Words of Wisdom Wednesday!!

I haven't done a real WWW post since December 18th of last year!

I love looking through the quotes in these when I need encouragement,

so I'm going to start them back up again. =)

"Questions of science, science and progress, do not speak as loud as my heart!  Nobody said it was easy; oh, it's such a shame for us to part.  Nobody said it was easy; no one ever said it would be this hard.  I'm going back to the start."  ~Coldplay, The Scientist

Mini-epiphany at LG last night:  Kelly asked how we tell the difference between our needs and our wants, and this verse immediately came to my mind.  God promises that He will meet all our needs.  God is trustworthy.  So at any given point in my life, whether people die or leave or reject me, whether I am married or single, I have the relationships that God knows are necessary to meet my needs.  Obviously including my relationship with Him.  Not sure it's translating here, but that reeeally helps me.  God's timing is perfect - He knows exactly when to transition things and how much we can take.  He meets our needs, and when our hearts delight in Him, He meets our desires as well!

Happy last day of April!!  

And on a lighter note...

This cracks me up!  They forgot to mention the handwritten love letters and romantic beach/seaside settings! :)

Weekend Update!

Tonight was Morgan Elizabeth's Bridal Shower!

I'll be honest - I didn't expect this to be a blast, and it was a last minute thing that I was even able to go (thanks to Tara and Laura being sickly - :( - which I'm still sad about).  But I had a great time catching up with some CHA friends and getting to know a woman from BattleCreek that Morgan met on the Israel trip.  It was fun to tour Allie's house, especially with Lynda as our tour guide! lol  The food was awesome and the cake was from Nikellette's (white cake + banana cream and strawberries middle layer + layer 2 of white cake + fluffy whipped icing = yum)!!

This is the halfcourt basketball room.  Yeah.  The house was pretty nice. lol

  

The beautiful Woolard girls - now Samantha Lindsey, Morgan (soon to be Morris), Allie Webb, and Lynda Woolard!

Just a fun collage. :)

In the shower invitation, Morgan wrote a personal note thanking me for the part I've played in her life since being her senior "Big Sis," and that meant a lot to me!  I know brides get stressed and busy planning their weddings, but I hope to do that same thing if I get married.  So I'm really glad I went, and glad to know Morgan is marrying a solid Christian guy whose family lives in Tulsa! =)

And earlier today was the joint birthday party for Triston (7) and Carter (6)!!  They had the party at JumpZone again, which seems to be great fun for kids that age! :)  I got to hold Missy K for a minute, and had to snap a photo of her cute baby cheeks after I kissed her. lol

Carterman, just hanging out on top of one of the jump houses - I still don't know how he got up there!

T-man ready to slide but stopping to humor me and take a pic! lol

Mmmmissy! =)

Jasmine (Agim and Ariel's daughter) looking ever so precious!  I love her curly hair.

The JaceMan being a "big kid" and sliding down the big slides! 

A family affair. lol

T&C and their awesome Thunder jersey cakes! :)

Love them!!

And love this pic! lol  We tried hard to get a pic of the two of them smiling together, but no such luck today.

Sleeping in + two parties + dinner at Johnnie's with Mom + Thunder game = a good Saturday!  We had dinner with the Lemieux's at the new Teds on Friday - it's always fun to catch up with them, and I'm excited to hear about their Paris trip when they get back!!  Tomorrow will be church, lunch with the fam, driving back with the puppies, then movie night at the Wilson's!  Get excited!! =)

Quotables

Semi-Annual Sam n' Ella's Road Trip

Memories & Quotes:

When he arrived, Jeff rescued me in Chet's driveway by killing the spider in my passenger seat.  I wasn't about to leave my car and not know where it had crawled! lol  So gross.

"So will you get a raise when you pass that test?"  ~Me, during Evan's "Speed Friendship" round

"Mockey's all about the money!"  ~JEM

"Are you doing an eat-sy site?"  ~Jeff asking Karli about her craft business :)

"Hey, we need the vomit bowl.  Mockey's feeling -- well, you guys can take Mockey."  ~JEM, stopping to get the bowl from the other car... just in case (thankfully, it wasn't needed)

JEM singing us an opera version of Nelly's Hot in Herre! :)

"Look at that, Mockey!  A waterfall!!  You said you'd go...."  ~JEM
(After my Vegas birthday extravaganza, I said I would only hike again if there was a pretty waterfall involved.  On our way to get a pic by this little waterfall, it literally turned off right as we walked up to it, which was hilarious...)
"God was saving me from hiking again!" ~Me  :)

"It's kinda like having two cookie-cakes.  ...Yeah, actually it's exactly like that!"  ~Me, explaining the "Double Doozie!" =)

Kelly's niece, Audrey, sang "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" for us on the ride back home :)

"Okay, so if you were in a North Korean prison..." ~JEM starting his usual tattoo question with a new twist
"Well, you don't really wanna have a tramp stamp in prison."  ~TK, quietly to Evan lol

"Your stomach is showing in the pull-up pics."  ~Kyle
"What do we call that shirt?"  ~Jeff
"An Oxford shirt??"  ~TK
"Yes!"  ~JEM
"Oh, is that the one that's way too small?  Do I have a picture of you holding that up?"  ~Me
"I don't know.....  I hold up a lot of things."  ~JEM  lol

"If I die, I want a U-haul trailer open and empty behind the hearse, to symbolize that you can't take anything with you!  And Michael has to be on a horse riding behind it."  ~JEM
"Why would Chet not be on the horse?"  ~Me
"Because Chet won't get on a horse if Michael's on a horse."  ~Jeff
"Then Chet can lay $100 on your grave."  ~Kelly
"Quote.... even Chet will think that's funny."  ~Me, laughing
"Michael will be handing tracts out for the Lord."  ~JEM

"My favorite book of the Bible is Song of Solomon because I like to say inappropriate things."  ~Laura, answering Speed Friendship questions! lol

My new favorite video:

Other Quotables:
"Ooooh, that's fart sue behavior!" ~Lauralai, to Sam-Sue when she was being disobedient :)

"I have fibromyalgia.....and I also have a problem with lying!"  ~Chettles :)

"Well, I'm not as anti-hiking as Lindsey.  But if I was gonna do that or go do something else, I'd go do something else!"  ~one of my favorite Chet comments. lol  (Anything else will do!!)

"We need other people who will call forth what is most beautiful in us, just as we need to call forth what is most beautiful in others." - Jean Vanier

"I love it when people die intestate!!  .....I don't mean that to sound callous."  ~Laura

"The problem with everyone 'finding Jesus' is that they seem to lose Him as soon as they get out of prison!  If they could just hang on to Him, maybe we'd be in business."  ~J.G.

"I was telling this girl beside me who thinks I'm really funny.... then there's this girl beside her, and she is a dud and a half!"  ~Chet Lee, filling us in on his real estate classes :)

"Yeah, I didn't mention we'd be eating outside.  I knew that'd be an immediate deal-breaker!"  ~Chet, to me, when Laura and I went to their L2L group

"Ooooh, I need to stop eating cookies."  ~Chet, looking at a picture of himself

"I'll pray for you guys this week.  I have a lot of free time now that I'm not eating!" ~Talhia

"Yeah, I don't think that verse (on the desires of your heart) means what we think it means.  So just don't think of anything too specific, and hope for the best!" ~Lindsay :)

"I should status, "I'm pregnant!  ...just kidding, I haven't had physical contact with a man in yeeeears.  Jokes on you guys!'"  ~Lauralai, discussing April Fools day

Wow, I had never noticed that before."  ~Me (watching Pitch Perfect)
"See!  Thank you, Chet's commentary!!"  ~Chet

"The bride has on a white tank top and pink plaid pajama pants.  This is saaad.  I mean, if you can't be bothered to put on a bra for your own wedding.... (eeeek facial expression)!"
~Laura talking about one of our lovely courthouse weddings

"Feel free to change the plan. I’ve stayed with things that I didn’t love because it seemed like I should have loved them. Pay attention to what you love, not to what you should love.  Each one of us was created on purpose and for a purpose, and it’s worth taking the time to ask a million questions."  ~Shauna Niequist

"Anybody can start again.  You just have to be willing to deal with the results of what you've already created."  ~Joyce

"This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls. In my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again!  No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world."  ~John Keating

"If we're convinced God is sovereign, good, and purposeful, why would He allow or even ordain a season that has no value or contribution to our futures?" ~Beth Moore

"Death is wrong. I hate it. God hates it, too.  I hate goodbyes.  

But here’s the thing.  At his service, nothing was shared about how Jason did or did not pick up his room. If he made his bed. Put his toys away. Nothing about how old he was when he was finally and fully potty trained. Not a word about his grades, his degrees or his titles.

Tons was shared about how people felt in his presence. There were lots of stories about his sense of humor. Words flowed about how he loved people, how he lived passionately from his heart and the joy he brought by being and offering his unique, quirky, imperfect, wonderful, on-the-road self.

It was his heart that mattered. And it’s yours that matters.

How are you doing today? How are you treating your heart? 

We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. The thing is – we will. We will love others as we love ourselves. So if we are merely harsh on ourselves…we will be harsh to others whether we want to be or not. It will leak out.

How we treat our hearts is the way we will treat others.

And it matters."

~Stasi Eldredge  I love this so much it will probably get its own post soon!

And now, one of my favorite "Friday Night Dinner" moments from Gilmore Girls! :)

That's 5 in human years. :)

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY TO TWO PUPPIES!!

(a/k/a Girlfrans, Fluffy Sues, Tiny Sues, Fart Sues, Momers, Fluffapuffs, Bellsy and a Sammis, Bow-Bells and Sammich, or Sam n' Ella!)

They were born October 24, 2013, and I've had them since December 28, 2013. :)

Here's a plethora of cute pictures through their first 6 months of life:

(These last four are from tonight... my plan to dress them up in cute striped socks and pose them with the red blanket was quickly squelched when I remembered they're playful puppies who are not in the mood to pose! lol)

They're my favorites. :)

Top 10 Tuesday ~ Pictures!

I'm feeling much better this morning.  Life can be hard, and emotions are real, and I'm not apologizing for them.   But I'm thankful for the joy and comfort God brings.  I'm thankful for the brightness and beauty of spring.  

Today, I'm posting the "Top 10" pictures that make me feel thankful:

I love the squinting in this one. lol  Even Missy K.  Rach is the only one who dared to open her eyes and face the sun. :)  I love my sister and her precious family!!

 I'm thankful for these boys - my nephews, who are a bundle of energy and fun!

I'm thankful that T&C get to go to CHA - this is them ready for their Easter program! Looking very grown up and precious!!

I'm thankful for a tiny Sam-Sue and Bellsy!

I'm thankful for these friends and for fun road trips playing "Speed Friendships" and that JEM was willing to drive my car!  (I'll do a full recap of that trip later.)

I'm thankful for the gorgeous pink trees of spring, and for my loyal friend, Lauralai Allison!

And my final four are from Google's Earth Day project:

I'm thankful for God's awesome creation -- the epic and the intimate!!

(And for memories of Rach loving MJ's Earth song. lol)

(Photo by Robin Wood)

(Photo by Candy Sakai)

(Photo by Rishabh Rai)

(Photo by Margaret Tomkins)

Happy Earth Day.  And Land Run Day! lol