I remained silent yesterday in posting as it was a day with not much good to say.  Not a bad day, just a bad mood and a bad back that left this mama grumpy and short tempered.  Add in another day with a heat index of 110+….. It was best to just remain silent.

About lunchtime the dog did something humorous and I laughed in spite of myself.  It felt good and I realized it had been a while since I had done that.  I doubt that I should let myself go so long without smiling or laughing.  (My husband is nodding his head as he reads this.)

In spite of all its ups and downs and interruptions, it was a good week, because life is a gift and God doesn’t give bad gifts.

We went to the dentist

And found out Emma needed a filling replaced.

We served others

And bought groceries

And did school.

Our oldest lost her first dog to xylitol poisoning.

**Please keep chewing gum away from your pets.**

I discovered a family of flies living in the basement.

And immediately panicked.

We bug bombed the house.

Emma got her filling replaced

And we tried to find ways to stay out of the house for four and half hours in 105 degree heat.

We cleaned the house

And finished off the school week.

I read Ann’s blog

And decided that regardless of how bad I may feel, I needed to gather up the fleeting moments of summer and take them to the lake beach.

The sun and the sand worked their God-given magic and my children spilled their energy and I laid down my burdens and we enjoyed just being.

The weekend awaits.  I must steal away and find time somehow to string together a lifestyle and ideals into thoughts and words that encourage and strengthen.  And then I hope to steal more moments of time with my husband and my children.  Because summer is fleeing away.  I always welcome the return of routine and schedule and order when fall comes (and yes, this year at least, temps back down in the double-digits).  But I always mourn the end of summer:  the freedom, the warmth, the slowness.  But it is the coming and going of the seasons of time and of life that teach us to appreciate them all for what they are, unique blessings from the heavenly Father’s hand.  I will see you on Monday when we count them again.

Have a blessed weekend, friends!

By His Grace ~

~ Sara

With a few more photos from July 4th (well, technically July 5th, since we got rained out on the 4th)….

This week we had yet another bat in our basement.  Seriously?  Seriously.  This is our third bat in eight months.  It is also our third bat in eleven years of marriage and the third indoor bat I’ve experienced in 32 years of life.  And what on earth are they doing in the basement?  I’m seriously baffled.  More bizarre, this one was on the floor dead.  At least I didn’t have to listen to it cry as Matt bludgeoned it with a tennis racket.  Not that we have experience with that or anything. 😮

Coco was *not* a fan of the fireworks.

We worked our way through our second week of school!  This week ran like a well-oiled machine.  It was lovely and I’m thankful for it.  Next week we add in the last of our home-based subjects – science, writing, geography, and latin.  Things could get a little dicey around here for a few days.  😛

Ellie trying her hand at pyrotechnics

We celebrated the tenth birthday of our oldest child.  Surreal.  That’s all there is to it.  I had a passing thought at one point that went like this “Well, in six years she’ll understand (such and such about driving)…”  and then I thought, “In SIX YEARS!!!”  And I considered going back to bed for a very long time.

Chandler's turn - and more of the spastic dog

In spite of a sickly stomach, I had a good run on Wednesday.  I’m thankful for my running partners and the deepened friendships that have resulted from sweating and gasping for breath and feeling like we’re going to puke together.

What could be more fun than walking through a smoke bomb?

I took two girls to the dentist this week for their regular exams.  Thankfully, they both passed.  🙂  Ellie had her first turn in “the chair”.  She felt like a rock star, I think.  Maybe it was the sunglasses.

Not from July 4th - Ellie chillaxin' in the dentist's chair

I’ve been reading Radical by David Platt.  That combined with other books I’ve read in the past twelve months and just general stirrings are causing some discomfort in my spirit.  I’m still praying about what it all means and what I’m supposed to do in response…I’m sure I’ll post more on that soon enough.

Back to July 4th - Everyone had to get in on the fun

There have been some great posts on other sites this week.  Won’t you take a look?

Let Them Have You – Sarah Markley – I’m proud of myself….I did this on Tuesday night at the pool.  My goal when swimming is always to be firmly planted on a lounge chair.  Best case, I might stick my feet in, but I’m definitely not putting my face in the water.  But I decided to embrace “yes” that night when I was asked to go down a slide (it might also have been the fact that it was 100 degrees at 7 pm) with my girls.  Then I got all crazy and jumped off the 5 meter board and was pretty sure I was going to die.   🙂

It Feels Like Redemption – Kristen Welch – She articulates some of those uncomfortable thoughts I’ve been having.

Wrecked – Sarah Markley – More of those uncomfortable thoughts…

Elizabeth Esther’s interesting response to Proposition 8.  I’m not sure yet how I feel about this, but it’s though-provoking nonetheless.

Six Hundred – Ali C. – you can pray for someone in Africa in a specific and necessary way.  An inexpensive, yet PRICELESS, way to touch the life of someone halfway around the world.

That’s it for me.  Have an amazing weekend, friends.  Seek God, glorify Him, and enjoy Him this weekend!  See you on Monday when we get to count the blessings once again.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

July 17 – 30

In the past couple of weeks…

we’ve celebrated eleven years of marriage,

had a fairly successful yard sale,

and purged our home of some unnecessary stuff.

We found out our light fixture was fairly valuable,

played miniature golf,

and swam and swam and swam some more.

We started school,

and finished our first week  – hooray!!!

Hoping your past couple of weeks have been filled with good times, great memories, and growing in grace.  Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

June 26 – July 16

We’ve celebrated a seven-year-old’s birthday.

We’ve been learning to swim.

On the board

We’ve had a bat in the basement and a dead, wet mouse on the living room floor.

I’ve been broken.

I’ve been forgetful.

We’ve enjoyed amazing weather and we’ve survived amazing heat.

We’ve driven out to the country to swim in a pond, play with goats, and visit with friends.

We’ve celebrated the birth of our country.

We’ve (sort of) celebrated the birth of our dog.

There have been date nights and family nights.

I’ve planned for next year’s school.

We’ve purchased new-to-us furniture and rearranged most of the first floor of our house.

We’ve been recipients of hospitality and givers of it.

Life has been good.

Have a great weekend!

Our first full week of regular life since vacation was this week.  It’s gone well.  Although, between shuttling Grace to ballet camp and cleaning house and doing my housewifely duties, I don’t feel like we’ve accomplished much.  But the house is clean and the fridge is full, so I guess that’s something!

Grace had her first taste of pre-pointe II this week at camp.  If she does well once classes start in August, she may be able to go on pointe at the end of September.  She’s so excited!

The other girls and I did normal things like grocery shopping and laundry and house cleaning.  I wish I could find a way (other than financial bribery) to get them excited about cleaning.  Sometimes they are.  But other times you would think I was asking them to dig their own grave. 

Yesterday I took the girls to the swimming beach.  We’ve been going there for a few years and absolutely love it, but we did experience a “first” yesterday.  Grace discovered a leech on her foot!  Ewwww!!!!  Seriously, that’s gross.  Somehow, in my head, those didn’t even exist anymore.  I’m not sure what I thought had happened to them, but I certainly didn’t expect her to come out of the swimming beach with one.  Further reason why I don’t need to get in the water there and can continue to casually sit in my lounge chair and read.

Tonight the girls are supposed to run in a local kids fun run.  I’m secretly hoping they’ll change their minds.  I love the heat and humidity, but honestly, it’s like 1000% humidity out there and I would much rather get some mexican food and find a shaded patio to eat on.

Tomorrow is one of our favorite annual events – Symphony in the Flint Hills!  An amazing event we look forward to every year.  Can’t wait!

The gifts of “the fruit of the Spirit” do not automatically become evident in our lives.  If we are not discerning enough to recognize their availability to us, to desire them, and then to nourish them in our thoughts, they will never become embedded in our nature or behavior.

~Streams in the Desert, June 11

Have an amazing weekend, friends.
~Sara