Friday, June 29, 2012

Beach Pictures...

I can't believe it took this long for me to get some pitures up from our beach trip, but here are a few of my favorites:

From our one "dress up" dinner out at The Back Porch:




From our very funny parasailing adventure:












From the balcony of my aunt and uncle's condo:



On the boardwalk to the beach:






Hopefully the pictures say it all because it took so long to edit all of them that I don't feel like writing much!  :)   But this was such a good trip and it actually seemed like a l-o-n-g vacation, which never seems to happen when you're on vacation.   So, I'm very thankful for generous relatives and for God's creation in beautiful places like Destin, Florida!! :)







Saturday, June 23, 2012

Awwwww.......


Since I would be dismembered, killed or otherwise harmed if I dared post this picture on FaceBook, I've chosen to put it here where it will likely not get quite so much attention.  :)   Anna came home today from Impact at Lipscomb where she had a fabulous (and exhausting) week growing closer to friends and to God.  The theme was 'Stranger than Fiction' and I'm very jealous that the guest speaker was Chris Siedman - he's one of my favorites.  Makes me wish all the more that I could have been there... but Anna was happy to FINALLY have something to go to that I didn't chaperone (ha) and I'm not sure I could have survived an entire week with the senior high.  :)

Anyways, just wanted to share the cute picture.  They weren't allowed to have their phones with them this week and it appears that Anna really missed hers.  ;-)

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Outside my window...

Outside my window…sand, surf…high winds and pouring down rain.  (Any of you who know anything about a Carter Family vacation will not be surprised by this.)

In the kitchen…still a good bit of food that needs to be eaten before we leave tomorrow.

I am thinking…about the marvelous grace of God and His ability to do what we see as impossible.

I am grateful…for friends who look past my faults to see my heart and my beautiful family that is so much fun to be with!

I am praying…to hear God’s voice and be fully aware of God’s Spirit in me.  (maybe I should say I am trying to listen more than pray right now – you all know how hard it is to get me to shut up - ha)

I am remembering…thanks to Facebook, two of Mackenzie’s best friends from long ago in Boston (Joanna on the left and Jenny on the right), just graduating from High School – it’s taking me back to good memories of old friends that I really wish I could just sit down with and have a good long time to catch up with over lunch…

 











I am wondering…how God is going to work out the confusion I feel over the church situation I am in right now.

I am studying…well, mostly reading, lots of different blogs that are challenging me to think carefully and ask good questions about a lot of things I’ve always taken for granted.  It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worthwhile.

I am pondering these words… “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”  Eph. 3:20, from The Message

I am resolving…to get back into some sort of workout routine starting this week when I get home.  Running?  Yoga?  Not sure what is going to work just yet, but something.  Spending a few days at the beach in a bathing suit is good motivation.  ;-)

I am thankful…for my Aunt and Uncle who bought this condo we’re staying in many, many years ago and have generously and graciously let us use it over the years – going all the way back to when I was in college!  My uncle passed away earlier this year and being here makes me really miss him…  and there is a sadness in knowing my aunt will probably not be able to come back here again.  But there are also good memories of visiting them here.

I am wearing…my favorite pajama pants and a tye-dyed t-shirt that I came back in and put on after getting totally drenched in my walk on the beach this morning.  :)

Around the house (condo)…4 sleeping teenage girls who I love to death.

I am creating…nothing much at the moment, but I hope soon to be creating ‘space’ as I get some organizing projects going around my house for the rest of the summer.

I am reading…just finished “Vanishing Acts” by Jodi Piccoult.  

I am going…home tomorrow.  Not willingly.  Ha.

I am looking forward to…strangely, Mackenzie’s trip to Australia – not that I want her to leave, but I’m so excited for her and I know it’s going to be an amazing, life-changing trip for her.  Can’t wait to see what God is going to do through her!

I am discovering…so many new ways of looking at things.

A picture for thought…this was just a funny moment from our dinner out at The Back Porch a couple of nights ago.  We were seated by an open window where Mackenzie and Anna were sitting across from each other by the window.  At some point, Mackenzie reached across the table to get something near Anna, not sure what, but she managed to knock the pepper off the end of the table and out the window, where it fell to it’s death into the sand 2 stories below!  ;-)   We all laughed until we cried… 


















I hope to get more pictures up soon from the beach - it really has been a wonderful and relaxing trip!