What I've been up to

It's been a bit since I posted pics.. Here is what I've been doing..

This was the dessert table for Chris's 40th Birthday Party. Faith and the boys did a great job with arranging the pies and making it festive. And it tasted good too!

Here are the party people! Our good friends and family. What a blessing they are!

Then, we spent the week in sorry and grief. The death of a young friend and the ensuing support of his family. His service was on Friday. And his dad shared the eulogy! I can't imagine doing what he did. He honestly and truly share the joy that was John's life without forgetting about the hard parts. Then he boldly and sensitively share the gospel with a room full of people who don't know Jesus. And what they know of His people isn't the best.

I also got to take part in the annual Storybook Parade on Friday! A little early this year, but a total success.

If pirates were this cute, I'd surely join up! Ryan was a minion from the movie Despicable Me and I didn't get a picture. He seems ok with this. Since he really wanted to be a ninja, but gave in to pressure to join the rest of the 4th grade. And my team was...

Yep, the Wizard of Oz. My favorite character was the tornado.. see her behind the house! We laughed all through the school. Faith made my scarcrow costume and it was a winner!

So yeah, I've been rather busy. Chris is on the fall youth retreat this weekend and I'm home with the boys. We are heading to the park... Life is good and I am blessed.

RIP

You know that phone call that parents NEVER want to get? The one from the hospital saying we think we have your boy? Yeah, that call. A good friend got that call this week. His son is dead. And so the week goes.

Death of a young person is so tragic. Even more so when everyone could see it coming. I'm not speaking ill of the dead. It was common knowledge. He struggled with substance abuse, had been diagnosed with HIV, and lived life without looking toward tomorrow.  It doesn't mean we love him less. I think I loved him more. Because he was a wad of untapped potential. He had a heart of kindness and a mind that was quick. And he was desperately in need of self esteem that no one could give him. For some reason, he couldn't accept that when Jesus died for him, it was a life encompassing acceptance.  Though he had committed his life to Christ as a young teen, he didn't live as I understand life for Christ to be lived.

We all look for understanding and reasons in this time. "God took him home". "He would have wanted to go that way, without being sick." "His work on earth was done." "That's what you get when you drive erratically down the freeway." "The devil took a good one." Ehh, all those platitudes seem to fall flat for me. I don't know that they are untrue. But they don't make it hurt less. And we don't know God's reasons.

Perhaps his life can be a tale of caution and warning to young people. Perhaps some will seek Christ through his family's testimony. I guess all we can pray and hope for is that his life was not lived in vain and that good will come from this tragedy.

RIP John. You will be missed.

LOST.. and then found

So, while tackling Mt. Laundry on the couch at the end of our bed, I uncovered some artifacts. Several nice pens from Christmas. Thank again Aunt Penney. One Day I will figure out how and why to use a fountain pen and then I can truly appreciate it. I found several belts. Mine and Chris's. They were leftovers from summer shorts we had bought. We aren't really belt people.

And then I hit the Mother Lode! It was one of those plastic storage bins full of maternity clothes and baby clothes and pre-baby clothes of an undisclosed size. Super fun and some charity's windfall! Ok, my stuff isn't that great. I don't even pretend that. But maybe someone can use it. And now I can see that the couch is green and rather comfy. Perhaps it's time for a good book.. yeah.

FALL!

I just wanted to scream it really loud.. ok.... ready.... FFFAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

I don't sweat when I walk outside. The mosquitoes are smaller than oranges, finally. Squirrels hurl green acorns from treetops for their gang initiations.  Everyone who has one rides their loud rumbly stinky motorcycle everywhere I am going. I laugh at their choices of attire. btw.. tank tops and low rise jeans are not a smart choice.. two words.. road rash.. nuff said... creepy tacky halloween items abound. children whine for the costume that is nowhere to be found. and I am filled with a sense of awe and joy at the glory of our beautiful world. Thanks God, for autumn. And lots of other stuff too.