Cruise 2010

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RECIPE FOR FUN

Ingredients:
9 dice
score sheets
pencils
1 bell
1 Bunko crown
women (all ages)

When I had kids at home I never seemed to have time for Bunko....just couldn't make it a priority.  On the rare occasion that I did play, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I just couldn't commit to a regular group.  A few months ago I had the opportunity to begin playing again with a group of women from church.

The conversation is so lively and it is fun to hear bits and pieces of conversations from other tables.  Sometimes I have to catch up with someone and have them fill me in on the "rest of the story."  We talk and laugh and fight over the Bunko crown (ours happens to be Dora the Explorer)!

The neat thing about "our" Bunko is that it is open to everyone.  One month we may have 6...the next month we may have 16.  It is all about fun and fellowship and the atmosphere is "the more, the merrier!"  No cliques....no gossip....just great fun with my Christian sisters!

Sing Song

We had a great weekend in Abilene.  We got there about noon and went to Sharon’s BBQ with Hannah and Matt.  It was wonderful to visit with them.  After lunch, Hannah went to hang out with friends and Matt went back to his apartment to work on pressing homework.  Paul took a nap at the hotel and I got to spend some time with my sister, Lea.  I treasure any time I can get with each of my sisters.

We got to see Matt’s apartment and to my delight, it was a little better than guy clean!  Matt had picked up and cleaned up (I am assuming the apartment isn’t always in the shape that I saw it!) and I was even able to use the restroom without a terrible Mom-urge to clean.  I’d say I have a pretty good guy on my hands.  Of course, I have a pretty good guy on my hands for lots of reasons.  Sunday morning Hannah, Paul and I got to go to church with Matt and meet some of his youth parents and teenagers.  You can tell they really love and appreciate Matt and that’s a great feeling!

Seeing Sing Song through Hannah’s eyes is hilarious!  When watching with Hannah, it is the most exciting, expertly critiqued experience you can have.  She is definitely an interactive participant in the whole evening of entertainment, especially when her dear Siggies take the stage.  I am pretty sure the woman sitting next to Hannah had a unique Sing Song experience as well!

We ended the weekend with lunch at Texas Roadhouse.  I love eating out with our family.  We have so much fun talking and laughing and no one has to worry about preparing the meal or doing the dishes—just pure enjoyment. 

The down side of the weekend?  Not having Kayla and Darby with us.  Anytime we are together as a family they are missed.  It’s just not the same without them.  So…Kayla and Darby…how about Sing Song 2012?

As usual, I come away from time with my kids with mixed feelings.  There’s always a tug at my heartstrings knowing they won’t be coming home with me.  I love interacting with them as adults, though, and my heart is also full of joy and pride because of the rich, meaningful lives they are living.  I guess there will always be a part of me that wants to be the mommy again and a part of me that absolutely loves being Mom.

New Beginnings

Well, this is my first blog post ever! I love to read other blogs and have several that I follow daily.  Let me tell you a little about myself.  I am a 51-year old (soon to be 52!) wife and mother of three adult children: Kayla and her husband Darby, 26; Hannah, 24; and Matt, 22.  I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and I was blessed to be able to do just that.  Now I find myself with no children living at home.  Paul and I enjoy the empty nest, but I am just a little lost without children under foot, their activities to be involved in, the daily excitement, etc.  I volunteer a lot at church and stay busy being a homemaker, but I have to admit I feel a little aimless without kids at home.

As I said, Paul and I are enjoying our empty nest.  We still have a lot of fun together and I'm very blessed we have stayed close over the 31+ years we have been married.  It's not easy to nurture your marriage while raising children, but evidently we did enough along the way because we are doing great now.


I am investigating some areas of volunteer work that might use my God-given talents now that I have more time on my hands.  One of them is with a Chaplaincy program.  Volunteers make hospital visits to people who have specifically asked for visits.  The purpose is to listen and encourage those who are suffering with illness.  I think I would like this ministry very much and am anxious to hear back from the program.

Well, I feel like this has been a pretty boring post but I will try to be more creative in the future!