Wedding Pictures

Justin's sister, Amberly, was married here last Saturday. The wedding was small and intimate, held right in our front yard, officiated by their grandfather. We were honored to be a part, and little Betty was recruited as flower girl. Welcome to the family, Uncle Tommy. Here are some pictures:



If for some reason you can't see the slideshow, click here.

For Pete's Sake.

Jonas: I think we should do something different. Let's play a game.

Mommy: How about read a book?

Jonas: No.

Mommy: Paint?

Jonas: No.

Mommy: Cut?

Jonas: No.

Mommy: Math?

Jonas: No. We can't do school, or read a book, or anything..... anything..... book-y. Now what game do you want to play, for Pete's sake?

Snakes Alive, Jonas is Five

Happy birthday, sweet boy. Five years ago, you came along and changed everything. Everything. I am so glad you did. Sweet little firstborn, you are a big boy now. I'm so proud of you.

You love your cowboy jeans, and for some reason neckties. You love to play with your wedgits, and your favorite birthday gift was play-doh, of all things. You wanted Cici's pizza for dinner, to play air hockey with Daddy, so that's what we did.

You are a kind and protective big brother to little Betty. You like to "play bedtime," and you "read" her a book, tell her a story, pray with her, and snuggle her. Just like mama does with you both.

You have lots of questions about God. You try to think of things that God doesn't have, things you love that won't be in heaven, information God doesn't know, or things that are bigger than God. You haven't come up with anything to stump Daddy yet. I hope you keep asking.

You don't like reading or cooking or snuggling with mama quite as much as you used to, and I'm seeing glimmers of a "big boy" who wants to come out. That big boy wants to run around outside with the goats. I'll admit to bittersweet feelings about that.

You had a snake party. You had fun.


























Happy birthday, Jonas. I love you.

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Happy Belated Easter

Does that title even make sense?

It's not that I forgot. It's just that, you know, life happens. Sometimes the blog takes awhile to catch up.

So I made Betty this sweet little Easter outfit, and then she was sick and we missed church.

Oh, and I found the decapitated head of a bunny in the yard.

On Easter morning.




Sometimes you think a day is going to go a certain way, and then it just doesn't, you know?

Sometimes you applique a toile bunny on a t-shirt, and sew a sweet little tiered skirt.

Sometimes, Mamaw brings over a sweet little Easter bonnet and gloves.

Sometimes kids get fever.

Sometimes your kid gets blue Easter egg dye on her face and looks like Pat Benatar.



And sometimes your dog eats the Easter bunny.



But Jesus is alive, and nothing else matters.

So we celebrated anyway.

See how gravely ill she is?

Cough, cough.

All this posing and cuteness is hard work, Mom.

I'm not sure why the boots. Maybe the bonnet makes her think of a cowgirl?
Personally I would have gone with a ballet flat, but to each his own.

See the eyeshadow? Blue fingers I expected, but the face?

Why did I let her dye her own eggs??? Have I learned nothing?

A post about food

This just came in the mail. Don't you want to eat those fries right now?


Oh, and I made strawberry jam. Yum. And the most flattering picture ever.

Zoo Day

I took the kids to the zoo last week. It was fun all around.



I would love to know what they're both thinking.


I don't know where she gets this instinct to "pose." This is by the komodo dragon.



This is by the lions. They like to stand on the fence.



Standing on the fence at the elephants.


Standing on the fence at the giraffes. See that leg up? She kept trying to climb in.


There she goes again.


Complete with a choo-choo ride at the end.

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

I planted my very first garden. Justin has done it a few times, and mom always gardened, but I've never before had much interest. I'm starting small, just a little 4'x8' bed. Texas Edible Landscapes, aka our friend John, made the box for me. At his advice I added lava sand, rock phosphate, cotton burr compost and organic fertilizer. Justin and his G-Dad helped me plant yesterday and set up the drip irrigation. I planted tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, and some herbs.

Jonas planted watermelon and cantaloupe:

and Betty planted green beans.

Everything is covered up now; it may frost tonight. Poor little baby plants look small out in the cold and wind. I hope the little buggers don't die yet; that would just be depressing.


Wish me luck.

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