Family and Fun: The Rest of Our June

Yes, I did say “June”.  Someday, I’ll address my disappeared Summer in another blog, but not today. 

Here are some of the photos from the end of our June and our last couple days with Bob’s parents.  We loved our time at the arboretum!

“There are TADPOLES in here, Mom!”

Aidan and Chase had virtually no idea what tadpoles were before this day, but there was parental approval for getting dirty and wet in the stream, so they pretty much assumed that frogs are synonymous with heaven.

Aidan attempted several times to drink from the fresh water stream.  Darcy thought it was humorous.  Bob and I were just thankful it hadn’t occured to him to try it in the tadpole stream. 

 

“I go swimmin’ now.”  5 seconds before we read the “If your kid wears a diaper, don’t let them sit in the stream” sign.  Oops.

Splashing: Chase’s favorite water activity.  Heck, making that motion with his hands (or feet) is one of his favorite activites.  Period.  It works much better with water than it does with a peanut butter sandwich on a highchair tray.  I’m just sayin’ …

“Grandpa On Duty”

Chase sat down in a giant pile of mulch to eat his pretzel stick snack.  I feel more mentally secure as a parent if I assume in moments like this that YES, my child CAN tell the difference between a wood chip and a pretzel stick.  Though, who am I kidding?  It’s Chase.  He had a pretty high fiber diet that day. 

Last, I leave you with this … evoking all the beauty of Monet.  (the scene; not my amature photography)  Do I sound like an art snob?  On second thought, don’t answer that … just look at the pretty flowers. 

Marketing 101: From the Super Sucker

I’m a sucker for marketing.  An absolute foil … easily hoodwinked … a fool … you take your pick.  [I also like using a thesaurus, apparently]

…which is why I had to buy this fragrance of Cascade packs when I saw them in Target this weekend.  I couldn’t help myself …

Hey, for the record, dishwasher packs were on my list … I’m not that crazy about marketing.

I just have a couple questions …

1) How exactly does New Zealand have the corner on the “spring” or “nature” smell market?  [choking back hysterical laughter at the thought of a “Chicago”  frangrance]

2) Does this mean my dishes will come out smelling like the Riders of Rohan?

Dear Proctor and Gamble, Thank you for making loading my dishwasher a little more interesting!

Sincerely, The Marketing Sucker

Oreo Stuffed Deliciousness

I found a recipe; I fell in love; I made the recipe and it was good.  Well, “good” doesn’t even do this justice.  It was spectacular, really.  

Try it, you won’t regret it.

You can find the original text and pretty pictures at Picky Palate right here.  This is not a blog I’ve seen too much of yet, but somebody told me there also has a recipe for BROWNIE stuffed cookies here, so, I’m sure I’ll be subscribed in about 5 seconds.

Happy Eating!  …or, Happy Making-These-and-Taking-Them-Somewhere-So-You-Won’t-Be-Crazy-Tempted-to-Eat-Them-ALL!

The July That Wasn’t

Have you seen the month of July?  Last time I checked, it was June, and now it’s about to be August.  Yikes!

In truth, the only part of our July that’s been missing is my ability to post blogs.  The month has been full of visiting family and lots of outdoor fun … when it’s not 105 degrees outside. 

Stay tuned this week for more of what our July turned out to be.  It doesn’t disappoint, I promise, and it may, or may not include this:

A little too much?  I agree.  Here, refocus … this is FAR less disturbing:

Ah, less disturbing … Oh wait … yes, that is a car brush, and yes, Aidan did think it was a giant tooth brush.  Okay, so scratch that … we might be slightly disturbed. 

Hey, but we’ve had a fun July, so tune in next week regardless!

Am I the only one whose summer is passing far too quickly?  Please feel free to share some of your summer activities in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

The Question I Couldn’t Answer

“But what would you do if he asked you out on a date?”

My father sat completely relaxed in his refurbished antique easy chair; seemingly unaware of the ridiculous nature of his question.  His chair with its nubbled and faded fabric was long termed the “decision making chair” by those who had heard verdicts handed down as a product of hours of thought and prayer in that seat.  This is where my dad came to think and converse.

I sat across from him on my parents’ bed, legs tucked underneath me belying my adulthood and continued the conversation we’d been having for some time.  Though I tried to hide it, I thought I’d never heard anything crazier than his question and my tone showed it. “Dad, it is not going to happen.  It’s not like that.”

As my now six month old daughter napped soundly in the next room, my parents and I hashed through something that had been troubling me slightly since church that morning: the music intern.

He had been on staff for over a year and I’d met him and worked on a couple things with him before being pregnant, but he was a vague shadow on my consciousness at best.  I’d only spoken to him once – on the Sunday I’d been able to share my testimony with the church – he’d sought me out afterwards and made a point of telling me how brave he thought I was.  I thanked him for his encouragement and was promptly pulled into a different conversation.  The moment passed and so did he.

Now, months later, there was no other way to describe it other than that it seemed like he was always “around”.  A Sunday rarely passed that I didn’t seem to pass him in the hall or he’d be in the foyer and come over to greet me and see Darcy.  His interest in Darcy made sense as he spoke often and with obvious pride of his new nephew.  The rest didn’t make any sense, but I felt well and truly protected in a double cocoon of purpose and baggage.

I have never experienced so serious a season of peace as I did in those months right after Darcy was born.  People often used to confide in me about their prayers for a husband for me and a father for Darcy, and though I appreciated their thoughtfulness, I couldn’t understand their urgency in this because we were so well taken care of between my actual family and our church family.  In addition, I felt called to a season of singleness.  My single-parenthood was a testimony to God’s faithfulness and grace in me and I had every intention of using it as such.  I was meant to live out my life married to this ministry.

And not at all to disparage the reality of my feelings in the season, but even IF I ever experienced a change of heart towards my future; who would choose to align themselves to a woman with such obvious “baggage”?  Lingering emotional scars, a body ruined in child birth, and most of all … a child.  No date could ever be casual and dating me meant an instant family.  Nobody wanted that.

So being at peace with a calling to single parenthood and ministry was truly for the best all around.

But what about the music intern?

 

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