I'm still here

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I'm still here, still kicking, alive and well.........well, with a nasty sinus infection, but well. Anyway, I normally post more frequently but I've been out of town. Last Thursday, I left for a weekend retreat with the girls from church. This is the fourth year we've gone, and I look forward to this weekend all year long. It is always "just what the doctor ordered". We have such a great time. It always blesses me that we can be exactly who we are and do exactly what we want, and it's always A-OK with everybody. Now, that is a relaxing weekend.

A few of us use the weekend for our ONE chance a year to get caught up on (or at least work on) our scrapbooks. You should see the "stuff" we bring. It's nothing, if not a veritable scrapbook supply store.....and yet it always makes me laugh that we still end up needing more. I am tickled pink at what all I got done.......Bryce's book is basically up-to-date, although I need to add his baptism page; and Sara Kate's book is too, except for maybe a page or two. In my estimation, this is nothing short of a miracle. I suppose it pays to be hard-core. I think my scrapbooking accomplishments are another reason for a lack of post. It took all of my creativity to come up with pages for the book, and I left my creativity tank at zero......so the poor blog took a turn on the backburner for a while.

In spite of that fact, though, I couldn't pass up a chance to post about the weekend. The weekend is always salve for the soul. Again, to have so many ladies go, and still have the luxury of being totally yourself and doing exactly what you want, without fear of hurting someone or being judged is a blessing that I refuse to take for granted. Partly, because I think it's fairly rare; and partly because I'm smart enough to recognize a good thing when I see it.

So, thank you God. Thank you for blessing me with a group of friends that love me (neurotic, fat head, and coughing/hacking, 'hired' self and all). Thank you for giving me time away from my family to refresh, renew, and recharge. And, like Marilyn said, thank you God, for wrapping the blessing of friendships in different packages, all of which are used to minister to one another.

With all that nice stuff said, I feel like I must go on record as saying, "I'm on Nancy's team next year!!"

And, I must pay proper respect to Tammy, who bless her heart, had to sleep with my coughing, hacking, sniveling self. That's some kind of dedication, if you ask me.

Love you girls!

Shana