Sarah and Joy, often share birthday celebration breakfasts--both in late May!
This above from two years ago--we will repeat it on Saturday morning. Both girls--presents, celebrating the day, special birthday dinner!
This means I make lots and lots of cinnamon rolls in one month!
May is almost as busy and demanding for me as Decembers and Christmas. Really, it starts April 19 with Nathan's birthday. Then Clay's birthday and then Mother's Day and then Sarah and then Joy. Whew, a lot of cinnamon rolls. And we have so very many birthday traditions to keep. Why didn't I consider spreading our birthdays out a little better when I was making babies! :)
These several days are not my norm, but welcoming a daughter home after her first year at college requires a celebration! (This is what she wrote on her wall about college yesterday: "
Thus ends my first year at Biola...
As I am zipping my last bag and poking my head out the door to say goodbye to friends for the summer, I am deeply thankful for such a beautiful year. This year has been full of kindred spirits, adventures, debate, missions conference, amazing professors, challenges, delights and filled to the brim with God's gracious goodness. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead.
So long, Fresh-more year! You have been good to me.
Take me back to my mountains. — 
feeling blessed."
So I had to make a special meal to celebrate her success at finishing her first year well--but first, I had 6 whole hours to breathe in my own life.
So, yesterday, my day to rest, I slept in until about 7:45, and I had 6 hours off for the first time in a gazillion years and was truly, truly grateful for each minute. Deciding to go out to breakfast with Sarah, since she will be leaving soon, was a gift to myself.
I split Eggs Benedict with Sarah at a favorite local 5 star hotel. (The Broadmoor). I added extra hollandaise sauce to mine and it was delectable!
Poached eggs on top of ham on top of a toasted English Muffin with lots of Hollandaise sauce! Yumm!
(My mom used to make this for Christmas breakfast.)
Rain and fog and mist made the day beautiful and mysterious. So we spent an hour sipping coffee in one of the hotel lobbies. (I have dubbed it my private lobby as I go there often to write! It has a cozy fireplace just behind this room view.)
Our view looked out over the lake, the flowers, the swans, the wind blowing and dancing amongst the willows and blooming yellow branches across the lake. We sat there sipping coffee and listening to music and being quiet--for an hour! Luxury. Peace.
Looked, really looked and admired the gorgeous flower art all around us!
Drove home, lit candles and played the new album Joel gave me for my birthday:
Yo Yo Ma plays Ennio Morricone
Breath-takingly beautiful and so very soothing. I have been playing it over and over the past few days. I discovered it on my Pandora channel.
I read one chapter in my book by Elizabeth Gouge--The Dean's Watch. I always hate it when a book is over as the characters linger in my thoughts and emotions
Came home and straightened up the house, put a welcome sign up for Joy and placed candles and flowers in her room.
We (Sarah) made homemade chocolate chip cookies with pecans for Joy's homecoming. (The secret to fluffy chocolate chip cookies is to whip the butter and sugar and vanilla for about 5 minutes before adding the other goodies.)
Also, homemade potato and cheese soup and Spinach salad with strawberries, sliced almonds, feta cheese, and whole wheat rolls.
Tomorrow, we will go to a favorite greenhouse that is hosting an open house to locals for discount flowers and baskets of flowers for our porches and decks. Going with mama-daughter best friends and then lunch together after to catch up on life.
Saturday birthdays celebrated--
presents to wrap, cinnamon rolls to make, groceries to buy--and then there will be another week.
May your weekend be a blessed one. I pray the comfort of God will be real, through real people, for all of those precious ones all over the world going through such sad and challenging times. So many of you have filled my thoughts and prayers.
May your world, this weekend, be at peace.
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Watch Sarah Mae and me today on Life Today. http://lifetoday.org/video/
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