::blooming summer::

One of the best things about summer is the flowers.

Pretty, pretty flowers are everywhere!

We have been babying this clematis for years.  It is finally starting to take off and every June blooms in all its glory.  I can't wait to see what the arch looks like in about 10 years with pink sweet pea blooming on the other side of the arch. 

I think most humans are procrastinators.  Procrastination is something I constantly battle in my life.

The past five days have been crazy-o for me because my grandma was in the hospital.  With my parents out of town, the care taking of my Granny falls on me.  My grand to-do list of things to get done while Mom and Dad are gone pretty much went out the window.  Now that Granny is back at her extended care facility, the future is bright with the possibility of finishing that ever-present list.  I just pray that I don't waste the time.....and, um, procrastinate.  :)

My work schedule is working out fantastically and the summer is still bright with opportunities.  Truly, I love every season and when we have different weather, I think, "YES, this is my favorite season."  But I must say, I think summer is the best!



 

::making a list and checking it twice::

One of my "before I turn 30" goals and also, a summer goal of mine was to make a pie.  Mostly not just to make a pie, but to make the crusts homemade.  For some reason, this was a huge intimidator for me.  Probably because on my dad's side of the family, the German ladies can all whip them up in no time flat.

In fact, we were just talking this week with my Oma and Opa about Grandma Gaus (rhymes with house) and how she would get up in the middle of the night to make 8-10 pies for the German Brotherhood Prayer Meetings.

Annnnnd, I pretty much feel like a wimp after hearing that because I haven't even made one pie from scratch my entire life. 

My brother and I had some friends over Friday night and that was a perfect opportunity to make a pie so we didn't have to each eat four slices.  (!!!)

It was actually easier than I thought and came together fairly quickly. 

In other news...
--friends are fun
--hospitals are horrendous
--text messages are terrific
--summer is sweltering
--gardens are growing

[How is that for alliteration?!!]

Here is the verse I am teaching tomorrow in Junior Church.  Maybe it will be a blessing to you.

Romans 8:37, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

Happy Sunday, everyone!


 

::thankfulness::

I haven't been doing Multitude Mondays recently. Oh, you hadn't noticed?! :)

Right now [and always], I have so much to be grateful for.  This 1,000 gifts list started by Ann has changed me and how I view life....gratefulness for even the smallest things and realizing they come from the hand of a loving Heavenly Father.

But, you see, sometimes, it seems too personal to publish to the entire world wide web what I'm grateful for each week.  I must admit that I don't write everything down in my gratitude journal like I'd prefer.  But looking back upon each week, it seems mundane and definitely repetitive to record publicly what I'm thankful for.

How could I ever take for granted my Mom's health or the safety He has granted our family.  Delicious food every single day.  Blessings and abundance beyond measure.  The opportunity to serve in our local church.  Health, life, breath.  Happiness.  New opportunities. Answered prayer.  Friends.  Beauty in the mundane.  Pretty birds and flowers.  Blue skies.  Rain and snow.  Sunshine.  This is what I'm thankful for every single week.  And I'll never get tired of thanking the Heavenly Father for every single bit.  But for now, I may not share my 1,000 gifts list.

I'm sure you won't miss that Monday feature but I will miss posting it regularly like I used to.


Have a happy Sunday, everyone!


 

::local love::

Oh my goodness!

If you're local, you will love this post!

Valparaiso [the town about 15 minutes south of us] is quite the hoppin' town.  I love going there.  I'd probably go there 5 times a week if gas wasn't $3.75+ per gallon.  The mayor of Valpo has done quite a lot to improve the town, draw in visitors and locals alike, and create new business.

Besides the favorites [Target, Panera, Barnes & Noble, Marshall's, etc...], Valparaiso has quite an assortment of goodies.

For my birthday several months ago, one of the things my boss treated me to was a dessert from Designer Desserts at 56 West Lincolnway.  The kids I nanny were super excited because they knew what was coming.  I did not.  I had been wanting to visit for a while but had never made it in the store.

I was in for a real treat [literally and figurativel].  I was completely stunned at how amazing this little place was and it had a real business going.  The week of my birthday was also spring break week and it was packed with customers.

Today was the first day of summer break for the kids, so my treat for them today was Designer Desserts.  YUM!

I thought I'd share a few pictures to entice you to visit. [Aaand, these photos were taken with the old point and shoot-ha-I can't believe how much I love my Mom's camera.]

 ::the cupcake I ordered::the picture does not do it justice::it was huuuuuge!::

 ::their decor is a mixture of fun, cute, bold, and quirky::love it::

 ::books for the kids::

You absolutely should visit one day if you're in the area.  Stop by their website to view their cupcake flavors and see more pictures!

 

::versus::

Hello, everyone! 

Hopefully, I will have a "local love" post for you this week. But in the meantime, I wanted to post this little chart from my friend, Amy. [[waves]][hi, Amy!!]

It was such a blessing to me.