#214/365--Sleepless Under the Stars, or 11 on My List of 40 Things

You might think camping during the last weekend of July, in Texas, as a not-so-wise idea.  I would normally agree with you.  But we had great weather...for the most part.  The first night, there was a breeze and we had a fan in the tent so it got a little bit chilly in the middle of the night.  The second day, we had cloud cover and a breeze and it felt really nice out.  Later in the afternoon, the heat set in, after we got back from floating the river.  The breeze died.  It became a little bit warm.  So much so that when we went to bed (early because we were exhausted) it was hard to breathe.  We had to lay very still as we drifted between sleep and wake.  Most of us didn't sleep well at all.  Again, sometime in the middle of the night, it got cold.  Eventually, right before dawn, I got up and went outside and slept in my folding chair....Thus...my sleeping under the stars.  Literally.

I even covered myself with the beach towel.

Yep.

#213/365--Floating the Guadalupe River, or 39 on My List of 40 Things

Camping, day two.

#212/365--Camping Trip, or 35 on My List of 40 Things

One of the things on my list of 40 things was to "sleep under the stars" and what a better way to do that than to go camping.  For my birthday, I planned a camping trip for my family and another friend of mine joined us with her family. 

We drove down to Canyon Lake, Texas through thick traffic.  It took about 5.5 hours to get to our campsite.  Both Sarah and I were anxious about putting the tent up by ourselves.  But we got it up in no time at all.  Then, we grilled hotdogs, made s'mores, and the kids played games and told ghost stories before going to sleep.  We had a lot of fun. :)

#211/365--40th

Celebrating my 40th with some awesome friends and family...

#210/365--Seacret

This lady at a kiosk in the mall practically accosted me because of my beautiful fingernails.  She grabbed me and asked me if they were real.  Then she used this magical buffing block to make my nails look as though they had clear polish on them...well...only two of my fingernails.   I almost screamed with joy!!  I mean...I was so very excited that I could purchase that buffing block, cuticle gel, AND hand lotion--for the very low price of 59.99.  That's too expensive, you say?  But wait...have you heard of the DEAD SEA?  These products were made in Israel.  Their ingredients come straight from the dead sea.  The buffing block isn't made with plain old sand like the regular ones.  Wait....are you telling me you wouldn't have purchased the kit?  Take a look at my nails.....

Can't you see the difference?! 

Wait.  You STILL wouldn't buy it?!

I didn't either.

How will I live without it?

#209.5/365--Surprise 40 Things

I meet with my Life Group, or small group, or Bible study group...women's group--my girls--every Tuesday.  We've been doing life together for just about 5.5 years.  We've been thru just about everything with each other.  We've supported each other in loss and grief and rejection.  We've encouraged each other in relationships, marriages, parenting, life.  We've laughed together.  We've cried together.  We've studied together.  We've prayed together.  We've held each other's hands. 

Movies.  Dinners.  Shopping.  Pedicures.  And...birthdays. 

We have a thing where we celebrate birthdays.  And tonight, my sweet girls surprised me.  Oh, don't get me wrong...we always celebrate...so I knew we'd do something...but what they did for me is beyond...over the top...overwhelming.  My girls took my theme of 40 things to a new level.  They took everything they know about me...everything I love...everything I am passionate about...and gave me the gift of 40 things.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 18:24

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

We are made for relationship with each other.  We are not made to do life alone.  These women are so very precious to me.  I am blessed.  May you find yourself just as blessed to be surrounded by companions on this journey through life.  Much love.

#209/365--The Death of Me, or 6 on My List of 40 Things

Running a mile.

Before....

(yes, my eyes are swollen...I'm up at 6a.m. in the heat of summer,
 to run a mile...even my body knows I'm crazy)

The track....Bell High School

After...

(still swollen...better go get some coffee...maybe that's just what happens at 40?)

Thanks to my friend, Alysa, for your encouragment!

We walked a lap to warm up.

We ran two laps until I almost died.

We walked a lap in the middle.

Then we ran two more laps.

And, lastly, we walked 3 (or was it 2?) more for good measure (actually to cool down).

This isn't my favorite type of exercise.

That's all I will say.

My body is aching so very bad tonight.

Ouch.

But I did it.

I ran further than I ever have.

And even though I didn't do it all at once...

it still felt good to accomplish something that I didn't think I could do.

I told Alysa that maybe...just maybe...I'll train with her to do a 5K...

maybe.

#208/365--Inside Jokes

#207/365--Intense

#206/365--Pizza to Go

We had to wait extra long for Lauren to get out of youth group tonight...so Mikey and I had a pizza picnic in the G6...

#205/365--Guys and Dolls, or 16 on My List of 40 Things

Good times with a great friend!

Oh...and I can't go without posting this...

yeah, man. holla. word.

#204/365--Surprise!

I woke up to this in my bed...

...never gets old...

#203/365--Cousins

Good family time.

#202/365--Chair

I find myself in a new position....the position of PTA Membership Chairperson. 

This should be interesting.

#201/365--Movie Day



#200/365--Red-Eye

Yes.  We got up at 3 a.m. Texas time.  To head back to Texas from Indiana. 

We were all exhausted...

...she will hurt me if she knows I posted this...

Bah!

(:

Much.  Love.

Much. Joy.

Much. Blessed.

#199/365--Reunited, Part 2

This time, my mom's side of the family.   Something about family.   I am just blessed.  Blessed to have such a large extended family--that has really attempted to stay in touch.  Blessed to have the means (my mom) to go visit.  Blessed that my children get to meet these people, hear stories from when we were little, from when Nanna and Papaw were little.  Blessed.

Again.  So good for my heart.

#198/365--Reunited, and it Feels so Good, or 37 on My List of 40 Things

I wish I had taken more pictures.  Time just seems to slip away when you are having a great time...and I really can't say this enough.  My heart truly was overflowing this weekend. 

Now, you see, this is the first time I've seen my dad's family since his memorial service just about 4.5 years ago (has it really been that long?)  I knew it would be emotionally hard on me because, well, it's my dad's blood!!  And like my cousin, Traci, said, "You just know a Leamon when you see one." 

I say emotionally hard...but I mean that in a good way.  I needed to feel close to my dad again.  I miss him terribly.  When you lose someone, the grief sneaks up on you and then it also slips away from you.  That grief is both a sad, terrible thing, and a good, cleansing thing at the same time, so the slipping away part can be a little scary.  I am not sure I can explain this.  Somehow, the grief connects you with the dead.  As if they are there again, in spirit.  And it was just good. 

What's more, all of the cousins' kids had a blast!

So. Much. Fun.

#197/365--Can't Get Enough...

...baseball!  Our second night in Indiana, and my Aunt Martha and Uncle Loren took us to a baseball game at the TinCaps field in Fort Wayne.  See, I come by it honest.  Most of my extended family love baseball, probably more than me!  This was a lot of fun!  There were fireworks after the game and then the kids got to run the bases!

#196/365--Flying

Reuniting with family I haven't seen for lots and lots of years!!  :)

Much Love!

#195/365--New Mascot...

...for Texas...



#194/365--Randomness

Butterfly filling up on gasoline:

Lollipop on sidewalk:

#193/365--Two Heads...

...are better than one. 

#192/365--Falling Down...

...on the job...

I didn't take a picture for today...oops. 

And I really didn't take one yesterday--had to steal the one my friend took. 

Hmmmm.....

#191/365--On the Town

((Taken by my friend, Sarah))

#190/365--20 Days...or 10 and 12 on My List of 40 Things

Here I am...seatbelt on...van running...ready to back out of my driveway...all by my lonesome...

...headed to...

Salado, Texas, an historic town full of sites and sights to see and lots of Beds and Breakfasts.

It felt very awkward at first.  I was nervous about coming somewhere I had never been, not knowing what to expect, unsure of the exact location.  Had no idea what I was going to do even though I've been scoping out the town on the internet for weeks.  

When I arrived, cute, little ole me walked right up to someone else's cottage thinking it was the office.  Add to the awkwardness.  Good one, Janelle.  They laugh.  Say they did the same thing yesterday when they arrived, and then, they directed me to the correct place.

The nice gentleman escorts me to my "cottage/cabin/apartment"--it's official title is "The Treehouse."

the view from my door:

the inside of "the Treehouse":

Of course, I asked for the wireless code to connect and it was given to me.  And, of course, I immediately sat down to login.  What do you know?  It doesn't work.  So I decide to see what's on TV.  What do you know?  It doesn't work either.  I think this is a Divine Intervention for me to take advantage of my time here and get out and explore the town of Salado.  I decide I need a bottle of wine.  On my way out, I stop by the office and ask one more time for the wireless code and a place to get wine.  :)

It was perfect.  I went to one of the many wineries here, and when I wasn't sure what wine I wanted, the nice gentleman allowed me to do a mini-wine tasting.  Yum.

After I chose my wine, Cabernet Franc, I was finally feeling a little relaxed.  I did a little shopping.  And then, I got a pizza to go with my wine and headed back to my little Treehouse.  

I think, for the rest of the evening, I will lay back on my bed, in my Treehouse, and read until I fall asleep.

:)  Good night, friends!