Labor Day Love

I try not to post alot of pictures of other people... I figure people don't care THAT much about whats going on with ME in the first place... and they probably care even less about whats going on with people I happen to know. I also don't like posting pictures of people without their permission. But deep down its probably more because I don't like people posting pictures of me in other places. Especially facebook... since I am a hater.

Don't ask me why... but occasionally I break my own rules. Today is one of those days. :)

Labor day weekend we headed down to Austin for my cousin Jeri's backyard wedding. It was a girls trip... and Leah loved saying "No boys on this bacation... just gols." My sister and I, along with my mom and her sister Dianna, and little Leah drove to Austin for the festivities. My cousins: Jeri and her daughter Natalie. Its been said I look more like these two than like my own mom and sister. Uncle Winston and his baby girl... My mom with her niece and her 2 sisters. The BOB and the NOB (brother of the bride, Jeff, and nephew of the bride, Jaxon) Look at that face! (I'm referring to Jaxon of course...) Precious!

My cousins Clay and Virginia and little Logan...
Leah enjoyed herself. She ate fajitas and wedding cake, she danced like no one was watching and she ran around the backyard like a maniac. All in all, a good bacation. ;)

too chilly to swim...

...but we're going swimming anyway!Leah and I joined Kevin on a teeny-tiny, mid-week vacation. (Work for him, vacation for us.) I sort of thought that with all the heat we had this summer no Texas pool could have possibly cooled off yet!

I was soooo wrong, and sooooo cold. But that girl just didn't seem to care. We swam for 3 hours, all alone. No one else was crazy enough to swim in that frigid water!

Lately?

She's enjoyed lots of splashing...





Cycling...


Sleeping in her big girl bed... Smiling!


Wearing out those pigtails...


And accessorizing...


Sort of...


- Posted from my iPhone

a little wonderful

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Hello 1989!

I didn't get a great photo because I was in a huge hurry as I rushed through the department store yesterday. But I had to take a picture of these terrific splatter-painted platforms.

I think I was in 4th grade when I had a t-shirt and matching bow that looked just like these!! And maybe some keds too. ;)





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A little oil

...really does go a long way in my house.

You can wash your face...

Or fry up some okra from the garden...






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A little clearance

A couple of weekends ago, Kevin wanted to take Leah to fly her very first kite.

They went to Target to pick out kites... And found that kite season was over! Who knew that July was already too late to get a kite??

But way in the back of the clearance aisles were a handful of leftovers. Leah picked out a penguin kite, and Daddy got Batman... For $1!! Yay!

When Kevin texted me this picture I was in disbelief. I was certain it was photoshopped or that he'd tied that kite on to her waist or something so it wouldn't get away. Nope... My baby is just a big, practically-grown-up, little girl, able to fly a kite all by herself.


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Riding the weasel

Jim Morrison wishes he thought of this...

One day, several weeks ago, Leah was playing the radio on her toy farm, singing along to every song. When a familiar song about a weasel came on she said "This is my weasel! Look, I'm gonna RIDE MY WEASEL!" And she climbed to the top and rode to town.

Pretty much every day since then she has wanted to ride her weasel at some point.

Recently we were at a friend's house that had the same toy and she said "Look mommy, his farm looks just like my weasel!"

What a weird little brain she has.




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A little savings

When your piggy bank is overflowing...


It's time for your first bank account!!!


At the end she said "Thank you for my account... And my lollipop!"


And even more important than what her daddy is teaching her about saving her money was what he taught her about giving some of that money back to Jesus... where it came from! She was SO eager to give some back! Eagerly, gladly, giving... There is so much for us grown-up types to learn from the small ones.

"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."


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A little perspective

Look at today's yummy tomato harvest!!! Aren't they gorgeous??


Same great taste... Just a little less filling...


The garden is struggling a bit in this heat wave. But we're keeping on! We got some disfigured cucumbers and giant okra too! It's like a circus garden!


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Quick like a cat

We often set up our own version of the water slide in our backyard. This particular evening Leah and Kevin were playing catch.


This picture makes me laugh. She better have some quick reflexes.



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Smurfette

Several people have questioned why I still take a bib with me everywhere I go... I didn't think it was strange until i started noticing other kids leah's age don't wear bibs anymore... Well, for those people who are wondering, I have just 4 words...

Birthday


Cake


Ice


Cream!



Truly, I wish it were acceptable for ME to wear the bib. I can be terribly messy and have ruined many, many clothing items over the years. Guess it runs in the family. :)

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a little medicine

Today I read this on a friend's blog... can you imagine not complaining about ANYTHING... even the WEATHER?? I am gonna try it and see how long I can go! :)

A grown daughter wondered how her mom, a missionary living in the African bush for 52 years with no electricity or other modern conveniences, had led a life of contentment in circumstances that would give anyone cause to complain. She found the answer in an old diary of her mother's. Her mother, Ella Spees, had written down this "prescription for contentment":

~ Never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.

~ Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

~ Never compare your lot with another's.

~ Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

~ Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that is God's, not ours.

(from Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, p. 13)

m m m o p

Action!

Take 2!

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2 fish

It wasn't quite as impressive as the miracle Jesus performed, but it was miraculous to us! Back on Memorial Day, Leah and her daddy thought it might be a good day to go fishing. Leah picked out a Lightning McQueen fishing rod at the store and her daddy taught her all about the rod, reel, line, hook and the bobber. Then they practiced a little reeling for a bit.

We dug up some worms out of our flower beds and headed down to Kroger pond so Leah could try her hand at fishing. The first video is their very first cast. And the second video is their third cast.

You will have to pardon my excited voice... I was excited! And you will have to excuse the grandmother-length videos... you know the ones that are longer than anyone really wants to watch... except for grandmothers. :) (Actually, they are only about a minute a piece... and jam-packed with exciting fishing!)