Time Flies . . .

For me the most satisfying days are those when I can look back and know that I've worked hard to accomplish some goal.  And I despise the unsatisfied, antsy feeling I get when I look back and feel like the day has been wasted.  Time goes by way too quickly for me to be alright with wasting any part of it.  I think that's why I'm a morning person - to me, unless I am dead on my feet, sleeping in is a waste of the best part of the day, and I would much rather be up doing something.  (Unfortunately for him, Taylor does not share the same opinion, and we both decided that it was something of an oversight on our part to not have a door between our bedroom and bathroom.  I think his body is slowly adjusting and learning to tune me out so he can continue sleeping as I get ready in the mornings.)

This weekend I was given a fresh perspective on how quickly time does go by.  We have some neighbors/friends/adopted family back home, and this weekend their daughter, Leah, got married.  The wedding was beautiful, Leah was absolutely gorgeous, and it was a wonderful celebration.  Being at their wedding reminded me of our own wedding and that next month Taylor and I will have been married for a year.  It feels like a lot has happened this past year, but it doesn't really seem possible that 12 months have nearly gone by since our own wonderful day.

At the reception and dance my nephew showed off his dancing skills to Country Girl Shake It For Me by Luke Bryan.  At one point he even tried some break-dance moves!  :)

And while I feel like a lot has happened in our own personal lives within this year, I can't imagine how my Grandpa Patterson feels.  This week he celebrated his 90th birthday, and on Sunday our family had a surprise birthday party for him.  I know Grandpa has said before that the first 50 years fly by, and everything after that is a blur.  For me it's kind of mind boggling to think that during his life the Great Depression and dust bowl occurred, the second World War took place, farmers switched from horses to tractors, societies became desegregated, the Cold War happened, we sent man into space, etc.

And yet so often we all are  just fumbling our way through our lives.  I know that every day of my life won't be a thrilling adventure, but I want to make sure that, even while completing the mundane, but necessary parts of everyday life, I am truly living and being fully present in the moment.

On a side note, while gone over the weekend our garden seems to have exploded.  The cantaloupe and watermelon are growing to gigantic proportions.  The watermelon has even started to climb the fence of our garden in its efforts to continue growing.  Now we'll just have to hope that their taste will be as good as their growing ability.  I'm also very excited because I picked my first peppers off my pepper plants today, but not for the reason you might think.  I started my pepper plants from seeds in my house before I transplanted them to the garden, and the transition was a little rough for them.  Taylor kept making fun of my struggling plants, but I had faith in them.  So we made a bet.  He bet that they wouldn't produce any peppers, but I bet that they would and I told him that if I won, I wanted to get a day at the spa!  Look out full body massage, here I come!!!

Western Kansas Fact:  The gravel/dirt roads out here are not like the ones back in eastern Kansas.  Growing up, you had to be relatively careful on the gravel roads.  They generally were fairly narrow, frequently had lots of potholes or washboards, and lose gravel that could make your vehicle fishtail if you went too quickly.  Truthfully a safe speed would probably be somewhere around 30 miles per hour on those gravel roads although many people drive faster than that.  However out here most people treat the gravel roads just like another highway.  I recently went on one where it had speed limit signs posted at 50 miles per hour.  I've never even seen speed limit signs on our gravel roads back home.  But these roads are generally very wide and flat, and there isn't enough moisture to wear down the roads and make very many potholes or washboards.  But, out of habit, I still get nervous when anyone is driving very fast down them even though they are much safer. 

So far today's scripture has been my favorite one this week.  Pray for each other, that you may be healed.  The earnest prayer of a righteous person has wonderful power and great results. James 5:16  I love this one because it reminds me not to be afraid of my mistakes or sins.  When I acknowledge them and admit them to God and others, I am preventing them from controlling me.  Instead, I can ask for the prayers of others and be healed and become a better Christian myself.  And the same is true for every other person on earth.  

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Lyndee