Ecclectic

It is probably not a good thing to have to rely on my calendar to recall the events of the past week or even the past day... Though it has been busy, it has been a good sort of busy... here is a glimpse... Victoria wanted to send her cousin in Kentucky a Valentine (albeit belated)...

The IDC pastors signed a lease for a new building beginning April 1st! We are excited to begin renovating and making transitions in March...

I discovered instagram... (thanks to my friend Christy:-)...

Continually refreshed each morning by the Word and encouraged by the Psalms... (just had to highlight this verse in Psalm 55)...

Children took over our house Saturday evening for dinner and movies while we adults got to hang out...

Monday morning was productive yet restful for me...

Meanwhile, Tony had a 5:30 AM flight to Memphis to speak at a one8net event returning at midnight... He sent me this picture with good friends Philip Slusher and Rick Morton...

I had put SAMs Club off for too long... it was time. Following an endodontics appointment for Joshua, I had my helpers in tow... I let them get the $1.50 hot dog with soda combo for a treat. My strategy is for them to have both hands on the soda while we walk through the store (as not to touch anything, ha). One of the salesmen did not believe they were my children. "They're some of the neighborhood kids right? I know they're your children in your heart." It was kind of funny. I was thinking, "Yes, doesn't everyone invite their neighbors kids to go help with their grocery run?"

I joke often about 'canine therapy'. Well, it's real. I'll be working on bills or some other project, begin to feel the stress as the clock ticks closer to after school pick up, homework, meals, etc... When, I'll turn around and see this...

It just makes me laugh and move on...

Blessings to you and yours...

Holiday Weekend...

The kids got out early on Friday and had both Monday and Tuesday off of school! Typically, that second day (i.e. Tuesday) is a built in snow day, but the winter has been quite mild this year...

Tony was speaking in Tupelo Friday and Saturday, so the kids and I played... James made a teepee and I played corn hole with my other four kiddos... oh, and we also went to Dairy Queen... my weakness...

Sunday after church the Merida 7 headed to Virginia... through the snow...

However, once we got north of Fredericksburg it was sunny... ha. The kids were very confused.

Yet, excited to see cousins and grandparents!

Angela and Isabel reading the Jesus Storybook Bible...

The Monday morning view for my parents' front window...

Glad the kids got to play at least one day this winter in some snow... even a snow dusting at that...

Jess and I... sisters... a gift.

Mom playing marbles with grandkids... a board my grandfather made and played when mom was growing up in Indiana...

They love it... Ashe was so focused...

Sweet faces...

Silly faces...

Chaos (not uncommon at the Meadows' home - ha ha - especially when kids in town) before the Thornberg crew had to head north...

Joshua and Poppop...

After Rick and Jess and the kids left, the boys went up to Quantico for "high and tight" haircuts...

Jana, my resident artist, with some assistance from little brother...

They decided to draw my sister's dog, Koa, in since our Titus was back in North Carolina with a friend...

Koa, just chilling...

Tuesday early evening, we headed to LaRosetta's for Mardi Gras meal... I had my all time favorite: Crawfish Étouffée...

Mom had Seafood Gumbo...

And the kids were hilariously in awe of the critters in the soup...

Some clips for your enjoyment... Snowy drive...

Snowball fight with what's left of the snow...

Titus enjoying his DQ treat...

Catching Up After Friends & Family Fun...

Recently (and by that I actually mean the past few months really) it's been so busy that I am locked in a perpetual state of catching up... There seem to be so many things going on I'm forgetting things, which is not my norm, nor is it a good feeling. Meanwhile, many of those things have been wonderful time spent with friends and family...

A New Orleans dinner with our friends the Calcutt's and the Coe's...

Red Beans & Rice

And homemade King Cake!

Victoria got the baby!

Sunday after church we enjoyed lunch (a.k.a. Valentine's party for the kids) with the Sigmon's...

Gabrielle and Grace could start their own restaurant or catering business...

This picture was slipped into our bedroom and propped against my dresser... treasures...

My parents drove down from Virginia Monday evening and took us our for Smithfield's BBQ (one of Dad's favorites)...

My mom's dog loves attention but Titus is quite the jealous one... He couldn't stand for me to pick her up, he had to be there as well. Hilarious...

Tuesday evening was the best Valentine's Day ever! We could care less about the actual holiday, but, it was the only night we were available to see Les Miserables (my all-time favorite!) in Raleigh (and a perfect night at that!).

We had a fabulous double-date with my parents (including some charbroiled oysters from Shuckers beforehand)...

This was actually my third time seeing the production (1997 or 1998 in Knoxville, TN & 2002 in Washington, DC). I believe this production was the best of all three! It brought back a flood of memories (as music often does)...

Under the tutelage of 'Meme', we studied the story of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables in French class during high school. My friend, Tammy, and I would sing all the songs of the musical (yes, I have the piano music). One comical memory was a time we were driving back from a Redskins' game in Landover, Maryland. We sang songs from Les Mis, as well as Phantom of the Opera in order to help pass the time in game traffic. Anyways, a brief walk down memory lane.

I hope you will have the chance to enjoy as well... A story of injustice, grace, love and redemption set to powerful music and theater.

Speaking of theater, I may have a child or two who like to perform (ha ha)... My children broke into a spontaneous dance party at Smithfield BBQ... It was hilarious...