Excuse me while I kick butt today....

Bread dough:  made.
First batch of salsa this summer:  done.
Steaks:  bathing in the marinade.
Laundry:  oh please, this is a constant.
Proof in Pictures:  oh.....not yet.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some more of today to conquer. 

New Look, New Stuff

What better day than a Monday to start things off with a new look?

Here is the Claire-Bear Before:

And After:

I know what you're thinkin:  she looks older.  

She is.  

I know.

**********************

So today I met with a chiro in a neighboring town to chat about how she has contracted with a massage therapist in the past. 

And I walked out with a new place to practice.  

Starting next week, I am looking forward to working with the Wilton Chiropractic Clinic a few days a week.  

If you are in the area, come see me.  And schedule a massage.  

But I will still be in Durant at the Xpressive Stylz on the other days.  

It's all good.  

***********************************

Speaking of good stuff.....I am meeting up with a coordinator from Norma's Place at the 180 Zone this week.  This is also new stuff.  And also Good Stuff.  Can't wait to tell you more about it.  

Weekend in Review....

So I picked the little girls up from camp on Friday.

Besides a bunch of laundry, this is what things looked like:

Yes.
I've always known Spring Valley Bible camp to be very good at
Wearing the kids out
Teaching biblical truths
IN A WAY THAT IS FUN
And that the kids always come home with new friends.

When I went to pick the girls up the first thing I heard from one of the campers was....

"Are you the sisters' mom?"

I didn't know if I should have been proud or scared when I heard that.

"Yes...I am."

The young  camper showed me the way to my girls' cabin.

They all had fun.

They all got along.

And there was APPARENTLY only one phone call to the cops on my kids' last day at CHURCH CAMP.
From what I gather, the kids were so loud at camp that someone from the neighboring housing community called the cops.

As a mama to the "sisters" I'm not sure if I should have been proud or horrified at this.

But it is church camp.
These are my girls.
So I can't really say that I'm surprised.
So I nod my head at this as it is revealed to me
But secretly shout an "AMEN!"
Cuz I know it has everything to do
with my kids
having fun
at
CHURCH
CAMP.

************************************


The rest of the weekend revolved around Brian and his 30-year class reunion.

As his date
(and his significant 'other' for the last several years)
I assumed that everyone knew who I was.

But.

Apparently I was wrong.

I took lots of pictures.

And socialized.

And about every second-to-third question from everyone was something to the effect of:

How old are you?

The same question came in a couple of different forms....

But the nutshell version sounded something like this:

What is your last name.....oh, How old are you?

or.

What year did you graduate?

and then there is my favorite:

It turned out to be so nice tonight....so, how old are you?

It was fun.

But it became clear very quickly that everyone wanted to know if Brian robbed the cradle or not.  

Fortunately for me....i can chalk it up to good genetics.  

It's all good!

Goin To Camp

It has been a crazy fun week for the girls here.... Getting ready to go to church camp. Claire and Tookie get to go together this year.....

Here is tookie transforming our living room into a camp/fort.

Here's the girls shaving up before the big week.

Packed up and ready to go.

Saying some "goodbyes."

And off we go....

It takes us a super-long 21.4 minutes to get to the camp that the girls have been counting down the days to since this time last year.

The last 20 minutes of the countdown are the longest.

(just a side note...i love it that i live in an area where you can drive 20 minutes away and feel like you are lightyears away)

 This year the girls are in the same cabin.
Not what they would have chosen, necessarily.
But just the way it worked out.


 I had a nice little discussion with the two of them,
reminding them that this is church camp
and there is no reason why they can't try to get closer to each other
and God at the same time......

....I'm pretty sure this conversation included several
eye rolls.....

I love Spring Valley Bible Camp.

I would go if they would let me.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for making camp possible for the girls....

And for driving me away when it was past the "parent-stalking" time.

(i want to live at church camp)

Happy 4th

The Week in Review

This girl turned 14.
Here she is with the forced photo I impose on all of my kids for their bdays.
The baby pic.
(so i can remind them of how big they were when they were born, the labor/delivery/c-section process that a mama just sometimes needs someone to know)
And the bead jar.
(there is a bead for each day until she turns 18. It is my own visual reminder that the "beads" are going away. each week I take 7 beads out of the vase. It hurts to do.  It makes me wanna make each "bead" count. i'm funny like that)

She doesn't have her drivers permit yet...so she offers to move the van for me when Nathan is mowing.  She drives through the yard.  (because that is "more legal" than driving in the street?) (in her mind, it is)
Fortunately, we have an empty lot in between our house and the neighbors.
On two sides.
(Whew.)

She also invited a friend to "hang out" on her birthday.

"We" went out to eat and to a movie.
By "we"
I mean Brian and I dropped the two of them off to the chinese buffet while we ran an errand and then hung out in the parking lot to wait for the call to pick them up.  It was cute, really.  I think it is good and healthy for any young man who wants to "hang out" with my daughter to get used to the fact that I am going to be there.
Just saying.

This girl thinks she wants to donate to locks for love.
But she isn't quite done growing her hair out.
So we curl it for fun.
She is learning that a woman's relationship with her hair is sometimes a love/hate thing.

Plus, also (forgive the junie b jones verbage if you will)
She hangs out with me at all the ballgames.
She babysits.
And she is sort of my extra right hand when I need one.

Everyone needs a Claire-Bear in their life.
I am so blessed to have her.

Tookie's team won the Minor League Championship.
It is her second year in a row to be on a team to be awarded this honor.
Her head is full of success.
And I am glad for her.
And trying to pull her down from the clouds here!

This Wildcat is still working hard.
On the field and off the field.
His job keeps him busy for 8 hours
And baseball keeps him busy for the rest.
He also does his best to fit in the off-season football workouts
And he only once was affected so much by all 3 things
That the heat got the best of him
And he had to call it a day before the day was over.

He has always been sensitive to extreme heat
And too many preservatives.
Always.

Poor kid can't drink eat a hot dog on a hot day....too much for his system.

But we love him anyway.


Today is the 4th of July.
We have plans to be with family and friends today.
I think of the pledge of allegiance.....and the meaning behind each stanza.


And I think of fireworks.
Which makes me think of this guy:

Love.