Joyfull Living

Our children are spaced out in ages a little different than the 'normal' age span  in most families.   It's been a bit different but it's been a life full of many more blessings and opportunities that never would have came about if planned out 'normally'.   God is a master planner and His ways are always best!  Our 2 older boys were well on their way to growing up when our 3rd son was born.  With the awakening of how fast life goes by and children grow up, I've always viewed this last child as one more chance to capture and cherish those fleeting moments of childhood.   It also presented various opportunities to continue on with mothering duties long after my friend's children were grown and gone.  Things like again returning to sports practices, school plays, church camps and one huge blessing was hanging out with much younger parents!   That full life, busy parenting season extended itself for several years.   Things like driving chil

She loves dogs, I love to walk, so with weekend plans for a visit coming up, my sweet daughter in law asked if I wanted to sign up for the "Dawgy Dash" 5K.  It sounded like fun. Turns out, the whole weekend was fun! Mother's Day weekend with all my children together...doesn't get much better than that! When the morning of the walk arrived, rain was close by, but we decided to try it anyway! Around 50 dogs and their owners walked through the quaint neighborhoods in a small north Georgia town.  The town went all out for this walk.  These sweet direction markers in the shape of a doggy bone lined the streets.  The walk wound through neighborhoods and along the main street of town. Flowers, stone sidewalks, tree lined streets made this a beautiful walk! We finished!  Our sweet Fargo was a champ!   Although she's not big on pictures or much attention, my sweet mother in law came along on the trip as well.  She handled

There is just something about a Mother's Day hangover.  Hearts are happy and full from the love and appreciation shown, Monday morning may find us basking in that glow of love, re-reading cards, eyes lingering over gifts displayed and minds remembering special times shared with family.  No matter what what level of celebration went on in the home, there is something so special about being appreciated.  The day after Mother's Day can also bring some renewed resolve for the upcoming year. Surely we want to live up to all that acclamation right??!!  That inspiration may be high for us to be the best mother yet for the coming year.  But every driving force needs a motive to keep it alive. And, no matter how we feel today, there will be challenges ahead this year, times to love through trials, inconveniences, ways to put others first and develop selflessness.  That is going to take some grit, determination and motivation.  What are some qualities you would like to devel

May is here with all it's beauty and blessing. Beautiful weather, spring holidays, anticipating summer, May is just a fabulous month!   It is also the month we celebrate Mother's Day. For many women, Mother's Day is a doubly blessed day. We express thankfulness for our mothers and receive recognition for being a mother. It's a day to spend with family usually complete with food, flowers, cards and gift.  Digging a little deeper, we may pause and think of our own mothers. If she is still here, it is a time to be thankful, to let her know how much she is loved and appreciated. If she is passed on, it may be a time of sadness and feeling of the missed opportunity to express our love to her. In either situation, we reflect on our moms, remember her love and security. Remembering the comfort that just being in her presence brought, the memories of special places, activities and things shared.  If you are a mother, probably some of her traits are carried on t

For several days now, I've felt unusually tired. This has been noticed more in the mornings because that is usually a high energy time and the most productive time of the day.  Here is how my mornings start: A cup of coffee is grabbed on the way to my favorite chair as I snuggle under the blanket and take in a daily devotion from God's Word. The taste of the coffee wakes me up, the inspiration found through the devotion encourages and inspires my soul and within a few minutes, I'm up to tackle a quick workout, breakfast, pack  a lunch and get a head start on dinner.  Usually a load of laundry is started and other household chores done before we walk out the door for the day. Back to my fatigue issue....it was unusual that halfway through my reading I could barely keep my eyes open.  The morning routine is broken into time segments and when reading time was done, all I wanted to do was stay curled up in the blanket.   I couldn't figure out what was

When choosing breakfast for a busy morning, it must be something that will last for a few hours. A key component that will keep you fueled longer is protein.  Eggs, breakfast meats, yogurt, nuts, cottage cheese are all good sources of protein, but every now and then, I long for some of that breakfast comfort food- french toast, waffles and pancakes.  Here is a recipe for those carb craving mornings that also include the protein needed to keep me going! Protein-Packed Pancakes Ingredients 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs (50 grams per egg) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (245 grams) 2% fat Greek yogurt 1/3 cup (50 grams) fresh blueberries (for garnish) Directions Add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract and Greek yogurt) until well mixed. Add the dry ingredi

I wear the title "Runner" proudly because it allows a lot of freedom - it's not based on speed, distance or frequency, if you run - you are considered a runner!  If you don't run, WAIT ...don't leave, this post isn't all about running, there are some nuggets to take away about real life.  To be a truly great runner that continually advances, much time and energy must be put in.  Since my running began later in life, the attraction for me is the energy that it gives and the feeling of accomplishment it brings. I've found it is hard to find that place of continual advancement in mileage, but I do try to keep up a consistent routine.  In running as well as most things in life, the mind is in charge.  Your body follows what your mind tells it to do. When I run my mind is set on a particular distance and often it is measured by landmarks. On a recent run, my point to stop running and begin walking was a church.  This sweet little church I pas