An After Hours Private Coffee Experience

 

I couldn't wait! A fabulous coffee shop opened near me and I had an idea, asked the owner & coffee connoisseur, and he created the first ever, an after hours private coffee experience!

We were there for four hours tasting whatever we wanted, teaching us the coffee bean process, allowing us to roast our own coffee beans, bag them and keep them, and teaching us the flavors of coffee and how unique they taste brewed different ways. 

The evening was far beyond what I expected and absolutely perfect for a private party! 

Music playing in the background, full access to the entire coffee shop, we were astonished the process a coffee bean goes through and the art and science behind it. I don't think I will ever think of coffee the same way. 

Jeremy said it was one of the best gifts he's ever received and I couldn't have been happier to create this experience for him. He is a wonderful husband to my daughter and an excellent daddy to my grandbabies. 

Mariah loved the private experience, too. There was a moment during their birthdays that blessed my heart. David & I text Mariah happy birthday messages (of course I Facebook messaged, and Facetimed... I like to cover all the bases!) and Mariah replied to David, "I am so thankful you have  entered ALL of our lives! The missing piece to our family! <3 

David told me last night Mariah text him last week to see if he could play on their co-ed softball team, that they needed another player. He couldn't because he was working, but I cannot say how happy it makes this momma's heart BOTH my daughters love him. I needed him and perhaps they needed him to for me, too. 

We made a friend that night with the owner, we all admired, and we appreciated the detail he went into to share his passion. 

Happy birthday, Mariah & Jeremy, I love you both! 

Birthday Date Day

 

I still date my daughter's and when asked what I want for my birthday, it's always a date day with them. 

Mariah asked how I wanted to spend my birthday date day and as an Events Director, I prattled off a list of activities. When we couldn't decide, I combined!

Our date day and it was a full day, started off on the towpath biking, then canoeing.

It was sunny and upper 70's the weather could not have been more perfect! I used to take my girls canoeing when they were little. In fact, Brooke was a baby in a carrier and I would sit her in the carrier in the canoe. The water was only a couple feet deep. It's what we used to do and it had been too many years. It was relaxing being on the water again.

A quick stop at a quaint coffee café, we perused the small towns shops and made a fun new find. 

Biking and canoeing, hair up!! It's a momma + daughter date day. No judgment here. Picking up dinner, we came back to my house to cool off and float in the pool.

A quick stop for a specialty coffee, a walk in the park, we came back home to watch television together. 

It was a lovely day with my little girl. 

Mariah just turned 26 years old and Jeremy just turned 39. Tonight is a surprise date night in celebration of both their birthdays with David & I. I'm super excited, they have no idea!! 

 

Soccer Practice Grandma-style

 

Because the best stories never start with salad.

It was Sofia's first official soccer practice (the first week was rained out) and Mariah & Jeremy had birthday celebration plans, I was asked to take Sofia. Little Miss Independent & Determined and knows exactly what she wants, doesn't hesitate to fire off wonderful suggestions when I picked her up.

"lEtS gEt iCe cReAm BEFORE pRaCtIcE!" I've always been a get-ice-cream-after-sports-kind-of-mom, I am officially now a get-ice-cream-before-sports-kind-of-grandma. So I caved! I estimated I had 10 minutes to make it happen prior to arriving at practice, braiding her hair, putting on her shin guards and cleats.

She wanted the waffle bowl and all-American sprinkles. 

As she sat in my SUV with air conditioning keeping her cool, taking her time eating ice cream, I struggled in the intense heat standing outside the car to get her shin-guards on over her sweet, chubby little legs.

Practice starts and she isn't having it. The kids stretched to warm up, she didn't budge. She was hot, I was there, and while she likes her soccer uniform, she did not want to participate. 

In all fairness, one mom said to me, "At least she is standing on the white line. My son won't even stand near the kids!" About three others cried and walked off the field. Sofia stood sideways with her shoulder up. When she had enough, she walked off the field, plopped on my lap to continue eating ice cream and prattled off other best suggestions like the library and the rainbow car wash would be fun.

This is a flashback to Brooke playing soccer. She would look through the dugout and ask her dad and I if we told her coach she wouldn't be coming back. I took a stance then, she wasn't leaving practice. I'm not so much that now. 

Grandma-style is a bit more... my own hair is damp from the heat, Sofia's cheeks were bright pink because she was so hot, why are we suffering? Let's go! 

The library was closed, off to the rainbow car wash we go! She noticed we were near my house and wanted to drive by to say, "gOoD mOrNiNg" to my house, so we did. When she saw a car in my driveway, she asked if I had friends at my house. That was great grammy & papa in my pool.

We know where this story is going... she was happy as can be swimming all over the pool with great grammy & papa! Cooled off and refreshed, a sucker for the car ride home, I've realized I may not be the best as soccer practice grandma. However, when it comes to cooling an overly hot, overly over soccer little girl, I'm a ROCKSTAR! 

August 16th

 Oh, August 16th, how I love thee... 

An ordinary day became unexpectedly magnificent and extraordinary and I knew, I knew, I knew it the moment he entered the coffee shop. I said then and I say now, the air changed and became electric!

I knew he was extraordinary, I just didn't know how or why. I called it and claimed it, he was and is!

Everything inside me that had been dormant for so long came alive in ways I never expected and falling in love with him, only God. 

His mind is brilliant. Sexy and smoldering, tall, dark and handsome, loving and endlessly affectionate. In his arms is my safe place, and as ridiculous as it sounds, straddling on top of him is home, the world can slip away...

Today we re-created last August 16th. He surprised me and wore the shirt he wore then and I put on the top I wore. Sitting at the same table I sat it a year ago, he walked in, this time I took his photo.

Sitting outside in the same chairs we sat in then... this time I could lean over and kiss him and tell him, "I love you" and to be kissed and hear, "I love you, too" is everything. 

The weather was perfect today, just like last year. 

Thank you, David, for wearing your shirt and reenacting the moment we met. It is even more magical today, because I know you are magnificent and extraordinary for so many reasons, and you still take my breath away. I love you and I love us.   

Chapter 51

 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Chapter 51.

It's a quiet Friday morning and I have the next three days off, which is an unusual gift in the world of events. Maybe I am nostalgic, reflecting on my life, my journey, my path. The story of us, whether it be my life with my daughters, my grandbabies, my family, and my love. I want it captured and I want it honest and real.

King Solomon said it best, "There is a time for everything..." In life seasons continue to change and I've always said, if you're in a tough season, hold on, it will change. If you're in a really great season, enjoy and savor it, it will change. 

My life is so incredibly blessed. Believe me, the journey has been almost more than I could endure at times. This blog began in Chapter 40 of my life. It's been only 10 chapters and life has provided thousands of stories to share. 

Chapter 51 is a beautiful start. It begins with my absolute surprise falling deeply in love and becoming best friends at this stage in my life. I've told him once he is the reason every relationship never worked out. David is magnificent and I love life with him. When I would ask God to please remember the details of what I've always wanted in case I forget, I received a man custom-made for me and I love, admire, and respect him, deeply.

Our journey together is really just beginning. Life has seasons, but we also create and feed our own seasons by the choices me we make. 

Read it, again... s l o w l y this time...

For those in a beautiful season, refresh and savor and nurture it. It matters.

For those in a difficult season, it will pass. 

 

$13.70

 

A day etched out between two busy schedules, we stopped at a fabulous new coffee shop and drove scenic Route 250 to West Virginia. Sometimes, necessity calls for getting out of town and out of state. 

The day unrushed with destination points, but no hard timeline, we drove and took in the scenery. Oglebay is always pretty. Being on a mountain has always felt like walls of protection that blocks everything you want to leave behind. 

Lunch at Cheddars, David tasted Mango Tea for the first time. Believe me, that alone is worth the stop. A quick stop at Cabela's and we were off to the casino.

Thrilled we were considered first-timers, we received two complimentary $20 cards to use on slot machines. I don't even know how long we played, but we had fun, and the Wheel of Fortune became our slot machine of choice. We definitely beat the system with free money to play the slot machines with, having fun, then we came to a point where we had a choice... play the rest of the card, spend our own cash, or cash out on their card and walk out with cash in our pocket. 

We opted to cash out on their dime. Basked in having fun at no co$t to us, when the cashed-out the ticket came out to $13.70. Instead of splitting it, we started our new house fund. 

On the way home, a quick stop at the bicycle shop to look at bikes for him, when my mom text Jason & Melissa were coming over to play cards. Picking up a pie, we joined them for some smack-talking, treat-tasting, joke-telling, card-playing fun.

It was a great day! Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." I would like to add, who you make that journey with makes all the difference, too. 

Our New Church

 

Today was long time coming. Years of prayer and God's blessings, today was our 1st church service in our new and permanent church. 

Pulling in to the ribbon cutting, everyone outside excited to get in and see our new home church, I was grateful the weather was perfect and beautiful. 

I know the back story. My brother the preacher, when he called me from college and said he wants to go into the ministry and was afraid to tell mom and dad. I remember driving him down to Liberty University that first time in the pickup truck on a hot day with no air conditioning and no radio. We weren't on the highway for 10 minutes when I told Jason to knock our mom out. lol

I remember my brothers journey, family wanting him to break away from where he was preaching to start his own church. I remember when he did, he needed space and my venue became our temporary church location for 1-1/2 years. 

Today is important to so many in our church, but it really is to our family who was there from my brothers calling to cutting the ribbon and walking inside today. 

To have my mom & dad, David, and Brooke & Alex, my brother's family and a congregation who pulled their strengths together to make it happen... today is significant. 

Class of '81 Reunion Weekend

 

This was the Class of '81 Reunion Weekend. Working and juggling my events with reunion festivities, all I can say is, thank you Jesus it's raining outside. I'm tired and I've probably had 10 more hours of sleep than David has. 

Friday night we arrive at the local tavern for the first nights casual gathering. One doesn't simply show up, one arrives, and we certainly did. Honestly, you would think David is a celebrity!! Both guys and girls went nuts when he arrived and I enjoyed seeing him embraced, adored, and him laughing and hugging his friends from so many years ago. 

It was the guys that kept coming up to me... "He is a ROCKSTAR!" Telling me his stories, sports successes, pranks, etc. He is certainly well-loved. There was a big turnout and many traveled through states to attend their 40th class reunion. All night he was slapped on the back, hugged, and loved. The guys loved him, the girls loved him, and I smiled just watching him. 

David is kind all day long. He is gracious, loving, friendly, super funny and made each person feel special. It's just who he is. And me, I am so proud to be next to him. 

Saturday he golfed with everyone and after my wedding, I ran home to shower and join them for the Saturday night gathering. 

Name tags on, I could only laugh. He was Justin Cider. Lol I'm betting he talked her into being Anita Peters.

Quarterback of the football team and all around athletic rock star, what I didn't know was that he was in a singing group from a young age to singing in the high school ensemble. Of course he did! What on earth doesn't he do well? 

I love seeing him happy and I love him.