Learning to Dance in the Rain

Archive for May, 2011

Here are some pictures of the bowties and skirts that I made for the wedding.  Originally I was thinking I would make Emily a skirt, then it  became a skirt for her and her cousin, then it was a skirt for me, oh and seven bowties for all the little boy cousins too…one of who objected to wearing green so it became eight (thankfully in the end he decided it was a good idea to match everyone else for the big day – and without any bribery – which is more than I can say for my own son!!)  Suddenly I was doing that and the table décor for the luncheon and it made me wonder what I would ever do with my time after the wedding – I’m so funny when I think like that!!

I found the tutorial for the little girl’s skirts here.  And the bowties, well, I called mother and we worked that out over the phone.  You can’t tell in this picture but the top of Emily’s skirt matches my own – gotta do matching outfits while she still doesn’t mind.  Thanks to a gorgeous green tie from the groom, our family looks quite nice, all matchy, matchy.  Emily looks a little concerned because she shares her name with the bride and was worried she was the one getting married.  Poor kid!

Our family recently went to Idaho to attend Andrew’s brother’s wedding.  It was so fun to be there with his family, I am truly blessed with the kind of in-laws I have – which I know is rare.  I had spent the last several weeks sewing bowties for the little boys, and skirts for Emily and her cousin, and for me.  That and the other projects I had taken up had made life quite busy.  As we sat there in the sealing room in the temple, listening to the inspired words from their Sealer (the man who performed the marriage) it was the peace my heart needed and a gentle but strong reminder that this is what it’s all about.  As the sun came streaming through the stained glass window and glistened off the crystal chandelier, it was an honor to be there in God’s presence, surrounded by family to witness the joining of two people for eternity.  I am thankful for the glimpse of heaven being in temple gives us and the peace it gives my sometimes troubled soul… 

When we first moved in I remember looking at this bush outside the front door.  It looked out of place, it was nothing special – just a average bush and honestly I thought it was kind of an eyesore.  My mother visited in February and I expressed my desire to rip it out and replace it with a bird bath surrounded by some rocks as a real focal point.  Well, my mother weeded around this odd looking bush and created more of a flower bed, which I reluctantly decided to fill in with some daylilies and some other little flowers.  Over the last few weeks, some usual clumps of flowers have appeared, light mauve, and so pretty and delicate.  Well, come to find out, that I have a lilac bush, a beautiful lilac bush, with sweet blossoms that smell like french perfume.  And to think I almost dumped Round Up on it and ripped it out…  And instead of a top heavy, man made, potentially hazardous bird bath…I have a living example of how if you’re not sure if something or someone is going to work, or turn out right, sometimes you just have to give it a little time.  

To top it off, when I’m too busy to play with my son, that odd looking bush “catches” my son’s soccer ball with it’s wide berth of branches as he giggles in delight.  So, I must say, I’ve grown very found of my bush.  I hope the one out the back that I did dump Round Up on comes back, and forgives this amateur gardener.  I just Spring, and this year, I especially like the Lilacs.  They remind me of a song that I love to sing to my kids.

Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue, blue sky

Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by

Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by a lilac tree

I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world,

Heavenly Father created for me.