Praise Report! GodWinks, Island Adventure. Milestones. Painting. Eagle!

PRAISE HIM IN THE MORNING! 

PRAISE HIM IN THE NOON TIME! 

PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM! 

PRAISE HIM WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN! 

Vero Beach, FL. Imagine the excitement of going to a ladies luncheon for a New York Times best selling author. I had seen in our local paper that a very worthy group of women AAUW [American Association for University Women] was having a fundraiser to generate scholarship money for women in crisis, creating their new life through college courses. I got excited. I literally went door-to-door in our new neighborhood and was able to gather up a group of five of us to attend, garnering the final spots in a sold out gathering to hear Debbie Macomber up close and personal. 

That day was yesterday. We all got dressed up and headed out on our first 'ladies-that-lunch' adventure. It is amazing to me, to realize that I am now of that age and position in life. Our group of five was seated together at a table for eight. We had the most fun table in the packed-to-the-gills room. The laughter and antics of new friendships being forged was palatable. We incorporated the other three gals at our round table in a heartbeat. 

Amid the giggles and getting acquainted, imagine my #AMAZEMENT to have the gal in royal purple sitting directly across from me, break out into the sign language from my first picture book!!! She blurted out, "COLUMBUS OHIO" as she continued through my 'wonderful' signs. Incredible! 

In a group of 194 women at round tables in Vero Beach, Florida, what are the odds that the two of us, transplanted Buckeye quilters, would be sitting across the table from each other? #GodWink! I'm not sure who got most excited? Kay-in-purple, Moi, or my new friends from the Cove! Preschool teacher Paulette, neighbor volunteered to take our picture above. 

There's a fairly Debbie-like story that ensues, following the 'other-Debbie's' heartfelt luncheon lecture. Kay is sooooooooooooo excited to meet me {again} after about 17 years. I invite her to stop by our house afterwards, which was literally JUST around the corner, so that she could see my #HAPPY little quilting studio. She comes. We laugh. It turns out that Kay is the chairperson for the local parallel lecture series sponsored by Stonecroft Ministries here in Vero. Guess who Kay asked to speak next year? I will be featured during NEXT winter's lecture series through Stonecroft's series of bringing Christian outreach to professional women. #GodWinks indeed. 

[Sidebar. You'll have to ask Kay about the whole mix up of our purses and how she walked out of my house with MY purse and left me hers in exchange. LOL. That's what happens when people get excited.... and she didn't realize it she got all the way home, down the coast, until I called to point out our little mix up.]

So how many angels were involved in that alignment? Thank you heavens for the opportunities that you create for me out of 'thin-air.' 

That's a big enough #GodWink for one Praise Report, but it is time to share another adventure that is just about ready to unfold. This too, emerges from the WAY BACK machine. Cue the turn of the century music. Flashback about sixteen years for this little gem.  

That picture is of another supporter of mine. Meet Barbara. The picture above is a picture of her photo of the two of us in Illinois, where Barbara was a preschool director and teacher, back in the day. She had heard me speak a couple of times and became a real advocate of my work. Over the years she has been instrumental in pushing me forward into the latest in technology. 

It turns out that Barbara and her husband relocated from the cold of Illinois to the sands and rain forest of the Virgin Islands. How incredible does that sound? 

Barbara REALLY wanted her new little island preschool children to have the opportunity to meet me. She kept after me and kept after me and kept after me, to learn how to SKYPE so that we could sing together: her island babes and me with Goldie Goldfish! 

My FIRST.EVER.SKYPE visit was to Barbara's Virgin Islands preschool class! 

Well. Let me tell you a lot has happened since that first SKYPE visit. Barbara has suggested more than once, that it is time to come in person to her island! 

THAT IS NOW THE PLAN!!!

In less than a month, Allen and I will be headed to Barbara's Happy Face Academy.... on the VIRGIN ISLANDS! 

Barbara has arranged the lodging for our island home for a week!!!!!!!!! To make this adventure even MORE praise worthy, we had enough 'points' in our account, that the two of us will be able to fly for free!!!!!!!! 

Barbara has all sorts of brilliant plans in the brainstorming stage. We will keep you posted as to the connections we are able to forge on this initial fact-finding island adventure. 

Stay tuned for glorious images of smiling island children. 

What a true delight to hear Barbara's personal conviction and sense of ministry unfolding and how she follows her own faith in her current setting. I am so excited to worship in her church. She has describe the singing and I am counting the days. 

We have compared notes on following our calling.

#GodWINKS BIG TIME #BLESSED.

I know that there are likely several of you readers here, 

willing to volunteer to accompany me on my island hop. 

I'm happy to report that Allen is available to carry my props. 

Here's a little glimpse into our recent Valentine's Day dance. 

I may or may not think this is the best picture of him, EV!ER!

We have such fun dancing. I think it shows. 

This has been an interesting year, in so many ways. 

There was the announcement that I am one of the 10 Very Best Online Resources for Early Childhood Teachers.

Our distribution of Wobbles at WobbleSeat.com is the reason that we are amassing so many 'points' for our upcoming Virgin Island adventure flight. I thank Mary at Sharing Kindergarten for her continued support. This image below is from Kristen at Kristen's Kindergarten. I am so grateful for my blogging friends and their ongoing encouragement and support. 

The real milestone of late is that our daughter Sarah's divorce has been finalized. 

The paperwork is complete. Sobering. Sad. Final. Over. All the hopes and dreams: dust. 

We celebrate the resilience that Sarah has demonstrated over the past 12 months. 

We couldn't be more proud.

She has kept her head on. 
She has kept her head above water. 
She has painted on a smile, despite reality. 
She has made it thru this year without 'public assistance'..... because she had the support of the village. 

She has emerged a much stronger individual, wrought from the pain of the process. 

Learning that your marriage is over is one of life's most difficult challenges. 

Learning to go it alone? Tough. 

I went digging through our family photos of this past year. 

 It has been an incredible time, even in the midst of the loss of all those expectations of a traditional family.

Sarah has been able to keep the lights on and provide JOY: 

IN ALL SEASONS! 

Now that the judge has signed the divorce papers, it is time to begin moving forward. 

Sarah is now saddled with thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands....... 

{you get the idea} 

and thousands of dollars worth of debt as a result of how her divorce proceeded. 

She was given every penny of her legal defense expense as her own personal debt.

Her first-ever charge card is now at the official limit, all with her amassed legal expenses, 
but in the end: 

SHE is the custodial parent of the WonderPeeps.  

She is left with her ten year old mini-van.

You get the picture. 

But she has spunk and strength and desire to get out from under this mountain of debt and become as self-sufficient as humanly possible and just as soon as possible. 

Thank HEAVEN that she has her Younique direct sales.

Her sales have literally kept food on the table.   

Last year at this time, the village really responded by supporting her Y efforts. 

We trust that with her hard work, the continued support of the village -- that the heavens will continue to provide. 

When you purchase from her link, she is paid within three hours. 

In addition to her hard work at building a team with Younique, 

she is now scheduling personal consultant visits -- 

to help folks determine their best color schemes. 

She is also ready to help with make-up sessions for prom and weddings. 

All of her hard work is paying off...... 

BUT the return of energy that she is applying to her painting is what makes this creative mama's heart sing! 

LOOK AT THAT ONE! 

I'm searching for images of the other two that she did recently. 

She is willing to sell her work -- in an effort to support the peeps. 

I don't know how big this one is? 

But if you're interested I can find out. 

SHE HAS AMAZING TALENT!

And one final bit of absolute PRAISE. 

We had an eagle in the tree in our backyard!  

Yes. This tree is HUGE! 

The photo was taken by our sweet neighbor on her iPad. 

I got to watch it as it flew away. 

Just a couple of days later, Allen and I watched as it soared along our backyard treeline. 

We are both hoping that it will find a permanent home nearby.