Updates

I was trying to wait for something positive to say before I updated. Since it looks like that will take some time, I'll go ahead. Things have been...okay. I have been extremely moody lately, which doesn't help with everything else that's going on. I've had to take over more activities since Friend Husband is transitioning into going back in to work. School starts on the 23rd and he's got a new prep to deal with. Nevertheless, I feel a little overwhelmed and very tired.

Sarah, our oldest, registered for college classes yesterday. Where does the time go? She's a senior in high school this year but she's taking two classes at the university where Friend Husband teaches. It's almost a given now that the brighter/more determined high school students will be taking college classes part-time. I wish we'd had that option when I was in high school! She's registered for a literature class and is on the waiting list for a psychology class.

Last week, a tragedy long expected befell a young couple in our congregation. They were expecting their first baby and early on in the pregnancy, found out that the baby would not survive long after birth, if he survived that long. I'm sure they were encouraged to terminate the pregnancy but did not. Their son, Ethan, was born on Friday and lived 7 minutes. Naturally, they are devastated and we grieve with them. Ethan's memorial service is scheduled for Saturday morning. It seems that we are all under a cloud right now, grieving with and for Rachel & Mike.

Seeing as Friend Cherylyn has so many pictures on her blog, I will put up a few on what is probably a terribly boring post. As I told Friend Husband, if I honestly wanted you to know how awful I truly am, I'd tell you what-all's going on in my mind. Consider yourself blessed that I'm using willpower and discretion to avoid that.

First the food pictures:

Last night we had dirty rice & tomato & basil salad for supper...YUM! Last week I made myself the dish on the right for lunch. It was totally made of leftovers and it was actually good. I had used some Swiss chard a few days prior and still had the ribs from the middle of the leaves leftover. I cut those up, sauteed them in olive oil, added garlic, then broccoli. At the end I added some corn I'd cut off the cob that we'd had for supper and there it was...healthy and pretty. And it used up leftovers. Gotta love that.

Abby's kitten, Cassandra. She's such a feisty little thing...she keeps Mithrandir from being too uppity. Plus she loves her "grandma".

Last week we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary by going out to Cracker Barrel, then seeing a movie (Letters to Juliet). It was a sweet time. This is the picture that Sarah took right before we left.

Naturally, I couldn't leave well enough alone and insisted that she take a picture of us "as we really are". Which resulted in this:

Only I usually make better faces. :-)

Finally, a twin photo, because I'm working on their annual reports that get sent back to Ethiopia until they're 18. I have to include 4 photos per child so I've been searching for them. Here's one I might use.

Or maybe not...they don't look all that thrilled in this one. Oh well!

Have a nice day and pass it on!