Too Hot to Cook

What do you do, when it's too hot to cook?  You cook outside!  

Jim's new grill + my cast iron skillets = a delicious dinner!

 Cauliflower (left) and grilled onions/peppers/beef (right)

 My favorite appetizer!

Stuff on a Bun

Leftovers:  I guess we don't really care for cauliflower, no matter how it's cooked.

Now I love my cast-iron skillets even more than ever!

FDoS Photo Shoot, Keena-Style

You know those posted pics you see of kids on their First Day of School?  

In my thinking, parents take one shot, and it's perfectly academic! 

 I have apparently birthed goofballs, so it takes a shot or two, or seven to get a good one. 

 I have decreed I am no longer packing lunches.  Given up my Lunch Lady button.  Yep, I'm mean like that.  So, here, David proudly displays the lunch he packed his-very-own-self.  Good boy, DK!

(Where is Grace?!)

 Photo shot, more of our neighborhood, than the school kids.

Our new-to-us Subaru Forester waits to make a delivery to BHS.

 Checking the photos I took on her iPod.

 Trying to decide if there's one in the bunch that will work for her.

Well, she's going to love this one!

 Dave's "I'm too cool to wear a backpack on the first day of school" pose.

 Papa Bear posting to Facebook.  He's way cool like that.

BINGO!

The official Senior/Sophomore photo!

"Make a difference!"

Happy Anniversary to Me!

How is it possible that 31 years ago today, I married the man I would spend the rest of my life with?  Wow, this has been some ride.  This morning at breakfast we talked about how our life has been amazing, truly amazing.  Thank you, Jim, for having me.  You have made all my dreams come true!

Family Dinner

Tonight we had one of the most delightful family dinners we've had in a long time.  The four of us dined on Hot Italian Turkey Sausages, 3-Veggie Saute, and Steak Cut Potatoes.  But that wasn't the delightful part.  After we were all finished eating, we sat at the table and talked.  And chatted.  And told stories.  Until Grace got up to get her gift from Nick, a Perry the Platypus iHome.  Grace and David took turns hooking up their iPods, and dancing to their tunes.  It was quite the display.  I just sat there and grinned, and held back tears...what a joy those two are! 

The Next Three Days

With 2/3 of the men gone, Jim asked me what I was going to do the next few days.

1.  Get my nails off
2.  Host one Turkish student
3.  Have dinner with Carla
4.  Take Grace school shopping (shopping for school, not shopping for a school...one more year at BHS!)
5.  Prepare signs for the church picnic
6.  Find new chairs for the Dining Room.
7.  Take a trunk full to the Goodwill.
8.  Call Granny.
9.  Catch up with my Bible study.
10. Pray for the 2 gone!

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

In The Last Two Weeks...

1.  A new bossy, boss has not killed me.
2.  Preparing Jim and David for backpacking for days in the Beartooths has not killed me.
3.  A wandering friend in our home has not killed me.
4.  Finding and purchasing a new car has not killed me.
5.  Praying through Devan's high fevers has not killed me.
6.  A liar has not killed me.
7.  Anxious nights of little sleep have not killed me.
8.  School shoe shopping has not killed me.
9.  Schedule conflicts have not killed me.
10.  Company, company, company will not kill me.

I must be amazingly stronger, right?!

Yes, Another Wedding

Jim performed only his second wedding of the summer last night.  It was again, another outdoor wedding, and again, the weather was Montana-summer-perfect.

The wedding arch, and musicians

Paper butterflies in the trees, and a mountain view

Paper heart garlands among the trees

The venue

Butterflies as boutineers 

Father and Bride. 

Cute minister

Weepy bridesmaid with butterfly bouquet

Listening to a beautiful wedding song

Surprise flute serenade!

The happy couples

Say, What?

After several nights of unrest, I found some ear plugs in my drawer, and decided to put them in for the night.  A. Maze. Ing.  I slept like a baby, not like a fussy baby that wakes two of three times a night, but like a baby that sleeps all night.  I've used them for a week now, and last night I was going to sleep without them.  Jim said "Put those ear plugs in, because when you don't sleep well, you get a little....crabby."  Hmph! 

I did put them in, and I suppose they are now my best friends.  I have slept better with them.  Not that Jim snores, or our neighbor's party or anything like that.  But the sound of my breathing is apparently what it takes for me to sleep well.  And, I do..  And I don't have to worry about spiders crawling into my ears.  (That's a whole other story!) 

Camping, Keena Style

Me:  Hey, we should go camping on Labor Day!
Jim:  In WHAT?!
Me:  In a hotel!  We could take marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars, and eat them in our room while we lay in bed and watch TV.
Jim:  (No response)
Me:  Oh, and we could swim in the hotel pool and pretend we are in a river.
Jim:  The kids don't like that so much any more.

"Camping trip" averted.