The quaint southern town of Newnan boasts many beautifully restored historic homes like this one.
I admit that I had romanticized the idea of taking my sweet daughters, Mary Ashley and Emma, with me for my recent ladies day at the Downtown Church of Christ in Newnan, Ga. My mother-in-law planned to accompany us for the morning, and I was eager to share a day of worship with three generations of Lester girls. I looked forward to visiting the historic downtown area of Newnan, smiling as I packed pretty summer dresses, pink bows and sandals for our girls weekend.
I am still trying to figure out who slipped a stomach virus into Emma's suitcase. She got sick in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, then again just as we pulled into Newnan. Although her illness brought a little more drama to the weekend than I had anticipated, adding the girls to the weekend brought a lot of humor as well. Here are some of our lighter moments:
- Mary Ashley noticed that some of the ladies day participants bought copies of my book. So after the ladies day she pulled one out of her little straw purse and said, "I got one of your books. I want you to sign it." I was touched that she would want one and gratefully signed her copy. A beginning reader, Mary Ashley was so proud of her book! She carried it around all afternoon, intently focused on the pages. That evening she showed me that she was already almost halfway through. "I've been reading it silently," she announced proudly. I praised her efforts, then she asked sheepishly, "Mommy, what does it mean to read silently?" I explained to her that in preschool she learned to sound out words aloud and that reading silently just means that you see the words in your head rather than saying them. "Oh!" she said. "Well, when I was reading your book, there was not a thing in my head. Not one thing!"
- The ladies in Newnan prepared goodie bags for all the guests at the ladies day, and Mary Ashley and Emma were so excited to discover their take-home treats. "Mommy, is this a credit card?" Mary Ashley asked when she found a little calendar in her bag. A little later she entered the room, beaming with pride as she called, "Look at me, Mommy!" She was delighted to show me that her nose was running because it meant she could open her package of pocket tissues. (What a blessing to find such joy in life's little surprises!)
- The girls eagerly sampled the lotion in their goodie bags, then offered to share it with their brothers when they got home. Ten-year-old Carson declined their offer, then looked at me quizzically. "What is lotion for, anyway?" he asked. When I told him it makes your skin soft, he balked. "Why would a boy ever want to do that?"
Despite Emma's stomach troubles, we had a lovely visit to Newnan and appreciate all the smiles that day brought us!
Photo from Flickr
