Happy 50th Anniversary to my parents.

They beat the odds. They got married in 1962. He was 20 and she was 17. I'm sure there many days they wondered what they heck they had done. But they stuck it out. Now, 50 years later they have three children, 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Here is a sneak peak at what I've been working on. Meanwhile we are all going up home to the ranch to celebrate!

 

 

 newlyweds

I'm guessing they had been married about 10 years

 

25th anniversary

40th anniversary

45th anniversary



Happy Birthday Dad!

This is my dad's 70th birthday. I'm still having a hard time believing that because he doesn't seem that he should be much past 50. Time has a way of playing tricks on you. Anyway, it's late and I'm getting ready to go help my parents celebrate their 50th anniversary as well as Dad's birthday and my granddaughter's and my brothers. It's a busy weekend. So instead of telling you about my dad I just decided to post some pictures that I found recently.

 

70 years old already?

What I did this week...

I got the boys school supplies ready.

I canned a few quarts of tomatoes.

I cleaned my house...and two toilets. Trust me it was overdue.

I was weeding the squash and when I reached down to pull it at the root, I almost grabbed a snake instead.

I scored big time on clothes for the grand girls.

I read a couple of books.

I stayed home, a lot. In fact there are only two things on my calendar for the rest of the month. It's kind of pathetic really.

God blessed in a special way that encouraged me more than I can ever say.

I have this mental to-do list that is a mile long, so once the boys start to school, I'm writing it down and working on it. I'm looking forward to being able to cross those things off the list and know that I'm accomplishing something.

Until then I'm going to enjoy this bit of cooler weather that we are having.

Where has my summer gone?

Although it has been a hot and brutal summer here, it has gone quickly. The month of July was a blur.

1. We spent many hours at the swimming pool, both boys passed their swim lessons and will level up next year.
2. We had a busy week of VBS.
3. Then I spent a week praying and worrying about my hometown as the county was engulfed in one of the largest wildfires in the history of Nebraska. My brother was even interviewed on tv.
4. We are in  a terrific drought, you can check it out here. My garden is struggling along but when I see the corn in the fields I try to remember my garden is small thing in the scheme of things.

And now it is August. We've had many fires in our community over the past week. Last night a storm came through and they said that lightning started 20 different fires. Last I heard they were still fighting two of them. I pray they get the fires out so our firefighters can get some rest, they have to be exhausted.
I just finished a huge project that has taken several months. I'll write about that later.
I took the boys to the dentist and had very discouraging reports. One is going to need several fillings, probably due to all the meds he's consumed in his short life. And the other had no cavities but apparently is missing 4 adult teeth. Weird, huh?
I'm worrying about my older kids, all for different reasons, and missing them all.
I'm praying for my mother in law who is in the hospital and may have to explore an alternative to living at home and that makes me sad for her and the family.

And, I just realized that today was my grandma's birthday and I forgot to call her! ARGH! Making a note to call her in the morning and going to bed. I'm sure when I wake up it will be September and I'll have missed another month, or at least it will seem like it.

Rebellious Teenagers

I have come to realize that sometimes we people who call ourselves Christians are really more like rebellious teenagers. I don't want to do what God wants me to? No problem, I sit in the corner and scowl and pout. Or I may slam the door to my heart. Or I may just what I want to anyway.

Last week I was visiting with a friend and she casually mentioned she'd just picked up a book from the library. As an avid reader I asked what she was reading. When she said it was "Fifty Shades of Grey" I have to say was more than a bit stunned. You see, we had talked about this book previously. She had said her friends at work were reading it and talking about it. I told her what I had read in reviews about it. For instance when you look it up on Google the first result is "mommy porn". We had talked about not reading things that were not pleasing to God. So when I suggested that she should not read this book she really got her nose out of joint. And in the end she said," I just want to see what all the fuss is about, I'll skip through the raunchy parts."

Doesn't that sound like a teen who says, "but all my friends are doing it"

God says, " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

I will be the first to admit that I don't always do what God wants me to. But I am trying. And I am praying that my friend has second thoughts before she opens that book.

Stacey McDonald has written a very interesting article about this subject. Take a few minutes to go read it.

Summer Days

This has to be one of the hardest summers I ever remember.

We just finished up a two week period where the heat reached 100 or above every day. According to the weather service this is the driest year in history. We have had less then 4 inches of precipitation for the entire year. When you live in a farming and ranching community this is not the kind of news you like to hear.

My garden has done poorly this year, I lost some plants and had to start over. Things just don't seem to be thriving as they should. All except for the tomatoes. I may have tomatoes earlier than ever before. I did pick green beans on the 4th of July, a first for me.

I have always been the kind of mom who made their kids play outside in the summer. If it's hot I encourage them to play quiet games in the shade or if it gets really hot they will run through the sprinkler. This year I gave in and we have either been at the pool or in the air conditioned house most of the day. By the way I have been extremely thankful for a house that has central air.

The past few days have been cooler and it has been such a nice reprieve. I intend to enjoy every minute of it and make use of the cooler weather to catch up on some weed pulling! I live such an exciting life. (smile)

My Fiction Reading List- or Books Everyone Should Read

1.  A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich ( I highly recommend all of her books and I have a goal to own them all someday)
2.  Persuasion by Jane Austen ( this is my favorite Austen novel)
3.  Anne Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
4.  Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder (and the rest of the series)
5.  Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
6.  The Narnia series by C. S Lewis
7.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
8.  Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
9.  An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
10.  Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott, my personal favorite of this particular author.

Just a few that I can think of.