Kitchen transformation…

I often thought about buying the sign

It seemed to fit the woman I was shaping up to be….

I never really saw a need to do much in my kitchen…

And then I started my journey to wellness…

 

I began to realize that in order to Get fit in the gym, I would need to go to the gym….

I learned to like the gym and feel quite comfortable there. I wasn’t as comfortable in the kitchen. But I began to realize that if i was going to reach my goals, I would have to risk living out the second invitation posed to me in this saying….

And  so, in order to lose weight in the kitchen, I would need to spend time in the kitchen…

And this was my kitchen. It was sufficient, especially when I didn’t spend any time in it.

But, the more I tried to work in my kitchen, the more I realized that it was very difficult to accomplish my goals. I had such limited counter space and due to cupboards being overfilled, it was difficult to find a place for everything….

And so I decided to take a leap of faith and make some big adjustments in my living space to support the vision I have for my wellness….

I have lived in this house for ten years and have decided that I want to grow old here…

I have lived in this house for ten years and have not ventured into major changes, although the fence and the deck felt major…

I have lived in this house for ten years and decided it was time….

And so, as of yesterday, I have a  new kitchen.  A dream that was birthed (oddly enough) during my recovery from my hysterectomy. The conversation began with Willink Construction the end of June and as of yesterday, the new kitchen is ready to use….

I don’t feel very old at 42 and I am thrilled to look forward to another 40 years or so cooking healthy in my new space!  

I am headed to bed tonight with an odd excitement about scrambling my egg beaters in the morning….♥

 

Family Picture Day….

It is still dark and I hear the rain and my first thought is, it’s family picture day….

We have only had a few of these over the years but it has definitely gotten more complicated to get everyone together from those first days until now….

I am grateful we have a plan B to our outdoor venue and I am thankful that regardless of the weather, our crew will be photographed…

We have come along way. I believe this pictures could go in the awkward family photos of the Church Directory file….

We often reference the saying….”All because two people fell in love”….

we have grown from this bunch to this one…

We are taking pictures today somewhat in part to my Mom’s 70th birthday last Sunday…somewhat in part of my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary this August…somewhat in part of our desire to capture the moment and take a snapshot of God’s goodness and creativity in putting this bunch of people together….

Today will have wonderful moments of laughter and celebration and for that I am thankful…

Today will unfold rain or shine and pictures will be captured and for that I am thankful…

Today will remind us that this delightful bunch of children laugh more than they cry, participate more than they observe and all have fully learned to join in a celebration and for that I am deeply thankful….

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!  ~Albert Einstein

 

 

 

Believe in today…

Happy Birthday Mom….

 

I was reading my Believe book tonight and this found these words for your birthday blessing!

Believe in today…Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know for sure is what is right here right now. Don’t miss it!

I love how you value life and all it holds. It hasn’t always been easy and you understand deep struggles, but you continue to live each day for what it brings you.

I enjoy how you invite others to enjoy life, either by being with them in simple ways, a lunch out, a meal in, assisting with refugee resettlement, composting side by side….

I appreciate how you are honest about the joys and struggles of life. Some days are just better than others. You are honest about that and it is what it is…

I am filled with gratitude for the adventures we have together, either biking in Lowell or running errands on any given day, enjoying pedicures or traveling to the Dominican for a mission trip. The world is big and there is much to experience…thank you for experiencing so much with me!

And so as you now live being 70, I have no doubt that you will continue to live that well. You are a wife, mother, mother in law, grandmother and friend. You are a retired successful  business owner, a faithful church member, and advocate and an adviser. I am thankful for each moment we share, filled with much laughter and some tears, but all in all, delightful moments.

I love you Mom…..

It is my hope and prayer you will have a wonderful year filled with peace, hope and happiness!

Love

Trish

 

 

The Journey Continues…

I am leaving tomorrow to participate in The Journey, hosted by Open Hearts Ministries. You can learn more at www.ohmin.org/Training/WhatisTheJourney.aspx

I am leading a small group for the week, but the weekend is a leader’s weekend where we experience our own small groups…

What I most appreciate about the journey is that it is about real life…

Small groups at The Journey are about honest living, laughing and crying, feeling deep sorrow and embracing celebration, understanding our rebellion and our repentance and coming to grips with just how much Jesus loves each one of us.

Open Hearts Ministry has been instrumental in my life….

I welcome the invitation to journey with others…

I will blog a number of times as we spend time on childhood stories, shame, anger, disappointment and so much more!

We all live The Journey, it is the road we walk because we breathe…

How we live it is what we talk about in a Journey group….

I hope you are living your journey with integrity and honesty and journeying well!