good ol' summertime

It's summertime.  It's comings and goings, reunions and partings, beginnings and endings, laughter and tears.  It's investing time, storing up memories, and reminding one another that though we're "in change, we're kept by the Changeless One." (Nicole Whitacre)

Our final night together before our dear friends moved away. 

Looking forward to heaven with these peeps.
No more goodbyes.

Ryan is playing on the church softball league.

We all ran in a local fun run on the 4th of July.
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I hosted a tea party for my nieces, sister-in-love, and mom.

This 4th of July was memorable from start to finish.  Here are the great grandchildren with their great grandma.

The grandkids

Me with one of my beautiful nieces

The grandkids and great grandkids with Grandma

My sister-in-love

My brother's family has been visiting from the Pacific Northwest.  We've enjoyed sweet love and deep heart connections after too long apart.  

Us

 "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”  Psalm 121:7-8

In the Good Ol' Summertime

So Happy Together

As summer so often does, the summer of 2011 has brought people together.
This time?  Family.
After two years apart, we're together again.
My brother, sister-in-love, and nieces arrived from the Pacific Northwest on the 4th of July, and it's been one steady, continuous party ever since.
Reconnecting. Reminiscing. Passing on stories.
Strengthening bonds. Talking about Jesus.
Laughing. Loving. Just being.

The week has been so incredibly full and sweet.
And my heart is so exceedingly grateful.

Here are just a few of the highlights:


Brewers game





Tea party with my nieces (note pinky extended :) )



Visiting a boutique to make our own beauty products



Laughing and making memories in an alley outside our favorite Mexican restaurant

 

Family Reunion

 "One generation shall commend Your works to another,
and shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
and on Your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of Your
awesome deeds,
and I will declare Your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of Your
abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your
righteousness."
Psalm 145:4-7

Catching Up

My blog has taken the summertime hit the past few weeks. Not unlike many of you, our summer has been incredibly full, hectic...and fun!

One of the recent highlights was attending a week of camp as a family. My husband was the Bible speaker for the week, and our middle son, Ryan, attended as a camper. The rest of us simply got to go along as Jon's support system and enjoy the fun and relaxation the northwoods provided us as a family. Additionally, we were incredibly blessed that several of our former "kids" (now college students) serve as counselors at this camp, so connecting with them and seeing them "in action" was a true joy to our hearts. The theme of the week was "Jesus Is the Rock," and I'm exceedingly thankful for the Truth that was clearly communicated from God's Word.

(Extra)Ordinary

Life is made up of those ordinary and extraordinary moments. It often seems difficult to see where one leaves off and another begins, for these moments can't be compartmentalized. The simple, ordinary stuff of life frequently melds into the extraordinary, making even the most seemingly mundane oh-so-special.

These past weeks have been filled with such moments. Many seemed so ordinary when I wrote them on my calendar at the beginning of the summer. But when filled with the people, the places, and the passions we love, they became extraordinary.

Here are some snapshots of recent weeks...

A summer of baseball...three sons, one coach, six games a week, growth in leadership and sportsmanship, tournament play, a couple of championships, and a whole lotta fun!


Surprise! My husband and I surprised the boys with a new dog! Carson has been a wonderful fit for our family ~ he's quickly found a place in each of our hearts!



Once again, it's the summer of the wedding! It's our joy to be involved and participate in the weddings of so many of the young people we love! I was particularly excited when my friend asked me to cater the outdoor wedding reception they were hosting for their son and his new bride. Cooking is one of my passions, and my thoughts frequently travel to "someday" when I can pursue my dream of catering...or owning and operating a coffeehouse...or a tearooom...or all three! So I was more than happy to dream up a menu and prepare the food at the celebration for the newly married couple! I was further blessed by all those who came to my aid to help ~ those friends who stuck by me in the kitchen for 10 hours the day before and my girls from youth group who helped me prep and serve at the reception itself. What a joy to be part of the body of Christ!



The day after the wedding reception, I got to compete in our church's first ever "Iron Chef" throwdown! What a hoot! Fashioned after the popular TV series, each of the 4 teams were presented with three mystery ingredients...pork tenderloin, jicama, and coconut milk! My team (aptly named "Fly By the Seat of Our Pants"...or SOOuP for short) took 2nd place with our creation. It was a total blast!

Of course, none of these events...ordinary or extraordinary...would be half as fun or meaningful without the people right beside me: my guys, the ones who make me laugh, pray for me, cheer for me, give me perspective, make me yearn for home, and make me glad to come home. Through the busyness and occasional chaos of the summer schedule, they are the ones who keep me grounded. They've made all the ordinary of summer...the biking, hiking, playing baseball and mini-golf, swimming, watching "The Cosby Show" or AFV, and eating more pizzas than we can count...seem---undoubtedly---extraordinary.