Happy #41 Handsome!

Everybody wish The Man many happy returns of the day! (I'll be back later to expound on how incredible he is... but for now we'll just leave it at "Hummuna Hummuna Hummuna!")

All's Quiet on the Home Front

Jim Hawthorne called J. to ask if he could borrow Tofer for this weeks Jr High camp. They were short the # of male counselors needed for the amount of campers coming in.
Many of you will remember that Tof spent 6 weeks at YAA last summer and another week with Jim and Seth going up and over the Spanish Peaks.
Tof really thrives in this kind of enviorment. Constant busyness. Never a moment to be idle really. He loves the work with the grounds, the kids, the worship, the food - every aspect.
I can totally see him going into this full time when he graduates.

Minda had applied and deeply desired to do the Timothy program this year (what Tof did last summer), but J & I were feeling a strong pull to keep the kids close. We thought this might be Cassia's last summer home, and we were just feeling the need to be family. It's been good, and we are glad we made the decision.

However... when we gave the ok for Tof to counsel, we had to call Jim back and ask if Minda could join the staff as well. Jim graciously said for her to come on up and help in the kitchen. She is on KP for the week and is more excited than a kid in a candy shop! Needless to say, the house is quiet and very low key with only Cassia, Cricket and I here most of the day. Devotions, J comes and goes, we do our chores, snap a few photos and then??? I think I'll go grocery shopping ...
All photos by YAA in summer 2007

Fair Folk Welcome

When our children were small, we were extremely strict about books, movies, toys... We had nothing to do with magic, relationship/romance, or attitudes that portrayed parents (esp. fathers) as dumb. As they grew older and could not only distinguish right from wrong, evil from light, lies from truth, but make decisions about those things for themselves, our movies, tv viewing, story books and such have reflected their growth.

When Minda was about 10 and Cassia 13 we watched the story of a girl who went to stay in Maine with her aunt on an secluded island. While she was there she visited a place that the villagers had designated as a land for the Faeries. They built homes for them out of just what was lying about ~ nothing un-natural. After that, everytime we would go for a hike in the mountains or along the beach the kids would plop down somewhere along the way and build little huts from mosses, pinecones, shells, bark... whatever was about.

They love it to this day! At the ripe ole age of 15, Minda joined me for an enchanting afternoon.

We spread moss over roots, made a roof of branches and grasses and more moss, paved a path with pinecones, laid, flat green rocks for stairs... arranging and rearranging until it seemed a castle fit for a sweet fairy queen!

Haven Swap!

I have been given the opportunity to participate in Monica and Carrie's famous Shoebox Swaps! This one is a 'Haven' theme. I can't wait to get to know a sister in Christ and bless her life in this way. Who will it be this time????
I'm pumped! I love, love, love giving gifts!

(edit) **** And the Winner is ~Dunt ~Duh-Nuh ~Nuh ~ Aubrey! Jump on over to her blog and get to know her with me!

FIFTEEN!!!!

Malinda Judith is officially 15! (Applause)

The Queen of Eternal Happiness presided over the birthday breakfast of Maple Bars and various other confections.

Cassia's birthday cards are famous around our house. They could be a small novel, but she says so many sweet and wonderful thing that you don't mind reading the whole thing in one sitting!

She gets to start wearing makeup, so we spent the afternoon at the mall getting lessons in application and then trying on some lip colors.

Usually Minda doesn't want cake. Last year it was brownies, the year before was Rice Crispy treats, but this year she wanted Cranberry Orange cake. So I obliged.

Friends came over after church to celebrate. Minda had asked for pork roast, biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots and corn on the cob. (Not a low fat, or vegan meal!!) There was nothing left.
Happy #15, baby girl. We love you beyond belief!
Things Minda Loves:
God
Bright Colors
Archaeology
Elephants
books
Talking
Long Skirts
crafts
Laughing
Chai
Tea in tiny teapots
Friends
Irish Rovers
Accents and Languages
Moths and Butterflies
Family

"Goodbye" Seems to be the Hardest Word

Sara and I spent one last afternoon together, Thursday. We went to La Tinga because I had never eaten there before, and it is super cheap! WooHoo! $1 tacos, $1 side of rice and beans, $3 tostada! How can you eat just one? Easy! Put their hottest sauce on it!
It's the first time since arriving in Bozeman that I can say "Hyi-chee-wah-wah"! Glory! La Tinga is Spanish for "It'll Flip" or "It Flips" ~ They live up to it! Bella rode her scooter while we walked. Like her 'skirt'? :o) We ran a couple of errands and then they treated me to Rockford (Iced African Autumn Sunset)! We took them to go because I was making treats for the worship team and Minda was waiting for me at the library. Last night (there are no photos of this time because both photograpers forgot their cameras - but I swear - it really took place!), J and I dropped the kids off at the Jesse Jorgensen concert at AF and headed, once more, to Rockford to see Matt, Sara, and Bella. They left bright and early this morning on their new adventure. We chatted for a bit about what God seems to be doing while we drank our teas (and Matt and J ate gutt-bomb scotch-a-roos). We prayed together, signed the guest book, and hugged before we parted. Who knows when the next hugs will come; prayers are immanent.
I got to be a part of so much of this trip home. We picked out curtains together, rugs, and runners. We talked over paint colors and flooring. We just hung out as friends, mamas, and daughters of God. I feel very full, very blessed.

We love you Janssens! I won't say 'goodbye' ~ just 'God go with you, until we are together again.' *sniff*

This and That

One of the things I love about J is how easily he strikes up conversations. Saturday morning we had an appointment for the Acura to get checked out. Lassie's window wouldn't roll up. While the guys were givin' her the once over, we walked to our favorite coffee spot. Not two minutes after sitting down a guy commented to J about his book. The book happened to be his Bible and they went on for the next hour talking about this guy's life and what he believed. He came to church the next day! I'm tellin' ya... God uses my man in ways that still floor me after 19.7 years.Later that evening we went to the Murray's for - - - drum roll please - - - Frogmore stew! I think I have eaten Frogmore more in the past 4 months than in the past 19 years! It was awesome! We got to meet Don's Mom and sister who were here visiting from the east coast and also hang with the Adams. Merle and Don have been building this incredible bed for Mo. Can't wait to see it in his room finally! Monday, Bella met me at Co-Op for lunch. She had Noodles, and I had Tabouhli and mushrooms - Oh ya! Sara came too ;o). It was a perfect afternoon. We headed to Rockford after lunch where Bella got herself a "beer" while Sara and I had tea. When I arrived home, J had planned a hike together. I loaded trail food (Kashi bars, peanuts, cheese sticks, oranges, carrots and celery, croissants...) and water bottles into our groovy purple pack and we climbed aboard Beezus & drove to Paradise Valley. An hour later we disembarked at Passage Creek Falls trailhead and started off on our adventure. 2 summers ago there was a huge fire that devestated this area. Although it was still very evident that the fire had swept through, there was new growth and it was lush and green on the forest floor. We were very ready to arrive and just sit for a spell.

At the top of the falls both J and T took off their shoes and socks to refresh their tootsies.

it was a little more "refreshing" than he was ready for! :o) We drove the long way home, singing to James Taylor and praying we wouldn't run out of gas. Papa Murphy provided dinner for the troupes ~ Mama had a Banana Orange smoothie and then curled up in a little ball and promptly went to sleep. :o)

How was your weekend? I know Stephen turned 20 (which by the way makes me feel ancient) this week and Sabrina turned 30? 31? Did ya'll do any celebrating? (HW is about to turn 30 ~ and is as beautiful as Ev-Uh!!! ) I know Los will make it special.

Friday

9am drop off Cassia and Tof to clean the church 10am Minda meets Druckenmillers to go participate in the Summer of Hope

11:15 am Pick up C & T from janitorial and drop off recycling

12:20 Lunch

1:15 - 3 PM clean house

3 pm drop off Tof to hike from M to our house with Julia's family

7 PM Date with J @ La Parilla 9 PM arrive home to weary, dirty hikers - serve iced tea and popcorn 10 pm return Julia's family to M to retrieve their vehicle

10:30 pm PJ's, and into bed!

Summer Delights

Summer seems to have made up it's mind to stay awhile in Bozeman! Although the weather hasn't been hot, it's been warm and pleasant. It's made us dream of picking raspberries at Grama's, and eating cherries as we sit in the crook of the branches... days gone by.

The sunshine has also made us want to eat right ~ cold vegies and fruits, high Omega 3s, grains and nuts. Lunch today was cold Pacific Sockeye in a Garlic Dijon Pesto, fresh organic Strawberries and an organic green smoothie (Kale, Orange, peach, carrot). It was absolutely perfect. Makes me wish I had leftover Salmon more often!

We've also been walking a lot more as those rays grace our days. Minda and I (& Cricket) walk to the mailbox both to send out and again to pickup. Coming home this morning, we had to stop and pick some wildflower bouquets. Doesn't Min look cute? She had just finished watching "Fiddler on the Roof" the night before and came upstairs this morning en-kerchiefed!

The evenings are glorious displays of color. Greens, blues, lavenders, pinks, oranges, and yellows. I'm not usually awakes when the sun is going down (I still like to be in bed before 9) but, when I am still up, I do so love the Evensong hour.

At the bottom of our driveway is a hill that is tall and wild with a muddle of weeds and flowers ~ God makes it seem less of a mess and more of an orchestrated chorus during this magical hour. Moments like this make all feel right in the world.
Are you finding your summer full of delights?

Play Date

Sara made a date with me to just go hang out in town and shop, photograph, chatter, eat, drink coffee and hunt for bargains! This is only the second time in two years I have gotten away for an afternoon with a friend to just play. (The first one was with Sara too!)

We started the day at Rockford. It's so funny that Sara doesn't live here, but everyone knows her! Yesterday reinforced to me how different 2 people can be and still be friends. She is super outgoing, I'm subdued. She is all or nothing, I'm more hmmm, sounds good, I'll try it. We do both love photography (but she is much more advanced), we do both care about the enviorment and being good stewards of this earth (but she is doing much more about it), we are both moms (but at total opposite ends of the spectrum)...

There is no real explaination for our friendship other than Christ and our love for Him. What a great foundation though. How blessed a friendship can be because of that foundation!
Both Sara and I love/appreciate Ani's voice in the world. We so wanted to go together to this concert, but their schedule won't allow it. Anbody want to go with me? I think they still have tickets on sale.
We wandered into Luna and Sara found happiness! Sheer happiness in the form of a purse! Wool with felted flowers stitched on, in bright oranges and greens and reds and blues! Later in the day when we were paying for lunch Sara said, "Every time I see it, it makes me happy. I need things in my life to make me happy, right?"

She makes me happy. So glad she is in my life. So blessed she made time with me a priority.
Love you, Sara.