New Addition

I have a beautiful new addition in my kitchen.  Check out this amazing new hutch...

Since we've added on, I knew that I needed a big piece of furniture to go against that wall.  My hope was that some day in the future we would be able to build in cabinets there.  Maybe someday we still will.  Anyway, my mom recently got this cabinet for...FREE!!!  She found it on craigstlist, not looking like this, but solid piece of wood for free, what a steal.  Her and my dad hauled it home and she's been working in it in her garage for months now.  I am just thrilled about how it looks and to have some more functioning cabinets and drawers in the kitchen.  And it's the perfect fit for that big wall.  It's still missing a door b/c we are awaiting a mysterious hinge.  Thank you mom, for all your hard work for make over this beauty.

Another Party

Claudia shares a birthday with my uncle (my mom's brother, Paul).  It has always been a fun excuse to get together, which was what we did last weekend.  It was a beautiful evening with lots of fun together as families.

Sweet little Lexi

The birthdays.  QJ has one just a couple of days after Claudia and Paul.

Shannon was so kind to do my toes for me, it's getting harder and harder!  Little Greta wanted to get in on the action.

This Week

It's been a bit of a crazy week around here.  The weather has been...damaging to say the least.  Tons and tons of rain.  We came out of it completely dry, so thankful that we do not get water in our house.

Steve and I were actually gone this week.  It was our pastors and wives retreat.  Whoo-hoo!  One of my favorite events of the year.  We get 3 whole days together: laughing, eating, relaxing, and lots and lots of talking.  I love our team, they has been such a blessing to Steve and I.  A visiting pastor recently said that our pastoral team has a "scandalous" amount of fun together.  It's so true.  But not only do we have lots of fun, we benefit so much from the insight and wisdom they bring into our lives.  I am so grateful God has us here.  I did not bring my camera along so this is the only shot I have from our time together, taken with someone's iPhone.  Ok, it's super blurry b/c I stole it from the church blog.  Oh well, you get the point!

So while we were at Ocean City, NJ, enjoying the sunny weather, back home was getting hammered.  My uncle sent us a picture that he took of the road in front of our house.  It was a river.  Literally.  Kind of bummed that we missed all the action but grateful that everyone came out ok.

Umbredda

Greta loves her new "umbredda" that she got for her birthday.  Today it was drizzling off and on.  This was how I found her outside.  Jammie top, no bottoms.  Jacket buttoned crooked, hair ties around her ankles.  Sometimes I wonder who her mother is.

Birthday Party

I mentioned in an earlier post that Claudia turned 11 on Friday.  We had my parents over to celebrate with Claudia's choice of meal.  Her pick was steak on the grill, mashed potatoes, green beans, and strawberry spinach salad.  I forgot the stuff for the salad so we stuck with a caesar.

Yes, I misspelled Decorator and had to fix it.

Our leftovers and centerpiece

My sweet girl.  

 It had been so long since we got together with my parents, we did all the girls b-day gifts from them that night.  My mom gave Morgan a card that said that they have arranged for her to spend an hour at a horse stable, taking care of and riding the horse.  She could not read my mom's cursive and handed the card over to be read to her.  I love the series of photos that show her reaction to it.

Mom, don't you love how I just caught the tip of your nose on this one??

Claudia's rxn to her Target gift card.

Claudia has been wanting a Guinness Book of World Records and was thrilled with it.

New Converse.  

My mom gave Greta 2 new outfits for her birthday.  Mom felt bad that she didn't get her a toy.  I told her to trust me, Greta like clothes more than toys!!

Claudia has followed in her daddy's footsteps and requested Oreo ice cream dessert instead of b-day cake.  But for the sake of clarity...who do you think claimed almost ALL of the leftovers as their own??  (Hint: it wasn't Claudia)

Monkey See Monkey Do

If big sis is reading a book while eating her cereal, why shouldn't I?

Busy Week

It's been a bit of a whirlwind around here.  School has started and though it is going really well, it takes up lots of extra time.  Also contributing to the whirlwind has been all the birthdays.  Today marks the last one for us in this stretch.  My sweet Claudia turns 11 today.  So hard for me to believe that these years have gone so quickly.  It seems that I remember every detail of her birth/first year of life.  My memory is not as clear with all the others, why is that?  I guess my brain was not fried that first year like it is now!!
I'm sure I will have some pics to post later of her special day, but for now I just wanted to put up these pics.  Though she is not in any of them, she took them.  Claudia is such a sweet big sister.  She has creative juices flowing from every part of her.  One of the things she loves to do is take pictures.  Earlier this summer, she had a little photo shoot with both Morgan and Greta.  The pics are so cute to me.  It's obvious that she also "styled" the shoots.