A Day of Recovery

Today was a day of recovery.  Many recoveries....
It was our first day home as a family after two weeks away.
It was the day we went to the doctor and learned that our 18 month old has clean lungs. After a 5 week battle, she is Pneumonia free!
It was the day our beloved dog, Tigger, escaped, ran away, and was miraculously recovered 3 hours later, without a collar and tag, by my husband, who merely happened to drive by and see a saint of a woman already posting lost and found pictures.

Most importantly, it is the day I have found renewed strength, love and energy for raising my whiny, yet sweet and adorable, treasure of a child. My husband surprised me last week with a weekend getaway all by myself while he babysat. It was my first overnight away from my baby and, at nearly 18 months since her birth, it was much needed.  I have come home eager to spend as many hours and days as possible with her.

And last, but not least, it is the day my small herb and vegetable garden revived after near death.  These poor infant tomato and basil plants wilted badly during my two weeks away. Apparently I didn't leave them enough water in the basin. Thankfully, a little water and love has worked a miracle.

It is life expanding and necessary to travel, but there is no place like home.  Tonight I am thankful for my home, my life as a homemaker, and all the recoveries of the day which made my home buzz and come to life again.

Magazine Review - life:beautiful

My favorite magazine is considering going all digital online.  This is not simply my favorite magazine.  It is the ONLY magazine I read.  I'm a slow reader.  As a homemaker with a zillion hobbies, I don't have time for more than one magazine.  This one is perfect.  It's published seasonally, four times per year.

I LOVE this magazine.  When I learned that the changing world of print media may be forcing them to change with the times and quit printing and move to all digital format, I nearly croaked.  I love the Internet for certain things, but I also love holding beautiful print material in my own two hands as I read the life giving words and absorb the food and colors and ideas splashed across the page.  It is a rare delight and I will go into mourning if life:beautiful magazine stops arriving in my mailbox with the onset of each new season.

Therefore, I am spreading the word!  life:beautiful will continue to arrive in mailboxes across the globe if enough people express interest and subscribe.

This magazine is like a Good Housekeeping and Travel magazine and Christian Living magazine all rolled into one.  If this sounds wonderful to you, please click the link below.  Subscribe and spread the word.
This magazine has touched my life.  Not only has it inspired new recipes on my table, but there have been days when I was spiritually drooping and life:beautiful re-connected me to the Lord Himself.
Click below and see for yourself.....

http://www.lifebeautifulmagazine.com/

Quiet Joy

I want to write a long and beautiful post today.  But I have no words.  My heart is full and quiet with indescribable Peace and incredible Joy.

Instead, I will share with you pictures from our humble, beautiful, Life moving Easter Sunday.

Originally, I thought I was going to share one or two pictures of Samantha's first Easter basket, which Chris and I gave her on Friday before he left for India.  I was going to share that because that is the only interesting news I thought we would be blessed with today.  Instead, I was surprised with pictures and moments far more beautiful.

An Alabama Snow Story

It was another unusually cold morning in Alabama.  I'm not in the habit of checking the weather every day, so I had no idea what was coming.  We were spending an hour in the bathtub, steamy, cozy and snug, far away from the chilly drafts of the living room when we got a text from her Daddy. 

"It's snowing," he announced.  I ran out of the bathroom to look out the window.  Oh man!  I just put her in the bathtub for her turn. (We were taking turns.)  "I hope it's still snowing when she's done with her bath," I thought.  Little did I know, we had plenty of time.

View from my bedroom window

She enjoyed her bath and 30 minutes later I bundled her up to introduce her to snow for the second time. (Thanksgiving in the Virginia mountains was her first taste of snow.) 

It was so exciting as we walked outside to check it out.  We didn't think we would see snow in Alabama this year.

Our hands got super cold, super fast, so I reluctantly took her back inside.  We ate maple syrup on snow and slowly began to piece together bits of news.  The weather forecast had been wrong.  This storm was expected to hit southern Alabama. School was cancelled down there and Northern Alabama sent their few snow clearing trucks down south to help out.  Little did they know, we'd be in dire need up here.  As the morning progressed it became obvious how icy it was becoming. Schools let out and families tried to reunite, many without success.  The fortunate children spent the night at school and day care, warm and cared for by teachers, while parents spent the night on the floor at work. The unfortunate ones spent 9, 16 or 24 hours on the road, just trying to drive a few miles.  Roads were clogged by stand still traffic, accidents and cars slipping and sliding into one another. Even the best snow drivers in America couldn't drive on this rare sheet of ice. Many were forced to abandon vehicles and seek the nearest shelter.

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The view turned whiter as the day progressed.  Husband/Daddy made it home safely at noon.  He works only a mile away with no steep hills to travel and has a four wheel drive truck.  No trouble for us.  

Indeed, this sort of trouble with two inches of snow is a foreign concept to us.  We both grew up driving in deep New England snow, the sound of massive snow plow trucks never far away, constantly clearing the way, wherever we wanted to go.

Late in the afternoon, after nap time, we headed back outside to play in the snow, this time with several extra layers and mittens.

I've never been so thankful for my warm house, and family in it with me, as I was these last two days.  As I write, temperature is rising, snow and ice are thawing and stranded motorists make their way back to cars to untangle the roads, no doubt looking forward to stepping foot inside their homes again, never more grateful for the warm shower coming to them this afternoon.

Sunshine Hallelujahs

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, the sun is out!  After two months of very little sun, we've had several days of sun non stop.  We've taken our lunch outside every day.

Here in our home, when we spend time outside, we sleep deeper and we smile more.

Another Child - Another Birthday Celebration

Here in our home, the glow of Samantha's first birthday still lingers as we prepare to celebrate another birthday and another child, the Child Who's presence brings Joy not only to His parents, but to the world, to all who have eyes and hearts open to see His significance.

And again, I find myself hoping God looks down and finds two hearts overflowing with gratitude for the Child He sent into our lives, His own Son sent with Love from His Family to ours, to give the greatest gift and make the greatest sacrifice of Love the world has ever known. 

I hope He finds us full of Gratitude and Peace.

Birthday Baby

This post is intended to celebrate my daughter's first year of life and celebrate the Joy mothers everywhere take in expressing our gratitude and immense delight in our children.  We express this sentiment in many different ways.  Some of us spend hours before a birthday crafting the most adorable cake our hearts can conjure.  Others are overwhelmed by cakes and crafting and all things Pinterest and that's OK.  Instead they find countless other ways throughout the year to build a cozy nest for themselves and their families and to express delight in the husbands or children or extended family God gave them.  We ALL have this sentiment within us.  We all find various ways to express it, with or without extravagant homemade cakes. 

May I present to you: Samantha's first birthday.  The following was my humble attempt to celebrate the gift Samantha is to me, in as grand a way as I am able.  It was not as grand as some.  But I hope someday, when Samantha looks at these pictures, I hope she will feel loved.  I hope she will know that she is important to her parents and to God.
And today, I hope God looks down and is pleased by two hearts overflowing with gratitude for the child He sent into their lives.

Her first year has been a blast.

 Zoo Animals!  Theme chosen by Samantha's Daddy.

Fondant cake toppers, molded by her Mommy and Aunt Megan

Each child got a cupcake to eat and destroy

There was a baby safe food table (pictured) and an adult food table (not in the picture)

Paper balls hung from ceiling, (found at Walmart)

Party favor bags and 1 year old safe party favor toys (also at Walmart)



What sort of game can 1 year olds play at a birthday party???  Hit the helium balloons! 



Waiting for the presentation of the cupcakes

It was a hit.  No need for pink strawberry cake inside.  The icing was her only interest.  Praise God for Oxy Clean.  The shirt can still be worn again.

Cozy round the fireplace



Samantha's favorite gift?  A yellow duck puppet