Valentine's day celebrations

 Deciding what to wear to co-op for the Valentine's party was a BIG deal. New outfit and fun heart hair made the cut!

 Date nights are not so hard to come by with a 15 year old live-in helper son! We spent the evening in Homewood- Little Donkey restaurant and Octane coffee shop afterwards. Just a fun night together! It was our 23rd Valentine's day together!

Our weekend at the lodge

Our night away was close to perfect.  I enjoyed the gardens, good books, and my camera.  And Andy loved his time on the water.  And in between, it was just us.  What a fabulous, quiet, beautiful time away!

A child-free weekend; just us!

This past weekend Andy and I were home alone!  We met the grandparents on Saturday morning and the children stayed with them until Monday morning.  48 WHOLE hours, just us! 

Andy made a plan.  Saturday would be my day to do all that I wanted, and Sunday would be his.  For my day, I got a bubble bath and gave myself a mani/pedi.  Andy packed the suitcases for the kids, I didn't have to do a thing!  After the kids were dropped off, we went shopping!  We found several unique boutiques and antique markets...my favorite!  Andy convinced me to buy something.  I bought this little nest necklace and I love it!  We also bought Lydie a sweet pink necklace to give to her at her ballet recital.

New necklace

Andy made reservations at a beautiful, quaint restaurant near downtown Birmingham called Little Savannah.  They only serve local meat and produce and have bought organic produce from our farm.  We enjoyed a long, quiet meal complete with cocktails and fresh, unique food.  We were going to go to a movie, but we decided to come home and enjoy being here, just us.

On our way to dinner in Forest Park.

The next day we went to church.  Afterwards, we came home for a quick lunch and then off to the lake.  We went fishing together for a while, and then while Andy continued I took several hours to write and sketch.  WHAT A DAY!  The weather was perfect- cool and sunny.  After cleaning up at the lake house, we went to one of our favorite bar and grills nearby.  Then we came home and watched a movie.

The big catch

Monday morning we got up and had coffee and time to chat.  This just NEVER happens in the morning, as I am out the door with the kids by 6:15 and too tired on the weekends.  It was a very special treat.  We HAVE to do this more often!!

Wendell Berry

On Monday night I gave Andy an early birthday present. We went out to dinner and then to hear Wendell Berry speak at a university nearby. Andy is a big fan of Mr. Berry's books. If you have read them you know that many are set on farms or in rural settings. He writes essays, short stories, and poems and they are very unique, simple, and beautiful. These words could be used to describe Andy, as well: unique, simple, beautiful.

I did not take any pictures that night. We were really doing well to do the daily stuff at home, get the kids to grandparents (with packed suitcases) an hour away from home, and make it to dinner and then the university by 7:00. The afternoon was a bit of a whirlwind. And I do not recall ever having a date night on Monday before. But it was a lovely night. So worth the effort!

Mr. Berry spoke of his passion for reading, writing, the outdoors, and sustainable farming. It was quite interesting to hear his simple, but articulate, opinions on the future of our country, big-scale farms, and even religion. I was struck by the way his no-frills life has touched so many.

"We learn from our gardens how to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?"

~Wendell Berry

I want that type of success, too. One that gives more than takes. One that gets ahead in life not by stepping on others, but by being servant-leaders. One that values what God has created and is a good steward of those things. I pray that each of us here in our home will use the gifts and talents that God has given us to do, be, and say for the glory to God (and not ourselves).

Birthday goodness

The day after Thanksgiving I turned the big 3-6. It was the best birthday ever! When I was a kid I hated that my birthday landed the day before, after, or ON Thanksgiving. Some years my friends would not be able to come to my party if it was too close to our school break. But now, it is a huge bonus! I get to celebrate with my entire family! And most years I am really spoiled.

This year might have been the best birthday EVER. The week was kicked off with a fun night out with my parents and brother's family.So sweet! And Chelle, I have been using my wax melter (what's it called?) all week. Cranberry scent really masks the new doggy smells. Thanks!! My Mom and Dad also spoiled me with a Christmas dress and new pillows for our bedroom. Tuesday I got to spend the entire day with my nieces and nephews (they spent the night after dinner). On Wednesday my best friend was driving through town to see her family (see what I mean about the holidays being a bonus??), and we met at the park with the kids. She gave me the most thoughtful gift. She knows I am a Momma-on-the-road. She found a bag that looks like a cute canvas purse, but actually has hanging file folders inside. Seriously!?! Thank you, Lizzie! You really are a sister to me!!

Then on Thursday we enjoyed sweet time pulling all of our thankful notes out of our thankful jar. It's been on the kitchen island since October collecting little moments of gratitude. And we thanked God for how richly we are blessed. Then we headed to the lake to spend time with my family. Lunch at the lake flew by and then we were on our way to Birmingham.

We spent the night with Andy's parents. Andy and I have a tradition of shopping together on Black Friday. We think it is really fun. We have never been shoved, punched, or pushed down. In fact, generally people are cheerful and chatty when we are waiting in lines or freezing in the cold waiting for stores to open. This year we started at 4 am (a late start since many stores opened the night before...BOO). By noon we had bought all but one Christmas present, found all six of our December birthday gifts for family members, and I found a new outfit myself for our big night together! At least the craziness was not in vain!

Loved an excuse to buy red wedges. Fun!

Around 1:00 we left for an overnight, birthday date! Andy made reservations for us to stay in a beautiful hotel suite. I arrived to roses and champagne in our room! After a long nap, Ruth Chris steaks ordered to our room for dinner, and plenty of time to get ready, we headed to the concert. Andy had reserved a hotel that was connected to the concert hall. We just walked next door when we were ready! We say Lady Antebellum, along with her two opening bands Eden's Edge and Josh Kelley. It was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Loved dancing and goofing around with Andy all night long!

The next morning we slept in, enjoyed breakfast, and watched football. We met Andy's parents (along with our children) at his brother's house for a belated Thanksgiving celebration. It really was such a fun week! Thank you friends and family (especially my thoughtful, romantic husband!!) for celebrating my birthday with me. I feel very loved!!Happy Thanksgiving!!

Gardening and dating

Last night we met my parents and family for dinner at The Melting Pot in Birmingham. It was a fun celebration of both my parents' April birthdays. Wow, what a ton of yummy food! (Note: Chocolate all over Josh's gray shirt) It was prom night at a number of surrounding schools and the restaurant was full of groups of teenagers all decked out. The girls (and ladies) loved looking at their dresses. Afterward my brother and sister-in-law had all three of our children over to spend the night. We went to see a movie (the first in a long time that wasn't rated G)! We saw Source Code at the movie theatre and I highly recommend it. Then we enjoyed a quiet morning together, church, and a lunch date. My sweet husband turned down two offers to join church families for lunch. It really is rare that we are all alone and I appreciated that he guarded that time!

I am gearing up to plant some things in the yard this afternoon. For Alabama residents, has any one been to "Petals from the Past" at the Thorsby/Jemison exit off of I-65? If not, please go! It is the most amazing plant nursery I have ever seen. They have acres of beautiful rose gardens, an orchard, ponds, etc., not to mention the fabulous gift shop! I have never seen such an assortment of plants, trees, and shrubs. We had heard that it was amazing and we were not disappointed! We bought six Verbena bushes for the yard. They are pink, red, and purple and beautiful.

I have mentally divided the front and side yards into 8 areas. I hope to tackle one area per week over the course of the next couple of months. Then I will take the following 8 weeks to just maintain what we have. It will be too hot for heavy gardening, plus we will be busy harvesting and selling produce at several farmer's markets. Then in the fall I want to completely transform our "back yard". I am dreaming of trellises, benches, bird baths, and maybe a water fountain. That will be a huge project, and may just stay in the dream phase for a while. My Dad said last night that he was afraid one day he would arrive here to find a pink barn. :)

Hope everyone is finding this Sunday full of rest, fresh air, and worship time!

Her love dance

Her Daddy's love is only a speck of the love her heavenly Father feels for her (and us). It's unfathomable! She (we) are lavishly loved.

(Pictures from Lydie and Andy's date night...a trip to the Disney store. The last one is her little dance that she does when her love tank is full which is multiple times a day. We are so much alike.)

Just us, looking in "the same direction"

We have made date nights a priority around here. We have three children. So it works well to designate a date night (Friday is ours). And then we alternate dating each child and the last Friday Andy and I have our own date. We have done a few one-on-one outings with the kids over the years, but never on a regular basis.
Last Friday was our first time. Andy suggested that Jaybird and I take the first date. My son asked if we could see Night at the Museum at the Imax theatre. Even though we couldn't actually talk in the theatre, we had great, focussed/uninterrupted conversation in the car. Plus, it was nice to just be together. We shared some candy and good laughs. These nights might just be the highlight of our summer!
This is just one of many attempts to wrestle with time.

Slow down!!!

"Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction."

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939