Fairytales & Feeling Old

It doesn't take much to make me feel old anymore.

A photograph, a long-lost high school friend, that high school friend's child, and a bridal shop visit last week will all do the trick.

Yes, Kadi is getting married.

Little Kadi! Can you believe it?

I've known this lady for almost 17 years now, since she was three years old.

My sister, Stephanie, and I were best friends with her older sister, Kari. We were the three musketeers and next door neighbors.

And Kadi was often the subject of our wild adventures.

We used to drag her out of the house on Saturday mornings and make her attend "School."

School consisted of wacky science projects like "slip and slide' in their basement bathroom. (Just dump an entire bottle of dish soap on the floor, add water, and wah - lah! Slip and Slide!)

We would also tell her scary stories that made her cry and lock her out of the house in freezing weather.


Yeah... not so cool, now.

But now the day is coming. The day she'll become Kadi: daughter, sister, friend, and wife.

Marriage is amazing. It changes you. Makes you better. It's tough, exhausting, exhilarating, and forever.

I was 19 years old when I took my vows; it was the most beautiful day of my life. It is a mystery: two becoming one, & I look back on my life and see God, God, God.

So best wishes to you, darling Kadi, on your fairytale.

Feeling old will be a part of it someday, but growing old with the one is the best.

Homesick

Today was a difficult day.

Not all days go by so happy-go-lucky for me.

When I was younger, I was always said to be "too sensitive" by friends, family, and even some ex-boyfriends.

I think I've toughened up a bit since then.
That's what life will do.

But today was the Lord's Day, Sunday.

Today I visited a friend who is dying from cancer, a battle she has fought valiently for many years.

And it was hard. So very hard.

Today, my friend and I talked about her favorite hymns. She specifically mentioned one of my most beloved hymns, "It Is Well with My Soul."

That was the hymn we sang at Paul's funeral. Paul was a friend from my childhood.

He is now with Jesus, and this week marked the 11th anniversary of his death.

You know, they say time heals all wounds.

(Whoever "they" is.)

And although I believe this to be true to some extent, deep down, I know some wounds never fully heal. Some memories don't fade. Some are as vivid to me now, as they ever were.

I think I remember them for a reason. God allows me to remember for a reason.

Romans 8:28 promises that all things work together for good for those who love Him, that we are called by Him to a purpose.

I certainly love my God. And I know that she and Paul love Him as well.

Chris comforted our friend today with the reminder that all our bodies will fail us one day and that we will return home, reunited with her and our heavenly Father when they do.

To which she smiled and replied, "I'm ready to see my Jesus."

As my pastor declared to us that day we buried Paul eleven years ago, we can be sure that Paul is home. And heaven is all the more attractive because of it.

"Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Investigative Report: Desktop Dinner

Location: Event Operations Department, Downtown Nashville Convention Center

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Activity: Dinner, etc.

Observations:

Announcement

I have some news to share...

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Stephanie is pregnant.

Fireside Thoughts

Chris and Sadie relaxing


So yesterday was Monday.

Cue the line from Soul II Soul's "Back to Life, Back to Reality."

The theme of the day.

Yes, back to life, back to work, bye bye lovely weekend.

The day proved to be a trying one, too.

Meetings, phone calls, and even some manual labor in heels. (Hey, I'm a team player. What can I say?)

My fellow workers even laughed at me as I toted a large stack of chairs across the lobby with a chair dolly, and whipped out their cell phones to snap a picture.

"Employee of the Quarter!" I called.
In my head, I was thinking, "Do I really look that ridiculous? I do this sort of thing all the time."

Lunch was rather speedy and small. So when 7pm rolled around, I was ready for home, husband, and food.

What I got was traffic, angry drivers, and a depressing topic on talk radio.

I spent most of the drive home contemplating my chances of winning the HGTV Dream Home.

The giveaway was that night. I imagined coming home, Chris greeting me with a gleam in his eye, and a knock at the door. I open the door to a guy holding a bunch of balloons, a huge check, and shouts of "CONGRATULATIONS!"

No such luck.

I opened the door to no balloons, no check, no congratulations.
There wasn't even any food.

I was cranky and whiny. Poor Chris.
"I'm getting dinner!" I say.

So after a meal at Panchos, I'm calm, rational, and realizing how difficult I was.
Me: "I'm sorry. You're such a good man, Chris."
Chris: "Uh-huh."

The evening concluded around the fireplace in our living room. A rarely used room.

I sat on cushions eating out of two cartons of ice cream with only a spoon, and Chris laid on the carpet, Sadie stretched out beside him.

We talked about our day, laughed at Chris' funny faces and impressions of me and his ability to shrink his mouth to look like Larry the Cucumber's. We laughed until our sides hurt.

A good ending to the Moon's Monday... even if I didn't get those balloons. :)

Weekend Recap

I heart weekends.

Especially ones I have off. Completely.

Chris and I spent Saturday morning riding around Columbia finishing up work he didn't get to do during the week. I promised him we'd make a day (and a date) of it this weekend.

We had so much fun!

First, I dug out a super-cute but rarely used trench coat and found a pack of Skittles and some Starbursts in the pocket. (Breakfast)

Then while pulling out of the driveway, Chris and I caved and let Sadie come too.

We spent all morning driving out in the middle of nowhere, taking pictures, singing along to Adele, and talking about life and what we wanted for lunch.

Afterwards, we stopped by Dad's office to visit and drop off some lunch leftovers.

Now my dad is one of the coolest men I know. So smart and strong, yet deep down a big teddy bear. I always say I married my daddy, and I'm one lucky girl.

Zoolander Faces

We finally made it home, and Saturday afternoon, I was over the sink finishing up dishes. A monotonous task.

Until Chris came around the corner, guitar in hand.

He sang, propped up on the counter beside me while I washed. It was delightful.

The amazing Saturday was topped off with a visit to my sister, Stephanie, and her husband, Zach's house.

She fed us chicken and dumplings (Zach's grandmother's recipe). We then broke out her new boardgame, Life, around her coffee table while eating birthday cake ice cream.

I conquered, edging Chris, with a total net worth of $2.75 million.

Yes, a good day.

Lazy Mondays

Sleeping in the Sun

Atlantis in Fifteen

1. Each morning we ate at a HUGE breakfast buffet (and one of the most expensive: $30/person?!?!). First trip: I managed to keep it healthy with fruits and an egg. Second trip: Waffle, pancake, and english muffin. Third trip: Went back when Chris asked why I didn't get the blueberry pancakes.

2. Re-discovered my love of all things guava, especially guava juice.

3. Spent our first day at the resort in a tube with Chris riding on the resort's amazing "lazy river" complete with slides, rapids, and a conveyor belt that hoisted you to the top of the slides so you didn't even have to get out of the tube to walk!

Tower of Power Water Slides

4. Got to wear my new wide-brimmed hat on day two while shopping in downtown Nassau. Chris got his mermaid on...

Chris, the Mermaid

5. Chris and I had some amazing meals while there, but the best by far was Chef Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I had the juiciest pork tenderloin and Chris ordered the local speciality, grouper. Meal was complete with blue-corn bread muffins, and a mediocre dessert topped with sauce made with ancho-chile powder?

6. I was impressed when Chris managed to talk his way into securing a Junior Suite on the top floor for us. (Our first room had 2 double-beds & was on the 4th floor.) It was beautiful, although we spent very little time in it. It overlooked the bridge suite that was once owned by Michael Jackson. It now rents for $25,000 a night with a 4-night minimum.

Bedhead

7. I spent day number three pool-side with Chris and my new book. Four hours of total bliss.

8. Chris spent night number three in utter agony soothing his total body sunburn with aloe vera lotion purchased from the hotel gift shop for an arm and a leg.

9. Ben & Jerry's makes a mean chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Maybe the best. At $8 a cone, we only visited twice.

10. Chris and I had a game going throughout the week to see who could push the elevator button first. The hotel guests LOVED us as we ran each other down in the hallway each morning in a race to get to the elevators first. (I won.)

Exploring the resort's underground aquarium

11. I fought my fear of heights and all rides even remotely scary by finally going down the slide dubbed "Leap of Faith," an almost vertical 60-foot drop through a tank of sharks. Chris prodded me the whole way up the stairs comforting me as I cried and said over and over, "This isn't my idea of fun."

NOT the Leap of Faith

12. Got bored so afternoon four was spent playing Bingo with Chris and a large group of the resort's elderly crowd. Chris won a hat. (Retail value: $30.)

13. Night four, the boredom continued. We went to a 7:00pm movie called "The Time Traveler's Wife" in the resort's theater.

I cried. Chris got me popcorn. And I was happy again.

14. Day Six was spent finishing my new book during our flight home. Sorry, ladies of my book club, I DEFINITELY went past Chapter Seven.

15. Chris' thoughts on the trip? "I love aloe vera."