Birthday trip...Part 2

Let's see, now where was I....Oh, yes, MAMMY'S!

This was one of the main things on our agenda for the day, to eat in a place not many get a chance to. As you can see, we all entered with our colorful ties around our necks. The cashier said, "My, look at the ties!" I responded with, "Yes, we decided to dress for our special meal." She laughed. We explained we were on a birthday mission and were having a day of fun. We were seated and orders were taken. The drinks arrived and the girls got all excited because they were drinking out of JARS!

Now we all know if we had been home and I gave them a JAR of something to drink the excitement would not have been there, there's just something about PAYING to drink out of a jar that makes it so much more special :) So a cheers to the jars! Next thing I notice is the girls trying to catch their straw with no hands to drink...it does sort of move around when you don't use your hands.....of course, one does it and the game is on...

Barbie and I didn't get into this game, but next thing I know she has borrowed a tie and breaks out into song..."Does your ears hang low....do they wobble to and fro...."

Now I KNOW why she is with the gifted program!
Wonder what we had done had there not been jars to drink out of or ties to play with? I guess we would have just sat and stared into space. Finally our food came but it didn't quiet us down. We discussed each others food, "whats this?", "Why this?", "Do you want this?", "I don't like this!", "This doesn't taste good anymore." and etc. Kids, they don't know what's good when they see it. I really think they were more excited about the rest of our day than eating. As we left here, the girls gathered for a last picture at Mammy's.

They are sure to have jobs as the "Price is Right" girls.

It was load up time once again and off to the Welcome Center. It turned out to be a very neat place. Madge found this neat dress as we entered.

Then on around, each girl tried their hand at "steering the boat" down the "river"...Carly is the happy captain...

Beth is the very attentive, job loving captain...

and Madge is the "hang on here we go" type of Captain.

It was cute to see the different actions each of them took when standing at the wheel.
Just around from this area, was a concrete walkway with glass from floor to ceiling that you walked out over the bluff looking toward the river. The further we walked, the harder it was because your mind is telling you there is nothing but the concrete keeping you in mid air over the bluff that is WAY down there. As we managed to stand there, we could see across the river and all the kudzu that covered the bluffs under us, beside us and all around.

In looking down, Barbie pointed out the bright blue birds down in the kudzu...

aren't they the most beautiful blue you have seen?!

It didn't take very long before we were ready to move back on to solid ground...or at least more solid than hanging over a bluff. We left the building, where on the side there was a waterfall....

it was as if they had never seen running water before! I think we maybe should have gotten them out of the country and to the city BEFORE now! Barbie and I drag them away from the water over to the flower garden. They loved the walkway with the wisteria vines....

It would be a cool place to sit on a warm summer day. As they see the colorful flower bed, they run to it and begin to flip, flop, plop and release still more energy. All Barbie and I could do is sit and watch (take pics. too!)

Sometimes things looked a little painful....

painful for me that is. Then there was a shot or two I caught in a more normal state. That was hard to catch too, I had to be quick!

Isn't she a beauty among the flowers.

Well, it looks as if there will be a part 3 maybe even a 4. Again, our trip is not over, but my night is.

I pray you and I will take time from the hectic schedules we make for ourselves to go out and enjoy what God has given us. Just as the girls appreciated the jars, water, flowers, like they had no other time....take that break and renew yourself so we will remember not to take ANYTHING for granted.

Psalm 65:9...You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

Study note...Nature shows God's generosity--giving us more than we need or deserve. Understanding God's abundant generosity should make us grateful to God and generous to others.

To me, re-enjoying these things, I tend to take for granted (water, nature), is a freeing sense of leaving the big, unnecessary things behind so therefore I feel more full of God's peace, which in return gives to me more of a willingness to get out of myself.

I've seen kids, people doing everyday daily things and it doesn't take long for frustrations to build and everyone fighting for control. But getting out as we did, as the day went on the more peace and calming and loving towards each other the girls became. They normally are but more so this day. They had let go of the things that really don't matter and found peace and enjoyment in what we should be appreciating everyday.

Have a FUNNY TIE WEARING, JAR DRINKING, WATER TOUCHING, GRASS ROLLING sort of day with Christ!

God bless you and yours......