The Trip of a Lifetime!

I know photography posts are usually set aside for Saturdays, but I don't know which day is which these days.  So today, enjoy some photography.  These are some photos from our cruise this summer.  Stories will follow, I'm sure.  


Meanwhile, my days are filled up with keeping an eye on my recently-spayed puppy, getting ready for the new school year, and trying to suck every last free moment out of summer.


Enjoy.


Most of these are in Venice:

 From our cruise ship balcony:

 Croatia

 Greece

 Back on the ship

Italy

xoxo, A

In Lieu of Sisters

Yowza, I've been gone a while, haven't I?!  I won't be back to the weekly routine until at least when schools starts again.  The reason is, well, there is really no order during the summer.  It's pretty much all chaos, all the time. But it's the good kind of chaos that allows sporadic sleeping in and lazy days on the couch.


But I've been neglecting my blog.  Not because I wanted to, but I haven't quite gotten a handle on this whole puppy mommy thing.  It's a lot of work, on top of what was already a life that was a lot of work!  So today, when Hband said, "you haven't blogged for a long time..." I took that as my cue.  Time to snap to it and finally type out what's been on my heart for a little while.  Ready?  OK, here we go:


I sat in the steamy attic room that had been mine years ago.  It had traces of my decorating style, but mostly it was my mom's sewing room these days.  The hundred-degree days required two fans blowing on me at all times.  As I sat there, I realized something interesting: throughout my life, God has never ignored my ardent desire to have sisters.  And in lieu of sisters, here is what he's given me:


1. a grand total of six cousins of varying ages that I got to spend my growing up years with (and now my grown-up years).
2. various collections of pairs of sisters-- and I often found myself smack in the middle, age-wise.  No fewer than four pairs over my lifetime.


This amazed me!  I always wanted sisters, but that wasn't in God's plan for my family.  Instead of ignoring this prayer of my heart, he surrounded me with girls and women who have become as close to me as sisters. God is so good.


This thought came to me after an evening spent in my cousin's house, surrounded by five of my cousins.  All but one of us are post-high school, and we talked and laughed for hours.  These women are the sisters I've always had.  And you already know about Bestie and Bestie Jr.  


So blessed.  I'm truly blessed to have these women in my life and girls in my past.  In lieu of sisters.


What is it you feel you are lacking?  What is the prayer of your heart?  How has God filled it in his own way?
xoxo, A