My husband tells me I'm anti-social. Anybody who knows me and is drinking coffee while reading this more than likely just spit it out. All of my report cards read "Wendy is a good student but she socializes too much." My mother would attest to that one.
My husband and my kids also say that I'm a homebody. I will agree to this one. I've always loved being at home. I spent a lot of time in my room growing up playing the guitar, writing songs, listening to music and reading. When I moved out and had my own apartment in my early 20's, I had a few years of going out almost every night with my friends and staying out until all hours and cursing the birds while I tried to fall asleep as they were beginning their day in the tree outside my window.
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| Our friends' dogs, Georgia . . . | |
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| and Penny. |
When I met my first husband and got married and had a baby right away I loved being at home, playing house (for real this time!!) and doing the wife and mother things. We did spend a lot of time with friends as we were all raising our kids at the same time and all needed some adult conversation. I've been a stay-at-home mom for more than twenty years and God knows adult conversation is a very important thing!! After my first husband passed away, I was very content being home and being with my sons. My incredibly wonderful friends and family kept us busy with dinner invitations and play dates and I had the occasional night out to myself but I would always feel like I needed to be with my boys.
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| A fire in the back yard. |
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| Our friends put their Christmas tree in the back yard after they take the ornaments off of it. It lights up the whole yard and looks so beautiful for another month or so. I thought this was such a great idea!! |
Then I met Jim who is the epitome of a social butterfly. I swear he would strike up a conversation with a tree if he was alone in a forest. His personality is what first made me fall in love with him. Well that and his blue eyes and dimples!! : ) We've been together for six years now and I truly am perfectly content just being with him and our children, in our little cottage, on a Friday night. However, I've decided I'm going to make an effort to be more sociable this year.
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So the other day when I went to pick up my middle son from our/his friend's house, I actually got out of the car and knocked on the door instead of texting him to tell him I was there (apparently, beeping your horn to let them know isn't "cool" anymore!!). I was welcomed with open arms and stayed for a couple of minutes and ooooed and aaaaahed over their electric fireplace which I would've sworn was the real deal and then made definite plans for a family get together that actually included a day and a time. I called my husband at work when I got home to make sure he was off the day we agreed upon and everything was a go!!
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| I thought this was such a great family Christmas present!! It's a wooden "Connect Four" game that my friend, Suzanne, found in Toys R Us. She leaves it right out on the coffee table for impromptu games anytime. |
This past weekend we did it!! Dinner with an absolutely wonderful family that we've known for years. One of the nicest families you'll ever meet!! We ate and drank and laughed and played music and talked about our childhoods and getting older and our children and our hopes and dreams for the future. My social cup was completely filled when we left and I can't wait to do it all again!!
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| Megan having her first guitar lesson!! |
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| This has inspired me to take my childhood guitar out of the garage to be re-strung. I forgot how much fun it is to sit around and make music and, when Megan is old enough, Suzanne (who teaches piano and guitar) is going to teach her how to play it. |
We've also decided, since we're going to be staying in our house now (more than likely) and have always wanted a fireplace, we're going to go the electric fireplace route. They can heat your whole downstairs with the touch of a button, turn off at the touch of a button and are direct vent now right out the side of your house so you don't even need a chimney. We're adding it to our "To Do" list. Or should I say our "Honey Do" list?!!? : )
Many blessings for a happy Tuesday ~ Wendy
This year, our friends Susan and Anthony invited us all to their house to celebrate Valentine's Day. How many people can say they had the "Valentine/McDonagh" family to their house on V Day?!!? You would think the invitations would be stacked up on the dining room table, wouldn't you?!!?
