Seventeen

We were 17 years old in these pictures.Young and in love.Today we've been married for 17 years.
Not quite as young.
But definitely more in love.

Ironic

Remember our summer project?
The word I wanted to use was refreshing.

This summer has been anything but refreshing.
As far as the weather goes anyway.

All these leaves.
Just fell yesterday.
I'm afraid we might be loosing our beautiful maple.It's been over 100 degrees.
25+ days so far this summer.
(or so I've heard)
Refreshing?
Not so much.

And what does Jobe decide to wear this morning?
A hoodie.Looks like fall.
Except the leaves are shrively browns.
Not beautiful oranges, yellows and reds.

The grass is crunchy.
We haven't mowed in a month.
I miss the smell of freshly cut grass.

My flowers are struggling to survive.
It's taking all their energy just to live.
They've got nothing left to produce pretty flowers.
And I water every day.We did quite a bit of new landscaping this spring.
Wrong year for that.
Our new plants are not looking so great.
And then there's my garden.Can't brag much about that, can I?
Beans.
Dead.
Cucumber.
Dead.
Zucchini.
Dead.
Everything else.
Looking...well...dry.
Refreshing, right?
That poor little tomato plant that's laying on the ground.
It was run over by a car.
Cars drive in our yard.
Not kidding.

There are a few plants that are doing ok.Not as big as usual.
But at least they are adding a little color.I'm going to plant A LOT more Vinca next year.
They seem to be surviving this heat the best.
Oh, and asparagus fern.
That's doing good too.

The hood?
Really?About 15 minutes after I took this picture.
Jobie comes inside and says:
Pheww! I'm all "fweaty".

Can't imagine why he would be sweaty.

But I guess our summer project wasn't about the weather being refreshing.
It was about our family being refreshing.
I'm going to try to stop complaining.
And start refreshing.
Go Coke!

Guess What!?

We found the camera!
Woohoo!

I'm not going to lie.
I was starting to get a little excited.
We were beginning to talk about getting a new one.
We're going on vacation soon.
You need a camera on vacation.
I was looking forward to getting something a little nicer.
But dreading spending the money right now.

Saturday morning Ryan decided to REALLY look for it.
It involved taking the sectional apart.
Lifting it up.
Feeling all along the fabric at the bottom.
And vwah-la.
It's magic.
I felt that small little rectangular shape.

You all are so lucky.
Now you get to see more pictures like this:And this:And this:We all went shopping Saturday evening.
Target was our last stop.
Ryan, Brookie and I had clothes to try on.
The boys were parked in the dressing room area.
Jake on the floor.
Playing with my phone.
Ezra in the back of the cart.
Playing with the camera.
And Jobe in the front.
Trying to avoid getting his picture taken.
It was...entertaining.It looks like there is a another woman.
In the dressing room with Ryan.
I guess I shouldn't say another woman.
Since I wasn't in the dressing room with him either.
Had a seperate one.
Our kids were with us, you know.

Jobie spent a lot of time inspecting his new flip-flops.
He's never had any without the strap on the back.
It's adorable to watch him walk in these.
But he is so proud of them.Maybe someday I'll get a nicer camera.
(likely)
And be an amazing photographer.
(not likely)
But for now you all will have to put up with my witty writing
(ha! not true)
and my point and shoot's fuzzy photos.
(so true)

Coke

Last summer we had project POF.
I loved it.
Any time the kids would do something nice for someone,
I would say:
That was a great POF!
And they would get really embarrassed.
Especially the two older ones.

This summer I wanted to find a new verse to focus on.
We found a verse the end of May.
I read it to the kids and said:
This will be our POF verse for the summer.

Brookie and Jakie groaned and said:
Don't call it POF!
That's sounds like a little kid word.

Ryan said:
How about the word "refresh".
I thought it was perfect.
The kids did not.

Then Ryan said:
How about "Coke"?
Coke is refreshing.

"Coke" it is.
Or "Coke is it"!
(Remember that slogan?)
Then I forgot all about the verse and the word.
Until this morning.
Over a month later.

I have problems.

So, for the rest of the summer,
we are going to be refreshing.
And instead of saying:
Good POF.
I will say:
Good Coke.And my kids will smile.
And be happy.
And get along.
And be refreshing.
The whole rest of the summer.

I like to dream.

Here's the verse we're going with:
Philemon 7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,
because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Honestly, this verse is more for me than my kids.
How wonderful would it be.
To bring great joy and encouragement.
To my family.
To my friends.
To any one I come in contact with.

Sounds...well...refreshing, doesn't it?

Now, I'm going to go Coke someone.
Hmmm...that sounds odd.

Each week Beki at therustedchain hosts Fingerprint Friday and uses a song by Steven Curtis Chapman as a springboard. Join in. It's a great way to be reminded of God's presence.

A Little Get Together

The weekend before last was our class reunion.
Ryan and I graduated from a small Christian school.
With a class of 40.
20 years ago.
That doesn't seem right.
I'm sure I'm not that old.

I wanted a new dress for the occassion.
And had shopped a little.
But hadn't found what I wanted.
And ran out of time to shop anymore.
I was just going to wear something out of my closet.
Who needs something new, right?
It's silly to think you need a new outfit.
That's what I told myself anyway.

The day before the reunion.
My hubby texted me:
Got a little gift for you...
He came home with a super cute dress!
And it fit!
He's amazing.

I don't do it justice.
And the pic is fuzzy.
But here it is.Nearly half of our class made it.There's something pretty special about graduating from a small school.Apparenty I missed the memo to wear black shoes.
And I'm also the only one to not have my nails done.Don't ask.
It was late.
They are goofy girls.
There was no alcohol.
We graduated from a Christian school remember?Funny story:
About 10:00pm or so.
One of our classmates was talking to her mom on her phone.
Checking up on her son, I suppose.
I hear her say:
No mom, there is no alcohol here.
Felt like we were in high school again.

The next day we were at our house.
It was hot.
Our kids were all there.
And I think one of my classmates son's thought my daughter was cute.
And I think she might have thought he was cute too.
That's weird.

Rhonda, do you read this?
Do you agree?
Ryan was oblivious to it all.

And this is the only pic I took of the day.
Yeah me!Oh, and yes our carpet did get put in on time.
It looks so great downstairs.
Sadly, I can't show you.
I still can't find my camera.
(All the above pics were with my mom's camera.)
We have searched every where.
We know where it last was.
A certain daughter laid it on the floor.
On the floor?
In the family room.
It has not been seen since.
At least that's the story...