A Hat for Miranda

ADVENTURE

Today marks my 26th year of life!!! I have so much to be thankful for. Sunday night, my facebook status read: "I had such a wonderful time at my little birthday celebration with family. All the food was super yummy. We laughed a lot. Took lots of pictures. Ate yummy cake. Sipped on coffee. Had a little jewelry party of sorts. And all my gifts are perfect. :) Oh how I love my family -- oh so very much!!! Such a great blessing from God!!!" I received a birthday hug this morning from my one and only, awesome gifts from Tony's parents this morning, and my day has been sprinkled with many birthday wishes via facebook. If I were to have a themed party, I think I'd totally want it to look a little something like this birthday girls (all pictures borrowed from there)! A party modeled after the movie UP! I love it! So bright, cheerful, and much great meaning to life in general. May my adventure continue! :)

Breaks in the clouds

French toast and scrambled eggs for my love, packed lunch, fresh coffee, hugs and kisses, XOoxXO,  clean kitchen, laundry going, and some lovely moments spent on the front porch... enjoying the crisp cool air, my cozy attire, warm coffee, and flowers that still bloom despite the frost. Last night we curled into our flannel sheets way past bedtime (which is unfortunately becoming quite the norm around here). And although we were both very sleepy ... we had the desire to read. I read from "Think on These Things" by JR Miller. The words I read rang so true with my heart ~ "We should seek the line of brightness in any dark picture, and think of that..."

The past couple weeks our schedule has been totally insane, due mostly to Tony's school work. And it does not appear that the next few weeks will look any different. There has been very little (I mean little) sleep along with much stress and confusion brought on from the demands of his assignments. It has been rough and I have cried many tears and prayers! But despite the gloominess of this here Internet Applications class, there are many bright lines!! And that is where my mind tries to settle. "If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things."   

I have a husband that loves me muchly, a cozy home to live in, clean laundry piled in the living room chair, yummy food to eat, kisses on the forehead from Tony, soothing music via pandora, special treats like Horizon Egg Nog and fancy truffles from Whole Foods, a lovely family, a great church to worship King Jesus with, a treasured date night, our little talks at the pool, Jewish knishes and matzo ball soup by mommy, a quick game of guesstures with family, an early thanksgiving meal with sweet friends ........ all these things (and so much more) bring praise to my lips. My heart is overwhelmed with the many good things gifted to me from God. And although it seems that most of our day is spent "underwater" per say, these "gulps" of fresh air are wonderful and give us so much fuel. "And there always are breaks in the clouds through which we can see the blue and the stars. No lot in life is ever so utterly hopeless as to have in it nothing to alleviate its unhappiness. There is always something of brightness, one line, at least, in the darkest experience. There always are comforts, no matter how great the sorrow. Every cloud has on it some bit of silver lining. There are hopes, consolations, encouragements, in every experience of grief or loss, and we are to think of these..."   

We went out to eat..

This is where Dad, Chrissie, and I ate lunch yesterday ~ Pei Wei Asian Diner. This place is awesome! They have put much thought into small details and I love them all. :)

My dream kitchen.... I seriously want one of those large pots and a rod hanging from the ceiling to hang all my pots on. And a really long table with tall black chairs gathered around.... and the stone walls... :) I'm so glad we got there before the large lunch crowd came.

Chrissie ordered the Thai Dynamite!

I ordered the Thai Coconut Curry!

Dad ordered the Sesame Chicken!

The waitress was so kind to snap a picture of us. Yay for family!! We so wished Brittany and Mom didn't have to work, because then it would have been a true *sister* day!

My sweet sister!!! :)

The art of dining well is no slight art,

the pleasure not a slight pleasure.

--Michel de Montaigne

Pretty Details at our Ladies Brunch

Saturday morning nine ladies gathered together for fellowship. Lots of pretty decor, yummy food, hot coffee, apple cider, great conversation, Truths from scripture proclaimed, encouraged hearts, prayer, apple cinnamon ornaments, and super sweet ladies that I love dearly!!!  :)