Mr. Potato Sack Race and Other Childish Shenanigans

Lil'bit had him a new birthday, which catapulted me right into the series of parenting that no longer includes a toddler or preschooler. Wow. Time...it does fly.

I figured this slideshow would be the best way to document his Toy Story 3 party. Notice in the picture of Buzz and Woody "defending the galaxy"...they are standing in front of a bowl of Milky Way candies...aha ha...I slay me. Enjoy!

Since You're Probably Cold Anyway

And since we're playing catch up, I'll start all the way back at the Fourth of July. Maybe the pictures will warm our frosty toes a bit.

We had a couple of families over for snacks and desserts in the afternoon. 

I'm going to say it looks like more desserts than snacks, 
but who's counting?

This was one of my favorite things I made for the day: 

Lady Liberty cupcakes. 
There is cupcake baked right into the ice cream cone!

I used sugar wafers cut diagonally and frosted to make the flames.

Some of the kids playing in the pool.

Parents doing what parents do best.

Brown Eyes warming his buns by the fire. 

Look at his face...goofball.

DH pulls out his big guns. Literally. The kids enjoyed watching him fire his "toys."

No Fourth of July is complete without the sparklers.

This is one of our guests...and can you believe it was his first time to hold a sparkler? He was pretty amazed. And a little nervous...but he got over it pretty quickly.

Up next: Lil'bit's Toy Story 6th Birthday party...replete with fun for all ages! (or at least for a 6 year old) Come back if you can stand all the rowdy tomfoolery! Can you handle it? We're a wild and crazy bunch.

I've Fallen Off the Wagon

I couldn't resist any longer.

It's been a busy year, but with school coming to a pseudo-close, I got back on Facebook.

I know, what was I thinking?

I mean, sure, I remember the post I wrote about why I left it behind. But since the school year is winding down, and I'm no longer going to be "trying a new curriculum," you know, since I've already been doing it all year,
I think I can handle it.

Besides, this time, I know what to expect. I know where to draw the line before it gets insane.

No more Farmtown.

No more weirdo gifts to be obligated to pass around.

Sending a flying cockroach to my middle-school-childhood BFF was fun, but, it's been done now. No reason to do it again.

And absolutely no more goofy quizzes. Unless of course I find one that tells me what Mystery Science Theater 3000 robot I am. I might make an exception for that one.

Oh, and I'll pass on the Lil' Green Patch too. Sheesh. Do you have any idea how much time I spent watering, raking, and sending cabbage-patch-looking plants to people?

No more.

It's a Social Networking site, and that's what I intend to use it for. Anything else is just time abuse. See ya there!

The Mystery Gift

So a couple of weeks ago, I got a comment from a fellow blogger (who shall remain anonymous, you know, as per the eyewitness protection program). No biggie, right? 'Cause we get comments from each other all the time...

Oh, no my sweet. Not like this one. This one had such an element of mystery and intrigue that Dr. Watson himself would have trembled upon receiving such a thriller. Here's how the comment read:

"Hi Chel. I was looking for an email address and couldn't find one. So I'll just leave my crazy question here. A bloggy friend has a gift to send you (anonymously so I'm enlisted to help). They want your address. A p.o. box will do fine.

You can email me at...(email address removed to protect the eyewitness).

I'm not a stalker or anything. I am a bloggy friend of Edie. But she's not the anonymous gift giver. Anyway, let me know what you think."

I felt like it was "safe" to include Edie's name since her friends are innumerable anyway.

So I suppose you wouldn't have been in some kind of spinning delirium upon receiving such an astonishing request?

I feverishly replied to said eyewitness, explaining my unabashed curiosity...and then came my compliance. What else could I do? I beg you, tell me.

And then, my mind began racing through all the possibilities. I mean, really, it can take a long time to get through about four of them. And why would they make such an offer anonymously? What could they possibly gain from that?

I was also told that the "giver" of this fine gift was not planning on revealing him/herself at all. Like...ever. Can a girl sustain such a grave secret? I think not. Yet, my eyewitness tells me that she's been sworn to secrecy.

She also alluded to the fact that she could be persuaded, if given the right "encouragement," but I digress.

And thus, I was forced to wait.

Wait for a clue. Wait for a sign. Wait for a box.

Oh the torture! How could I go on?? How could I think of anything else...besides when the doggone mailman was gonna come?!

And then he did.

Smiling and glowing and singing in the background. Angels were fanning their wings over my back porch as the long awaited parcel (that really only took a couple of days) made its way to my doorstep.

Oh, the anticipation was remarkable. Even my kids were bubbling with excitement! What is it? Who is it from? Who is it for?

I promptly let them know that this one, my sweet child, is for ME. Thank you.

The first thing I looked for was the return address. Well, I could tell that the one who sent the package was a professional...the marker on clear tape was smudged just enough to prevent me from making a determination on a name. Hmmmmm.... But my keen eyes did detect a very important clue. Two letters, all caps: SC

South Carolina.

I carefully cut the tape on the box with a pair of scissors, the crescendo in the air building to monstrous heights....

Questions were racing through my mind faster than my hands could rummage through the huge air-pocket packaging. Who had handled this box just a few days before? Who's handwriting is that on the front? What IS IT??

And then there it was. Beauty and goodness and excellence wrapped in one black leather binding.

A 1941 copy of the New Testament of God's Holy Word.




I was speechless. How strange that someone who may as well live in the Netherlands could know my abiding affection for old books. Especially old Bibles. How did they know?

And then the flood came: my Christmas video "vlog" post for Linda's "I See What You're Saying" event. I spoke of my delight of old books, preferably Bibles and/or Christian living and /or Christian biographies. I shared about the book that my darling husband gave me for Christmas.

And then I remembered a comment I received about that post.

Oh, the puzzle, it is fitting together nicely now.

Here's what the comment read:

"Hmmmm I have something sitting right here that I know you would love. Maybe that could be the first gift I give in the new year." -- Greg C

Ahh....HAAAA!!!

Guess where the mysterious Greg C lives? Many of you may already know...in South Carolina.

(insert music: dum dum dummmmm)

Thanks to my acute ability to read, I have swiftly and surely solved the Mystery Gift, eh, mystery...thank you, thank you very much. Hold your applause. No, no...go on.


________________________________

But Greg, seriously, I want to say thank you. I have no doubt it was you, so don't bother to deny it. :-) You are just the type of person that would box up a beautiful old Bible that you had in your possession, and write a lovely letter to go with it, and send it to someone you've never met in real time.

Speaking of the letter, in lieu of posting it in its entirety, I thought I would share some of the things that this dear friend mentions in it:

First of all, the fate of this Bible was changed one day as our friend, Greg, was many moons ago working for it's previous owner. This farmer asked his young employee to clean out a storage building behind an old shed. Greg found a bunch of old books, so he asked his boss where he wanted them. Much to my dismay, the farmer said throw them out.

Ugh...I know.

So our friend did what any self-respecting individual would do: he snooped. And then he kept some of the interesting ones instead of throwing them away. One of those was this Bible.

On the front page is inscribed a name: Vida Dawson Kennedy. Greg said that what he knew about her is that she was related to the wife of the farmer he worked for...and she is somehow related to JFK. Looks like our friend, Greg, has some more investigating to do. Because this is the kind of information one likes to know! (just kidding, my friend).

I do want to share the conclusion of the letter for you, because it touched my heart greatly.

"You are getting this, Chel, because I truly enjoy reading your blog and you are an inspiration to many of us who read it. So Congratulations and don't even ask who this is from. Just know it's from someone who reads your blog daily and thinks you are special."

And it's signed -- "Me and God"

A third reason that I know Greg sent me this book is because I instinctively hear the same "voice" in my head when I read his letter as I do when I read his blog. Y'all know what I'm talking about!

So Greg, please know that I love it. I really do. It fits quite nicely with my collection, and one sweet day, I will have my barrister bookcase to put it and all its new friends into. Until then, they are all lined up on my dresser insuring that they keep that wonderful old smell contained within them.

Please peruse through the beautiful Bible and all its marvelous surprise contents via the pictures I took...and in the words of a very special blogging friend...have a nice day.

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The Highs and Lows of Friendships

Kim at the Internet Cafe has posted another interesting question for the week:


"What is one thing that you absolutely love about friendships? Why? On the other side, what is one thing that you find absolutely difficult when it comes to friendships? Why?"


What do I love about friendships?


Well.


I love the different levels and layers that a friendship can have. Allow me to explain what I mean: I have one friend, who is really more of a sister than a friend, and has stuck by me through everything since we were three and four years old (I won't say which is older! ;-P)


She and I have literally had layers upon layers of strong encouragement, mutual advocacy, and an avid, reciprocated protection from harm. All that is good is even peppered with occasional contention, aggravation, and disagreement. We have an over-30-year history of growing upwardly and inwardly, striving and laboring, and grieving and healing together. She listens to me like no other friend I've had, and shares with me her deepest and toughest thoughts. I simply cannot imagine my life without her.


And then, as if that weren't enough, there are other friends with whom I get to share the lighter things in life! I have a friend that is a perfect shopping companion for me, another who is a home school veteran I can question to death, and then there are others who are a sweet smile and a kind word at just the right time.


I love God's plan for friendships in this life!


Of course, any time we have relationship with other people, there is always some risk involved. I have had very few painful experiences with friendships, but the ones I've had cut like a knife. I've (quite recently, actually) gone through a time when I found it difficult to trust others who showed interest in a friendship. I questioned their motives; not because of something they had done, but because of something someone else had done.


Fair? Not exactly. Human nature? Unfortunately.


But God is the Ultimate Restorer of friendships and of the human heart. Believe me when I tell you that He really can use anything and everything for the good of those who belong to Him (Romans 8:28). Those are not just words of comfort, they are words of healing and Truth.


I know this to be true because He has since healed my heart. And I'll tell you one instrument that He's used to do it: it's in the gracious words of my new-found blogging friends all across the world wide web! I have found reassurance, comfort, and a renewed sense of belonging because of the beautiful women out there who aren't afraid to say hello.


I am eternally grateful to my new friends. Even if I don't ever get to "meet" you on this earth, I look forward to knowing each one in heaven for all eternity!


You know, only God could do that.