Tick Tock

First day of K-3 Preschool:

Last day of K-3 preschool:

Our little blond beauty is changing.....growing....changing some more.....much to be celebrated and much more to be thankful for but for now....I am going to wipe away a tear or two ....

my goodness, time.....how it does fly by.

For now.....my thanks

I am in the midst of a slow re-entry to the real world....more about all of that later but I have to some people to thank...

Thanks to the best Husband/Daddy in the universe for my birthday trip and for being who you are for me every single day...even when I am a brat. Thanks for my weekend away - it was exactly what I needed.

Thanks to Kathy, Carrie and Katie for taking good care of my family. It was wonderful to drive away knowing you guys were loving on my family in all the many ways that you did.

Thanks Mom and Dad (both Jones and Grant) for the cards and gifts.

Thanks to Janet, Julie and Linda - for your phone calls and messages....even though we didn't get to chat, just knowing I was in your thoughts put a smile on my face.

Thanks to Shearin for my package of "old lady doom"....I loved it all, even the black confetti that still litters my kitchen floor....might you remember October isn't far away and I have a VERY good memory for an old lady!

Thanks to Julia, Chris and Sam for my beautiful roses. They will brighten my kitchen for sure.

Thanks to Kellie and Katie for my impromptu birthday celebration complete with homemade cake, presents and great conversation.

Thanks to all of you who called and left messages and sent emails and well wishes.

Thanks to my Friday morning sisters for your prayers...they were heard and answered.

Thanks to Kelly for many many things but most recently, my bracelet and charms....if only I could silver plate you and hang you from my wrist!

And most importantly, Thanks to God for five friends....for the side-splitting laughter, for the cleansing tears, for the cherished time spent together, for our full histories and our bright futures. For a weekend that reminded me of my blessings....and as I saw written at the Chrisley house..."The best things in life are not things".

Stay tuned for pictures and more revelations from a very blessed and happy (but slightly tired) 40 year old!

Word to your Mother

I have been an Oprah Winfrey Show watcher since I can remember and I have heard her say many, many times...."A full time Mother has the hardest job in the world". I must admit, before August 2002 I really thought Oprah might have missed the boat on that statement. I seriously couldn't reconcile in my mind how on earth staying at home raising children was difficult.....until I had one. Then.....I GOT IT. And you know what, even though I am not an avid Oprah watcher these days, I still think she's pretty smart...cuz she sure nailed that statement with a whole bunch of truth!!

Motherhood is taxing on all fronts....physically, mentally, spiritually.....daily rearing of little children can flat wear you out but as all Mothers know, the rewards are exponentially greater than any amount of effort given and usually our little ones manage to come through in the clutches and pull out some of their best and sweetest work when we have just about reached our breaking point. They must come equipped with some kind of "Mama's gonna blow radar".

And so yes, I happen to believe that Mother's Day is well earned by all of us Mothers. So well earned, I even think we could make this a bi-annual holiday....let me know if you're interested in starting a crusade for this.

So my Mother's Day weekend was just what I hoped it would be....filled with special time with my family and our friends. It was great to kick it off with Friday morning Bible Study and enjoy some time in God's word with some of the greatest women I know. I have developed some exciting and fulfilling new friendships and that's just one of the blessings of this most recent Bible Study. It's so awesome to have friendships firmly rooted in faith....what a gift! This most recent Study has been excellent....the daily lessons fall right into context with things I am wrestling with which, of course, is no accident. More about the study another time but suffice it to say I am learning over and over again that God's timing is always perfect.

Saturday we hit the beach with some of the Bethanys. We met at Isle of Palms and spent the entire day enjoying the sun, sand and surf. There were 13 children running around so there was NO SHORTAGE of playmates - it was great! The Mommy's managed to carve out some time to talk and the Daddy's bonded nicely over some fierce sand football and hole digging with the kids. It couldn't have been a better day....so great in fact that we continued the fun over dinner at Dog and Duck. Just one of those lazy days that lingered. PERFECT.....well, it would have been perfect had we not been missing our Monahans and Rowlands. Missed you guys...can't wait to do it again soon!!

Sunday....a full day for sure. For the 2nd year in a row, our church hosted the Children of the World Choir. The choir is made up of precious, PRECIOUS children from Uganda, Guatemala and Nepal. From the first drum beat, I fought back tears watching these little ones smile and sing joyfully -- their spirits were so bright which seems almost impossible to me in the face of their realities back in their home countries. The loss experienced at such young ages....no parents for many, being raised by siblings not much older than themselves....all due to the AIDS crisis in these countries.

Lilly and Winston were sitting just in front of us with the Brabham kids so it was great to enjoy the choir AND have a bird's eye view of my own children experiencing the choir too. At some point during a song, I saw Kathy scoop Lilly up into her lap so she could see better; Kathy leaned into Lilly, whispered something to her and kissed her head. Soon after, Lilly looked over to another friend of mine (and Mom) who was sitting next to her; Lilly simply looked up and smiled...Catherine reached down and starting stroking Lilly's hair...such sweet expressions. In those moments, my heart felt so full....knowing that my children not only have my love, but they are gifted with the love of so many special Mothers that are placed in their lives. I get the joy of having other Mothers to rely on for all kinds of support and our children reap those benefits too. We are so very blessed to have an extended family at Bethany, particularly since our immediate families are far away.

After church we had brunch at Farringdon with the Yoders and Boomershines....great fun. In all the excitement, I never managed an actual PICTURE of the Mother's.....only the children...go figure!! Regardless, it was a great morning with lots of laughter and plenty of good food.

I worked in a little siesta that afternoon during the stormy weather we were having and in an impromptu moment, we ended up back at the Yoder's for dinner. Brian "worked it out" (and yes, I just channeled Randy Jackson for that comment...DAWG!) with some smoking hot brisket on his smoker....YUM. The weather was perfect for a little dinner on their back porch. A great ending to a really great day......and weekend. Thank you Yoder family - for all that you do for us.

So a shout out, belated as it may be, to all Mothers....I really think every day is a good day to pay tribute to the job so many of us are fortunate enough to have. In fact, there are 2 Mothers about 6 hours away who did a mighty fine job indeed! Thanks Mom Jones and Mom Grant - we surely do love you!

My Girl

So much to share after this wonderful Mother's Day weekend filled to the brim with good times and great, great friends but today is also my best friend's 40th birthday and that deserves a post all its own.

I could write for days about this girl...but I know there are no words adequate enough to express how much she brings to my life. She has filled my life with so much joy and unconditional love that I can say with certainty, I would not be here living this life in the way that I live it had it not been for her love, her grace and her never-ending support. She knows every single thing about me....the good, the bad and the oh so ugly and she has never so much as flinched....she has just kept on loving me and I am so much better for knowing her.

It's never a coincidence to me that she always celebrates her birthday on or around Mother's Day weekend....because she is one of the greatest Mothers that I know.

So Happy Happy Birthday Kel - I cannot wait to spend 4 days celebrating this milestone with you. I hope your day was everything you wished for. I love you beyond measure.

Ever grateful for you......Ang

Would you like Tea or Water? I'll have both!

The warm weather is here to stay in SC....and there is only one way to beat the heat in this next of the woods....WATER play...lots and lots of water play. Beach trips, water park days and anything else we can come up with to stay cool will be the order of the day, every day, in just a few short weeks when school ends and summer officially begins.

Alex invited Lilly and Sarah over for some time on the slip n slide. Lilly had already been asking about putting hers out in the back yard so she was thrilled to suit up and head over for some fun in the backyard. And for me, well, the Saelzler back porch is a cozy little spot to watch the kids play and catch up with Carrie. We had a great time watching the kids splish splash. We did warn Sarah and Lilly that Alex was "spoken for" so as long as the fun remained friendly and not romantic, we felt like Ella would approve!!

Yesterday was the annual Mother's Day Tea at Bethany and this was my first year to have this special time with Lilly. The kids were precious and had been busy making and planting flowers for the Mommies. They sang some sweet songs to us and served brunch. Such a great time to spend with Lilly and our special friends.

The Moms enjoyed reading the homemade cards by our children...I always love question and answer projects involving little people. To my surprise, Lilly shared the following about me...

My favorite food is salad

I love to cook and do laundry (50% correct...you guess which is right!)

My favorite color is pink

I am 23 years old (I LIKE IT!)

My best friend is Miss Kathy

I'd say she did a fine job on the answers...we will have to re-visit the laundry comment! By far, not something I LOVE to do but certainly something I do ALOT. And if she thinks I am only 23, then I'd say yes, I love to do laundry!

We have another beautiful weekend in store for us ....more water.....beach tomorrow with 4 other families. Should be plenty of fun for everyone. Isle of Palms here we come!

Sunday is Mother's Day and I am so excited to see the Children's Choir of the World at church; this is their 2nd Mother's Day visit to our church and if it's anything like last year, it will be a beautiful and heartwarming way to spend Mother's Day morning. After church, family brunch with the Yoders at Farringdon...another day to enjoy my family and good friends.

So happy Mother's Day to all....I wish for you a day to enjoy your families and your blessings.

Quite a fine weekend this is shaping up to be

What a great great way to spend a weekend....and we're still in the middle of it!

Last night we enjoyed some couple time with our good friends and neighbors, Brian and Katie. We both had babysitters and spent the evening sitting on the front porch of the Farringdon Bistro & Pub enjoying the wonderful spring weather and great company. Katie and I see each other at least twice a day on the walks to school but try as we might in the past, the boys hadn't gotten to really meet each other. It was a great time together and by the end of the evening, the boys were planning a kayaking trip to hunt gators...Katie and I weren't completely sure what all of it meant but we were quite happy to see they were interested in spending more time together. Think we might have made a "love" connection for the dudes...always a bonus! So....we'll look forward to some more fun soon with the Yoders, which will actually be Mother's Day when we get our entire crews together for brunch.

On to Saturday....today....and what a dreamy, wonderful, joyful day it was. We continued with the Bethany birthday party circuit and helped Sarah and Sam celebrate at one of the greatest little places on earth....the Brabham Farm in Cottageville. I don't know if it's because I grew up a suburban neighborhood kind of girl but this wonderful little farm that's tucked away on a quiet street has stolen my heart. It is absolutely beautiful in the most simple, unassuming kind of way. Nothing at all fancy....just a sweet little house with a carport....a tire swing welcomes you as you turn in the driveway and looking out the kitchen window just brings a smile to my face. It's so peaceful....such an escape...so simple and beautiful and it just feels good. To add to all that, we were surrounded by great friends and sweet, sweet children.

It was so great to spend this beautiful spring day under the big oak trees talking to our wonderful friends, watching the kids run around. Everyone had a great, great day. Winston took his first rides on a four-wheeler, fished in the pond, and ran and ran and ran. He is well suited for farm living I think...Lilly too it seems, when we left, she was sporting some award-winning "grocery store feet" and had managed a few turns on the four wheelers too. Just one of those days to be grateful.....for families, for friends, for good times. By my estimation, only one thing was missing...the Monahan Family!!

Thanks Brabhams and Rowlands....the day couldn't have been better!!

The exclamation points to the weekend....

Laundry Room Renovation is well underway - we hope to have some pictures of a COMPLETED side of the room in another week or so.

Mama gets some much needed GIRL TIME tomorrow with my favorite peeps....dinner and a movie to celebrate 2 special (but belated) birthdays. Can't wait! (And Julie, if you leave FL by 8am tomorrow, you can make it in time to meet us!!)

Ahhh....life...it is good! And for that, I am grateful!