Just A Nice Weekend

Oh my word what a beautiful day!  Up to 52... Sun... No wind!  A perfect day to clean your car and then take a ride up to Kettle Moraine to take a hike on the trails!  

Cal and I did 2 miles on the Nordic Trail.

I forgot how hilly it is!  In fact, I was looking at it thinking - I cross country skied these trails?!!  

I'm surprised I didn't kill myself doing that!

Anyways - I picked up Sean who had met up with a friend and we drove back to get ready for a surprise party for mom.  It's her 88th birthday tomorrow!  She thought we were going to Seans for dinner and then we surprise ended up back at our place with pizza!

After enjoying my fave - Antioch Pizza... We pulled out the Lovin Oven cake!

Happy birthday mom!

So glad we had such lovely weather to help you celebrate!!!

My Valentine!

Year number two and my fabulous (sometimes funny:) Valentine is still showering me with gifts and love!  And I once again have a memento to bring to work with me!:)

Saturday we had a fun afternoon up by Milwaukee!  Catching up as it had been a while (ok almost a week which seemed FOREVER!) since we had time together.

Then Saturday later afternoon we came back and my Valentine made dinner and had me and mom over.  

He made a turkey and stuffing and veggies and all!  And gave us both gifts and gushy Valentine's Day cards!

Then he bundled us into his car and took us to Lincolnshire to The Cheesecake Factory for desert.  As the picture tells - but this point, actually long before, he had my heart but my mom was gone too!

When we got home mom said "thank you Alison" and I said "I didn't do anything?..." To which she replied "you let Sean into your life!"  SO sappy!:). But true!:)

Sunday after late morning service we took the long scenic route downtown Milwaukee and I was reminded how smart my Valentine is!  He told me all about the Red Arrow Brigade which the scenic route is named after.  Ok - I could be totally wrong about that name because I admit I'm always just so impressed with his smarts that when he starts talking about smart things I kind of just go into adoring mode and don't really hear him.   I really do need to listen more to his history lessons as I would learn so much!

We arrived right on time at our reservation destination... Our favorite restaurant - it was kind of he scene of our first date I'd call it.  Lake Park Bistro sitting up on a hill overlooking Lake Michigan.  And as the snow fell we enjoyed a delicious three course brunch!

And when we went to leave we noticed a bunch of cars parked down by the lake and, like the lemmings we are, we had to join them to see what was going in.  Massive waves of ice crashing on the shore and forming these walls of ice!

Sunday was spent watching my all time favorite, and romantic movie "Persuasion".  So sappy but so good!

I think my Valentine's Day was so good because I have such a good Valentine!:). So much to be thankful for!  So much to be happy for!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

First Wedding Of 2016!

What is with this wedding streak?!  Before last year, the one and only wedding I've been to in the past 10 years was one youth group wedding for Braz and Heather - that was 2006?  And then dead calm, which I didn't horribly mind.  And then starting with Joe and Hannah's wedding last May - BAM!  I have a wedding almost every month!  Crazy!

Tonight was my first wedding of 2016.

 And I couldn't have been happier about this wedding!  My wonderful Kileean!  I had Kileean in youth group back in 2006/7 or so and until I ended my youth group service.  He was one of those amazing, kind, gentle, honest, godly kids that you just didn't see frequently.  I think the reason I liked him so much is because for some reason, he either thought I was a cool youth group leader... Or maybe just took pity on me?...:)  Either way, "Ally" felt like the most awesome youth group leader.  I had a few kids like that.  I went into youth group never really having been in actual youth group growing up and always having felt like the weird, uncool, not liked teenager... I was in my 30s and still feeling like the weird, uncool, not liked adult.  Thank God for a few really amazing teens who were just so kind to me and actually wanted to hang around me and talk to me and, funny thing is, I feel like I matured and become a more secure adult in my 30s because of a group of really mature and secure teenagers.  This was Kileean.  Not only secure in who he was as a person, but secure in who he was in God.  

And so I got to spend 4 years with a Kileean, a really beyond his years amazing teen who, with a few others same minded teens, for some reason, always wanted to be in my car when we did youth group trips.  And wanted me to play ping pong with them (even though I suck at it!:).  And wanted me to hang out in their small groups.  And asked me what I thought about life.  And told me about things that were going on in their lives.

And now, they've all grown into fabulous adults.  Some of them are still really faithful to God and others are trying to figure out where they are.  But Kileean is one who just had such fabulous parents and such a God-amazing attitude, that he's stuck with things and moved on in life but still stayed with where God wants him to be.  And I've seen him mature even more.

And now I've seen God bring an amazing woman into his life - I don't know her, but I know Kileean and I know his parents and I've seen and heard what he thinks of her... And I saw them standing up in front of everyone tonight and... he's not my kid, but I can't help but be SO proud of him because I had a teensy teensy tiny part in his life.  And I'm so happy and grateful for that!  And I'm so... PROUD!

Congratulations to Kileean and Meg!

Praying for so much for both of you!!!

And btw - totally cool venue!!!!! Never even know it was there!

Thank God I'm Back!

I never realize how much I appreciate my little hole in the wall until I've been stuck in a meeting room all day!  Ah ... My chair - my two and a half walls!:). Bliss!

Here's to having your own space on a rainy Tuesday 5 minutes before you go home!  Sometimes it's the little things in life you're the most thankful for!

The View From My Monday Desk

If you'll remember back to Martin Luther King day and the special flower and lunch delivery from my fab bf....

Those gorgeous flowers are STILL alive!  Although some of them have departed, the colors are still there!

And since I was gone last week i bequeathed them to a cube mate who is always bemoaning how she never gets flowers from her not fab bf.  They've been happily sitting in her cube since last Monday evening.

So when Sean and I were back together again on this past Friday, I got yet another beautiful bouquet of flowers whih I've now brought in to the office to enjoy again!

So as I sit here, I can look over and see happiness from Sean all over!!!:)

Happy Monday!