March 18th

I had 2 thoughts today.....

Thought #1:

Happy Birthday, Esther!  Remember how I used to ask you (when you were very small) "how do you spell your name?"....and you would reply in a very fast, sing-song way "Es~th~er". (you couldn't say your "r")  I don't think that I ever got it the first time, and would have to ask again. =)  And sometimes, (likely often) I would have to ask Rachel....

You have grown a lot (and I mean it), since I first met you, oh so long ago...I pray that God will bless the rest of your life here on earth, in ways that you never thought possible! =)

Love ya.

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Thought #2:

Father-
Our baby would have been 12 years old today.
Why? Why did you give and then take away the one that we had been hoping and praying for for so long? Why?
 I know that it was for our own good- I know that we are a greater encouragement, and have greater care and concern for others going through the loss of a baby...I still want babies in our life-  (not my own, just related to me/near me that love me) Mom says that it's too late for me to have any more siblings, and I'm not holding my breath over nieces & nephews* (if I did get any, they would live so far away....), what's the point in that? I know that it's not your plan for me & my family right now...
...I need to trust YOU. YOU know exactly why things happen, or didn't happen! YOU alone can see the big picture- why should I question YOU?  Please help me, Lord! Help me to open my hands, and let YOU have my wishes and wants.
Your will be done, Amen.


After I wrote the above, I read the verse printed at the bottom of the journal page- it was perfect:  "....yet I will not forget you.Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."   Isaiah 49:15-16

*I do have adopted nieces & nephew, and I love them very much, but I don't see them like I would like to. =(

"Hug Him Once For Me"  click to listen.
Reading "See You Later, Jeffrey" by Fran Sandin really helped me with my grieving & loss.

Someday, I imagine that I'll get to meet our baby "Gabriel". 
Gabriel means "God Is My Strength"

The Summer Of NO Pants ~ 2013!

It's that time of year again....The Summer Of NO Pants!  This year the skirt and dress sewing challenge will run from May 27th - June 21st.

I hope that you'll join us~ you don't have to have a blog, you just have to join the SONP  group on Google +, and that should be pretty easy!
  Join the SONP 2013 Google+ Community!

My posts from the past:
2011~
1)  http://adrienneand.blogspot.com/2011/05/summer-of-no-pants.html
2)  http://adrienneand.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-of-no-pants-2.html

2012~
1)  http://adrienneand.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-of-no-pants-2012.html

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 Follow this LINK over to hideousdreadfulstinky.com to read more about the FUN! =)

a birthday outing

 I thought of a dozen different ways to celebrate my birthday, and never could make up my mind...and on the Thursday evening before my Tuesday birthday, we came up with a plan "M" that had not been thought of~ a ladies (dutch treat) luncheon at TaMolly's!  Despite the late notice, 22 ladies came!  =) 

 First we had to wait to be seated...apparently, 1pm is still a little early to bring a party of 22 people into a popular restaurant, even with a reservation! 

 K (below, on the right), gave me a card that said "Happy Birthday.  Your name means rich. But I think that it means rich with God's Glory."   That was so sweet~ thank you, K! =)

Mrs. Bee, Hannah and I~

 

Sarah & Rachel & I~

E and I...I like this photo...I don't remember what we were talking about!

 The pretty paper flower in my hair was a gift from the lovely lady B, on the right in the below photo.  =)

 
Singing to me~

 ~ everyone smiling and laughing after~

Mom and Allison~

 

 

The Hale girls and I~

 Party favors/birthday cake (brownies really)~
 (I got the deer tags from Free Pretty Things For You- here)

I made some special ones that were Gingerbread muffins, for us special folks~

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One last thing..Allison & Sara gave me "Lucy" she is a Plumeria~ some day she'll have pretty flowers! You can read about them here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~My comment on FB~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel SO loved~ thank you all for making my birthday special! 1 phone call, 2 loving parents, 2 text messages, 7 cards, about 10 e-mails, 27 party attendees (if you add all 3 parties), about 60 FB notes, too many hugs and gifts (mostly hugs!!!) to count(!), and ever so many friends & acquaintance to celebrate with me, and cheer me on to do bigger and better things~ Indeed, I am a very blessed young lady! =) Sniff! =) (Thank you Father, for blessing me so!)

Cookies for the men

I have been thinking about Mrs. Dillard (her Birthday was this past Sunday), and I also was thinking that it would be really nice of me to make some kind of treat for the the CVFD "Exemplary Husband" Bible study tonight....hmmm...what to make?

"I know! ....a half a batch of Mrs. Dillard's cookies!"

You can find the recipe here. 

The changes I made this time were:
I halved the recipe (we sure didn't need the extra temptation hanging around!)
Coconut Oil only- no butter
No nuts, so I...
...increased the chocolate to: 3/4 c. Mini Chocolate Chips (from Aldi's).

My Birthday~ 2013

Thank you all so much for making my 28th birthday a pleasure and making me feel so loved!  I love you all!

I thought that I would show you this really cute card that my Grandma & Papa sent me:

 

First Birthday party of the year was 3 generations in San Antonio! 

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The second Birthday party was with cousins~ Sarah and Adam were in town on Saturday, so we decided to have a Monkey Party, and serve Monkey Steaks (aka: Eli's t-bones)  =)

(get the monkey party favor instructions here)

Cousin Sarah and I whipping up a dessert for Sunday evening!  Cinnamon Pudding Cake - yum!  Thanks to J. Vrazo for the recipe!

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And at last minute last Thursday evening, we decided to go ahead and have a Lunch @ TaMolly's on Tuesday (today)!  We invited a lot of ladies and 22 of my/our "deer" friends came!  The favors were individual brownies.  =)   (see photos here)

 (I got the deer tags from Free Pretty Things For You- here)

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After such a fun afternoon (1-6 pm!) I was excited to come home and look and see the jolly party and good wishes on my Facebook page. 

 I thank everyone who came to the party or commented on my wall or sent text messages or e-mailed or phoned or MAILED cards!  =)

 My sweet brother Benjamin called to wish me a happy birthday and then I had a fun dinner and gift opening with my parents.  The highlights of which were a red with white polka-dot tea pot and a bag of pink party paper goods! 

 Thanks again!

 (at some point more photos of each of these events will be uploaded, thank you for your patience!)