Month in Review - July Part One

The first day of July was a very busy one...I drove three hours to visit my Dad and then about 30 min. more to pick M. up at Scout Camp. He left a couple nights early so we could leave for vacation the next day. All four of us made it into Baltimore - 3 of us and then Hubby much later. While waiting for hubby - M, L, MIL and I looked around the Inner Harbor. The boys loved seeing the ships. I loved the lighthouse. While L was sleeping in the van, I took pictures of M posing outside the football stadium and baseball stadium. What a neat area of town!

I already wrote some about our vacation at Butterfly Wings. In thinking back over it - Wow! We did quite a variety of things. We enjoyed seeing family and friends; our visits to DC, Skyline Drive, and hubby's grandmother's family farm; celebrating the 4th, Hubby & MIL's bdays; and just hanging out at the museum. Pictures from the farm and outside of the museum are included here. The first museum pic (where MIL lives and btw, if you're ever in New Market, VA - you should visit. You won't be disappointed.) has several flagpoles in front - it's patterned after the Lee Mansion (last picture) which we saw while at Arlington.

We took the deer picture after our hike at one Skyline Drive's stops. The hike was actually a scavenger hunt where we had to find things in the forest such as "a Twee with 3 Twunks!", "a Drinking Hole for everyone but you", and "a super duper lumpy bumpy tree". On the hike we saw deer (at a distance) and wild turkeys, but after we went back to the visitor's center another deer was having lunch.

After vacation (only three days after) M & L went to Church Camp. I'm sure they would both say go-karting was their favorite activity. I love it that they get a chance to have a little more freedom and be in an atmosphere where they can play a lot AND learn more about God. I hope they always love church camp. It's an important part of my high school memories.

This month L managed to make it to some soccer practices/scrimmages and M had his football combine. Needless to say, until November just about all we'll be doing is either soccer or football. Much, much more happened in just the last 10 days of the month. Hmm....no wonder I feel so exhausted! That will be the next post. I just had to do it that way, I couldn't upload all the pictures I wanted. Plus, I wanted you to keep reading!

Month in Review - July Part Two

I really did upload these pics before month end, but I'm kind of new to blogspot, and can't figure out how to make my posts date when they're posted not first created. I've got to figure it out though, because I start quite a few ideas and I'm used to scheduling posts. Anyway, the last of our month...

We went to our deonomination's district conference at a resort in Missouri the next to the last weekend of the month. It was so wonderful to renew many friendships - some from our college days! The boys and I enjoyed mini-golf while waiting for hubby to be finished with meetings and then we all had fun at the indoor waterpark. When I was a freshman in college one of our social nights was at a nearby waterpark. I never dreamed that xx (20!) years later that I'd be at a waterpark with some of the same people - and their children! We'll definitely be returning next year and adding some days!

On the way home we came across one of our favorite BBQ restauraunts. Unfortuantely, they are not all created equal (the one in our town in Texas was the best!). However, I saw hubby's brisket in time to choose to chicken :0) We got back home just in time for me to make it to VBS!

It was a very different VBS year for us. For me, instead of directing a VBS of about 100 kids, I was the early childhood ministry co-leader for Bible for about 150 kids. I did some coordinating, supply gathering, checking-in with teachers and filled in one night of teaching. It almost felt like no work at all because I had such super teachers! M only attended one night and L attended two because of sports and we all missed Family night because of our own need to regroup as a family.

It absoultely poured one night the last week of July for hours and the boys played in the rain. First M played it safe on the porch, but then joined in the fun. That week too - we got J the dog groomed (yay!), I voted, I enjoyed Free Tea Thursday at McAlister's with Aunt (the boys were there too, but did not enjoy-they don't like to go there), I spent the night in the Veteran's Center guest house (and read most the evening) so I could have Dad to the new center the next morning, and then...

We stayed home the last weekend of the month! We were supposed to travel again, but no one wanted to go - we were just too tired of always "going". In that one Saturday (and Sunday - but that was in August), thanks to hubby, we have new curtains in two rooms, a fixed towel bar, two light dimmers, a new ceiling fan, newly painted bathroom, painted baseboards, mowed yard and probably something I missed. Hubby is amazing!

The first wo pictures are from the mentioned resort, then M riding his ripstick while getting used to his football helmet and then both boys. They are growing so fast! I thought this was a particularly handsome photo of both.

Anet's Daybook

Outside my window… not looking out - it's sunny and hot. I want to keep it as cool in here as possible.

I am thankful for… Dad being closer!

I am wearing… olive cargo shorts, purple Smithsonion t-shirt

Some plans for the rest of the week… haircut & dentist, boys to see Pink, Uncle & Brudder - meeting up with them for the weekend

I am currently reading… Cure or the Common Life by Lucado


I am hoping… to continue finding God’s open doors and to have time to talk with/pray with hubby.

On my mind… heading to the airport, dropping off for sports, the heat, job situation

Hearing…. the boys watching sports bloopers on the laptop

Pondering these words...
Be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. I Peter 5:6 msg

You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Isa. 26:3 tev

I am praying that……. a friend who lost her husband unexpectedly last week will be comforted and carried through the numbness

From the kitchen… lots of stuff in the fridge ready for company and a busy week - watermelon & cantaloupe, chicken salad, and chicken & beans for tortillas.

Around the house… so many "fancied up" things thanks to hubby - new curtains in two rooms, lots of things fixed, a painted bathroom & new shower curtain, painted baseboards and a new ceiling fan!

One of my favorite things… cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew

From my picture journal…



I guess cousins do this. We really do have plenty of bed space in the house.



To view more daybooks visit Simple Woman's Daybook.

Ordinary

Our Family

Hubby, M, Annette, L

ordinary [ˈɔːdənrɪ]
adj
1. of common or established type or occurrence
2. familiar, everyday, or unexceptional
3. uninteresting or commonplace

If you look at my first post, you'll see how this blog came into being. As I was setting it up, I had to come up with a name and took it from The Message, Romans 12:1-2 as you can see at the top of this blog. So today, I'm trying to make the bridge from my original blog and make the switch to only writing here. To do so, I looked up the definition of ordinary.

We have many ordinary days - although I wouldn't call them unexceptional or uninteresting! That's just not a possibility with children or with the adventure of following God!

Our sincere prayer is that we do place our everyday experiences before God, that we don't fit into our culture, and that as we look to Him - He brings out our best. All for His glory.

(If you would like to read older posts about our family, please visit Butterfly Wings at http://www.anetsmith.wordpress.com/ The family posts begin in December 2009 and the information before that is from my Children's Lit. class.)

Favor

I have been keeping a "Daybook" for almost eight months now. It's linked to the Simple Woman's Daybook and each week I post responses to the same starters. One of them is "I am praying that".

Not even two weeks ago I responded "Dad will be able to transfer soon. 6 mos. that he’s been 3 hours away is coming up in August”.

Two days ago I wrote: "On our visit Wed. we learned that the “rules have changed” and Dad goes to the bottom of the wait list and not the top as it was since he was already in a Veterans facility. Aunt talked to someone today and explained our situation. We’d go see Dad no matter how far away, we just need to be closer so we can be better advocates. Anyway the convo was good. He said it would be a couple weeks before anything could happen – but to check back. We will – every few days. Anyway, the prayer now is for favor."

I got a sweet response from someone who said they had prayed for my request. I know we have and others have through this journey. We got our answer today.

Someone called and asked if we still wanted Dad in their facility. Yes!!! They also asked if I could bring him Friday. Well, actually I could be there in 6 hrs. - the time it takes to drive!

Yes, the drive has a lot of negatives, but the hardest part lately as I've already mentioned has been that it's more difficult to be an advocate so far away (and M & L getting carsick when we go the shortcut). We are so relieved and so grateful. Thank you God for your favor!

Just What Did We Do?

(This is a copy of a post from Butterfly Wings - I'm trying out new (to me) features and seeing if I like the way this looks)

M & L were at camp a while back. They were having fun riding go karts, ziplines and the like. We missed them, but of course the conversation eventually came around to "What did we ever do before having children?" Friday night hubby and I went to dinner. It started pouring while there so we had to make a mad dash for his truck. It was only sprinkly as we came into our neighborhood.

When we first drove in we noticed lots of people in their yards taking pictures. This is what had everyone outside...

We decided to sit on the front porch and enjoy how nicely the rain had cooled things off. This is hubby waiting for me....

Before dinner hubby had fed the flower bed, transplanted the geranium and trimmed the shrubs - you can see the geranium in this photo of J. the dog.

Later when it got dark, we sat in the rocker again. This time it was to view the spectacular lightning in the east sky. It was in three separate sections and almost appeared choreographed. Oh, wait a minute - it was - by God! Hubby enjoyed ice cream while I splurged and had a rootbear float. Before it got too late we went in and watched Old Dogs and You've Got Mail. (We saw You've Got Mail in the theatre in Cedar Rapids right before M. was born.) It was a wonderful evening at home.

Just Experimenting

I didn't really mean to be here. I comment on some blogs I read with blogger and I followed some tabs and I guess I created a blog. I've been blogging for almost a year at www.anetsmith.wordpress.com So check out Butterfly Wings there. We'll see what happens with this....