Scavenging Into Teens With Ryleigh

We spent yesterday afternoon celebrating our Ryleigh's 13th birthday!  We wanted to make it something memorable and fun and finally decided on a scavenger hunt through our town with her friends!

It took a lot of people coming together to make it work...but it ended up being a SUCCESS!!!

I went to bed exhausted yet thankful.

Thankful for my mom and sisters (and one of my sisters work friends) for helping with the clues and takeaway for each stop!

Thankful for our family and friends (that are family, too).
Those who took time out of their day to help celebrate our girl!

Thankful for the group of friends Ry has.
Some she's had since they were in primary school and some are much newer...but all in all, a great group of girls!

Wanted to share our fun from the day:

Wright's Market

Take Away - Candy Corn

Greeters - Poppa and Tatum

The Salisbury Zoo

Take Away - Animal Crackers

Greeters - Amy and Braxton

The Ward Museum

Take Away - Rubber Duckys

Greeters - Amanda, Madison and Collin

MVA

Take Away - Key Chains

Greeter - Aunt Amy (she was a driver, too)

Dover Pool

Take Away - Chapsticks and nail polish

Greeter - Aunt Mel

Wicomico Library

Take Away - "nerdy" glasses

Greeter - Maryrose

PRMC

Take Away - Bottle Pop candy

Greeter - Keenesha

Salisbury University

Take Away - SU Pens and frisbees

Greeter - Charles

Pemberton Park

Take Away - trail mix

Greeter - Courtney

Salisbury Middle School

Take Away - little journal/notebooks

Greeter - Phil

Olive Garden

Take Away - Andes Mints

Greeter - Poppa and Tatum

Barnes and Noble

Take Away - bookmarks and cookies

Greeter - Jamie

Chipotle

Dinner and cupcakes

A little Poppa love...Nana would have been here, too but she was out of town for a funeral.

And then...back to the house with just enough time for gifts!
As she was opening each one, I was super impressed that she was taking time to thank each friend for their card and gift.  At one point, one of her friends just finally said..."Ummm, how about you just go ahead and open them all and then you can thank us all after!"

I still remember the very first time I was able to hold my baby girl and it is hard to believe that it has been 13 years since she came into our lives.  We knew she would arrive early and I was hoping for ANY day EXCEPT for Halloween...but that's when she made her debut!  She was the perfect little "treat" and for the longest time thought you got dressed up to get candy simply to celebrate her birthday!  While she still loves candy, she has grown into a beautiful girl with a servants heart.  She definitely has had her "tween" moments and we've had some rough patches, but I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming!

She has thanked me multiple times today for such a fun time yesterday and was so thankful for all those that came to greet us at the stops!

Phil and I are thankful for the people in our life and the influence they have on our girls.  As our girls continue to get older, and continue with these friendships, I want them to remember this:

"I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them and let them fight for you.  Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted.  Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together.  Powerful stuff."

- Jon Katz

We are better together, my friends!
Yesterday reminded me that our family is loved and so is our "teen!"

Happy Birthday, Ryleigh!!!  May this be a year filled with much happiness for you! xox

The beat goes on...

 

I spent Saturday evening at my very first Delmarvacade!

What is a Delmarvacade you may be thinking?!?
Well, it's a night where High School marching bands from throughout the region fill Wicomico County Stadium and they perform what you would likely see at a football halftime show.
 
For those of you who may not know - this mama LOVES a marching band!!!
And even more so partial to the drum line. 
I mean, when I was in high school, marching band was pretty big!
My marching band was invited to Disney World and performed in one of their Downtown Disney parades! 
Pretty exciting, right?!  (That trip I was still a "pom" girl)

I have so many memories of my time in band front and the marching band.
We didn't have football, so halftime shows weren't a thing for us, but we did have parades!
And as much I as *hate* the cold...somehow you just learned to deal with it and push thru.

Summer time practices learning and memorizing the parade music.
Nighttime practices marching thru the parking lot at Pocomoke High School...I even remember it snowing one time.
The bus trips.
The Joe Corbi's fundraisers.
The quick run to McDonald's or Hardees before you had to meet the bus.
Packing fruit baskets at SYSCO.
The hand warmers.
Mr. Batson.
Our Drum Majors.
The pride.

And oh, that drum line.
If it was one thing PHS had - it was an on point drum line.
I still remember all the cadences. 
Oh...I love how you could feel every beat right down to your soul.

I found myself right emotional sitting among the 1,000+ people Saturday night.
Yep, listening and watching marching bands.

I know...for those who weren't in band, you just might not get it.

By definition, a marching band is a group in which instrumental musicians perform for entertainment, and prepare for a competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instruments, woodwind instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard.

A team that comes together!

To be completely honest, a few of them blew me away.
Like I'm still talking about them and their performances.
SO much talent!!!

And talent on all sides. 
From each section of instruments to the color guard "telling" the story all around them to the drum majors leading their team on - with all eyes on them!

The support system they had in helping getting their instruments, equipment, and props on AND off the field.
The parents and fans in the stands cheering them on!

What a reminder of how when you come together, you can accomplish so much!

I am desperately hoping for one of our girls to want to be a part of this "team" - sitting in the crowd the other night I found myself thankful that even though many of the "specials" are being pushed to the background, and often the focus is more on what "sport" you play, that there are still schools and leaders and fabulous musicians and performers who are rocking it out on the field with their band mates!  

The beat goes on.  
The drum line reminds us that as they continue to run their cadence.

Left, Left, Left, Right, Left.
It's not easy to get off track when you hear the steady beat.

And even if you do, you have a whole team around you that will help you get right back in step!


I was like a proud parent with each team (that I didn't know) and all these high school students (that I didn't know).  I cheered them on and even got teary-eyed with a few of their performances.  Obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed my first Delmarvacade and cannot wait until next years!

And just for old times sake....

How are your feet?

TOGETHER!

Stomach?

IN!

Chest?

OUT!

Shoulders?

BACK! 

Chin?

UP!

Eyes?

WITH PRIDE!

Eyes??

WITH PRIDE!!

EYES???

WITH PRIDE!!!

(or something very similar to this...)

 
 

Broken and Beautiful

We traveled to Florida recently and were able to stay in the beach condo we did this summer.  Which was a huge blessing as we were there for the funeral service of my father in law, and this place reminded us of the happy times we shared together just a few months prior.  There's nothing like sitting out on the balcony there.  It doesn't matter if it's first thing in the morning watching the sun rise, in the middle of the day able to see the vast beauty of the ocean and its surroundings, or at night listening to the ocean and seeing the faint glow of the moon reflecting on the water.  

For me, it simply brings some quiet time.
And quiet time for me generally means thoughts rolling around in my head and me wanting somehow, someway to make sense of it and share.

Want to know a secret?
I had made it a mission to find *the* perfect sand dollar. 
When we were down there this summer I was walking early one morning and this guy, literally, had his hands filled with perfect sand dollars.
And I just knew if I got up early enough that I, too, would be able to find one.

Well, I was instead taught a lesson.

I took multiple walks on this trip and these are just a few shells I collected one evening...

Every single one is broken.

And you know what?
They are beautiful!

And quite honestly, my favorites out of the bunch we collected.

No, I didn't find the perfect sand dollar.
Probably enough broken pieces to put together a handful of them though!

And I knew that it was a reminder that, more often that not, we're searching for perfection in all the wrong places.  
Or rather, trying to be perfect in a world that is so not.

In the collection of shells, these broken ones, the ones some may have rejected and quite possibly skipped over or passed by, stood out the most to me!

We have been given all the pieces to make something beautiful!

Friends, let me remind you that you don't have to have it all together. You don't have to be the prettiest, funniest, smartest, most financially secure, best girlfriend/wife/mom/friend, (insert whatever you are trying to obtain here).

It's ok to not have it all together.
It's ok to be broken.

[Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 

-Galatians 6:9-10]

I've been focused on this scripture a lot this week.
And my thoughts are this...

I think the majority of us want to help people.  We generally want what's best for others.  However, I think it's human nature to get frustrated sometimes when people don't fit into the "boxes" we create.  Or, maybe it seems like they want to "stay" in their place of brokenness and we become frustrated.  Or when they don't meet that perfect representation of what we need, it's easy to give up on them.  It's easy to just stop trying.  

I think that's where that second part becomes so important...
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  

Whether you are a believer or not, I hope you see the bigger picture.
Our "family" can sometimes be the harder ones for us to show good to.
But guess what?!?

People aren't perfect.
Family isn't perfect.
Friends aren't perfect. 

Quite honestly, there are things that people are going through that we cannot even fathom.  
And they hide it because of this fear of showing their imperfections. 
And maybe they'll be overlooked or tossed back into the ocean.
 
And why is this?
Because we expect them to just have it all together?
To be perfect?
To not be another person who needs our help?

There is a lot of brokenness in our world right now.  
In the country we live in.  
The State.  
The City.  
Probably right where you work.

People are broken and we need to recognize this and help them see their beauty despite their brokenness.  God will use you to help someone along...he reminds us in 2 Corinthians...

We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.

But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

His presence was a joy...

It's ok to be broken.  
But let others come alongside you ... 
Because more often than not, we need someone to be broken with, too.
We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all!
And we need to recognize that broken can still be used.
Broken IS beautiful!