Rainy Day Fun

Here's a great recipe for a very soft play dough that lasts a long time. The ingredients are simple and usually available in my cupboard. Perfect to make on a rainy day like today.

Play Dough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

food coloring

Cook on medium heat until a ball forms (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and knead in food coloring. Place in baggy or airtight container. It will last for several months.

I divided the dough in two and let the kids pick what color they wanted...yellow for Caedmon and pink for Kaiya today.

Here are some pictures to help me remember the beautiful sunny day that it was yesterday. The wheat in our field is just starting to change colors. Here's a funny quote from Kaiya this morning. As I was taking the sheets off my bed to wash them she asked me "did you pee in your bed, mommy?"

I usually like the month of June alot!

A Father's Day ice cream break at DQ with my Dad. Love you Dad!

The month of June comes real close to being my very favorite month of the year. Our anniversary is in June, summer is just beginning and of course father's day as well. With my hubby being gone on two business trips this month and studying every night of the month for his final CLU exam, it was a bit stressful at times. My role of mommy doubled to meet the needs of the family. Father's Day weekend was spent at home so he could spend hours studying for the exam he took the following Monday. He PASSED the test last Monday and I was thrilled and very proud of him, but sad because he would be leaving again that night for the next two days in Chicago. So while he was gone, we planned some fun things to do to pass the time. On Monday my mom came and helped with strawberry jam. Monday night was a "girls & Caedmon slumber party". My three nieces and my mom spent the night and we had a ball pampering ourselves and doing girly things. By the end of the evening, Caedmon was saying "I wish I was a girl". Poor guy...Maci came to the rescue and painted lines on his face so he could dress up like a football player. Kaiya just soaked it all in...she's such a girly girl!Loved having all the girls here! They even gave me this sweet thank you card.

Daddy coming home from Chicago! It is so good to have him home again and even sweeter to have the help again now that the studying is finished.

For Daddy

The Gift Of The "Present"

That was the title of the sermon last Sunday at our church. Pastor Troy had the message and really made a lot of great points. In fact, both Kevin and I were fighting over a pen so we could quickly scribble down some notes.

It was about making the most of and being thankful for today and we've all heard that before, but he really drove it home last Sunday. Some of us are stuck in the past, but I think most of us are thinking about and focused on the future. We can't wait to finish high school...can't wait to get through college...can't wait to start a career, get married, have children, make more money, buy a larger home, better car, and so on.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." A quote by John Lennon and so true. My goal is to try to make the most of today, but it is a challenge sometimes for me. Luke 10:38-42 is the familiar story of Mary & Martha. Mary listens while Martha labors...I'm the Martha in this story...I want to be more like Mary.

Pastor Troy challenged us to live in 24 hr. compartments. If I only had 24 hours left of my life, what would I do?

Matthew 6:33-34 in the Message Bible states:

33" What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Here is what we've been up to this week.

A lake day with friends, Amy & Jaime. I enjoyed chatting and sunning with you two!

And you never know who's going to get hurt next around here...this time it was me. A little accident occurred and I'm not even sure how, but by the time all was said and done three out of four people that live here were crying. :) I was bending over and Kaiya bumped my chin with her head causing me to bite my lip pretty hard. As I was quickly walking down the hall holding my mouth with blood on my hand, Caedmon comes out of the bathroom...I run him over...he falls down on his behind and now three people are in tears.

I love the long summer evenings where daylight hangs around a little longer.

And today is my niece Rylie's eighth birthday. We met my mom at Burger King for lunch.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift; that is why they call it the "Present."

Twelve Years on the 22nd

An anniversary gift to my hubby....we're celebrating twelve years on the 22nd of June.

Here's a closer look at the pictures we took at the park on Saturday.

This man so wonderfully completes me. I can't imagine life without him. We've both grown sooo much in the past twelve years...especially me.

What amazes me, is how God places two people together that are so opposite of each other and uses the strengths in each to make them whole. I am not the person I was before meeting this man. I have become a better person indeed!

Kevin's favorite part of the photo shoot!

When we arrived at the park, there was a wedding taking place in this area (notice the chairs set up in the background and a few remaining members of the wedding party). I was worried we wouldn't get to take pictures in this area, but we hung around long enough to be able to thankfully. Such a perfect spot for a wedding! Why didn't we have ours here?

Happy Anniversary, Baby! What an amazing memory this day is...I love you! Looking forward to our little get away in a couple weeks!