Things I love right now…

I know it has been For-Ev-Er. Sorry! No real reason. Just had nothing to say. *as if*

Finished giving the house a good cleaning today. Knew I had things to say so I grabbed a Stella and decided it was time to write.

Things I Love Right Now.

1. Watching My Man and the Wild Boy riding in the Jeep in front of me all the way to Lexington, Virginia. Loved, loved, LOVED, seeing the animation in their conversation as their baseball cap clad heads would turn towards each other. The entire 2.5 hour trip I watched them interact nonstop. Seriously made my heart absolutely melt.

2. Sitting at a table in Panera on a hot 4th of July morning with a handful of people who love and miss Beth Bryan every single day. Go here to see what we were talking about. Donate $50 or more and I’ll send you a tee-shirt. Donate $100 or more and I’ll send you a tee-shirt AND a sun care kit. Donate $500 or more and I’ll send you a tee-shirt, the sun care kit AND I’ll put your name on the back of our annual tee-shirt as a Sponsor. Read about our mission. We would love your help.

3. Getting to ride in Big Red Truck with my Wild Boy as he told me all about his week at reCHARGE. His voice has gotten so deep and manly; the cadence of his voice smooth and confident; his thoughts spiritually focused and mature. I could barely contain my tears as he shared story after story about his own and other’s experiences. My momma heart is so stinkin’ proud of that boy.

4. My Girl, anxious but determined, taking placement tests at NVCC and signing up for classes. She and My Man sat down today and worked up a budget first draft. We intend to help her with her expenses, but she is also planning on working. She would love to start working in her field, preschool/elementary teaching, as she starts back to school. If y’all know of anything, please let her (or me) know. She is very excited and I can barely contain my own excitement as we discuss it.

5. A best friend of almost 40 years (!!) who loves my children as  her own and invests in their future.  Financially, as well as with guidance and wisdom. I cry every time I think about it.

6. Boys of my Heart who realize they can’t do this life thing without God and who, even though it may not be “cool,” step out and make that public. Even after being blind-sided by tragedy, they are turning to God. What a mighty and powerful God we serve.

7. Spending a much needed weekend with my mom and dad, sister and family. Not only did my soul need it, but so did My Man’s. Wild Boy and Big Boy were there. Two of my four (that’s for you Courtenay Mundy) nieces were there. My brother-in-law is pretty angry right now. He says the “kinder and gentler” Al is long gone, but I don’t believe it. His anger is understandable and justified. He has lost his only boy. His entire world turned upside down. Paths and plans totally took a U-turn. He says it doesn’t pay to be kinder and gentler. Then proved himself  a liar by helping a neighbor with cancer he barely knows.The kinder and gentler Al is the true Al. I know he is in there, under the pain, the hurt, the anger.

8. Watching My Man stop in the middle of the Walmart parking lot, jump out of our truck, grab a couple of bungee cords and hand them to a young couple with a baby who just purchased a crib that barely fit in their trunk. The trunk wouldn’t close and the young man had run off to try to beg some rope or something off a Walmart employee. We could tell they had little money. The young man, Dougie, we found out, came running over to us as we started to drive away and attempted to thrust a couple of dollar bills in Russell’s hand. Russell’s response, “Son, you don’t owe me a thing,” made my heart sing. If I had had any cash on me at all, I would have tossed it at them and told Russell to floor it. I remember being young and broke and so many loving and generous people helped us out. It truly blesses us to pay it forward. And My Man is incredibly attuned to being on the lookout for anyone that needs help.

9. Friends who continue to love me and my family and support us as we attempt to recover from a pretty horrific 18 months. No matter how often I push them away; how surly or short I get, they continue to come back for more, rallying around me and my family. I’m just so amazed by it all, I don’t even have the words.

And because I hate odd numbers, #10. Two words: BEACH WEEK.

If you couldn’t tell, I am feeling totally blessed these days. We are totally blessed. We know it. We are thankful.

Love you guys.