1) Brian Bought Me Sunflowers This Week
They’ve been such a bright reminder of his goodness. Ironically, he bought them to help me remember my goodness, but every time I look at them I just see his.
2) We're Trying to Not Let the Summer Shut us ALL the Way In
It can be beautiful, but dang, it's hot.
When Kenzie suggested we take her roommate, Rachel, to the Hoover Dam bridge, it was all I could do to throw a fake smile on my face and say, "Yeah! That sounds fun!" But what I was actually thinking was Yeah... okay... that'll take some work to make fun. Honestly, it's just so hot. But then, as always, it was worth the work (isn't fun always worth the work?) and ended up being a fabulous night. I was grateful for Kenzie's vision.
3) Nora's Golden Birthday
Swimming suits are great summer outfits around here (though, I believe the kids are saying 'fits' these days? Great summer fits? Anyway). Our best friend, Nora turned 9 on August 9th, and we celebrated with Gold. Gold swimming suits, gold shorts, gold sunglasses, and gold face tattoos (or arm tattoos in Eliza's case because foreign things on her face? No thank you).
We went to Cowabunga Bay and had a wonderful time.
Eliza rocked her fit.
4) The Second Annual Royal Dinner
Did you know we're royalty?
Sons and daughters of a King.
And so are you.
The night before school started, we donned our crowns around the dinner table and talked about how knowing about our Royal Divinity can give us a fountain from which to draw strength and confidence and courage throughout the coming year. No matter what circumstances greet us, we can feel prepared and safe because we know that when we're with God we are on the winning side.
5) Make Lemonade
We're rolling out a new theme this year. "Make Lemonade" is stepping into the spotlight while our theme of the previous three years (Be the Nice Kid) will take a step back. Be the Nice Kid will still be on the stage, of course (it will always be a star), but the spotlight is shifting. For whatever reason, it felt like it was time. Carson just recently shared in a letter to me that our previous theme had been meaningful to him through his high school years. Maybe the theme had been inspired for him? It would explain why I feel it has run its course. Hopefully this new theme will touch a different kid in a meaningful way.
•Our Family Lemonade Recipe•
Squeeze your lemons, add a dash of Good Attitude, a sprinkle of Effort, and a whole lotta Jesus (Living Water). Then let God stir. Watch patiently as everything works together for your good.
•Good Attitude (Proverbs 17:22) - - A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken
spirit drieth the bones.
•Effort (James 1:22) - - - - - - - But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.
•Living Water (John 4:14) - - - - - But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life.
•The Stirring Spoon (Romans 8:28) - And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God.
Anyway, the idea has taken hold. And everyone enjoyed the lemon treats.
6) How Can You Avoid Distracted Driving with a Landscape Like This?
Driving up to Utah all alone, this beautiful scene was showing off right outside my window. How do you pass this without at least trying to get a picture?! I wonder can you die of beauty?
Since I couldn’t really see the image through my phone (responsible driver here), most of my shots included blurry signs in the corners or cars in the foreground, and all of them looked like they were shot by a drunken sailor.
Thank goodness for a little post processing.
Whenever I see something like this I have to wonder what it might have been like in the planning meetings of heaven while they were discussing the creation of the earth… Man hasn’t come close to creating something as incredible as this. Actually, I’m curious…
A quick Google search "what is the most incredible thing man has created" says the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, etc.
So, yeah. We haven’t even come close.
7) McKenzie is all Settled into her Apartment
And isn’t it adorable?! It took two and a half days of non-stop work to change it from its original Utilitarian vibe into a Now I Can Live Here vibe.
Worth it.
8) The Giant Grasshopper who Bummed a Ride
Sounds like a children’s book, but it’s actually just the story of our Monday. I first noticed the grasshopper sitting on my windshield as I climbed into the car in the parking lot of the public library, and I assumed he would jump away as we started moving. I even accelerated slowly to give him a chance. But instead of jumping, he hunkered down and braved the 40mph wind speeds, turning his body to face it and letting his feelers blow around with reckless abandon. Eliza was delighted. She laughed and cheered for him the entire way, and as we entered into our neighborhood, I pulled the car to the side of the road and Eliza helped the grasshopper find a nice bush to make into his new home. Well, Eliza found the bush. I had to help the grasshopper. (“Eww, gross,” said Eliza.)
I did wonder if the grasshopper felt misplaced. Do grasshoppers feel a sense of ‘home?’
9) School has been a Success so far
Eliza and Nora are inseparable, and they make a pretty good team. Eliza calms Nora a bit, and Nora helps Eliza break out of her shell every once in a while. It's a good balance and I love the two of them together.
10) Essay: the Transition from High School to College
Miles is the third child out of three who has to write this essay for his Transition to College class. And you can tell by his face how much he is enjoying it.
11) Other Stories Written on Faces:
You have no idea how much I want to crawl into these photos and experience all of Carson's experiences with him. That would, of course, change his experiences (and not for the better), and yet the desire remains.
But apparently mothers are not allowed to tag along, so I must settle for experiencing his experiences through the stories he tells and the ones written on faces in his pictures.
They're good.
