More Summer

Here I am serving at a women's home for those that are in transition from homelessness into a new life.  Our church goes down there once a month and brings a meal and we visit with them and have a short devotional.  We thought the hair nets were funny. 

There were a couple of hawks hanging around our backyard that would screech to each other.  I'm not sure if they were learning to fly, or what but it got pretty old, even for a bird lover like me.

Here's Romy waiting for Gwen and Zeke to finish swimming lessons.  They really have done well this year with swimming.  We might finally be getting it.

There are a thousand times a day when I look into this face and think "what would I do without you?"

I've had a couple of weeks of sadness.  Not depression, but just sadness.  Sometimes when you try really hard, even then, you let people down unintentionally.  I feel like us mothers have a lot going on with raising our kids, maintaining marriages, checking in on our other family members, cooking, leading at church... well... and you mix in grief from a recentish death in the family and you get a great recipe for dropping a ball.  I'm thankful God's mercies are new every morning and that He knows my heart. I read the story of the transfiguration today.  How when God spoke and said "this is my beloved Son, whom I love" and the other disciples got face down from fear... how Jesus came and touched them and said "don't fear". I like the idea of Jesus touching my shoulder and saying "everything will be ok.. don't fear."
 

Summertime

I took a retreat with these ladies a few weekends ago.  They are the leaders of my mom's group at church.  They are a lot of fun. 

We stayed on a lake.  Pretty!

 I always look so confused when I take selfies.

My niece Chloe came for a visit and we took a walk on a trail.  It's so pretty!

why does one eye always look bigger than the other when I take selfies?

Chloe

Romy recently figured out how to do a thumb's up.

We made pipe cleaner bears!

I took Romy and Zeke and Chloe to see the fountains around town.  After all, Kansas City is the city of fountains!

Why are my eyes always closed when I take selfies?

We went to Alabama to visit my mom and sister and to bring Chloe back... but my kids were very excited to visit Izzy.. my mom's cat.

Three things when visiting the south... always be ready for a surprise around the corner, southerners are really great hosts/hostesses, and there is a lot of unique beauty in the south.

This restaurant owned by Mennonites is nestled back in the boonies on a gravel road and through some sheds.  I found myself saying "there couldn't possibly be a restaurant here".  Nope.. there was!  The Mennonite people actually came out and sang a hymn for us while we were there.  Charming!

I sang at a friend's church while I was home.  I miss going to a church with stained glass windows and columns.  I know, I know... it doesn't matter, but it sure is pretty!

Some art beside the place I dropped Romy off.  It looks like Jesus is giving a dental exam.

The campus of University of North Alabama (UNA) where my brother went.  It was close to the church that I sang at.  What a beautiful campus and charming town!  Guess what?  In this small southern town... they have lions.  Real ones.  Surprises around every corner I tell you!

Found a baby bird learning to fly.  We stopped and admired him and encouraged him.

My mom made peach iced cream.  Alabama peaches are so good!

We went skating and for once... I skated.  It's been years!  I would skate around and then I'd sit down for a break and another old song would come on and I'd be like "there's no way I can just sit here during 'Footloose'" and I'd get up to skate again. What a workout!

Every time I go to this place I make fun on the sad clowns on the wall.

We went to Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller.  It was pretty and small.  It made me realize that homes weren't always so spacious.  Glad I saw it.  Helen Keller was remarkable.

Gwen studies Helen Keller this year in school.

My sister holding Romy, and Clay and Chloe.

On the loooong ride home.  I saw this zombie outbreak response team signs on the back of this truck and it made me smile.  It seems everyone in the south has a white truck.

Got caught in a storm in Cape Girardeau.  We waited it out.

Gwen doing acrobatics

We stopped at some out of the way store and it was awesome... one of those old fashioned stores where they had one gas pump out front and you could pump your gas first and go in and pay afterwards... they actually trust you there!  Remember those days???  I barely do.

They also had some... unusual snack selections.  (didn't get this)

Glorious Summer

These days of summer are great.  They give me a chance to really look at my kids and appreciate them.  I love the long hours of daylight.  I even sometimes enjoy getting into a warm car.  

I made an appointment to have a massage.  It is rare for me, but I felt like I had a muscle pulled in my back for weeks.  It occurred to me that it might be stress.  This quote was in the bathroom there.  

Gwen got baptized on Saturday.  I have been stalling her for a while because I wanted her to understand what she was doing.  It is hard to know someone else's heart, even your own child's.  I pray that as she grows God will continue to allow her to see who He is and she will continue to be changed by that sight.  That's how I would describe my own conversion... less of a decision and more of a miracle of sight.  Once you see God's beauty... there's no going back.

Romy helping daddy even in a dress.  She's strong too!