Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
~Mother Teresa

Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.
--Leo Tolstoy

For today let me do the next thing with great joy in the service of my husband and children. Let me find my joy in giving to others.

Welcome spring!

For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.
---William Shakespeare

I love spring as much as I love Shakespeare!

Lent

Observing joyful silence for lent.

I LOVE....

~fluffy, white towels
~crisp, ironed sheets
~monograms
~shrimp, lobster and crab
~pinot noir
~chocolate cheesecake
~whales
~puppies
~kitties
~newborn babies, fresh out of the womb
~silence
~quilts
~fabric
~linens
~sunshine
~Hawaii
~Sydney
~Cancun
~Durango
~kids
~homeschooling
~Shawshank Redemption
~Signs
~The Notebook
~Pride and Prejudice
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
~Hemingway
~Casting Crowns
~Sarah Mclauglin
~the Olympics
~the Catholic Church
~advent
~Christmas Eve
~Easter
~stations of the cross
~mother teresa
~nice clothes
~waves
~lighthouses
~cape cod
~South Carolina
~Colorado Buffaloes
~scones
~paninis
~good pizza
~cold beer with nachos
~football games
~date night
~sitting on the beach in winter
~reading
~the rosary
~homemade cinnamon rolls
~italian food
~art museums
~the aquarium
~The Red Tent
~The Year of Wonders
~The Poisonwood Bible
~Barnes and Noble
~bakeries
~tea sets
~handmade soap
~candles
~aprons
~sitting by a fire, reading aloud
~really nice hotel rooms
~the bed at the Westin in Seattle
~wood floors
~cooking for guests
~guest rooms
~home decor magazines
~inspirational books
~Russell Crowe
~The Patriot
~Braveheart
~Gladiator
~Matt Damon
~Rachel McAdams
~Amy Adams
~Meryl Streep
~low country
~the Virgin Mary
~nuns in habits
~the ocean
~good conversation
~talking to fascinating people
~front porches
~roses and daisies
~outdoor fireplaces
~stargazing when it is really dark
~the Red Lion in Vail
~the Ore House in Durango
~country dancing
~George Strait
~violins
~bonfires on the beach
~seashells
~dolphins
~popcorn
~fajitas
~baby blankets
~baptism
~baby feet
~clean floors
~Pottery Barn
~dishes
~garlic, olive oil and rosemary
~handpainted anything
~layettes
~beautiful sleepwear
~nice people
~kindness
~manners
~Rendezvous BBQ~Memphis
~warm sand
~coffee with cream in a beautiful mug
~sunrise
~the earth from space
~spring cleaning
~snow falling
~wide, open spaces
~the Rocky Mountains
~Montana
~mothers and babies
~real men
~firewood
~being a stay at home mom
~nice nurses
~my obstetrician
~Southern hospitality
~a stocked pantry
~butterflies
~wrought iron
~lilacs
~sand dunes
~herons
~a stack of unread books
~my family

Marriage Friday

.. for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16

Choose today to do something for your husband. A good meal, a clean house, a quiet evening, peaceful conversation, respect, happy children. Go out of your way today to ensure that when he walks in the door he knows you appreciate him. Service + self sacrifice = JOY.

I Thirst Thursday

And for my sister....some things I love....
~lighthouses
~foghorns in the night
~cool, ocean breezes
~flowers year round
~the golden gate bridge
~point reyes
~benicia football games
~golden boy pizza
~little italy
~mission san juan bautista
~monterey bay aquarium
~ocean waves pounding
~marin headlands
~stinson beach
~sonoma
~wine country
~bodega bay