May 27-June 2

Something I like to call "rapture clouds."  Right?

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My oldest and youngest playing together--so sweet!

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An extra large dandelion seed from our nature walk at Cottonmill Park. I had Josh throw them in the air so I could try to photograph them.  This was the best I managed.

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We found a baby robin who had been booted from his nest.  The kids (Emmett in particular) were so excited and brought him over to the house and then went and got an empty nest they had found.  The little birdie stopped his upset chirping as soon as they stuck him inside.  We noticed the parents at that point and brought the bird back over to them.  They promptly fed him.

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Beautiful wheat.  Josh and I often stand at the back window and watch it ripple in the wind.  It's kind of like our own inland prairie ocean.  I will be so sad when all that remains is a field of stubble.

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The same baby robin, still hanging around our house, the parents still chirping all bothered when we get close.  Emmett has had a very hard time following instructions to "LEAVE THE BIRD ALONE!!!"  We're hoping baby bird figures out how to fly soon--otherwise I'm not sure how safe he he'll be around these parts much longer (loved.to.death)!  Emmett has been giving flying lessons, arms extended, "Flap like this birdie!"

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Effective this afternoon--our home becomes a bachelor pad.  The girls and I are heading to Girls of Grace Camp with our Lincoln church.  The camp site is only located 45 minutes from our house, so we get to miss out on the long van trek out here. ;o)  I have to say, us ladies are pretty excited--we're all looking forward to the fellowship of good friends!

Watercolor Wednesday

Summertime always seems a perfect time to do more art projects for us and yesterday I pulled out a nice thick pad of watercolor paper and a new paint set (don't you love the pristine look of new paints?). ;o)

The plan was to create rainbow snails, inspired by this blog--which happens to be my latest "blog crush"--oh the colors, ruffles, and craftiness I find there!

Owen really took to painting.  After finishing his snail he went on to do two very textured pieces (yay for extra thick paper that could withstand the "scrubbing").

And here's our end result.  The girls drew their own, but the boys insisted I make theirs.  We traced over the lines with Sharpie to make it "pop" more.  It was a cute, and for the most part colorful little project to have fun with (we had a few monochromatic snails as you can see).  And apparently it inspired Jackson, because he has yet to quit painting (he keeps making me draw him different bird species which he then paints the appropriate colors).

Hello Monday!

(The unofficial summer kick-off version)

Hello patriotic outfit I acquired at Wal-mart . . . shirt and shoes for right around $7 total!

(Wal-mart tanks are my go-to "mom uniform" for the summer--they're great for around the house, fabulous running attire, and only $3.88 a pop--what's not to love?) ;o)

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Hello summer-fy-ing (a word, yes?) the hutch! 

I was looking for some patriotic colors to pull in and remembered these items I had tucked away:

 A hatbox (that hold all of our wedding cards) and a framed wedding invitation that were shower gifts from the very sweet Natalie Becker.  Seeing as we have a June anniversary it seemed fitting to work those into the summer decor.

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Hello boys' room makeover! 

 There was a lot of painting going on last week, the dresser went navy, the walls from brick red to gray.  There was also some major organizing that happened, striving for "a place for everything and everything in its place."  So far so good, the boys are inspired and keeping it tidy (which is nothing short of miraculous!). ;o)

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Hello jar of simple syrup in my fridge!

Definitely a summer-time necessity--tonight we used it for some Sweet Peach Tea.  Yummy!

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Hello summer plans!

I've still got a bit of space left just in case some more inspiration strikes.  We have lots of "tour Nebraska" plans.  Living out here we're closer to a myriad of fun historical sites.  Technically fourth grade should have been Marissa's Nebraska history year, and that is kind of the plan over the summer--to do a lot of hands-on Nebraska history. 

And hello little paper pennant banner because everything is more fun with a banner! ;o)



May 20-26

One more picture from our fishing expedition . . . this one's kind of special to me.

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Our Cecropia Moth friend that Josh caught and Emmett managed to set free in Grandpa and Grandma's house, but was subsequently caught again (and then freed again while Emmett was sleeping . . . ).

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Some happy bowls that I found at the TJ Maxx in Lincoln!  I adore that color and I needed some new mixing bowls (really, I did!!). ;o)

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While we don't have the prettiest of yards here the wheat field in the back has more than made up for it!  I'm amazed at how "blonde" it has gotten just a few days after snapping this picture (hitting 100 degrees today will do that!). Harvest is just around the corner. And I think I foresee some more wheat pictures with the kids in the very near future (a full month ahead of schedule!).

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I heard the air compressor running and running--upon investigation I discovered it was Owen "filling" up his trike tires.  Now technically, these tires do not go flat, but he happened to find a bolt in the vicinity of the tire that looked enough like a tire stem and was giving it his best effort.  That boy does not fail to entertain us!

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Working on the summer activity list--we were able to cross off the root beer floats last night (although I'm quite certain that activity will be revisited). ;o)

The first watermelon of the season.  The seven of us managed to polish this baby off in one meal--a first for us!  And Emmett is a goofball. ;o)

A Book Recommendation

I recently read a book that was good in a quiet and thoughtful sort of way, and just wanted to share a few quotes that really resonated with me.  The book is this:

It is based on the author's grandparents' experiences as missionaries in China.  My only complaint would be I wish I knew what was real and what was added for the story--because it is a good story.  If it had all been true it would have made for an even better story.

But the quotes that really gave me pause were these:

"We often wait for God with hope.  But sometimes we must wait for hope.  We may feel nothing, but we do not rely on our feelings.  When we don't feel hope, we wait for it, and it always comes."

While feelings can be so real and insurmountable at times they are not always an accurate gauge of where I'm at.  Sometimes the best thing to do is wait.  I've been talking about this a lot with Marissa lately as we've begun to deal with the woes of adolescence.  I keep telling her "don't let feelings drive the car" meaning don't let your feelings be what guide your actions, they can't be in charge.

And this one:

"Lastly I pray that throughout the day God's will, not mine, be done, whatever that may mean.  When I was younger, I thought it meant traveling a road that was straight and confining and predictable, something to be done correctly, like finding my way though a maze where only one path is right.  I thought following that path would always feel true and safe and virtuous and that it would give me a surefooted, foolproof sense about life.  This narrow thinking was mine, not His; I no longer believe it.  When I am in God's will, sometimes I do feel comfortable and at ease, but I just as often feel anxious and unsettled, for He often leads me into unfamiliar waters.  I do not let these feelings guide me.  Nor do I heed what the world must think of me, for I know that in its view my life would seem a failure.  Some would look at me and see a childless widower, living alone, his life's work in question.  But I think of myself as extraordinarily blessed, rich beyond measure, the unlikely recipient of the great honor of serving my Lord in a faraway land, and I am amazed at my great good fortune."

This is/was so me.  Thinking that by following all the rules and determining to do things the right way I could somehow control my destiny and my life would turn out just as I had planned, perfect and comfortable and easy.  Living out here, while I'm certain is God's will for us right now has not been comfortable, it has left me unsettled, and put me in unfamiliar places.  Truly that whole quote could be mine (aside from the childless widower and faraway land part, well, maybe Arapahoe does count for a faraway land?). ;o)

So, anyway, looking for a summer read?  You might enjoy this one. ;o)

At the Pond

Unbeknownst to us, my parents had been putting together a little surprise.  On one of my dad's farms is a really cool pond.  It's way back from the road and private, surrounded by lots of trees.

He moved on an old camper, set up a picnic table and grill, and then purchased a paddle boat.

And voila!!!

Our own private camping and picnicking spot!

The kids were absolutely delighted!

They toured the pond and its little islands . . .

went fishing . . .

and caught a whole bunch!!!

(This picture is "classic Papa Roy"--assisting the fish in telling the kids a story, I'm certain a "fish tale" of some sort.) ;o)

Owen's first catch!

I got out on the paddle boat too.  It just so happens my dad added a small boat motor to the back (of course!) so if you feel like a leg work-out you can get one, or you can just kick back and cruise the pond at your leisure.  He thinks of everything, no? ;o)

Emmett's wiggly catch--love the cute face expression from the fishie splashing so much water in his face.

In an hour or two we had probably caught 15-20 bass!  That's my kind of fishing--pretty much every time you threw out the line you had a bite.  We threw them all back but kept a few smaller ones in a bucket.  As we were preparing to throw those back too Emmett got a hold of one of them, and took off running, the fish laying across his outstretched hands.  Josh called to him, "Emmett where are you going with him?"  And Emmett yelled back in stern voice, "I'm taking him home with me!!"

He was quite distraught when Daddy caught up to him and relieved him of his new pet.  That boy and his creatures!!!

We're looking forward to much more summer fun down there--I believe the Mahoney State Park paddle boats have seen the last of us . . . ;o)

For Josh--

It was December of 2008 that Josh had a sudden revelation when sitting inside an elementary school, dropping off Isabella for speech.  He wanted to be a teacher.

And amazingly, I didn't tell him that was crazy or that it was too late for that.

I thought, yes, that makes sense.

I thought he would be a good teacher.

In a month's time he got himself registered and began taking under-grad science classes.

He balanced full loads of classes while trying to piece together enough income from two different jobs to get us by.  He worked furiously to get himself through school in the fastest method possible. He and I were ships passing in the night, I often in bed before he got home from work, him often leaving before the sun came up to get some extra studying in.  It was not easy.

Last year he was able to get his teacher certification and a paying teaching job.

And yesterday he officially completed his masters degree in education.

I am heart-bursting proud of what he accomplished!

He loves teaching.

Sometimes there is this wistfulness, "Oh, if only he had started out on this teaching path from the get-go . . ."  If only he hadn't gotten a major in business finance and done all those sales jobs we could have avoided all the searching and heart ache.  We would be further along.

But we both know how those experiences shaped him.  If he hadn't been given those experiences and the failures, if God hadn't stripped away our income . . . The hunger for a job in education would have never been there.

The door-to-door sales he did made him someone completely at home in front of a group of people--someone who never gets nervous.  He deals well with people from all walks of life.  The overgrown kid in him and his passion for science draw in even the most uninterested students, getting them excited to learn (I know this because they write him letters telling him how much they love his class!). He is so happy in his job--finally he is just not bringing in an income, he actually has a career.  Josh started this job with a wealth of life experiences that he wouldn't have had if he had become a teacher at 22.  It reminds me how God's ways are so much better than our own.

Josh might not be done with school yet . . . he has to wait another year, but then he can start a second masters in educational leadership--in the event some day down the road he wants to become a principal.  And he also laughingly told me that he wasn't going to get a doctorate but after seeing the cool robes they got to wear at graduation, he is reconsidering . . . ;o)

His mother and I laugh . . . Josh spent his fair share IN the principal's office during his growing-up years.  Who ever would have thought he'd become this life-long scholar?

And I remember that God knew, all along.

Mostly, though, I'm just thrilled at the example he is being for our kids. They got to see him work hard at something and achieve it.  You're never to old to get a do-over.  God is so gracious.

Way to go Joshie!!!