Graced by a friendship

This is an ode to a friend who just amazes me with her incredible kindness, love, thoughtfulness, and generosity. To share how much she has come to mean to me would be difficult, but I'll share a few examples of what makes her so special--


On Thursday, we took our offspring to the land her family owns in Chilton Co. to get rocks from the creek on their property. It was a beautiful day spent enjoying God's creation, splashing in freezing water, searching for animal prints on the creekbank, and enjoying a picnic under a huge oak tree.

She made me these awesome copper and tile fragment garden markers, just because she knew I'd love their whimsy.

She gets my love for teaching my kids at home, and inspires me in her passion to be a homeschool mom as well.

She encourages me in struggles and frustrations, with her balanced, sensitive responses and motivates me to get my priorities right.

She loves God and is most concerned with following Him and living to glorify Him and to raise her children to do the same.

She's voluntarily kept my kids just so I could go to WalMart without them.

She loves her husband and speaks only kind, positive things about him, honoring him by the way she considers them partners and best friends in life, brought together by their Father.

She cheerfully mopped my kitchen floor before a party.

She recently gave me a bucket of freshly scooped horse manure for my vegetable garden - only a true gardener would understand how MUCH I loved this. Horse poop doesn't sound like a great gift to most people, I realize.

I could go on and on, but will stop here. I'm just very grateful for the many people in my life that give so much to me, in many ways. Today was just a day to honor you though, R!