Blooms!

A girlfriend of mine sent me a quote on gardens. I thought I'd share it on the blog-

". . . everything of great importance happened in a garden. . . Man fell in the Garden. You taught in a garden. You prayed Your passion in a garden. You were betrayed in a Garden. You arose in a Garden. I love this place, for when I sit out here, I see the wonder of Your creation. . . It reminds me that Your hand is in it all." Leato's Garden, by Francine Rivers

Updates on our hard work in the yard. We've weeded, cleaned out, raked, bagged, dug up monkey grass, put down rocks, edged, shaped, planted, mulched, watered. Now just to watch it all grow and flower and bloom!

What we had to work with after raking out the winter..

Making plans for the Monkey Grass

Those are the plans for the Monkey Grass- thanks to James and Kate for giving the monkey grass a new home!

The effect of Trey and his new toy, the edger! First try at the edger- not too bad!!

The boy and his big-boy toy!

No more monkey grass in the front!! now what...

No more monkey grass on the side..

New rocks! New flowers- and these won't take over like the morning glories

New rocks around Gran's irises

The hubs watering our garden

Yay! now just going to watch it grow.

New Easter cross we got at church

Hostas and window boxes and rocks and flower!

The cherry blossom tree- so pretty

fluffy and soft and perfect

The cannas I planted last year have decided to return

Rocks! and Flowers! and NO MONKEY GRASS!!

waiting on these azaleas to bloom pretty pink flowers!! any day now..

Couldn't have done it without him! Best yard man in the world

These azaleas have tiny pink buds, just waiting to make their appearance

The first iris bloom

Azaleas on the side yard

Missin' my Gran

Such a beautiful spring day- flowers blooming, sunlight breaking through the blinds warming my bed as I wake up from my day nap...The cherry tree outside the office window is so heavy with pink fluffy blooms, thick and rich and perfect. On the way home from work this morning, the city workers were cutting the grass on the sides of Sam Cooper, and the smell overtook my car and my nose, and I thought of my Gran. The smell of fresh cut grass, wild onions in the yard, new growth coming out of the ground and taking over the breezes- these smells remind me of my Gran. So I thought I'd put some pictures up of things that remind me of Gran, and spend some time remembering what an incredible woman she was, and thanking God for the time I was able to spend with her, looking forward to when I will see her again, hoping she is proud of me.

Trees between my house growing up and Gran's house (which was next door). Growing up living next to Gran was one of God's biggest gifts to me, and I will always be grateful.

The old barn behind Gran's house. Old barns remind me of her.

Her front porch, where I played with her, drank buttermilk and cornbread, got stung by a wasp, waited for dinner and my mom to come home...

The yard by her house, where she and Grandadden had bee hives at one time. Bee hives and fresh honeycomb remind me of them.

The tree in our front yard that I used to climb. Good climbing trees remind me.. especially magnolias.

Gran's clothes line. Open windows in the spring, the smell of sun-dried linens and fresh sheets remind me of Gran. She smelled like fresh linen and sunshine.

Intersection on our old street.

Another climbing tree- the branch she used to put me up on has broken off to just a stub.

I bet she is having a blast with my Lord- saving me a seat!

When the cat's away...

...The mouse will play...isn't that how the saying goes? Well, my wonderful husband has just left to go to Jackson, MS for a 4 day long Rope and Rescue course- which means I have the house all to myself...how will I play? Remember my list of projects??? Tomorrow is so exciting- the house all to myself. To all the married ladies out there- can I get an "Amen" to those days when we have the house to ourselves to really be productive? Don't want to sound like I don't like it when Trey is here- I do.. but it makes it hard to get the good stuff done... so it's free range for me. What's on the schedule?
Well, I'd like to start by cleaning up this house! After days of wedding parties, our house now has an extra layer of funk on the kitchen floor, crumbs on the hardwoods and rugs from chips, late night Krystals, pizzas, orange-sweet rolls, more chips, mud, coffee stains on the counters, a dishwasher full of glasses, forks, plates, and a hamper full of stinky clothes and sheets from having a 3 day long sleepover with our (Trey's) dear friends, Tip and Jonathan, whom I have lovingly given the nicknames "Brother husbands" (nickname taken in humor from the show "Sister Wives.") and who I am happy to have over and hanging out with my honey anytime. But, with that comes "leftovers" from a trip to Tunica for golf, a rehearsal dinner "post-party', and of course, wedding day "pre and post" party. So, where to begin? Sheets- clean sheets are a must! Especially after 3 nights of going out and coming home smelling, well just down right awful. So, sheets are cleaned, beds are made, dishes are washed... but I'm thinking I can wait on really cleaning the house until tomorrow morning.
So, come on Monday- I'll be up early, cleaning, straightening, disinfecting and airing out.. then, plants!! The monkey grass has ben dug out and given to our neighbors the newly weds, new rocks laid down, flower beds cleaned out and mulched, and the freezing temperatures finally gone (I'm thinking)..so I have a trip planned to get some pretty flowers! And, of course, dividing again (for the 2nd year) my hostas, which seem to just love the soil around my house because they literally explode! They are beautiful, but man are they big! Also, painting the attic door, which we've still been talking about for a year- and if I'm really feeling productive, touching up the trim in the hallways and bathroom and ending the day with a long run. Hopefully, the motivation will keep coming, and I told Trey I might even get super ambitious and just repaint the entire hallway..we'll see. Regardless, I am super pumped to basically have open range for motivational and creative juices to flow- good night's rest tonight, then projects and productivity tomorrow!! Won't Trey be so proud?!?

Marriage Minefields

Lyrics to "Dancing in the Minefield"- great song, which I have included on my playlist.


I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Marriage 101- Life 101

Dear friends of ours are getting married this weekend. These are very very VERY dear friends and my excitement for them can't be contained!! As Trey and I have watched them go through their dating, their engagement, and now these final stressful days leading up to the wedding- with decisions and unexpected "hang-ups" I am reminded of our wedding, our planning, our excitement. I sit on our couch, and around me is a house we have built together, a home, our safe place. On the walls, pictures of that blessed day, our smiles, our kisses, our excitement... and although we have only been married about a year and a half, I feel that we have begun to scratch the surface of the "knitty-gritty" of it. I think back on the verses read during our ceremony:
Proverbs 3: 1-6
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight."

Colossians 3: 12-17
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

I think back on the past two years with Trey, the past year and a half of marriage- have I always been forgiving? gentle and patient? bearing with him grievances? humble? compassionate? How many times have I thrown away the chance to love Trey like Christ has loved me? Everyone tells you when you get married that marriage won't always be easy- they aren't lying! But as I learn more and more about Trey, and about myself, everyday, I think, "Man, God did know what He was doing, putting us together." When the guards come down, and the reality of whatever is going on in our daily life is in front of us, and we sit up late at night, talking about our fears, our joys, our jokes, and past arguments (which are pretty funny now), what we want for our marriage, what we need from each other, our future babies, I cannot believe that this wonderful man is what all that strife and frustration of my single years was for- had I not been through life's crap, broken hearts, broken relationships, depression, confusion, questioning, anger, grief, loss, dissappointment in others, dissappointment in myself, all of that and everything in between- it wouldn't have made me know what a true gem I have in this man. He's been through it, too, and what special little treasures those lessons are now- beauty rising up from the rubble of life- every moment finding its place and building up our marriage, with God smack dab in the middle of it all.

It's like the story of the tapestry: Everyone's life is a tapestry, a big masterpiece in the works. Only, we don't see it as a masterpiece. We are behind the scenes, and all that is in our line of vision is the loose threads, the knots and tangles, the colors that don't match or fit, the  blank areas, no picture, no beauty, nothing fits, nothing goes, it's just a mess. And for years that's all we see- then one day, if you're lucky, you might see a small corner complete- and its magnifiscent! And at the end of your life, you turn the tapestry around, and those tangles, knots, mismatched colors, loose threads, were all required in order to make a complete masterpiece, unique and one-of-a-kind, like no other masterpiece every created, handmade by the One who placed each star in the sky, each fish in the sea, each hair on your head. No words...

So, all that reflection (it just started coming, and I didn't really mean to type it all, but I'm gonna leave it; somebody might get something out of it) came to mind when thinking of prayers for our friends, and what kind of tapestry God will start with this new marriage! Rather, how He will combine the tapestries He's already got going in each of their lives. I can't wait to see God's blessings in their lives. As they will live across the street from us, I have a feeling we may see some times when they are feeling "less-blessed," but isn't that the best part? The beauty in the rubble? The things that happen to us, that we don't like, but how they make us better people? How God uses every little detail, sparing nothing, to bring us closer to Him, because He is truly that in love with us and that desperate for our love in return? That He'd do anything to get our attention? Wow- the Creator, He wants me! My attention, my silly chats (which I have a feeling I make God laugh a lot with my 'little girl' requests) my love- He can have it! If He can use it, He can have it! But I can't wait to see how God uses their lives, bringing them together, who knows what He has in store for them- but the unknown is so exciting! Scary, but exciting!

Blessing for our friends:

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His light to shine upon your face both now and forevermore. May He hold you and keep you close to His heart. May He make your days together be long and sweet. May He bless your home, your children, your lives. May you  never be far from His perfect love."

Running with a Motivational Limp

I ran so hard- this picture is just before the finish line and yeah, I'm smiling...(insert sigh here) Country Music City Half Marathon 2009. I had trained so good for it... granted some of that training was my coping with the death of my grandmother, Gran, in January 2009. But I remember being so ready for the race by the end of March 2009..

So, it's 2011 and I am just not feeling very ready. I started training in December, and was doing really good during the cold weather but then came the rain... and I just have gotten spoiled  having the Greenline so close that I just do not want to run on a treadmill! Call me crazy- and, I think that the treadmill did my knees in..notice the knee brace in the picture above... since running on the Greenline and through the neighborhood, I've definately noticed less pain in my knee- or is because I'm not training hard enough??

All that to say, I've been running, utilizing my apps on my ipod to help with timing and interval running. But I was not getting to that "high" point in the run... for all you runners out there, you know what I'm talking about! But today.. finally!!! Me, my ipod in one hand, my inhaler in the other (thank-you-very-much-adult-onset-asthma) we hit the high!! It was so nice... probably helps that it was sunny and bright and just generally a happy kind of day. But there is something to be said for running with the sun beating down on you, heating your face, feeling the sweat on your forehead (sweat = productivity) and getting your breathing rhythm down right... felt good. Although I run good in the cold, and I may try my hand at the St. Jude half in December... there is just something in me that loves the heat.

I'm just hoping this good run day is the start of some more..because it has just been a downer feeling like I'm not ready for the race. Plus, the hills!! If anyone reading this has actually participated in the Nashville half, they can tell you about the hills... they are a nightmare. But thanks to Shelby Farms, there are some hills to train on. I actually have been trying to talk Trey into dropping me off at Shelby Farms and making me run home via Greenline.. He's not completely sold on that idea though! But he is going to get the bike greased up and more air in the tires and ride with me- that's always good motivation!!

I just want to finish another half. I am not so concerned about my time- probably because I've lived my life as an average kind of athletic girl, and it's a nice place to be... no at the top, close to but not at the bottom.. just average. Definately never got the blue ribbon for the Presidential Fitness Test back in the day. But I just want to finish... any tips out there for motivation? Any great routes in the Memphis/Shelby County area? Any good running songs?? (I'm a fan of Enrique's "I like it"- good beat)

I want to be that girl again!

My uncle and motivator, helping me stand up with my bummed knee

Love of my life, who ran 8 miles with me when we first started dating, and had never run further than..well not far..ever

I need my happy running face back!! April 30...it's coming.. I want to be ready..

Devastation in Japan

I woke up this morning to the sounds of my sweet husband getting ready for work. Sounds of a hot shower, the fridge opening, the coffee pot, the kitties crying for treats. I stayed warm in the bed, under the covers and I thought to myself,  "I am so thankful."
I think most people have been semi-glued to the t.v. the past few days, watching the devastation and turmoil unfold on the other side of the world. Images flashing of debris, collapsed buildings, water rushing over the land, explosions and fire, people completely broken and desperate to survive. My heart is burdened and heavy. I think, "What if..." I take for granted so many things in life, in everyday life, such as having a warm bed and a roof over my head, having a husband to kiss me goodbye before going to work, having hot water, food, clothes. What if we lost everything? Could I handle it? What would we do? Where would we go? As Christians, it's easy to say, "Well, God's word promises...." , "God will provide whatever we need...", "Stay strong an courageous...", "Ask and ye shall receive...", but sometimes, I want to ask God "Why?" Why allow this? Why all the wars, the shootings, the government struggles, the poverty, Katrina, Haiti, Tsunami's, earthquakes, civil wars...Why? I want to go help, I want to go fix it, I want to do something..I don't like this brokeness and pain and suffering..

No answer. Only a few quiet thoughts.."Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other...Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..be thankful...and whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.." Colossians 3.

" Encourage one another and build each other up...live in peace with each other...encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone...always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else...


... Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. " 1 Thess. 5

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands..." 2 Cor. 5

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed... all this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God... for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4

The helper-bee in me wants to hop in the next plane and go help the people.. as I wanted to with Katrina, Haiti, etc...but God has put me in this place for now- He wants me serving His people in Memphis...but I can pray. And the part of me that wants instant gratification says, "well...what the heck does prayer do?" But I have got to remember, God's got this. This isn't His first earthquake. Katrina wasn't His first hurricane. And the turmoil in the middle east and Africa isn't new for Him either. He's got this. He just wants me to be thankful to Him for what He has laid out for my life. He wants me to encourage everyone He puts in my day. He wants me to be kind, joyful, and faithful in prayer. And He wants me to pray for Japan. So I will pray...I might stomp my feet a little because I still don't like the hurt in this world, and I still want to jump on a plane and go help- but God knows that about me, too... He did wire my hard-drive to want to do that... but He wants me here for now, in Memphis, going to LeBonheur to help His children there, going to Caldwell-Guthrie to love His children there.. So I can pray, I can give of the resources He has blessed me with to send others to help, and I can pray some more.

"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and  hear my prayer." Psalm 4

"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." Psalm 86

"For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted on; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." Psalm 22

" I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Psalm 40

"I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip...The Lord watches over you...The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going..." Psalm 121

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge...He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways..." Psalm 91

"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint...My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?" Psalm 6

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27

" From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do...the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield." Psalm 33

" O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior." Psalm 38

" All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you; my heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes..." Psalm 38

" His wisdom is profound, his power is vast... He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea... He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 9