Sunday, September 22, 2013




We had a super, wonderful weekend.
(That is, until the Mr. came down with some sort of stomach sickly thing.
Ewwwwwww...)
Friday night we had some friends over for dessert and chit-chat.
Its always a wonderful time to have other families over and
spice it up (and MESS it up!) around the house.
Its good to get out the special dessert plates 
and the one set of complete/matching drinking glasses in the house.
I keep these hidden so that nobody goes and uses them
and then breaks them so I don't have a complete set.  Sneaky, I know.
Necessary!!  If its not nailed down around here, its fair game
for the taking!!!  
I digress...

Saturday we spent the morning at the soccer field, cheering
Michael on.  His team played hard for their win!!
Saturday afternoon, the girls and I went out shopping
for a homecoming dress for Marky.
We found exactly what she wanted with minimal teeth gnashing.  
It was a success!!

Today has been a day of a mix of sunshine and rain.
We went to church and had lunch out. 
Marky went to a Rockies game with friends, Michael went to play at a friends
house, and Meredith and Maddie went to the movies.
WHEW - a VERY social day around here!!
I spent some time at the fabric/craft store, getting inspired
and stocking up on a few items for some projects that I want to do.
It was a teeny, tiny vacation for me.  
I don't need much.
Weekends as a family are so special.  
I hope that everyones was a wonderful as ours was as the 
First Day of Fall 
made its arrival.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fall Fall Fall



September... It is the "witching hour" of the summer.  Its the time of year that you wonder if you should put any more water on the garden... add any more soil to the pots.  Do I weed, or do I let the weeds take over??  Should I plant more or just give in to the destiny of winter...


I love the beginning of fall.  It is delicious in its smells, its colors, its meaning.  We desire cozy and calm, warm and inviting.  Pepper that with the wonderfulness of boots, tights, and comfy sweaters and the month gets its very own bright gold star placed on the center of the calendar.
Every day is busy with practices, rehearsals, homework and "lets just hang out".  The month is peppered with activity yet frosted with the icing of fall.  Good smelling candles and candy corn.  Full Saturdays accompanied by lazy Sundays.  Banners of orange and yellow, glazed with apples and cider.


Maybe you've heard that Colorado got a little bit of rain.  Holy Smokes!!!  It was the Mother Lode of LIQUID!!!!!  As I drove around the neighborhood today, accompanied by the green, green grass and trees I was confused as to weather we were in SPRING or in FALL???  The amount of rain that we've gotten over the past 10 days is INCREDIBLE and the plants, trees, and grass are just soaking it up.  Instead of the regular colorful foliage of fall, we have the remnants of our summer and spring.  Green, Green, Green!!!
I am a summer girl, no doubt about it. I love the heat!!!  I think that with these gorgeous flowers blooming in the garden, joining in my crusade against cold weather, summer will gain a grand extension in our yard!!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

I'm finding my bearings as summer turns into fall.   Gone are the longer, warmer days of summer. Days that had few commitments on the calendar.   Those days have been exchanged for cooler,  more scheduled days.  Days with checklists and packed bags and stop and start times.  I'll take "activities for $300"!! Or maybe I want "folder signing for $100"!!!  The rush to get the kids off to school is followed by a few solo hours where I clean up the messes, re-fill the drawers, replenish the fridge and the cupboards, all the while keeping a close eye on the clock knowing that I will need to pack myself into my mini-van sooner than later to take children where they need to be after their days at school (and sometimes during!).



Last week, a friend of mine recounted her day to me.  It included driving, and dishes, and laundry, and shopping, and driving, and picking up and taking, and more driving, and packing, and more laundry...  I would have thought she was NUTS, except for my story sounded very similar to hers when she asked me how MY day had gone.  Knowing that she faces some of the same daily challenges that I face with a husband who is out of town frequently, I was grateful for the chance to laugh together about the stage of life that we are in.  We sighed about how exhausted we were, we smiled at how fast the kids are growing up, we gave thanks for the wonderful schools our children attend, we stated that we felt blessed that our husbands had jobs and our kids had hobbies. AND... that we are the lucky ones, getting to be the ring leaders of our families as we live this amazing, circus-similar life.


A few days have passed, and I have thought about our conversation and our empathetic story-swapping moments.  It helped to have her understand me.  It encouraged her to have me nod and smile in agreement.


 In my reflection, I was reminded that God never intended me to live alone, or Lonely. There is no award given out at the end of the day for just toughing it out.  I am meant to share and encourage and uplift.  Yet, sometimes I shut community out, my pride getting in the way of my needs.  There are days, I'm ashamed to admit, that I try to be the Lone Ranger mom, or the Super mom, ignoring the fact that I am desperate for someone to take my hand or pat my shoulder and say "Hang in there..."or "You'll make it" or "How can I help you?".  I came across a couple of verses for myself that I am going to meditate on more and more when I sense myself strolling down the path towards independence of either friends or the Lord.   I couldn't believe how timely these scriptures were to me today.


Psalm 29:11 "The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace."
Psalm 38:21-22 "O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.  Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior."
Psalm 46:5 "God is within *her*, she will not fall; God will help *her* at break of day."
Psalm 23:1-3 "God, my shepherd!
    I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
    you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
    you let me catch my breath
    and send me in the right direction."


What loveliness the Lord brings through the presence of friends and the healing balm of His word.  Dark days brighten up,  heavy loads seem lighter, vision becomes clearer, despair moves away.  

See you later, dear Summer.  Fall is calling. 

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Catching Up

Reasons that we LOVED summer !!! 


Vacation to Glacier National Park
and Yellowstone National Park! 













Basement Remodel!!!



Lots of SOCCER!!! Lots of WINNING!!!




Hermit Park with our awesome friends!!!










The County Fair!!!