Friday, September 21, 2012

Life Is Sweet


Summer was sweet.  We celebrate the "unofficial" close of summer, Labor Day weekend, camping again with the Collins and Hargrave families.

With having done several of these camping trips together, it was just an extension of our usual fun.  Lots of kid wandering and parents hanging out.  Biggest difference this trip from past trips, the Hargraves have also ditched the tent and purchased a pop up.  Read more on their camper here.  Bobbie's description of her camper purchasing endeavors are pretty funny!  After a good 25 minute down pour midday Saturday, the Collins tent was flooded and they were forced to shack up with us!  You could read a bit about that on Amanda's blog here.  They are officially over the tent thing!

With the crazy daytime heat (and my dumb A/C in the camper couldn't keep up during the day) we cooled off in an old fashioned ice cream parlor.








As the pictures clearly convey, Blue Bell is a winner all around.

Since everyone had a real bed to sleep on, we found a different use for the air mattress.


The younger kids crashed early from exhaustion while the big kids enjoyed a movie night in the bed of the pickup every night.  Us parents spent our nights laughing, talking, playing games and watching weirdo You Tube videos (thank you Hargrave's for that).  

Always a great time to us all!




Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Next Food Network Star

My girl is a Jill of all trades.


One of her most recent loves is cooking for us.  She is constantly checking out cookbooks in her school library, tagging meals/desserts she wants to prep for us.  Ground beef is the easiest meat for a child to learn to cook so we have started with that.


She has made tacos before, and this week she made nachos.  Ground beef with homemade taco seasoning and homemade nacho cheese sauce (not the canned stuff :).  Daddy made the salsa and beans.  Dinner was a HIT, and Rusty and I are very happy to share dinner responsibilities with another chef!


They Made Me Do It

I haven't been all on board with these wine and paint places.  As crafty and creative as I consider myself, this haven't ever struck my fancy.  They did, however, strike the fancy of two of my friends.  Bobbie had the bright idea that this would be a fun treat for Amanda's birthday...


I will admit when I am wrong.  It was fun!  

Ignore my weird crack up face here.  Something was funny apparently.
Happy birthday Amanda!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Where I Was

I have decided to write my memories (as I recall them 11 years later to the date) for my children.  As they learn this piece of history during their lifetimes, history Jadyn missed by 10 months, I want them to hear my memories.  Where I was and what I remember thinking and feeling.

September 11, 2001.

Like everyday, it's 7:50am and I am seating myself behind a front desk at Builder's First Source.  Megan walks in, late as usual.  I can picture her in this moment incredibly clear still today.  She rounds the end of the desks on my right and says, "Did you hear about the plane hitting the World Trade Center?".  This is the first I have heard.

Answering my now ringing phone, I am asked an almost identical question now from one of my regular superintendents.

I am embarrassed to admit, but I recall wondering what all the fuss was about.  Tragic for the plane and its passengers, yes, but I had never had this many people so concerned with the news.

Then came the call informing us that the second tower was hit.  Now we know.  We don't know what, who or why, but we know something is terribly wrong.

Someone, I cannot recall who, leaves the office to return a few minutes later with a television.   The remainder of our morning is spent watching events unfold as reported to us by ABC News (Charlie Gibson stands out most in my mind).

Watching the horrific images play out in front of me, people jumping, listening to the fear in the anchors voices as they report this to us...even still, 11 years old later, my eyes swell with tears, and I have an immediate hollow feeling in my stomach.   Heart absolutely broken for those in New York,  DC, and Pennsylvania, unable to imagine the pure terror, fear and loss they were all experiencing.

I do, however, remember leaving the office for lunch, passing crowded gas stations as fear drove people to fill up their tanks.  I remember eating my lunch in my car, alone, at Bear Creek Park, listening to KSBJ.  In the mist of this national tragedy, they had chosen to fill the air with worship music rather than another recount of the events.  They knew the news updates would easily be found elsewhere so they chose to provide a quiet, peaceful, still place for hearts to be comforted.

I have no doubt that the days, weeks and apparently years to come, were filled with the images being replayed on the television and radio, but the truth is my most vivid memories lead up to my lunch hour.  I was still so new in my walk with Christ.  No doubt, my faith was strengthened that day as I so clearly began to understand "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. "  Philippians  4:6-7 from the Message




Thursday, September 6, 2012

Whom My Soul Loves

Be still my heart.


I genuinely could not ask for a better daddy for my kids.  He truly enjoys his children.


His children truly enjoy him.


He makes my heart very happy.



Tuesday, September 4, 2012

52 Week Photo Challenge Week 35

All free moments are being spent with my new friends Harry, Ron and Hermione.


I am officially hooked.  Sorry it took so long.  I am also hooked on instagram.  Yeah, late to that party too.  I still don't tweet.  Maybe I should finally join that one too...