Alabama road trip

The unofficial start to summer has begun! And of course, this means a little travel. First on the list: meeting up with my son, Jack, after he completed another semester at Auburn. The itinerary went something like this:

1. Fly to Atlanta

2. Drive to Auburn

3. Move TV from fraternity to a friend's house

3. Fill the jeep with gas

4. Commence road trip

The drive begins easily enough. Jack and I turn up the radio and hop on the highway. About an hour down the road, we exit the four-lane part of our journey and begin the two-and-a-half-hour trek on two-lane Alabama back roads. 

Once on the back roads, Jack tells me that it's now time to execute the finger wave. This is when you slowly raise your index and middle fingers off the steering wheel and give a friendly wave to the locals (it is imperative that the hand never leaves the wheel--otherwise it is not a finger wave). 

Driving these country roads, we pass countless acres of timber. We see lots of houses donning national championship flags for either Alabama or Auburn (the count seemed pretty even). We even pass through Brantley, the front porch city of Alabama. And just when we think we've seen it all, we pass through Sweet Home (think Lynyrd Skynyrd). Of course, no road trip through Alabama would be complete without a stop at the Chicken Shack in Luverne, so we stop for a spell and partake of a little Alabama-style fried chicken. 

As it becomes dark, we are nearing our destination--the beach! It's been a full day, but so worth it. Road trips are one of life's wild and wonderful experiences. Where are you road tripping this summer?

The amazing and incredible roly-poly story

"It was an ordinary day. Didn't seem like anything special was going to happen. We strolled outside, Mom and I. We were just walking around -- kinda exploring. 

"And then we saw him. The roly-poly. I had never seen one before. He was amazing. He curled up when I touched him. Then when he thought I was done touching him, he uncurled and started moving along the sidewalk. Cool!

"I'm excited for tomorrow to see what kind of discoveries we will make. But I can't imagine anything nearly as incredible as a roly-poly!"

(As told by Max--if he could talk in sentences!)

Today, try to see something ordinary--something you might take for granted--through new eyes. And be sure to let me know what you see!

May Day, Panera and Lorraine

May Day is one of my favorite days of the year. So, when my friend Char and I chose to have breakfast at Panera on May 1, I decided to "May Day" her -- I brought her flowers.  When I walked in the restaurant with the flowers, Char smiled and said, "It's May Day." This is one of the things I love about Char; she "gets" me. It seems like we enjoy celebrating the same things.

We placed the bouquet on the table and proceeded to enjoy our time together. That's when we met Lorraine. Lorraine works as a hostess at Panera. She greets people, takes plates away when customers are finished with their meals, and refills drinks. 

But mostly, Lorraine blesses people. When she noticed the flowers, Lorraine stopped at our table and wished us a happy May Day. We struck up a conversation and in no time at all, the three of us were friends. As we visited with Lorraine, she shared her story with us. It's amazing, and if you want to know more, you will just have to visit the Panera at College and Metcalf and ask her yourself. 

But here's what I want to share with you about Lorraine. She truly lives a wild and wonderful life. Here's how: She believes her job is a ministry to share God with others. She's not pushy, she's genuine. Here's what Lorraine told us, "Every face I meet gives me the chance to bless people." And it worked. Char and I were totally blessed by meeting Lorraine. 

Before long, it was time to go. Lorraine hugged and kissed us good bye and told us we were beautiful. Wow. 

Blessed, we reluctantly walked to our cars, and wondered--how were we so lucky to meet Lorraine at Panera on May Day?

Field trip + friend + coffee = FUN

Barista de casa in Liberty, MO

The other day, my friend Gina and I took a field trip to nearby Liberty, Missouri. We shopped around the town square. We ate lunch -- well, Gina ate lunch, I had breakfast for lunch -- at the local diner. Then we took in the sights downtown, which include some lovely historic buildings. 

We finished our field trip by visiting a local coffee roaster and sampling the roast of the day, "Brazilian." While at the coffee shop, we chatted with a mom who was waiting for her daughter's track meet to begin at William Jewell College. It was a wonderful day -- a day filled with lots of smiles. 

What are the things bringing a smile to your face these days?  Let me know about the "must visit" places in your town!

Peonies

This is a peony from my yard. I take pictures of them every year, sometimes daily while they are in bloom. Then I usually send them to my mom or one of the girls.  Every year--the same flowers.  I never tire of them.

Yesterday after I took the pictures I even wrote a bit in a journal about it. They are just peonies, but they take my breath away! It gives me a connection with God, our awesome Creator, that's hard for me to put into words. 

All I know is that something resonates deep in my soul and usually comes to the surface in a squeal of delight!


(This post was written by guest blogger, Julia Burbridge.)

Making memories

Colby, Me, Carly and Max (who doesn't drink coffee yet)

I'm all about making a memory. You can ask my nieces, who will confirm. 

On this very special day, Carly, Colby and I visited a local store and purchased three coffee cups. We promised that whenever we drank from our cups, we would think of each other. So, even though they live far away, I feel close to my special girls when I have a cup of coffee.

How do you make memories with your loved ones?

Worth waiting for

We celebrated the first cherry limeade of the season last Saturday!

Our lime tree lives indoors during the winter; this year, it produced two limes while residing inside. Several weeks ago, we made guacamole with the first lime. 

But on Saturday,the second lime was used for something really special. Our friends, Joby and Bill, came over to grill burgers and watch the Final Four. Joby was given the honor of picking the ripe lime for our cherry limeades. She did it with great care. We are so thankful that the cherry-limeade season is officially here. 

Recipe for the perfect Cherry Limeade:
Sonic crushed ice 
Tervis Tumbler cup
Diet 7-Up
Cherry syrup
Splash of fresh lime juice 

Stir & enjoy. Yum!