Weekend Wear and a little Wild Life Rangling!

Since DS2 was out of town, I decided I would head out after work on Friday to spend the weekend with my beautiful daughter and son-in-love.  I did snap a few picture of my weekend wear when we headed out for dinner on Saturday:

Of course, no pictures are complete without my gorgeous daughter!  We had a great, albeit quick, weekend together but I got to see all the redecorating that is going on at their house (it is going to look gorgeous to so keep an eye on her blog for the finished product as she has GREAT taste and a real talent for decorating!)

But, as usual, when she and I are together things can tend to, how should I say....go off course....

After dinner, we decided ice cream was probably a necessity so we popped over to the local Dairy Queen and low and behold what did we find lurking under a car but a teeny, tiny, very young kitten.  So, yes...that is us on the ground at 10:00 pm trying to rangle a feral kitty. He was really cute, and although neither of us really want a cat, we didn't want to let the little baby stay crying under this car.  Ultimately, after who knows how long, we did manage to get him away from the car but were unsuccessful in catching him.  I hope he finds his way back to where his Mommy is because he looked so skinny and young I can't imagine he was ready to be on his own. :-(

Back With A New Name, New Address and New Directions!

Photo from: Divas Can Cook

Welcome all ones of you that may still pop by here to see if I have posted anything!  Though since I have changed my domain name, you ones may have been lost...oh, my.  Nothing like starting from scratch?

Obviously, I have not posted in a very.long.time.  I had mentioned in previous posts that I had lost direction and motivation for the blog and writing in general. It has taken some time to start figuring it out. Be warned it is still a work in progress.  I *think* I have determined my direction(s) and part of it is embracing the season I am in and incorporating the things I love into the blog the way I did when I started blogging back in 2005. (YEP.....2005!)  I started blogging as a way of journaling what, at the time, was a busy life with words and photos and I think it is time to start again...just with my new 2.0 life.

My challenge has been to some degree that I no longer fit into the "Mommy or Wife" blog world and my crafting and decorating is sparse, but I still love my South and all it offers, from fashion and our special kind of Belle Beauty, to extraordinary sights and travel, beautiful homes (even if mine is a wreck!) shopping and lest we not forget our Southern Food (notice Biscuits is right there at the top!)  My family and fur babies are still very important to me but I only have one baby still in the nest and he turns 18 in 2 months....yes, you do hear a slight Mama Meltdown in the background.  I plan to figure out how to incorporate the new dynamics of family life into my blog since we are all in a different season and it is harder than when I had them all under my roof.  By the way, my beautiful and talented daughter, who is now married and blossoming into a wonderful woman still is active and blogging at Starting out Southern.

I invite you to join me in my new online journaling adventure and lets get to know one another, both new and old!  Happy Saturday and drop me a line or two if you happen to stop by to help keep my creative juices flowing.

Labor Day 2017

Do you have big plans for today?  I have had a house full this weekend since my daughter and her friends  came home to attend the Nascar race at Darlington, which was nice and always fun to have lots of laughter about.  They are scheduled to head home today and my son has rehearsals for Beauty and Beast (yes, today because the show opens on Friday) so it will be quiet around here.  I will be studying and trying to get a jump on the week. 

 

Remember, though, even on quiet days filled with solitude: 

Mama Drama: where did the time go?

I just got back from finalizing all the details for my baby boy's 10th grade year of school and we will be at Open House tonight, ahead of the first day of school tomorrow.  From the time I woke up today I was filled with melancholy and nostalgia for those days when I had three to get ready for school and the little things we used to do to celebrate the arrival of a new school year. 

This year is so different.  My daughter is now a year+ into her marriage and living several hours away, my oldest son has started a new college several hours away and living on his own, and my youngest son is going to get in his own car tomorrow and drive to school by himself.

 Gone are the days of everyone having breakfast together, prayers on the way to school, first-day-of-school after school celebrations, and the sound of their voices sharing all the details of that first day. No more days of excitement over new school supplies, backpacks and lunchboxes. Life has been transitioning to this for years, but I think the realization that I only have my youngest for 36 more months really is hitting me hard now that my two oldest are out and on their own.  I am missing the days that felt simpler and full of  fun.  I miss field trips and class parties and even them getting excited about picture day.  Now, I am lucky if I know when picture day is!  I miss the anticipation of report cards and the arrival of yearbooks. I miss picking them up from cheerleading, football, baseball or basketball practice and all the games that went with it.  I even miss those forced back pack clean outs that often found moldy snacks long forgotten.

I am not sure why the nostalgia has hit so hard today.  Across the state my older son is having his first day of school and my younger one will have his tomorrow.  Maybe it is because my daughter was home this past weekend and it was good to see and hear lots of voices in the house and my Mother was here to visit last week?  I loved life when I had a full house and being Mommy.  It is the greatest gift I have ever received.  Seasons change and growth happens and, even though I miss my babies, I am proud of who they are and are becoming.  I have been blessed.

Happy New School Year!!!

It seems like more than just a year!

I can't believe it has only been a year since I was getting ready to see my baby girl get married!  This time, last year, was so busy and full of pre-wedding festivities that it almost seems like I can't remember them all!  One of my favorite memories, though, was the time I got to spend with her and her besties on Amelia Island last year. It was such a fun time. I would love to go back now!!!

My sweet daughter and Son-In-Love have shared so many wonderful firsts this past year and I think that is why it seems almost like they squeezed 5 years into 1!  There were lots of parties, a wedding, a honeymoon, a Pharmacy School Graduation, 2 new jobs, a move to a new town, new cars, a new house...just to name a few.  How can so much have changed in 1 quick year? 

The most important thing, though, is I gained a wonderful new son and my daughter is happy in her new life!  I am so glad I was able to share these memories with them and I am so proud of the life they are building.  In a little over a week they will celebrate that special 1st year Anniversary and I pray it is the first of 100 more. 

 

Giving the past away.

This past weekend I gave a big chunk of my past away.  My daughter and son-in-love came and took all my dining room furniture and silver, some crystal and china.  They have just bought their first house and so I decided it was time to part with my dining room.  This has been planned for weeks but I was a little surprised at the emotions it stirred around.

I watched them load the trailer with pieces of furniture that I loved and cherished but really no longer fit in my life and it was just kind of strange.  It was cutting of ties to memories to the past, which is healthy, but I was taken aback by those emotions.  My daughter carefully packed the crystal and china that she wanted and I watched some of my memories and dreams go in the box with each piece.  It wasn't really sad, but I can't quite put my finger on what it was.  I do know, though that it was one more step in making my home mine and that feels good.

On the flip side, though, I now have a wonderful office space where all my work can be consolidated and organized!  No more work in the sunroom, no more boxes in my bedroom!  I am excited about that!  Tomorrow I will start moving things into the empty room and trying to find a place for all the crystal that was left!  I can't wait to show you some before and after pictures!

It is snowing in North Georgia!

Yep...it is snowing (for the 2nd time this week!).

When we lived in Upstate NY this wouldn't have qualified as a snow but since we have yet to see any real snow in the 4 years since being back in GA this is a pretty big deal! Also, this is the 1st real snow for our lab Dixie Belle - she loves it! DD was tossing snow balls in the air and Dixie Belle had a great time "catching" them. Oh, and DD says her Wellies were wonderful out in the snow and so fashionable!

I will take more photos later in the afternoon when the boys are out and about so you can see our tiny bit of winter in the south.

How could I forget??? Another milestone...

Yes, DD has her Driver's Licence now. I took her to the DMV yesterday morning and she passed their required Road Test, took the photo and now...well, now the panic begins. She is excited to have crossed this milestone...Me? Not so much!

Today, even though she didn't have to go to school she was up early. She was getting all pretty to drive over to have lunch with her Daddy and (at my request) check out a store close to his office and their prices on slim Christmas trees (we have decided to put a slim one in her room this year instead of the full figured one she normally has), then she was going by Starbucks ( a girl has to get her fix) and the bank and post office to mail something for me. To say that letting her drive away - alone - was hard, is a major understatement.

1st "date"

In this season of "1sts" a young man came calling this evening. He knocked on our door bearing flowers and asking to take my DD out to a dance. This is the 1st time we've officially let her go on a date (other dances we have been at as chaperones...tonight it is without us). When this young man came in, DH sat him down and had a talk with him, and we allowed her to go...


Wasn't she lovely?
DH & DD

Party Pictures, Part II

Table decorations, green and pink jelly beans!

More Party Photos.... Buffet Table
THE cake! 3 gorgeous layers topped with 16 candles!
One of the Table Decorations
Another table decoration, that is rock candy in the hurricane
DD and some friends dig in!

Party Pictures...

This week has been a whirlwind of activity so I haven't managed to get any photo's posted of the Sweet 16 Party. Sadly, I don't think our photo's were as plentiful or as good as I would have liked. I think we were too busy enjoying ourselves to really think about it much but hopefully you will enjoy the ones we do have!

The party was a blast! The kids had a great time and I think DD was just in heaven. On the way home, afterwards, she told me it was the BEST Birthday Party ever...so, I guess we accomplished what we were after.

PreParty Central! The night before our house was covered in pink and green things.
The table by the door where her friends signed a white matte for a future party pic. I placed lots of silver framed photos of her along with her Sweet 16 Joseph Birthday Girl and a silver tray of personalized M&M's for our favors.
Decorations on the pass through from the kitchen area.
Beverage Station (the kids drank a lot...you get hot after all that dancing.)

16....

16….16….16…. She is 16 today. Yesterday, as I drove around doing final errands for her Sweet 16 Party, and last night as I arranged flowers for the same, I kept tearing up. I was not sad but more overwhelmed by the blessings that have come from my first born. She is my spirit, an unexplainable connection and blessing flows from her into my heart. Ok, I am tearing up again…I should probably just cry and get it over with.

16 years ago, my world opened wide through the eyes of one of God’s most amazing creations. When she entered this world…I was changed. God used this tiny, precious creation to show me His glory, grace and mercy in a way that I did not know before. With every breath she took, God drew me nearer to Him and showed me just what a His love for me really was; the love of a Father, the love of a parent.

I was so immature and self centered 16 years ago. God so knew me and my limitations…He placed a baby that was textbook in care, healthy and easy. He knew I would not have done well with anything else at that point in my life. He knew me…He knew her…He blessed me by allowing me to share His creation. He used a babe to temper my heart and soul. He created a longing for Him that was stronger than I had known before. With the birth of my sweet daughter, I wanted to be a better person. I needed to know God more. Motherhood matured me and continues to temper me every single day.

16 years ago brought about unexpected changes in my heart as a wife, as well. I saw the man I married in such a different light and fell in love with him so deeply. I remember feeling awed by the depth of that love. I had heard all the stories of how a newborn can impact a marriage and very little of it was positive. That wasn’t what I felt. The months after our daughter came into this world were some of the most precious times in my life…all was right with the world. Through God’s great providence my husband and I were allowed such a blessing. Having a child strengthened my commitment to my marriage and my husband.

So, 16 years later, I sit here and marvel at what a wonderful young lady she is becoming. I pray for her daily, that God will continue to keep his hand upon her.

Happy, happy Birthday, baby.

Driving in my car...

Yesterday afternoon, I got out of the house with DD for some driving practice. We put the top down on her car, then she and I headed westward to my old hometown and some of the curvy, mountain roads that I learned to drive on. We visited a few family members along the way and completely enjoyed the afternoon. It was some what of a surreal experience to be heading into my hometown on a Saturday evening with my DAUGHTER driving!!! That was really interesting.