Glory, be!

The birds are chirping outside and the weather forecast is predicting highs in the upper 80's today. It's a glorious day to be alive. Glorious, I say! I've got windows open all over the house and the smell wafting through them is intoxicating. And, it's Monday - my favorite day of the week!

I'm a bit disjointed this morning, so I'm resorting to bullets.

My Mother's Day was lovely. Asia and the kids bought me a bike - which I'm so excited about. I also got a bouquet of the prettiest roses I think I've ever gotten. They're all shades of pink and so full and beautiful. Flowers really make me happy.

• I'm also getting a new patio put in this week. An outdoor beautification project almost always ends up being part of my Mother's Day gift. We built a new deck in 2003 and I've been waiting to finish up the tail end of that project since then. I'll be sure to take before and after pictures. I think it's going to make a huge difference in my back yard. I'm very excited about my patio.
• I have to publicly shout-out to my Mom, who is the best Mom in the world. Of course, I didn't get to the post office in time to mail her Mother's Day present, and in her typical understanding way, she told me to just bring it when I see her in a couple of weeks... I hate that I can't even seem to get my life organized enough (or be enough of a grown-up) to get to the post office in time to send presents. I'm a big failure in that department. But my Mom still loves me. Thank goodness.
• And of course, since I didn't get to the post office, I didn't get my Dad's birthday present mailed either. Today is his birthday. Sorry Dad. I'll bring it to Leavenworth. Love you.
• I helped S. put together a 'float' for a school assignment over the weekend. The third grade class always does a huge project and program on the city of Spokane that coincides with the week of the Lilac Festival and Parade. We did her float on Green Bluff - a farming community to the north of Spokane, with pumpkin patches and apple orchards. I have to say - those are some of my best Mommy moments - helping the kids create clever and eye-catching school projects. Her float is the cutest thing I've ever seen. We made little fimo clay pumpkins, had an apple tree and a picket fence with bales of hay and flower pots in the corners. It's just adorable. I forgot to take a picture before she took it to school this morning, so I'll have to get one Wednesday at the program. I'm so proud of her creative eye - she understands good design. Good girl.
• My dog is getting so big. I looked at her paws the other day and thought "where the heck did those monstrous toes come from?" She's really a beautiful dog... I get comments on her every time I take her out. Really. She's a stunning example of canine beauty. Love her. LOVE.HER!
• I was supposed to get my hair colored this morning. I cancelled the appointment. I'm going to go buy a box and do it myself. I just hate spending money on color, even though I know the end results are so nice. Ugh. I'm cheap. Cheap, I tell you. But I've got to do something about all this grey... it's taking over my head. (I really teased my brother Ken when he started going grey. Karma, folks.)
• We had the pastor and his wife and son over on Friday. I made my flank steak and we yakked for hours. Good stuff. At one point Asia brought up my musical giftedness, in an effort to... well, honestly, I don't know why he brought it up. Rob (the pastor) was interested in my reluctance to 'get involved' in the music at church... I can't really explain it, and I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I have lost 90% of the urging I used to feel to be involved in 'music ministry.' And yet, as Rob pointed out, if I have a gifting in that area, I need to evaluate if there are things I should be doing to serve in that area. I have mixed feelings about it all and am just beginning to process it. Part of me just feels like that was a season in my life that is over. But I do want to be faithful to use what God has given me... it's good to be in a place where I'm not just rushing in blindly to do what is easy for me... but almost harder to not feel sure of where I belong. We'll see. We'll see.
• I desperately need to shower. Not that you care.
• Did I tell you how good it smells outside today? I could just drink it.
• I got some pretty new jewelry last week... amazing how pretty jewelry makes me feel, well... pretty. You just can't beat a lovely beaded necklace in my book.

Have a super Monday, friends.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Toodles!