June 4th - June 11th: The Week We Had A Sleepover

You're never too old for a sleepover...

Hello dear friends! Well, it has been yet another wet week here in Central Texas. We aren’t even halfway through June, and to date, we have far exceeded our average rainfall total for the month. As of this morning, my little rain gauge was filled to the brim, and considering the storms we had last night, including the one that woke me from a deep sleep at two in the morning, there’s no telling how much water may have actually spilled over the rim overnight. While all of this rain makes my gardener’s heart and my patio garden very happy, it also brings with it many dangers. With the ground already saturated, the most recent rainfalls have caused many streams to overflow and created extremely hazardous driving conditions for many people, so prayers for those affected would be greatly appreciated.

If you’ve read my other recent posts, I’m sure you’ve learned that I have recently rediscovered my love of gardening, but it is not the only thing that brings me joy…spending time with our granddaughter definitely fills my heart with a love and happiness I never knew could exist. We had the pleasure of her company for a sleepover this past Friday, and I think I have yet to fully recover! She will turn three in just a couple of months, and the energy level she maintains is nothing short of astounding, and quite tiring for those of us who may have completed a few more than a mere three rotations around the sun so far in life. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with her one-on-one before Eric got home from work, and it was such a precious time spent together curled up on the couch reading her favorite storybooks and watching her favorite children’s shows. Once Eric arrived home from work, we decided to head out to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner, where it didn’t take long for her sweet-natured and friendly personality to shine. I don’t think we were there five minutes before the waitress asked if she’d like to go home with her instead of us, to which she eagerly agreed, I might add, but ultimately she decided going home with Poppy & Tootsie sounded better. She did, however, make sure to give her newfound friend a nice big hug before leaving the restaurant. As we drove home, she drifted off to sleep, and Eric and I thought we were in for an early night as she had not had a nap that afternoon…boy were we wrong! Once we arrived home, she was once again wide awake and her usual energetic little self. After some time spent curled up with Poppy on the couch, much to the displeasure of our cat Lilibet, who was not at all amused to find this tiny human residing in her spot on Eric’s lap, she was finally persuaded it was indeed time to go to bed. While you or I might equate going to bed with going to sleep, our granddaughter most definitely does not. Eric spent the next thirty to forty-five minutes caught in what we affectionately refer to as the “snuggle trap”, but she did finally succumb to sleep…and so did we very shortly after. A good night’s sleep for us all translated into a quiet and somewhat relaxed morning with time spent both inside and out, where I was happily surprised to see that our granddaughter also enjoys time spent on the patio admiring the many different brightly colored blooms. With the morning now gone, and afternoon now arrived, it was sadly time for her to go home to Mommy & Daddy. As we drove to meet Mommy & Daddy, it quickly became apparent that we were not the only ones to feel sad that our time together now had to come to an end. We were somewhat indignantly informed that she did not want to go home; she wanted to stay with Poppy & Tootsie! While Eric tried his best to persuade her that she did indeed need to go home, as Mommy & Daddy missed her so very much, but that she would have many opportunities to come stay with Poppy & Tootsie again, she apparently became a bit frustrated with him as she felt it necessary to let me know that “Poppy is talking to me Tootsie!”, meaning she was not at all happy with what Poppy had to say! We did eventually have to part ways for the time being, but were each given many, many hugs and kisses before departing. There truly is no better feeling on earth than to have the arms of your grandchild wrapped around your neck and somewhat wet, sloppy kisses planted on your cheek…they just fill your heart to almost breaking!

While spending time with our granddaughter was the highlight of my week, there were many other little moments during the week that made my heart lighter and my day better. Little things like enjoying time spent amongst the plants in my little patio garden, because, as I was reminded by a very wise man…the garden is where God intended us to be in the first place. From learning that while spending time with horses equates to free therapy for me, sometimes horses need their emotional support humans as well in order to make it through the ordeal of having their hooves trimmed, to the childlike delight of my sweet friend as she spotted a bumblebee buzzing from flower to flower on the Rose of Sharon outside the church door, collecting pollen all over his tiny legs and bottom, and all she could do was squeal “bumble!, bumble!” repeatedly as she had her hands full and so desperately wanted to capture a picture of it (luckily I was able to do so for her), to discovering a tiny baby grasshopper on the patio door. There are many things in this world which make us smile and laugh, or bring us happiness and a sense of peace, we just need to remember to live in the moment so our eyes and hearts will be open to receive them. Have a wonderful week, my dear friends!

Blessings,

Candi 💕

Photo credit: Myself