Day 5...

From a Low Angle...

(photo:  my brother's shoes... he (along with my hubby and my dad) acted as ushers at my brother-in-law's wedding this weekend.)

We spent Saturday at my brother-in-law's wedding.  It was an honor and a blessing to be part of their day.  I am constantly reminded of how blessed and truly fortunate my husband and I are... not only do we live fairly close to our families... but our families get along.  Holidays, weddings, birthdays, births, are events for our entire family.  My parents and my little brother...Bruce's parents and his 3 sisters and his brother, plus our niece and nephew.  Now, we have a new sister-in-law. 

Our families (those we are born into and those we choose) can serve as reminders of the Lord's unconditional, forever Love for His children. 

The 'Jesus Storybook Bible' puts it this way: 'You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children - with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.'

Day 5 From a High Angle

Bounty

The kids and I took a trip to the large farmers market in the city on Thursday.  We came home with all this!  10 lbs of blueberries, a dozen ears of corn, 2 lbs of raw honey, a few carrots and zucchini.  Wowzers, what a haul.  The Lord sure is good to us (His children, not just our family in particular).  I bought most everything from these beautiful Mennonite women.  I love their simple, kind, and hardworking spirits.  I always try to buy from them (it helps that they have the best produce!). 

I wanted to go pick blueberries this year, but with the heat and my progressing pregnancy - it just wasn't an option.  I was filled with joy to find this giant box of blueberries for the same price as the you-pick-it.  The berries and corn were promptly processed and froze to be enjoyed over the winter.  God is good, all the time.

Photo Challenge Days 3 & 4

 CLOUDS...DAY 3

 

 

 

Clouds... after spending the day working the small town farmers market, we (me and my mom) went back to my mom and dad's house.  We shared dinner... the kids played in the yard...I got to spend time with their adorable puppy.  Bruce came by after a long day at work to start cutting up a tree that fell in a spring storm.  We'll use the wood for heat this winter.  It was a long, but beautiful summer day.

SOMETHING GREEN...DAY 4

Green.  We found this great big snapping turtle just down the road from my parents' house. Let's call him Earl.  Earl was huge... and a bit angry.  The kids wouldn't come within 10 feet of him.  :)  (they love turtles, frogs, and such... but they had never been around a snapper and they were warned how dangerous and aggressive they can be)  My dad carried Earl across the road to the wetlands where he (the turtle, not my dad) swamp away to live happily ever after.  Well, happier than if we left him in the road to be hit by a car... turtle populations continue to shrink (due to polluted habitats, car/turtle collisions, and other mishaps with humans and predators)... at the current rate of decline, my grandchildren may never see a live turtle in the wild.  (these are old facts... hopefully they change for the better)

Day 2 - What I'm Wearing

photo taken by Carlie (age 7)  Me - 31 weeks pregnant standing in front of our mulberry bush.

Okay, I feel a little silly about doing this item of the 30 Day Photo Challenge.  Sadly, it falls on laundry day... and I have a total of 3 shirts that actually cover my entire pregnant belly.  This is shirt #3.  :)  The other 2 are in the wash.  Monday is my big cleaning day, so I don't really dress up for the occasion.  If you were to show up at my house any day of the week, this is probably how you would find me.  Or I might have a ponytail or an apron...

From the top down:
Purple and green paisley scarf on my head (from the resale shop across the road)
Giant Sunglasses my husband can't stand (from Target last year)
Purple Maternity Tank Top (Target... and the stain on the front is just water.... I had just finished washing dishes)
Gray Comfy Pants with Pockets (again, from Target... but not maternity)
Brown Teva Sandals (my favorite shoes... from Amazon.com)
Basket... I think it belonged to my mom.  I honestly don't remember.  Sometimes I use the basket the farmers market in my display.  I used it today to fill with cut herbs from the garden. Oregano, sage, and calendula... all hanging to dry in my kitchen.
Baltic Amber Necklace (etsy)  This is the coolest thing I'm wearing.  I wear it every.single.day.  No matter what.  Baltic Amber has been used for centuries throughout Europe in infant jewelry, commonly called teething necklaces.  The amber is a resin, not a stone.  It warms with your body heat and releases a compound called succinic acid which acts as an analgesic.  It's certainly not as strong as taking tylenol or another drug, but it's a natural remedy that can bring some mild pain relief.  I wear it because I have chronic neck pain and neck muscle spasms.  Before I was pregnant I was taking muscle relaxers  (along with doing yoga and other stretching) to help get things under control.  Now I wear my amber necklace.  Is it a miracle cure?  Of course not.  I was quite skeptical when I purchased it (but I thought it was cute anyway).  I bought my mom a bracelet to wear to help with her arthritis.  Since she started wearing it, the swelling/pain/heat in her wrist is much improved. 

taken by Jack age 4 - because he had to use the camera and take a picture of mom, too