Howdy, Partner!

This past Sunday was Poppy's 65th birthday...We celebrated with a visit from Steph, a cookout complete with cowboy hats, homemade cactus decor and a few handpainted faux freckles. What a fun time!

Where's Waldo?

He's in Geneva!

My brother-in-law and his wife recently got a schnoodle puppy and named him Waldo...what a cutie!

Fun-Filled Weekend

Last week was the county fair. Friday night was wristband ride night and the bull-riding/rodeo grandstand show. So all went to the show to help "Poppy" celebrate his birthday a bit early. We had a really fun time and Emily captured a bit of the action for us with my camera...

She almost did some "Mutton Busting" aka sheep riding...they called for any interested children to come down and give it try. She immediately wanted to go so we went down...she was a bit confused about what it actually was. She thought that she was just going to have a nice "controlled" sheep ride like a kid's pony ride. When she saw the first boy go and fall off the sheep she had doubts in her mind. She later told us, "I said to myself...what was I thinking!?!" But, she decided she'd give it a go and was aboard the sheep in the pen, but HE decided not to go out the gate. Instead he went and hid in the corner giving her the perfect opportunity to rethink her decision and get off. We're proud of her for making an attempt and she says, "at least I got to hug a fluffy sheep".

After the show Em & Ben went on a couple rides and then she did a bunch of kid rides by herself. And of course we feasted on some good ole fair food...fried dough and fried oreos and took sugar waffles and a candy apple home with us.

Then, Saturday evening Em and I had a "girls night out" to the movies for Kit Kittredge: American Girl. I'm so glad I took Em to see it. It was fun spending some time together (just the 2 of us) and the movie was excellent.

What a fun weekend...just what we needed after a hectic week!

Our Little Beauty

So pretty...

Christmas in July

When Ben heard that Third Day was releasing a new cd last week, he came home all excited asking me to get online and order it for him. So...before it was actually released I ordered it. Anything for my hubby...besides, it gave me a great excuse to go ahead and order a book and cd that I had been wanting (gotta save on those shipping costs!)

For the next couple of days he anxiously awaited coming home from work to news that the "brown truck" had finally arrived with the package. As we opened the box of goodies we were like kids at Christmas...in July!

So now I've got a new read and we've both got some new tunes. And I must say that Third Day's "Revelation" is awesome!

Anxiously Waiting...

Ben has been gone to a men's retreat since Thursday evening. It has been rough on us as it is the longest he's been gone away from home and we have had no contact with him since he left. We received word "through the grapevine" a couple of hours ago that he would be on his way home soon, but so far we have not seen nor heard anything of his return. So we're trying to remain occupied and patient as we await his arrival, but I am getting a bit antsy for him to get here and Em is getting VERY anxious for her daddy to be home.

All in all it has been a good, busy weekend, but I am so ready for him to be back. I've come to a new appreciation in regards to his helpfulness with household and family duties and have realized how truly thankful I am for him in my life. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder...


UPDATE: He's home! Lots of hugs...daddy/daughter laughter...some pizza...now he's reading bedtime stories in her room. Life is good!

Dandelion

This summer I've really taken note of and gained an appreciation for dandelions. For some (including myself until recently), they are often thought of as a pesky weed that can overtake the lawn. But lately I can't help stopping to look at them and see their real beauty!

The bright yellow ones just seem so cheery (especially when I recall my fondest memories of great big hand-picked bouquets of them from my sweet little daughter)...

But I've been quite attracted to the ones that've gone to seed...they seem so significant and represent so much...

My inner child's thoughts often wander to all the wishes I've made over the years or could make as I gently blow the seeds away and watch them drift through the air... My spiritual nature envisions spreading the seeds of faith and watching the "new life" that results... My motherly instinct can't help but recall and ponder the joy of new life as it comes through a newborn baby...And just like the seeds are blown, land in various locations and then grow and bloom, so too can we bloom where we're planted when the things of this world seem to "blow us away" and leave us in new, unchartered territory.

Additionally, I am learning how beneficial and refreshing it can be to take the time out to notice the little things around us and find the hidden beauty in things that may at first glance seem to be unattractive and undesirable.

What "hidden treasures" have you noticed lately?