friday letters {from last week}...

Dear Suzanne,
I loved that you answered Sure! to a Monday taco lunch! It truly had felt like ages since we had a lunch date, even though I saw you not-too-long-ago. Those salads we had were amazing, and I loved the laughter we shared between bites!  Time with you brings a little extra life to my soul... LOUD life.

Dear Nice Man Two Tables Over,
You were sweet to stop by our table on your way out. I think that you were truly sincere when you shared that our laughter and fun made your lunch more enjoyable. As soon as you walked away we collapsed into more giggles, looked at each other and said We are so loud! 

Dear Eric,
I'm so proud of you... standing up there and being the face of Do The Right Thing! I love being able to attend, to chat with the office ladies, and most of all, support you in all that you do.

I hope your cold passes by soon. You have been pretty well behaved for a sick man, but I have come to the conclusion that I get a lot of my energy from YOU! While it has been nice spending some evenings just resting on the couches, I should have been doing a few things around the house, trying to catch up. Thanks for not making me make your eggs the other night...I was totally sincere in my offer, but I was so happy not to have to make good on it!

Dear Christmas,
Oh how I loved you in all of your twinkling glory... see you again next year!

Yes, I got it put away a full week before my deadline!

friday letters...

Dear Blog,
Here we go again. For the past year, or so, the words start to flow, we become reacquainted, and then... nothing. I told us that 2016 would be the year for us, but I was wrong. A few sparse posts here and there, a good concerted effort in August, and then I fell off the bandwagon with fall. I'm not making any promises this time around, I'm just thankful we are back together, and that you are always here just waiting for me.

Dear 2016,
We survived... a lot. Three surgeries, walking away from a job that was making me angry (just this year) and starting a new one where I felt welcome - but so unsure, a year of Cam away at college (and not coming home for much of summer), a fourth National Youth Gathering in the sweltering summer heat of July, and all of the little bits of life happening in between. You weren't my favorite, but in the long line of life, it hardly matters. There was a lot of good, & great mixed in and that is gets us through.

Dear 2017,
Well, I've already let January know she is not my favorite, and after the couple of weeks I've had, I almost I want to swing back around to 2016. Not a great start for a grace-loving girl! Yesterday I had a deep discussion with a friend and we heartily decided that we should put our January exhaustion aside and start our new year on February 1st! I feel like I'd definitely be ready for that...

Dear Time,
Why oh why do I waste you?!?!? I can't promise to stop all together, but as I type out these Friday letters, I'm thinking: how hard is this to sit and let the words spill out?! It's not. And it feels good. I'll be thinking on that....

Dear Friday,
Our relationship has changed, but I still love you. No longer do I look forward to your morning as the start of my weekend, but 4 o'clock? I'll be ready. I promise.

healing june...

Dear June,

Thank you. Thank you for being the start of healing me. You were my fresh start, my second (fourth?) chance, the window that let peace find its way in again. 

Maybe I will never overcome the first day jitters, but it was all joy once I arrived at my new job and was welcomed with arms wide open. It has been a great change for me, and an easy adjustment. I miss my friends at the old place, but once I realized that just walking in the door there filled me with an anger, the choice to leave was made. I could compile a whole list of why I love my new job, but the most important reason is the peace that it has brought to my soul. 

Peace also comes to me here... the gentle sound of the gulf, the laughter that bubbles up from me when I watch the coquinas dig their way back into the sand, and the way a walk along the shore clears my mind to make way for new blessings.

I knew in May that I would have to repeat the surgery from last October. I had two procedures in between, we scheduled the big surgery for August, then moved it up to June. That October ordeal was lingering in my head, but I was hopeful that it would not be repeated, and I prayed for an easier time. My parents decided that they would come across to Miami this time, and I was thankful for a kiss and an I love you from my Mom before I was rolled away. As always, Eric was by my side until they sent him to the waiting room. When I woke up in recovery I felt good, and was so thankful for a successful surgery. We even went home that night. Eric is such a good caretaker... I am ever thankful that he puts up with me. Will the surgery be a forever fix this time around? I just don't know, but it was worth a(nother) shot. 

And, June, when the end of you rolled around, I felt like I was enjoying the new beginning of me. I still had a lot on my plate, and a little more time to devote to healing, but you surrounded me with the people who love me... and you reminded me that laughter, friends, cheesecake, wine, and even salad, can sometimes be some of the very best medicine. 

Oh June, thank you... from the bottom of my heart.

friday letters...

Dear Friends,
Here we go... another week gone by. How does this keep happening?! I can't bear to look at the calendar and count, but I know that there aren't too many Friday's between now and Camden's graduation. Now that I've said that, I want to look... but I don't. This is it. Less than two months left of high school. I am excited and ready to be done... but what it really means is that the next countdown will the weeks of summer... until he leaves for college {where ever that may be!}

Dear Weekend Weather,
I don't mean to be bossy, but you need to shape up!
There are hot balloons to be seen and I have a feeling they don't care for rain. Or thunderstorms. Here I go, into weather-denial {it is one of my gifts}... I am confident they will still be inflated, even if they don't fly.

Dear Eric,
You are such a good Dad. Thank you for offering to drive our girl to this concert tonight... I know how much she wants to go. She is sweet enough to feel bad that you are going to drive all that way just to drop her off and then turn around and come home. I love how we can balance each other out in this life of parenting... when I am grumbling, you are the nice one. And when you are fed up, somehow I can move in and smooth things over. And yet we are still {almost always} on the same page. I am so thankful that God matched us up for this journey.

Friends, I hope you have a wonderful {non-stormy} weekend!

friday letters...

Dear Week Before Spring Break,
Why do you always drag?  I know the time change was not really your fault, but it sure didn't help the momentum of this week. We are tired. And last night when Laura said something about Wednesday? I al. most. croaked. Seriously. I asked is it only Wednesday?! Thankfully, she laughed and confirmed that is was, indeed, Thursday. Thank you, Lord. And now it is Friday... at last. Since it was a early release day, Cam is already home and starting off the break playing card games on the lanai with friends. Their voices sound happy... of course... since they don't have to go back to school until Tuesday the 24th. Amen.

Dear Spring Break,
We have been waiting for you, willing you to be here... and now you are. Beautiful breezes, sunshine in the sky, and no school projects looming over us. Your possibilities are endless! In less than a week some of us will be heading up to the cold temps to look at one more school...

Dear Amy,
We'll be there SOON! I can hardly believe we'll be together for your birthday! It just makes me feel giddy inside! Best friends should be together for celebrations. Thank you for having the grand idea of a college visit road trip!  I know that ever since I posted this picture...

...you have been worried that our four hour drive to Iowa will take eight hours, but I am sure we can cut it down to seven. This has been my year of literal u-turns, which, I think are better than slamming on the breaks and making a quick turn in front of on-coming traffic! I know it is goofy, but I do love the sights along the side of the road.

Dear Camden,
We are close to having all of the information. I am hoping that once we return form Iowa, we'll have ll the paperwork we need for you to make a final college decision. We are so proud of all you have accomplished- your acceptances and scholarships are beyond our wildest imagination. I am counting my blessings that you are seeing all of your hard work pay off!

Dear Guest Book,
It took me a few weeks, but I finally sat down and turned your pages. You hold such treasure. I think we chose your format just-right... photos he'll love for years, and space for friends & family to wish him well. You know how I love the loops and swirls of penmanship! These are some of my favorites...

Dear Laura,
Thank you for the fun on the way home from work yesterday. I wish those floral arrangements really were magic! False advertising does not make me happy! But that is okay because who needs happy when you can be filled with joy and laughter over trying to get the voice command on my camera to work! None of our shots came out good, but maybe we'll try again next time- at least it was FUN!

Dear County Fair,
Thank you for having the band play at your ribbon cutting last night! It was a great opportunity for them, and for me, too. It was just fun, and I could stand close, take pictures and even record a few seconds of my favorite bass drummer. We also had a chance to have a couple of quick visits with the husbands of two dear friends who now live in heaven. Thank you, God, for caring for them and bringing joy into their lives even though their hearts have been broken. Even though we headed home before dark, you still dazzled us with your lights... I just can't not smile at the rows and rows of spinning colorful light! These few hours were just enough for this year.

I hope your weekend is fantastical!

friday letters... the catching up {again} edition

coffee, and yes... i am painting nativities again.  you can find them under the "shop" tab!

Dear Friends,
It is mid-morning, I have warmed up my coffee, and am feeling thankful that I exercised this morning.  I didn't mean to let three weeks go by without doing that- especially with my "no excuses attitude"... but life.  Life.  Which is kind of the reason my 31 days series fell off, too.  But...

Dear 31 Days of Celebrating Ordinary,
I will not let you go unfinished, not again. I may not have been able to keep up 31 days in a row, but celebrating ordinary is what I do.  I will finish... even if takes all of November. {I know that is not how it is supposed to work, but my blog, my rules?!}

Dear Life,
I am slowly and gradually finding my way back from vacation mode, helping my husband welcome 14 marching bands to our high school, and the time change. {I must be getting old because this time change was hard... I was asleep by 7:30 three nights in a row!}  But vacation was wonderful, and so was the band competition!

Dear Chicago,
Thank you for saving the very best fall weather for our visit.  It could not have been any better, and it was what I had longed for! And you provided the perfect backdrop for a beautiful celebration.


Dear Amy &William,
Your weekend was... amazing.  Amazing.  You planned the perfect celebration of your life together and we were so honored to be a part of it.  Thank you for letting us help you prepare, and for not thinking we were in the way!  We loved it, truly.  It was wonderful catching up with your family, Amy, and it was so much fun to meet and get to know William's. And Drew?  Well... his quotable moments were fantastic!!!  It was so sweet to hear his love for both of you the morning of the wedding, telling Amy to aim for a bigger version of me, when you come down the aisle, and laugh over his statement that two days of parties were ridiculous!  Let me just say this, though... every moment of your time together was celebrated in your weekend of wedding festivities... and every moment is another page of your happily-ever-after story.  I have prayed for your happiness for so long, and God's yes is always one of my favorite sounds.

Dear Camden,
This is it... your last football game of high school.  I might blubber our way across the field tonight, or I might laugh and smile with joy.  My insides are undecided.  But this, I know... I will walk across that field in celebration of you and your hard work and there will be no one there who loves you more than me.

friday letters...

Dear First Week of School,
I am exhausted. You have kicked my butt. Again. And I am not the one going to classes and doing the homework, along with practices and college applications... I am only trying to keep up with the one who is! Two afternoons I have walked into his room and found him asleep in the middle of homework. My heart aches for him... but he is tough, and by next week maybe he'll be in the swing of things!  {Me, too!}

Dear Laura,
I don't know how you are doing it- eight hours in this awful heat, four days a week, and then an extra day to volunteer- but you are... and I can tell you are enjoying it.  That makes me happy. And then when you shared how people have been talking about you at the zoo?  It gives my soul peace, and fills me with joy. Keep on working hard, for the sake of doing the job right... it will pay off. And be thankful to work in a place where you are appreciated and your hard work is getting noticed. I think it is rare to be appreciated, and perhaps more rare for someone to pass on that they are noticing.

Dear Marching Pride,
Tonight. I am so excited. This is season 7 of 7 for our family, and when you lance into the stadium tonight, in full uniform and ready to perform, joy will fill my heart, and might even overflow with a few tears. I may have a thing for a certain bass drummer, but as a whole I love you. I love your dedication and your precision... your joy and your hard work.  The next couple months of Friday nights are going to be amazing!

friday letters: the saturday edition

Dear Calendar,
August is half spent... and I have been dragging along, trying to catch up, and holding onto summer with all that I have. If only we could hold the turning of the pages.  I have been trying to document your days, and have fallen short of sharing them. That one time I said I'd be back on Sunday?  It slipped on by, along with the next one...


Dear Photo Challenge,
I gave up on your list, but have been conscious of the moments... taking at least one picture a day.

handwriting, white, family, smile, hat, shadow, purple, on the road

sunset, hearts, habit, where i stand, silly, collection, dessert, circle

Dear Cowboys, 

You gave us quite a show.  We thought we weren't going to make it this year, but when my forever friend asked, we had to say yes. They were amazed from start to finish, and it was so much fun to be there with them seeing it for the first time!

Dear Eric,

Twenty-two years. I had no idea of what that meant then.  I had no idea what we would walk through, and while we were in those valleys, I had no idea of how we'd come through- only that we would. I am so thankful that God has our marriage, our life, in His mighty hands. He has given us such beauty. I couldn't imagine this love, this laughter... it is so much more than I could.  I love you. I love to laugh with you. And I love to navigate this life with you. The next adventure is right around the bend, and as long as you are holding my hand, I know it will be amazing...

i love the joy and the confetti in this picture!

friday letters... because i have been absent.

Dear Friends,
Hello?  Why oh why can I not get my act together for more than one week in row?  I get on a good blogging spree and then... nothing. Nothing, as in I don't even have the desire to think of something to write. Nothing, as in I have a million words in my head and I cannot make myself log in and empty them onto a page. {sigh} It wears me out emotionally not to set the words free...

Dear August,
I cannot believe you are here, and I am not quite ready for you. Band camp starting next week? School starting?  Senior year? Nope. Not ready. But here you are, so there is nothing to do but celebrate your days. I found a photo-a-day for last August, and was inspired to try it by Mindy's photo-a-day in July{she will laugh that I used her as an example!}  It could go wrong, it could end in a big blank canvas... or it could focus my mind and my heart towards the beautiful.

Dear Class of 1989,
I so wanted to be there tonight.  Really, really wanted to.  But I had to make a decision, and... as this week has unfolded, I found that I made the right decision. But I want to see pictures. Lots of pictures. Tonight I will make a toast to you, and maybe dance to some great 80's tunes...

Dear Africa,
Thank you... for sharing your wonder with my family once again. I am only sorry that I am seeing you through photos and stories this time around! But... those photos and stories, and the expression on the face of my son, are amazing. Just over two weeks, and you have pressed upon Camden's heart once again. He tells me you have grown by leaps and bounds, and somehow stayed the same.

return to music rock - with the cousins - mom & bob

Happy August first... I'll see you when I share my photo-a-day pictures on Sunday {see that? I just gave myself a deadline!}

friday letters...

Dear Friday Letters...
It's been a while.
I have had plenty to say, but sometimes I just think it, and forget to write it down.

Dear Disney World,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  After riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train before opening day I said okay, the rest of this trip is gravy!  And really, it was.  I had been watching to progress, and watching every website I could think of, waiting for the opening day announcement! I was disappointed that it would open after we left, but I held out hope for the 24 hour event... and by 8am, we had ridden twice!  You outdid yourselves!  This ride is fun and beautiful!

Dear Imagineers,
I love your imaginations!
The Festival of Fantasy parade was spectacular! And the costumes!!!  I think I might need one of those circus dresses...

Dear Buzy Bee Suz,
Thank you for driving out to safari road and the trail!  I loved sharing it with you and your family!  I wish you could have seen the baby gators, but seeing deer, owls and the BIG gator was fantastic!  I hope you'll come out again!

Dear Tanya,
Oh, my dear long, lost friend!  It was SO wonderful to see you, even if it was only two ten minute visits! Your family is beautiful, and your joy is always contagious!

And now... I'm running out to collect supplies for graduation gifts.
We have a five-party marathon tomorrow for these beauties:

friday letters...the valentine edition

Dear Friends,

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope today finds you smiling, and not taking the day too seriously!  

Can I confess?  I love when the valentine decorations begin appearing... even in December!!! Something about the pink and red together just makes me a little giddy.  Today may be a silly holiday, but any day set aside to celebrate love is a good one... love for family, for friends, for a sweetheart.  

Dear Laura,
I sent you a card... and I bet you won't get it today.  Oh well.  It will stretch out the fun!  A whole week of Valentine fun!  My sweetest valentine so far is the little origami heart living in the car.  I see it and think of you, and our visit. I love you!

Dear Eric, my forever Valentine...
Thank you for relenting about Lozano's.  I am just imagining the crowd!!!  Maybe we can go tomorrow instead, or I'll take you up on the offer of a fabulous festive Mexican food fiesta for two!  I love you.  And I'm trying really hard not to peek at the give you have hidden out in the open on your dresser-  but now I am wondering about why you needed chalk, if not for an outline at a murder scene...

Dear Camden,
I know that you would rather skip an holiday that involves l-o-v-e and hearts and pretty pink and red... and that it almost disgusts you that Dunkin' Donuts makes the Boston Cream donuts heart shaped this time of year!  Someday maybe you'll change your mind, but for now, I did my best to make your sweet treat not look too lovey-dovey!

The best and most

beautiful things 

cannot be seen or even touched.  

They must be felt with the heart.

-Helen Keller