Make A Difference Monday

I honestly cannot believe I didn't post last week.

I took the week off work to prepare for the party we hosted this past Saturday.

I turned the Big 5-0

and it really did come in with a bang.

Literally.

It has been HORRIBLY hot here.

So all week we got up early to get things done outside

before the heat made you want to jump off the nearest bridge.

The morning of the party

our power went out.

I called all the neighbors and they all had power

(of course!),

so I called our utility provider.

About an hour later we had power and were back in business.

There was only a 20% chance of rain Saturday.

And it sure didn't look like any rain was in the area.

We hosted a scavenger hunt

(thanks, Sarah!!)

and those wanting to participate in that were to be at our house by 5:00.

Everyone arrived and Sarah sent them on their merry way.

No sooner did they pull out of the lane, the down pour happened.

It was that fast.

All you had to do was blink.

So all that hard work we did all week was pretty much destroyed,

because along with all the rain

came a mini tornado

(at least that's what it seemed like!)

Let me share some of Mother Nature's cruel birthday presents.

Flower pots were turned over

Our flag pole bit the dust.

Things blew all over my flower beds

Our tent that was up in the yard had blown out to the field

All the tables and chairs we had set up....demolished

And the lovely hog barn is no longer

All within a half hour.

But that's not all that happened.

Our power went out for about an hour again.

Ugh

Luckily, the rest of the guests weren't due to arrive until 7ish.

So we waited for about another hour and our power finally came back on

and cleaned up what we could to try and make it

'presentable' again.

Around 7:00 the scavenger hunt participants and the remainder of the guests arrived.

So you think that after all this,

it would have gone smoothly, right?

Nope....

about the time my husband and sons were getting ready to put the fireworks show on,

my mother-in-law got up to go out to the porch.

She tripped and fell and hit her head on the corner of the wall.

They couldn't get the bleeding to stop,

so an ambulance had to be called.

She ended up with 10 staples in her poor little head.

Welcome to my 50's!!

It will be a birthday I will never forget!

So what does all of this have to do with

Make A Difference Monday

Well....

We spent all week prepping and making everything look pretty.

In the blink of an eye

it was destroyed.

You see,

none of that mattered.

Not one bit of it.

What mattered is I got to spend my birthday...

whether it be through a phone call,

birthday wishes sent via text,

email,

on Facebook,

or in person...

I got to spend it with all the people I hold close to my heart.

And in the end,

everyone had a great time.

I had so many people at my house,

I couldn't even visit with all of them!

It was truly one of the most beautiful days I've had in my lifetime.

And I even received a package from my UK 'sister', Linda.

(I will be posting pictures of that later this week!)

So take time just to 'love the one your with'.

Forget about the clean house,

the well manicured lawn,

the 'picture perfect' party.

But hold tight to those close to you.

You never know what storm will come your way

to make you stop and dance in the rain.

You can either fight the madness,

or hop on the train and let it take you where it may.

You have no control over it anyway,

so hold your head up

and grab the wheel with a smile!

XOXO

Cindy