Good, True and Beautiful

Wisconsins Got Talent

2010-07-29T01:14:45Z

Every year we head to the North Woods of Wisconsin to reunited with Nature Boy’s family.

It’s a week of great food, lots of activity, laughter and limited bathing.

(not that anyone would ever sneak a little visit to the shower while everyone was out hiking and boating. Inconceivable! The thought would have never crossed her mind. Absolute sacrilege. Who would do such a thing?!)

Each year we cap off the week with the famous, world renown, top notch, over the top, spectacular… FAMILY TALENT SHOW!

It truly has to be seen to be believed.

There are costumes…

There are wigs…

There is laughter…

And occasionally there is actually some talent.

(But I think that was by accident)

Who could have known I was marrying into such a clever family. They sure bring me a lot of JOY!

And what about you? What brought you JOY this week? Want to tell us about it?

The Next Chapter…

2010-07-28T14:13:33Z

… is going to be a good one.

When I look back on my life, I’m always a bit amazed at what God has been willing to do with my weak, impatient, self-focused, little self. I know that if I was left to my own devices I would hide in the corner of my heart, sucking my thumb, complaining about the weather.

But instead God keeps giving me opportunities to wait on His perfect timing, see the power of His Mighty Hand, and realize that His ways are so much better than mine.

It makes me marvel. It makes me cry. And it overwhelms me with joy.

(I can’t go into too many details yet… but let me just say that prayers are being answered. Not necessarily in the way that I thought they would be, but in God’s perfect, wonderful, sovereign way. And that is so much better)

Photo by Tigr

Because every now and again, I should drop the ball…

2010-07-27T03:18:17Z

…I forgot that today is Thursday.

And on Thursday, I have a little party ’round these parts. Ya know, just for the JOY of it.

Oh course, I have excuses… vacation is a great time to think of excuses.

But mostly, I just forgot. As in

“oh my goodness, it never even entered my mind that Wednesday comes before Thursday, and on Thursday I’m supposed to do something but maybe I’ll just eat this chocolate cake and take a nap and go to the lake and eat some fried chicken and laugh at the nieces and give the little guy a bath and go to bed early.”

I guess that means my vacation is working (and I might need to copy Erin’s Mission Statement)

just call me James Stinky Dean

2010-07-15T01:54:06Z

Tomorrow we head to the mid-west for ten days of relaxation with Nature Boy’s family.

We eat, we swim, we laugh, we eat, we run, we sleep, we eat.

But we won’t be taking a shower.

You see, thirty years ago my father-in-law challenged his three sons to see who could go the longest without taking a shower in the family cottage… instead they needed to use the lake to bathe and clean up.

Thirty. Years. Ago.

Did I mention that they are a competitive bunch?

Needless to say, I’m going to spend my summer vacation in a place where it is, ahem, frowned upon to take a shower.

And while everything in my being dictates that scrubbing down in a crystal clear lake doesn’t quite qualify as “bathing,” this year, i think I’m going to try and tough it out…

I’ll be a rebel.

A rebel without a shower….

just for the JOY of it.

And what about you? What brought you JOY this week? Want to tell us about it?

John Deere Dreams

2010-07-14T13:51:29Z

What little boy dreams are made of…

escaping 100 degrees

2010-07-08T02:57:13Z

Because it is really, really HOT in New York this week…

Because we don’t have air conditioning…

And because I really like my Mom’s cooking…

I headed south to my parent’s house…

I love them.

And they have a swimming pool.

Could you blame me?

And what about you? What brought you JOY this week?

If you don’t have a blog, please share your thoughts in the comment section. If you do have a blog, grab the button from the sidebar for you post and then link up in the application below.

And then everybody should go visit some new friends and leave them a comment (so they know you stopped by for a visit)!

A New Blog Design!

2010-07-14T02:38:45Z

I’m excited to let you know that Kansas City Mamas has launched on it’s new WordPress home!

Kelly hired me to transfer her blog from Blogger and also refresh her design. She had great ideas on the look she wanted – a modern, updated feel that invoked Kansas City’s famous fountains. You’ll have to check out Kansas City Mamas or the gallery of my blog design work to see if you think we accomplished our goal!

(I have two other blogs in my design queue right now… and boy, am I excited about how great they look. Can’t wait to show you!)

Rhapsody for Moms

2010-07-01T01:17:54Z

You’ll have to click here to see it if you’re reading this on email.

I saw this great twist on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody – the Church on the Move used it as the opening for their church service on Mother’s Day.

I got a particular chuckle about the “Fettucine” refrain.

The Anglican church I go to thinks we’re being really progressive when we only read one of the Morning Prayers or we stand for communion (instead of kneeling). Can’t quite imagine how we would incorporate this skit into our old fashioned liturgy…. but hey, let’s give a big shout out for the Book of Common Prayer too!

I love creative and humorous talents like this… So I’m passing it along to you, Just for the Joy of it!

And what about you? What brought you JOY this week?

If you don’t have a blog, please share your thoughts in the comment section. If you do have a blog, grab the button from the sidebar for you post and then link up in the application below.

And then everybody should go visit some new friends and leave them a comment (so they know you stopped by for a visit)!

First Fruits

2010-06-30T03:07:36Z

I walked out to the garden this morning and my eye was caught by a flash of red hiding amongst the tomatoes. While everything else is still ripening, this first taste of summer proclaimed it’s readiness; absolutely delicious.

Last summer (my first ever with a garden – and how Nature Boy got his name) we didn’t have any luck with tomatoes. They were blighted – and it was gross.

But this year, they seem to be thriving. The perfect balance between rain and sun… I can already taste the salsa I’m going to make!

The onions however, don’t seem to be faring as well… unfortunately, they have experienced a new form of garden disease known as “the trample”…

I wonder how that happened?

(by the way, thanks for all your well wishes after my disastrous day… things seem to be much better now!)

Proof that it’s Monday

2010-06-29T23:31:57Z

The cat has a a urinary tract infection, but the vet can’t see him until Wednesday.

Interesting factoid: Cat’s with urinary tract infections like to pee in your clean laundry basket.

I am now serving (in a involuntary capacity) as the go-between for my doctor’s office, our health insurance company, and the great state of New York, all in an attempt to unravel the tangled web of insurance codes and submissions that they haven’t been able to resolve. Since January.

Interesting Factoid: the insurance billing and coding has absolutely nothing to do with logic, accounting, or the laws of physics.

My adorable two year old son decided that a jar of buttons would be much more interesting dumped all over the family room floor. Twice.

Interesting Factoid: You can let a little boy run around the backyard for two hours totally nude, but he doesn’t need to pee until the moment he enters the house and sees a pile of bright shiny buttons on the living room floor.

How’s your day going?

UPDATE: since I pressed “publish” I have signed for a package wearing the my pajamas (at 3:30 in the afternoon), the Little Man took off his diaper during his nap and then pooped in his crib (much to his horror), and the dog threw up on my shoe.

I kid you not.