The Big Things

There are moments that forever get engraved on your heart and soul.  It was one of the first things that happened when we arrived.  The kids were so excited to be in Disney World... they were wide eyed and taking it all in.  After a bus ride, monorail ride, standing in line and FINALLY GETTING INSIDE the park, we walked ran towards a bathroom and there they were... Tigger and Pooh.  OH... now one little boy all of the sudden thought pretended decided he didn't have to go!  After promising to enter the line after the potty break, a little boy reluctantly walked away for a much needed private moment.  OK.  Everyone exhale and file in line.  Then came the waiting... and the waiting... and he watched child after child get their turn.  Then it happened.  They left.  We were two families away from the front of the line and they left.  Moment of panic.  Welling of tears and the face of WHATTTTTT???? It seems Tigger and Pooh also need a little break.  After more reassuring and a little more waiting... a little boy had a big moment that will forever live in our memories.

As Pooh and many others watched... He squealed and ran and embraced Tigger.  Heart melt into puddle.

  It was so precious, innocent, and simply delightful.  When he finally let go... his joy was radiating all over his face ad he was making the cutest deep laughing noises.

Giddy with excitement, he finally turned to give the patient Pooh a turn.

Heart melt into puddle again.  It brought me to tears.  It filled me with the sweetest and purest joy to see him fill and overflow with such sweet emotion.  I mean, just look at that little face in Pooh's embrace!

He was so amped, after Pooh, he turned and ran back to Tigger, stopping for just a moment to try and express some words to us... "Mommmmyyyyy... It's Tigggerrrrrr and Pooohhhh."  The camera girl from Disney took more photos than I did and she looked at me with the cutest grin and commented on how special it was.  It WAS a magical moment.  One of the best of the entire trip!

 Precious.  Just precious.  And priceless.

Disney pics soon to follow.  I finally downloaded them today and we spent some time at CVS printing them and filling frames.  Sweet, sweet trip.

Have a fabulous and Tiggerific weekend!
Much love, Dawn

Small Things

Sometimes just the small things can lift your spirits.  Like toasted coconut frozen yogurt, from the BEST local frozen yogurt place EVER, (Yogurtland) topped with fresh coconut, chopped peanuts, and a SMIDGE of smashed kit kat bar... just to give it that extra BAMMMMMM! 

Add to that, some one on one time with my first child, several bargains from the thrift store, and it wasn't that bad of a day!  LOL  My voice is pretty much gone today so I have whispered much of the day.  Amazing thing happened.  My children had compassion and listened better and were more obedient than they have been in a while. :0)  I just might whisper to them every day!  HA HA  No.  Really.  I might try it.

So much on my mind and bouncing around in my spirit.  I do want to share... soon.  But we are off to the lake tomorrow for so MUCH needed play/rest time.  Sadly, we are not getting many renters this year and so that leaves it open for us to slip away to for a s-h-o-r-t getaway.

I need to go make dinner for the chillies.  Sauteed zuch and squash with portabella mushrooms and onion with olive oil toasted french baguette topped with fresh local garden grown tomato and my fresh basil... yep... that's what's for dinner.  I can not wait.

Love dear friends.  Much.
Dawn

Oh... Won't You Be My Neighbor!

Oh how I wish the major awesome chick and her husband of this blog were our neighbors!  They do the coolest things in their house and now in their yard.  I mean really.

 Dear Husband of mine... this post is for you... it is to inspire you... you have handy friends who build things (hmmm ummmm... Joel) and we could all hammer out this thing in a couple of weekends AND the step by step instructions are on this blog... 

RIGHT HERE

Can't you just see all the hours the chillies will spend out there PLAYING!!!!!!!!

I WANT TO PLAY IN IT.

REALLY.  I DO.

Have a fabulous weekend and be blessed and inspired!

Much love, Dawn

Depleted.  Empty. Needing HIM.

That about sums it up for today.  I went here looking for encouragement as I often do and found it as I always do.  How I love this woman, her love for the LORD and His love and wisdom that pours forth from her.  She is such a friend, though we have never met.  God is cool like that... and so are blogs.

"May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.  Let your compassion  come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight."  Psalm 119:76,77~

Father's Day Weekend

Man, this day crept up on me.  June is FLYING by and I thought I had another week but NOPE... the calendar does not lie!  HA HA

As a mother, wife, and daughter... Father's Day is pretty deep.  There is the whole aspect of my Father's (and I have two) and then there is my husband.  I will start with him.

He is such a good father to our children.  It humbles me.  Smacks me sometimes.  He is so patient, giving, thoughtful, and loving.  He has embraced being a father and it looks good on him. 

He spends time with his children.  He is strong and loves the Lord and THAT is what I want my girls to see in a man.  He places his family above work and above himself.  THAT is what I want my girls to see and love about their father.  He talks to them.  Asks them questions about their likes and dreams.  He rubs Taylor's feet.  He plays Wii with them.  He rides bikes with them.  He goes to the creek with them.  He plans family vacations for them (us).  He attends their school events.  He taught Abby how to ride a bike.  He is teaching Marc how to hit and catch a ball.  He prays for them.  He prays with them.  He worships with them.  He leads them.  He disciplines them and he loves them.  And he loves their mother.

He is a good man.  A really good man. They feel his love, are secure in his love and they love him.  And THAT will bless all of our children for the rest of their lives.

My precious husband has a precious daughter, whom I love and admire, sweet Jennifer.  There was a time when he wasn't there as a father for her.  It breaks his heart.  And that breaks mine.  God is so generous in how He can grow us, change us, transform us.  Don would do anything to go back and be who he is now to her.  But he can't.  All he can do is be her father now.  And he is.  And she, being the beautiful daughter of the King that she is, has forgiven him and embraced him and their relationship today makes my heart happy.  It is sweet and beautiful.  Just like both of them.  And now she has two children who get to know his love as well.  We just saw them this weekend and sweet little Hannah would come over and turn around to sit in her Poppie's lap.  Precious.  Precious... the way she would look at him.  Love.  Redemption.   Just like what we are offered from our heavenly Father.

Happy Father's Day Honey.  You amaze me with your love.  You inspire me with your love.  Your love is a beautiful strength that binds us all together.  I love you so much. xoxoxoxoxo


Life can be messy.  It is full of pain, twists, turns.  It is full of floods and lion's dens and gardens of Eden.  But God is the same as He was yesterday and He often brings beauty up out of ashes.  That is what leads me to having two dad's.

This is my dad, Danny.  My life as a child was, well, complicated.  My parents divorced when I was 10 and long story short, it was not great.  My dad was not really there for me.  Our relationship changed when Don and I adopted Abby.  I really forgave him and wanted my child to know her grandfather.  I reached out and healing began to take place.  The relationship we have now blesses me and my family so much.  God has brought so much joy into our lives and neither one of us take our relationship for granted.  The moments we have had together now make up for all the ones lost, a hundred times over.  He loves me and God has transformed him as well.  Just seeing him full of the joy of the LORD makes my heart soar.  He comes and visits our family almost every month.  We love having him here.  And my children love being with him.  He makes them laugh and they just jump and scream for joy when he comes.  That makes my heart smile deeply.  God is so precious and generous in the love that comes from healing.  Thank you LORD.  And I love you dad.  Happy Father's Day.

This is my dad, Dave.  I loved him from the moment I met him.  I knew he was a good guy!  When he married my mom, he took me and my brothers under his wing just as his own.  He never made me feel anything less than his daughter.  He loved me.  He talked to me.  He taught me.  He consoled me.  He counseled me.  He encouraged me.  And he was always there.  His love came when I needed it most.  His love is constant and true.  My children love him deeply and that also warms my soul.  He makes us laugh.  He loves the Lord.  And he loves his family.  He blesses us all so much.  And I am so blessed to have him in my life.  And I will never take him for granted.  Thank you Lord, for the love you have poured out to me through my dad.  I love you dad.  Haggy Fatner's Day. (inside joke)

This Father's Day, I will be very saturated in the Father's love as I remember and celebrate these men.  His hand is on each of them.  His love comes to us through all of them.  Men are so very important in the family.  Mother's can get so much of the hoopla... but men... good men... are a major part of the foundation.  And when a man's eyes are on the Lord, his family will reap many blessings.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the paths of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  Psalm 1:1-3~

I love all of you... so very much.  Happy Father's Day.  :0)
Love, Dawn

Friends with TALENT!

I am so inspired!  I have two friends, whom I never get to see, who have been smackin it!  I mean, they have just gone all business and creative crafty on me!  And they ROCK!

I met Angie when she moved here with her husband, a fellow AirTran pilot.  She was just too cute and precious and I quickly adored her.  And Holly, I met at a Bible study, I think.  Is that where I met Holly?  I know her from CMO, past church, Bible study, and Mom 2 Mom but meeting her... yes... I think it was at Bible study.  And she, too, is precious and I adore her!  They both have PRECIOUS hearts and are amazing women.

Well, today, somehow, I ended up on Angie's facebook page, and there was mention about her blog.  I was very interested and so I searched through her wall until I discovered a link to her blog and BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... I am in heaven!  And blown away with the talent of these girls!  I had to share the link to their blog here and one of the coolest things I have ever seen made from a HEADBOARD!

Girls, I hope you don't mind the shout out but you both are amazing and I am so happy for you and this adventure you are on together!  I HAVE to come along with you to your booth soon and SHOP!  I so want the yellow kitchen scale I spied in one of your photos but I know it is gone! :0(  Boo.  

Here is the before of a headboard...

 
AND HERE IS THE AFTER!!!!!!

Can you stand it!?  A fabulous big chalkboard that would make any woman drool!  I love it!  And I love that Joe helped!  And I love that you both are getting to use your amazing creative talent to make such wonderful things!

And I was just about to hang jars with candles from a tree limb in my back yard over our picnic table... but NOW....

wine bottles will be there as well!!!!  LOVE IT!

And you have inspired me.  Really.  I have GOT to do some things like this for myself.  I do love to create.  And I need to do it.  Make/steal/borrow/create/and protect the time to do this stuff for myself.  You two have inspired me greatly and I love you both dearly.

And seriously Angie... your dog... I am IN LOVE!!!!!!!!

 She is like a giant version on mine and I WANT HER!!!!!!!!!!  She is awesome and I could just cuddle with her for hours!  LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!

So here is the address of this amazing blog... please check them out and show them some love! xoxoxoxo

http://slipcoveredgrey.blogspot.com/2012/02/menu-board.html

Much love,

Dawn