The scene: Meg is in the basement, watching TV. Mom & Dad are in the living room, upstairs, chatting and watching TV, too.
Meg (hearing weather alert on TV, and shouting up the stairs): Uh oh! Tornado Warning!!
Dad: Where?
Meg: In the basement.
Mom and Dad look at each other, shaking head in disbelief.
The month of July rivals the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Years in terms of obligations, stress level, and things on my To Do List. Between the 4th of July, the Dragonboat Festival, family gatherings, BOTH kids’ birthdays , our wedding anniversary (and this year a quick trip up north to the cabin!), the month always flies by quickly. And sometimes, truthfully, I function on auto-pilot to get me through that 4 week stretch.
I have many photos from the 4th, the dragonboat races, our trip to the cabin, Meg’s birthday and our Flynn Family photo shoots. And I will share those soon . . . as soon as I get a handle on the hundreds of pictures I took and the stories I want to tell! The last two weeks have been full of memories I surely need to document. (The trip to the cabin, itself, could be a novel!)
But . . . I do want to say Happy Anniversary to my dear, wonderful, fabulous husband. He and I have been married for 15 years today. Last year at this time, I promised him that the upcoming year was going to be amazing. As it turns out, that was a complete and total understatement. The past 12 months have been so much better than I could have predicted. BEYOND amazing. Sure, we’ve had some unexpected hardships thrown our way. (Mike’s job loss, for instance.) But the fact that our marriage is stronger than it has ever been made even those difficulties seem like tiny bumps on our path. We have had more blessings sent to us in the last 12 months than I can even count. Big ones. (Hello, new job for awesome husband!) When I pause to examine the changes in our life, I realize that I am now living the life I had always dreamed of having. (Holy cow! When did that happen!?) Sometimes I get so caught up in the daily grind that I fail to realize how good things truly are. I am (finally) a joyful girl.
Note to Michael: Thank you, honey, for helping me realize my potential. I will always be a work in progress, but I know that anything is possible with you at my side. I love you more than words can say! 
Happy Anniversary!
Peace,
Leslie
Sorry that I have been absent for the last week or so . . . I’ve been knee-deep in Meghan’s room remodel and that has been keeping me more than busy! I will have the Big Reveal very soon. Just working on some final details, and hope to have photos by early next week!
In the meantime . . .
I would be remiss if I didn’t make mention of something wonderful unfolding in my life that is turning out to be a true blessing to me.
In March, I reconnected with a friend from high school, someone I haven’t seen or spoken to in over 20 (gasp!) years. In the months prior to the email I finally sent her, my friend’s name kept popping up in the strangest places, from what seemed like out of nowhere. When this series of “coincidences” caused me to finally think, “Hey, maybe the universe is trying to tell me something!” I finally contacted her. I prayed that she wouldn’t think I was somehow stalking her!
Fortunately, Tracie is a beautiful soul. Through email and Twitter, she and I became reacquainted. When I realized how many interests we share, I began to understand that it was probably only a matter of time before we were to stumble upon each other. 
Tracie is such an inspiration to me . . . in many ways, and I feel blessed to have her in my life at the moment!
And if that wasn’t wonderful enough . . . I feel like I’ve also inherited this amazing Girl Tribe through her, as well! Tracie has been so kind to me by introducing me to many of her close friends. I haven’t really had a circle of girl friends since high school, and it feels really nice to be surrounded by such a spectacular group of women. Even though I’m just meeting everyone for the first time, everyone seems familiar. I have felt embraced when I could have clearly felt out of my comfort zone. (Thank you, Tracie, for including me. And thank you Heather, Amy, Tiffany, Marta and the rest of the group for welcoming me!)
The best part of spending time getting to know everyone has been watching how they support each other and take care of each other. I am in awe of their dynamics and their synergy. It has been truly inspirational to me! And every time I witness prayers going up or some other selfless act of caring for another, I am reminded of this quote:
“The circles of women around us weave invisible nets of love that carry us when we’re weak and sing with us when we’re strong.” -Sark
Feeling very blessed.
Have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend, everyone!
Peace,
Leslie
 |
