All Wet

 

 Oh my goodness, it's been wet here.

 

We've had some beautiful days too, and we needed the rain, so I'm not complaining.

We also had a free night at home because of it, which was wonderful.

 

 And the plants.  They are so gorgeous after a rain.

In other news...

 

...I've been trying to get my head around a post about parenting that I thought was finished one night last week.  It was called "Image-Bearers".  I forgot that the people who use readers would get to read it when I published and then unpublished it.  Good thing I didn't write anything I regretted!   :-)

But when I read it again the next morning, it seemed far from finished, and too important to let it go.  I think it will come in about three parts.  I am also resigning myself to the fact that in might not come together before the kids are home for the summer.  I'll have a lot more experience to bring to the table when I get to it--maybe next fall--if that's the case!  Hopefully the experience will be accompanied by wisdom.

Thanks to my sweet readers for keeping up with me.  

Culminating

culminate: to reach the highest point, 
summit, or highest development

We have clearly reached the apex of the elementary years.

It's obvious, because how else could you possibly have 

so many culminating activities to attend?

It's all downhill from here, folks!

Speaking of big brown eyes...

 

 (...if you saw my post yesterday)

 

I got to go on a little adventure with my own brown-eyed boy last week.

Lucky for me, his handsome dad was also along.

in case I needed to be rescued from a serpent.

 I am a lucky girl.

Impromptu

I had a date

with the handsomest young man this weekend.

His sweet mom had my kids and a whole bunch of others

at choir rehearsal

so I traded mine in for this one.

What a good deal that was!

I have a question though.

Snack Trap people, where were you when my kids were little?

Seriously, would it really have been so hard to come up with this ten years sooner?

What?

You were hanging out with the digital camera developers?

Friday Night

From May 1 through mid-August

Friday nights you will find us here.

We've been doing this since we started dating.

And by we, I mean Lee has been playing, and I've been watching.

Except that watching was a term used loosely when I was chasing after babies.

Who have now grown up and started playing too.

Ben on the field.  

Catching fly balls at the outfield fence and outrunning the throw to first. 

 Seriously, when did this happen?

And Bethany with the other kids there.

It's so fun to be with a group of people we've enjoyed for so many years.

Forties Top 40, #30

#30:  #30.


30 SPF sunscreen, to be exact.

I was raised by a mom who loved a good tan.  LOVED.
We all believed some nice color made you look healthy.
Even so, my mom would make me wear a t-shirt in the lake
if we were swimming midday, because I was the fair-skinned child.



And still?  I had basal cell carcinoma at 39.
Or at least that was when I finally went in to have it looked at.
Thankfully basal cell cancers are non-life-threatening.

My sister was the more olive-skinned child, and she has had it too. More than once.
Plus melanoma.  Which thankfully wasn't life-threatening, but could have been.

This picture dates back a few years, but it shows my scar, and if you look closely, it shows where the outside half of my eyebrow is just makeup.  Even after I had my spot removed, I confess that I wasn't that great about applying sunscreen unless I was going outside for an extended time in the summer.  I hate spending a lot of money on consumables like make-up and moisturizer.  Finally, I decided to try regular old store brand sunscreen on my face as moisturizer.  I can now say I use it every single day.  It works great on my skin, and I love it. 

I learned this week that an old friend is having a melanoma removed from her cheek today.  It will be an extensive surgery.  The diagnosis could still be life-altering, but the effects of the incisions almost certainly will be.  Please join me in praying for her.  

And please.  Use sunscreen.