Project 365, Week 29

Packing, cleaning, projects, mortgage paperwork, teen-mentoring. Choosing joy in the crazy of life.

July 16

Aiden left for kids camp with our church. Most of his friends were there and he had an incredible counselor in Pastor E.

July 17
The girls and I stopped by the library in our new town to check it out. Currently we have the quintessential mean library ladies. I have made it my mission over the years to win them over with consistent kindness, to no avail. I am happy to admit defeat and move on.

July 18
Too cute! Amanda gave him his first two-wheel bike-riding lesson...oh my!

July 19
I drove J out to the middle of nowhere to the new location of her old barn. She was so happy to see her old friends and the horses....she misses it dearly.

July 20
The girls had a birthday party sleepover with friends from school and sports. Super grateful for such a great group of girls!

July 21
With a rainy week in the forecast, we pressed to get some outdoor projects done on the house before tenants move in. The weather was amazing!

July 22
Kids + water = happy (it also usually involves fighting when the hose comes out, but happily not this time. :)

Project 365, Week 28

I love summer and all that goes with it. We've been in a weird space waiting for a final decision from the bank on our new house, after a nearly two-month process but in the meantime we're culling and packing and generally clearing out, a good practice to do every so often. We're also trying to enjoy the little thrills that summer brings, like water and green grass and late nights and time with friends. Life is good.

July 9

I grabbed the kids for a group photo before we took Little K (who we had on respite) back to his home. I find it more difficult to see the little ones go....I wish I could hold onto them so they don't have to go through what they go through between now and the time in life we normally get them. He's almost exactly Aiden's age and they have such different lives....so much I don't understand and don't know, so I choose to focus on what I do know.

July 10
Avery took this picture at Shaun's softball game. So sweet.

July 11
I promised myself that when the May scans and blood work came back I would have my medi-port taken out. It will seem foolish to anyone who hasn't been there, but I was quite attached to having it. Back in 2014, getting it put in was one of my first cancer procedures. It gave me a sense of security, knowing it was going to save me from many sticks in my veins (which is completely irrational, because a needle in the port hurts worse than in a vein, for what it matters).

Anyway, the nurses were all excited for me, reminding me it wasn't just another surgery/procedure in a long string, it is a sign that we are done. And that is something to be very happy about!

I got to spend the evening on a boat, on the water with some of my favorite people, a lovely close to the day.

And I thought to myself, this day sums up life so well. There will be stripping clothes to put on a hospital gown because of cancer and there will be a kiss goodbye from a good man who loves well as I head into (yet another) surgery. And there will be days when kids obey and use manners and get along and there will be days when they fight and sin and argue. And there will be times to smell the salt air as the wind whips through your hair on a perfectly lovely summer night. And there will be people who will inspire you and encourage you and there will be difficult people who make you crazy. There will be drive-thru meals on the go and there will be leisurely meals filled with good food and rich conversation.

There are not good seasons or bad seasons of life, there is just life. And there's always good and there's always bad. And God is in it all. And we can have joy through it all. I'm so very grateful for life....it is ALL grace.

July 12
I love watching kids play in water...its such a pure form of joy. (Especially at a splash park ;)

July 13
Happy Birthday to my sweet 9-year old!! What better way to get the day started??

Incredible 2 at the drive-in with some cousins.

July 14
I took the boys to the dump and noted how different they are than the girls I usually bring. The boys took great joy in smashing each item they threw in the dumpster. :)

We met my brother and sister at my mom's campground for a special Christmas in July event.

July 15
Shaun and K sat down to go over budgets and cars and other adult things.

He's a really great dad.

I took the kids to see R and the baby...he's a month old now and seems pretty chill.

July's 10 on 10

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month (Tuesday).

{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day! }

Often during the summer I start my days walking around the yard watering the flowers and plants. I can hold the hose with one hand, my coffee cup in the other and pray while doing both.

Our workout space is crude but functional.

My sweet Bible reading buddy. I couldn't talk him into going out to the porch (on a very beautiful morning), so I joined him in the living room.

K will be attending a community college in the fall. I dropped her off for her placement test. Such a beautiful building and I remember occasionally shopping here as a young girl when it was a multilevel G.Fox store.

I love hanging out with this crew, even at the grocery store.

It was a happy and sad day as we got one last chance to see our Texas cousins before they left.

Operation packing.

I enjoy watching my man do the things he enjoys.

Bonus. :)

Pop took Amanda to the auction and she came back with an old school typewriter. It was a huge hit and everyone wanted to try it. $10 well spent. :)

Clue was the game of the week.

Project 365, Week 27

July! After end-of-the-school year, graduation, packing and vacation whirlwind, we were back home to get going on our summer. J left for her summer job as a junior counselor at a special needs camp and Avery and Amanda left for church camp, which just left the 18 and 8 year old. Easy!!

We also got to celebrate America this year, which is a good reminder of what an amazing thing it is to be a citizen here. So thankful for all the people who've made the freedom that we have possible.

July 1

Our church just started a Junior Bible Quiz group and this was the first practice. Its for 1-6 grades and there are competitions throughout the school year. Bible knowledge + competition = Aiden. :) Avery will be helping with it as well.

July 2
Avery and Amanda were off to Junior High Church Camp, their first time graduating from Kids Camp. It was tough to watch them go but I was glad they had each other and I knew they'd have a good time.

July 3
Aiden greatly enjoys going to the office with us...he's allowed to use the iPad, clunky though it is, and there's wifi.

July 4
Independence Day!! We walked down to Main St for our town's parade, which lasted over an hour.

We spotted two cousins!

J was able to be home from her camp job for the day.

My new niece and nephew were born! My sister who lives in Texas had twins and now we get to see lots of sweet pictures.

July 5
Aiden reading in his bathrobe...

...Aiden reading on my office chair.

Trying to beat the heat, the four of us spent the late afternoon playing Monopoly. Shaun cleaned house, per usual.

July 6
Yay...pickup day for the girls. They were back from camp and full of amazing stories. We went directly to a birthday party that Amanda was invited to. The girl she shadowed with at the new school asked her to be a part of it. I thought that was so sweet and just like Amanda to get an party invitation before she's even going to that school.

While I was doing pickup and party, Shaun was helping our new charge get settled. We did respite for a nine-year old boy. Aiden and I were in agreement...if you have to pick one Bible story to read, it would have to be David and Goliath.

I don't take lightly the honor it is to read a bedtime story and pray and tuck in and give a kiss on the forehead and speak life.

July 7
River time! K was very smart and the boys did well together, talking and playing.

July 8
Such a glorious morning! I will miss the sun streaming through the trees like it does at this house.

The boys set up some pretty neat dominos.