Weekends. What would we do without them? This one was exceptionally enjoyable for me, mixing family, friends, fun, friends, connecting with God, sunshine, including two sunshine runs (yay) and more family.
After work I ran a quick errand then stopped by for a quick visit my sister Linda, who was in the middle of an early dinner. As always, she was so pleased to see me that she smiled ear to ear the entire visit. It makes me happy to visit her.
Then I was off to see my interior design consultant, toting my bag of countertop samples, tile samples, fabric and paint swatches. Oh, and flooring samples too. (Did I mention that kitchen makeover is in process at our house?) A few more consultants stopped by and added their opinions, the choices were made, the bag repacked, and off we all went to dinner. (Did I mention that my consultant is my bff, the amazing Candace Trower, who has exquisite taste and is famous for her ability to make a home beautiful?)
What a fun night, though we weren't willing to wait an hour for dinner at the new Old Spaghetti Factory in Corvallis. We did learn that they now take reservations. We were joined by two more friends, went to Pastini's instead, and had a great time. It's pretty cool to be with five friends who you've know for more than 20 years. The other two left after our leisurely dinner, but the four of us sat there for so long, eventually we had to go somewhere for dessert.
So we graced the local Shari's with our presence and ate pie. Pie always makes things so much fun. This was an amazing white chocolate mint concoction. I admit I ate the whole piece. (And that was not my finger being a brat and swiping at my pie.) It belongs to a person who shall remain unnamed, but who always has fabulous manicures. She's the one on the far right in the picture.
Being old and all, I can't remember exactly what time I got home, but it was midnightish. I am not too old to stay out late having fun!
The alarm went off really early the next morning, but I was so excited to meet another friend at 7:15 a.m. and head up to women's retreat that I didn't mind at all. For the first time since our church retreats started nearly 20 years ago, I didn't spend the entire weekend. I almost didn't go, feeling like I really needed to stay home and work on the kitchen project with Will, who has been devoting himself to it. But last Sunday, I realized I just couldn't miss it and needed to go at least for Saturday. I decided if I could find someone to go with me, I would go. (Which is odd, because normally I don't mind making the drive alone.)
Anyway, a friend's husband was ushering at the door I went in, and I thought, hey, this friend has never gone to retreat and I'd love to hang out with her. So I asked her husband where she was and to make a long story short, we went up together. On the drive up, she was telling me that she was finding it hard to read her Bible and wanted to get back to it. On the way home, she had an amazing story to tell me. It's not my story to share, but the short version is, she had been dealing with some very hard things in her life, and the speaker's message touched her and led to a life-changing experience with God! She was so thankful and excited about being able to come to the retreat. Really awesome!
Our speaker, Laurie Smucker from Harrisburg was there to bring God's word to us. Her messages were all about the importance of having a life-changing relationship with God, a relationship that starts with surrendering to Him every day, repenting, forgiving, talking to Him, listening to Him, and reading his Word. Not just reading it, but journalling it in order to apply it and remember it. The fabulous retreat team provided us with journals to use the SOAP method she taught us (Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer). We got to find a place to sit alone for 30 minutes (outside in the sun for me, it was fabulous!) to study a John 1:5-9 and journal it. No talking to others, just time with God.
All that amazing spiritual food was more than worth the trip, but the icing on the cake was all the great friends there and the other fun things to do! Zumba was offered in the afternoon with Mindy Droke, whose classes at our church a few years ago were so much fun. Lou and I brought our tutus that Nancy gifted us with when Mindy did a Zumba class at retreat a few years ago. (Lou is another very OLD friend! As in more than 20 years!
Zumba was so much fun with these ladies! SO SO SO much fun!
And before Zumba, I was lucky enough to be invited to go run the lovely hills there with the beast Karen Gerig. It's pretty irritating to run with someone who makes it look so easy. As we run along, sprinting about twice as fast as I am capable, she is chatting comfortably while I am breathing loudly and gasping, and the second time up the hill, all I have breath to say is, "Do you know CPR?" And on the way downhill, I managed to croak out demandingly, "Could you please at least make a little bit of noise when you breath?" Pant, pant, pant. Well, that run was wonderful when it was over. She made me go two miles. I survived and have a new PR.
The evening group game was ever so entertaining. When I walked in, the first people I saw were the adorable Rachel and Maizie all snuggled up in blankets. They looked so cute, I just had to take their picture. Maizie pretty much threatened my life if I posted her picture on Facebook, so I was careful not to post it there. And I made sure I didn't post the one here that she claimed her eyes made her look like a crazy person. There were lots of young ladies there again this year, and I love the energy they bring.
Maizie's mother Kristi has a rule that no one is allowed to take candid pictures of her. I'm sure you'll find it hard to believe that she was actually posing on the one below, they look so natural. I'm pretty sure Micayla (on the right) was also posing. (Michael is actually a very pretty girl!) A study in contrasts. I really love this picture!
Kristi and Leslie were the game facilitators. If they got "discovered", they could cohost any tv show and be superstars. They make me laugh. They make me laugh loudly.
That huge basket in front of Leslie contained a great variety of candy. Their goal was to match up candy with a characteristic of each lady there. For example, Leslie would pull out a KitKat, and after Kristi would ask, "who has a black cat?", ll the black cat owners raise their hands, but only the first cat owner would get to claim the KitKat, and then only after the ever suspicious Kristi quizzed her for details. There there were Rolos. Now I love Rolos, but I wasn't about to try and turn a somersault in order to get one. One lucky lady was able to do it though.
I was starting to get a little nervous because none of the things they called out seemed to apply to me. Then Leslie pulled out a Laffy Taffy and Kristi said, "This is for the person with the loudest laugh." Oddly enough, no one raised their hand. This was one that other people were supposed to identify. I heard a few people say "Rachel" but she already had a treat and one is the limit. Then my name was mentioned, and before I knew it, I was being called up to get the Laffy Taffy. I have been known to try to imitate my Aunt Lela's fantastic loud laugh, and I would have made her proud as I strode forward, bellowing out a couple of peals of laughter on my way up. I felt that I had been given permission to cut loose.
Right after that, they pulled out a Snickers bar and asked who had the quietest, gentle laugh. Oh, to be sweet like Karissa and have a delightful soft giggle. She's the one with the Snickers, back there in the corner by Rachel. (Ha ha, there's Maizie again too!)
Then came the one I really deserved. Out came a Big Hunk, and the question was, "Who has the tallest husband?" Well, due to my loud chortles earning me that Laffy Taffy, I was ineligible! This one went to the dear girl beside me, whose husband was merely 6'2"! Oh well, it got stolen from her because one lucky winner got to go steal whatever she wanted.
Kinda sounds like my weekend is nothing but fun and fellowship with friends. But let me set you straight, this is definitely not true.
Today I made up for skipping out on my duties yesterday. Just me and my hard-working husband, sanding cabinets together. He let me use the good sander. But guess what, that was actually kind of fun too. I know I've just used the word fun three times in several sentences but guess what, it's getting late and I'm tired and I'm not going to take the time to improve my writing. Oh good grief, I said guess what twice too. Definitely time to quit!
The last fun thing of the day was the family Sunday dinner. Just a small crowd tonight, only Nick and Christina and the darling Kam. I took a few pictures of him but he wasn't sitting still and none of them turned out. So I'll post one from last weekend with his Valentine Bear.
I hope you all had a great weekend too! If you ever have a chance to go to a SACC Women's Retreat, do it!
