At noon last Thursday, I was mending Beth's teddy bear in preparation for the Teddy Bear Picnic. It was the last day of her library program and the finale was as none other than an afternoon Teddy Bear Picnic. I've attended my share of Teddy Bear Picnics' over the years, but this one seemed particulary significant for me as it was my last. In September, Beth is in school for full days and that means no more weekly Story Hour programs for her. I soaked up every moment of that afternoon.
Happy.
Happier.
Parachute time.
Let the picnic begin:)
"My Mom's realizing that this is the last Library program I will be a part of. I'm growing up."
Here are a few things I have been reading/listening to and enjoying as of late.
A Mother's Day message I loved by Shauna Niequist can be found here. I especially loved the part about having the guts and making the time to connect deeply with other women. About having a tribe. Knowing we are not alone and letting others know that too. About walking with one another in both joy and sorrow. And about bout caring for ourselves as Mom's. Really challenging and inspiring. I think I might listen to it again and take notes:)
Michael Hyatt's podcast on Authentic Leadership can be found here. Super fun for me because I even got a question answered :)
Last Thanksgiving we were camping with some dear friends. It was unreal because the weather was unusually warm for that time of year. We spent our afternoons relaxing on the beach, reading, throwing a football and the kids even swam in Lake Erie.
On the last afternoon, two of the families had already packed up. It was just Perry, Dee, Steve and I and our girls and we were lounging on the beach. None of us wanted to leave. We were hanging onto every second of that beach day. The kids were playing happily and somehow the adults got to talking about books. I was in the midst of reading The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels. Perry and I were talking about the part in the book where Hybels challenges his readers to choose and live out a life verse. Naturally, I posed the question, "do you guys have a life verse? If so, what is it?'
Before any of the adults could even answer, Eva (my-at-the-time-9-almost-10-year-old) who was playing close by in the sand piped up. Without missing a beat, she said something like, "you know we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time - so, I want to make it good" at which point we adults started roaring with laughter realizing that maybe, just maybe Eva has been listening to a little too much country music....ha! I love that girl!
Just for the record, my life verses are:
Jeremiah 17:7,8
2 Timothy 1:7
Micah 6:8
1 Thessalonians 5:21
but all that is for another post:)
One last thing, I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway!
To qualify, all you have to do is be a new subscriber via email to my blog between now and Friday, May 25th. On Friday at 6 p.m. I will use random.org and pick a winner and contact them. Best of luck. You can find the spot to subscribe via email at the top right corner of my blog.
A couple of weeks ago, when the blossoms were at their finest, I grabbed my camera and hopped in my car. The orchards were were calling me with their sweet scent and magnificent colour. Breathtaking in every possible sense.
After my nap, we sat in the hotel lobby, looking at a catalogue of flowers that Tom would plant at his house and mine in the fall. He wanted me to pick out my favorite color daffodil for him to plant, but I said, "Don't they just die in four or five days, and not come until the following spring? So what is the point?"
In response to this post and because of this post, here's what I am savouring and celebrating this weekend:
new (much needed) bike helmets for the girls, which means lots of bike riding in the neighborhood.
all things spring - lilacs, lily of the valley, blossoms, and so on.
windows open.
the flowers (and weeds) my 4 year old picked me on our walk yesterday.
an unstructured and unhurried weekend.
barbequing and eating outdoors.
I figured out how to get my camera to work again. So great.
friendships.
the journey of motherhood.
the inspirational and influential women in my life who have and are shaping me.
my backyard that is taking shape this very minute. My husband has been working hard on our yard for the last few weeks and it looks amazing! I'm so crazy about him right now.
How about you? What are you savouring and celebrating this weekend?
It's the weekend and the weather is perfection. The warmth of the sun on my face is golden. I'm soaking in the sounds and smells of spring. Every time I go on my back deck, I savour the scent of my neighbours lilacs. And it's heavenly.
Hope you all have a great Mothers Day weekend and are able to deeply celebrate and honour the influential women in your life; both past and present.
If you are looking for some good reading/listening material this weekend, here are a few of my favourites from this past week:
Podcast by Michael Hyatt: The Secret Power of Naps. Since being pregnant and having babies, I have become a big believer in naps. Even nowadays, I will take a 20-30 minute nap 2 or 3 times a week. This is something my Mom always did when she was raising her family and she encouraged me to do the same. I loved listening to this podcast and am committed to napping more than ever!
A Commencement Speech by Shauna Niequist. Simply fantastic. I especially loved the part about living life with curiosoty, a lifelong love for learning and a willingness to be wrong. If you read nothing else this week, read this.
p.s. Hand Made Market. If you live in Niagara and have some free time this weekend, this is so worth checking out. Everything about it is amazing. The food, wine, the various forms of art, artisans, location, atmosphere. Really great.
