Mothers Day and beyond

I haven't written for a while. Mother's Day and Gotcha Day was all in the same week. Mr G and J treated me like a queen. Josie picked out some body wash for me and was pleased as a pickle to give them to me. She is such a happy girl. I may or may not have cried thinking of how a year can change so much. It was a beautiful weekend but still emotional. We remembered the heart breaking grief of a year ago. I remember pouring out to God last year...What if she never loves me?  A year later, that fear has left me. She loves us, undeservingly.  God is good, all the time. Even when we don't feel it. He is still good. 

We celebrated by going to Philadelphia to see a Asian Light Festival and walked through Chinatown.  We loved it. We ate at a local Chinese restaurant and after listing a huge list of foods to her and wanting her to pick, she said "French fries". Lol. Pathetic. We walked over 5 miles that Saturday and she walked most of them with us. Tough little thing. 

What have we been doing since then?  I have no idea. It seems as is it has raining forever. Forever being 3 weeks. Our daily walks have stopped. The rain and then my friend that walked with me, her kids are out of school now, so it just kinda stopped. I miss it. I got a sore throat. I also snore, according to the Mr. I'm certainly not dignified, but apparently I'm heading straight to redneck. 

One of my personal goals this summer was to learn to tolerate more dirt. Outside that is. I'm trying. But I hate it. But still trying. I let her play, then she fills her watering cans and ends up totally soaked EVERY single day and then rolls in the grass. Or sand. Or mud. Or all three. There are just no words to say exactly how I feel about this. But that I'm still trying. 

I got all types of nonsense going on outside in my backyard.  Everything is half done.  I made a raised bed for a few little vegs.

We redid a flower bed. 

I actually planted flowers and mulched. 

Actually went to a plant swap. Lol. I had NO idea what any of it was, but I happily chose plants and happily planted them. We will see what they turn out to be. 

Unbelievable. Right?  I painted the blocks on the bottom edge of the house and the metal doors going to the basement. Caulking cracks. Now we rebuild the wood around the pool edge and got a load of sand getting ready for the pool. 

I ripped up under the picnic table to put pavers under it. Bought the pavers. They are sitting there looking at me. I made half of my stepping stones and then planted in the ground to keep so much grass going in the pool and house. Rigged up a cheapo hammock. 

I even planted flowers in the window planter boxes in the shed. Who am I? My fingers and toes looks like alligator skin and I grew my first wart. I mean, it's about the little things, right, that's what they say. And I didn't even hold a toad. 

I have anyways hated all outside work, and basically didn't do it. You know that Bible verse that says everyone has a gift. I just figured mine out after 34 years. I float well.  It's my gift. I told G that once the pool is up, I'm going to do nothing but swim (float).  We will see how that works out for me. 

We basically work a day, then it rains for four. Last night J and I was out and then it just poured. I said pooie... And we just laughed and jumped and ran around the driveway acting like clowns. She thought it was the icing on the cake. A man was walking down the road and he actually stopped and stood and stared.  

 

We need to seize these moments more. I'm too busy staring at the serious and not lifting my eyes to see the beauty. Because life is a gift. Every little smile is a gift. 

Lord, open my eyes.