weekend wrap-up

This year is wrapping up quickly!  I cannot believe how fast 2014 went by, but I am excited to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.  I'm even working on goals for this year, for the first time in ages.  I don't do 'resolutions', but I do have goals that I am working towards.  

But that'll be another post.  

Here are some pictures from the past few days.

My best friend Christa and her family came to Memphis for Christmas.  I haven't seen her since September, so it was good to get to love on all of them.  I miss her already.  Drew was the only one Annalise would let hold her.  She calls him Bubbles.  :)  I think he's hopelessly in love with this angel child.  Who wouldn't be?!

It was so, so good to see her and to catch up.  

Saturday was Toddley's 38th birthday.  (Welcome to the club.)  The picture you see is something I have wanted for so long~it's a picture of a poem called The Little Chap That Follows Me.  His mom decided it was time to pass this down to us.  I took down all our Christmas decorations, with the help of my awesome boys.  And Todd and Graham left for a road trip to Des Moines, Iowa.  He was going to purchase a vehicle for Graham to drive when he turns sixteen, but there was too much wrong with it, and it didn't happen.  But they're not done yet.  Todd called this morning and told me that they loved me, but that they were staying gone another night.  They found some more reasonably priced vehicles near Little Rock, Arkansas, so they will be staying to look at all those.  

Todd and Graham 'camped out' in the back of Todd's truck the past two nights and slept really soundly.  They didn't even get cold!  They took our camping foam and sleeping bags and plenty of blankets to help keep them warm.  Crash and Andy kept each other warm last night.  I watched my favorite Christmas movie of all time, The Holiday, while the boys and their friends hung out upstairs.  I took this picture of my hair, because all of a sudden, it seems really long.  I haven't had long hair since my sophomore year of high school.  Though I would love to keep it shorter, my favorite man loves it like this.  And it's easy, which is nice.  So for now, and for him, I will keep it this way.

Drew is enjoying his new coffee mug.  He and Graham got these for Christmas, because they both drink coffee every morning.  I officially put away my 2014 Erin Condren life planner that my sister Debi bought me last year and started writing in my new 2015 planner that my mom-in-love bought me for my birthday.  I love it!  And, finally, today, while in our church's parking lot, I hit my dear friend's car.  While she was driving it.  And though we didn't think it was too bad, it was unable to be driven, so we had to have it towed.  

You have no idea how sad this makes me!  I still can't believe I did it.  I was leaving the aisle I had parked in, and she was coming in the drive, and the end of the aisle just kind of rushed up on me, and I didn't see her.  I didn't really have time to even hit my brakes good before I hit her, causing her to spin around.  I wish I could explain to you our faces when we realized that it was each other~she said I had this shocked look on my face and she was smiling really big while somehow ending up perfectly parallel parked alongside the curb.  I bet she couldn't park that good again if her life depended on it!  Even though I feel really bad (REALLY, REALLY bad), I am so thankful that she wasn't hurt, that my kids weren't in the car and that it was on private property.  

After the shock wore off, we enjoyed some laughs about this in my car and catching up with each other while waiting on the police and then the tow truck to arrive.  

That was not at all how I thought my day would go today, but God is good and He knew how it would all play out.  I have spent some serious time talking to Him today, and I thank Him that it wasn't any worse than a fender bender.  And that Abbey still loves me.  :)  

You never know what a day will hold, my friends, but if I can encourage you in any way, it's to be prepared for the unexpected.  Be in the word of God daily and spend time each and every day talking to Him.  Even if all you can manage are pockets of prayer, that is okay.  It's quality, not quantity that matters.  I am so thankful for my Savior, and that His thoughts and ways are higher and better than mine.  

Love to all.