An Awesome Gift!

Tonight we spent some time with our new neighbors from across the street.  Very sweet couple.  Both are finishing up some schooling here in Michigan.  I learned that he was from Indonesia.  I got so excited because I sponsor a child from Compassion International.  His name is Yoko and he is 14 years old and he lives in Indonesia.  I have been writing to and praying for this sweet child for almost seven years.  He is very very dear to me.  He calls me Mama!  Anyway, back to tonight and my gift.  My daughter ran next door and brought back a few of Yoko's letters and his picture that I hang on my refrigerator.  My new neighbor read those precious letters to me!!  He told me that the translation was pretty accurate of what I was being told in English that Yoko was saying in his language.  And then, his wife asked him to read the letters in Yoko's language.  It was beautiful to me!!  I could not understand one word....but it was like music to my heart hearing the exact words in the exact language being spoken to me from my sweet boy.  It took everything I had not to bawl right there on the deck! 

God totally blindsided me on that one.  I never ever could of imagined that would of happened to me.  What a gift!!  Just an average ordinary night and then this.  But I guess it should not really surprise me....I don't serve an average ordinary God.

R.I.P.

Here lies my wonderful Stir Crazy Popper.  You have been so good to me over the past few years.  You made my most favorite buttery,salty, crunchy food perfectly every single time.  I would get you out of your cabinet multiple times a week and you would perform without fail.  I knew you were getting tired.  Your little motor would sometimes just not want to go...but with a little coaxing, you would do your task.  But alas.....tonight you could just not go any more.  Sadly, I will replace you with a newer model....but I will always remember you fondly. 
Yours truly,
The Lady of The House

Rain Rain Go Away....

Caught the old girl sitting by the door looking out yesterday at the rain.  It just kept coming and coming and coming.  Appears today may be the same.  Drat!

My Special Day As A Mama

My Mother's Day was lovely.  Was yours?  I woke to coffee that my hubby had already set to brew the night before.  It was a nice sound.  My youngest daughter could not wait any longer for her big sis to get up so she took it upon herself to wake her so they could give me my gifts that they had picked out especially for me.  How sweet of them.  I loved this gift bag my youngest daughter made for me.  She knows this mama loves Minnie Mouse so she decorated it accordingly.

Oldest daughter gave her mama a pink butterfly bush for my new garden. 

Both girls gave me these new bath products from Bath and Body.  Have you smelled these yet????  Oh my....you should.  They are to die for.  Summer Vanillas Berry.  Yummmmm.

This is what was in my Minnie bag from youngest daughter.  A new make up bag.  She said she chose this pattern for me because it has flowers on it and the color pink.  Two things she knows I like.

Yummy candy for me.

Sweet home made cards from my girls.

After gifts, we went to church.  They had a very nice slide show about mothers on the screen.  Isn't this little girl the sweetest thing????  :)  You can click on the photo and make it bigger to read what the scripture is. 

The kids took me out to lunch after church.  This fine dining establishment was what I picked.  It is the cutest McDonald's.  It is decorated like a log cabin.  Very clean and neat.  I knew that every place would be busy on Mother's day and daddy had to fly out for work, so we just went someplace quick.  I also knew the kids would love it and I really do love those hot salty fries.  Yum!

Here we are....me and my girls.

Later in the afternoon, I ran to Michaels to get a couple things I needed to finish a project.  I decided this mama needed happy hour.  I am a real wild one.......Sonic half price drinks.......Low Cal Cherry Limeade.  I really must contain myself.  Hee hee.

After the kids got to bed and hubby had safely made it to his destination, I popped some of my most favorite food and cracked open a diet coke and watched Titanic on the telly.  It was a lovely day.

I did not get to spend it with my family or friends like I usually do.  That was hard for me.  Tears came to my eyes while we were eating lunch because I missed them and our tradition.

And lastly, this was on my calendar for Mother's Day.  Enough said.  :)

Mama

This is the first mothers day I have not been with my mom since....well....the day I was born.  As I sit here drinking my coffee, I miss her.  I wanted to thank her for being my mama today on my blog.  I realize that as a mother, we don't have a choice which child the Lord chooses for us.  We kind of get what we get.  :)  But, The Lord and His wonderful ways knew that I needed her.  That she would be the best mama for me.  And for that I am forever thankful.  She has taught me many lessons in my life.  She still continues to teach me lessons.  And I am almost 43 years old!  The one that she is teaching me now is that we trudge on, in spite of our circumstances.  She has been given some pretty big blows with her health the past several years.  It has been hard on her.  But, she still presses forward.  I am so proud of her for that!!

So mama, even though I am not there with you physically to celebrate this special day for mothers, I am with you in your heart and you are in mine.

I love you so very much,
Shanngirl 
XOXOXOXOX


(The photo is my mama and my sister and I...her two girls)

New Nephew!

I have a new nephew!!  Here he is!  :)  My sissy and her son have been waiting on a dog for their family for a long time.  She adopted him from an Aussie rescue.  His name is.....are you ready for this......Romeo!!  How stinking cute is that????  She saved his life.  Wonder what kinds of joy he will bring into theirs?

The Dance

We survived the big night!  Well, I never had any doubt that darling daughter would not....it was me I was worried about.  This part of mothering is new for me.  Letting my daughter go off to a dance.  :)  Sniff....sniff.


We were very thankful.  The rain held off until the pretty girls got into the school.  Then down it came.  It would of really messed up their pretty hair-do's if we would of been caught out in that downpour! 

 Here she is at our house all dolled up and ready to go.  She was so happy with her dress and it looked so darn cute on her little figure.  She borrowed a little handbag from her Nanny to use for the big night.  Gotta keep that cell phone with you at ALL times when you are in 8th grade.  :)

 

 

 She meet up with a group of friends at another friends house.  We took their pictures in front of the most wonderful smelling lilac bush.  It was like perfume from God. 

 And lastly at the school, she meet up with her date for the evening.  He is the sweetest young man.  He even bought her a corsage for the evening.  Awwww.

She called me when the dance was over and told me she had a "FANTASTIC TIME" and also that "two hours was not nearly long enough for a dance mom."

I vaguely remember that.....so very long ago.

I am so very proud of you sweet baby girl.  I am proud of the young woman you are becoming.  I am proud of the choices you are faced with and make.  I am proud to be your mama.  XOXOXO

Her daddy and I were a little quiet when we left her at the school.  I don't know about him, but this song came to my heart......


 (you will have to pause my playlist so both are not playing at the same time)