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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Surprise Party & Easter

This weekend has been long anticipated for a couple of reasons. If you have been following my blog for any time at all you know that I have a "Football Family" here in Arkansas. This group of friends was formed as a means to get together every weekend and share a meal, watch a little football, and just hang out. We rotate houses every week. Now that football season is over, we don't get together every Sunday, but we get together often! One thing that I LOVE about this group of friends is that we all come from varying walks of life, life experiences, ages, backgrounds and perspectives. But one thing that we all have in common is that we love each other and like to have a good time! This coming week (Apr 14 & 18) Kelly & Kara turn 40. We cannot believe that they have reached this life milestone already! Of course, we couldn't let this occasion go uncelebrated without a little twist and an element of surprise....so....we decided to throw a little surprise party just among our group of football friends. The funny thing is that the girls thought that no one was going to throw a party for them, so they planned their own for next weekend! Little did they know.....

The plan: Everyone meet at Ross and Courtney's (5 doors down from one of the birthday girls, so this could get a little tricky). Jim and John were to take the girls to a cystic fibrosis fundraiser in Fayetteville (there was no CF fundraiser, but charity events are a dime a dozen up here this time of year, so they would never know the difference). Jim was to text Courtney when he left the house and headed over to John & Kelly's (birthday girl #2). Courtney was to wait 2 minutes then call Kara and ask her to come over and check out an outfit that she was wearing to an event that night.

The surprise: All of the football friends would be standing in the kitchen when Kara and Kelly walked in the house. Jim and John had arranged for a car service to take us all down to Fayetteville to a piano bar that we love, Willy D's.

The result: 2 VERY surprised birthday girls! They LOVED the evening and had a blast! Actually, we all had a great night (and Easter morning came WAY TOO early....)




The tiaras

The birthday cake made my yours truly...Butter cake with vanilla buttercream icing.
Courtney talking to Kara...hoping she takes the bait :)

Kara walking in the kitchen....she was the first through the door

Kelly right behind Kara. Priceless face.
Jim & Kara, Kelly & John
(the men were so glad that everything worked out so well!)


The girls:
Courtney, me, Kelly, Kara, Julie, Jazmin, Heidi

The men:
Eric, Steven (Mike's brother visiting from Iowa), Mike, John, Ross, Paul, Jim

The Football Friends
Loading up and heading to Fayetteville...watch out Willy D's!
Kelly & Kara playing along with the piano guys....


Easter Sunday
This morning we awoke to torrential rains and thunderstorms. If it weren't Easter Sunday morning, I would have just continued to sleep all cozy in my bed. However, I could not do that on THE Sunday mornings of all Sunday mornings! I braved the elements and headed to church for 9 a.m. service. Much excitment and anticipation welled within me as to what the service would bring...especially after last week was so awesome! I hate to say this, but I was sadly disappointed this morning. The service was rushed, no traditional music/hymns. There was a lot of upbeat rockin' and rollin' of new songs. Where was "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" or Dolly singing "He's Alive"?? I even turned to the Christian station on XM AND radio....no dice. Bad music selections for this most wonderful Sunday of the year! This is NOT the way I was hoping Easter Sunday would go. Needless to say, by the time I got out of the service, I was soaked from my trek inside, disappointed by the service (which lasted 30 minutes!), and lack of suplimental music from the Christian radio stations. Bad start to a supposedly good day. Mercifully, I met my neighbors for brunch at Crabby's. AWESOME meal with 2 awesome families! Day is looking up.... Football friends lunch at Kelly's at 1:00. I am so looking forward to this time with my Arkansas family. With each passing hour, the day is getting better. By the time I left Kelly's at 5:00, I am in a great mood and the day has been wonderful. God is so good to me.
I struggle being away from my biological family during the holidays. When this day didn't get off to a "right" start, I really started getting sad. Being tired from lack of sleep from the night before, the tears seemed to come too easily. By noon, when my parents called, I was a basket of raw emotion. The one thing that I am most thankful for is that my Football friends ARE there and that we all have only each other during the holidays. None of us have our family close by and we take seriously leaning on each other. God is good to me!
Tonight as I post, I realize that I have had a fabulous weekend! Even though today didn't get off to the greatest start (or the one I anticipated and expected), God had a divine day planned for me. It's all about perspective and managing expectations. I expected today to go one way and God wanted it to go another....He wins!
The absolute best 5 minutes of today was when Erin showed me the dessert that she made for us today. She is 12 years old and LOVES to bake. She is really doing a lot of things on her own these days and I am so proud of her! (especially since I gave her a cake baking lesson one night....) Here is Erin and her strawberry cake. (strawberry is my most favorite cake EVER!)
Erin and the best strawberry cake

Sunday, April 5, 2009

VACATION!


Have you ever gotten to the point where if you didn't take a vacation, you felt like you were going to lose it?? Well, welcome to my months of February and March! I have been working 7 days a week and 12+ hours a day. It's called "Mod Season" in the Vendor world of Bentonville. I LOVE my job, but the time does come when one needs a nice break...no Blackberry, no Internet, no computer, and more importantly...no meetings! About 2.5 weeks ago, a good friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to take a trip. Immediately I said "YES!" So...after a little research, we decided to go to Williamsburg, VA. Both of us have wanted to visit there for some time and there was no time like the present to take action.

Day 1 - Monticello.
The first day in Williamsburg, we decided to drive up to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville. It was only a 2 hour drive up the interstate and with rainclouds looming in Williamsburg, it seemed to be a great idea. Our plan seemed to be working until just before arriving in Charlottesville when the rain found us. Undeterred, we arrived at Monticello. The scenery up the mountain was breathtaking. Monticello sits on the very top of a mountain and if you've spent much time in the mountains, you know that when it's raining there is fog. Fog had settled all around Monticello and we could not see the town below and all the sites of the gardens. Despite the rain, Monticello was a highlight of the trip. A few things that I learned:

1 - I love European Parque floors.
2 - European window shutters that fold in/out on the INside of the window is a wonderful thing...and quite elegant. It's also a lot nicer looking than American blinds.
3 - Mulberry Row - the "road" around the grounds Monticello was a major industrial development in the days of Thomas Jefferson. There were woodworkers, nailsmiths, blacksmiths, gardeners of both produce and flowers/herbs and a smokehouse. These things were originally started as a means to provide for the residents of Monticello, but quickly became a source for the town surrounding it. These trades quickly became a way to financially support Monticello, also.
4 - Thomas Jefferson was a very interesting man. He had very detailed journals and business ledgers, but was no manager of money...odd, I know. He was in great debt when he died.
5 - Thomas Jefferson's book collection was the beginning of the Library of Congress as we know it today. His book room at Monticello is breathtaking....

After a full afternoon at Monticello, we drove back to Williamsburg for dinner. My friend, Mary Anne, has suggested that we have dinner at Barret's, downtown. We "happened" upon this restaurant as we were driving around and went right in....In a word? scrumptous! This restaurant was amazing. A definite "do again" place. The crab cakes were 2nd to none...and I know crab cakes!


Day 2 - Williamsburg - the Revolutionary City.
This is the very center of downtown and is closed to motor vehicles. It is 100% period style: houses, dress, actors acting a typical day, stores, taverns (restaurants), carriages, etc all in period style! It was like literally taking a step back in time and living it firsthand.

Here is the link to the pictures....words fail to describe this experience and pictures speak best.



Day 3 - Jamestown Settlement
This was my least favorite day. Jamestown was where the FIRST settlers landed in the very early 1600's (1607?). When I think of early American History, I automatically think of the American Revolution Era (1700's). The 100 years before that when the settlers first came to Jamestown, life was tough and strict under British rule. The main takeaway for me was understanding the conditions in which the early settlers traveled and survived just to have the hope of a new world. These flagships were small and carried men, women, and children shoulder to shoulder across the icy Atlantic seas for 4 months! At best, these conditions were inhumane. Actually seeing the ships replicated in actual size and layout, really hits home the understanding of what our ancesters were hoping for...

Jamestown Pictures
Powhatan Indian Site Pictures


Day 4 - Yorktown
This was the "I wish we could stay longer" place. Yorktown is quaint as it sits on the Bay and hosts all sorts of boats...sailboats, mainly. There is a small beach and a riverwalk that hosts the cutest shops, restaurants, and museums. Yorktown was pivotal in the American Revolution as that is where Cornwalis surrendered to George Washington.
At Yorktown, we went through a very interesting Museum: The American Revolution Victory Center. At this museum, we walked along a timeline that started in the mid-1600's and ended at 1777, a year after the Declaration of Independence. This timeline helped bring all that I had seen in the days prior full circle. It was quite fitting that I had started my "tour" in the home of the man who wrote the Declaration (and actually saw the desk in which this great document was created) and finished it at the "end" while experiencing all the happenings that brought this great country to and through that point.

Today, I am back at home. I have just cleaned my kitchen from lunch where I was surrounded by all my "Arkansas Family" today. I feel rested, energized, and thankful. Today has been good.

Before I close, I just want to reflect briefly on Palm Sunday. It's the day that many years ago, Jesus rode through the city as people waved Palms. They were excited that Jesus had come. Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week...the days leading up to Easter that represent Jesus' arrest, crucifixion, death, and Resurrection. Everything in the Christian life pivots on Easter. Without the happenings of this week, Christmas and any other Christian event would be unmeaningful and unimportant. In this single week, God brought all of his promises to light and gave each one of us hope. Hope for a future, hope that we are loved and hope that we each have a divine plan. I don't know about you, but I have been too busy. Too busy working too hard, too stressed and many other excuses to fully reflect on this season as I should. How can I be too "anything" NOT to reflect and be thankful for all that God is and has done for me?? I am blessed. I have a fantastic life. I am healthy. I have friends who love me. I have family who love me. And I take it all for granted. This week, I will be thankful. This week, I will mediate. This week, I will be all that I can be.

...and next Sunday, I will celebrate!

The picture at the beginning of this post is my favorite picture of the week. Such a simple daffodil and yet so beautiful. Someone (i.e. Mom or MEK) should use this in a painting....???
Below are the rest of my favorite pictures:

Guardsman at the entrance of the Govornor's Palace

Shoes of our "House Guide"

A tree at Monticello...so foggy and misty that everything was in a haze.

Cross monument at Jamestown representing the first settlers of this first city in the New World.