Category Archives: Family

Being a Disciple of Jesus, Project 365, Tim

Serve Team Blends Again

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We had our annual church meeting today. Lunch followed by an interesting meeting – budget review, elder affirmations, building discussion and the like.

Tim LOVES to make and serve blends at these type of lunch meetings. Now that he has an amazing Drama and Serve Team at his disposal, he can put kids to work and make mocha frappes and strawberry lemonade smoothies for the whole church.

David can talk, blend and help other kids all at the same time.

David can talk, blend and help other kids all at the same time.

The kids get pretty excited about the whipped cream going on top the mocha frappes.

The kids get pretty excited about the whipped cream going on top the mocha frappes.

We love our church and are very glad to have made it our home these past 10 plus years. Tim was affirmed as an elder today. He served for 6 years, took 2 years off, and will serve again in the upcoming year.

I am proud of him and the way he works and ministers so faithfully.

Project 365 – Day 179
Kathy

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Events, Family, Joshua, Marriage

An Engaging Couple

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Some three years ago, my oldest son went off to college. It seemed harmless enough, at the time.

As these things sometimes transpire, he immediately noticed a certain red-headed girl on campus, and one thing led to another. Today, in a small gazebo on Tranquility Island (Kerrville, TX) in the middle of the Guadalupe river, Joshua proposed to Miss Kelsie Leaf, who graciously consented to become his wife.

We think this is the actual gazebo, courtesy of the interweb.

We think this is the actual gazebo, courtesy of the interweb.

Although they have not yet fixed a date, there is talk of a December wedding. We are so delighted to welcome Kelsie into our family (or invite ourselves into hers) and we hope and pray that God will bless them greatly as they take this monumental step.

The ring itself.

The ring itself.

It is strange to think of my son beginning to found his own household — it seems only just last year I was teaching him to crawl up and down the stairs in our Stamford, CT house. Admittedly, it was 1994, which is technically a little more than a year ago. (My grip on reality is sometimes a bit tenuous.) In any case, we are so excited to see the love that Joshua and Kelsie have for each other.

They do look ridiculously happy together, it is true.

They do look ridiculously happy together, it is true.

Joshua is not really into pictures, and so he neglected to have a professional wedding photographer present to record the entire story for the benefit of remote relatives who just might have an interest. For this reason, we are forced to use pictures from this Spring, of the two of them as a couple.

As the scripture says:

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22)

Of course, with marriage between a man and a woman serving as a template for our relationship with God, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention God’s intention for engagement:

And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. (Hosea 2:19)

We will be praying that God will continue to bless Joshua and Kelsie with some of that steadfast love for each other.

"He always was a good-looking kid," I told his mother.

“He always was a good-looking kid,” I told his mother. Whatever you may think about that, Kelsie looks beautiful, nestled into his shoulder.

Congratulations on your engagement, Kelsie and Joshua! We are so happy for you both!

Project 365, Day 178
Tim

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Daily Life, Project 365, Rachel

Kayaking and Decluttering

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Rachel has developed a love of kayaking. We have some friends with kayaks, and they are incredibly generous to share with us. Rachel went out on Monday and has been itching to go again.

[Sound familiar, Shari?]

Today, even though it was grey and cloudy (sun didn’t come out until we LEFT the lake, go figure), we went to play in the water. Rachel stole off in one of the kayaks.

Go Rachel!

Go Rachel!

We came home, and I got back to work on the mess that is my garage. I made lots of great progress. No pictures yet. It was bad enough baring my shame for the internet in that other post. We stopped for a quick dinner, then it was back out to the garage for me.

So far I have filled the back of the van with bags to donate. I’ve nearly filled up our recycling and trash bins, and still have more to do. My desire would be to have some sort of a designated spot for everything in the garage. Christmas decorations in their respective bins. Tim’s tools all sorted and organized. Computer parts – check. Filed paperwork – check. Toys – organized. Homeschool materials – sorted and filed. Books – everywhere.

Okay, that last one is definitely true. Just not willing to really sort through and pare down the books.

Tim was wonderful and went through 3 old, old laptops for me. He pulled off any pictures or files that were remaining, got rid of the batteries, went through a big box of random cords, and made me a nice stack for the trash. Yay! I love it when I get help from Tim and the kids on sorting things in the garage. Teamwork is my favorite!

I didn’t stop working until Rachel came home from her shift. Daniel was closing at Chick-Fil-A, so he was gone late. Sarah and a friend were enjoying a High School Musical marathon (always fun!). Rachel and David convinced me to stop my relentless decluttering and organizing and watch a movie with them (something other than HSM). Nice to take a break.

Sisters!

Sisters!

Tomorrow we continue. I LOVE summer and having relaxed days where we can tackle projects, visit with friends, and sometimes kayak out into the blue water.

Project 365 – Day 175
Kathy

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Kathy, Project 365

Yard Work

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Several years ago, I built four raised garden beds for my tomato empire (which never really took off). As with many of my hopes and intentions, the tomato plants produced a lot of leaves but less fruit (or vegetable, depending on where you fall in the great “Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable” debate) than I had expected. The first step is determining where you would like to plant your tree, whether that be in the front, back, or side of your house. Different trees will thrive more in certain areas depending on the amount of sunlight they require, soil type, and amount of water. It is essential to look into the zoning and neighborhood association rules to ensure you’re following all guidelines as some place limitations on the types of tree as well as the location in which they can be planted. Determining your property lines is another factor that should be considered as the expected size of the tree in its adult life may sway your decision, If you want to know how to properly plant a tree? Then visit to KG landscape website.

My sweetie in yard-work mode.

My sweetie in yard-work mode.

Now we are dismantling the garden beds, one by one, leaving only one to house a few, paltry plants. Kathy got tired of waiting for someone else to do it, so she’s out there this evening hacking at the weeds that cover the structure.

The messy covering of hay offends Kathy, and it must be removed.

The messy covering of hay offends Kathy, and it must be removed.

Once she’s removed the hay from the garden bed, we can remove the sides and use the dirt as topsoil for our front yard (where we hope to plant some shrubs or ground cover).

Kathy's cool extendable hoe is really earning its keep.

Kathy’s cool extendable hoe is really earning its keep.

We seeded the ground with grass seed, where the other two garden beds used to stand, but one seems to have produced only weeds. There is a particularly prolific and fast-growing weed that seems to spring up wherever we leave a little unattended dirt. I only wish our grass would grow like that.

Mystery weeds

Mystery weeds

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Friendship, Project 365, Rachel

Girl’s Night Out

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Hello, it’s Rachel again. Wait, don’t go, my mom asked me to blog, okay? Today my mother has been extremely busy organizing, cleaning, and rearranging our home. Sarah has been kindly helping her all day. What a blessing it is to have a mother who works so hard to make our house a home. She strives to create a welcoming atmosphere where fellowship and hospitality is not only encouraged, but demonstrated. I hope to someday be as gracious of a wife and mother as she has shown herself to be.

My dearest friend from WA, Jenny, graced our home with her presence this weekend. (This is literally the second time I’ve seen her & I’ve been home for a month so she’s lucky I still love her.) But, bitterness aside, any time spent with her is wonderful. We spent the day together – running errands, cleaning, playing cards, laughing, and enjoying each other. Unexpectedly, we both had the evening free and decided to have a “date night.” We dressed up (heels, dresses, hair, the works,) and headed out on an adventure.

Our outfits may clash, but we don't. ;)

Our outfits may clash, but we don’t. ;)

Sarah was kind enough to take a few photos of the “finished product.” (I don’t normally dress up, ok? It has to be duly documented when it happens.)

We love to laugh almost as much as we love each other.

We love to laugh almost as much as we love each other.

We ended up in Steilacoom right as the sun was setting. We ate at a little bar & grill located near the water. Sitting at a little corner booth near the window, we simultaneously joked and discussed life. (What best friends are supposed to do, right?)

bffs

bffs

We ordered a delicious slice of cheesecake and two cups of coffee. (Also delicious.) What a fun treat for both of us.

Isn't she so pretty? (The cheesecake is pretty too though.)

Isn’t she so pretty? (The cheesecake is pretty too though.)

What a joy it is to have this wonderful woman in my life. Jenny, today was an absolute dream, and it wasn’t because of the cheesecake. It was because of your sense of humor, your compassionate heart, your positive attitude, your brilliant mind, and your beautiful soul. You have been my best friend for 10+ years and I never want to give you up.

xoxo

xoxo


xoxo

Project 365 – Day 170
Rach

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