my attitude? gratitude!

And why wouldn't it be?

For my first midday meal of this year, I had planned a dinner at home, right...

but then I was summoned to Hinesville and just look at this feast my first niece prepared!

Well, she cooked all except that applesauced cornbread.

I made that!

I cut it in triangles, too!

(smile!)

After the repast, the girls went down for a nap and Chris returned to his football (European-style) game, leaving me and Christina time to talk - delightful!

This photo had magically surfaced on my dining room table before I left home - there are no coincidences - and I'd brought it along.

She and I talked about that room at Frank's house and the items on the table and how much Chloe resembles her at two years old.

That brought up my 'limited gene pool' train of thought and our relationship to Benjamin Franklin.

She read the essay she'd done about the bombing at Pearl Harbor and I told her of my Great-Uncle Sam and his living through that terrible ordeal, but never talking of it.

Then the conversation wandered over to things there in her kitchen, items she was straightening up and putting back into place - items that included a vast assortment of spices and rubs and marinades.

Wow.

Lemon pepper was one of those, naturally.

I told her about me using it in Mama's Salmon Stew recipe, having mistakenly put it in for regular black pepper and finding it more tasty.

She told me about her Daddy cooking breakfast for her and Michael and putting lemon pepper on the bacon, something she still does.

I'd never heard that Ronnie did such a thing!

What a wonderful story to learn from his one-and-only daughter!

I'm so grateful she has some fond memories of him, and that she and I had this time together today to allow us to really talk, to hop down a bunny trail and naturally follow where it led without a time schedule or interruption.

Wow.

That was golden!

Then Purple and Pink awoke!

The day was still warm so into the back yard we went, playing on the swings, looking at the fire pit, walking around and around!

My favorite thing, though, was this spontaneous picnic!

Christina made peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches for them...

and she made one for me, too!

Then we all sat outside and watched the night come as we dined on our summer-day picnic feast!

The breeze had picked up and a splatter of rain drizzle finally drove us inside.

No worries - that just meant we got to play in the girls' room!

So many books...

so many dolls...

so many unicorns, including this familiar pair!

Such a magical way to spend the first day of this year!

i thank You, God!