OH HAPPY DAY!!

What a busy weekend it has been!! Last night we all fell into our places on the couch and felt like we had run a marathon. Eli and Jill arrived Friday evening and we have been laughing and loving with each other non stop and we still have one more day until their sad departure. Eli wanted to cram as much as he could into these few days with his brothers, so they have been on the tennis courts, at the bowling alley and golf,golf and more golf from the get go. Last night was a pizza throw down which I guess you could say Ira won but only because Eli was out of his element....he's got his "white pie" down pat at home.


Jill and I sat back and watched the fun and took pictures. We've got so many good ones. Fathers day was shared with George and Nellie and all the brothers in an arcade in Lenoir of all places. George and Nellie held up pretty well through all the craziness and noise and I think really enjoyed themselves.


It was just good to all be together as they don't get to see the kids that often now that everyone is getting so spread out. Only Bethany and Gabe were missing but we heard from them several times over the weekend.

The next big event is the arrival on maybe Thursday of our newest addition to the family......Zoe!! Yes, we decided to do it and make it my birthday present but wanted to wait until all the hoopla dies down so we don't scare her to death. After a short trip to Atlanta on Tuesday, we will ride out to the farm to pick her up. I have been thinking non-stop about her all week and as much as I know there will be much work and responsibility associated with this decision, I think I am in need of all that she will bring to our life . As I've said before, are you ever really ready for the work that love requires?? Thinking a lot about that aspect of love....the sacrifice. This line from a Christina Rossetti poem speaks to where I've inched towards the past few years and have felt that as life has calmed down somewhat, I don't feel there has been much fruit and isn't it all about bearing the fruit of the vine?

God hardens me against myself,
The coward with pathetic voice
Who craves for ease, and rest and joys;

Myself, arch-traitor to myself;
My hollowest friend, my deadliest foe,
My clog whatever road I go.

Yet one there is can curb myself,
Can roll the strangling load from me,
Break off the yoke and set me free.

Of course that is the Lord that desires to live my life with all the twists and turns that will ever be with me until we meet face to face. I'm saying bring it on!! We now enter into a new generation of family members that will supply a new map and I know the journey will be a roller coaster ride...just like the beginning. I'm too young to be sitting in my rocking chair in a retired mentality of life but after such a crazy,hectic, thirty eight years of children,animals,businesses and the immense responsibility with each one, I just got burned out. I always tell Ira that I think I need new shock absorbers because mine are worn out.

So I've been praying for a new set of whatever that thing is that softens the hard knocks, so that I can continue on for the next 20-30 years. Love will require sacrifice....just face it. There is no easy road around it but the reward is worth every difficult day!


I think my new baby Zoe will be the front runner.

UP UP AND AWAY

Today we will once again fly off into the sunset....this time to spend a few days with our beautiful daughter. Orlando here we come and as we don't really having any schedule other than hanging out and enjoying each others company, it should be a great trip. We do have a concert Monday evening to hear one of our favorite artists ,Bon Iver, make his beautiful music but other than that I think we will just wing it. Always nervous flying, so the sooner we land on solid ground the better. I also realize the 2 1/2 hour road trip to the airport holds just as much danger as flying the friendly skies so I need to relax and know that when it's time to go...it's time to go!





Well the last week was filled with a few new experiences. Yesterday we made the trip out to our friends farm for dinner and a look at the new batch of puppies that their dog Ella produced and what an evening it was. Nine of the most adorable little creatures that got my baby juices flowing. The urge to cuddle,kiss and coo at these beautiful babies brought out a side of me that has been lying dormant. When Bess passed away I wondered what I would do without that source of outlet. It did not surface towards my husband which did cross my mind. Instead it just laid dormant and now I feel those familiar feelings creeping back. We do have a new baby coming round the bend so I am happy to know that whether puppy or grandchild God is priming the pump! We both do agree that it might be time to open our hearts to a furry friend and so though we did not go home last night with a new member of the family....we are thinking about it. They really are not ready to leave the nest anyway and we will be gone until next week so the big decision will take place once we are back home. As always our trip to Steve and Lisa's gets my buried "farm girl" mindset going. Their place is just too beautiful to describe and every time we make the trip, we see yet another addition to the world they are creating. When they are finished, if that time ever comes, they will have painted a masterpiece. I'm ready to put our house on the market and look for our own 50 acres, with the difference being we will have a little place called the Sugar Shack on the property where we will welcome guests to come have a bite to eat,listen to some awesome music and unwind (we've got to make a living somehow)!! That is why this property is so hard to find because it has to be fairly accessible and most of the farms that I find are way too off the beaten path. Oh well, if it is to be, it will come to me



Also had a great time last weekend camping in Julian Price Park. It is only a few miles from our house but it couldn't be a better place. The kids got us an inflatable kayak for our birthdays and also a six man tent so we were anxious to break the new equipment in. Of course this bout of constant rain put somewhat of a damper on it but we did manage to use the few hours of sunshine on Sat. to put the boat in the water. I love to camp and we plan to make good use of all our new toys this summer.




There are many simple pleasures available here in N.C. Just taking a hike in these Appalachian mountains is something we never take for granted. It will be good to experience Florida again and maybe make up our minds once and for all, where we belong. It's very hard going back and forth, especially if we are going to do another business so this trip just might be the beginning of some long awaited answers.