I love this video.

This is Anita Renfroe, of Women of Faith. She is so talented and creative.

I like it but I should have put some cream on it.. LOL!!

Update on the "kid" and college memoriesS

At the risk of letting you think that I have no "life" outside of my children, I'd like to report on how Jamie is doing at college. Keep in mind that classes haven't even started yet, but so far this entire first week of orientation to college life and ROTC is going well for him.

My first real friend at college (back in 1988-89?), Amy is brought back into my life at this time. The Lord believes in full circles, I'm convinced. He likes the interwoven-ness of it all.

So I was a sophomore in college when a Bible mysteriously appeared on one of the beds in my college dorm suite. There were two rooms, connected by a middle room and a bathroom. It was a great setup. I signed up "by faith" for whoever the Lord would put in my room.

The Lord gave me Amy. Amy's big, beautiful smile was almost as big as her compassionate heart. She was raised in a Christian home and had a Christian boyfriend, even. I had been gloriously saved for not even an entire year. I had enough zeal to fill a mac truck, but only enough knowledge to shift into drive. And DRIVE, I did--pretty much full time, full speed. I really had no boundaries of who or what I would do for the Lord. But half the time I spent spinning my wheels.

And Amy was stable. She helped me learn to eat breakfast. She and I used to get up and pray together in the mornings. We even lived with Susan off campus. (that's another story for another day, but the short of it is: I hated it)

So, Amy gets engaged during the middle of our junior year. Brian had plans to finish Bible college and serve the Lord full time. Amy was going to finish student teaching after they were married. They were married in August right before our senior year of college.

Life was changing. I had to find new friends and new ways to love my friend and stay connected with her--and not be jealous (LOL!). And then, right before her wedding, I got engaged. She and I stayed connected our senior year because she was in my wedding, even though she had moved to Grand Rapids. (School was in Kalamazoo: WMU)

And then as you can imagine, our lives took very different turns. Amy and Brian were learning to serve the Lord as a "youth pastor and wife" and started having children. While we were traipsing all over the word as "Air Force pilot and wife"--both of us producing children at a furious pace LOL.

So, in the past 20 years, we have seen each other--twice or three times? The most recent time was in 2006. Brian was asked to pastor a little church in the U.P. (most of their time was spent near Lansing, MI up until this time). And guess where that little church is? Houghton, MI--(technically, Dollar Bay) right near where Jamie is going to school: Michigan Technological University.
So, I have encouraged Jamie to get involved with their church, Bethany Baptist. There's even a little bus that goes on campus to pick up students, so he got on it and went.

Now, keep in mind, our way of doing church is very different from the way things are in "normal" churches. I was kind of wondering how Jamie would adjust to culture shock.

So, I called Amy to see how he did.

After the first church service ended, Jamie was shown around by Mrs. Knight (Amy).

Jamie: "Where are all these people going?"

Amy: "They are going upstairs for another service"

Jamie: "There's another meeting?"

Amy:"It's the same as you went to earlier"

Jamie: "You mean they do it all AGAIN?? The exact SAME thing?"

Amy:" Yup. same thing"

Jamie: ??

So, other than going through culture shock of being a different kind of church, he said it was going well. And "Brain was the speaker today".. He told me. I hate to break it to him, but "Brian" is probably going to be the speaker most of the time. That's how the churches do it. But he told me "Brian did a good job."

So, I'm encouraged that he got some fellowship today, even if he missed breakfast and lunch again. The kid is having a hard time getting food! We're going to visit him next weekend and I fear he'll be greeting us with a rope around his waist, holding his pants up.

I have discovered that you can buy these microwaveable black beans in a pouch. They were only $.99 at Woodmans, and I bought several bags. There are also microwaveable brown rice bags also. Who knew? So, I have already started stockpiling food items for him. At least if he has some black beans and rice, it will sort of feel like mama's food.

He appears to be too busy to eat and it's only orientation! So, our main goal is praying that he'll learn how to 1) get to cafeteria on time in order to eat and 2) find some foods that he does like once he gets there.

That's what's making my home sing this week!

Mrs. Beck's pie plate

With hanging head and tail between our legs

Our hearts are sad, and your forgiveness we beg.

While you sat wondering long and far

A strum on the string of a sad guitar

Hummed a tune of great remorse

Your mother's pie plate ran away on a horse

Never to be seen again by pie or berry

It's absence was real; it was missed severely

All the while it tried to make its presence known

Among the dust cobwebs of someone's home

I'm up here! Rescue me please!

It called daily--among some moldy cheese.

Finally a silver gleam caught someone's eye.

Is that Mrs. Beck's pie plate? I hoped with a sigh.

Bring me home to mama! It called from the dust.

Bring me home to mama before I rust!

And down it came, funny rim and fancy fluting.

To serve its owner again and to do its duty-ing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And yes, I am so organized that I can "loose" something in my home for 4 months or more. And of course, it was Mrs. Beck's favorite pie plate, so you can imagine my great relief when it showed up this week. In the meantime, please please please if you are going to give us food for any reason give it to us in a cardboard box or a disposable container, since we are absolutely incapable of being entrusted with anything beyond our own underwear, thank you.

It's really not so bad..

You know how we launched our first child off to college this past week?

And I spent most of last school year wondering how we would survive graduation?

And then I spent several weeks wondering if I'd survive this massive graduation party?

And then I spent several weeks trying to figure out if I'd ever get over being sick? or having allergies? or whaaaateeever it was making me feel crappy?

And then I got some allergy medicine and decided that there was only one month left before the child left for school, so I'd better spend some time being sad and depressed?

And then there wasn't any more time to be sad, so we just wondered how to survive the last week.

And then, was I going to live long enough to see him leave the O'Hare airport and actually get to school??

And then it was scramble scramble scramble to rearrange all the furniture in the house, start school AND have Grandma and Grandpa Webber visit on the first day of Hallstrom.

And for some odd reason, I feel a very peaceful sense of relief.

And I'm almost ashamed to admit it. I'm happy, not sad that he's there. He loves it and is having fun. He's being challenged and making friends. He hasn't been able to remember to eat dinner very often, but he's working on it. LOL.

And I? I am not scrambling around trying to get him a trainer, another SAT score, a perfect transcript, robotics fund raising and all that jazz. In fact, I have forbid robotics for this year.

We are even cutting down on music lessons for this semester. (I know. I know.. what a slacking family!)

So, when you are wondering if the teenage years are hard, they are. But only if your child is causing pain to your heart by rejecting the Lord. Other than being very exhausting, having teens is kind of like cashing in your 401K. You finally get to see some fruit for your labor. Time will tell what type of fruit--spiritual, academic, work ethic, etc.?

But there is a sense of rest, if you will, from the whole grueling experience reaching to this level. In a sense, their lives are just beginning. They have choices to make. We've given them the tools to make good decisions, but they have to struggle through those things and find what is good. And deal with it when they choose what is bad.

And now the real work begins--prayer. My friend, Kathy, reminded me what a tough job praying is. I had never thought of it as hard, but then, I have never prayed a lot. I'm a bouncing hedgehog. It's hard to sit still, you know? But I'm going to have to find new ways to pray, since that will be my number one way to help my son at college. There are no rules about praying. I hear you can pray while you are taking walks or doing all sorts of things.

So, is this such a bad time in our lives? No, it's really not so bad. And it's probably because I have 218 people praying for us. Thanks so much!

Rockford Favorites..

I'm one of those weirdos who actually LIKES where I live. I know. I know.. strange. And because not everyone in the world knows where to go for the good stuff in an off the map location like Rockford, I thought I'd put up some of my favorites.

If you come to visit me, for example, I would probably take you to these places and see my "peeps" so to speak, or at least my favorite places in town.

One of those places is the: Juice Energy Cafe, located inside the Rockford YMCA downtown branch. Meet some of my "peeps"--

Owners of the Y Cafe, Michael and Dani--aren't they cute?

No, they do not have a website up yet, but they have been there for about two years or more. Michael Wasserman and his wife, Dani, run the place with impeccable standards. Most of the items are organic or very high quality. There is absolutely no "skimping" on quality or freshness for them.

They serve a variety of soups, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, natural fruit drinks, coffee and espresso drinks, and a variety of homemade baked goods (healthy and indulgent).

More than the food, there are every day reminders of the Lord Jesus and who he is-- Bible verses up and displayed as well as God-honoring photography and art. My husband, as well as others, use the cafe as a meeting place for Bible study and fellowship. I've been very encouraged at how the Lord uses the cafe--not only to nourish our bodies, but our souls as well.

And I do not think you have to be a member of the Y to go to the Cafe. At the main entrance of the Y, tell them you would like to go to the Cafe only, and they should let you in. Then again, why not just go ahead and join the Y?? (I think I'll save that for another post)..

By the way, no one asked me to write this AND I am not getting reimbursement in the form of money or extra fruit smoothies because I'm writing this. I just thought, "Hey! I believe in what these folks are doing. I think the world needs to hear about it."

Another school year starting!!

Feast your eyes on the world's laziest homeschooling mommy. She's swingin' her way through life, hedgehogging at every available opportunity. It's tough, but somebody's gotta do it.

Just ask those kids of mine. Yeah, she's cool alright.

So, here we are--ready or not for our first big schooling day--properly clad in the uniform d' Hallstrom: polo shirts and nice quality jeans/ skirts. Backpacks on and ready to roll.

So, what is everyone taking this year? Let's start with Hud. Poor 'lil Hud, barely over 6 feet and only a freshman. One of his teachers was surprised he was only 14. "I thought he was a senior!!" Oh, now, he's not puffed up at all, now is he?

Classes for Hudson, 9th grade "shortie" and light eater.. LOL.

Bible,

P.E.,

Modern European History

World Literature

Ultimate Frisbee

Algebra I

Hey!! What's this coconut cream pie doing here? Yum. OK. Non-sequitor.

Classes for Joanna, 11th grader and great inheritor of Jamie's room..

American History

Chemistry

British Literature

Spanish 3

Advanced Art

and maybe.. Sign Language II. (needs a schedule re-work)

Schedule for "Than"--"smiley dude" and big 7th grader (almost 13 year old)

Bible

Roots (Vocabulary class)

Sound and Sense (Writing class)

Mideival and Reniassance History (how do you spell those words???!! ugh.)

Algebra 1/2 (Pre-Algebra, Saxon)

Sign Language I

Schedule for Emily: our kindergardener!!

Fabric Fun (a must-have, highly academic)

Animal Science (actually kind of high brow for this age group)

Elementary Art (she's all about art!)

P.E. (we sort of missed this today, but 4 out of 5 isn't too bad)

Literature around the world (think: hearing stories and doing crafts)

These are the Hallstrom classes that the kids are taking, but to be honest with you, I actually teach Emily kindergarden skills at home. (Be still my heart.. she's actually teaching??)

While I'm still in my pjs and drinking coffee, Emily starts pulling at my sleeves and nagging me to start school. After a while, I give in, and we do one (concentrated) hour of school a day--even on the weekends. (She's such a tyrant)

What do I do for one hour? I'll have to show you some day. Although, it would not be fair for any new homeschoolers to watch us do school because she is one of those easy learner types who is very eager. It's such a blessing to end on such an easy note, with our "caboose" being so easy to teach. In general, we do pre-reading and reading activities, including writing. (For some reason, she has already mastered the alphabet and the basic phonetic sounds, which is what I would normally do in kindergarden). We do something called "Fun Thinkers" which reinforces the elementary math and pre-reading skills in a non-writing sort of way. We spend some time with the abacus, cuisenaire rods and a basic workbook.

And we do all of that in one hour? Yes. But I am very focused and know what I am looking for. (There's got to some advantage of being the 5th homeschooled child!!)

Let's put it this way. A very experienced mommy can do in one hour what an inexperienced one can do in two hours,

or

what the public schools can do in about 6 hours.. (and send home homework)..

So, there you have it. The hedgehog is schooling again. Jiggety jig.

Launched

Well, the time has finally come. Our oldest child, Jamie, is launched. He is an adult now.

He booked his own flight to school, without our help. Paid for it, without our help. Will and the some of the kids brought him to the bus station that goes to O'Hare at 5:30 a.m. yesterday (Saturday). The Van Galder bus took him to the airport, where he was dumped off with his ONE big bag.
In that one bag is everything he thinks he needs for school. He no sooner arrived and checked in his bag when he realized that his flight was scheduled for 9:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. like he thought.
So, he spent the next 13 hours in O'Hare with his backpack and the Lord. He had one hour of internet on his laptop and another on his IPOD. He tried to get on the 11:00 a.m. flight, but it was already overbooked and bumping people off. So, he managed to find things to fill his time for 13 hours until his flight.
When he arrived to check in to his real flight, they too were overbooked. So, who do they pick for a bump? The college kids who pay low fees for their tickets, of course. So, they bumped him. He was put up in the Airport Hotel and given a flight voucher for another free flight. (at this rate, it is faster to drive, but I won't tell him that..)
So, he managed to finally get on the plane at 11:00 a.m. today (Sunday), a full 27 hours later. Was he upset? or ruffled? not particularly. He just took it in stride and made his way there today, a little after lunchtime.

One of the things my husband said to him when he realized this fiasco was this, "So, you wanted to be independent. How are you liking your independence now?" I would guess he took it in stride and said, "It's all right".. And like... nobody got hurt, and there have been good lessons learned so far, and he hasn't even stepped foot into a classroom yet.
So, there you go. My college roomie (from 20 years ago), Amy and her husband, Brian live near where Jamie is going to school. They agreed to pick him up and drop him off at school. Brian is a pastor of "Bethany Baptist Church" in Dollar Bay, MI. Their church has a little bus that picks up Tech students and brings them to the church each week. I think he'll be on that bus each week.

So, did I have any doubts about whether this fiasco with the tickets was an indicator of his readiness to go to college and be on his own yet? Yes, I did. But the doubts did not last long. If he had called from the airport crying or scared or nervous, I would say, "Hey! he's not ready! We made a big mistake"... As it was, he was as calm and cool as the sky is blue. He is resolved to do well at this adventure, so what's a little setback? It's all part of the plan.

So, other than having a small bit of worry, I survived the launching experience also--especially after I called my friend, Kathy, and she laughed hysterically at what happened. Easy for you to laugh, Kath, it's not your kid! But she got me laughing, which is precisely what I needed to do.

Nobody died. Nobody got hurt. It's all good. Trusting in the Lord is not what I am an expert at, but I will be.. Oh, I will be.

Makes my home sing at Moms the Word.

Women Living Well

Even though my dear husband has no memory of this, I think.... he met Courtney of Women Living Well or her husband during his time at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He passed along her blog information, and I was like "cool" and promptly forgot about it. You know how I love Twitter? (just kidding).

Anyway, she is following my tweets on twitter and I said, "Hmm... that's looks familiar" and went to her site.

And then I saw this link. You mean she is like... famous? She's been on Rachel Ray? What is she? Some sort of cook? No! She's a 1950's housewife!

The confidence and poise that she possesses is uncanny. I'm a champion for stay at home moms, but she takes it to an all-knew level, wouldn't you say?

She lets that beautiful hair flow so sweetly around her face and shoulders. And I'm sitting here hedgehogging it in (no kidding) bib overalls and no makeup. And I want to reach my hand out and grab what she has. I'm not sure if it's her hairdo, her poise or her confidence in her calling.

But the reason I wanted to re-post her video is because there might be someone out there who needs to see her husband. If he is not the most contented guy that ever lived! Maybe someone's husband needs to see her husband--LOL!

And there are guys out there who want their wives to work outside the home! They aren't able to trust God to provide through their hands, so they think that having that extra income will help them somehow. I would think that if those of us who are quavering about whether or not we should keep our current profession (as homemakers) or trade it in for something lesser could see this long term picture of a happy marriage and home, we would no longer doubt our calling, but pursue it and delight in it with reckless abandon the way this gal does.

I, personally, have a VERY long way to go. God knows how selfish I am. He knows how lazy I am too. And have I mentioned rebellious? and self-seeking? These are just facets of my flesh that I routinely have to get over. But I am encouraged! I love having role models!

One of the things that has discouraged me over the years that I have been married is lack of genuine role models among the women. When we go to a Bible conference and they have a "women's speaker" she is either a psychiatrist, a doctor, a professor, or some other type of professional person. Why do we, as homemakers, need to heed the counsel and advice of "professional" Christian women? Is the advice and counsel of those who, by choice, have chosen to take on homemaking as a God-given call? And what of their daily lives and struggles relates to what I am going through right now? I'm not interested in professional women who can extrapolate the exegesis (like the men do). I want to know something else! If I wanted to hear the men, I'd be sitting in that forum. Yes, women can and are great Bible teachers--professional or not-- but why must we look to them as our role models? They need to earn that right; it is not handed over to them.

And so, that is my passion--not just to give you examples of godly women, but to be one myself. Some day, my grandchildren may call me a "role model" and I can hardly think of anything better! (Even if they think that Bib-wearing overalled grandmothers are "normal")

We're blitzing on video!!

Remember this little teapot?? This is a special little teapot that I found at a garage sale last week. I did a special video on it! Hope you will enjoy this blitzing teapot.

Tackle it Tuesday link up with 5 minutes for mom

Blessings to ponder as I drift off to sleep

Even though the past week has been sweltering, I am sitting here with the windows open--writing to you! Yes, for the first time in over a month? the AC is off! Woot!

Last week Will had a business trip in Phoenix, AZ. Could someone please remind me to move to Phoenix? Even though it was over 100, the humidity was only 15%. I think I could handle that.

(After I move to the Pacific Northwest to be near Julie, and to lower MI, to be near Mrs. P, and wherever the rest of you live!!)

But here is something we have here:

My dear Joanna took these pictures. It was just as beautiful as it looks.
It's so magnificent seeing such a big rainbow--how can you not look up and see God's goodness and love written all over it? It's his way of saying "I love you" for those of us who have colors for a love language.
Here's Emily's new way of saying "I love you".. I get little signs across the room from her.

Yes, I love you too, sweetie.

Someone once told me that my blog had way too many pictures of Emily, and they are right. So, tell Jo to stop taking so many of them!
And tell her to stop posing so cute, like. She's not as adverse to the heat like I am, and she managed to model her "new" green peacoat and a scarf that Jo just finished.
We thought the whole thing looked very "L.L. Bean" like. (Hip coat, $5.00, garage sale, pants $.50 or so, and scarf-- hand dyed wool from the stash)
So, here are some photos of the big kids. A rousing game of "beat up your brother" after the spicy Mexican meat last Sunday with Shawn. Remember how I decided to invite the entire chapel over and tried to kill them off with spicy food??? Shawn was here for the meal and game.
We're a non-violent family, as you can see.
Well, at least there was no blood.
Some people say this one here is the cutest. Can't decide myself, but he is a love.
Then again, so is she. What am I thinking? They are all loves.
That same day, Emily and her friend, Jenna were having a time in the yard also.

And this...

This is what the back view looks like in the summer. Sometimes hot, sometimes muggy, but always beautiful at sundown.

When the day is done, the sun has set, and the chicks are in their nests, and a mom finally puts her head down on her pillow. She looks around the room, even though the lights are off. It is still, quiet and calm. Some moms fall right to sleep. Not me.

I sit there and think about all the good things the Lord did that day, and how wonderful it is to be his child. And I ask God to keep my husband, and my children, my Mom and Dad and family to see one more day. There's nothing quite like that feeling right before you drift off to sleep, savoring all the good things of the day, and wishing it would not change. I wish I could capture this day, this moment in my life and keep it. So, I choose right then and there to relive anythings that I fear I will lose by morning.

And I remind myself that it will take an eternity in heaven to live all that I've missed on earth, and I am fine with that. And I trust God. Earth wasn't meant to be captured and savored. This isn't the final story. This isn't the climax on a good piece of literature. This is just the "pre-reading" activity, if you will. And I have permission to miss a few things. a lot of things.

And then, and only then, I go to sleep.

Make my home sing/ moms the word link up.

Great things that my mom says

If you haven't met my Mother, I'm so sorry for you. She's really neat. The only problem is that she owns her own language. She has many special things she says. Some of which I can interpret for you and others.. well.. I'll just use my best guess. I am going to give you a Grandma Dictionary, complete with sample sentences. There will be a vocabulary test at the end of the post.

Without further ado, the "mother tongue"

1)bonkos pronounced like "broncos"

adjective/ definition: abundant, with great speed, ambition, growth or velocity

"Those tomato plants really went bonkos." or "Don't tell your father that; he'll go bonkos."

2) borcoli pronounced like "bork-a-lee"

noun/ def: broccoli, those little tree-looking vegetables

"Shall we have steamed borcoli with our grilled pork chops?" or "I've noticed you've got some borcoli growing down there in the garden next to those brussel sprouts."

3) pewcon: pronounced "Puke-on"

noun/ definition: coupon.

"I had a 40% off pew-con for Kohl's, and I brought Jamie some new towels for school." or

"I thought I had that receipt for Penneys, and there it was, right next to the Joann's pewcon"

4)gunky: pronounced like "funky"

noun/ definition: a blob of something that is stuck to something else.

"I noticed you had some gunky down there. I hope you don't mind that I used a spatula to get it up."

5) gradoo or gradooey pronounced like they sound.

noun/ def: see gunky.

"There was some gradooey on Nathanael's shirt, but the ole Stainmaster, Grandma, was able to get it out."

------------------------------

Quiz

When Grandma wants to steam some vegetables, she looks for:

a) an onion

b) gradooey

c) borcoli

When Grandma wants to get a good deal, she uses her:

a) checkbook

b) credit card

c) pew-con

When grandma has a spatula in her hand she is:

a) making pancakes

b) using it as a make-shift fly swatter

c) getting gunky off the floor.

Scoring: If you answered "C" for each question, you are correct. You can speak "Grandma Jude".

note #6

So what is homeschooling like this year?

We officially have only two weeks of summer left. You didn't want to read that, did you?

Oh sure! The weather will be summery, but the schooling will resume. When we were at the Lake, Uncle Adam had many questions about homeschooling. He had heard that it takes far less time and they accomplish a lot more. And he wanted to know if that was true, and did it work like that in our lives?

In theory, it used to work that way. In times past, I would gather up my one or two pupils and try to teach them something a few times a week. And as they got older, the length of lessons and the frequency of lessons increased. That style of learning worked fine for us during the beginning years.

It was around the time when my oldest child was in the 7th grade, that schooling had to become much more purposeful and consistent and traditional. Of course, many parents use traditional methods right from the get-go, and seem to have great success. Perhaps, I should define terms. By traditional methods, I am talking about a pedagogy similar to that of the public schools in methods, materials, and evaluative tools. While some of us may have felt that traditional methodology squelched the daylights out of our own natural desire to learn, other parents remember it as a necessary evil or God's gift to education.

I think if I had started this blog in my younger years, it would have been a blog about breaking free of the traditional educational model--something that I was passionate about in my younger years. And then I would have felt much guilt when I ended up switching to the traditional methodology after a few years, like I had just fallen on my sword or something. Good grief. The things I was hyper about back then!

As it is, I rarely, if ever, attempt to wax eloquently about educational methods. I'm not even sure why. I loved all that stuff ten years ago. I thought I would grow up and be one of those traveling homeschool teachers who helps others get organized. O.K. that is actually kind of funny, but it was an illusion at one point.

And so, we are embarking on another year of "outsourcing" our homeschooling with traditional methodology. There's not much to say about it. I basically pay other people to teach my kids, and I teach some of their kids. I never started out this way, nor did I ever dream it would be like this. For some people who are deathly afraid of homeschooling, it may be nice to know that you CAN do it this way. And for others, it may be that I am a homeschooling casualty. Either way, it doesn't matter. The kids are happy and getting a good education.

So, if you were to ask me what classes my kids are taking, I'd have to look at their schedules and figure it out--which is precisely what I think I'll do this week. And yes, I am preparing my lessons for what I will be teaching also. And when I find out, I'll be reporting back in.

Rebound!!

Thank you everybodeeeeeeeeee!!!! (And to my new reader, Sheri!)

It's so nice to know that you not only have "readers", but you have "pray-ers".. and yes, I am feeling much better. I love my boy, and my mini-meltdown is all part of the letting go process, but I have my spunk back.

For Sheri (and any other potential new readers)-- I grew up in the U.P. of Michigan. I am a pure-bred Yooper who thinks she's "living large" now because she's only 2 hours west of Chicago (in Rockford, IL)--nevermind the fact that I have a herd of cows living right behind our house and there are just as many rednecks in "Winnebago" (my current part of Rockford) as there are anywhere else in the world. And my husband's parents grew up in Minnesota. I think Marshall (for his mom) and Austin (for his dad). The Lake in the photos is called Lake Miltona near Alexandria.

I am not sure that they actually tell Eino and Toivo jokes in Minnesota, but they sound like they should know them. And if I can visit a location (like MN or ND), I usually come back sounding like a Yooper because of the Scandinavian influence in those areas.

Speaking of jokes, I stayed up late Friday?? night reading blogs, and hopped over to that crazy Julie's blog Herding Grasshoppers. She linked to Catalog Living in one of her posts. O.K., I was wiping my eyes, laughing so hard on this one.

About having guests, I think I pulled my annual "fire in the pot" type of torture your guests kind of food. For all of you at our chapel who conveniently had something else to do rather than come to our house, you made a good choice.

It's like this. I thought I would invite the entire church over for lunch. It's not that big of a deal when you have spontaneous feeding of the masses in your blood. The only problem is getting them to come. I mean, ONE bad dish and they all run scared. And the set-your-mouth-on-fire Mexican meat could be that one dish. I had a package of 10 pounds of portillos beef, and added (only 5~) cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the mix. I thought it would be bland.

It would have been great if I had just invited the 40 and under crowd, but I had some of the over 60 crowd who were not raised on Tex-Mex. So glad for the Lord's provision of peanut butter and jelly. There's nothing quite like coming to someone's house and eating pbj's for lunch. And YES, everyone was gracious about it. Jason was especially gracious, since he was able to eat up the burritos the older ladies made up and couldn't eat.. and then eat a few more. His wife, Tabatha, was also gracious since she agreed to take home some of the extra salsa.

Thankfully, the chocolate zucchini bread made up for all of the sins of our past dinner performances. And they shall all return for another meal if our precious Jo makes some yummy vittles (and not her crazy mother)...

Speaking of chocolate zucchini bread, have you made this yet? You do not have permission NOT to make this, unless you happen to be living somewhere in the world where you can not find zucchini. But if you live anywhere in the U.S. and it is growing out of your ears, by the minute even, and you happen to have bionic soil and hot & humid August days, you are required to make this.

Growing zucchini is just a part of our American tradition. It isn't something anyone particularly likes, but no one hates it, so that's good enough reason to grow it. I could write an entire post on zucchini, and maybe I will. But for now, I'll have you know that

my home is singing. Come over to Moms the Word for the link up.

Bittersweet

Remember how I said that I couldn't find any pictures of Jamie? For some reason, these were hiding from me. And I was just about to insert them into the last post somehow, and I thought better of it.

Because I need to write about him. I've been struggling. It's hard to hide it from your readers when you are depressed. The pictures look smiley and happy, and it looks like everyone is having a fun time, and they are--except one of us. And one of us does not want her little "spill" of emotional onslaught to take over everyone else's world.
So, what's wrong anyway? It looks like he's a fine kid--bright eyed and bushy tailed. And he is. He's a great kid who has great potential. We are proud of him in every way. But... he's leaving. He's leaving in two weeks, and I think it is finally hitting me. And yes, I want him to go. My mind does, at least. My heart acknowledges that this will produce the greatest good in his life--following God's leading and leaving for college.

But this is hard. And I feel like such a woos. And I'm the MOM, already. If I don't cry, who will? Certainly not him! He's so excited to get going. And that is SO good.

When I was his age, I could NOT imagine feeling sad about leaving for college. I was so ready to go. I embraced all the new things and challenges like a bull released from the pen. And he is chomping at the bit to get on with this life, just like I was.

But we have knocked heads a lot over the last two years. But he and Will have become stronger and closer, which is just what God wanted all along. And I know he loves me, as well as the entire family. And we see his walk with the Lord. And if this really God's will that he is pursuing, we will see the walk get stronger.

So, there is nothing to be sad about in real life. And I am rejoicing. Sometimes, through tears, but I am rejoicing.

Yes, I am doubting everything I have ever done, said or hoped for at this moment. Yes, I am weak and insecure about everything AND then some. But it is during times like this that GOD is either who he said he is or he isn't. He was strong enough to preserve Jamie's life through a car crash, is he strong enough to take him through college with a clear testimony? Is He strong enough to sustain me in my weakness and fears and doubts?? He has to be, or he is not God.

And this is where I am right now. Sometimes I start to cry, and I am not even sure what is going on or why I am sad. But I remember stories that my mother told when I left for college. The house was so quiet, and she was so sad. All the fun, activity, and life that she thought of as my life was gone.

And today? Mom and I talk every day on the phone. We are closer than we ever were before. We both agree it was hard when I left for school, but she knows what an important thing it was in my life.

College is where I met the Lord. College is where I learned about teaching, dancing, life, God and so much. Without that experience, I would not be who I am or where I am. I am not saying that everyone needs to go to college. But it gives me much more peace about Jamie leaving home, knowing first hand all of the blessings and things I learned about God at college.

home again jiggety jig

Yes, I'm home! I've already taken a shower and started the laundry, but I still have more pictures to put up.

These are the Webber grandparents together. Grandma Marilyn, aka "Muz" "chef extraordinaire" and "sun goddess" with aforementioned boating expert. Note the Connecticut hat with the Minnesota shirt. He's feeling directionally schizophrenic. He grew up in MN, lived and raised their family in CT and then summer back in MN.

This is Jamie. I'm not sure where this picture was taken, but I couldn't find a decent photo of him from the trip. He was always on the jetski!!
Here's Than, ready for the next sail or jet ski.

Will (above) and his mother (below).. See any resemblance?
Grandpa Jon with Uncle Bill (Grandma Marilyn's brother).. I think all old dudes wear yellow shirts with khaki shorts in Minnesota. Oops! Did I say old dude? I meant older hunky guys.
Will with his Uncle Bill. Uncle Bill has the best ole Minnesotan accent.
No doubt he was telling me an Eino and Toivo joke. Or reminding me that our kids are "bright eyed and bushy tailed" or something crazy.
Now here is something that my kids hardly ever did at the lake--jet ski!

O.K. well... maybe just a little. Oh, if my kids just had a life! If they would just learn to enjoy life a little bit! And I did the really stupid thing of letting them pull me on the tube. I think I had 5 solid minutes of screaming.
And so, when all is said and done, we "survived" our lake trip and rode to Wisconsin to visit our friends, the Morells. Joanna was our constant photographer and coordinator of all car activities, which usually involved taking more pictures..
And so we arrived. And we did something new and different--we ate dinner and had fun.

The next day, Kathy and I went out garage sale-ing. Here I am showing off my "loot".

I dumped everything on the picnic table. But before I go on, I must tell you that my Joanna designed and made the skirt I was wearing. The top is "new" as of this summer, and the hair is hedgehog on humidity.

So, we have fiestaware plates, in a beautiful turquoise 2/ $3.00, table cloth $.50, cute little teapot $1.00, picture frame $.50.

Take a look at this teapot. There will be a story coming up on this teapot very soon-probably a video!!

Sweater: $1.00 and cute bag $.25!!
Wool sweater jacket $3.00 and tote, $.50.
Games, letters etc. $.50 or $1.00

And, after completely overwhelmed by her best friend, she still loves her hedgehog friend, even though she was not in the mood for a picture.

Five kids (four siblings and one cousin from Sweden)
Fun times!