Yet another Lake Michigan evening!

It's a wonder to me that I'm updating so often.
My Grandma, aunt, and another friend are here this weekend for Michigan grapes, which they all love and stand by faithfully.
The aforementioned friend has never been to Lake Michigan, even though she lived in Indiana for most of her life. So.. it was a great reason to pack up supper and head on out!
Note: I have NEVER spent so much time at the lake in one summer. I'm really getting to be pretty fond of it. :)

Here goes.

Sunset thoughts

Charnelle
Grandma; my young Grandma. Otherwise known as Mami. ( Mau-may)

Sisters. Erma and Mabel. Both otherwise known as Mom. ( Mom)

Shelton does so enjoy his expeditions.

We scared them away. :D

Rebecca, Mom, Erma, and Mami.

AND a repeat of a former picture. It simply wouldn't let me delete the extra!

Rashawna's 3rd Birthday

September 23rd, 2009

To Rashawna:

Though we had a rocky beginning, I believe we like each other fairly well now. At any rate, you condescend to smile at me now. Actually, I guess I should be fair and say you only shunned me for about a year, and now you're my favorite niece. I hope you have a stupendous three-year-old life. Cheers!

Gifts

My sister always makes the best birthday kids for her cakes.

C'mon, quit smiling and blow!Proud three.

Another update from a PA trip

This past weekend Seth, Harmony and I went to PA; Harmony and I had a wedding of a friend we worked with in Guatemala, and Seth was co-shooting another wedding.

We had a fantastic weekend! On top of all the quality time with each other, and Mike and Anna and Jordan Elisabeth, we also got to see Jo and Alex Pooler, who just happened to be going to the same wedding Seth was shooting. We surprised them Saturday night by pulling in beside them at the volleyball game. They very firmly believed that we were far away in MI and Seth had a few random, unknown friends traveling with him to PA. I still smile quite gleefully at how we surprised them. At one point, Shelton was ready to send them a text telling them we were in PA, when I randomly texted him, and told him we were getting ready to see Jo and Alex, and they didn't know we were around. Literally his finger was heading for the send button; whew, that was close!
Later that night we bought a half gallon of icecream and spoons, and chips, and had a little party on the back of some friends' truck. It had a cab, thankfully, so we weren't quite out in the cold. And it was cold!
We lacked a campfire, but told all the deliciously scary ghost, animal, and people stories anyway. Made some new friends, and enjoyed the old ones.

The weekend is full of memories: star-gazing at 2:00 a.m... cleaning up and cooking with Mike and Anna, coffee, much music, swimming across Blue Marsh at twilight.. good talks.. volleyball.. icecream.. laughter, driving with the sun-roof open.. Settlers.. hard lemonade.. more music.. and Jordan. She is such a fun, squeaky little person. She always seems half a tear away from laughter. I will always remember tip-toeing around the bedroom at night to keep her from waking. And her little scrunch-nosed smile is the best.

The last night before we left, I fell asleep on the couch while Seth and Harm kindly did dishes. When I woke up I was in a mood. Strange wording, I know. But it was a very bittersweet, poignant, and beautiful mood. I listened to ' Day without Rain' by Enya, and 'Carol Ann' by M.W.S. I remembered the deaths of Geoff Martin (whom I knew well) and Isaac Coates, ( barely acquainted) I thought of how death seems to assign a mysterious quality to them, how it illuminates and honors their memory. And I pondered, on what this could be. I have to be hit with inspiration to write poetry. This may be bad poetry, and I apologize. But I felt it and hope you can understand it.

In what dreams of deep, rivers of death ran wild,
He did pass into, his destination ours.
Loved he was, in life of days, but now in death still more,

He, so young! Who is passed from life to death,
Perfected, living in light of God.
And so another hero is born.
Born in our hearts, as truly as into Heav'n!

Angels rejoice, and we cry,
Immortality, mortality.
Mysterious he is and must be,
He knows now, what is veiled in us,

That death adds to memory, what we cannot see,
Who can know the height, depth, and breadth?
Face to face, he mortal, came with Christ-love.

And I wondered, if their perfect understanding and sight- to us incomprehensible, because we see and understand only in part- is what honors them so in our hearts, minds, and souls. Alot because of who they were, and much because of who they have become. Perfected in the unfathomable love, and truth , and beauty and light of God. Truly, they run in the fields of glory!

Thoughts from a tired child in the middle of the night. G'night.

Oops

My captions and layout got a bit messy there.. the picture explanations happen to be above the picture and slightly disorderly. :(

Mexico Reunion/ Pennsylvania

It was a great weekend! We met with Joanna and Alexandra Pooler ; and stayed with Mike and Anna Brovont for the weekend.
Saturday was the reunion and we had an absolutely good time. I like to meet up with friends, old and new.
Sunday we spent some time with Mexico friends, but more time and Mike and Anna's. Games, talking, good food and campfire time. And never let us forget the blueberry cream pie!



Picking teams for baseball

Harm and Jo

Who is copying who?

                            Look at us, matchy green.
                         "Matchy matchy green squared!"

Pretty

Campfire. Coffee

Late night revelry

My weekend

It's a fact. Life with out most of your family is l-o-n-e-l-y.

My weekend was good; very good! Despite the lack of the aforementioned relatives. I spent most of with Melody, and the the three C's. ( Cara, Cya, and Chloe)

Melody has posted pictures, and did a fabulous job. I don't have a camera and probably wouldn't have had pictures anyway.

http://asliceofmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-of-my-week-end.html

Towards the end of the swimming party, and I had dried off a bit-ish, I heard a gentle plop, in the deep end of the pool, and someone yelling, " Chloe threw the thermometer in the pool." Melody said, " In the deep end of the pool." I looked, and sure enough, in the deep end of the pool, there was a dear little thermometer, all the way down. I sighed, scratched my pretty, empty head, and decided there was nothing for it, but to dive down there, in that chlorinated, cold, deep-end-of-the-pool water. Let me add that she had thrown it in the shady side. Sigh.
So I dove, and again, and again. I couldn't see the wretched thing! Finally I heaved out of the pool, and got the goggles, and went again. I swam, down, down, down, and with one final burst of energy, my fingers closed around it, and I--got--it! Triumph!
So a cold child, no, four cold childs, went home to warm showers and raspberry cream pie. Bless Melody's heart, she is an artist with pie's.
So with church today, and a delicious LONG nap in the afternoon, I am now watching Anne of Green Gables Part 2. Anne just said, " I have become to practical for romance." Sometime's life does feel that way. But I have determined to be incorrigibly rotic. :-) Life is beautiful, after all. And I love it, yes love it! God is good.
You know, it's really quite dreadful the many different arrows, and angles, that the devil can throw at you. Pretty much, you have to determine to meet them head-on and fight it out! Fear, faced squarely, becomes courage and strength. But, after all, God is more than sufficient to keep us from falling and present us faultless on the day of the Lord. Gone! Defeatism. Darkness. Life needs not to be struggled through. God made a better way, and if I have not yet found it, I am on my way! Cheers to you all.

Everyday Life and Conversation

So.. today I had off work. Which was nice. I had plenty of things to do around the house, and other places; I was happy.
This morning I walked to the back of our house. For those of you who haven't seen it, we have a tiny little backyard before it hits the woods. We also have an arbor of sorts at the treeline; a very wild and uncouth wisteria grows there. It hasn't caught on yet that wisteria's usually bloom where they are planted. You enter there, and then go back this shady, little path lined by ferns and hosta's, ending at a little guesthouse, A.K.A playhouse infested with mice. ( I assume) It used to be anyway, and mice don't give up that easily, even if Shelton went in there with the .22 once upon a time.
So this aforementioned area.. ( not the guesthouse) was overgrown, and bothering me. Every time I went back there it would taunt me. So today, armed with a cute little scratcher thingee, and an even cuter little shovel, I waged war. Only, before I began I realized I had some VERY ineffective weapons. For, there before my very eyes, were hundreds of nasty little, and big, and bigger, Poison Ivy plants. I called Mom out to confirm that, yes, I was seeing correctly. ( So much for sueing the lasik surgeon)
So I went for garden gloves and a big shovel.. and ATTACKED! Yay! I won!
So a very wet and dirty person changed and went to wage another war on a plate of food.

Sitting at lunch I was highly amused by my parents reminiscing. It always works that way when they begin to bring out all the old-fashioned names that I've never heard before. The middle names are usually ordinary enough, but the first names are.. ahem, singular. Dad remembers a day when Flexible Joe walked into church, couldn't reach the hat hooks, and therefore threw his hat at the rack. His logic was that if he didn't make it someone would hang it for him. Miraculously enough, it made several graceful loops, and plopped happily onto a hook. Accordingly, a gentle snicker ran through the congregation. Apparently Flexible Joe earned his name by being able to bring his feet to the front of his hips, and walking on his knees.
Or how about the day a bride chased her brother right through the screen door with a big, fat, pin? (I've seen those pins, they're no joke!)
I've heard stories about Happy John, 'Pasching snitz,' Davy, ( Peach slice, Davy) ' Luftich' Aaron, ( hot air Aaron, because of his tall tales) and many many more besides. Every time I think I've heard them all I hear another one. The wives are generally denominated by their husbands name, and then theirs follows.
It's always funny to hear your Mom remark, " Huh.. the man actually managed to get married! Irvin, didn't he marry ____? Snickers.. that would make an interesting couple!" Dad answers consolingly, " Well, but they grew up... eventually."

I mowed the lawn today, all by myself! I have never operated a zero turn mower and honestly, I must have looked hilarious. I just couldn't make the thing do what I wanted it too! It would jerk out of it's way at the slightest THOUGHT that my hands had about moving. I'm afraid I left some very squiggled lines. Shelton, being the thoughtful person that he is, didn't let me see how much he was laughing at me. Humph, why are boys born knowing how to do everything? But I mowed about a third of the lawn, and after awhile had fun spinning in circles.

And here is a quote that I couldn't help laughing at. I've really been enjoying quotes lately. So please forgive me if you get tired of them.

"She dotes on poetry, sir. She adores it; I may say that her whole soul and mind are wound up, and entwined with it. She has produced some delightful pieces, herself, sir. You may have met with her `Ode to an Expiring Frog,' sir." -- The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens.

Oklahoma

I had the unexpected chance of visiting my sister and her family for a week; I didn't get to take alot of pictures, but here are a few from our picnic at Millards Pond.
I had a good week! My little niece finally passed the tolerance point with her extended family and welcomed us with open arms. :) When I met them at the airport she was right along with everybody in smiling and beaming.
Myrna was suprised, but not as well as I'd hoped. :( My flight was late and she had to much time to think. She didn't exactly know it was me.. but I was on top of the list of possible suspects! But even though I didn't shock her, at least it was still a surprise. She and I both expected that I couldn't come down 'till the fall.

Yo

Laramie. Cheesy

Rashawna

Mom

a favorite t-shirt

a random pond along the road

Brother-in-law and niece

Shelton, Laramie

Spring Thoughts

Today I walked down to the creek and sat on the culvert for awhile. It is hard to be sad when the sun is shining, the creek is sparkling merrily, and there is green grass hugging the water. It was a generally splendid day and I'm so glad we had it.
This particular day will never come again; it's an interesting thought. Whether the day was good or evil, happy or sad, extraordinary or normal, it can never pass this way again. Which leads me to think, fancifully; if days had souls, and minds to think, how would they feel about the unfair allocating of what kind they happen to be? Some days are stormy, some are sunshiny and clean-washed, some pout, some weep, and some make all nature dance for sheer joy!
Likened to people, in a much broader spectrum, we have one life to live, with our own personality that God gives us. Some people are merry and sparkling, dancing through life with a peculiar joy of their own, brightening everyone they meet, while others are quiet, reflective, slow to speak, dependable, wise and even better, slow to wrath, and yet others are quicksilver, impulsive, often causing wounds in other people by their words, and deeper wounds in themselves by their thoughtlessness, but rarely hold grudges, loving, beautiful people and often are more loved than they realize.
I wish we could all be satisfied with what God gave us for our one life, and be content. There is no end to the bad consequences when we're not. God help us to live life and say at the end, 'life was GOOD' and go to meet death, conquered already for us, and then to our splendid home and Holy God!

Return

Jo, Melody, myself, and Alex.

"My" Lucky and I
El Arco
Josh, Micah, and Shelton, after a hair
straightening session. :D
Antigua has many little coffeshops; and we
took advantage of that.
At the ocean; it was a blast!
One of the twins. I'm not sure which one.
Shelton and I
Omar, one of the best boys I know.
Our friends, Ana, and Lily. Cousin Jose was
determined to stick in his two cents.
On nice days it was fun to take the babies outside.
Bright girls, bright wall. :)
On the hill opposite the orphanage.
The twins and I.
Marta, our little emotional baby.
Not sure on the occasion, maybe just swapping bits
of news. :) Sebastion, Javier, and Chino

I'm home from my Central American trip; I have been for over two weeks. It's amazing how much life can be packed into a month! So many good times, work, much walking, sightseeing, hiking, chats, sqeezing babies, kissing babies, changing babies diapers, games after supper, beans and rice, rice and beans, snacks, beautiful friends, lovely breezes, warm sun, and Spanish, Spanish, and more Spanish, and then just for a little variety, more Spanish! Such fun. :D
It feels like a hopeless business to even outline, or summarize my month. I'm not going to try. Come visit me and I'll tell you more than you care to hear; you would also see more 'foto's' than I am convinced you would be interested in. There, if you come now, after the pre-warning, I will know you really wanted to.
I am settled in at home now, as best as I can when half my heart is in Guatemala. The only advantage home holds now is family, and "homeness. " I love my home, and I'm glad to be here; but truthfully I want to be in Guatemala with "my" children. But I am not there and so I'm determined to be happy here. ( I could not have my friends there, either, so that is another reason I like home and Michigan pretty well) Spring is right around the corner, and then summer; there are few things prettier than a northern summer!


Here are a few pictures of my time in Mexico.


Mountains in Mexico

My favorite picture of Jo

Melody and Janetta, making concrete


Janetta, me, Alex. We were all very dirty
because of concrete dust. The condition of our
hair was aided by rubbing concrete into it.
Yes, it was hard to wash out!

All photo's courtesy of Melody Brubaker


God is good.
~Lyn