Aspirations and Birthdays.

Good Morning Friends!

Isn't this a beautiful quote?

To break this quote down, the message (I) take away from this is: 

Sometimes, in the seasons of life our dreams feel like distant flickers.....and sometimes they feel more like wishful thinking....but I know that they are reachable goals if I really allow myself to believe I can!!

 

I don't believe that my aspirations are meant to stay grounded and just sit there.  They are meant to flourish and grow and I realize that all it takes, is for me to have more faith and a lot more courage. 

One of the fields at the Nursery is covered in wild Sunflowers.  How beautiful it is to drive by and view this area filled with bright yellow flowers.  The last time I passed this field, I thought about how the sunflower does not second guess the sun.  It just simply turns toward it.....no hesitation at all.  No self-doubt.

And then I came across this image and quote!!

I instantly thought about the sunflowers for which I have the privilege of seeing each Summer.  How they stand tall and seem to stretch for the heavens.

What are my aspirations and am I reaching them to the fullest?  I believe that God  planted them in my spirit and It is up to me  to put forth the effort of allowing them blossom.    

My book writing is one of these goals!  Am I reaching for the confidence that I need to finish my book?  Another goal is to score 100 percent correct answers (EACH day) on the Bible Trivia game that I play. 

  

It is true that I have work to do.... But...I also know that it is up to me to believe in myself.    I just have to trust the process and Trust the ONE who has planted each of these things in my spirit.  

I need to stand tall like the sunflowers and stretch my heart towards the positive. 

I was never meant to fear.....but I was meant to stand tall in Faith. 

Shug...

Sending Happy Birthday Wishes this morning to my daughter, Trista and to our great grandson, William...who turned ONE today!!! 

🎈🎉🎈🎉

Trista on the left!

Baby William...

** Just a short note!

We will be flying out today for our trip to Colorado...I'll catch up with you all when we get back home....

 

A bloom of Royalty.

 My Crepe Myrtles are blooming and as I look outside my window, I see that they are dressed in their finest lavender-purple blooms. They are all really showing off right now.  

Although this photo looks like the blooms are pink, they are honestly a beautiful purple color.  Clusters of wrinkled blooms cover each branch in waves, and when the wind is slightly blowing, I can actually smell their sweet fragrance.  These trees seem to be announcing their arrival in a full-blown fanfare of color and grace this year.  

Makes you think.....how in the world does something bloom this confidently after looking so bare just a few months ago? Amazing!!

The Crepe Myrtle doesn't bloom because it's trying to prove anything.....it blooms because God created it to.  

A Crepe Myrtle blooms confidently because it trust the process built into its very roots. The roots, the rhythm of the seasons, the promise of return, the sun that warms and the rains that nourishes it.... this is the process!!!  The blooms show up in full color, simply because the Creator whispered, "Now's your time."  How very thankful I am!!

I feel like our lives are much the same....No need to rush the seasons...(like Hobby Lobby or other stores)

There is beauty in the seasons of our lives....each one held in God's hands, each one has a purpose. 

I would encourage anyone who might be in a season of waiting and wondering, to let the purple Crepe Myrtle whisper to YOUR heart...."Your season is coming. You don't have to chase it, stay rooted in the ONE who sees the whole garden."

Shug....

I must take more pictures to show the true color of purple in the blooms!!! 

Prayers for Texas-Camp Mystic

My heart is Heavy! 

Texas is hurting badly. The recent floods have brought devastation beyond words. Homes are gone! Campgrounds are under water. Families are grieving. And many are still clinging to hope as they pray for loved ones who are missing. 

Please Pray:

Pray for the families who are waking up to emptiness.

Pray for Camp Mystic and all the camps along the river.  These are places that are usually filled with laughter and the building of friendships that last a lifetime. Now, these same places are filled with uncertainty, loss, rescue efforts and heartbreaking silence.

Pray for the first responders, working tirelessly to find those still unaccounted for. 

Pray for those who have loss loved ones.

My own heart aches even more knowing that Mylee was just there....just last weekend, floating that very river (the Guadalupe) with friends, tubing and making memories.  That could have been any of us. It's a sobering reminder of how quickly life can shift. 

There are no easy words in times like these. A huge flood that has created a flood of emotions and a huge call to lift Texas up in prayer. 

I know you all believe in the power of prayer, so I ask you to please pause for a moment and whisper a prayer for the missing, the mourning, and the many who have lost everything.  I pray that comfort will find them and that hope will hold them. 

Holding these families close in my heart right now.  

Shug.  

 

Celebrating the 4th

** Prayers Please,  for our Texas families!!   

 Saturday Morning July 5th....2025 

I am pretty positive that you all will agree with me when I say that there is nothing quite like a family gathering and especially so when one feels like a whirlwind of laughter, love, splashes, sugar, and of course...the perfect amount of chaos it make it unforgettable.

 We kicked off early, celebrating our two favorite July birthdays.  William and Tweety aka Trista, with all the festive flair that every birthday deserves. From the moment the grill started smoking with burgers and hot dogs, to the very last bubble that floated through the Summer air.....these two were the center of attention.  

Let the Splashes begin!!

Pool games were in full swing (literally) and especially when my grandsons decided I needed a swim.  (I Can Not Swim)....

They threw me in....fully dressed. I am pretty sure that I did make quite the splash, with my squeals, my screaming, and flopping around like a fish out of water, except.....I was fully under the water.  

Baby William couldn't get enough of the whipped whipping cream.. His little lips were covered in all of the sweet goodness and of YES....we all laughed.  Add to this laughter, the watermelon feast, pie-in-face shenanigans and the cannon balls into the pool....I'm pretty sure my neighbors may have been laughing as well.  

Can you guess which one started the pie-in-face  ordeal?

  

You can see Shanda in the upper left corner in the collage picture above.  

Let's talk about this pie in the face moment...

It all started when Mylee Jo went straight for her momma with a face full of whipped cream dessert and she (MYLEE) was sporting a very mischievous grin. And of course...payback had to come. Let's just say, things escalated quickly ....whipping cream was flying and there were surprises around every corner. 

Shanda said that we should try it, cause it sure seemed to be a good moisturizer....  LOL

The bubble machine added a lot of it's own magic to the day as it sent orbs all around the patio......   Next...a couple of haircuts were squeezed in for Tucker and for William.  (We had to get these haircuts done before they travel back West)

We missed our military family and sweet Tori and Connor....but their presence was felt.

I would like to add a Huge thank you to Tyler for his service in the military...Today marks 9 years for him.  He now serves in the US "Space Force."

We are so proud of you Tyler.  

Our day was loud...It was messy.

It was filled with whipped cream, wet clothes, surprises, and flying bubbles....

But....it was family at it's finest...

Chaotic and completely full of Heart 💛💛💛💛

As Emily would say....  "That's a wrap on July 4th 2025"

I'll leave you all with this one more picture!!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful 4th...

Shug....