You're Gonna Miss This

The days left before my parents head back to Africa are getting fewer.  For me, this means as much weekend family time as possible.  

If you've noticed how often my hair style and length changes, then you will not be surprised to find out that I like change.  A few years ago when my mom was visiting the states, she and I gave my apartment a complete make-over.  That was about six years ago and I have the itch to do it again.  Next month we are going to completely redecorate my apartment and I can't wait!!!  I'm changing motifs, colors and furniture.  

Shopping with Madre

Saturday Mother and I went shopping.  We decided that we need to find curtains first and then work from there.  The color palette I am switching to is currently in style (reds, oranges, yellows, turquoise, purples, greens, etc.), so I thought this would be an easy task.  Boy, was I wrong!  We went to World Market, Pier One and JC Penny's with no luck.  Frustrated, we decided to search online when we got home.  

We stopped at Garden Ridge before heading home.  My balcony is on my list of face-lifts and I wanted to find a cute pad to put on my bench.  They had a HUGE assortment of patio furniture pads.  It was difficult to narrow it down to one, but I did.  I came away with padding and a large candle holder (pictures will be posted when it's all complete).  A stop at Big Lots got me a little patio table for under $20.  Flowers and a couple of cans of spray paint for my bench and candle holder are all that's needed to finish the new look on my balcony.

Mother and I stopped for yogurt while shopping.  We love frozen yogurt.  Yogurt Land currently has flavors from around the world; if there's one near you, they're worth a try.  We passed a Long John Silver's while en route.  When we went shopping as kids, we often stopped to eat at LJS.  The little "crumblies" are a family favorite, so we drove-thru for them and old time's sake.  It's been a long time since either of us have eaten there and we didn't realize that "crumblies" come in their own little containers now (see above pic).  I was much more excited about this than Mother was. :)

After searching online, we decided that making curtains may be our best option.  Anthropologie had "the perfect" set, but I am NOT spending $480 on curtains.  Hopefully this week will yield more curtain options so I can start buying accessories.  If you have an apartment and/or like decorating, check out this website: Apartment Therapy.  Love it!

Traveled to Wichita Falls to be in service with Mother & Daddy

Since I lead a Bible study at my church on Sunday mornings, I haven't been able to travel with my parents as they have been itenerating this year.  Sunday my dad was preaching three hours away in Wichita Falls.  He, my siblings and myself were all born in Wichita Falls.  Our Bible study is on a short break, so I seized the opportunity to go on a road trip with my parents.  It was good to spend one-on-one time with them, hear Daddy preach, visit with new people and be close to where I spent half of my life.

A storage facility is now where I spent the first 5 years of my life
Park where I played as a kid

On the way home we detoured through Bowie.  Bowie is the town my dad grew up in and where I lived the first five years of my life.  We used to live on, what seemed to a child, a lot of land in the country.  The area around where we lived has more around it and wasn't as far out of town as I remembered.  A metal fence now stands where our cattle guard marked the beginning of a gravel driveway leading to the entrance of land that hosted our home and my grandparents' home.  A large storage facility inhabits where our large metal swing sat, our ponies roamed and the storm cellar I used to love playing on, but was terrified to go into.  It hurt my heart that nothing looked familiar, that all that remains are the few memories I have.

Mimi and Pawpaw

We took time to drive by the park where we played when I was little.  The swing clown is STILL creepy to me.  On the way out we visited the cemetery where my Mimi and Pawpaw are buried.  Having moved as a child, and having parents that live in another country as an adult, home is definitely a relative term.  On this trip back to one home, it hit me that all of life really is "dust to dust".  It is so short and the things that last aren't things at all.

Texas girl

We ended the day with our weekly Sunday night family tradition, dinner and "Celebrity Apprentice".  Kinsley is such a little doll baby and is now five and a half months old.  I think she grows a little more each time I see her.  She cut two teeth this week, can sit up and can drink out of a sippy cup.  I sure love the little girl that made me an aunt!!!

As I think back on how happy this past weekend made my heart, I can't help but think of the Trace Adkins song, "You're Gonna Miss This".  It has kind of become our family's anthem as we grow older and scatter.

Grandmother's crocheted sweatshirt and a sweet couch potato

Just the girls