where did the week go??

I completely forgot that yesterday was Thursday; it's been a whirlwind week that went by so fast!! The 3 older kids were at Grammy's all week to go to VBS at her church and Lukey was home with me. He was amazingly good and didn't mope around like last year; I think he actually really enjoyed all of mom and dad's undivided attention! Anyway, here it is Friday already! So here's my thankful list from yesterday.

1. Bedroom painting done!
2. Friends who helped me out with the painting and childcare
   
3. Luke being so wonderfully well-beahaved by himself this week
4. Several things on my summer t0-do list already crossed off
5. Kate's portfolio done and ready for evaluation today
6. My hubby's willing help getting ready for Bryce's 'boy-party' on Saturday (it's VERY belated sports birthday party that he's been wanting to do forever...but this was the first open weekend!!)
7. Only one thing planned for the weekend (instead of about 10 like we usually have!)
8. My kiddos all coming home (yeah, I missed 'em!)
9. Summer evenings
10. Being able to eat whatever I want again!!
    

bittersweet

Just finished putting together Kate's 6th grade portfolio. It's always such a time of mixed emotions for me... somewhat bummed about what we didn't get done (I always start out with such grand plans), amazed at all we DID accomplish, lots of memories of the good, the bad, the ugly (you know, 2 females with similar personality traits living in the same household can set off a few 'fireworks' now and then...) of the past school year.

It's bittersweet how quickly my little girl's growing into a wonderful young lady...

finally!!

You've heard the saying "About as exciting as watching paint dry..."? Well, I must say, at the moment I couldn't be any more excited about watching this paint dry!! Hallelujah and AMEN!!

dried-palm green (that's the color...)

It's been quite a while since I posted, due to the fact that we've been going non-stop since last weekend!! I simply haven't had the time to post, but once I get a few minutes, I'll be sure to post about the boys' All-Star game last Saturday. For now, I'll give a quick update on where all my time is going currently.

Yesterday I began the job of painting my bedroom. After being in our house a mere 2 1/2 years, I am slowly but surely working at making my home what I'd like it to be. (Though, I can only actually attack the 'lesser' of the projects; the bigger things I'd like to do would require my husband to do them, and he truly doesn't have the time - nor the desire, for the most part - to jump on my 'renovation bandwagon'.) Anyway, as I was saying...

If you've been a reader of this blog for an extended period of time, you may remember my other painting projects that I've undertaken in the past. If not, or if you don't recall, let's just say I don't seem to have the easiest time or best 'luck' with such undertakings. It seems so simple and uncomplicated in the beginning, and yet I always manage to have the worst time of it!

Yesterday actually went very well, as all the kids were disbursed - thanks to Grammy and Aunt Bets - and my friends Kate & Laura came to help me out. I started on the job at 6 a.m. sharp and got lots done.

Then there was today, which for the most part felt like an exercise in futility. I had run out of the paint I'm using for the walls, went to get more, the guy had trouble matching the color, but said he got it and left me know where to pick it up. Unfortunately, what he didn't tell me was that he had not screwed the lid on (silly me, assuming the lid would be on tight when I picked up the paint...) Suffice it to say there was an incident with dried-palm-green paint on the floor in Wal-Mart. Then, there was the issue of still not being enough, a second trip to the store, only to be told they had just run out (as in the hour before) of the base needed to mix more for me. Aarrgghhh...

I decided to move on to the trim in the afternoon, and as I was painstakingly trying to paint the baseboard without getting it on carpet (quite a trick, I must say) I was grumbling inwardly. As I was doing so I suddenly remembered my sister, who is so patiently waiting on God to give her a house...and was brought up short. I realized how rotten my attitude was, and that I needed to be thankful to at least have a house to be painting. So I made a conscious effort to try to change my attitude. (I didn't exactly succeed with flying colors, but it was a little better at least.)

So now, I must be off to dreamland so I can wake up with hopefully renewed vigor and a better attitude to finish (*she says optimistically*) the job tomorrow!

love is not a fight

I got a phone call today from a brokenhearted wife, fearing for her marriage. Sadly, my heart breaks whenever I get calls like this; I think the number of people that we know going through marital turmoil is probably about 5 right now. I just ache for these dear couples, having been there myself; however, I also know what it's like to experience God's saving grace in my own marriage and now have that hope to offer others.

There's a song I've been hearing fairly often on the radio recently, and every time I hear it, I reminds me to pray for God to heal these broken relationships. Today I found the music video on YouTube, so I thought I'd share it with you. Hopefully it will impact you in some way.



(These are the lyrics)

Love is not a place
to come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in
then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
Work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
If we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for

Some love is a word
that they can fall into.
But when they're falling out
keeping that word is hard to do

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
If we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us
If we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us
but demand we give our all

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
If we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for

A Deeper Thankful Thursday

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

~Isaiah 58:6-7

As our church comes to the end of a 21-day fast, God has been challenging me with the verse above. I know that while I cannot single-handedly change all the problems in the world, neither is it right for me to bury my head and be completely unaware of them. This is something that, unfortunately, I believe we Americans can so easily do, and we, especially those of us who are Christians, must realize we are called to more - much more. It begins with prayer, asking God to give us a heart of compassion for the hurting world in which we live. Beyond that, I believe God can and will speak to each of us what He would have us do to help the people all around us. It may be serve, it may be donate, it may be simply - but most importantly - pray. So today, for Thankful Thursday, I'm diving below the surfacey things that can so easily come to my mind as I do this post, and be aware of the truly blessed life that I lead - and that many others do not.

(Note that each numbered item is actually a link to a site that is either a ministry or a site to promote awareness of a world need or justice issue.)

1. I have never truly experienced hunger

2. I have never been without a home

3. I have never experienced weather-related devastation

4. I have never feared being sold into slavery

5. My mother gave birth to me instead of aborting me - an option that became legal the year I was born

6. I have always had clean water

7. I have always been able to worship freely

8. I have always had access to medications and medical attention when needed

9. I've always had nutritious food choices available

10. I've never experienced civil unrest in my country

battered

My self-esteem took a small battering last night from the men in my household. (Keep in mind, I've been without Kaitlyn, and alone with these testosterone-laden beings for nigh unto 2 weeks now). When Todd got home I was wearing work-out pants (not sweats!) and a shirt, but I was freezing, as the temps have been deliciously lower during the day, but a bit chilly for me as we got into the evening. We were getting ready to head out to small group, and I knew it was only going to be us and one other couple who we've been very close friends with for many years, (and they've certainly seen me looking worse than I did), so I wasn't going to bother changing. In fact, on the way out the door I grabbed my cozy belted sweater, thinking I would be just so cozy in my comfy clothes. Then I came out of the bedroom, and Todd took one look at me and said "Are you going to wear that???" A bit indignant I replied, "Well, I was..." To which he answered "It's just that...well, you look like someone who's completely given up on life." NICE!! Obviously, I went and changed (well, just lost the big sweater and and donned instead a zip-up hoody...more in keeping with the rest of my clothes I guess).

After just reeling from that blow, I got in the car and Luke (who is only 3, mind you) gently says:

"Mom?"

I turned to face him, "Yes, Lukey?"

"Are you wearing any makeup?"

GEEZ!! (No, I wasn't wearing any make up; can't a body just be herself anymore???) I said to Todd, "Man, you guys are brutal!" He laughed and said (I suppose his way of trying to recover by giving a compliment) "Well, it's just that you've set such a high standard for us!"

Men!!

summer of accomplishment

I was thinking today about all that I feel like I am accomplishing this summer already, and decided in my mind to dub this the "Summer of Accomplishment". By this, I am referring to all kinds of accomplishments...around the house, personal goals, spiritual goals and stuff related to my kids, etc.

For instance, with Kate being gone, I've realized how overly protective I tend to be with the boys...not so much Bryce, but the younger two. I've had to think about the things I am letting (or, accurately, NOT letting them do), and if they are age-appropriate or if I'm simply not letting them 'stretch their wings' so to speak. I'm talking about things like riding their bikes down the street, as opposed to in the driveway, cross the road in front of our house (NOT Luke, of course), play with neighbors out of my sight or earshot, etc. I realized two things: #1 - I'm probably a little too dependent on Kaitlyn, and #2 - My boys are growing up and I need to give them room to do so!! It can be so hard though! But I've been trying... and I'm also seeing them step up to increased responsibility, especially as it relates to watching out for Lukey. Here's a pic of Seth walking Lukey down the sidewalk alone (only allowed to go as far as I can still see them from our front yard), and also Seth explaining some great discovery to Luke that they had made under the tree. It was precious to watch.

Also, I'm getting tons done around the house, which feels sooo good. Some big things, but also some random small things that just always get pushed off because they just don't take priority in the busyness that is the school year.

I'm also loving the chance to read simply for enjoyment...and even though what I'm reading is fiction, God has been speaking so much to my heart through the stories. It's an excellent trilogy by Ted Dekker...the titles are Black, Red and White. (I'd recommend them to anyone, but the type of stories they are would be along the lines of the Narnia or Lord of the Rings style, so if you don't enjoy them, these might not be as big of a hit with you as they are with me.) I just started the first book at the beginning of last week, and I am now in the third book...

I love summer.

update from Betsy

They had their meeting with the agency people, and, while nothing earth shattering, they at least are one step closer, and basically just waiting on an appraisal and then will be able to sign the papers and have loan in hand. They told them 2-3 weeks for the appraisal...I'm praying it will be more like 1!! If you think of the Glicks, keep praying, and I'll be sure to post pictures in a few weeks when they officially break ground and start the foundation!! Yay!!

pray with me...

My sister, Betsy, has been an amazing inspiration to me over the past year. They have been in the process of trying to build a house on land that they've own for a few years and have lived in a trailer on that land, with 4 small girls. (The trailer, by the way, is now falling apart, and by anyone's standards, basically unliveable. I can't begin to express the urgency of the need for them to have a solid home on a solid foundation, that they do not have to share with mice or any other critters!!) They have a limited income as they work with together with my brother-in-law's uncle in a family greenhouse business, pouring blood, sweat and tears (sometimes literally) into the wonderful business that is widely known for not only their great plants and excellent customer service but also has been a place of ministry and Godly testimony to many people over the years. Because of the agricultural nature of the business, they were able to qualify for an mortgage through a government program through the Department of Agriculture (I believe) that has an amazingly low (1%) interest rate. However, as is often the case, dealing with government agencies has meant TONS of red tape, and - in my admittedly jaded opinion - a level of incompetence. (I know that doesn't sound particularly thankful or patriotic, but unfortunately, it has been my personal experience). (The worker admitted to them up front that she had never dealt with a situation like theirs before and so it would probably take a while simply because she didn't know what she was doing...). They began the process well over a year ago and have been seemingly strung along, ignored, stalled, and had their hopes raised and dashed what feels like countless times (and if it feels like that to me, how much more intensely to them!).

Yet, amazingly they have never lost faith. Of course, not faith in the government, but rather, faith in knowing that their loving heavenly Father has good plans in mind for them, and perfect timing as well. They have kept their eyes fixed on God, and so many times, when I and many others might have had a spiritual 'temper tantrum' or arrogantly accused God of forsaking and forgetting us, they have remained quietly steadfast in knowing God's sovereignty.

But one of the main reasons for my post is actually to ask you to please PRAY with us tomorrow (Wednesday) about their situation. They are meeting with the agency worker at their property, who, by all estimations should be able to finalize much of this process and really 'get the show on the road', so to speak. Note the word should. When I spoke to Bets today, she said that according to their understanding they have done everything necessary and required and cannot see any reason why this shouldn't be able to be finalized at the meeting...but any rational thinking hasn't seemed to matter to a hill of beans so far in this process. So, we are coming back to the fact that we are all in God's hands, this situation being no different. We are asking that God would orchestrate every necessary detail to see this process finalized and have them in a house in a matter of weeks. (The house is a pre-fab, so once the mortgage goes through, Joe will do the foundation while the house is being built and in approximately 5 weeks - voile! All the details for the actual house have been finalized for some time now and the builders are just waiting for the go-ahead).

Would you please pray with me that the Glick family can soon be in their home and using that home, as they always have their current one, to the glory of God. Thanks.

(My sis and her gorgeous family...thought you might like to see who we're praying for!)

update on yesterday

Just a quick update to my post from yesterday...

My day ended on a very good note. While I didn't get my basement laundry/storage room cleaned up, I did get my bedroom all cleaned up/rearranged, which did also get me started on the basement room as I switched some furniture around between the two places to make things a little nicer and more functional. Today I did finished the basement.

As I mentioned yesterday, these little organizational spurts of mine don't always result in total agreement between my dear husband and me. But I believe a miracle has taken place in our home twice in the past 24 hours, my friends. It's simply amazing. There was no 'dance' as I so-called the exchange Todd & I usually have after my stint of cleaning and rearranging. He came home yesterday, went in the bedroom to see what I had done and simply said "I like it. I think it works well." You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Today, another success. I moved and arranged his books and many other church materials that had basically taken over the laundry room til there was only a path to walk through. I organized them in a very specific, systematic way, keeping certain things together in very accessible places, and he actually was fine with what I had done. We may have reached a whole new level in our marriage, people. This definitely takes "one-flesh" up a notch. The sky's the limit in our organizational oneness...

OK, OK...maybe that's a little over the top. :o) I'm obviously just kidding...though I truly was pleasantly surprised how much I got done, with a positive response.

However, the day did get worse before it got better... I spent several hours moving all the furniture around in my bedroom...bed, dressers, etc., and didn't hurt myself at all. But at one point I was in the bathroom and picked something up off the floor and turned too soon, or something, and SLAMMED my head into the wall. We are talking full-force, made my teeth bang together and caused an instant headache and pain in my back kind of slam. That was not pleasant. My back and neck are still sore today.

But hey...my man & I are both liking our 'new' bedroom, so I guess it's all worth it, right? ;o)

my monday

WARNING: This post is a bit of a rant. No harm was intended in it's writing; I just needed to clear out my system, and 8, 5 and 3 year old boys do not make good sounding boards. So here it is. Stop reading now if this will cause you to judge me. If you can identify and/or laugh at/with me (I will laugh about all this eventually) then feel free to proceed.
It's Monday morning and I had high hopes for all I would get done today and throughout this week. Then I got out of bed...

I went to the kitchen to get the boys their usual morning chocolate milk (I guess instead of coffee that's their beverage of choice...and only cuz I won't LET them have coffee!) and found that, while the dishwasher had been loaded, I'd forgotten to run in. Oh, well. A slight annoyance, but nothing major. Then I jumped on the computer to check e-mails and my usual blogs. There was only junk mail, and one of the blogs I read made me very sad and depressed; most of the rest hadn't been updated because people are either on vacation or have a life. OK, I needed to shake off this trend I sensed was beginning...don't give in to the bad mood...fight it, fight it!!

I tried to get a hot bath so I could shave my legs without getting painful red bumps (sorry if that was too much info for some of you male readers)...but couldn't get the water to get hot. (For some reason my hubby decided to turn down the hot water temp; assumedly to save money on oil by not heating the water so hot. However, if I can't get hot water, then I see us also saving money on razors and shaving cream... I'm just saying...) Also, the tub won't seem to hold water for longer than 5 minutes. Another signficant annoyance.

Next on the agenda for the day...start tackling my summer 'projects' list. Next week is going to be painting the bedroom, so I thought I could start this week with cleaning out the basement laundry/storage room. It's a disaster AND my shame and incentive hit a high this weekend when a friend went in there while we were away to look for something we had borrowed and he needed back. (Thankfully - and amazingly - he actually found it...but I digress...) I went in to assess the situation...and almost cried. (I am actually not too bad at tackling big jobs, but usually I first am washed over with a sense of complete overwhelmedness (is that a word?); then I just kick into gear and get started...I'm just having a delay in the gears apparently).

My major hesitation with this job is because most of what is in there is Todd's, and I will probably inevitably put it in some place that I think to be very organized and visually acceptable (or else totally hidden) and this will drive him nuts because it will be completely ineffecient. That's usually how it goes when I move his clutter; because, you see, HIS clutter is ORGANIZED clutter - though it looks like a mess, he knows exactly where everything is an can go right to it when he needs it. He's explained this to me for years, and while I know it is true, I still can't stand the unsightliness of it never getting completely cleaned up. So my dilemma is how to clean up in a way that will look nice AND actually be helpful and efficient for him. I can play the scenario in my mind, because it's happened dozens of times... I will work hard all day, cleaning up, organizing, moving furniture to make things work and look just a little bit better, and will be so excited to show him... He will arrive home, take one look at the situation and say "Where is my...[fill in the blank]?" and "This won't work here because..." and "You just can't put that there..." It's like a little dance that we do, I guess. Often we come to some sort of compromise, where my new 'plan' does turn out to have some benefits, while his objections do have some validity, so some things stay and some return to the original state. But we have to do the dance first...

To top things off, as I was typing this Seth fell in the shower and hurt his back, and Luke is now watching the Wiggles...which I hate. And, oh yeah, last night's message at church (and what the worship leader had talked about even before the message) had to do mainly with our attitudes... Don't you hate when preachers make you feel guilty about stuff? Oh, wait...I was the minister... Darn.

OK, hopefully now I've gotten this out of my system, given you a laugh, and now I can try to re-start this day. On a more positive note, the weather is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS here today...really the perfect day to throw open the windows and do some serious work. Todd fixed the pool and got it up and should be ready to go in a few more days. We are having dear friends for dinner tonight. And the boys all seem to be in fairly good moods. (My dear daughter is off again, but I did get to enjoy her for a little bit this weekend). I sense my dark cloud clearing, so I'm gonna try really hard not to cry, and see if I can't get something productive done now.

TT

1. My 'summer solitude' spot, under the shade tree, by the flower garden, listening to the gurgle of the fountain...


2. Good books (which I read in aforementioned spot. Read book 1 in about 3 days; now on to book2!!)

3. Clean sheets, fresh off the line...



4. Cool breezes
5. Good kids
6. Setting up the pool! (Well, hopefully...it seems it may have a hole, though...)



7. Having a great surprise for my hubby's b-day next month
8. A daughter with a heart to serve
9. A quiet neighborhood
10. The color green...just love it... (I'm currently picking paint colors for my bedroom...)

Brian

The other night we found out that Bryce also made the All Star team for his division in Little League. I won't spend another whole post bragging about my boys...you already know how proud I am of them, but I did want to share something that Bryce said yesterday morning (after he found out the night before that he made All Star) that really touched me.

He came into my room yesterday, just freshly woken, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes and asked me why Brian (another boy on his team) hadn't made All Star.

What you need to know at this point is that Brian has some kind of physical condition that prevents him from really being able to run. He looks like he is running with a limp, and his speed, at best, is about the equivalent of a slow jog for Bryce. I was a little worried at the beginning of the season, wondering how the other boys on the team would treat Brian, if they would become frustrated with him, etc. But the boys always cheered him on and never once made even the slightest complaint when Brian had a great hit but was almost inevitably thrown out at first (though sometimes he did make it on base!). Brian turned out to be the kid with the most team spirit out of any of them; he was always leading the cheering from the bench, yelling at the team to "Hustle in, guys! Hustle in!!" at the end of an inning, and he always tried his best and ran his hardest. And he could hit - pretty hard.

This is what prompted Bryce's concern yesterday. He came in and said "Mom, why didn't Brian make All Star? He can hit really hard, and it doesn't seem fair that he didn't make it just because he can't run. Is that why he wasn't picked?" I tried to explain to him that they couldn't pick everyone, and they weren't discriminating, they were just limited to trying to pick kids that could do pretty well at both hitting and fielding. I was truly touched by his tender heart.

There are many, many days I wonder if I am getting through to my kids at all, with anything. I love those moments that show, whether I am or not, God truly is at work in their hearts.

My Sethy-D and the Summer Kick-Off

Tonight was Seth's last little league game...at least until the All Star Game!! He was one of 5 players on his team picked to be on the All Star Team, so he'll have one more game...though because of the number of kids from all the teams, he will probably only get to play one inning or so.

I've been very proud of him and seen him really improve over the course of his season. Not only in batting and fielding - which he's really quite good at, but also things that are even more important, like listening to his coaches, taking instruction well, and being a team player. Tonight one of his coaches told him "Seth, you were, by far, our best first baseman." (which for those unfamiliar with the game, is the position that gets the most action and is probably the hardest to play at this level). The same coach told us (and yes, I admit, I am blatantly bragging here...) that he should probably be moved up to instructional next year even those he's technically a little young for that, because otherwise he would dominate in t-ball and be bored, and it won't really help him improve. OK, what parent doesn't like to hear that their kid will "dominate" (and yes, that's the word he used!)...c'mon admit it...

So, enough bragging for one post...

Our summer is off with a bang! Kaitlyn is already off traveling the world...well, OK, she's spending the week at my sister's helping out with her little ones and generally whatever 'mother's helper' stuff my sis needs as she tries to organize and pack to get ready to move. She'll probably be home for the weekend and then back again next week. After that they have VBS at Grammy's church which is always a huge highlight of the summer for all the kids - except poor Lukey who still isn't old enough to go. He usually spends the week home alone with Mom, moping and taking up ALL my time and attention. (Apparently a child with 3 older siblings is NOT a self-entertainer). But I plan on trying to get my bedroom painted that week, so I'll be trying to ship him off for at least a day...maybe by then Auntie Bets will be all packed and up for an extra little visitor for a few hours....

Today we played outside in the hose, I started a great new fiction book, and we generally just enjoyed the day. If the whole summer goes as good as the first day did, I'll be one happy mommy! (Though I will look forward to actually getting my only other female resident of this house back and spending some time with her, doing something other than pitching baseballs, throwing football and watching Hawk Nelson videos!!)

no more pencils, no more books...

Today was officially our LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for this year!!!! Woo Hoo!! I don't know who's more excited - me or Kate!! There are one or two projects yet we want to finish yet for her portflio, but as for getting up in the morning and knowing you have to get in a full day's worth...those days are gone and traded in for some pleasure reading under the tree with a glass of fresh lemonade!!

Though it's stinkin' hot and muggy already, and our 'heat wave' doesn't officially start til tomorrow (it's supposed to be up to 99 degrees by Monday!!), it actually seems like the perfect kick off to our summer vacation!!!

the case of the missing cell phone...

Last night as we were going through the nightly ritual of trying to herd everyone toward their beds, Todd had the realization that his work cell phone was missing. He usually wears it on a clip on his belt. As he reached for it to place it on the charger, he was stricken with panic upon realizing it was gone. The source of the panic was related to the fact that the last time he knew he had it was while riding on the mower, cutting our lawn. He immediately started muttering about how he hoped he hadn't run over it with the tractor, as he headed out into the dark evening (it was around 9:45 p.m.) to search our yard.

As he headed out the back door, he called the phone from his personal cell. Immediately Kate came running to tell him that she heard the phone ringing right outside her bedroom window. Todd headed that direction, and then reappeared in the house looking for the camera, chuckling and saying to himself "I gotta get a picture of this...". (I was just relieved he was chuckling - it must mean the phone was at least still in tact.)

Ifollowed him back outside and I, too, saw the humor. When he dialed his phone again, suddenly something hanging in a low branch of our tree lit up and started ringing!! Apparently as he drove under the tree while mowing, the branch snagged the phone by the antenna and lifted it right out of the clip!! Unfortunately, it was too dark to really get a good picture; but the story's still funny (at least to me...).

a rose by any other name...would still be just as fun!

Today was fun, fun, FUN!!! Bets & I had a wedding consultation tonight, and so another chance to do some sample arrangements and expand our portfolio. (We don't plan to always do so many samples for consults, but at this point we like to give people a 'live' feel for what we can do, and we really need to build up the number of pics in our portfolio.) We were soooo excited to try some different and somewhat trendy things out today. They turned out fantastically, though my pics won't do them justice. And, I'm missing about half the stuff we did, since Bets took some home with her, (including my absolute most favorite arrangement we've ever done!!) We did have some professional photos done today too so we can get our website up and running (it helps to be friends with a few really talented photographers), so you'll soon be able to check them out there. I will most definitely keep you posted as to when the site is up and running. Anyway, here's some shots of our day (you can click on them to enlarge them; you really should on the Mexican one to get the full effect).

Me & my partner hard at work... (photographed by Kate, of course)

The fruits (or flowers) of our labor!

This is to hang on the end of a pew...

A centerpiece...

This is a sample for the Mexican-themed wedding picnic we have in July...

Check out the limes!!! (Yep, they're real...)

Some hand-tied bouquets with added touches...

goodbye goldi-(and browny)-locks

It was a super-busy weekend, filled with lots of fun family time. It was beautiful weather and we made the most of it. (There was some rain on Saturday and Bryce had a game, but it passed just in time, they broomed the water off the field at had what turned out to be the best game of the season!!) I'm so sad that the boys' baseball season is ending - the boys only have 2 more games, I think - and I'm also sad about the other evidence (seen below) that it's officially summer. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE summer, but I'm bummed that Little League is done and along with the season went their hair!! The boys always want 'buzz' cuts once the heat really hits, and it did this week, so off went the hair. I like their hair (especially Lukey's!!), but I'm willing to give in 1 out of the 4 seasons.