Thoughts On Friendship and The New Year

I've been thinking about friendship lately especially since reading the book "Same Kind Of Different As Me."  It's a true story about a black homeless man becoming friends with a rich white guy and his wife that is an awesome believer that dies of cancer and how they all deal with it.  When the white guy (Ron) is getting to know the black guy (Denver), Denver asks Ron what he wants from him.  He said he just wanted to be his friend.  He went on to ask if Ron did what other white guys do when they fish.. catch and release.  He said in his family when they catch a fish they are proud of it, they show it to everyone they know and then they eat it.  Basically, the bottom line is that he didn't want to be a catch and release friend.  He wanted to have a friend for life.

Over the years I have made and remade friendships over and over.  It seems that once you leave an area it's hard to keep in touch.  There are friends that even when we don't talk we still are friends and we pick up right where we left off...but those are rare.  I am now at the place and time when I want a friend for life.  I want deeper friendships now.... I want a friend that knows me, really knows me.  I want friends that I pray with, memorize Scripture with, and kiss their kids.  Not that I didn't want that before... but now I feel even more so I guess.

So, that is one of my resolutions this year.  To be the kind of friend that I would like to have.  I also want to learn to french braid and lose the last 20 lbs that I need to.  (I've lost 25 since July)  I also want to enjoy my kids and celebrate each moment.  Here is a moment from yesterday that was precious to me.

Gwen got up from her nap and went to the top of the stairs and called down to me to go up there and get her and hold her.  I was doing something so I said to her... I'm not coming up there to get you, but I'd love to hold you when you get down the stairs.  Well, she threw a fit at the top of the stairs and it was a battle of the wills for sure.  I won out and she came down stairs and of course I snatched her up and told her how glad I was that she came down and oh, aren't you wonderful and all that.  Then I sat down holding her and brushed away the snot and brushed away the tears and looked at her and said my usual two questions.  I always ask her "who's my girl?" and she replies, "Gwen"... and then I ask her "who's my special girl?" and she replies "Gwen."  But this time was different.  I asked her "who's my girl?" and she said "Gwen" with a little smile on her face and then I started into my second question "who's my spec..." and she put her hand up on my chest and interrupted me by saying "I know mommy... you love Gwen."  Well, my heart did a little melt and I looked her in the face and said "yes, I do.  Very much."  WHAT a sweetie.

Castle Gwenmere

Here is castle Gwenmere all taped together.

I decided we needed a family coat of arms.  This was the pattern I used to create ours.  Pretty much Gwen was enthusiastic about the castle making and now the new has worn off and it's pretty much my project.  Hopefully as she sees it come together she will get more interested.  I, on the other hand, have been learning lots about parts of the castle.  We've decided ours should have a moat and a portcullis made from the scraps of the memory game again.  

Here's Gwen painting Gwenmere.

This is our coat of arms.  Notice the cross at the top... of course Jesus is first, and then a symbol that represents all of us living here.  And the "B" meaning Barreth of course.  My symbol is the owl, because I like them and I'd like to be wise one day.  An envelope for Beki cause she writes loads of letters.  Gwen wanted a rose and I thought it was quite fitting.  I chose a bike wheel for Ben because he likes biking and cause without him we'd really be in the ditch fo sho!  and then Zeke.  I had a hard time thinking of a symbol for him that was just right.  I finally decided on a seahorse.  I chose it because it is small and beautiful and it likes the water and it likes to hang onto grass (me) and it is monogamous (I think) and does its own little thing in its little area.  Sounds like Zeke to me!  Plus they are super cool.  I'll have to learn more about them.

Trash Pile Treasures and my Darling Boy

Thanks to my mom I got a new vacuum for Christmas.  I took it out of the box today and the cardboard inside... does anyone else see a castle in the makings here?  I'll update you on our fortress we will be making this afternoon.

We put the kitchen in the basement for a while and up came a train/car table to play with for a while we got from my sister.  Zeke loves looking at it and playing cars.  Even though he can't pull up to this position yet he can hold on and balance when we put him up there.

This is an art project we did using the leftover stuff from popping out the cards of a memory game.  I thought it came out really neat.  So... take another look at your trash.  You just might find something worthwhile.

On the Long Road Home

On the way home we saw a sign that talked about this restaurant that throws rolls... Lambert's.  Well... I got jazzed up about the novelty of throwed rolls (it gets boring in the car for 13 hours) and so we stopped there for lunch.  BIG MISTAKE.  First off the kids were tired and it cost more than fast food and it was like being on a conveyor belt of food.  So you order your stuff and people come around and ask you if you want black eyed peas and then they come around and ask if you want fried okra, then the come around and ask if you want fried taters (said in exactly that way).  It was nuts!  But the throwed rolls was the highlight I must say.

Ben ordered a pork steak and I about came out of my chair when he got his food.  He said, "are we going to take this to go?"  I think I was so tired of being in the car I could have laughed about anything.

We also saw animals on the way.  These are buffalo.

and these are zebra.  Talk about being out of their element.. it was snowing.

Snow cream.

The Postholiday Truth

I read this today in Reader's Digest and it made me smile.

(to the tune of "I'll Be Home For Christmas")

I'll be slim for Christmas,
You can count on me.
I pass up chips and chunky dips
and ham and Spam and Brie.

Christmas night will find me
Where the fridge light gleams.
I'll be slim for Christmas,
But then come Krispy Kremes,
Yes, then come Krispy Kremes.

Christmas Snowman

Much to our surprise, we woke up to snow on Christmas morning.  Gwen couldn't wait to get snow on her tongue.

Amusements Along The Way

Where were you on this Christmas Eve?  Well... we were in Mooresville, Alabama and Chick-Fil-A. :)  I have read articles about Mooresville and I wanted to drive through it.  It's a super small town where everyone literally knows everyone that has a lot of Civil war history in it.  Mom knows the postmaster of the Mooresville post office... the oldest post office in Alabama... and I thought we needed to pay it a visit.  Just the thought of a town where everyone has to walk to the post office to get their mail interests me.  

Here's mom and Gwen walking in the post office.

This, my friends, is the Mooresville post office.

The postmaster had a cat in there with her.  She was very chatty.. in fact, I thought I might have to stage an emergency just to get out of there.  She informed us that everyone thought the cat was pregnant and then she got the ultrasound and nope... it's just fat. :)

The Mooresville church.

This was one of the older houses in Mooresville.  The reason it wasn't burned in the war was because they made it into a hospital for wounded Union soldiers.  Beautiful and quite striking thinking of the history here.

We also went into Chick-Fil-A today (again)... and I noticed a manger scene just in the entryway.  You know you've had a lot of babies in the last few years when every time you see a manger scene you have to guess the birth weight of the baby Jesus.  I figure this one was a 13 pounder.  Yes, I know, I'm getting weirder by the minute.

Gwen got her cow hat and went to see if her name was on the "nice" list.  Actually, I'm not a huge fan of the Santa thing, so I told her to go stand near the "man" and get a picture made with her hat. :)

Today I asked Gwen if she were an animal what would she be and she said without hesitation "a bunny rabbit."  Then I asked her about Grandma and she said "a goose."  Then Grandpa was "a cow."  Daddy was "a frog."  I was "a turkey".  I forgot what she said Zeke was, but we found it funny.

Dinner Extravaganza

You think Zeke liked his first taste of spaghetti???

ZEKE CRAWLING

*If you are reading this on facebook, you will have to go to my blog at:  www.benmere.blogspot.com to see the video. :)

Skate Castle

Today we went to Skate Castle.  They have a special time on Wednesday mornings for preschoolers where they have a bounce house and other play things for an hour and a half and then skating for 30 minutes.  We thought it was a good idea to run some energy off.  Here they are in the ball pit.

In the ball pit room there were murals.  Nothing like a hobo clown to really get you in touch with your childhood glee.  Here's one roasting weenies.

This one I especially found amusing.  He's got a one way ticket somewhere.

Poor Gwen, she was  so tired out that by 11am she was begging to go home.  She fell asleep in the car.  All these new things she's taking in and getting up at the crack of dawn really wears on a little girl.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Gwen has thoroughly enjoyed having little tea parties in her new princess dress up dress and pouring everyone tea.

Get a load of the accessories.

These are chocolate covered oreos in the shape of a snowman wearing earmuffs.  I think it's such a good idea.

My mom has a "foxtail" fern.  I love that thing and have decided I need one.  Just thought I'd share what it looks like.  I think it's pretty.