Oh yah...

So, today our sheet rock~finisher~ guy, Ivan,
came by with his wife to show her our house and where he would be working.

He wanted us to get to meet because she is a stage four breast cancer survivor, and he knows about Shauna.

We are praying for her and they are praying for us.

She was very sweet,
and I was so glad to finally meet her.
Ivan has done work for us before, and is very good at what he does,
but the bonus is, he is just a really nice guy and very family oriented.

So, as nice as he is, I figured I would like his wife.

I wasn't disappointed.
She is as sweet as can be, every bit as kind and good as I expected,
but it's what she said to me that clinched it.

She walked in to my semi-remodeled living room,
with the vaulted ceiling and loft,
took one look around and said,

"Did this used to be a barn?"

***happy sigh***

I love that woman.


***************

Note about Shauna:
Shauna had an out patient procedure to clean out some infection from her previous surgery yesterday. She is doing better today than the last few days.
Thank you for all of your love, kind words and support for her and our family
through this rough, rough journey.

~Love to you friends,
Debbie

**Friends** What a Blessing

It was time for the little girlies to have a fun party.

~with fluffy tutus~

~and dainty desserts~

~and giggling~

~and twirling~

*lots of twirling*

Friends are such a sweet blessing.

I hope that you take time today to think of your friendships
and realize what a real treasure they are.

A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

the black and white photos were taken by my new friend...
she is amazing.
and her photography is inspirational.

A Refreshing Reprieve

My phone rings this afternoon and it's one of my oldest dearest friends on the other line....

She says

I just read your blog post from today~~

I have 6 tickets to Powell Gardens

Do you wanna go?

Let me tell you all the reasons that I had to say yes

*we were having an unusually warm day

*the girlies squeeled in delight when I mentioned it

*it's a beautiful place to spend some time

*it's like asking a homesick kid at summer camp if he wants to go home

You see....it's not just a pretty place to spend some time for me~
It is like going home.

This is where I worked before having kids.

Yes.....I loved my job.

I felt a real sense of belonging and peace as I entered the botanical garden where I once spent so much time.

I saw old friends.

I saw plants that I grew from babies that were like old friends.

I got a chance to really play with Nikolai for the first time...
{you know...my new camera}

in fact....
I took so many pictures that I'm going to have to break it up
into two segments.

It was good for the soul.

Thanks for calling Tina.

From the Bottom of My Heart

As I write this 99th post, I had intentions of writing about what blogging has come to mean to me. However, I'm not sure that I will do a very good job. My head is in a fog.

I am so surprised by how much blogging has impacted me...six months ago, I didn't know what blogging even meant. Now I can't go a day without checking on my blogging friends.

I'm thankful beyond words for all the kindness and love that has come my way from so many of you. Not only in comments but in the form of emails and even phone calls and letters...
especially about the recent surgery of my baby sister, Shauna. We found out this morning that the mass is cancer. I need your prayers and support now more than ever and I know that you will give it because that is who you are. Kind. Giving. Loving. Supportive.

You have become my friends and for that I am grateful.

Of course, it hasn't been all butterflies and rainbows. I have lost one blogging friendship along the way and that was hard. I'm not sure why it happened and of course I have wondered...is it something I said...or didn't say. Anyway, it's over and I'm sorry that it turned out the way it did.

And there are a few people out there that I am sure keep a crystal ball by their computer and a few flying monkeys in their workspace--but those people are few and far between. I try to avoid those people that don't make me a better person.

But mostly, I feel surrounded by a circle of loving friends that I would love to meet someday and that have become part of my every day.

Thanks for sharing your lives with me and for letting me share mine.

Chasity

Special Deliveries from Special Friends

I would like to share some of the goodies that I have received in the mail this past week or so....

It's so exciting to look up on the front porch and notice a box sitting there by the front door.

waiting.

tempting.

enticing.

pleading to be opened.

The curiosity of what is inside is part of the allure.

bb
Without further ado....my first show and tell is from Tricia at Backyard Candle Company.

I opened the box and this lovely tiny nest was the first thing I saw.

{say it with me now.....awwwwww}

That is exactly what I said when I saw it.

The whole package smelled like her delicious candles. What an aroma.

She even threw in a couple of little tea lights for fun.

What a great surprise. Thanks Tricia!!

and this is what I bought from her...the loveliest calendar of Paris.

There is a magnet that you move for the month and day.

I love it!!! {Je l'adore!}

Is my french even close? It has been a while.
Show and Tell number two:

This is the necklace that I won from Allesandra's Giveaway at

Just Be Happy!

and I was happy.

The necklace is wonderful....It makes the greatest little tinking noise when you wear it and it is just so pretty. You gals should go get one in your favorite color.

and last but definitely not least.....a gift from my sweet sweet sweet friend Tara

{aka Blondie in san clemente}

and did I mention what a sweetheart she is? It's true.

She sent it to me just because.

It has the most darling teeny tiny buttons on it and the most adorable smocking on the top.

It is lovely in every way.

Just because....isn't that great?!

It has joined my other favorite baby dresses and christening gowns

which adorn my bedroom walls.

A big thanks to all of you again.

It has really made me happy to open each of your lovely parcels.

{{{hugs}}} to you!

Chasity

{for those who haven't seen it yet....

we are doing a monthly giveaway....

check out the post a few days back to see our exciting news}

Thankful Thursday

...

Good morning all you lovely gals! And a cheery haloo to any fellas out there too! My first thing to be thankful for today is you! Thank you for your newfound friendship, your kind words of encouragement, your own lovely posts, your cheerful pictures and inspiring ideas and your wonderful music. God is so good to surround us with lovely people and lovely things to make our days all the brighter!!.....
..
As I type up this post I am listening to "The Sunny Side of the Street" from The Quintessential Magpie's blog. Wow. Do you know it is four a.m. and I have a smile a mile wide as I type. What a delightful way to wake up. This song is one of my all time favorites. It is one of the many songs my grandma would sing to me as a child as we washed dishes together. I'm wrapped in sweet memories like a comfy, warm quilt as I type. Thank you Sheila!
..........
I am thankful for my dear husband, who is still resting in dream land right now and for the fact that if I go crawl back under those warm covers right now, he will reach for me and pull me to him, no matter how cold I am.



I am thankful for each one of my children (and their best friends), the good health that we all share, and for each one of their bright smiles and great senses of humor--most of the time...the fake spiders and snakes under my pillow really could stop...
...............

I am thankful for our little granddaughter and her little brother or sister that is growing strong and healthy in her mommy's tummy. Grandbaby one got to hear grandbaby two's heartbeat for the first time yesterday. What a blessing!
...............

I am most especially thankful that I know my God and Father in Heaven has given me each and every one of these blessings, and so many more than I will ever have time to type, or you will have time to read!! ..

Oh, and I am also thankful for super cinnamony cinnamon toast. Yum!
.....
And, lastly, I am thankful that Chasity doesn't mind fixing my post. Again.
{any time dear Debbie, any time :) chas}

Have a lovely day. Know that if you are reading this, someone is thankful for you and has already said a prayer for you today! Love to you. Debbie

Thankful Thursday

Recently my very sweet and funny friend Jan from the polkadot barn honored me with some blog awards...too kind Jan tooo kind.


Up until November, I had never even seen a "blog" or really know what a blog was!
Boy, has the internet changed my life. I am surprised and amazed at the friendships that I have formed over the past several months.




There are some wonderful and amazing women out there that I have been fortunate to find and can now call my friends.

I would love to meet many of them in person...to hear their voices--don't you ever wonder how they sound?

{{{Does Jan really talk with a southern drawl and say stuff like "Ya'll come over for supper"...Does Kasey have that typical Chicago accent that is so fun to hear....Does Becky ever find herself saying " Like, totally!" ---kidding---she is so succint and words everything with beauty!}}}
.

All that being said, I would like to honor one special friend today. I know, the official award rules are that you are to pass it on to 8 bloggers, perhaps I can finish the others later. {I hope that the blog police don't knock on my door in the next few minutes!!!}
I want to give special credence to one girl in particular today. To set her in the Limelight because she is so deserving! and that special friend is Amy from the Maisy Report.

She is special for many reasons:


1. She was our very first follower. I am eternally grateful that she clicked that button and decided to journey with us.


2. She always leaves wonderful and sweet comments for us.


3. She ordered goodies from my girls, The Wildflowers, the moment they opened shop!
{you gotta love someone who is that good to your kids!}


4. She is truly happy for friends when they succeed {or when they win a super- amazing giveaway! Thanks Jeanne!!!}



So, today I would like to say THANKS to Amy and my other new friends in Blogville that have been such a blessing to meet.


All My Love,

Chasity







P.S. The awards are all yours for the taking....if you dont' want them cluttering up your pretty blog then just print them off and put them in a pretty frame :)

Superbowl Sunday...Go er um ... go...football team!

chasity

All right, I admit... I didn't even know what teams were playing in the Superbowl until yesterday. Football is a lot like cilantro---you either love it or you hate it. I happen to hate them both. No offense to fans of football or cilantro...just my opinion. However, we did go to a great Superbowl party {except Shauna who was home with her sick babies...we missed you guys- get well soon}

.

The night was packed with great food:

.

.

and great fun:

.

.

.

Grrr....go Steelers!

{although I didn't see one second of the pigskin in action,

I did watch some of our guys watch it.}

and great girlfriends:

.

A funny sidenote...Twinkletoes lost a tooth at the party which is hilarious because she lost her very first tooth at last years Superbowl party. I told her that she could do that for a while but pretty soon she'll have to stop or else she will end up looking like a jack-o-lantern.

.So, Little Mr. Tooth Beary was called into action last night. She hasn't woke up yet to see what wonderful things are in his pocket. How exciting!

Have a good week! The girls are hoping to get their "store" open by the end of the week!