This will be our last official Five Minute Friday of 2013. We'll be taking the rest of December off and will return to encouraging each other and writing free and linking up at Lisa Jo's again in January... so it was bittersweet that so many things unfolded today and tonight that beckoned for my attention... I was in and (mostly) out of the #fmfparty at Twitter but when I was there, it was - as it always is - a gathering of hearts and laughter... of friends... of sisters... and I know I say it every time but oh how I love these
Oh but - first - the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is! Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker. It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE! The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.) I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!
So - here goes: Five Minute Friday - The Word Prompt is: REFLECT
{GO}
It's not as if there wasn't already all sorts of Tradition wrapped into tonight's agenda:
Some Christmas cookies, a bit of crafting, & The Sound of Music (-ish)
After dinner, the three of us cozied up on the couch and with the lights twinkling on the tree, we sipped something warm and watched Carrie Underwoodsolve a problem like bring a new face to Maria. I heard all the Twitter chatter... 'She's not Julie Andrews' and the like. And she's not... but we all three loved it. We thought the whole cast did great and we all three all stayed awake (which is not always the case for the movie!)
And then...
Well - flashback to earlier in the evening, as I was going through old photo's for #tbt (Throwback Thursday) when I found this little gem:
Yeah... circa 1995 - our Girlies' First Christmas. (Ya gotta love it when everyone IN the picture agrees that everyone looks so much better now - 18 years later!)
You see last year was our Year of Lasts. She was a senior in high school and we thought everything would change come summer... but we had been so tightly knit (back) together and God is so gracious, that while she IS a college girl now, at least for now - she is doing that from home! So my anticipated Empty NestDownton Abbey marathons melt downs have yet to happen!
So - thanks Wal-mart. Thanks alot...
Last night, during The Sound of Music LIVE - they played a commercial featuring the one song that simply undoes me when it comes to parenting and Lasts and after the first note - my girlie and I were both sitting there instantly sobbing.
Yeah... we like tradition...
...and we come from a long line of kickers-against-the-goads, of resisters-of-change... but we are trying to lean in instead of back out. We are learning, together, to embrace change! But this song just brought up too many memories... and while we love to look back and reflect (on the good and the bad) - in the dark of the family room, with only the glow of the tv, the twinkling of lights, and the glistening of teary eyes... we snuggled in closer, and we counted our gifts silently... and we thought of a few of our favorite things!
{STOP}
(Did you see what I did there?)
Honestly - if you don't know what song I am referring to... well - be warned... here it is:
(#sorrynotsorry)
I wanted to remind ya'll that I am hosting a Giveaway this week for a new Devotional by Barbie Swihart called Coffee Talk with Jesus... so hope on over HERE to enter! I've read this devotional and can't think of a better way to kick off the New Year than with a month long standing coffee date with Jesus!
Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "REFLECT"
So - here goes: Five Minute Friday - The Word Prompt is: REFLECT
{GO}
It's not as if there wasn't already all sorts of Tradition wrapped into tonight's agenda:
Some Christmas cookies, a bit of crafting, & The Sound of Music (-ish)
After dinner, the three of us cozied up on the couch and with the lights twinkling on the tree, we sipped something warm and watched Carrie Underwood
And then...
Well - flashback to earlier in the evening, as I was going through old photo's for #tbt (Throwback Thursday) when I found this little gem:
Yeah... circa 1995 - our Girlies' First Christmas. (Ya gotta love it when everyone IN the picture agrees that everyone looks so much better now - 18 years later!)
You see last year was our Year of Lasts. She was a senior in high school and we thought everything would change come summer... but we had been so tightly knit (back) together and God is so gracious, that while she IS a college girl now, at least for now - she is doing that from home! So my anticipated Empty Nest
So - thanks Wal-mart. Thanks alot...
Last night, during The Sound of Music LIVE - they played a commercial featuring the one song that simply undoes me when it comes to parenting and Lasts and after the first note - my girlie and I were both sitting there instantly sobbing.
Yeah... we like tradition...
...and we come from a long line of kickers-against-the-goads, of resisters-of-change... but we are trying to lean in instead of back out. We are learning, together, to embrace change! But this song just brought up too many memories... and while we love to look back and reflect (on the good and the bad) - in the dark of the family room, with only the glow of the tv, the twinkling of lights, and the glistening of teary eyes... we snuggled in closer, and we counted our gifts silently... and we thought of a few of our favorite things!
{STOP}
(Did you see what I did there?)
Honestly - if you don't know what song I am referring to... well - be warned... here it is:
(#sorrynotsorry)
I wanted to remind ya'll that I am hosting a Giveaway this week for a new Devotional by Barbie Swihart called Coffee Talk with Jesus... so hope on over HERE to enter! I've read this devotional and can't think of a better way to kick off the New Year than with a month long standing coffee date with Jesus!
Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "REFLECT"
Visiting my neighbor at Five Minute Fridays. :) Glad to meet you. I love your blog title, I am right with you. You have a precious family, blessings to all of you!
ReplyDeleteI have had the empty nest meltdown but then one of my birdies has come back home. That is when a new type of melt down happened. LOL!!! I have to agree that that is one song that always causes me to tear up.
ReplyDeleteI love that you still get those special moments with your girl :) This was beautiful (but I'm refusing to listen to that song - tissues are scarce here!)
ReplyDeleteOh love it, and I dare not listen to that one song;) I might be a sobbing wreck! So glad she is doing college from home, yea!!
ReplyDeleteI miss my daughter! Thanks for sharing Karrilee.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that song and I'm going to head my friends' warnings this time. I'm already weak from the exhaustion of a killer Zumba class this morning. I enjoyed TSOM, too. It was an intriguing production and you really can't compare stage to film (thank you Les Mis for showing that goes both ways). So glad you got to make even more memories. Many thanks for sharing that photo - the White Rain was doing it's thang!! :)
ReplyDeleteBless you, Karrilee. I didn't watch The Sound of Music, but I love your positive, grace-filled take. And to hear that you and your girl are learning to lean in to change and not fight it...that's all kinds of beautiful. How refreshing that you'd be learning to do that together while embracing all your old traditions. Much love, friend.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that Taylor Swift song, too. It is not for the faint of heart Momma! So glad you are getting to spend some unanticipated time with your daughter this year. What a special blessing! I also watched The Sound of Music and applaud them for their efforts. I cannot imagine the pressure to pull that off!
ReplyDeleteChristy @ A Heartening Life
www.ahearteninglife.com
PS- Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement on my post today. So thankful!
Tears!!!! This is extremely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHappy to "meet" you here via the weekend brew! I definitely relate to the difficulties of our children growing up and leaving home...but when the grand babies come along, well, it's just the best!
ReplyDeleteI have pictures taken with that same background! It kills me when I think of 1995 being 18(ish) years ago. When did we all grow up? Great write and hope that you are enjoying your holiday season.
ReplyDelete