Pruning and Purging

The last week of each month in the meal ministry I pick a topic for devotions and it becomes the focus for the entire week. We just ended the week yesterday with: Pruning.

Pruning is a verb. To cut off, clear away or remove.

God says in the bible ...

A whole week on pruning was a lot. The focus and purpose is to drive the message home. If someone says, "pruning" there is a community, under me, that knows exactly what it means.

Pruning is a painful process and I am open to God showing me what or perhaps who needs removed from my life that has become a dead branch or simply preventing me from being more fruitful. I cannot teach this stuff and it not become so personal in my life.

On the home front ... I am SO proud of Brooke! My girls are hoarders. Getting Mariah packed up and moved out was much harder than it needed to be because she hoards. Her sister, Brooke, was a fount of comments and judgment, anxious to push her out the door to take her room.

With Mariah's room renovated and transformed into Brooke's new room, the focus was now on Brooke's old room, hoarder #2. 

Flashback: When Brooke was little, I would send her into her room to purge trash and old things in a cleaning process. She would spend hours going through stuff and would happily want to show me what she was willing to get rid of. Four toys. Truly everything was a treasure.

Yesterday it was time. Time to tackle the monstrous project of purging Brooke's old room, although she was fine living out of both rooms, it isn't fine with me. 

Trash bags for trash, bins for Goodwill. 

She purged like a champion! 

Five large trash bags filled, two extra large totes + miscellaneous pieces hauled to Goodwill.

Everything she has hoarded for years, she let go of. The best part was her dad's things she let go of. Just stuff that had become sentimental treasures that took space and was never used. She made the decision and was perfectly fine with it. It is truly part of her healing process.

Her old room is now empty. She has let go of the old and open for the new season in her life an uncluttered beginning.

Renovations in the empty bedroom begin this week. Painting to refresh the walls and ceiling, changing the look to make open for the first open room in our home since I bought it almost 14 years go.

I may make the room an office. Brooke is thinking a prayer room.

Whatever this room becomes, it has been purged of the old and made way for the new.


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Facetiming the Honeymooners

I watch Facebook every day to see honeymoon photos. Three destinations + three weeks, and they are now entering week #3.

My Mariah is one who gets homesick and one night this week I had a dream that she stepped into my arms crying that she wanted to come home. It was the only time I text and asked her to call me. Relieved she is happy and in her glory with vacationing/honeymooning with the love of her life.

Tonight was wonderful when Facetime came across my phone. Both my Mariah & Jeremy sun-kissed, all smiles and saying "Hello!"

She walked me through their beach house in Florida showing me room to room. I confess it was weird when she said, "This is our bedroom ..." and the bed was unmade. I wonder for my little girl how she is adjusting to being a virgin newlywed. It is so important and we have had necessary conversations regarding the importance of intimacy. Yes, I prepared my daughter with knowledge.

Tonight the three of us talked, laughed, and as she is glowing, telling me all their adventures, she asks if I miss her and if the house feels different without her. Then she stops and asks, "Mom, are you crying?"

Tears were slipping down my cheeks and I couldn't help it.

As a mom, I couldn't want any more for her. Her heart happy and full, married to the love of her life. Starting a new life together and the beginning being so magical and perfect. She is happy, they are young, healthy and in love. It is everything as a mom I could dream for my child.

As she was walking me through their beach house it came to my mind, if all my dreams of love, happiness and marriage gets poured in her, I am okay with that. I love her. Her path will be so different than mine. I've made a lot of mistakes and it just doesn't seem as if it is my journey.

Safe travels, my kids, I have you both covered in prayer!

A New Season in Life

I embrace this new season in my life. Winter has passed. The wedding is a fresh, beautiful memory as I watch Facebook for honeymoon photos. Brooke is loving her new room. The sunshine and warmth of spring gives birth to flowers, trees in bloom, with the promise of summer and warm, sunny days full of things to do outdoors.

Windows open, fresh air, grass freshly cut, sitting on the patio and ice cream cones.

Mariah and Jeremy now married entering their own new season of their life together.

Getting together our to-do list of summer fun, I want to paddle board and kayak this summer. A first for me with both sports.

Two super cool pairs of cowboy boots for me and I believe three for David, we are ready for some live country music.

Most seasons of my life I want things to move fast and furious. Now I find, I want time to slow down. I want spring and summer to last until I am so exhausted from activity that I cry, "Mercy!" for winter and hibernation to get here.

Now, it's time to detox and cleanse, throw open the windows and twirl in the sunshine.

Brooke's New Room

In all things wedding wonderful, Brooke now has Mariah's much bigger bedroom. 

Thanks to Papa & Grammy for spending a couple days taking down the wall mural, patching, painting, buying her a new mattress to go with Mariah's bedroom set she left behind, and transforming the bedroom into her own, Brooke won't leave her new spacious space. 

Mariah and Jeremy arrived yesterday at their honeymoon destination #2, Savannah, Georgia. Me, I'm watching Facebook for their photos so I don't text/call and interrupt her honeymoon.

On the home front, I am exhausted. 

Getting back in the groove of routine, after a week of being sick, weeks worth of wedding festivities, I go like I did before, but now I fall asleep in the living room before 9:00 p.m. 

In all fairness, we do go non-stop. To shake off the stress we spent Saturday on the Harley riding in Amish Country, Sunday afternoon on the boat (David fishing, me sunbathing), we've rode our bikes for the 1st time of the season, and I'm still doing spring clean-up in the yard.

Memories of the wedding still fresh in my mind make me smile and conversations are had continuously with me sharing photos of the wedding. 

I guess a lot is still going on. 

All things wonderful.

 

Mariah & Jeremy

Wedding day ...

Sunny and 70's made a perfect outdoor, spring, country wedding. In all my planning, in countless special touches, the grand crescendo was still far better than I dreamed for her.

The happy honeymooners are off on a 3-week honeymoon and my daughter gets to come back to her new home, being a stay-at-home wife, summer, and her new life.

Congratulations, Mariah & Jeremy! <3

Day Before the Wedding

This week has been days of details coming together before the grand crescendo tomorrow, the wedding.

I never get sick and of all weeks to get sick, this week has kicked my butt. Antibiotics in my system, my voice is gone, I'm hoping for a speedy recovery as we decorate the barn in a couple of hours.

Tonight is Mariah's last night sleeping at home.

As much as I am ready for this wedding, that very thought seems overwhelming.

At the bridal shop yesterday another unexpected wave of emotion overwhelmed me as I was picking up her wedding dress. I guess it is moments that become so real to me as a mom that the reality of all that is about to happen becomes unexpected treasures of memories of a beautiful piece of the puzzle for her perfect day.

An outdoor wedding mid-April in Ohio? Risky. God love her, it will be sunny and high 60's. I'm betting it gets even warmer as a kiss from heaven.  

Tomorrow morning is the last morning she wakes up living at home. I have a couple of special touches as surprises for her to start her last morning off as a single young woman and bride.

Today, all the pieces will be set in place for preparation sake and a rehearsal will bring everyone together so they know what to do tomorrow.

Tomorrow, my little girl becomes a wife. 

A Country Bridal Shower

Weeks and weeks of planning Mariah's country bridal shower and afterwards as I collapsed across my chaise, mentally worn out and my whole body hurting from organizing, hauling, setting up/tearing down, and all my senses in high gear for her perfect bridal shower, I came to the overwhelming conclusion, I am grateful everything turned out perfect, relieved it is over, the bank is closed and all things have been purchased, and now I can simply relax and enjoy the wedding.

Country-themed menu: Biscuit Bar home-made southern buttermilk biscuits with choice of grilled ham steak w/cucumber relish or rotisserie chicken with honey or sweet & spicy mustard, cornbread muffins w/amish butter, fresh blackberries & strawberries with honey, thick chocolate chip brownies w/maple cool whip, sweet tea, lemonade and coffee.

  

 

Dark blue rock candy served as a metaphor and as party favors tied with pretty satin bows and a crystal heart that read, "Thank you." Love rocks and color of the rock candy matches Mariah's engagement ring.

Fresh flowers graced every table in pretty simplicity.

Her shower went beautifully.

In the next 1-1/2 weeks she is in the process of moving out of our home and her wedding day.

On the home front here, it is a significant change. Mariah moving out, bedroom and bathroom renovations about to begin and all of us adjusting to a new season in life.

A season I openly welcome.