weekEnd: end of May

It's been a couple weeks since my last blog...  and I was doing so well, too!  Our weather has had it's ups and downs the last week.  Hot & humid days in the extreme with temps over 90.  Then a cool down last night - today's high more than 20 degrees cooler than yesterdays!  MUCH more comfortable with drier air and temps in the 70s.  Sunshine and lovely.


Planted some annuals last week which suffered from lack of careful watering.  Always so sad.  And so predictable.  Sigh.  The weeds in my back gravel patio type area are so hard to kill!

Lots of lasts happening around here!  Jamie had her last All-City Orchestra Concert last week - she officially wore her Moorhead Orchestra hockey jersey for the last time with the other seniors.  Although the orchestra program reached another high participation mark with 744 students, there looked like a lot of seniors at the high school this year - they will be missed!  


Jamie also had her last Wonderful Wednesday youth group meeting - she was honored, gifted with a beautiful study Bible and prayed over.  The end of the school year is in sight as she cleaned out her locker for the last time Friday and received her $10 deposit back!  She has all her beautiful artwork at home now - which we will proudly display at her Open House next Saturday.  


She & I visited Northwestern in St Paul last week for Summer Preparation Days which included workshops for both parents and students.  Jamie got to meet with her advisor and register for fall classes.  She's been invited to participate in the Eagle Scholars program which enables her to take special honors classes!  Pretty exciting for mom, nervous-making for the student.  But when she saw the three special classes she could take in the fall she got a little excited too.

A last word about Jamie (maybe):  she got her tattoo yesterday.  Not a sentence I ever thought I would be typing!  She has been thinking about it and working on it for at least a year, possibly two.  It is her own design and the artist did a great job on it.  


Alex had his last two middle school field trips this week:  one with the orchestra to Minneapolis for a Twin's game in the new ballpark!  (too bad they lost)  They left from school in the afternoon and got back about 1 am.  He got up and went to school the next day for a field trip to our regional science center!  He has his last three days as an 8th grader this week - then on to the high school!


We really ramped up the house preparation for my parents' visit and Jamie's open house.  Mostly cleaning.  If you've ever had a graduate, or been to an open house, you know what I'm talking about.  We take a pretty laid-back approach to these things, but I'm sure things are going to get a little intense around here before the week's over.  No, kids, you ain't seen nothing yet!  I'm so glad my parents can come to visit and celebrate - and help!  


The medical updates:  Jamie's wart is Gone, gone, gone.  (yay!)  Now she has a cold!  Nate had two appointments with Dr Dan (our dentist) with one filling.  Mia got her annual shots and heartworm test plus an unexpected cyst aspiration and she's back on steroids for her allergies (the antihistamine didn't seem to be doing anything).  She's much better.  She did get to ride in the truck twice - exciting!  Alex's teeth look awesome and his next appointment is to talk about retainers which means he must be getting near the end of ortho!  Our medical insurance changes the 1st of June.  ugh.  I hate insurance.


Ashlee's summer job is at Fat Straws - we don't have them here, but Ashlee took Jamie to one last summer and she says they have much the most AWESOME tea & smoothies EVER.  The drinks are "bubble drinks" and are served over black Japanese tapioca - which you suck up in the fat straws.  She is taking not one, but TWO, mission trips this summer!  We're still looking forward to having her here in August - possibly even helping move Jamie in at Northwestern.


Our most recent Favorites:

• The LOST season & series finale - Kathryn came over to watch with us.  We watched a RIDICULOUS amount of Lost last Sunday night.  I'm still trying to figure out what happened.  The Dancing with the Stars season finale - yay, Nichole!!  And all things Glee!
• Mary Kay Lip Balm (& Lip Mask) - Satin Lips rocks!!  And I probably shouldn't tell you, but we had a fun Even Complexion Mask party last night - so fun.  I just asked if anyone wanted to do a face mask and got two takers - Jamie AND Jeff!  So fun.  (And what a great product!)
• Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse Torte - oh what a delicious cake recipe from my friend, Toni!  Let me know I should share this yummy one.
• Jamie's southern sweet tea!  She found a recipe online just to make us miss her all the more this summer.

We have a new preacher (they generally call them pastors in this part of the country) at the church we've been attending on Sunday mornings.  Well, he's new since the end of January - which is almost not new anymore.  He is preaching through the book of Mark - and I mean really preaching through the book of Mark.  A verse at a time.  We broke into Chapter 2 last Sunday -  it was real milestone!  Our whole family likes him and his preaching.  I was especially moved by last Sunday's sermon.  I thought it was really excellent and I heard the stories about the healing of the paraplegic and calling of Levi the tax collector in a whole new way.  I know I'm probably only halfway through my life, but still it amazes me to hear the scriptures speak in a way I haven't heard before.  This sermon about forgiveness is worth a listen.

We're growing and going and wishing you the same.

~L