Last Saturday we went to our friends’, Joe & Teresa, wedding. It was lots of fun. The ceremony was beautiful, as was Teresa. We really enjoyed the reception too. Well, I am getting to the good part. Below are a preview of the pictures that Jason took and here is a link to the full album. (He has tons of good ones because he was running around like a tourist taking so many pictures!).

Congrats to the newly weds. Thanks for letting us be a small part of your big day. We wish you many happy years. God bless!

Originally uploaded by poetinme1975

So the fair is in town and is here until July 26th. Jason & I went last night with my parents & Aunt to check it out. As always the fair never disappoints. We enjoyed all the 4-H exhibits - especially those of our Sunday school kids & small group members. We each had a little treat (no funnel cakes, but I liked the picture). We looked at the animals and went through the free stuff booths. A highlight of the evening was watching the lumberjack show. Seriously, they had world champion lumberjacks with saws and axes going crazy on some logs. There was even a log roller who balanced and ran on a log floating in water. Amazing. To check out the full schedule of the week go to the fairs website at: http://www.4hcomplex.org/2008fair_schedule.pdf

Our 2 year old nephew just spent the last week vacationing in Plainfield at Papa’s & Mama’s while his parents went on a vacation of their own. We were really excited to get to spend some quality time with Jack. He is so smart and such a good talker now. Check out some cute pictures from the Chateaus Thomas Winery concert and the Children’s Museum. Too much fun.

Mama & Jack cuddling

How can you do anything but smile when you see this face?

Curious Jack & George reflect for a moment

Beep Beep

Thanks to the tax stimulus check we’ve gotten back on the home improvement bandwagon. First we added new landscaping to the front and side of our house. We really like how it looks and can’t wait for the plants to grow. Here are some before & after pics.

Before

After

Then we also had a new vinyl put down in our master bathroom to replace the yucky carpet that was present when we moved in. There were are few bumps along the way including some frustration with re-attaching the toilet. (thanks to our plumber friend Chris all that is worked out- there might be a post about the drama to come) So yeah, check out these before & after pics too. Over all we were really pleased with both projects and excited about improving the house.

Before - eww gross carpet

After!!!! Super cool & clean new floor.

Last week Jason and I went to get our eyes checked. This is the first time that I had been since elementary school. It turns out that my vision is pretty stellar. Sweet. I am slightly “nearsighted” which means I have trouble seeing things far away. I have personally always been confused with those terms. Anyway, since we were new patients both of us had to get our eyes dilated. Fun times driving home let me tell you. Of course we were dorks and didn’t have any sun glasses. We got to wear the free super cool glasses.

Blue blockers eat your heart out . . .

The latest book I’ve read is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It was so good and easy to read that I read it in 1 day. I couldn’t put it down. It is a fictional book set in the South around 1964.

Here is the synopsis about the book:

“In Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart’s answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words “Tiburon, South Carolina” scrawled on the back. When Lily’s beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of–Tiburon, South Carolina–determined to find out more about her dead mother. ”

–Regina Marler –

Another book I’ve been reading is The Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore. This one is way more serious and spiritual. I can do about a chapter at a time and then I need time to digest everything. I really enjoy reading about John and how he saw Jesus. It is a good book and I would recommend it as well. Here is it’s synopsis:

“Beloved Disciple: The Life and Ministry of John by Beth Moore, explores the life of the apostle John. Beth conveys that John had the God-given gift of seeing a larger picture and that his love relationship with Christ profoundly influenced everything he did and wrote.”

So, 2 very different books but both good. This is what I have been reading lately. Tell me what you’ve been reading lately in a comment and you might be featured in a post.

This past weekend my Grandma C. hosted a lunch for our family to visit with Uncle Don & Aunt Janet. They were visiting for the long weekend. It was fun to catch up and spend time with all the family. Here is a picture of the event. (Sorry Aunt Jenny & Stacy you had already left when we took the picture )

This past week was Vacation Bible School (VBS) at our church. The kids always have a mission project for which they raise funds. This year their project was raising money for our trip to Zimbabwe to help pay for the VBS we plan to host. The money will be for soccer balls, snacks and supplies.

So, where does the pie come it? If the kids raised $1100 then Jason was to get a pie in the face. And what would you know? They did! Here is Jason and our friends Melody & Jayla getting pies in the face because the kids raised so much money!

Thanks so much to all the kids and thier families to help raise these funds. You are a blessing. Praise God.