Celebrating Mother's Day 2015

Well, how perfect.  I mean, Todd the Bod really went all out with his wrapping of my Mother's Day gift in this tin foil and looped several times with some of my craft ribbon!

At least he was smart enough to know that A. you NEVER cut my ribbon, and B.  Just loop it loosely, cause you KNOW I am going to hang it back in my art room on its rightful place on my ribbon rack!

And by the way, it was an iPhone 6+.  I could use a little feedback on this one, if any of you have one.  I DID NOT ask for this, and was totally surprised.  Todd has the 6 and loves it.  I am constantly running out of space, as well as battery, so Todd thought I'd be really excited about the bigger one.  BUT... the bigger one might not fit in the strap of my bra like my iPhone 5 does when I am in public and don't have a pocket!  I rarely carry a purse.

Ellie Sue made her own Mother's Day gift for me.  This was the packaging.

I love this detail in the bottom right  corner.  "This house believes".

She made this at school.  She had a frame inside with her thumbprints on it, making little fireflies in a jar.  C.U.T.E.

This is my best Mother's Day gift.  My girls going to church with me.

I mean, are they looking grown up or what?!

And since I don't think I have ever shared this, this is the inside of our sanctuary.  It is one of the more progressive churches around.  I have been attending for about a year or so now.  My girls like "big church" more then they actually like kids' service.  It doesn't have a traditional Sunday School, which I am not sure that I like, but I LOVE the message that is delivered each week.

After church, we hooked up with JinJIn and Staci to finish off with the celebratory lunch.

We went to Longhorn Steakhouse.  That was GOOOD!!!  That restaurant has been here for several years, and for some reason, I just never eat there.  I've been missing out!

I am a blessed mama!!  I couldn't have handpicked more perfect kiddos for my life.  And what a gift to be chosen to lead them, model to them, and love them.  

Over and out.
MO

My struggle with empathy, Gabbi's emerging independence, and Ellie's fashion sense.

I am so far behind on blogging that I am having to go waaaay back to pics from before Easter!!  Yes! That long ago.  I actually have a ton of pics loaded and ready for me to tell my stories, so now they just need me to sit down and do them!!  Let's start with this random post, shall we? 

Well, Paula kind of makes fun of me for my lack of empathy.  I mean, I love people.  Like, really, really, really love people.  And anyone who knows me well knows that I'd give them the shirt off my back.  And my patients would tell you that I love their kids like their my own kids.  BUT...

I also have a pretty big streak of "put your big girl panties on and deal with it"!  So, when Paula was leaving her firstborn, John, at LSU for what would be the last mother/son something or another with his fraternity, she knew that calling me would probably not get her the sympathy she was looking for. So... she previewed her cries for my attention and pity by sending me this little graphic.  I thought it was epic!

I remember my response being something to the effect of "Ok, well, I am at a tee ball game, followed by a coach pitch softball game, making my time at the ballpark something like 4 hours tonight, and I have potentially 12 more years of it.... thus my being 57 when I am finally finished with all nighters at the ballpark.  Feel better now?"

And her response was , "Yes, actually.  Thank you!"
  Nothing like a big ol dose of reality!

Don't get me wrong, I love being an involved mom.  But, I DID start very late in life!!  I was 38 and 39 when I became a mom to my girls.  So, the math is just that... math.  I will be almost 60 when we are headed to high school graduation.  That's crazy to me!!  (JinJin is 66 now.  And I am 45.  When I am 66, I may just be going to my kids' medical school graduation.  haha)

Since it has been months since I took and uploaded these pics, some of them I actually have no idea what in the world I took them for!  For instance, this one.

Or this one.  (MY teeth look so straight above!)

OH yeah, this one has been a while.  Turn your head to the left when looking at it.  These are called blue-eyed grass and are one of the very first flowers to bloom in the spring here.  And a few dark purple violas mixed in!

I sort of jokingly asked Gabs if she just wanted to walk to school this particular morning.  She said, "REALLY?!!!  YES!!!"

I let her start out, but figured she would see me drive by and get a little worried and think I was just playing and get in.

NOPE!  She never even flenched.  In fact.  Wouldn't even look my way!

When I pulled ahead of her and parked in Paula's driveway, she was none too happy to have to get into my car to take her honey to school. In fact, she refused the pic of the day when we were loading up there.

SO, when I got her to school, I had to park, get out, and MAKE her pose for a pic.  She was still pretty mad at me for not letting her walk the 2 miles or so to school.

She perked up though, and things were ok.
ANd Ellie Sue was just pleased as punch to get to break out the between the toe sandals, since Spring had most certainly sprung.  That girl loves her some fashion!!

Oh yeah.  A random thing... Todd bought me these two engraved rings for Valentine's Day.  Haven't I mentioned before that he is a really thoughtful gift giver?!  Girls, marry well!!  These things matter!  :)

And like that, I am back to blogging!
See y'all tomorrow.  I have months to catch up on!!

MO

Day three... journals, decoupage, and a selfie.

Sooner or later I'll have the whole weekend documented!!!  This end of the year schedule is N.U.T.S!

Ok... remember Riley?  Yeah.  She was the one who made unbelievable food for the group all weekend.  

 Like homemade quiches... a couple of different kinds to choose from.  And always had fresh fruit and dips at the ready... oh...

 and did I mention HOMEMADE cinnamon rolls?!  Divine!  
                                               
 I always love the mornings before things get cranking.  There were two different tiers of payment this go round. One for those who stayed in the house, and one for those who didn't.  In the mornings, though, is one of those times that it pays to stay!  There is such a fun little feeling of camaraderie with the group at breakfast.  Everyone is up and fresh and excited.

 As I was strolling around checking things out, I happened upon this!  Suzy and my friend, Angie, who came over simply to serve, had this painting station ready to rock!!  I have recently learned this from Suzy.... painting outdoors is called Plein Art.  We'll be offering a kids' class this summer where they'll be painting outdoors on easels, and likely doing mostly architectural renditions.  So... now you know.

 Anyhoo.  Those girls had us ready to rock and roll!

 Meanwhile, back in the circle of love, we passed our journals around for everyone to have the opportunity to write little notes in each participants' handmade journal.  A little something about what they'd learned or discovered about the other over the weekend.  Something appreciated.

 Here is Maria from Houston.

 And Pat for Ohio.  And Megan from Houston.  And Lisa and Jenn from Alexandria.

 This is one of my favorite parts.  It's all quiet and focused, and we are just honoring one another with out words.

 Finally, the last painting of the weekend.  I asked Suzy to teach this one.

 Sarah, the photographer I hired for the weekend, was gathering the journals for one last photo of the finished products.

 Gabbi Girl was inside having her OWN paint party!

 She was so quiet, but I knew she had come and asked me to tie her apron.  When I went looking for her, I saw her quietly on the floor of the art room doing her own art.  I sorta love that!

 Gabbi doesn't need big crowds.  (like her sister and I do).  She is content to just sort of do her own thing, without a big crew.

 The ladies were doing a decoupaged sunshine painting.  And speaking of the sister who needs a crowd.... there she is participating like she was one of the ladies!!  Right alongside Fancy Nancy from Kansas.

 Crytal from California, ended up taking her sweet rental car (she lucked into a black camaro!!), and went down to explore Louisiana a bit more.  She went to Baton Rouge, and I totally enjoyed her photo documentation of being in New Orleans for the few days following the event.  She is even now saying she liked Louisiana so much that she is moving here!

 Miss Faye kept her sunshine simple, as she wanted to use it in her cottage at the beach in Ocean Springs, MS.  which just happens to be the site of the next art retreat.  I'm going there this week to check out a beach house.  Anyone interested?  Speak up.  I can only take about 8, I think.

 So, MoJoy Color Splash 2015 came to a close.

 I felt like a good time was had by all.

 Ellie did a little maintenance on someone's necklace that needed repair.  (LOL!!  She kills me)

 And Miss Pat, in the background, ended up staying an extra three days with me, as she and I have a project to work on together, and needed some one-on-one time.  We are considering writing a book together.

 This was Jennifer's SEVENTH MoJoy Retreat.  I am so grateful she continues to come back and bring her good energy and enthusiasm!

 And after that many, she has literally watched my girls grow up!  She even took them to school for me last year on the day of the event!!

 We closed the event with a selfie.  Lots learned.  Lots of growth.  A little bit of confidence gained in the area of art.  yep... it was a success!!

Looking forward to the next one.

MO

Day two: Color Splash art experience

On Day two while several of our girls were out at Monroe's first ever Color Dash 5k, the rest of us were at the studio.  We decided to do a little dreaming and planning and imagining our best lives...

We had piles and piles of magazines from which to grab words, images, and plain ol' inspiration.

Some of the girls divided their books into 8 sections, like the section of the wheel of life.  This included a section dedicated to their dreams and plans in the area of personal growth, family and friends, fun and recreation...

Finances, health, love/ romance, and physical environment.

Throughout the weekend, each section of the wheel had a color assigned to it.  For instance, pink was health.  We stated gratitude for those things in the area of, let's say, health, that we are most thankful for, and then gave thanks for those things that we are EXPECTING to receive.  It was a pretty powerful exercise.

I was able to read to them my OPUS which I wrote two years ago, and it was as if I was holding my face up to a mirror at that time and it showed EXACTLY what I am living now! I had imagined my life then as I am living it now!!!

THese ladies were being taken through a similar exercise.

And they were busy little bees.  I was so proud of their self assessment, self awareness, and growth.

The welcome kits were prepared by Riley, and these puppies were JAM PACKED!!!  I loved having an extra person to help carry out all the "extras" that I always dream up and rarely have time to carry out.

She even hung back at the house to be able to make melted deliciousness on a bun in the form of a panini-style sandwich.  Also homemade chicken salad and a red velvet cake ball that was sinful.

See?!!

We were never hurting for snacks!!  Riley kept us totally at the ready on food!!

Later that day, we used the colors of the wheel as guides for the colors chosen for our tassels and cording on our handmade jewelry.

See all those fun colors?

We also discussed the meaning of "talismans" and each lady got to go through the buffet line and pick out anything and everything that represented whatever it was that they wanted represented... kids, love, home, money, the beach, the mountains, a family member alive or who's passed.  Even colors could represent people they wanted to honor on their talisman.

Jewelry digging took a while!

Oh, and Amy brought cheese curds down to Louisiana from Wisconsin.  It is one of Todd's favorites!

Miss Faye and I had a mutual friend who was sent to the hospital with possible news of delivery of her twins.  We snapped and sent this pic of us wishing her luck.

The girlies went to dinner at one of my favorite joints, The Warehouse.  It is an old cotton port on our historic Ouachita River!  And their food is GOOOOOOD!!

This is always a fun time for me, as I enjoy the fellowship.

(Riley just thought these mini fish tacos were the cutest thing she'd ever seen, so we snapped a pic to commemorate!  We celebrate EVERYTHING!!)

After all....

More on the Color Splash Retreat, Day three, very soon.  Stay tuned!!

MO