Step Two

We've had a good couple of days with Caleb and Amanda. Kind of the calm before the storm? I hope not. I mean I hope there isn't a storm.

Last night we went to Shakespeare in the Park in Kansas City. The play was The Merry Wives of Windsor. As you can tell, we didn't have the best of seats...

And we weren't too terribly comfy. But we had a pretty good time. The park was beautiful and the weather was great.

Today was filled with errands. While at Target, we came across this. (Yes, if you shop with Caleb, you end up in the toy section. Never mind he's almost a married man...) This made me cry.
We have video of Caleb at age 1 1/2 playing Nerf Basketball with his dad. It is so funny to watch. I saw this and cried, remembering the sweet voice of my little boy.

Shopping with this guy is always funny.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

I'm really not sure what to say about those... What does he look like?


We stopped by the church where The Wedding of Awesomeness will happen. We were outside checking out the lawn where the tent for the reception will go. Can you tell the groom-to-be is excited?


Tomorrow we are going to a baseball game in Kansas City. The Minnesota Twins are playing the Royals. Even though we live in Minnesota, we are cheering for the Royals, of course!

Then Thursday the craziness begins!

Step One

We are now in Kansas on the quick count-down to The Wedding Day on Saturday. (Or as Caleb calls it, "The Wedding of Awesomeness.")

Pete is off to help with the buying of a used car for Caleb. (Hopefully.) I have not slept well for the last week. No, nothing to do with the fact that my baby boy is GETTING MARRIED. Dogs. The neighbor's dogs.

Dear Neighbor,
Do you really need to put the dogs (all three) out at 6 or 7 am? And then leave them out for HOURS while they whine and cry? Please realize that The Whole Neighborhood can hear those dogs. Seriously. Try letting them out to do their "business" and then please think of the rest of the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Sleepless and Grumpy Next Door

I could go on and on, but I will refrain.

So I am relaxing in the hotel room, happy to have found Gilmore Girls on TV. I need to make a few phone calls and I think I will actually do some ironing. I am also trying to organize my clothes so they don't end up in a heap and I won't be able to ever find what I want.

A late morning nap sounds good. :)

Then I need to figure out lunch... thinking of places that would deliver since I don't have a car...

Golfing and Red Nails

I thought for several weeks about what I could do as a way to honor the father my husband has been on this parenting journey we've been on together for the past 22 years.

I sent him here for the day:
And he did this for the better part of three hours:
But I thought the best part was this:
Monday morning was a beautiful day on the golf course. I had a blast driving the cart for my dear husband. I was a pro at driving him to the ball. Pete so enjoyed being able to golf and I enjoyed the beautiful weather and the beauty of the golf course.



I saw this little white sign in the distance and at first I thought it said , "CRAFTS." And I thought, "Cool! There's a place to do crafts here?" Ha ha. :) It actually says "CARTS." I know, I'm funny... :)

Pete does a great job at knowing how to honor me as well. My Mother's Day gift was a pedicure. I saved it for yesterday so it could be fresher for the wedding next week.

Aaahhhhhh.......



Aren't they pretty?
Pete and I really know what each other like.

Colossians 3:14-15

Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.

Please.....

....explain these shoes (?) to me:

My Swedish Grandpa and Me

I don't have a lot of pictures of myself when I was little. I had fun scanning the handful I do have into the computer and posting them here and on my Facebook page.

I have decided this is pretty much my favorite picture. This is my Grandpa Swanson. Doesn't he look like a Swedish Farmer? I think I am almost 2 years old.
Some of my favorite memories:

• Grandpa used to rub his rough whiskers on my cheek just to make me squeal.
• Grandpa always sat in the same chair in the kitchen.
• Grandpa ate the fat off his pork chops. Yuck.
• Grandpa had a remote control for his television. It had two buttons. It clicked. I thought it was so cool.
• Grandpa blew his nose like a farmer. One finger on a nostril and blow into the wind. :) (that was something my mom didn't want us to copy)
• I remember watching Grandpa carry a possum by the tail he had smacked in the head and tossed it in the ditch.
• When we hung our Christmas stockings at Grandpa's house (the socks were the kind with the red toes and heels), we always got an orange and a Hershey chocolate bar.
• Grandpa would purposely ask me if I was a couple of years younger than I was just to tease me.

Cuz I'm Nothing If Thoughtful and Considerate of Others.... :)

I am a huge fan of Mary Engelbreit and her art. Over the years I have bought many of her monthly calendars and the 365 daily calendars. I have a hard time parting with some of the pages from the calendars. My bulletin board in my sewing room is basically framed in them. The following has got to be my all time favorite:

If I did not wear torn pants, orthopedic shoes, frantic disheveled hair, that is to say, if I did not tone down my beauty, people would go mad. Married men would run amuck.

IKEA

A conversation with my mom today reminded me that I never posted about my fun trip a couple of weeks ago to one of my favorite stores: IKEA

I first discovered this store when we lived in Singapore. When I was in the mood for shopping at Target (which is nowhere to be seen in Singapore), IKEA was my substitute there. It doesn't sell the same things as Target, but it was a great substitute. I was so excited when I heard there were building one in the Twin Cities several years ago.

I was on the hunt for some bowls for decoration for Caleb & Amanda's Rehearsal Dinner I headed to IKEA.

Here is my cart right before check-out:
Yep, I found a few more things than just the bowls. Those stacks of plates? Only 99 cents each! I bought 50 of them for the rehearsal dinner. I was excited to find them! I was so exctited I think I may have done a happy dance right there in IKEA. Really.

I'm glad to have a chance to use the plates in some other way after the wedding. (Maybe they'll make good gifts someday...)

Something else I love about IKEA is the quirky things found there. I thought this comforter was cool and took a picture of it and told Caleb I thought of him when I saw it. He was a bit taken aback that an outline of a body reminded me of him until I explained it was because I thought he would think it was cool. He was relieved to hear that. :)

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

I found this in a Charlie Hall CD. I find it really thought provoking. Am I brave enough to pray these things for myself? Are you?

Randomness

Just some random things rattling around in my head:

• I don't like those dreams where I am trying to find something or someplace and I keep looking and looking and never quite get there. I woke up quite worn out this morning.
• The dogs on either side of us are wearing on me. (5 total) They like to bark too much and spend too much time alone.
• I don't like dirty windows, but I don't like washing them very much. My grandma would be ashamed. She tried to teach me how to wash windows and was quite particular about them.
• I am praising God the Protector that my son didn't get hurt in a car accident this morning. But not so sure the car will make it through.
  
• Family relationships are tough sometimes.
• I just discovered this morning that there is a whole season of "Gilmore Girls" I haven't seen! I am so psyched!
• Head massages during the shampoo at the salon are the best!
• What is the point of making a pair of tweezers that cannot even grasp a piece of hair? Just saying...

Okay I better stop now. There really is a non-ending supply of random thoughts in my head. I wouldn't want frighten my readers too much. :)

I Love My Church. But Really?

I really love my church. I love the worship. I love the people even more. I love that pastors aren't afraid to preach it. To preach the truth. To challenge. To answer questions the people in the congregation have even in the middle of a sermon. (Yep, it's happened a few times.)

Our church is fairly young. We started attending when it was just over a year old. That was eight years ago. This has been a great experience for us all. Our kids are tuned in to getting involved and serving in their own churches. Pete and I have seen the benefits of that as well. I have sung on the worship team for most of those eight years. Crazy that I do that, but love serving God that way. Pete has played the piano as well. He also has been a part of the leadership as a deacon and an elder.

Our church worships in the middle school in town. I love the casualness of that. There is only one conflict a year with that location. It's the Sunday that the high school graduation takes place. The high school uses the middle school for the all night party for the graduates. Because of the set up for that, we have found another location to worship on that Sunday. Once a year we worship in the Library Square Park downtown. In all the years we have met at the middle school have never had to cancel because of the weather. Then there is 2009. The weather forecast was for 45 degrees at 10a.m. June 7th people! Being the hardy Minnesotans that we are, we forged ahead for worship in the park.

Here is a picture of the poor worship team including my sweetie on the piano. His poor freezing hands. (Sorry the picture is dark. It is a dreary day.)



Here is my lap while we were singing. Don't you love my blanket? :)
I think it is just wrong that my glasses were steaming up as I sang. In June. Outside. Only in Minnesota.

I'm still thawing out. ::sigh::

Ahhh....

What I am doing on this chilly, rainy June (!) Saturday. (That and being thankful I don't live in North Dakota where it is snowing!)
Maybe I should quit blogging and get back to my book. :)

In Which I Get Perspective After a Night of Not Much Sleep

I had to watch this this morning since last night was seemingly impossible to sleep with all the snoring. This gives me perspective. Watch it. You won't be sorry.

Continued....

This is basically what the tables will look like for the rehearsal dinner. Navy blue tablecloths and green and yellow napkins and clear glass plates. A vase of daisies in between.

To answer some questions in the comment section of my previous posts:

I am okay with the way the lemon and lime slices are sunk, floating or suspended. They have been in the bowl for over 24 hours now and still look okay.

Jenny -- does the tablecloth "anchor" it enough? Caleb would probably shoot me if I put glitter on the tables...it sticks to everything. :) And thanks for the offer to help, Jenny, but the wedding is in Kansas. Pretty sure the hubby doesn't want to go there for the 4th. :) We have some friends who will help, I'm sure.

Michelle: I guess we'll find out what happens if the lemons are overly juicy. It is a fun, cute idea Megan came up with. Looks very summery.

I hope I remember to take pictures of the whole actual set-up.

Monday, Monday

Today, this first day of the month of June, the day of my father's birth, I learned a couple of lessons involving water.

I decided today was a good day to experiment with the table decorations for the rehearsal dinner for Caleb and Amanda. I found some awesome glass bowls from IKEA (Oh, that shopping trip will have to be another post...) to fill with water and float some daisy blossoms and slices of lemons and limes. (This was Megan's idea.) I experimented with thicker slices and thinner slices. I like the thicker ones, especially if there are seeds to remove. I plopped the lemon slices in the bowl and followed that with the lime slices. To my surprise The lime slices sunk to the bottom of the bowl! Odd. But Megan and I decided that look was okay too. A couple of hours later I looked at my master pieces and the lime slices were suspended kind of halfway up in the water. Kinda cool!

Oh I should go find my camera and post the pictures I took...

My other all important lesson, well not really a lesson as much as not thinking something through on my part until it was too late:

As I backed the SUV out of the garage to buy the lemons, lime and daisies I needed for my experiment, I thought I should start the sprinkler system. So I hopped out, left the car in the driveway, and went in the garage to get it going. Well, as I was walking back to the car, I realized I wasn't going to quite make it in the car before the sprinkler heads popped up. Just as I turned my back to get in I got hit in the back with the sprinkler! I laughed and laughed at myself and wondered what I looked like when I got out to run my errands.

Just another crazy Monday here in Minnesota!

And Happy Birthday Dad!