Birthday my sweet Bran...I'm so thankful that I'm YOUR mom...

My cup runneth over

A Different Cornucopia of Sorts

Cornucopia - 1. "a representation in painting, sculpture, etc. of a horn overflowing with fruits, flowers and grain; horn of plenty", 2. "an overflowing fullness; abundance".

My cornucopia runneth over (with my little Bea...)

I Almost Forgot

Oh, that is such a lie... I didn't forget to post this event and these pictures. Truth is, I've just been in a funk, feeling sorry for myself and not very "perky" or creative - which I think is what makes reading these things so much fun.

But we had such a good time here that I didn't want anymore time to pass without calling out a great date night with my DH.

I went to and graduated from (with a BS degree) a 4 year college. However, due to my circumstances I needed to stay close to home and chose a small college that I could drive to daily. My school did not have extra curricular activities; there was no basketball team, no football team, no marching band, etc. At the time, I didn't miss those typical college experiences because I was so focused on school and raising my daughter and finishing college, a statistic that was really unrealistic and almost out of reach for someone like me in my situation.

But today, 20 years later, I am experiencing those things that were just out of my reach. And I am loving it! And maybe even appreciating it a little more because I'm old enough to really grasp what's going on around me.


On Saturday October 4th my husband took me to the UNC vs UCONN football game. My first ever. This may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but to me it was a long dream come true! The kids, the junk food, the band, the cheerleaders, ESPN, the alumni, and the sea of Carolina blue...I was in awe...
I'm not sure how long you have to live in a "new" place or what, exactly, you have to do to officially "come from there" but after that silly college football game, I thought to myself "I've arrived - I'm a Carolina girl"!!! I mentioned this to my preacher the Sunday after the game - he's originally from the Northern Neck of VA. He said he thinks one has to attend a Nascar race in order to truly reach Carolina status - at least that's what the men at church told him. I said if that's the case, I'll NEVER officially be a Carolina girl!!! Sorry race car fans!!

Regardless, I will forever be grateful to my husband for making this memory with and for me. He knew I had this little tiny hole in my heart and it was his desire to help me fill it. And I'm sure this will just be the first of many UNC football games. Second to being true Wildcats (DH went to UK), we are by geographic default Tarheel fans - true, Carolina blue Tarheel fans.

I hope this little Tarheel fan stores this memory safely in her heart. I just wish her parents knew how it warmed me so that they were exposing their child to such good, wholesome fun so early on... Without even knowing it, they may have planted the college seed in this little girl. We can only wait to see what her life holds.

Go heels!!!