Southern Life – Page 2 – Zuzu and Papa

November 3, 2012August 6, 2013

Chipped Plates

This is one of those blessings that you have to go all around the circle and as you’re coming back around, you realize that you can be thankful for it.

I registered for Wedgwood, Queen’s Shape everyday dishes when we got engaged. I received about 12 place settings. We don’t use them every single day, but I do bring them out quite a bit. I like using the salad plates for our breakfast because they’re the perfect size.

Yesterday, as I was washing the ones we had just used, I noticed that every single one of them has a nasty chip on the side. I am assuming that these chips came from slinging them around too hard when they were being washed. I also noticed that one of my big serving platters has a crack almost all the way across. Now, I’m not placing blame on anyone here, but some people in the family wash dishes like it’s a race at the speedway – slinging them here and there, smacking them on the faucet and throwing them into the dishwasher.

How in the world can this be a blessing?

I’m thankful for:

~ the nice plates, chips and all ~

~ food to serve on them ~

~ a husband and children to wash them ~

~ a family to sit around the table and eat from them ~

This is a thought that could just keep on rolling along. I could talk about how I am not the same glossy plate that I was 22 years ago and how I’ve gotten chipped up along the way, but that all those chips mean I’ve lived a good life and have had tons of battles and blessings, but I’ll save that thought for another time!

Blessings to you today!

August 21, 2012June 18, 2013

Hannah’s Horse Paintings

I was cleaning my daughter’s room yesterday and found these paintings.

She was working on them last week.

I know because I saw her washing out brushes in the kitchen.

But, she never showed me the paintings.

To my quiet, reserved, humble middle child…

I will find your talents and show them to the world!

June 27, 2012June 18, 2013

Pictures from Haiti

I’m still trying to get my busy teenager, Hannah, to sit down and write a blog about her mission trip to Haiti. Last week, she was at a horse show in Shelbyville and this week, she’s taking some riding lessons and preparing for the 4-H Livestock Show. She was on the radio yesterday morning promoting the show and I was so proud of her. She wasn’t nervous at all!

So, for now, I will share some of the photos. Her stories are so sweet and touching and I can’t wait for her to share some of them with you.

The ShowHope group. If anyone is thinking about doing a Haiti mission trip next year, I would highly recommend this group. The leaders were so kind and Christlike. The facility was very well run and I was so impressed with the stories Hannah told me about how the orphanage is operated.

The Hands and Feet facility. Hannah and the group painted one of the buildings one day as part of their ministry.

My Hannah. They spent a lot of the time just loving on the kids.

This is the aquaduct where their water comes down the hill into the town. They were taking a hike up the mountain.

The top of the mountain. Look at that view!

Taking the kids swimming in the beautiful, clear Carribbean! They also had a beach-side church service.

March 5, 2012September 18, 2013

Behind the Scenes

I seem to do my best work behind the scenes.

My husband gets all the “Volunteer of the Year” awards and I am happy to have dinner waiting when he returns from wherever he’s been volunteering.

I have everyone’s clothes washed and freshly pressed so that they may go out with pride to their next adventure. Actually, I’m sure they never really even think about it – their clothes being clean, that is, until something is needed and is in the hamper.

I have the house ready on Friday for all the teenagers I know will be hanging out on the weekends…sheets changed, pizza ordered, blankets ready for sleeping over, pantry full of snacks. They think it just happens, I suppose, or don’t even think about it at all.

So many little behind the scene things take place in the household to keep things running smoothly.

When you go to church, do you ever stop to think about all the behind the scene things that have gone on to make the two hours run smoothly? Hours of music and choir practice, hours of studying Sunday School lessons, hours of prayer, someone paying the bills, someone coming in and making sure the lights and heat are on, someone scheduling nursery workers, someone cleaning up after us all. I can’t even begin to name everything. Just suffice it to say, a whole week’s worth of work and preparation has gone into those two precious hours.

I had the privilege of working behind the scenes for a beautiful wedding this weekend. How many hours, days, weeks, months go into planning a wedding? For maybe, just maybe, two hours of celebration.

So, my point in writing this is to ask…is it worth it? All the planning and preparation to make an event, a home, a worship service the best it can be? In the midst of the behind the scenes, I might be tempted to answer no, but always, when the end result is reached and you see the good in all the work done, the lives touched, the people blessed, the bride happy, the family content, my answer is yes.

Behind the scenes is where it’s happening! Usually, it all goes unnoticed, but wouldn’t this be a good day to find someone who works behind the scenes and tell them they’re appreciated?

I made a few pictures behind the scenes as we prepped the food for the wedding this weekend. Unless someone stuck their head in the kitchen, they may never even have thought of the world of activity that was going on in there. We had fun, all the busy kitchen fairies.