Looking forward to the weekend

Karl and Christine are both flying in tomorrow night to spend the weekend with us. We are so excited to have them here. Plans are under way to eat at some great restaurants, listen to some music, and hang out by the pool. We know they will want to catch up on some sleep, eat some home-cooked meals, and watch a movie or two, but whatever we all decide to do, it will be great to do it together.
At the end of the month we will catch up with our other two, Dean and Louise. We will fly in to Orlando and spend some time with Dean, and then fly to Raleigh to help Louise finish her apartment furnishings and spend a couple of days at the beach house.
Life is good and we are so blessed to be able to connect with our children as much as we do.

Mondays

Last Monday I was flying home from Romania and finally landed at DFW at 9:30 p.m. It felt like the longest Monday ever, and yet I didn't accomplish the things I am used to accomplishing on Mondays. After almost a week of getting back on a normal sleep schedule, I am ready for a normal Monday. You know, the kind where you roll out the trash cans, shake out the rugs, start the first load of laundry, write a couple of checks that need to get in the mail, enjoy a second cup of coffee while checking the email, go for a power walk, vacuum the floors, dust the furniture, go to the dry-cleaners, put gas in the Tahoe,mail that package that has been sitting on the counter for a week, hit the grocery store, and by the time I get all of those things accomplished, it should be time to start dinner preparations.
Oh, and in the middle of all of this, there are about 10 phone calls I really need to make. There goes Monday!

Back in the Saddle

I am not literally "back in the saddle" , rather I am just back to feeling normal, well-rested, and doing all the things I did before Romania. It has taken most of the week to get on a normal sleep schedule.
I have fought through the desire to take a nap every day at about 3 p.m. It has been fun to wander through the grocery store, take a walk in the early morning (before it gets to 105 degrees), catch up on some domestic chores, and catch up with friends who are all so curious about our trip. And now it's the weekend! Yahoo!
We are going to a "salsa in the park" event in Addison tomorrow night and over to our friends house for dinner on Sunday evening.

Hope Grows Everywhere

The Globetrotters are all back safely on US soil. What an experience it was to travel with 21 other "gals". We have had quite an adventure. Please check out the website to see pictures and read about our trip. www.hopegrowshere.blogspot.com
My thought this morning as I reflect back on our 2 weeks abroad, is that while we all have unique lives, there is a common thread connecting us to one another. We grow when we put ourselves "out there" and take risks in relationships, surroundings, and activity. None of us have the luxury of going through life without hardships and challenges and when we begin to see that reality we also find it a bit easier to empathize and understand one another. I think that all the "Globetrotters" were stretched a bit and for many of us it will take some time to process the experience. As I sit and look through my journal and my pictures I am still drinking it all in and am so thankful for the adventure and most of all, thankful that God was present and active throughout the entire trip.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

Soooooo, the adventure begins in the morning.

Off to DFW by 7 am to catch a flight to Greensboro, NC to catch a flight to Philly, to catch a flight to Frankfurt, Germany... to catch a flight to Budapest, Hungary. I expect it to be a long but FUN day. An opportunity to start to connect with my Globetrotter friends. We will end the day in Romania. Then the real fun begins.
My suitcase is heavy, but not over the limit. It will be much lighter on the return as it is full of "goodies" right now.
God is good. He is in charge. His plan is our plan. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us.

Romania, here we come!

The "Globetrotters" are about to be on the move. Check out the website if you are curious. www.dustinsgreenhouse.org The Green family is an extraordinary one. They have been making a difference in the lives of young people in Guilford County for years. I just plain feel BLESSED to be a part of this year's trip. The Greens will always give the credit for the success of this organization to LOTS of other people. While I agree that the role of these active and supportive individuals has been hugely important, it truly has been Martin, Lou, Ashlie, and Mallory whose love for, and commitment to, remembering and honoring the memory of their extraordinary son and brother, Dustin that has been the momentum and the driving force of this organization. They are amazing in so many ways.

I can't wait to share pictures and stories of our adventures with 15 wonderful young women.

Whew! Where is the summer going?

Can't believe that we are well on our way into July! Such a fun summer. It seems that somehow time flies by during the summer months.
We are loving having Louise here with us in Texas for the summer. She has had friends come to visit, and just spent the last 5 days with Christine in Colorado. She will fly back to NC at the end of July to move into her apartment.
Steve's folks came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we had a great visit. Took them on a road trip to see where they lived over 40 years ago.
Last weekend I flew to Orlando to move Dean into his new apartment. His classes at Full Sail start on Thursday. Once we got everything unpacked, we had time to sneek in a movie. ( We saw Transformers...I still remember Karl and Dean playing with them when they were little. The ones in the movie were definitely more intimidating.)
This weekend I will head to Minnesota for my niece's wedding and then I have a week to get ready for the Globetrotter trip to Romania. We will be leaving on the 20th of July and returning on the 3rd of August. What an adventure that will be. Can't wait. I better start looking for a good book to get me through the overseas flight.