Retreat!

This weekend I was able to attend Ladies Retreat with out church. Its been a few years since I have been able to go. I was privileged to get to take my best friend, my sister in law and my daughter with me.

 

We had an fantastic time! The theme of the weekend was Beautifully Broken. The speaker Mandy Young was amazing.  We loved her! She was just so full of life and joy. We hung on her every word. 

PS she is friends with Candace Cameron Bure. We are seriously thinking about becoming her groupies ;-)

It was just over all a refreshing, encouraging weekend.  So wonderful to be reminded that even though we are broken and flawed. God can use us and God loves us, and we are beautifully His.

One of my favorite parts was the Journal cover/ Bible journaling class we went too. We covered composition notebooks.  It made me itch to Bible Journal more again. It was so fun, we could have stayed there all night playing.

Our other favorite spot was the Cup of Grace Coffee House. I mean Coffee. <3 They had keurig's and Kcups, creamers and syrups. Whipped Cream and Sprinkles. Tables and twinkle lights. =)

Most of the our church ladies.

Moms Connect Crew- next year I hope there are more of us able to go!




The creek. I am always drawn to the water <3

It was Mikayla's first time at Ladies Retreat. Saturday was also her 19th birthday.  How crazy my kid is like a grown up!

I am so proud I get to call this beautiful girl my daughter.



Sunday morning there was a spider web on my van.  I am not a fan of spiders but I find their webs amazing.


My cabin mates found the number of water bottles I drank Saturday impressive...


Photobooth fun

Steph and I- we love our coffee.                     

We reminisced a lot about previous retreats- here are links to some of my old blog entries.

• 2008 - my first Ladies Rereat, getting there was an adventure!
• 2009 - the year the Retreat Speaker commented on my blog!
• 2011
• 2013

Thinking Out Loud...the one with the beach...

~ I have been enjoying the studies by both SheReadsTruth on the Women of the Bible and Love God Greatly, on Psalm 119.

This morning's talked about Hannah and her worshipful attitude.

"Oh, Lord, please forgive me for giving my worshipful glances and prayerful pleas to anyone and anything other than you!
Sisters, we serve a powerful, loving, and good God—the God who is like no other.
When our lives ache with need, may we bring them to the throne. When our hearts break, may we pour them out to God. When we rise in the morning, may we rise in worship.

“There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides You!”
- 1 Samuel 2:2"

 The verses today in Psalms talked about God's unfailing love.  Reminding me again of His promises.  That if I am walking in his ways, I can always walk in freedom and confidence. Trying to remember that now as worries and discouragement threaten to take over...

~ This morning was my first run of summer vacation.  I was excited to have extra time since I didn't have to wait on the school bus. The sunshine felt magnificent.  Looking forward to morning summer running and running on Saturday with my mom and aunt in the Yellow Brick Road Run.

~ Yesterday was the last day of school...we celebrated it by meeting up with one of my best friends at the beach.  The day dawn gloomy and chilly. But by mid afternoon it was sunny and glorious.

Here's hoping for lots more beach afternoons before the summer is out.

Ryan apparently happened upon them again today while he was out bike riding...

I received a txt saying some weird kid was trying to steal Ashton from the park...along with this picture :P

Friends. Family.

 

 Day 18 {Saturday}

This morning my heart is full. Happy. Content.

Last night we had a pumpkin carving party at my best friend's house. It was perfection. And served as a reminder of what really matters. 

People. Love. Quality time with those you truly cherish. And I am thankful.

For this girl. Who is the sister of my heart. I knew the first day I met her there was something special about her.

I don't have as many pictures (or the quality) as I would like.  I forgot my camera and they were all taken on my phone....mostly while bouncing this guy on my hip so...

Ryan's friend also joined us.

pumpkin guts

This finished pumpkins

baseball & buddies

day 16:

Linking up with The Simple Woman's Autumn challenge

Last night as I was making dinner I looked out the window to see my kids and neighbors kids in the yard hitting baseballs around.

It filled my heart with joy.  I have always had a bit of a secret love for baseball.  I love seeing them out there playing together.  Hearing that ting when the bat and ball connect. I sincerely hope Hannah decides to play ball again this spring.  Two years ago she played T ball and did awesome! For some reason this past spring she refused.

For now I will bask in the fact they are outside playing.  Enjoying friends.  Being kids. Enjoying this glorious fall weather.  I am so relieved to have my love for fall return.  I was so heart broken {yes it sounds extreme.  And it was.} To have summer end.  I felt like I had no summer. I was so so sad.

But fall! Fall has always been my first love.  This week I have been overcome with gratefulness for the season.  Lost in the beauty.

desperate

There was this one seen from Desperate Housewives that always stuck with me. Where Lynette has a meltdown.  Where she feels so alone but comes to realize we are all the same.  We all struggle.  No one has it all together.



For a few years I was part of a stay at home moms Bible study. We called ourselves Desperate Housewives; but we were striving to be Desperate for Christ. He is the only one who can fill us. I believe groups like this, friends like this are so important.  We need each other.  We need to let others see our weakness, our struggles.  To know we are not alone.  That someone else has been there.

I am thankful that even though we no longer meet as a Bible Study these ladies are some of my dearest and closest friends today. I am thankful I have friends I can share my heart with. That I don't have to feel alone.

Ladies Retreat 2011

The truth is today I am struggling. I look around at my life and see all I am lacking. All things I am trying so hard to be and do, and just can't seem to measure up.

This week this is the verse at the top of the bulletin.  That is what I am trying to focus on...

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

Eli's Quilt

Wednesday night I stayed up late, frantically stitching away. Determined to have Eli's quilt finished, so I could deliver it when I stopped in on Thursday afternoon.

I was successful.

 

I first began the quilt the day I heard the news that there was something wrong with little Eli's heart. He was a mere two days old, the day that should have been his homecoming.  Instead he was being transferred to another hospital and admitted to the NICU. Possible surgery on his tiny heart looming in the future.  My own heart ached for my friend.  Not knowing what to do, feeling like there was nothing I could do. Not even knowing which hospital they were currently at, I went to the fabric store.  Instantly finding the perfect textiles, I headed home with my new treasures to sew and pray for this precious little baby boy.

Eli is now home with his family.  Loved and growing. A precious miracle, as each sweet new baby is.

Yesterday I was able to sit and chat. Forget about the hustle and bustle of life and just be with my friend.  Watching as sweet little Eli slept contentedly on his mother's chest. Trying not to be sad at all the time this busy life has stolen from us.  To instead bask in precious moments together. To know that although right now our paths are so very different, we share the same heart. That we are still best friends, sisters at heart. Nothing can change that.

Jess caressing the quilt with such tenderness and thankfulness.
That is my joy, knowing it will be loved and treasured.

I left with a treasure of my own. A new devotional. The Runner's Devotional. I am so excited to dig into this book. A direct answer to prayer as I have been seeking a new tool to use in my quiet time.

Later in the evening I saw this picture on instagram. It again flooded my world with JOY. Those bright eyes get me every time. :) <3

friends, near and far

This morning the thanksgiving challenge I have kinda sorta been following on facebook, was for friendship.

I am so thankful for the friends in my life. There was time I was incredibly lonesome. How thankful I am that is no longer the case.

I am thankful to have wonderful friends right in my family.  Now that I am grown, I realize how blessed I am to be part of the family I was born into. Loving, supportive, close knit. My mother and my sister are truly two of the most precious people in the world to me.  I hope that legacy carries on with my own girls.  My dad and brother are pretty great too.

I am thankful for the friends at my church.  New and old, people who have become as dear as family.

This past week I was feeling sad.  It seems life as become too busy for true friendships.   Friends become transient, fading in and out of our lives.  Because of circumstances.  Seasons changing. Distance. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done.  Being a former military family, we have friends scattered across the country.  Some we are in occasional contact with, others it feels as if they are only memory.  I am thankful for Facebook that makes it easier to feel connected (at times) even though miles are stretched between. I can see my friends' children grow up.  Kids I haven't seen since they were toddlers, some I have never seen in person.  Now growing into young men and women.

I love this time of year when we get Christmas cards. Letters and pictures from far away friends.  :) I have one friend from our time in AZ, who now lives in Texas.  Oh how I wish she still lived next door to me! Hers is almost always the first holiday card I receive and one of my favorites to read. I remember the day I found out I was expecting Hannah I got an email telling me she was also expecting number 3.  Our girls, who don't know each other at all are exactly one month apart.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have all my dear friends gathered in one community.

I was invited out for coffee on Friday night.  I almost said no.  I was tired.  I feel like I am constantly running. I didn't really want to go do one more thing.  But in the end I did go. And am so glad I did.  We talked about nothing in particular.  Just sat around for a couple hours at our local DD sipping assorted hot beverages, chatting and laughing.  I urge you, make time for your friends.  I am thankful on Sunday morning I had time to chat and reconnect with another friend.  Even though sometimes it feels like it, I know I am not alone.  Even though we are often all running in different directions I know they are there.  That we can call, txt, message or just get together for a cup of coffee and nothing has changed. And it feels like home.

 

Yesterday was my parents 35 wedding anniversary. <3 <3<3 I am so blessed by my parents.  The older I get, the more people I meet, the more stories I hear, the more I know it.  I am blessed to have been raised, and loved by these two marvelous people.

Saturday a whole slew of us went apple picking.  It was glorious!  The weather was beautiful, the friendship and fellowship even better.

Here are a few of my favorite pics...

3 generations

Me and my Mister, oh how I love him.  We did get to go on our breakfast date.  It was wonderful.  So nice to just be together.  Hopefully we can do it more often.

My other favorite person in the whole world ;) My bestest and sister of my heart.


A few of the "Brasky Cousins" as I have affectionately come to think of them.  Ryan and Ashton almost look like brothers.  I hope this little group will be life long friends.


I stole this one from Jess. I love it, it shows almost the whole crew whilst we enjoyed our lunch. :)

We came home with roughly 40 lbs of apples. :D So far I have made applesauce, apple crisp, apple fritters and a very small batch of apple butter, later in the week I plan to make a bigger batch to share in my crockpot.  Loving the appley deliciousness of fall.