This 'n That

Whew! I feel like I've been on a merry-go-round! Isabel started kindergarten and for the first six weeks she goes half-day only. So the bus drops her off at our house everyday, except Monday, around 11:30! So if I want to get much done before she arrives, I really have to hustle! Audrey and Moira come here about 4pm to wait for their Daddy, unless he surprises all of us by coming home early.



She's such a sweetheart! We've had a good time playing games, baking, grocery shopping, she even helps me around the house, like taking laundry in/out of washer/dryer.


The first day, in one breath she said - "Hi Grandma, I'm hungry!" Her favorite lunch - PBJ - every day, except for the couple where we've had pretzels and nutella! An apple makes it more nutritious. Oh yes, Papa took us to Taco Bell one day - her choice! My favorite - NOT - but the burrito supreme tasted pretty good. I was hungry!


We celebrated Brett's birthday.


Moira wanted to make the watermelon "hedgehog" we saw pictured in a magazine. So this was her project.


Pretty cute! It was a big hit with the family!


I'm trying to get a head-start on my Bible study, which begins in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to being with this great group of a dozen or so wonderful women.


I've been busy this summer working on Mom2Mom stuff. Working with the program planning team, doing the brochure, and other details. We had our registration kick-off for Mom2Mom a couple of weeks ago. We are using the poppy theme this year. Our program theme is "Family Fragrance: Filling Your Home with the A.R.O.M.A. of Love". AROMA is an acronym for Affection, Respect, Order, Merriment, Affirmation and our speakers will be what I call "Wonderful Women of Grace", women from our church. We're excited about our year and look forward to our first meeting in October.


It was so hot this summer that I didn't get much gardening done. When the temp finally dropped, I began working outside. I worked about three hours every morning, Wed-Fri, weeding, deadheading, feeding - hoping for a "fall flourish". Saturday we went to the Wichita Botanical Gardens where the Wichita Day Lily Club was having their annual day lily sale. We purchased six "clumps" in three different color combinations so Saturday I began preparing the ground on the side of the house and then Sunday afternoon finished planting. Hope they all bloom next spring/summer!

It felt so good to be outside. Gardening was such a part of my exercise routine when we were in California - all year long, but alas, not so here in Kansas. Guess it's the Iowa farm girl that's still in me as I enjoy it so much. I was pretty sore and didn't know just how sore until Rich and I went to a new massage spa opening in Wichita. Oh my!!! I like a firm touch and I got that but virtually every muscle group in my body from shoulders to feet had deep knots. I'm finally admitting what a stressful year it's been - add all that hard gardening work on top of it and my body was in pretty bad shape. Anyway I'm better and the yard looks lovely.

This is our dinner-plate size hibiscus blooming in front garden. It didn't bloom much during the heat spell, but has started to bloom again. Beautiful!


Now I'm getting ready for Jeremy and Renee's visit. It will be so good to have them here!

Until next time ...

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are his people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Amen and Amen!