SLIPPING AWAY...

I can literally feel Summer slipping right through my fingertips...

Today I had numerous moments of feeling totally overwhelmed...

Sort of overwhelmed with the sheer number of things that have to happen in the next couple of weeks...

I had a Dr.s appt... We are still trying to figure out why I am making the kidney stones.  Praise God, I haven't passed any since my 2 procedures last fall... but my calcium levels are still high...

Her suspicion is that most likely I have a tumor on my parathyroid... one more round of blood work in a few months, most likely some scans and then possibly surgery... FUN!  She said most times they are benign, so that is what we are praying for... I feel a total peace about it all at this point:):)

While I was at the Dr. the kids were getting the house ready for another showing... The previous people who looked twice wanted more info today... We will see, God knows just the right buyer... it only takes one... Honestly, I have loads of mixed feelings on it... I love our neighbors... love our yard...love our house... love living more in the country... but am trusting God and my hubby's leading on this one...

School starts 2 weeks from tomorrow... There will be some big changes for Miss Hopie... I hope to fill you in soon on that...


I have 2 sweet friends that have babies that were born into Heaven a year ago this week... My heart is so heavy for them... I was blessed to get to spend time with both of these young ladies today:):)  I have a hard time separating myself from what they must be feeling.  I think because when something like that happens to you, you remember how alone you felt... you remember what it was like to somewhat relive it all again on that first anniversary...

I just can not help but want to do EVERYTHING in my power to help them get through the first birthday in the best way possible for them... that looks differently for everyone... ( I know really not too much of that is in my power... but I want them to know that they are loved, supported, not judged in their grief and that their little girls matter to us... we won't forget them!)   I know this weekend will have me and my family honoring the beautiful lives of these two precious baby girls Emily and Autumn...

If you think of it, would you pray for their mommies this week...

We are getting the pop up ready for a little excursion... should be interesting... the kids have been jazzed about it for weeks:)

Here are a few pictures from a neighbors birthday party a few weeks back...

Quite a day... actually a fairly normal day for us:)

Happy 42nd Birthday to my sweet hubby!  We are so blessed to have him as the daddy of the house and the leader of this home!  I know it may seem like he is taken for granted sometimes... but I know how easily we never could have had a married life together or these precious kids together had he passed away from his cancer 20 years ago... I DO NOT take his precious life for granted... I need to make sure my actions show him that loud and clear!  Sorry babe, for when in my humaness I fail in that arena... You are loved and treasured!

What a day... He spent all morning helping build the pre-schools new playground up at church... (totally my Greg to WANT to do that on his birthday)  He wouldn't have missed it:) 

All of that while I got the house ready for a showing (yes, I think I have failed to mention here that our house is for sale) not an easy task with 4 little ones at home... and especially when they arrive early.... ahhhhh!  

I went grocery shopping, come home... unload groceries on the counters... start feeding the kids, get lunch going, put dinner in the crock pot, and low and behold who is at my door??? The realtor.  I totally thought she forgot something here... Nope, they wanted to see the house again... 

Well... literally the house looked like a tornado had hit in the 15 minutes we had been home... Rushed to pick up food off the floor, tried to get a hold of Greg who was on his way home... no answer... pile kids back in the van... meet Greg in the driveway... tell the realtor to excuse all the little messes that  occured in that short time... 

Head to sonic for slushies... Greg had also brought home a young man from church who is staying with his grandparents for 2 weeks... A homeschooled kid from the DC area... who had lost his father a little less than 3 years ago... INCREDIBLE  kid... offered to help me at least 4 different times today... a total joy to have here in our home:)  The boys were already planning a potential sleepover in a few days!

The rest of the day... much more relaxed... ate Greg's birthday meals and had red velvet cake, Granny's recipe which NEVER turns out like hers... it was still pretty tasty though:)  

After dinner life consisted of a little role reversal... Greg cleaning up the kitchen (I know... sad on his birthday) me and the older boys cleaning out the garage... I had mentioned to Greg earlier that just because we are a big family (meaning numerous bikes, scooters, bins of clothes etc) that didn't mean our garage had to be a walking nightmare:)  

He wasn't sure we could make it look any better... So the boys and I tackled it in about an hours time... Wow... Greg's first words were, "What did you do with it all!"  (I think he was truly afraid it had pitched everything)  Literally, just a few things to good will, all the garbage out, cardboard to the car to take to recycling, the stack ready for Craig's list, and all the rest put up on the shelves we have in the garage...   It just needed some serious organizing.

Now to some... it is still probably a VERY full, somewhat messy garage... but it was HUGE progress for us... and the kitchen was amazing when G was done!  Ahhh... my mind is more settled now with less messes...

Never did hear back from the realtor... oh well, God knows exactly the family who needs this house:)  But I would love for him to bring them here sooner, rather than later... because it is so hard to keep a house show ready at the drop of a hat with 6 kids at home... But honestly, I am just so thankful to have a house to keep clean at this point:)  We will see what he has in store...
So now off to bed...

Missing...

MISSING PRETTY LAKE...

MISSING THESE SWEET EXTRA PUMPKINS IN THIS PICTURE... 

MISSING VACATION...

WE ARE TRYING TO SQUEEZE OUT EVERY LAST OUNCE OF SUMMER BEFORE IT IS BACK TO THE GRIND IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS...

HOW CAN SUMMER BE ALMOST OVER? 

SWIMMING IN A CRYSTAL CLEAR LAKE IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SUMMER ACTIVITIES... WHAT'S YOURS???

NOW THAT WAS A FUN NIGHT:)

 Jojo hunkering down in the back of the pick up truck.... getting ready for the movie:)

 Our Hope before the movie began...Doesn't she have such beautiful dark eyes... so precious!

 The sun is setting it is almost time...

Tonight Greg and I took the kids to the drive in movie theatre... I can't remember the last time I had been to one... For sure not since we were married 19 years ago...

Talk about ideal... the kids didn't have to sit still squashed in one little seat...They had room to move around. It was out doors so if Levi squawked a little it was just fine... The homemade caramel corn was delicious!  (Good job Caleb!)  It was far more comfortable laying on a bunch of blankets than in the theatre and the weather was PERFECT!  To top it off, the new Ice Age movie was really cute!

I think we will try it again sometime, obviously sooner than 19 years from now:)

Delightful night...

My sweet friend Lisa and I and baby Greta:).... mmmm... it was such a treat to get my hands on that little girl, she is such a doll!

Greta's baptism at a local park...  a beautiful night:)

The precious Harbaugh crew:)

What a special evening last Friday... We were blessed to be able to get together with some sweet friends for the baptism of their little girl Greta.  

Lisa and I have connections that totally were laughable and shocking when I first found out.  I have known her grandma and grandpa  for as long as I can remember.  I grew up with her aunts and uncles going to youth group with my older brothers.  She was actually born and raised in the church that Greg was serving in before we moved to go to the seminary.  We knows slews of the same people.  When I found out that she literally lived probably one mile (as the crow flies) from me, I almost fell over.  

We are extremely like minded in many ways... We share many of the same passions!  The crazy thing is we really should see each other SO much more often than we do... but when we do, the talk flows freely and it is a great blessing to me. 

This past Friday, our family was greatly blessed to witness Greta's baptism in a beautiful park near by.  We took a quick hike through the shaded woods and then headed back to their home for brats... a true Wisconsin meal:)  YUMMO!  The kids swam in the pool and we had some lively discussion.  It greatly encouraged my heart.  Thank you Lord for bringing me friends who share my heart! 

My attempt at sour dough bread...

 The sour dough starter...

 Home ground wheat flour...

 Mixing the dough...

 Four loaves ready to go in the oven...

The finished product... It tastes much better than it looks:)  But I will admit, it was much more dense than when  my friend makes it... I am a total work in progress in this department:)

I have a sweet friend Lula who makes the most amazing sourdough bread... Honestly, she is one of the best cooks I know... Delicious food every time we eat with them.  Always homemade... everything from scratch... I have such a long way to go in making bread like hers...  It is totally different than yeast dough... sourdough doesn't rise much... (or at least my understanding is it isn't really supposed to rise much... and mine didn't:)

She has been so sweet to give me some of her starter mix... I have been so lazy that it has gone bad before I got going on the bread with the last couple of batches I had.  I am determined this go around to keep mine going... you have to feed it flour and water every couple of days. Then in a couple of weeks you will have enough to mix and start making bread...  

This is right up my alley (I love healthy food.... I love doing my own research on nutrition... but I can make a mean batch of puppy chow in the same breath... everything in moderation is what works best in our house. )

  I am so thankful to feel like I have the energy to start doing things like this... I love cooking and baking from scratch... so I am hoping to make this more of the routine around here again... Honestly, after Samuel died... I think we would have eaten anything that wasn't moving that I could get my hands on... It is amazing the sweet things that you treasure after a loss, that you took for granted before...

Our favorite way to eat it is as an open faced avocado and salami sandwich with mustard... So yummy! 

The special cousin bond!

 Enjoying custard at LeDucs with some of the cousins:)
I love that some of my kids best buddies are their cousins... they are inseparable when we are together... And they miss them like crazy when we aren't together...

 Caleb and Lindsey in a hard fought battle of arm wrestling...

 Some of the cousins after the lake church service we had at Pretty Lake...

 I think the groom isn't so sure of this family he married into... he was getting a warm welcome by my brother,whom my kids affectionately call "Johnny Boy" :)

I can't believe that a whole week has passed since we left Wisconsin... 

 I am not sure I will ever really get fully used to being away from home.  This trip back was a bit emotionally charged so it seemed especially hard to leave.  Someone today told me that living away from family was a deal breaker for them.  Not so in ministry... There is a part of me that wishes that could be the case for us too...

It is such a gift to have the support, fellowship and encouragement of family close by.  But really I ultimately would rather be where the Lord wants us than to be by family if He doesn't want us there.

None the less, I would be being less than honest if I didn't admit that it is hard sometimes.  

Sometimes you long for the help of mom, dad, or your brothers and sisters.

Sometimes you long for the love of people who know you deeply and still love you warts and all!

Some times you just long for the familiarity of home... and all the delicious food that comes with it!

And sometimes you long for weather that is not sooooo crazy hot!

Can I just say the heat here lately has been nuts!  We are going on day 16 of over 100 weather days... with only 1 of the next 10 days being under 100... It was a record breaking 112 degrees here today.  The hot breeze blowing on you felt sort of like when you open up the oven and it just smacks you in the face. It is oppressive!  It is supposed to be 114 degrees tomorrow...

I don't at all mean to be complaining.  I know God has planted us where He plants us for many reasons.  And really, I could live anywhere and be content... 

There is much to be thankful for... great AC that runs well!  

Really, when you know how hard life can be... and how many others are experiencing great difficulty and sadness...

The heat is pretty insignificant!

So here is to 114 tomorrow:)