Four Decades...

A candle for each decade. Today I celebrated 4 decades of life. I really can't believe it and I thought it would hit me alright but I woke up this morning utterly in tears. I couldn't quite figure out why I was so upset and crying, but the pit of my stomach and my heart sunk. Maybe I was feeling a little sorry for myself, which for the most part it is very rare. I am not afraid to get older...I just can't pin point why I felt the way I did. I am reminded by God that I am so very loved and worth so much to my husband and children. I know that I am loved, I am blessed. I have nothing to be sorry for, nothing to regret, I have everything I could ever ask for and am content. It took almost all day for me to snap out of it. My dear Mr. Darling gave me a special card and brought home little cupcakes, my daughter made me one and my son came home with the sweetest card, it brought the tears on instantly. We had a little pizza party and went to the movies. My son also bought tickets to see a Pianist in concert after church on Sunday. What a sweet gift.
I am looking forward to us going out to something so special.

As I ponder on this life so far. I am ever so greatful to the good Lord above, even though the beginnings were rocky. My family was a bit unstable, we moved all the time, then the family broke into pieces after my dad left us. I still struggled in life as a young adult until I met my true love who came into my life like a knight in shining armor ( Mr. Darling ). It was not long after that when we were both saved by God. The road hasn't always been an easy one, with the loss of our second child, six years of illness which left me almost bed ridden which led to depression and other health issues that I still deal with today. I couldn't have gone through all that without God's grace and healing hands, or without my dear husband and children and those who cared the most who were always by my side...you know who you are. It has been almost five years since I have been better, even with the little things that seem to keep me down, I know I can do all things through Christ who has given me strength. My life today: I have grown in faith, I try very hard to be the best mother I can be for He has given me the bestest children ever. I try to be the bestest wife ever.... I hug and kiss my kids & husband and tell them I love them many times everyday and in return I am full. I couldn't ask for anyhting more than that.

I am so greatful where God has led us thus far. With a chance to start fresh as soon as Mr. Darling graduates from Seminary this May. I will become a Pastors wife...I look forward to that new chapter in our lives. Watching our children grow up...One is almost ready to fly from the nest... I look forward to what God has in store and thankful for the 4 decades he has given me to grow in Him.
 I pray God will give me another 4 decades. That would be wonderful.
****
P.S. The picture above shows the two canvas pics. I got to make for my birthday.
Thank You Mr. Darling...I love them.

Speaking Of Blooms..Blissful Blooms That Is...

There are many blessings through blogging. One of which you meet the sweetest people. Sometimes certain people connect more than others, and when they do....You find that you have much in common and build a friendship. Recently I met a sweet gal named Amy. She is a fellow believer, home school Mama, and she crafts and collects vintage stuff. She makes the prettiest blooms....I loved them so much I told her so...and she came up with..."hey let's swap". I love to swap goodies...so of course I was in. She loved my Spend Wisely checkbook covers...one in particular was sold to a bloggy friend of mine....So, I told Amy, I could make her the same one. The rest is history....We swapped. I received my bloom in the mail last week...I love getting mail. I was thrilled to see she had chosen a reddish color for me....You know how much I adore red.

 
It is so nicely made...I love, love, love it...and she made it to where you can clip it in your hair or pin it to your sweater or scarf...Ingenious. Since she lives far away from me...I had to at least take a picture of my own self so that she could see me enjoying my bloom. I am not a fan of my own picture being taken...A bit self conscious I guess. But I did ...so here ya go. I love it in my hair...I felt so cute.

Then I pinned it to my sweater...adorable.... I even wore it pinned to my scarf. I think I will be needing more colors. Amy does esqusette work...She hopes and I sure hope she will open an Etsy Shoppe...I think they would sell like hot cakes. I believe she has sold them in shows and The Farm Chicks Show....So, I just know she will do well online. If there is anyone reading this that Fancy's these sweet Blissful Blooms...I am sure she would be happy to do a special order.

So let me introduce to you...
Amy from Blissful Blooms.

Please do stop by and say hello.
Amy...You are one sweet friend. Thank you so much for my Bloom...
Have a Blissful Bloom kind of day.

A Rednesday Birthday....

Happy Rednesday and Happy Birthday to me!

I can't believe another year has passed by like a flash. It was just yesterday it seems, when I just turned 20 something. It is hard to believe that I am almost 40. One more year will pass as fast as this I am sure. I was in the store about a month ago and came across these .99 cent reading glasses and thought heck...I will try these to see if I would notice any change since I have noticed for a while now that words on a page seem to be clustered together or even a blur. I was amazed and excited all in one when I realized...Duh! I can see clearly now. So, I guess this is it folks. I need reading glasses...a sure sign of age."Sigh"

A couple posts down I had a picture of my fave shoes...Red Mary Jane's I have had for years now. They are very worn in..I just can't seem to part with them. With my old age and all, I can't even remember where I got them, but know I heart them!

I even got a birthday gift in the mail from my Brother and Sister in Law, Nene the other day. I was so thrilled with what Nene chose for me. This sweet Rice Krispies 100th Anniversary plate and mug...

So sweet, so me, so red! They also sent me a couple sweet tea party dishes for sugar and sweets...If you go back to the first picture in this post you will see one of them right behind my reading glasses. I reallly love them...They bring so much cheer...I can't wait to have a tea party now!

They also enclosed this darling Rice Krispies plate and matching mug...I know it is Robin's Egg Blue...But there is a bit of red in it...tee hee. I really love this one too! It goes so well with red.

I even found the perfect poem to go with it. It reminded me of my childhood days... I loved to swing.

 I spent many a days swinging my life away....

 Oh the memories.

*****

The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson 1850–1894

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

I was also thinkin' the other day... How I thought I would never make it past 35. I can't even tell you why I thought such a thing. But, here I am..I past it up... Now climbing the hill. I will share later this week my other gifts I got to pick out. Mr. Darling gave me some birthday money to spend...I went thrifting of course. It was so much fun. I haven't been in soooo long. Well, I am off to celebrate... Tonight, friends are coming over for a soup supper and cupcakes!

Linking up with: It's A Very Cherry World

Thanks to my SIL for this sweet birthday wish from afar found here.

Have a Happy Day...I am!!!

A Girl Day Out.....

The kids and I went up to visit my sister for the weekend hanging out for her birthday. We spent the weekend at the mall window shopping then went to visit my parents and gramma. Saturday we spent the day out...just the girls! My mom and gramma treated us to lunch at The Elephant Bar. It was really good food!


(Me & Shawny)

After lunch we went to the mall to shop for birthday outfits! Yep, not only my sister got to pick out an outfit for her b-day, but I too got to pick out an outfit for mine which is in a couple weeks! Early birthday gifts are always welcome! We had a fun time shopping and picking out clothes. Thanks mom and gramma!!! My sister got me a red tea cup and a couple cherry tea cups while we went thrifting later that day! I love them so! Even Freckles got to pick out a few new things to add to her wardrobe. The whole weekend was a barrel of laughs as we goofed around and even a bit of tears when we watched Finding Neverland.
 Well, I cried!

(My Mom, Freckles,Shawny)

(Me & Gramma)

Good times!

Little Life Lessons....

I grew up moving around a lot. I mean A LOT !

I can't even count on my hands and feet how many times I moved. 

Many people asked me over the years if I was Military kid. NO! 

I guess I just had a dad who was sort of a dreamer. 

We never had much growing up, times were always tough

to make ends meet. Both my parents worked out of the home.

I never really knew what it was like to have things,

so I learned the contentedness of playing with anything around the house... 

Things such as Tupperware, canned food and paper bags became my childhood toys. 

I had a doll or two and a few stuffed animals but that was it.

I always wanted Lego's and a Cabbage Patch Doll...

But never got them.

I do remember playing outdoors a lot...

Daydreaming and pretending is what I did best.

I would ride my bike around, play with the animals, 

made up my own club houses and secret hide outs. 

I would even play with my brothers toys outside. 

Many hours were surely spent outdoors.

The simplest things became my playmates.

Since moving around so much, there was never

enough time to really grow friendships.

My Sister mainly lived with my Grandparents and my 

Brother was always into his own thing. 

So... Much of my time was spent alone.

Though life may have seemed rough at the time... I really do think it was a good lesson learned...At least for me. To truly appreciate what I had and have now. It is not about what you have, how much money you make, where you live or even what you look like. Those are empty, surface things. I have learned to appreciate much and be content with little and know I have been blessed beyond measure with my treasures. Treasures that are not of this world. I am thankful to God He has given me this gift. I only pray now that it will forever be instilled in my own children.
My children certainly have more then me or Mr. Darling had as children.

Yet, I know they are thankful for what they have...

For these are the truths we have instilled in them.

What is most important is what they have in Heaven. 

Be content... Be thankful... You will be rewarded!

Not that I am speaking of being in need,

for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.Philippians 4:11

It's A Hair Day...

Here I am about two years old riding my red trike in a little dress. ( love the dress and those lil tennies) I am naturally a curly headed gal...But notice, all my sweet curls are not there... My Mom lost her patience somewhere along the line when my hair would grow out , she claimed that I would scream when she would brush my hair or that my curly locks would get too tangled. I suppose they didn't have Johnson&Johnson No Tears de~tangling spray in those days..So, my Mom would cut my hair short..like a little boy. So sad. I always wondered why she cut it all off and why my sister would get the long hair and I didn't.

Up to my middle school years is when I must have taken over my own hair...That is when I finally grew it out myself. I never had a problem combing it all out. For years I detested my short hair. I also realized later, I do still have those curls. My daughter too, inherited my curlies... I was bound and determined that I was not going to do that to her...It has taken much patience and time to keep her hair pretty. It is true that curls get tangled and frizz flies everywhere, but well worth the energy to keep a beautiful head of hair in order. I have learned the art of patience through and through with the help of conditioners, de~tanglers, and a gentle hand.

Funny thing is ... Now I hide those curls hidden with a straightening iron. While straight haired girls are out spending a fortune on artificial curls, Some of us curly headed girls are trying to get rid of them.
Go figure!

I Was Little Once ? ....

About 37 years ago these pictures were taken of  little me. I dug them out from a box .... They have been slides for all these years. I don't have a slide projector to even see them, so decided to take them to a photo center to get them developed. It is like Christmas...Pictures I have only been able to view on a slide which looks very much like a negative. I look at these and can't believe it is even me at all. 

I was little once?

I was kind of the "SURPRISE" baby. I wasn't planned... 

But here I am anyway.

 And look at those roly poly legs.

I must have been learning to walk at that time.

Looks like I may have needed a diaper change too! LOL!
Why is it that we cannot remember being this little?
Childhood is to be some of the happiest times for youngsters
and we can't even remember most of it later.
I can remember only snippets , like glimpses or pictures of things,
yet cannot tell you when it was, or where...
let alone if it really even happened. Kinda sad.
I ask my kids if they remember being little like this
and they reply that most of it they don't remember either...
only pictures will remind you that you were really little once.

I had to laugh at these pics.

I am so little I can't even reach those petals to ride that trike... 

Looks like I was falling all over the place.

Yet, I do look quite determined to ride it anyway.

And my parents were just watching and snapping photos. Too funny!

My mom is in the background. Get a load of that big hairdo! 

Well, I will close for now. We are off to celebrate my mom's birthday this weekend. 

I will have to share some more of my childhood pics. later!

Have a great weekend!