Patrick birthday fun and Paige orchestra

We had fun celebrating Patrick on his big day. Here are some pics of him enjoying his dessert and gifts which have already been put to good use. 

On Thursday night, Paige had her 2nd orchestra concert of the year. This is a little different than the normal concert in that they use it as a practice for CPA which is their state-wide competition in March. Part of CPA requires sight reading a piece they have never seen before. They get to look at it for 10 minutes and practice without playing a single sound. Then they play it once for a judge. It's always very nerve-wracking! They did great though and this was after Paige had mentioned several times how terrible they had been at this in class. 

Next up, they played their two pieces which sounded beautiful. There were two judges present at the concert who provided feedback they will review in class today. Paige was selected as 1st chair and it was fun to watch her lead her section with confidence. She felt really good about how it all went and that's all I could want!

We stayed to watch the other two groups play and I say it every time, but I am just so dang impressed. Such talented kids and a great teacher. It was fun for Patrick to see several of his seniors play and the chamber orchestra even played Happy Birthday for Rusty since it was his birthday. That was fun!

Now we are eagerly awaiting our next round of winter weather because this time it's bringing snow, and not just a little bit, but A LOT! They are calling for 4-7 inches. I can honestly say that in the entire time we've lived here, it's maybe snowed close to that much once. I've got supplies at home to last a few days, knowing we probably won't be getting any clearing on the roads for a while, especially since temps are supposed to be near 0 on Sunday and into Monday. Teddy says he's posting up on my heated blanket. 

Happy Birthday Patrick!

I am happy to report we were just fine during the winter storm. A good portion missed us in the morning and the evening stuff melted overnight. It was a little crazy to have thunder sleet! Regardless, we are thankful our power stayed on we had a cozy day at home to rest, relax and grade (for me). Patrick and the girls all had the opportunity to stay home on Monday due to the weather so they did lots of work to stay on track. Anna is especially busy with scholarship applications. As for me, the University had a delayed start and since my classes are early, they were all cancelled.  

That catches us up to Tuesday and today is Patrick's birthday! These January birthdays always throw me for a loop, coming off of Christmas and school starting back up. But we are always happy to celebrate our main guy. I was able to grab lunch with him since the legislature was cancelled today for bad weather. He's a pretty simple guy and loves chicken wings and peanut butter pie. Easy peasy! If only he hadn't received a juror summons to go along with his gifts!

We're so proud of all the awesome work he does (in his four jobs)! Patrick is an advocate for so many across our state and works hard to build bridges. He is an expert at compromise and an effective peacemaker, which is really what we need in today's climate. Many people think he is their best friend or he is on their side because he takes the time to listen and make you feel heard. He's also really stinking clever and is often able to make a piece of legislation less harmful with just a few words. His students love him, he's an amazing teacher, his colleagues admire him and the entire girls cross country team pretty much think he is a surrogate dad. All that to say, he has high moral character and reflects Jesus in all that he does. It's always a joy to see his gifts and talents being used the way God intended them. 

As for dad and husband, he's pretty great in those areas too! The girls adore him and each have a special relationship with their Coach Dad. Honestly, I think that's going to be one of the hardest points for Anna and Patrick to give up next year. I have a feeling they will still make it work even from afar. Somebody recently asked what Patrick thought about being a girl dad, especially having grown up surrounded by boys. He didn't skip a beat and answered: I couldn't imagine anything else. I thought his advice to this new dad of a girl was pretty sage: the best thing you can be as a girl dad is yourself. Patrick connects with the girls as his authentic self and they join him where he is at just as easily as he joins them where they are at. He doesn't shy away from the girl stuff and he knows how to relate and push them in other ways. As a husband, he is supportive, sensitive, encouraging and always looking to do better. I couldn't have a better partner to do this life with. 

So happy 45th birthday Patrick! We love you and we love to celebrate you!

Pajamas and Pancakes

Anna said her birthday was one of the best ones she can remember. On Friday, she swapped her internship day, so she and I could hang out together. What was on her list of fun? Go to all the stores she had free items and pick up her freebies. So after her two morning classes, we headed out to Panera, Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie, Bath and Body Works, Ulta, Palmetto Moon, Sephora and Target. Whew! She loved her stash and plans to take a few of the items with her to DC.

Our next stop was lunch at Moe's and it was fun chatting with her over our burritos. She also wanted to buy a lottery ticket so we stopped by the gas station to grab a couple of scratch offs. I think she was excited to show her ID and then when she went to pay for it with her debit card, it was declined twice. Turns out she hadn't transferred enough money into her account. Ha! That's adulting for you. Of course, she chose the two with Grant and Franklin on them. 

After that, we took a pair of pants and her prom dress to get altered and I am thankful that whole thing is done. They'll be ready mid-February which is plenty of time before DC and prom. She grabbed a quick nap and then headed off to practice while I finished up her party prep. 

For family dinner, she chose Thai lettuce chicken wraps and strawberry short cake. She opened her gifts which were pretty much all college prep items. Paige was not happy, but I loved that she got her an air mattress so she can come visit. Somehow that set off the emotions and Anna decided she's actually not going to college. She likes the concept, but doesn't want the change so she's staying here. I feel like this is a weekly thing and I just reassure her that it will all be ok. We watched some Dude Perfect and read the Birthday Book before calling it a night. 

Her birthday party was this morning which I was glad for considering we have this winter storm coming in. There were 13 girls total and Anna had a pancakes and pajamas themed. I was able to whip through the pancake prep using Ashley and Megan's griddles. All the girls loved breakfast and then we did a craft. I prepped the materials for them to make felt pennants which was fun. Some of them girls were more crafty than others so it was funny to sit and listen to them bemoan or celebrate their creations. It was also nice to be able to get to know a couple of the girls better. What a happy birthday for my 18 year old! 

And now my crew is getting their training in before the storm. I have made last minute preparations in the event we lose power, but I am hoping it's insignificant here. School has already been shifted to e-learning for the girls and I am waiting to see what will transpire with USC. 

Oh and in other news, my insurance has FINALLY been fixed. Yeesh! When the form got to the insurance company earlier this week, apparently the wrong date was entered so that was a whole other process to get it fixed. Now it's all done and I was able to pick up my new glasses. Nothing like feeling old when your kid turns 18 and you get your glasses on the same day. 

Happy 18th Birthday, Anna!

Dear Anna, 

Good gracious, how did you get to be 18 years old!? Your dad told me the other day that he was pondering and treasuring this milestone. I guess we are both being Mary these days because I too am pondering and treasuring all these things in my heart. What a special day to celebrate the gift you are to us and to so many. I have loved this last year even though it has been filled with ups and downs, uncertainty and celebration. My prayer is that you have learned to lean into God's plan and direction for you, as you trust Him to direct your path in all things. That means the good and the bad. 

You finished your junior year of high school and it was certainly a challenging one. Between the workload and your running commitments, I know it wasn't easy, but you persevered and I think learned to be more positive when the going gets tough. We loved watching you get all dressed up for prom, break lots of school records in track, ace your AP exams and participate in graduation. Lots to celebrate!

But it wasn't all easy. Your best friend graduated and went off to college which meant you had to put the work into pushing yourself at running. You also fell short of a couple of your running goals and it was hard to watch you wrestle with the disappointment of that even though you gave it your all. Plus it carried into the next season and learning to put the past behind you was tough. The process of touring colleges and considering your options was difficult because uncertainty isn't fun and the reality of your leaving hit everybody at different times. These growing pains may not feel good, but I know they helped you become stronger. 

Senior year also held some of these same ups and downs. There were so many fun events to celebrate, Senior Sunrise, painting your parking spot, homecoming, football games, summer concerts and an easier class schedule. I have loved our extra time together at home and watching you navigate a more grown up life helps me realize you are ready for your next big step. 

It's also become very clear that you are passionate about political science, public service and all things government which is good because we need good people in these roles. This year you landed an internship with the Joint Citizens Legislative Committee on Children. Ok, I might have loved making sure you had professional outfits, but honestly, what most excites me is when you come home pumped about all you are doing and learning. Even more exciting was when you landed the USSYP delegate spot for SC. It makes me so happy to see your passions and goals coming together in the form of opportunities to see you learn and excel. 

The final piece of the puzzle to slip into place this fall was your college choice and looking back, it's so cool to see how God directed your path. Some of that direction came in the form of unreached goals and cross country times, but I think that was God's provision in leading you to the College of Charleston. It's a weight lifted to know where you will be heading next year and see you so excited about it. We can't wait to see who you become while you are there. 

Anna, you have grown into a wonderful young woman who is strong in so many ways. It has been a blessing to be your mother and watch you get to this point. Your character shines through in all you do! I admire your dedication, commitment, perseverance, self-confidence, encouragement of others, strong conviction and leadership. While my mama heart is not looking forward to letting you go, I am confident you will soar. Happy Birthday, Beans!

I love you more than all the stars in the sky, 

Mom

Prom shopping and more

We loved our three-day weekend! It's always nice to have an extra day to get some things done and spend time together. On Friday night, Patrick and I attended a church leadership dinner and it was so sweet to reflect about our church and where we have come to where we are going. So many people in the room had been with us at the beginning and we've essentially grown up with them. Those people helped support us as young parents and were influential to us as well as the girls. We also could look around and see many of the new friendships we had made over the last few years as new people joined. It hasn't always been a smooth ride as we all tend to mess up in a "family," but I couldn't be more grateful for the way God has provided for us through our church. Paige enjoyed a nice quite evening at home with her book and her dog while Anna did some babysitting. 

On Saturday, Patrick attended the rest of the church leadership retreat to brainstorm ways they can improve and meet the needs of our congregation. Anna was able to go to the Soda City marketing downtown with Caroline. She's been on the hunt for some SC things to give a friend from NM at USSYP in March. I think she really enjoyed her solo time with C and they found some cute things. I got some things done around the house, but in a burst of inspiration, Paige decided to make a pavlova from scratch with a lemon curd and homemade whipped cream. She's been challenging herself to get off her phone more and do some things that interest her. Let's just say it was so yummy! I loved that she did it all on her own with an occasional question being shouted from the kitchen. 

I love watching her face while she reads a book!

Sunday was a fun day for me as I was able to present to my church on updates about the First Fruits Community Park and Garden. So much has happened behind the scenes and there have been tons of ways God has showed up to encourage, provide and show His favor. We're making great progress and now we're in the fundraising stages. Exciting! 

That evening we had Cagney and Ellie over for dinner. Ellie was in our youth group when we were leaders and how she is pregnant with her first child, a little girl. We are so thrilled for them! It was sweet to talk through some questions they had about parenting and even faith. They will make wonderful parents and I am so glad we could step in to help them during this phase because Ellie's mom has been instrumental in guiding me as a mama of two girls over the years.

Monday was prom shopping day! We had gone early in the season last year and it worked great considering track starts and there's just no time. So the girls and I drove up to Charlotte to hit the mall and we invited Jessi along since she's only two hours away. We thought the day away from her stuff would be nice, plus I really wanted to be able to celebrate her 40th birthday with a special lunch. She was glad to tag along and I was so grateful for the help. Paige was especially glad to have a companion along while Anna and I wrestled the dresses on in the dressing room. 

We hit Dillards hard with about 25 dresses and none really sparked her interest. Paige and Jessi were go-getters, grabbing new dresses, hanging up ones we had tried on and running things back to racks. I could here them happily chatting outside the dressing room, while Anna and I were laughing about her being suffocated. Ha! After no luck at Dillards, we split up and covered a few other places in the mall and did a return at Ann Taylor. By that time we were starving and losing steam, so we headed to Optimist Hall for a fun lunch. Both Paige and Jessi were amazed at the really cool eatery and we had a hard time deciding what to get after doing a lap to see what they had. Ramen and Indian food for the win!

Jessi left us after that to get back home and the girls and I headed south to another mall to check out a couple more stores. We struck out at the first and then hit up one more Dillards to see if they had anything different. Tried on a few more there and bam, we found the one! We loved the royal blue on Anna and it had a certain sparkle that said senior to us. She was excited about it and Paige and I were excited she found one and could head back home. After some stops in some other stores where Paige found some interesting items and even a side mission to Bass Pro Shop, we were finally home with a dress in hand!

The winner!

Some other highlights from the past week:

Anna's press release came out and we got to read about her in some of the local newspapers which was fun. My mom even found Camdyn, the other delegate, who happens to live in Seneca and take a pic with her. Ha! We'll have dinner with them in February when we are up that way. 

We're starting to get the track schedule in bits and pieces. It was bittersweet to see this post. Whaaa!!

I got to have a fun lunch date with Paige on Thursday after her dentist appointment. We picked up some Publix subs and had a care lunch picnic before I dropped her back off at school. She's been so fun to hang out with lately. It's rare when she's not nose deep in a book so I will take the solo time when I get it!

On Tuesday, Anna had her internship and since it was the opening day of Session, her boss took several of the interns over to the State House. Anna was in heaven! Patrick said he watched her shaking hands and working the crowd like a pro. One person came up to him to ask "Is Anna here?" and when he replied yes, everybody wanted to know who she was. He explained that she was his daughter and the person next to him pointed out Anna across the room saying "She's the small powerhouse over there! Tiny but fierce!" I thought that was an apt description. Ha! She also looked very spiffy in one of her new blazers. 

Now we're off to a four day week with a big birthday on Friday, a birthday party on Saturday and a potential HUGE winter storm heading our way.