Sweet Times Together

Since I promised HERE a couple of days ago that I would report on our Valentine's Day activities, I guess I'd better keep my promise.  I already posted a lot of pictures on Facebook, but I know that not all of you are on there so you may wish to hear about our day.

As you recall, we were expecting my siblings and their spouses to come for lunch on Friday, to celebrate Valentine's Day as well as an early birthday party for my hubby and also my sister in law.  My brother and wife came down from North Carolina to visit with some of her family in the area this weekend, and also to spend the day with us on Friday. So my sister and her hubby also came over from the Orlando area to spend the day with us as well.  Here we all are:

 My brother Clifford and his wife Caryl, whose birthday is next week

 My sister Doris and her hubby Art (and they were also celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary this week)

Our son and his sweet wife - just celebrating their 3rd Valentine's Day together!

And my sweet hubby and yours truly, celebrating his birthday (tomorrow) and our 51st Valentine's Day together!

You may have already seen this picture of us before, on our first Valentine's Day together 51 years ago, when we celebrated his birthday and our engagement.  I guess we've changed a little in 51 years! LOL.  Someone said that my hubby doesn't look so scared now as he did then! Ha Ha. I was concerned about the way he was holding that knife in his hand and that look on his face...but he only cut the cake, I promise! 

After a delicious lunch we enjoyed visiting with each other in and out of the house:

 My sister and my sister in law enjoying the view of Still Waters Pond from the deck...








My hubby and my brother walking about the property and talking "guy talk"....

My sister looking pretty in her flannel shirt (it was an unexpectedly cool day, and we all ended up in flannel shirts before the day was over...)







And then we came back inside to celebrate the
birthday "kids"....

(I never realized how tiny my sister in law was until she stood next to my hubby!)

Then with our cake and ice-cream (and/or strawberries with pound cake again...), some of us gals had a little tea party, using the delicious "rooibos tea" that my cousin brought me earlier in the week.

Rose is enjoying her cuppa tea in the lovely "Rose" tea cup that my grandmother gave me...(I have promised this teacup to Rose someday when I am no longer using it because it has little rosebuds all over it. She loves teacups with roses on them...I wonder why?)










My sister Doris is enjoying a cuppa tea too...

And so am I...

the rest of the gang preferred their iced tea...

So after such a wonderful day together we wished them all a safe farewell as they headed back to their respective places, and we sat down and rested...

Well...the youngest members of the group just couldn't wait until everyone left to take a little snooze...but these kids aren't retired like the rest of us and they'd been up since the crack of dawn working before coming over to "party"...so they were "pooped out"... (they'll probably kill me for posting this picture...but you really can't tell who they are, right? LOL)

This morning dawned bright and beautiful, so I walked around the yard taking pictures and enjoying the coolness of the dawn as the sun was rising and the moon was fading into the sky:

 The geese were already out there swimming around, but the light was still kind of dim and the picture is kind of blurry:

The morning sun was shining on the tree tops as it came was rising over behind me...

 and then looking back in that direction across the pond...

Then walking around to the front yard

 There was the sun rising up over the trees and houses..

What a glorious day!!

I couldn't help but sing this little song that we sing in church at our Sunday night service sometimes:

"Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?"

The chorus says:

"Have you seen Jesus my Lord?

He's here in plain view.

Take a look, 

open your eyes,

He'll show life to you."

I love the sweet simplicity of this song, and the truth of the message.  Jesus is here in plain view...just take a look around, and you'll see Jesus My Lord.  (I just realized that I have shared this song with you before HERE, but in a different context, so you may want to check it out)

And with that thought in mind, I will leave you with these pictures of those tulips that I bought at the store the other day...  

Here is how they look today:

"The meaning of tulips is generally perfect love. Like many flowers, different colors of tulips also often carry their own significance. Red tulips are most strongly associated with true love, while purple symbolizes royalty. The meaning of yellow tulips has evolved somewhat, from once representing hopeless love to now being a common expression for cheerful thoughts and sunshine. White tulips are used to claim worthiness or to send a message of forgiveness. Variegated tulips, once among the most popular varieties due to their striking color patterns, represent beautiful eyes."

Personally, I see a cross in the middle of these tulips, Reminding me of Christ going to the cross for us because of His great love for us...

  For more information you can look at this:   https://www.proflowers.com/blog/history-and-meaning-of-tulip

So I leave you with these thoughts today..."Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He's here in plain view...take a look, open your eyes, He'll show life to you!"  

Have a blessed evening and a beautiful SONday tomorrow!!