Growing Up!

My fourth child....Junior Prom.

People perceive me as tall, even though I'm just a little over 5'10" and Claire is basically my height.  She wore heels Saturday and said, "I am a giant."  Haha!  I know the feeling.

"Please don't grow up and go to college!!!"

Magnify

I didn't have a lot of time and the branch was moving in the wind, so not the best photos, but seriously.  Wow.  A dragonfly on lilacs.  Can it get any better?  Two favorites of mine.  Well, probably favorites of most, right?

Crazily detailed.  Created by our Creator for His pleasure and for ours as we developed microscopes and macro lenses.

I can see why people like to study insects.

These two parts on the tail were moving back and forth so quickly.

~and then it flew away~

~~::~~

A French Fifth

Our oldest granddaughter turned 5 last Saturday and in true to my oldest daughter's form, we enjoyed a sweet themed birthday party!  The party was dubbed her French Fifth. :)

Their dining room is actually navy blue, not sure what's up with it looking black in the picture. Hmm.

She found a lot of free printables online.

Target dollar spot was involved.

As was some wrapping paper, Sam's Club, and Home Goods.

Cute!

The cost of all was very low.

Cuter!  What is she to do when she's told "pose"?

(Cardboard and a sharpie for the Eiffel Tower, free! and my favorite part.)

Some "Made by Joel" printables were perfect.  Have you checked out his website?  He doesn't update it any more, but if you have little kids, or grand kids, there are a lot of fun little print outs there.

Lots of activity going on behind and around so it was hard to get her to pay attention to me, ha!

The sparkler candles were also "trick" candles and she kept blowing and they kept relighting and her face was fun to watch as she was surprised each time!

I'm disappointed we didn't take any group pictures, but so it goes.

I'm pretty sure Lauren would want me to give you a disclaimer...she loves to decorate, but truly knows that it's just "fluff" and not necessary to a celebration.  Please don't ever think that you owe your child a theme or decorations for them to enjoy their birthday.  We do low key parties here with the kids choosing the meal and a cake or special dessert.  We put up a few decoration on occasion.   It just really depends on what is going on in life at the time.  We celebrated Audrey's birthday once with Randy in a wheelchair hooked up to an IV pole in the waiting room at a hospital.  With just three of the kids and some cupcakes from HyVee and presents.  Yep. And, honestly, she didn't care one bit.  She was just happy to finally get to celebrate.  But, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the decorations at another's party!  And we all do like to see what Lauren puts together.

Kind of funny detail:  The Eiffel Tower there behind her shoulder? That is actually the base of a broken lamp from when my second daughter was on a Paris "kick" when she was a freshman in high school. The lamp was in her bedroom, but has since been broken, but kept, just in case it could come in handy. :)

Today is Holy Thursday and so begins the Easter Triduum.

I hope you all have a joyous Easter!!

Just Tuck It Away

If you follow along on Instagram, you know I'm participating in a hashtag project called the 100 day project. The idea is to spend a small amount of time  practicing a skill for 100 days.  It's a long story of how I came to decide on 100 days of human shapes so I won't go into it, but suffice it to say that I want to try to create variations on human shapes or forms.  I'll be happy if I make it for 10 days. (This practice is from yesterday, the seventh.)  Amazed, if I make it for 25 days.  I love the idea, I just have trouble with long commitments. Ha!

Anyway.  Yesterday morning I kept thinking about something I took note of at Mass on Sunday.  I thought that maybe it would be a good challenge to try and make the general shape of the man I noted.  Eventually, I pulled out an old Anthropology catalog I had and began to cut.  

The story: As I looked up during the song while the ushers were walking up the aisle to pick up the offering I saw one of the ushers had folded his palm in two and had stuck it in his back pocket.  I found it a little humorous and could see myself doing the same thing.  I like pockets. 

Then a phrase came to my mind that my daughter, Bonnie, says,  "It's something to put in your back pocket in case you ever need it."  Then another thing came to mind.  I've had conversations with two different people who are teaching confirmation in two different religions.  Both were concerned about the kids' lack of knowledge of scripture and prayers.  I don't know why they are lacking this knowledge, but it makes me sad for them. They won't have the resources when they need it. There's nothing in their back pocket.

We can fill our back pocket with reading Sacred Scripture every day, praying various prayers, and reading good spiritual writings.  Daily, we will need and we can pull comfort, wisdom, and guidance from what we've learned.

It's Holy Week and already there are scriptures that seem new to me. Different aspects of the Passion come to light each year.  Something more to add to my pocket.  Just fold it up and tuck it away, because I know I'll need it. :)

The Sky Was Magnificent

And it was windy.  Boy, was it windy.  Right chilly too.

The day of my Mom's funeral.  The cemetery is just across the section from the little church that I grew up attending and where Mom was a lifetime member.  After the cemetery service we came back to the church basement for cookies and coffee.  As I got out of the car, I grabbed my phone to get a picture of the view of the cemetery a mile away from the church.  I wanted to remember the sky.  As I got to the open field I met my son in law who had the same idea, his phone in hand.

The photo doesn't do the sky justice, but it sparks my memory of it.  The blue tent that just minutes earlier we had been sitting under is now down as they caretaker disassembles it.  Before it blows into the next county.  People were standing holding the poles to stabilize it during the brief service at the grave side.

Southwest corner of the cemetery.  We've of course been there before. The headstone already in place from when my Dad died.

If I would have driven just a quarter mile to the East I could have stood on the farm where I grew up and could have also taken a photo of the cemetery across the section.

Sometimes the huge world seems small.

I'm joining with Sarah again this month for Scene and Story.  

Sailing

I made this sail boat a couple of months ago and today it struck me where to hang it.

With a tap of my finger, it sails. :)

Well, okay, it spins slowly.  But, in my imagination it sails.

Imagination is quite a gift.

~~::~~