In My Element

Happy Monday to you all!  It's just a gorgeous morning here in the North-west...and I have a lovely view of it here from my 2nd story office, (I use that term loosely).  The morning is just chilly enough to be refreshing, the sun is up over the neighbor's roof and casting interesting shadows across the cul-de-sac and showing off the birds perched in the same neighbor's tree that I am eyeball to eyeball with out of my little window.  Good stuff...obviously it doesn't take much to entertain me! :)

I hope you had a great weekend.  I totally did!  Saturday was comprised of some much overdue cleaning, (only got the downstairs done - but I'm OK with that), and some baking by Lopey...love the smell of brownies baking, don't you!?!

All of this domestic busy-ness was in preparation for Sunday...the Sabbath....the Day of Rest.  My theory - work your tail off on Saturday, then you can enjoy Sunday more.  I don't rest well with clutter around or chores hanging over my head so this works for me! :)  Besides, the Joyster was bringing college friends over!

Yep, two of her new girlfriends were gong to visit our church with her...and since the food isn't served on the college campus until 10:30 (just brunch and dinner on the weekends) and our home is strategically located between her campus and our church (a mother's dream spot), we had breakfast for them here...followed by lunch after church because I just couldn't send them back to school hungry, now could I?

Saturday evening, as I was finishing the prep for Sunday, the Man said that he could see that I was totally in my element...and I was!  Nothing makes me happier than to ready my home for time with family and friends!  And this is something that we haven't had much of in the past 2 years as my husband has struggled through one health crisis after another.  In the early stages of Mercedes Man's battle, I would day dream about happy times and a home filled with those we love...as the road grew longer and bumpier I would just dream about getting back to some kind of normal and relief for my husband.

And then, just like that, there was yesterday!  I'm not sure what I was the happiest about...the fact that it was Sunday alone thrills me (I love taking a day out of the week to slow down and celebrate the Lord with others)...but seeing my husband feeling up to having others over...having my second born baking up a storm in the kitchen...knowing that the first born was coming for a visit - and getting to meet one of her new friends (the other one woke up feeling under the weather and couldn't make it :( )...made it over the top for me!  That may sound just plain silly but it's true...my heart was just plain filled up at the prospect of it all.

And then they came.  The Joyster and her friend...we met her (she's a lovely girl) and had breakfast...went to church and came home...all the girls donned aprons (you can't have a ministry called ApronStrings without having a plethora of them hanging in your pantry) and worked in the kitchen (thanks college girl-friend for jumping right in there with us).  After lunch the Man played Apples to Apples with the girls while I hemmed dress slacks for my girl (she starts observing in an elementary classroom this week and needs to be dressed for the occasion)...and we ate brownies of course! (those of you Food 4 Thot followers, don't be judgin'...Sunday's I give myself permission to sort of eat 'whatever' but in moderation of course he/he).

So, Sunday wasn't fancy...it was just normal and fun...something that we haven't had much of for a long time!  Thank you Lord for blessing us so richly with 'normal' (well normal for us...the college friend may have thought of us as a bit abnormal ;) after a long season of anything but!  I was in my element!  How was your weekend?  What is your element!

Serving Him and you,
Michelle...ApronGirl