Welcome Home!

Check out these flowers that Drew sent us as a house warming present for our new home!

Lilies and irises... my favorite! Even though they arrived over a week ago, the house still smells fabulous when you walk through the door.

A Concert and Celebratory Picnic

Last night Mal and I had a lot of fun at the Adele concert at the 9:30 Club. She'd never been to that venue and neither of us had been to an Adele show, so it made for great memories. My friend hooked me up with some tickets that she had won, but was unable to use, so that made it even better- a FREE show!!

Can you see her? She's the little dot right over my head (don't mistake it for a halo)! ;)

Mal closed on her and Dave's house yesterday (woot, woot!). So, after the show, we met Marie there. She surprised us with a picnic on the porch, complete with candles, chocolate cake and champagne. Four fabulous C's!! Once we'd noshed on the cake and sipped on the bubbly, we made our way inside (with Mal's keys... no real estate agent lock box anymore!!) where we finished the picnic and toured the new digs again.



The packing begins when I log offline in a few minutes. The movers are scheduled for tomorrow morning. The deadline for them is tight, but at least we have the liberty of moving over smaller things until the middle of June, which is a nice release.

Mothers

Newborn babies have terrible vision (not unlike myself without contacts or glasses). In their first couple of months, their sight is limited to about 12 inches. They're legally blind and most of what they can see is blurry... except Mama. Research shows that even 4-day old babies look longer at their mothers' faces than at the faces of others who hold them.

There's an instant bond with our moms that starts even before those four days. As babies in the womb, we hear her voice and heartbeat while the rest of the world hears other things.

Likely, she's the first one who ever told you of your beauty. To her, you're the most beautiful creature in the world. She's the first to have touched you, to have even moved her hand over her belly as you kicked or turned. It's her voice that can calm fears, offer words of wisdom and give pep talks.

I didn't get to see my mom today, but I did get to hear her voice. Her voice twinkles with rays of light. I can picture her smile on the other end of the line. The crinkles at the edge of her eyes dance with joy. I imagine her eyes, full of love and radiating. She's beautiful. I'm so blessed to call her mine.

My mom's hugs are always 100%. They are tight and sometimes involve a slight sway to them. Whether there's a sway or not, however, there are always two arms. And the hugs are long. She knows the perfect length of time to hug me. When she pulls away, she'll often hold my arms and stare into my eyes like she's giving me more to take with me. In case I need to go back to the hug, I remember her eyes. They are a beautiful blue and sometimes glossy with tears. Love tears. Whether they are happy, sad, hopeful or prayerful, those eyes always say the things I know she'd say aloud if she knew what to say. Often, "I love you, Meredith Duncan" is what I'll hear. But her eyes say even more than those words.

I'm so grateful to have a mother as beautiful as mine. She's an encourager and her love for God pours out of her. Whether it's to a stranger in a check-out line or her own mother, my mom treats everyone the same and I admire that about her. I want to be like that... to be like her.

As years go by, my appreciation for my mom has deepened. She's become a true friend. One that occasionally tells me what to do in that mother voice, but still... a friend. ;)

Thanks to all you moms out there for all that you do.

And a special thanks to my mom. My teacher, healer, counselor, peace-maker, comedian, mentor, protector, encourager, play-mate, listener and friend. I love you.

- Your Baby Blue

More Spring Flowers

God loves mothers. I like to think that the flowers blooming today were from Him to all the mothers out there. Here are some pretty ones I snapped with my camera phone while walking around today.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Spring

I've felt really good lately. Maybe it's the fresh air or the flowers or the green that's on everything right now. Check out some of these flowers I saw on a recent run (Some of the images are kind of blurry. Flip phone cameras aren't known for their fantastic picture resolution):





There's a joy that sneaking back into my spirit and I imagine that it has something to do with that basement apartment that has my name on it across town. Mal is getting a new home and I'm fortunate enough to be moving in with her. Not into an upstairs room, however. This (newly 30-year-old) is finally moving into my own space! After five years of living in a group house with no fewer than three other roommates (and at most five other), I'm going to call a little corner of the world my own. My own bathroom, bedroom, living area and even mud room!! Hey-yo! Plans are to move within the month and I'm pumped. I'll post some pictures when I arrive.

Other updates (since, my longest hiatus EVER): I turned 30. Oh wait... I wrote that already. I lost weight and blogged about my journey here. I traveled: New York City & Brooklyn, Marco Island (FL), Myrtle Beach (SC), and the Shenandoah Valley (VA). I dove into a Bible study with a new small group at my church and am looking forward to the mission trips announcement. I'm pumped about going on a mission trip in the fall and can't wait to find out where the church is going!

My family and friends helped me ring in my 30th birthday this past weekend. My mom and grandma came up from NC and SC to visit- surprising me on Friday by showing up to the restaurant where I was about to dine! The whole weekend was filled with festivities, laughter and love. On Saturday evening, I Skyped with my dad as he and my mom gave me a meaningful gift that I will treasure. I was given a diamond necklace that he gave my mom the week I was born. She was 30 years old when she had me and my dad gave it to her a few days after my birth. I've always admired it... even "coveted" it as my mom claims! I was so surprised when I opened the box and the necklace I had admired (and never knew the story behind) was given to me and its history shared. The story behind it and the thoughtfulness of giving it to me on MY 30th birthday is priceless. I was moved to tears. Check out my new necklace!

Sunday afternoon was filled with more fun and memories as Mallory and Marie were the masterminds behind my big bash. Though the weather was chilly and slightly rainy, some of my dearest friends in DC came out to Hains Point and celebrated with me. The decor was beautiful and the tent kept us (mostly) dry. Ryan was the grill master and we all just chatted and partied for hours. I loved it!!

The weekend ended with the announcement of bin Laden's death. Though I'm still processing how I feel about "celebrating" the death of such a corrupt man, I am glad that no more deaths will be a direct result of his actions. The White House was featured on the news that night. People were swarming down there in droves. Having the spontaneous family that I do, we (mom, grandma, Mal and I) all hopped in the car and made our way down to the White House around 12:15 a.m. Monday morning. Mal and I went into the heart of the crowd and took pictures. We participated in the chants of "U.S.A." and singing of "God Bless America" that spontaneously erupted every few minutes. The energy in the crowd was unlike any other time I've been there- even the night that Obama was elected can't compare. There was jubilee in the air that paired with the sounds of singing, honking horns and fluttering flags.





Well, that's all I have to share right now. I've missed many opportunities to do so in the past six months, but I promise to do update My Palette more often.

Thanks for checking back in. I hope you'll pick back up with me as I continue this dance of life...