Steve spoke for chapel at the boys' school. He spoke about David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) above is the life sized drawing he made. The parts I liked the most was where Steve pointed out that David did not only have five smooth stones, a shepherd's bag, and a sling (vs 40) but he said to Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord (vs 45) Also, and I love this image that I have somehow missed in Sunday school, Christian school, years of church, and reading the Bible on my own.... "David RAN toward Goliath" (VS 48) 
My sister Juls and her husband went away overnight and we had their kids (Nate and Ally). I don't think Chloe or Ally took the "princess" get-up off even once! Ally came in the door when she first saw Chloe and asked "Can I call her my sister while I am here?"
I asked my Great Aunt what was her favorite memory of her mother and she said "The way her face would light up when I would bring her a flower, she would respond as though it was the most precious gift." I think of that now as my kids bring me backyard finds..it is an opportunity to give them a pleasant memory that might last a lifetime. I have a vase that I bought years ago, it sits on my stove and every time they bring me little treasures I put them on display in this vase, the kids come over and peer up at the vase to see how the flowers are doing and to see if they need to restock it. 
A few years ago I went to Los Angeles and toured the city with my Aunt and she took me out to a fantastic Japanese restaurant where I had Edamame for the first time. They are cold, salty, crunchy soy beans. I wish Steve did not know they were soy beans. When I found them in Wegmans I was all excited to introduce the family to this great snack but Steve is anti-anything-made-with-soy, not so much for taste as for what it stands for in his mind (tree hugger, save the whales, make love not war, don't eat meat try soy instead). So in the end everyone tried, I don't think I will be buying it again, but at least I tried, and look how pretty they are. 
We spent the day at a local park, walking through a pine forest, catching views of waterfalls, playing in the playground, watching the kids run off ahead of us. I have been so busy looking looking looking at all the blossoms, it really seems like every little thing is in bloom, it is such a wonderful time to be alive and to have all my senses. 
There are not many people in the world that I love like I do my sisters, Janet has been so very busy with work and going to Grad school. I was spoiled this week with how much time I was able to spend with her. We went on a road trip together to see my friend Jenean perform her recital. Jenean sang in Italian, French, and German and I cried in English because the words were printed out and the emotion she brought out in each song could be understood. I day dreamed of floating down in a boat in Italy, looking up at the clouds and hearing her voice singing off in the distance. 
I was getting my things out of the van and there my family was in the window having devotions. Coco is caught red handed picking at her nails. She is not allowed to have her Saturday tradition of painting nails with me until she lets her nails grow a little. I really wish she would just stop and let them grow because it punishes me as well, I miss how she lines all the colors up and takes forever to decide (usually pastel glitter), and then hearing her as she turns the bottles into Mommies and Daddies and little children. 
Sisters day (Julie, Janet and myself)  Eti's offering. There is a patch of purple flowers int he yard and Eti didn't think it was fair that the purple got all the attention so he brought some dandelions over to join them. 
"Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." C. S. Lewis This is the little fairy house Chloe and I made tucked into an old stone wall on our property. 
We invited my brother Joel and Renay over for a cookout. Below is their daughter Angelina, who is five, loves her blanky, and looks just exactly like her daddy. 
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