It's her fault.

She's a bad influence.

Before she came and convinced me to go to Coldstone Creamery...

Oh no, not just once...

But TWICE!

In one week.

I didn't read the fine print included with a cup of Birthday Cake Remix with Cake Batter Ice Cream that said "WARNING: Can cause addiction in overweight aunts that think they have the same metabolism as 17 year old niece."

So, with clouds of cake batter distorting my ability to make sound judgment, I floated to the grocery to copy the heavenly taste.

It was easy. Too easy.

Begin with creamy ice cream and wait until it is at the perfect melty stage.

Add half a bag of dry white cake mix.

And sprinkles.

Stir. Taste. Stir. Taste. Stir. Taste. Stir. Taste.

Sorry.

Now bake brownies.

Add hot fudge.

Squish it all together with a spoon on a marble countertop.

Or in a styrofoam bowl.

Whatever works.

And watch the fat settle into your thighs.

Isn't that disgusting?

Okay, I'll admit.

Another bad decision on my part is to see her new haircut...

And try to do mine a little different.

She looked cute.

I looked like Donald Trump.

She goes home in the morning and I will start acting my age.

And eating carrot sticks.

Phew...

I'm officially workbook overworked.

I'm studying four books simultaneously.
Three of them have daily homework.

BUT

Here's the thing.

It's an answer to my prayers to be filled with a unquenchable desire to learn more and more about God's Word.

I can pick one a day to work on and glean lots of applicable information.

I have no guilt for not staying on schedule.

I am still learning stuff out of each one, and I'm not super confused.

I know Paul better.
I understand the psalms better.

I am experiencing God more.

I am learning about my inner voice and how to control it better.


But most of all, I know Jesus better.

So it's all good.

Because

They all direct me in learning more about the best book of all:

And I love them all.
And I love you all.
And I love Him.

So even though my hand and brain might feel overworked at times,
It's worth it.

Say what?
You're wondering about my sewing?
And my boys?
And my husband?
And my niece here this week?
And company coming tomorrow night?
No problemo.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Phillipians 4:9-13

Ohio Highlights

Meg, of course.

Baseball.
Shout out to Valerie...
It was great to see you!

And more baseball.

And more baseball.

Graduation party for Molly.

With a dunk tank.

Kitties.

Sew to Speak.
My camera battery was dead. But this store was awesome. Deserves a post of it's own.

Jeni's Ice Cream.

One Night in Bangkok.
With Thai Chili Ice Cream.
And caramel.
And bananas.
And coconut.
And cilantro.

Caleb Steven
FYI Brandt and Fletcher are not the same place...
They're actually 25 minutes apart...

Wedding

Hopefully Colby and Lana will not remember that it was my boys wrestling underneath their arch.

To make a long story short, I thought that I hit a dog and dented my sister's new van. Well, the dent was already there and, thank goodness, it was not a dog.

Don't tell me that you don't have big snakes in Ohio.
Drew can sniff them out.

And cage them.

And get bit.


You never know who might drop in to see you at midnight...

Indian's Pizza.

I know, don't remind me.
I was right next to Barefoot Living.
They were closed.

And lots of other stuff that I didn't get pictures of.
Zane and Jennifer's, Gareth and Athena's, Barbara's awesome salad (I am requesting that she does a post to give us all her recipe) Sew a Fine Seam's house, Bronson and Megan's, etc. etc.

Thanks to all of you for entertaining us!

Come to VA!

I miss you, Bed.

My new bed and mattress sound very appealing right now.

Yup, still in OH and living out of suitcases.
And sleeping on a full size bed.

I know, I've gotten spoiled.

10 years of sleeping on a full size bed...
One week with queen size...

And 12 inches of firm mattress with feather top...

And "for real" box springs...

And it's over.

No more full size squeaky springs for me.

Alisha found this bed for us at a yard sale.
I love it...

But I'm still holding out hope for this bed - King Size - someday...
In heaven.

Due to the price tag.

I'll see you Sunday night, Beautiful New Yard Sale Bed.
Ta - ta!

There might be guys at my house tonight.

You might want to step outside right now.

You might hear some screeching and laughing.

Or it might actually sound like music.

It might be Ryan, Nate, and Brandon.

They might be sitting on my porch.

They might be singing "Outlaw Women."

Nate told me that he might have some guys in tonight.

Donnelle confirmed, "Yeah, he might already have it all planned. Like last week."

Well, there might be a bluegrass "band" at my house tonight.

Or there might not be.

Don't even think about it.

Just because I'm gone, don't think you can go steal my new t-shirt and I won't notice.It's scheduled to arrive while I'm gone.

Get your own.

It's for a good cause.

Just call me tech savvy...

Too bad for you I figured out how to preprogram postings.
I'm still on vacation but Blogger is doing the work for me.

Drew's last soccer game.
We sat in a open field watching a storm roll in. After just narrowly escaping tornadoes twice this year already, I began to wonder what we were getting ourselves into.

I've made myself a Storm Watch Checklist:

1. Park yourself in a camp chair and enjoy the show.

2. Continue to take pictures because you might be able to come up with a clever blog post about them.

3. No matter how posh the place where you are swimming is, get out of there when you hear thunder.

4. Stay off of Halesford Bridge at Smith Mountain Lake. Not a good place to be in low visibility and high winds.

5. Don't jokingly call your BFF while she is on the bridge and say "I think we must be driving in a tornado."

6. Don't assume that your BFF is serious when she screams in your ear. She could possibly be plunging off the side. But most likely she is being over-dramatic.

7. Don't assume that God is giving you warnings when you have two lightning strikes in your yard. I know He wouldn't do that ..... would He?

8. If you go in WalMart during a tornado warning, don't continue to shop for donuts. Listen to the Not Smiling Any More Door Greeter when he tracks you down. Go to the center of the store where he is angrily pointing. Even if the donuts are chocolate covered.

9. When the soccer game gets cancelled due to the other team forfeiting for not enough players and pending storm, console your son by telling him, "Hey, at least you won. That makes your record 2 and 6!"

10. Run as fast as you can to shelter. Don't even take the time to focus your pictures.