My Athletic Girl

I have meant to write for awhile about my athletic girl. I know that her dad truly believes that her athletic prowess comes from him. I know that it definitely didn't come from me.

At 1 year, Maddie could dribble a ball across the room with both her feet. From the time she was 2 years old, she constantly said, "I pway soccer Mama?" We put her into soccer at age 4 and I didn't have any high hopes other than that she enjoy the game. To our surprise (or maybe just my suprise) she took to soccer like a duck to water.

Each season she seems to improve a little bit more and more people comment on her ability. I am still amazed by it. How can the child who can't walk the recycling down with her sisters without complaining, run around the field for an hour barely stopping to grab a drink of water?

I love to watch her play. Pure poetry in motion.

She decided that she wanted to play basketball in between fall and spring soccer and since basketball is truly her daddy's sport, we signed her up. She played last winter and did well and then returned this year for a second season.

And once again, poetry in motion.

Fast breaks, dribbling, shooting, our girl does it all and does it well and I have loved watching her every minute of every game.

Easter 2011

What a wonderful, fantastic day here filled with church, friends, love and good food :)

Easter baskets all ready

The Family

My girls

Destiny- 14 (let's talk later about how hard it is to find an appropriate dress for a 14 year old)

Abby-10 (With her fabulous new bangs)

Maddie-7 (Such a sweet little face)

Miss L (She is wearing the Easter dress my girls both wore several years ago. We have taught her for almost 2 years in Sunday School and absolutely adore her)

Miss L's family. They are such awesome people.

The "H" boys. Their mom is one of my closest friends here and a phenomenal cook. We spent Easter Sunday afternoon with them and had a fabulous time.

My early riser was excited to see what was in her basket

My bedhead kid and her nerds

Too cool for Easter basket pictures

I thought I would compare pics of my two little girls. The first pic is from their first Easter together in 2004 and the second from today. Can't believe how quickly they are growing.

Matching dresses. Ohio Easter 2004

Almost the same size, Georgia, Easter 2011

He is risen

Celebrating today the true gift that God gave us, his Son.

Wondering how I can be loved so much by God even when I fail so often.

Trying to live the 3rd day life, the life of resurrection and promise, not focusing on the failures of the past or the things that overwhelm me on a daily basis but living in the fullness of His promises.

Striving to teach my girls the very same truths, Christ is risen and in that they will find hope and freedom.

I spent the morning humming one of my very favorite Easter hymns. So simple, but the truth contained profound.

1. Low in the grave He lay,
   Jesus my Savior,
   Waiting the coming day,
   Jesus my Lord!
   • Refrain:
     Up from the grave He arose,
     With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
     He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
     And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
     He arose! He arose!
     Hallelujah! Christ arose!
2. Vainly they watch His bed,
   Jesus my Savior;
   Vainly they seal the dead,
   Jesus my Lord!
3. Death cannot keep its Prey,
   Jesus my Savior;
   He tore the bars away,
   Jesus my Lord!

Hallelujah Christ Arose

Seaside Then and Now

One of the highlights for me when we visit Panama City is to take a trip over to Seaside, Florida. Seaside of the tiny cute houses and gorgeous beach. It is the place that I would love to stay for an entire summer. We have taken Abby there since she was very little and just recently I came across some of those early pictures.

Abby at Seaside in 2001

Abby sitting on that same bench 10 years later (2011)

The gorgeous view we love so much

Sagey and Abby 2001

Mama and Abby 2001

That same gorgeous view 10 years ago (2001)

Our very first sweet baby girl 2001

The steps 2001

Grandma and Aunt Joycie 2001

Mama and Abby 2001

Mama, Daddy and Abby 2001

Renewal

It's late and I sit typing at the laptop. The one I swore I wouldn't do any work on, on our vacation. But this isn't work I tell myself. It's our story-the one I haven't had time to write for so long.

Vacation. I needed this time so badly. I could feel myself start to unravel in the last two months or so. It seems like I do everything just a little bit, enough to get by but not enough to finish or flourish.

I kept telling myself that I shouldn't get too excited because vacation is often very overrated. You make so many plans and they don't all happen. But I couldn't help myself. I needed this vacation so badly I could feel myself willing to hold on, to just get to April Fool's Day when at 4:00 I would be free to spend 9 whole days with my family. Where we wouldn't be rushed or harried or impatient. Where we could linger over breakfast and sleep late.

At approximately 2:30 on April 1st, I opened an email from Bud and read the words that signified an end to my vacation dreams. His boss's wife had been sent to the hospital to await the arrival of their first child. While I certainly did not begrudge them this happy day, I felt the sharp sting of disappointment because I knew he wasn't coming with us.

All my daydreams of rest and enjoying my family were rapidly disappearing. Instead I was about to embark on a 5 1/2 hour ride with three children, one of whom spends the entire time complaining about how her bottom hurts from sitting so long and "are we there yet?' Who was going to lug the beach chairs, the towels, the coolers, the boogie boards, the skim board, the umbrella to the beach with me? Who would I have to talk to and joke with?

I couldn't back out of the trip so the girls and I packed up and came anyway. It has been a challenge to figure out how to get everything unloaded into the condo and go for groceries and take them swimming and "oh mom I forgot my toothbrush, can we go buy one" but somehow I managed and finally this morning found myself parked in a chair in the sand, watching the girls dodge the waves and ride their boogie boards, listening to the sound of the surf.

And finally in that moment, I felt myself take a deep breath and relax. The sound of the ocean relaxes me. I feel myself slowing down, reveling in and enjoying the small things, enjoying my girls.

This for me is renewal. My goal this week to simply relax and unwind. And oh, maybe just maybe catch up on all my old blog posts that beg to written and I have never found the time for.