Time Goes Zipping By....

I am so sorry. You have been so kind and wonderful to be praying for me. You have been concerned for me, and I have been non-existent. May I please explain my warped sense of thinking during all of this time?

Surgery really did wipe me out for a few weeks. But by week 3, my schedule was beckoning to me and I was itching to stop being a zombie. From that point on, there has been so much happening that I have barely sat at the computer to check emails much less be able to do any writing. The thing is this....even when I have had a few minutes to write and even think on the possibility of blogging, I felt too guilty to write with not having the time to visit others' blogs. How one sided of me to write and share but not enjoy visiting with you. So my solution was to not write at all. I am sorry. Can you forgive me?

If you would like to know the highlights of events during the 2 months that I "purposed" to recover just keep on reading. I have to laugh because with all the joys, memories, and things to do....it is a good thing I "purposed" to take time off or I would have really been busy.

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First on the list was family camp. All I can say is "wow" when I look at this picture. There I was almost 3 weeks after surgery and still filled with Oxicodone when my hubby took this picture. We had pulled into camp and I moved from the passenger seat of the borrowed camper to the camp chair and there I stayed...half asleep and enjoying the outdoors while others ran around me playing volleyball and singing campfire songs. (Notice Kekoa being my ever present protector)

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The following week was our annual youth adventure to the YWAM ropes course. I think you can look at the pictures I posted by following this link. (If that doesn't work then go to this link and click "TDE at YWAM Ropes Course".) I didn't participate this year. It was hard to not gear up and jump in. But making the food and supervising was enough for my energy level. The later half of the day found me sleeping in a shaded grass area and shrinking away from the 95 degree weather.

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Next on the calendar was to immediately put the finishing touches on planning and putting youth camp into motion. It was a blast. Was I tired?....yes. But God put wonderful people around me to help with all the cooking and implementing of meals. Shopping for, preparing, and feeding 25 people for 4 days went off with great ease.

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At the same time camp was happening, I received joyous news that my brother and sister-in-law had their baby girl. I am now an auntie! We were hoping that I could be there in the delivery room but Little Angel-girl had different ideas and came early.

When I became a mom, I thought my little girls were so perfect when they were born.....but something sure pulls in my heart every time I hold this precious one in my arms.

My brother and sister-in-law formally asked Hubby and me to be Angel's god-parents and said that if anything ever were to happen to them that we are the only people they would want to raise her. Oh how I cried.

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Did things slow down then? Nope not a chance. It was time to celebrate Pippin's 18th birthday. She had been planning all summer long to take a few days off from her beach job and spend time with us. My plan was to surprise her with a big party.

Surprised her we definitely did. Here is what happened when she returned home from a few hours of distractions and found a house full of people and decorations.........

Yes, she was so surprised that she completely ran out of the house in shock. I caught her in the driveway and dragged her back in to enjoy the fun. She warmed up quickly and enjoyed all the joys.

She would give me such an embarrassed death glare for sharing this picture.......

This is a picture of a picture that my mom had been saving for "Pippin". It was taken when she was 9 months old. (Yes the red head is me. I know I look nothing like that these days.) So the true story goes......

We were in a photo shoot taking tons of pictures and she was getting bored. Innocently, she looked up at me and grabbed at those dangle earrings that sparkled ever so greatly. I had just told her a firm "no-no" and pushed her hand away when that look went across her face and the photographer snapped the picture. That giant picture was posted in the studio in an Oklahoma City mall for 3 years because of the funny candor on her face.

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The following week I hosted a party celebration for my new little niece. I love this picture of her and me together. She had so much expression already in her face and only being barely 2 weeks old.

The dress that she has on is the same outfit that both myself and my brother were christened in. Then my girls were dedicated in it as well. I washed and ironed it all up so that Angel could do the same thing. Our youth pastor came to the party and performed such an amazing dedication. He held Angel and rocked her as he told her first bible story and prayed over her. He spoke destiny and purpose over her life and taught that just as little boy Samuel heard from God, Angel too can be sure of never being "too young" to be used in great things. There was not a dry eye in the house.

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The next day my mother-in-law came into town for a couple of weeks. It was fun to spend lots of time with her and her girlfriend. We shopped, giggled, ate out a lot, and spent a few days at the beach visiting Pippin.

While we were at the beach, my step-daughter and her beau came for a visit as well. So there we were all at the beach and a wonderful thing happened.....they got engaged!

(I think it is really interesting how this picture came out. It was simply a quick snap with my cell phone. I love the highlights and shadows.)

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While we were shopping and beach combing, Puddin' was spending the week in California doing something of a missions trip. She and 91 others gathered just outside of Fresno at a YWAM gleanings farm and processed something like a "bazillion" peaches. All week they worked the conveyor belts that sorted peaches and then set them on pallets in the sun to dry. Those were then packaged and shipping to countries in need. she had an amazing time and is already talking about doing it again next year.

This is one of the many sunrises that she was privileged to be able to see as she woke up and got ready for a full day of working the conveyor belts and turning peaches.

The peaches couldn't just be thrown into the machines. They had to be sorted from good and bad. They had to be on the belt system a certain way so that when they went through the corer there wouldn't be wasted fruit.

This will give you a small idea of just how big the project was.

All of those pallets are filled with peaches drying out in the sun.

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So that just about brings you up to date with my summer spin.

What is on tap now? Well Pippin and her friend Rixxi are in the process of moving back here this week and getting set up for all things normal now that their summer jobs are finished. From here they will be focusing on college and jobs while Hubby and I will cheer them on in the best way we know how.

Puddin' is back in school and working on her sophomore year of studies. She is much more comfortable and easy going about it all this year. Well, as comfortable as high school can possibly be anyway. She enjoys her classes but the highlights of the week are youth events and worship practice where she is the regular drummer now.

Soon, my sister-in-law will be finished with her maternity leave and I will have the joy of being Angel's daily caregiver. They emailed me this photo 2 nights ago. Look at how much she has grown already in just a month.......


At the moment, I need to go pick up Kekoa from the groomers and then pick up Puddin' from school. I will be back SOON to share more events and thoughts.

I pray my blogger friends are doing well and I intend very soon to be able to visit each site and do some catch up....if you will still have me.