The Holidays Have Begun

 The menu was planned and divided up as to who was making what, names were drawn for the gift exchange, schedules synchronized (who can be where when), St. Augustine has been lit-up, the Holly Jolly Holiday Trolley is making its rounds, and our excitement continues to grow.  The holiday season has officially started! 

 Which made me look up the definition of holiday..."a day...on which ordinary business is suspended..."  In light of this paraphrased definition, I think everyday should be a holiday. 

SUSPEND ORDINARY!

Let each day have a smidgen of extra-ordinary in it!  Find it, create it!

 However, on the flip side of that extra-ordinary coin, right now I want to bask in the ordinary. The simple parts of the days of my life that bring pleasure, satisfaction, joy.  With Thanksgiving now history and Christmas just around the corner, I want to remember to take note of small events of each day that total up to a great big whole.  A whole lotta love!  Such as...

 Smiles...


 Nature...






 Architecture...






 Forever Friends...


 Ice Cream Shoppes...


 Triceratops...


 Projects...


 All things Gator...





 Birthdays...


 Family and Friends...


...just to name a few!

 So as we approach the date of the most celebrated birthday ever, remember to hone in on all of the ordinary events in your life.  Don't let them pass by unnoticed.  Because as you reflect back on them, you'll realize the the ordinary is in reality extraordinary!

And at this moment the ordinary has been suspended as the SEC championship game is on.

GO GATORS!

in light of the above definition...
Happy Holiday!

Fall, Family, Food, Friends = Asheville Part II

Beautiful Asheville

Always encouraging

Can never get enough of you!

But we sure tried in just a few short days..

Cramming so much in...in a relaxing sort of way!

The perfect combination.

and speaking of combination...

These two guys ruled the table 

at 

but this girl

spent some time

also.

(P.S. the green heart on her wrist is Jayce's!)

In keeping with the relaxing mode,

there was food, food, and more food

with long meals spent around the table; no agenda

except to spend time together.

Fortunately,

after the pasta, barbecue, salads/hoagies, pastries, artisan donuts,

cat head biscuits, and let's not forget the sangria,

 my Timberlands 

did get some action.

And let's not forget

the rainy day

meetup with friends

(oops...I missed out on the handhold in the last pic :)

where leisure once again ruled...

(notice incognito Joseph in the background :)

Rachel and Joseph,

it was so great spending time in your world

 and we can't wait to

head to your mountain home again!

P.S.

I would be negligent

 if I didn't highlight the

next photographer of the family...

and to take the time to give a shout out

to the 

DellaVecchia's

who needed to stay home and take care of 

sick wee ones.

We missed you guys!!!!

But now that everyone is healthy...

when's our next road trip?!?!

Healing Powers, Asheville Part I

I am a city girl by birth, but, most fortunately, I've had mountains in my life from the beginning... the Watchung Reservation and Poconos in my childhood...oh yes, Harvey's Lake! thank you for such wonderful memories!..., the Catskills, Delaware Water Gap and Voorhees State Park in my teenage years where a lot of exploring took place and Roundabout by YES ("mountains come out of the sky and they stand there"!) would be blasting on the cassette as the they came into view on the road trip out of the city. And, of course, the beautiful Smokey Mountains in my adulthood.  As Christa put it quite eloquently this past week, "A part of my heart belongs here!"  I so agree!

Recently I read a study that showed pain medication was reduced by 30% for hospital patients who were exposed to nature.  I so believe that.  Such powers are held by grandiose mountain ranges to tiny berries growing on a tree.  Again a Christa quote, "Healing happens here!"  Christa, all that money that was spent on the study... they could have just asked you...lol!  There is truth in those words.

Off to experience the power of nature...

Always the gentleman...

 My Timberlands were jealous...

And the challenge of rock-skipping

 caused Robert to risk his Jordans...

   

If nature reduces the need for pain meds by 30%,

what percentage would you guess that family/friends

further reduces the need....

And I don't think a study is needed

 to prove that fact!

Now, enjoy a great song...

Miracles

mir·a·cle

noun

a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws 

synonyms:

wonder, marvel, supernatural phenomenon, mystery

• a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been thinking a lot about miracles lately.

I'm a believer in miracles....divine miracles.  I have even experienced a few big ones over the years...when my dad had a brain aneurysm and the doctors were preparing for an operation, which he "may not survive".  But pre-op tests showed the aneurysm "miraculously" gone, so the docs discharged him the next day instead.  Or when Christa drowned in Lake Jody and her name was shouted in my ear, so I knew she was in extreme danger.  She was able to be rescued with no repercussions...(however, that incident may explain some of her behaviors to this day ;) !) Or simply the time when my van would not go in reverse as I was trying to back out of a parking space, and lo and behold, a little mini-car had pulled up behind me and the person had run into an office to pick something up.  I can imagine my guardian angel sitting on my back bumper, feet planted firmly on the ground, holding my van back.  Otherwise, I would have smashed that mini-car to smithereens.  Or the time when I was in the "depths of despair" (who knows where that quote is from), and I cried out to God to show me His presence then and there.  Simultaneously, a brilliant shooting star raced across the sky,  and just a few miles down that dark country road, a beautiful gray fox sedately sat on the side of the road and watched my car go by as if he was watching a tennis match.  A double miracle, I would say, as God knows my love of nature!

Miracles happen around us every day.  Sometimes as a result of direct prayer; sometimes irregardless of prayer.  Sometimes answered exactly as we have requested; sometimes not.  Our challenge regarding miracles, I believe, is twofold.   One, is to be aware.  Notice those small miracles that are a part of our everyday life. I'm almost tempted to type a list of them right here, but I want you to be aware of the miracles surrounding you...create your own list!  The second challenge is how we react when prayer for a miracle is not answered to our expectation.  I've learned (well, truthfully, still learning)  long ago that this can certainly be a challenge and my reaction needs to be..... "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever".... (which is very easy to do when we get our answer)!  But when it doesn't go our way, the reaction I still strive for is.... "I will sing, I will sing!"  (is anyone humming yet?!)   Simply because God's mercies are a miracle!

And I've been thinking a lot about miracles lately because I have few I've been praying about at this time.

In my humanness, I'm praying for these miracles to come about in a certain way, verbalizing the answers that I seek.  Asking for specifics!  So if you're reading this, and feel so inclined (I know you don't have the specifics), but thanks for sending a prayer heavenly to join with mine.  God will know!

"And with my mouth

will I make known His faithfulness

to all generations!"

Psalm 89:1

I'd Be Lying If I Said We Didn't Have Fun With This Lion

I've said it before; here it is again...

 

It doesn't take much to entertain the DiGi girls

(and apparantly Sherry also!)

 

On a recent stroll along the bayfront

we stopped at the foot of the Bridge of Lions

for a quick selfie or two...

or three or four or.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faithful,
thanks for adding to the fun of the evening,
and as soon as I find out whose cell phone
captured the picture of me and Hope with you,
I'll add that one also.

 Ladies, check your phones!