a little girlfriend time

June 11, 2010 | Just thinking out loud

I’m hanging out with some friends tonight. I’m so excited.

The reality is that I’m not the greatest friend, though I love my friends a great deal. I get wrapped up in working. Or there’s just too many weekends filled. Family. Speaking. Showers. Weddings. I love hanging out with Richard, and time with him holds great value. So rather than juggle, friendship time gets put on the back burner. (more…)

Baby Elle update

June 7, 2010 | Just thinking out loud, Nurturing Family

Leslie is a little over 34 weeks. That means sometime in the next 3 to 6 weeks I’ll be a grandma. We had a second shower for her. The Eller family shower. In true Eller form the guys dropped by “just to say hello” but ended up staying for most of the shower. Leslie (pictured below, middle)  received beautiful baby clothes, a quilt made by my sister, a blanket hand crocheted by my mother, and another blanket made by Elle’s other grandma-to-be. (more…)

the beauty of time

June 3, 2010 | Just thinking out loud, Living Free

The girl in the first picture is 18. She’s working two jobs to try to stay in college. During the week, she’s an RA at a small community college, working at a desk, letting people in to their room after hours when they’ve had too much to drink to find their key, and on weekends she’s checking out groceries at a Tulsa grocery store. (more…)

baby, o’ baby

May 24, 2010 | Just thinking out loud, Nurturing Family

We arrived home late last night from Elle’s 1st baby shower. Melissa (my other daughter) and Leslie’s close friends hosted it for friends and for Stephen’s family. It was fun to hang out with the other grandma (Mimi) and grandpa (papaw) and talk about baby Elle.

I ate too way much food. How can you not when there’s chocolate covered strawberries and Reeces peanut butter cupcakes? (more…)

ready, set, go!

May 19, 2010 | Just thinking out loud

I am sore, people.

My son and DIL run 1/2 and whole marathons. I know where Ryan got it. There was a time when this girl was fast! I remember flying past the guy’s team in school and all the girls cheering as the skinny girl cleared the finish line.

But I also remember music on 8 tracks and phones with cords. (more…)

dreaming

May 17, 2010 | Just thinking out loud, Ministry Life, Nurturing Family

We’ve been on a journey with a very specific goal these past four years. Richard’s carried the heaviest loads in school, and for the past two years worked full-time. Goal? Graduation w/Masters and license in December, 2010.

When we rounded the corner of 2010, suddenly the goal felt like a reality. When he finished this spring semester, one of the most intense yet, the weight lifted a little and dreaming began. (more…)