Oh how I am going to miss her...

My friend Leah has this beautiful gift of extending grace.  I am so blessed with a couple dear friends who are grace-extensions.  What gifts!  What wonderful examples!

During a time of waiting, the Lord sent Leah and her mom to Hobby Lobby to have our paths cross.  To share with me a burden.  To offer a hug when I needed one almost as much as I needed my next breath.

She is the best gym work-out partner.  One time she forced me to use the weights in the "guys' area" which typically makes me nervous.  I am pretty sure I could hurt myself.

This past summer when I said goodbye to my sweet thirteen year old feline, it was Leah and her mom who met at Meg's Daily Grind and let me be sad about putting to sleep my beloved (and at times naughty) pet.

While in Ukraine, I received a beautiful gift of being on the other end of the phone and oftentimes computer to send and receive messages which allowed me to pray specifically and at the same time share in my life's journey.

Leah let me advance my simple knitting skills by "making" me buy circular knitting needles. 

Leah showed me mercy and love.  She has allowed me to be.  The good (no pun intended), the bad and the ugly.

So as I hugged her goodbye to go begin her New York life, I thanked the Lord for the gift of her friendship.  It is not just one thing...it's a million things.

Six days

Isn't it funny just how fast time flies?  Days turn in to weeks which turn in to months which turn in to years and so on and so forth... :)

I spent this last weekend hanging-out with two dear friends {Gloria and Sara}.  We stayed up way too late on Friday night which turned out to be a blessing with daylight savings the following night.  Saturday was another glorious day of leisure...of course ~ errands were sprinkled throughout my day but nothing critical.

In the last six days, my missionary friends returned from Kiev, Ukraine.  They are back in the States finishing language school.  My reunion with them took place at the red bull's eye.  {How fitting as Leah and I heart Target.}

Tonight {Tuesday,  March 11, 2014} is our first coffee date.  The gang is getting together to welcome Leah back home. 

It's almost surreal having her here.  You see ~ praying for their safety for 4 months and having God answer those prayers by bringing them home safe & sound, Leah {& Joey} are living, breathing testimony of answered prayers.  God is good.  He protects us.  He protects our loved ones.  His way is best.

224

Spilled coffeebeans.

(Gasp!)  "Did she say, 'Spilled coffeebeans?' As in, she's thankful for compromised coffeebeans?  What has happened to the girl with curly hair?  Has she reached an all-time low?" you ask.

Noooo.

Tonight, in an effort to rush around like a crazy person, I was multi-tasking - rather ineffectively, I might add.  Here's what happened in the matter of 0.7 seconds...

The coffeebean grinder was whirling while I was trying to simultaneously twist the metal flippy things that seal the bag o'beans.  The metal clippy-flippy things did not bend to my satisfaction so instead of stopping what I was doing, because that would've been the smart thing to do....(Sigh) I continued on my quest to multi-task...which moments later resulted in half-ground coffeebeans all over my kitchen counter.

As I brushed the mess into the trash, my thankful heart counted the blessings in the moment...
1) Coffee smells delicious whether it's perking in the pot or spread across your counter at 9:15 p.m.
2) Coffee reminds me of my friends.  It reminds me of our Starbuck's patio afternoons...or mugs of coffee at a kitchen table...coffee on the go...
3) Did I mention the blessed aroma?  :)  I'm thankful for the sense of smell.  And taste.  Smell and taste and coffee.  The perfect blend.

A fun Thursday night with the girls......

Mocha Moments
Goodwill
Laughing and thrifting
Surprise run in with Summer & Roxanne
GOODTIMES

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Last year, not sure if you recall this, but I had to say, "goodbye" to several friends.  SEV-ER-AL!  It seemed like for awhile, all I was doing was saying, "Goodbye" and stocking-up on Puffs Plus w/Lotion.  I'm normally a plain-Jane Puffs and/or Kleenex kind of girl.  I do pamper my nose when I have a cold or when I am going to be crying.  I bought several boxes of Puffs w/Lotion last year.  There were just too many goodbyes.  On a positive note, I am sure the Puffs' stocks went up considerably!!!

One of the friends that I bid farewell to was my friend Leah.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  We met at Meg's.  We ordered and then had the coffee girl snap a smiling picture of us.  I have learned that it's never a good idea to take the picture as the time to part draws near.  Remember this, blog-stalker. 

We sat at Meg's near the window and shared our hearts.  It was such a sweet time.

Since bidding Leah farewell a mere 9-ish months ago, I have been sad every time I drove past our Meg's {the one on Perryville Road near the flag park where I, one time, left my car windows down and my purse in the backseat while Leah and I went for a gazillion mile hike - thank the Lord that no one broke into my car.  Well, they wouldn't have had to break-in because the windows were down and the doors were unlocked!} because I think to myself, Oh, it's Meg's.  That is where I said, "Goodbye" to Leah.  I don't cry or anything...I just get this sense of moroseness.  The truth is I miss Leah.  We could meet up for coffee and talk for hours...  Many a-times, the Meg's staff would tell us, "We are closing in 5 minutes."  During our coffee dates, we would laugh and sometimes cry...and always, always, always be real.  With Leah, there is not this facade that everything is under control and never ever when inquired about my day would I say, "It's fine."  She wanted to know how my day unfolded and what happened...and me likewise about her day. 

I've been given this wonderful gift of friendship with some very special gals.  And even though several of them have relocated, I know that I can call/text/write/email them and they will be there because that's what friendship is about.  Friendship changes...it deepens.  Sometimes it fades.  Sometimes it drifts away only to return. 

Ok - back to this "What are you doing here?" inquiry. 

Wednesday night, Lauren texted me and asked if I could have coffee on Thursday night in lieu of going to the gym.  Coffee always trumps the gym.  Just sayin'...  :)  The answer, "OF COURSE!"  We decided to meet at 5 at Meg's on Perryville (or as I called it, "The Meg's where I said 'goodbye' to Leah" inside my head). 

I arrived a few minutes early.  Shocking, I know.  :) 

I meandered about the seating area.  (The thing I love about this Meg's location is they have added more seating...and there are booths, tables with chairs, and comfy stuffed chairs.)  I opted for a comfy stuffed chair and waited. 

A couple minutes after 5, Lauren and Ruthie walked in.  Lauren was carrying a camera and when I inquired about the camera, she said it was so we could send Leah a picture of her mom and me so Leah would see that her mom was doing ok.  (LIES!!!)  I was smiling at the camera and wondering - why in the world isn't Lauren taking the picture when I looked over to my left and there stood IN THE FLESH Leah!!!!!!  I remember screaming, asking "What?  Why are you here?" and then there were hugs and tears....oh so many tears. 

Just the day before this reunion, I had posted on Leah's Facebook wall a quick note about missing her and our ridiculous chats and her encouraging words.  I "hear" her voice telling me to wear horizontal striped shirts and wear shorts to the gym because it's summer.  {We have more meaningful, heartfelt chats but those funny ones are the ones that I "hear" when I am wondering what to wear to work and what gym clothes to pack for the day.}

After a quick explanation of how the Lord worked out the paperwork and the flights, we ordered our coffees and sat down and did the one thing that we've wanted to do since August.  We had coffee...and we laughed...and chatted...and were completely RIDICULOUS until the Meg's employee came around and said they would be closing shortly. 

From Meg's, we went to Target. 

 

I drove separately and met them at Target on 173.  On the drive there, I listened to the song, "God Will Make A Way."  As I contemplated the lyrics, I was humbled at God's goodness to allow Joey and Leah to come home for a 5 week vacation.  He knew how much they were missing home and how much "home" was missing them.  What a wonderful, loving Heavenly Father.

 

From Target, we went out to supper at Chipotle.

 

BEST THURSDAY

NIGHT EVER!!!

It's only fitting...

...that the place we said, "Goodbye" is the very place {Meg's Daily Grind} that we said, "Hello!" again. 

[Picture taken at Chipotle on 173 on June 20,2013]

Weekend...and then some! :)

It's strange how quickly some weekends fly by...this past weekend was one of those kind of weekends and yet as I was going through the weekend, it seemed to stretch on and on...  

Friday night ~ coffee with the girls which included Leah via Facetime on an iPad!  It was wonderful having her join us.  Oh, how we miss that girl.  We closed down Meg's.  The barristas there were so nice.  At 7:55, one of them came to our table, "Now just so you know, we are closing in 5 minutes."  We decided to not make them have to come back and remind us in 4.9 minutes.  :)

Saturday was busy.  Farmtastic in the morning and then Trudy's for invitation assembly.  I wish I would've had my camera with me at the both events.  At Farmtastic, the picture would've been of Mrs. B, Lauren, and myself chit-chatting before the teens arrived for snacks galore.  At Trudy's, the haunting piles of 1,500 pieces of cardstock, 1,500 pieces of vellum, and 1,500 pieces of ribbon...not to mention stacks and stacks of envelopes and reply cards.  (Sigh.)  We did not get the 1,500 invitations assembled. Loooong story.  We completed 275.  

Sunday was my normal Sunday events...Sunday school, church, relaxing afternoon, choir practice and Sunday night church.  :)

And now -- here it is Monday.  It's storming currently.  When I say "storming" - I do mean terrential downpour.  The sky is quite gray and menacing.  

I completed my 1st Christmas knitting project and have casted-on for the my next gift.  It's going to be a cowl knitted out of variegated purple called Nobility.  

The beauty of knitting with chunky yarn is that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the scarf is going to be warm and snuggly.  

After work -- I will be on my merry way to meet Lauren at the gym and then home for a supper of baked salmon and a baked sweet potato.  :)

Happy Monday!!!

Leah

Leah and I met for coffee tonight.  One final time.

After ordering, we asked the coffee girl to take our picture.  [Shout out of the Meg's girls -- excellent coffee and great job with the picture!]

Leah's friendship is a wonderful gift.  She has encouraged me time and time-again to seek to know our Heavenly Father on a deeper, more personal level.

We have the ability to make one another laugh.  We've been there for the shedding of tears - both happy and not-so-happy.

She is a friend that I can text "Pray for me" and I know that no matter what she is doing, she will stop and pray.  She is a faithful friend.

Today while trying to decide if we wanted a frozen treat (Red Mango) or coffee, Leah text me Meg's and then went on to explain, (and I quote) "It is more special."  I could not agree more, friend.

For an hour, she gave me a wonderful gift....her time.  I will treasure this selfless gift that she gave me. 

I'm going to miss her terribly, but instead of ending this blog post being sad, I thought I would recall some of our fun memories...

Sitting on the Starbuck's patio

(back when Lauren and I had Executive Lunch Breaks at Terracon and could sneak away for couple of hours...literally HOURS!  Eric was a great boss!!!)

Meeting for Unlimited Salad and Soup @ Olive Garden

Meandering through Anderson Gardens.

Pedicures

COFFEE

Roadtrip adventures to Vera Bradley's outlet

Watching Holiday Inn at the cottage

Knitting lessons at Border's

Edward's Apple Orchard trips

And there are so many other fun memories...  I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed our paths to cross.

Laughing, coffee, and reconnecting :)

You can always tell a 

real friend:  when you've 

made a fool of yourself 

(s)he doesn't feel you've 

done a permanent job.  

~Laurence J. Peter

@ Mary's Market on McFarland Road, Rockford, IL

Pictured (left to right):  Me, Lauren, Leah, Ruthie, and Patty

Friday

I should...

...mop the kitchen floor.

...dust the TV stand.

...run vinegar through the coffeemaker.

...dust the inside of my car.

...be knitting dish cloths for the lilac lady. :)

...run to Target and buy catfood & a new nightlight bulb.

...clean out the trunk of my car.

...be pulling weeds in my flowerbed.

BUT INSTEAD I am...

...sitting in my warm, comfy cottage reading about Queen Esther.

...going to go back to the consignment sale and work from 6-8 p.m.

...drinking a mug o'decaf coffee.

...listening to my furnace running and missing those 70-degree days.

...wondering why my phone is soo quiet.

...looking out the window at the budding trees.

...hopeful that the lilacs will last a couple weeks.

...feeling a little (and I do mean a SMIDGE) guilty for skipping the gym today.

...listening to Maggie snore contentedly.

What a wonderful life I have.  

I am blessed.  

My cup runneth over.  

NOT literally...that would be a crisis.

"I'm one fascinating girl, I'm not going to lie."  

~ Author Unknown

I read this quote tonight and it sounded like something I would say outloud to my friend, Sara.  Probably only to Sara.  Well...now that I think about it, I might say it outloud to my coffee peeps.  Yeah...I would tell my coffee peeps too.