Living It Up

We had a terrific weekend.

Caleb and Amanda and Megan came to visit us. Because Caleb and Amanda's wedding was 500 miles away from here, we thought it would be fun to have an open house for the people from here who weren't able to make that trip. Saturday afternoon we had about 35 friends come over to love on the newlyweds. Man that was fun.

I wish I would have taken pictures. But I forgot. Phooey.

We also got to see the 650-some wedding photos from the photographer. (starting at about 11:30pm....oh my...) It was fun to re-live their wedding day.

This morning I went to the post office to mail Megan a package to her ..... she forgot her toiletries. She'll have to survive for two days without those essentials.

I also decided to go to the bank to close out an account that Caleb has there. My name was on it too. It's one he opened when he first got a job when he was in 9th grade. The banker asked what I wanted to do with what was left. What did I do with the money? I asked for it in cash and have already spent most of it:
I just couldn't control myself. Yep. I'm livin' it up!

There was $1.79 in the account. I have 63 cents left to spend! WooHoo!! Thanks Caleb for "paying" me for all those years of raising you! It was so worth the $1.79!!!

More Trivia About Me Than You Probably Ever Really Wanted To Know

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7am (!) I had a really good reason to get up that early.

2. How do you like your steak? Medium Rare

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Post Grad. It was pretty funny. I saw it in the afternoon and had the theater all to myself! How cool is that?

4. What is your favorite TV show? Most anything on HGTV. I really like a show called "Colour Confidential".

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? With my husband and not too far away from my kids.

6. What did you have for breakfast? A homemade smoothie.

7. What’s your favorite cuisine? Seafood or Really Good Chinese. And by Really Good Chinese I mean not very Americanized Chinese.

8. What foods do you dislike? Mushy vegetables, liver... not a very long list... I'm not too picky, I guess.

9. Where is your favorite place to eat? HuaZho's or Jumbo's. Unfortunately they are both in Singapore. In the USA? Ummm... I like On The Border and McAlister's Deli and Five Guys.

10. What is your favorite salad dressing? Blue Cheese, hands down. I made some homemade Blue Cheese dressing not too long ago with Maytag Blue Cheese. Oh man. I was in heaven.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Toyota Highlander.

12. What are your favorite clothes? Denim capris (which could be a problem when the cold weather sets in soon). Other than that I would love to hand out in my jammies all day. Too bad I can't wear then to the grocery store.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? New Zealand. And even better, my kids. :)

14. Is the cup half empty or half full? Usually half empty, but I really would rather it be half full. Trying to figure out how to work on that.

15. Where would you want to retire? Next to my husband and wherever my grandchildren live.

16. What is your favorite time of the day? When my wonderful husband comes home from work.

17. Where were you born? A little town in Iowa.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball. Or Basketball. But I'm not really a very big sports fan.

19. Are you a bird watcher? Sometimes I watch the birdfeeder outside our bedroom window. Mostly I don't have the patience.

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Absolutely a night person. My brain seriously doesn't function well until after 10am no matter what time I wake up.

21. What did you want to be where you were little? I don't remember ever dreaming about a career. I always wanted to be a wife and a mommy and I got to be one!

22. What’s your best childhood memory? Staying at my grandparents' in Boone in the summer-time. I would get to watch "The Floppy Show" while I ate lunch. My grandma let me put sugar on my tomato slices. Grandpa bought me candy and slipped me money (a quarter or a dollar) and always said, "Don't tell your grandma." We would watch the Iowa State Fair daily updates on TV at night. I remember going downtown Boone with my grandparents on Thursday nights (the stores were open late) and watching the people go by.

23. Do you always wear your seat belt? Yes, yes, yes!

24. Do you have any pet peeves? Neighborhood dogs that bark and bark and bark and bark and the owners are oblivious.

25. Favorite type of pizza? Canadian Bacon and Mushroom.

26. Favorite flower? Yellow Roses. I carried them in our wedding.

27. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate with chocolate with Hot Fudge.

28. Have you done anything spontaneous lately? Since I have been trying to think of something for the last 20 minutes, I'm thinking I haven't done anything very spontaneous in recent memory. Hmmm... I'll have to make a plan to fix that. ;)

29. Do you like your job? Yes! I have gone from a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) to a SAHWAHM (stay-at-home-wife-and-home-manager)

30. Do you like broccoli? Yummy!

A Sunday Hymn

Back to Empty

It was great to have Megan home all summer. Even though she really isn't very loud (well...most of the time...), the house really is quiet without her.

I look into the pharmacy at the grocery store where she worked this summer and don't see her beautiful face. :(

I did something the last two nights I have never done. I slept in Megan's bed. I have been missing her and it felt like I was closer to her in her room. I did sleep pretty good. :)

Look where she gets to live this year! KU has these places called Scholarship Halls. There are 50 women who live in this one.

And LOOK what is in the lobby!!!
I think she is in heaven! She even bought a new piano book while we were still in Lawrence. I am so happy for her to have this great piano to play whenever she wants to.

We saw this great bumper sticker while we were at a bookstore waiting for Megan to buy her books for the semester. (And she thinks SHE spent a lot on books!)
Miss you TONS Meggy-poo!

You Gotta Love Humor :)

I saw this on a friend's Facebook wall. It made me laugh and I thought I would share...

None

I read this in a daily devotional email. I think it is a really good challenge:

"No reserve.
No retreat.
No regrets.

Those six words should challenge all of us to be radical followers of Christ. We should live purposefully in our marriages and families, investing ourselves wholeheartedly in the primary people God has given us to love and to lead. Always forward. Always faithful. Pray that you will be radical followers of Christ, who don't hold back, don't go back, and don't look back with any regrets."

I Have No Idea

It's hard for me to learn new things sometimes.

When I became a mom a little more than 22 years ago, I was overwhelmed with how unprepared I was for taking care of that sweet baby boy. Everyone else made it seem so easy; like they knew exactly what to do. I remember my grandma asking me why my baby was crying and I had no clue and he was several months old at the time.

Over time I did kind of learn how to be a mom. Quite often I still felt like I was winging it. But I did get the hang of it. And I really, really loved it.

Now I am tossed into this new phase of life. No kids at home any more. I have NO clue how to be a mother-in-law. I have NO idea how to be a mother to my married son. I have NO clue how to be a mom to my oh-so-independent-sophomore-in-college-daughter.

I find myself praying at night:

"Jesus today I am tired." "Satisfy me each morning with your unfailing love, so That I may sing for joy to the end of our lives. " (Ps 90:14)

I honestly don't know what else to pray for.

Flying Monkeys

When the hubby and I went on our mini get-away for out anniversary, we did a little wandering through a few stores. Hubby even went to a quilt shop with me! He's a gem.

I found this awesome sign in a home decor store. I laughed when I saw it and had to grab my camera. When we were kids we would watch The Wizard of Oz every year on TV. (Note I said every year.) Every year the moment the flying monkeys came on my dad would come yelling and running down the stairs and every year we would jump and scream...


Maybe I should buy that for my dad. :)

Are You Worn Out Too?

This has been kind of a tiring summer. I wrote about it a few weeks ago.

Yesterday I talked with some friends at church about a really big struggle they are facing with a suicide in their family. It got me to thinking about at what point does a person become so hopeless that they see no way out.

Here are a couple of sentences from her blog: I find that whatever thoughts we fill our heads with, our heart takes on. If you fill your thoughts with junk, your heart will inevitably have it too. I really wonder how my life would have turned out if I hadn't become a Christian.

Me too, me too. I wonder often how my life would have turned out without Christ. I am beyond thankful I never have to know.

These verses came to mind. I couldn't decide which version I liked the best, so I included several.

Matthew 11:28-30

(Amplified Bible)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

(The Message)

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

(New Living Translation)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

My friend included on her blog this video:

Just think what can happen when I let God consume me from the inside out!

Seriously?

Please click on this to watch. You will laugh!

Our Mini 25th Anniversary Get-Away

July 28th marked 25 years of marriage. Pete and I were able to get away for a day and a half. We found a neat Bed&Breakfast less than an hour and a half away.

This was right on a lake. When we looked out the window from our room all we could see was water.

A neat thing we got to do that night was to grill our own supper. Here's my hubby hard at work:
And me being happy/silly. (I like me better without glasses... might need to look into contacts...)

Pete's supper:

My supper. Notice the shape of the Chicken breast? It's a heart. Isn't that romantic?

We watched the sunset over the lake. So pretty!

One More...

I just realized there is one more time-lapse video of Caleb's that I didn't post... Enjoy!

Time Lapse

Here are a couple of time lapse videos that my son made several months ago. (I posted these other two videos he made a while ago.)