This is why ...... 

........ I enjoy making quilts for people I love.

priceless

My church gave me a card last Sunday, thanking me for my service as their secretary. It had a Macy's gift card and a check in it. I plan to get an uber cool flash to go on my uber cool camera with the check. In the meantime, Jessie and I went to Macy's yesterday and got these items:

• Dress - $54.99 (down from $105.00)
• Two shirts - $10.00 each (down from $29.99)
• One blouse - $43.00 (down from $54.99)
• Bra - $16.99 (down from $30.00)
• Pink pearl necklace - $4.00 (down from $80.00)

You know what's coming next ...

• Quality time spent with Jessie (who by this time next year will be married, and living away from home) while shopping and spending other people's money - Priceless.

reflections from a mother's heart - entry 1

**Click on the left hand side bar, under Reflection from a Mother's Heart to read more about these entries.

Question: What was your favorite pastime as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else?

Hands down, I choose the frequent trips to my Grandma Brown's house. Although it was fun to be with Grandma by myself, I think it was funner when the whole family was there : aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.

Many times, the kids would simply play on Grandma's two acres, lush with grass, rose bushes, willow trees, and fruit trees - all while the parents talked politics inside. We loved it when a good political talk was brewing. It meant sneaking a few of Grandpa's Oreo cookies from the cookie jar, pouring a small cup of coffee, and dipping them - just like Grandpa would.

As we got older, it also meant (for some of us), smoking on the hill conveniently nestled out of view from her front window. But we'll not discuss that.

Other pastimes at Grandma's house were playing games, eating her fantastic cooking (specifically her biscuits and gravy, peanut butter balls, and pies!), and canning fruits and vegetables. Her and my mom knew how to make work seem like a wild and crazy good time. Grandma was the oldest of nine kids, and learned early in life how to work. Working was always regarded as a good and necessary thing, and I admired her ability to simultaneously love it and have fun.

Much to be thankful for.

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How about you? Do you have a favorite pastime? I'd love to hear them in the comments section, or if you prefer - start a discussion in my new BlogFrog Community widget! See? Over there, on the left hand side! In fact, I'll start a discussion about this, and you can just follow me over there. See ya' there!

reflections from a mother's heart

I picked up a journal from the used book store the other day. Not a used one, of course. But obviously one that soemone out there didn't feel the need to fill out - so they sold it to this used book store. It's called Reflections from a Mother's Heart: Your Life Story in Your Own Words. On the top, it says "A Family Legacy for Your Children."

Wow.

I flipped through the pages. I've seen many books just like this one. Only I had yet to find one that asked questions that I thought really applied to me. So I never bought them.

Until now.

I turned the pages, reading the questions they were asking mom's to answer. And I knew that this mom could answer all (or at least most) of what they were asking. So for a whoppin' five dollars, I bought the book.

I will fill the book out manually, but I also thought I would begin sharing some of it here also. I'll put all of these entries under the label of Reflections from a Mother's Heart, over on the left side bar.

For the first day, they ask me to fill out a "personal portrait." But they ask way too much information to be divulging on a blog. So I'll start with the next entry:

What is your favorite?

Flower: It's a tie between light pink roses and tulips.

Perfume: I hate them all. They give me nothing but nausea. Shaun and I are well matched in this area, since they all make him sneeze. ;)

Color: Red!

Hymn or Song: Nearer Still Nearer

Book: Way too many to name, and I don't think I can pick just one! I know, I know. If I were a good Christian, I'd say the Bible. But I always feel like I'm trying to be holier than thou when I say that.

Author: Jeanette Oke and Francine Rivers are two of my faves. Also, Catherine Marshall.

Bible verse: This changes throughout life. Right now, I'd have to say Ephesians 1:3-9

Dessert: When I could eat dessert, it was anything chocolate. Brownies ranked high, as did rocky road ice cream. Yum!

Vacation Spot: Western Colorado.

Type of Food: Anything in the category of JUNK!

Sport: Baseball - hands down.

Leisure Activity: Reading, or a hand project that involves a needle and thread.

Don't worry. Not all of these will be like a meme. We're going to get into some good stuff. Might even be juicy, so come back often. ;)

So ... pick one or two (or all!) and let me know what your faves are.

Please.

The beauty of the written word is that it can be held close to the heart and read over and over again. ~Florence Littauer

simple woman's daybook

I've been meaning to link up to The Simple Woman's Daybook for quite some time, so I'm going to take the plunge! Head on over to The Simple Woman's website to link up and read some of the other entries.


FOR TODAY


Outside my window... Cloudy with a chance of meatballs (we're having spaghetti for dinner, Lord willing).

I am thinking... That I should hurry up and get school started (yes, we're still doing school) so that I can be ready for my nieces to come over later today.

I am thankful for... A patient husband, an even more patient Heavenly Father, and SUMMER. :)

From the learning rooms... I'm studying a photoshop book right now that I got for my birthday. It's a little frustrating for someone who doesn't learn well from the written word. Even if there's pictures. I'm a hands on learner ... but, at least I try.

From the kitchen... Spaghetti for dinner, I have a roast in the crockpot for myself (since I can't have spaghetti), and I'd like to make some blueberry muffins and some blondie brownies. We'll see how well the nieces behave.

I am wearing... My pink, fuzzy robe. But not for long.

I am creating... a novel.

I am going... to write a letter to Peter today. Remember, Peter's in Marine boot camp. We finally have his address, so I'm going to write, write, write. 

I am reading... A Wife After God's Own Heart, by Elizabeth George.

I am hoping... that my neck stops hurting.

I am hearing... birds chirping, fingers typing, and the fan upstairs.

Around the house... it's dusty.

One of my favorite things... photography!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Two baseball games, a baby shower for a friend at church, and family from Oregon coming to stay for a week!

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing:

(Taken from downtown Denver when we saw Peter off to boot camp. I'm obviously not accustomed to large buildings, so I had to take a picture.)

top summer faves

I'm in the slums today. I'm tired, and discouraged and I want to go back to bed. But when it's summer, I have a hard time staying there. It's warm out, even in the evenings. My schedule is less hectic. It's just a great time of year. So to cheer myself (and maybe you!) up today, I decided to create a list of things I appreciate about summer:

1. I've already said it, but warm weather has to be on the top of my list. I love the beauty of snow, but the cold temperatures nearly do me in. Sitting in the warm sunshine with a good book is surely something I will do in Heaven. A lot! I call it therapeutic thawing.
2. Baseball! No summer is complete until you've watched as many baseball games as you can cram in. These include Rockies games and Andrew's games. I'm a bit partial to Andrew's, because I get a front row seat, and I'm the pitcher's mom. I sometimes pretend that we're at a Rockies game, and Andrew is the next Ubaldo Jimenez, pitching a no hitter. But don't tell anyone. I'd be embarassed if people knew that.
3. Trips to the library. I'm taking one this afternoon, to find books for Andrew and I to read together for our summer reading program. Not that it's really a program, but the point is to keep reading, learning, and exploring. The fun part is that we won't have a fixed, rigid schedule like we do during the school year. Have I mentioned I loathe restraint of any kind?
4. With Peter away to boot camp, I am priveleged to to be spending a lot of time with Jessie. So far, we're watching favorite shows together, doing a little shopping, and projects like dressing her up and letting me practice my photography. She's a good sport, and thankfully, a photogenic good sport. And she keeps me company at Andrew's game, while Shaun mainly stays with Andrew to coach.
5. Road trips! So far, we've gone to Colorado Springs/Woodland Park for a baseball tournament. I'm hoping to make it over to the western slope also, to see my family and hometown.
6. Flowers, and all things living. Nothing better than looking out the window and seeing green life, birds soaring, and colorful flowers blowing in the breeze.
7. Time to regroup. This mainly has to do with homeschool, and reflecting on what worked and what didn't work, and figuring out how to best deal with those challenges. It also tends to be a time to rethink other aspects and goals. Normally, this is what New Years is all about. But for me, it happens in the summer.

I know I have more, but that library trip is calling my name, and I can't think of anything else at the moment. Instead, how about you tell me about your summers, and what it is that you enjoy most? I'd love to hear what you enjoy doing with your family, your spare time, and your .... spare money!!!

Wedding Rehearsal

Sometimes ... when things aren't working out ... ya' just gotta pout. Like when your baloons don't behave.

Decorating the tables ....

My sister-in-law and her hubby. The two older girls were Ashlee's flower girls. And they did a darn good job of it!

Point the camera at Jessie, and you're never sure what face you'll get. I don't know where she comes up with all of them...

The pew decorations. I think they were my favorite part of the decor in the chapel. So simple, and yet so pretty!

The very talented bridesmaid, Dennae.

Father of the bride (left), and father of the groom (right).

I totally dig this picture of the groom and best man. Shows their personalities and goofiness.

This makes me smile every time I see it. I love Eric (best man) smiling, Jessie trying to pay attention, and Ashlee in the background making sure that everyone is hopping to. ;)

Ian, the ring bearer. He took his job very seriously, as you can see.

And so did the best man and groomsman!

Andrew, Peter, and Jessie at rehearsal dinner. Andrew is behaving himself, as usual.

The happy couple.

Love the look of enjoyment on each of their faces. Makes me happy, happy, happy!

I was able to send a lot of the wedding gifts off to Ashlee and Daniel today. I will say that it was hard to let go of the quilt that Daniel's Aunt Myrna made them. Oh, and the KitchenAid that the best man's parents gave. But Jessie and Peter eventually pryed each item from my snow white knuckles and snuck them out the door and off to the Post Office.

They're uber helpful like that.

That's it! Well, for now anyway. I still have the reception and sending off pics to show. So stay tuned!

~Brenda

Mr. and Mrs. W.

There's so much I could say about Ashlee and Daniel's wedding day. And I will, soon. But for now, I think I just want to let the pictures speak for themselves. These are the pics that I took as a photographer. The pics I'll post later are pics that were just for fun and are not as staged. I love their expressions in the pictures of just the two of them. But again .... I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

Enjoy!!

Snail Mail, Snot, And The Springs

Snail Mail

In the last couple of weeks, I've gotten back to the old art of letter writing. And sending them snail mail. You know, the kind where you use a pen, jot a few lines down, place it in an envelope, stick a stamp on it, and walk it out to the mail.

Sounds like a pain, huh?

Well, yes. It kind of is. It's harder than whipping up an email and hitting the send button. But it's so much more rewarding. Not just for the recipient, but for the sender. To me, there's nothing better than getting a handwritten note in my mailbox. Even if it's a one-liner. It means someone took the time to sit down and think about me. I hope that's the message I'm conveying when I send my little notes and letters. I just want folks to know I'm thinking of them, praying for them, or to let them know what it is that I appreciate about them.

So try your hand (pun intended!) at old fashioned letter writing like the old Pioneer women on the Prairie used to do! You (and those you send them to) will be glad you did!

Snot

And lots of it, folks! My face has been a faucet dripping with it since Wednesday. Thanks to a friend's suggestion, I'm getting better.

What did she suggest?
She suggested snorting salt up my snout! How silly is that?! Surprisingly, it was a successful suggestion that led to less sniffing, sneezing, and stuffy sinuses! What a sweetie!

Sorry - alliteration bug bit me!

The Springs

If you live in Colorado, you'd know what I meant by the Springs. If not, then I'll tell you I mean Colorado Springs. You know, where the famous Focus on the Family headquarters are ... and the Air Force Academy (that my beloved, future son-in-law graduated from) is? Yeah, that one! That's where I took a little trip to today to retrieve my darling daughters and Peter from (see side bar pics). The best man in the wedding is moving there, so they figured they would help him out by traveling there, unloading the truck, then making the hop to home. Point is -  Ashlee is finally home with us once again! April 24th is two weeks away, and much preparation is needed to get this wedding on the up and up. However, we're together now, and that makes everything so much better. Working together means progress. Working 2,000 miles apart means chaos. Ha! So welcome home, Ashlee! Now let's get to work!

More to come on the wedding plans, and my little life in general. In the meantime, dig out your handy dandy stationery, and jot a note to someone you love. It's hard to find the time! As a mother of the bride, I know this. But sometimes the rewards far outweigh the sacrifice of time.

Until next time,

~Brenda

Psalm 25:11 - A word fitly spoken (or written!) is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (parenthetical comment mine)

Easter Weekend in Pics

I can honestly say that I was very blessed this weekend. Not only am I a Daughter of the King, but I'm a daughter in law of this lovely lady, who celebrated her birthday just a day before Easter this year. If you'd like to read more about her, click here.

She's reading a poem that Shaun (my hubby, her son) wrote her for her birthday.

Mom and Dad in law, enjoying each other and family.

Kiley and Gracelyn. They're sisters - can you tell?

I can't help but take a million pictures of her. Here are a few of my faves.

This is her immediate response to anyone who will say "Hello." :)

She gets tired of being my hat model, I do believe.

Mama moment.

We went where the buffalo roam Sunday afternoon and did a little shooting and just unwinding. It was fairly uneventful ... which was the goal. :-)

 

Aliens coming to say hello ...

Shaun and Andrew, my dashing hubby and son.

I hope you had a blessed Easter. There was a time in my life when Easter was nothing but a reminder of a painful event in my childhood. It's taken years, and years, but I now enjoy Easter every year, and I think it may be becoming my favorite holiday. God is faithful, and He heals us from all of our hurts with time. Not only does He deliver us from hurts, He delivers us from our sin and ourselves. For this, I am deeply grateful, hopeful, and just plain joyful over. One day ..... one day I will not struggle with all that I do. He will come and make all things right. Oh glorious day!!!

Happy Belated Easter to all of you!!!

~Brenda, the prairie appreciatin' Mama