I was just thinking that last May around this time, Sarah was in the hospital with a large abdominal tumor and severe mono–just weeks before her wedding. And now we are coming up on her and Gage’s first anniversary on May 22 and she is doing well. So thankful!
I’m not only thankful for Sarah and her good health but also for my other daughter, Meagan, who is such a phenomenal mother to our four grands. (This was taken about two years ago.)
I’m grateful for my sons as well but didn’t have a photo handy. (Sorry, guys.)
Thankful for my sweet furbaby as well.
I took this photo of our kitchen table recently and wanted to share it just because I like it.
When we went out to breakfast one morning in Charlotte, I grabbed this shot of Sarah and Gage. It captures them well.
While we were in Charlotte we went to a restaurant called the Open Kitchen which Steve’s family has been going to for 47 years. I just loved all the interesting things to take photos of. Forget the food; just give me a camera.
Steve loves few things any more than chatting with strangers, in this case, it was the grandson of the founder of the restaurant. It’s so great to see restaurants passed down through generations.
Here’s a photo that Meagan took of Sarah, Gage, Steve, and me at Vernie’s hospital. It’s such a comfort to have family near in tough times.
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On the day of the funeral, Sarah and Gage stood on the front steps of the church where Steve and I were married.
Nathan and Meagan sitting in Ken and Vernie’s spots.
Meagan sent a photo of Nathan showing Noah how to pump gas. Such a rite of passage for a young fella and his dad.
The Floridian Smiths! Love them immensely.
As you can tell from this photo, Gage loves his work with kids and teens at the church. They are playing a building game everyone loves; it’s called Suspend, if you want to check it out.
Gage is also great at art and creativity.
Yesterday he and Sarah dropped off a Mother’s Day gift and this card he painted. The flower in the middle is me; the two flowers on the left are Nathan and Meagan and the two flowers on the right are Sarah and Gage. (Their favorite colors are orange and blue.)
For Mother’s Day, Steve presented me with a lovely breakfast laid out in an artistic manner. He takes good care of me!
If you’re wondering about the drink, it’s cran-raspberry juice mixed with sparkling water.
I can’t believe I’m posting this but it’s too funny not to.
Meagan put these photos side by side to show that Andrew and I are truly related.
In the picture on the right, we were at a restaurant and were taking turns trying on Steve’s eye patch. Nathan and Meagan slid it right on–easy peasy. However, when my turn came, my eye patch skills were quickly found to be lacking.
I put it on, pulled it off, twisted it around, put it back on, and twisted it some more. That somewhat explains the hair disaster going on.
Don’t you wish you could be as cool as Andrew and me?
What about you?
What is one Thing you are looking forward to in the next week?
The thing I am most looking forward to in the next week is the concert with my chorus! The last month or so has been chaos — I’ve been sick in ways that don’t make sense for almost three weeks, and right before that my sister-in-law had a long, difficult birth that ended with some complications — and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make the concert we’ve been rehearsing for for months. But it’s looking like I’ll manage to be there, and even be able to sing! Yay!!
Kristina,
Sounds like your past few weeks have been very stressful. But what a great way to come out of that stressful time with a chorus concert. I hope you really do get to do it and that you enjoy every moment.
And I hope you have healed up from your physical maladies.
I always enjoy your “Thing” posts. Your centerpiece with the galvanized “vase” is so pretty. I hope all the bad weather/Nor’easter I’ve been hearing about hasn’t affected you. So sad about the houses in Rodanthe.
Sue Ellen,
That Nor’easter sat over our area for over a week. There was some pretty bad flooding 30 minutes from us and a couple of homes (as you mentioned) fell into the ocean. We haven’t seen much of the sun in a long time; good to see it out today!
Happy early first anniversary to Sarah and Gage. The card he made is beautiful. I agree with another commenter – he should sell them. I bet he could sell them on Etsy.
The pictures of you and Andrew with the eye patch are hilarious!
What am I looking forward to? For the temperature to be a little more Spring like on Friday and this weekend. After a very cool start to the season, we shot into the 90s on Monday. Out of three days this week, we have tied the record two of those days. We skipped right over Spring and into Summer. Two of my neighbors have had air conditioning problems. Fortunately, knock on wood, mine came on fine Monday. I was a little late getting my annual maintenance scheduled. They’re not coming until June 20th.
Phyllis,
Cold temps up to 90 degrees is a big jump, especially for people without a good working a/c.
We were nice and springy for a few weeks but now a nor’easter is sitting on top of us for a week so it’s been cool, windy and rainy. Spring is supposed to reappear in a day or two. Hooray for spring!
Always love a Thing post!
I too have been thinking of all the hardships Sarah and Gage and you and Steve were going through last year at this time. What a fiery trial! So thankful that it culminated in their glorious wedding and the victories and challenges of this past year. It is amazing to me how God’s grace somehow gets us through.
This week I am looking forward to Randy getting new glasses! That may be a strange thing to be happy about, but he’s had the same frames for like 5 years and is in dire need of an update. Gotta keep up with the trends you know! 😄
Love to you all!
Deb
Deb,
Yes, what Sarah and Gage went through was such a heartache for them at what should have been a joyful time. They are closing out their first year of marriage with great joy and thankfulness.
Hooray for Randy and new glasses. When you wear the same thing for 5 years, an upgrade is always such a fun thing. Can’t wait to see them.
Lots of good things in life to be thankful for! Ruth
Ruth,
Good things are always there if we keep our eyes open!
I just love these pictures! Your family is wonderful and you really hit the in-law jackpot with Meagan and Gage!
I’m really looking forward to couples golf starting up on Friday. Our team of 4 couples is so much fun! They are all really great friends and we always have such a good time!❤️
Lee Anne,
Yes, indeed. I really did hit the jackpot and I am thankful every day.
You have certainly been blessed with a great group of friends. Enjoy!!
Love all of the thing posts, especially thing four featuring Nathan and his sweet family. Those grands are indeed ‘grand’.
The weather in Western NC is great this week. I’m looking forward to Thursday Bible Study at a friend’s home in Mars Hill, NC, a small mountain community north of Asheville. Also looking forward to a Sunday afternoon Connect Group social celebrating the marriage of two church members. This couple met at Connect Group (Sunday School class) and he proposed one Sunday during class! Go Larry!
I really had fun yesterday at church. I served during the 9:15 am service with a class of three & four year old precious ones. There are always two teachers in each class and I always take the role as ‘teacher’s aid’. I never had children and feel the need to ‘follow the leader’, literally. Yesterday was a blessing indeed. Dawn and I helped seventeen wee precious ones make Mother’s Day cards!!! It’s a nice feeling knowing that the parents trust our team to care for their precious ones, allowing the Mom’s & Dad’s time to attend the church service or their Connect Group. God is SO good and I am SO blessed.
Gloria,
You live in such a beautiful area over on the west side of the state.
LOVE the story of those two people meeting in Connect Group and Larry proposing in Connect group and now having a Connect group party to celebrate their wedding. Hooray!
What a blessing you are to your church being such a faithful worker at church. Nathan and Meagan’s church also calls it “serving” and I love that.
Fantastic photos – love the kitchen one. I do floral arrangements and to me, the simpler ones make as great an impression as to large ones – and the container is great too. Ah, the breakfast, bless you Steve – such artistry in the food world. Actually, this is something my husband would do too. I don’t know if they know how much we appreciate it, fancy or not. And Gage, what a talented young man. If he is ever pressed for cash, just make up his own cards and sell them. American Greetings has nothing on him!!!. Thankfully you don’t have to continue to make that eye patch work – but you did get the hang of it!
Sharyn,
I didn’t know you did floral arrangements. What a wonderful talent and one that I am woefully lacking in. I admire folks like you who can take a bunch of separate elements and can turn them into a cohesive, lovely presentation. I know that must be very fulfilling for you.
I LOVE this entire post! Your family just brightens my day. All your going’s on’s and such. I really love the picture of Nathan and all his family. I still can’t believe he and Meagan have four kids. Where does the time go? I am taking care of my just surgerized.. is that a word?….. hubby who is hurting pretty bad. I am being his legs and feet for awhile. The things we do for our spouse’s. Our week will consist of sitting and laying down alternately.. of course, I will be cooking, cleaning and all that fun stuff. Have a blessed week.
Kaye,
In sickness and in health. Your husband is definitely a blessed recipient of those vows. Grace to you as you continue to serve him in this way. I know you’re both looking forward to him getting better!
Love the photos showing everyday life. I too would have trouble with the eye patch. I wear a cpap at night and always have trouble getting it on right. I blame my hair as it just makes the bands slide up. This week I am looking forward to the first farmers/crafters market of the season on Friday. Then on Sat. I get to drive to the Chicago area and go to the Stars On Ice with my sister and niece and then spend Sunday with them. Family is precious as you well know.
Patti,
That’s right. It’s your hairs’ fault!! 🙂
Farmer’s Market, Stars on Ice, and a visit with family. What could be better? Enjoy!
We are headed back to Indianapolis where we pastored a church for almost 30 years! But the reason we are going back is my hubby is graduating from the Eli Lilly School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. (Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis. He is receiving his PhD in Philanthropy. This is the only school in the world of it’s kind. And it’s been a long time coming. He finished course work 7 years ago. Then we moved to Knoxville where is is the VP for External Relations at Johnson University, a small Christian school. This includes quite a few things but mainly fund raising and making relationships with donors etc. Anyway, his dissertation took a backseat for several years before he finally dug in and finished it.
So we get to see best friends and celebrate my hubby for being Dr. Richard Clark!
Can’t wait!
Buff,
HUGE congrats to Dr. Richard Clark. I know you are SO proud of him; it took a lot of support on YOUR end, too, I am sure of that. So congrats to both of you. And how cool is it to get such a rare degree! He’s a trendsetter.
Enjoy your trip back to Indianapolis and enjoy seeing your old friends. Sounds like you have many Things to anticipate!
I am hopeful it will quit thundering and raining by then! I am anxious to get to work in my yard. I was just about headed to the grocery store when it started raining, then thunder and lightning started up. I am not sure how long it will be before Milo comes out from under the bed, he is a scaredy-cat!
Cindy,
Summer used to be a fraidy dog but things changed when she went deaf. Now she doesn’t even notice and definitely doesn’t care! 🙂
Hope you are getting to spend your week yard-working. 🙂