I have many delightful, wonderful aunts.  3 on my Dad's side and 4 on my Mom's (only one "blood" uncle-no wonder the women in these families are so strong willed!).  But my aunt Maxine, in particular, is a nut!  She is so funny and whimsical and we love her to death and today I realized that the "apple don't fall far" from the proverbial family tree!

My good friend Tootie says that especially now, in autumn, as she looks out her window, across the barren fields, she can picture Laura Ingalls comin' across home.  So this morning I put on my apron and my bonnet and drove down there and snuck out back and "came across her field"!  She threw open the window giggling and said-"why howdy Laura!  Come on inside!" and I went inside and we had coffee and chatted and didn't do housework!

And I realized-I am a nut too.  And I crack myself up!  And I might be becoming my Aunt Maxine!  And that is a very good thing!

Missing...

So my lovely daughter found out that she has the lead in the school play which is really quite awesome    and what I really wanted to do more than anything was pick up the phone and call my momma to tell her.  But I couldn't.  And it is times like this that I have to say that I really miss my mom.  I don't dwell on it.  I'm not the kind of person who is stuck on the "why me's" of life, and I didn't "why me" today either....I just wished I could call her and tell her  cause she would be so incredibly proud of her and she would say such wonderful things to her and call her sweetie pudgin' and love her up so much and I'm sorry she is missing out on that.  The upside is that I called my super wonderful mother in law who is 2nd only to my momma and I called my Mungie momma and they both were super excited and incredibly proud of her and they will say wonderful things to her and they will love her up so she is a pretty lucky gal in the end.  But I guess I will have to call her sweetie pudgin'.   Miss you mom.

end of summer reflections......

Sigh......

Summer is done-well it will be in a few hours.  Labor Day will be over, officially, and it will be the first day of school.  Ethan will be a 7th grader and Wil will be a freshman.   Hannah will be a Senior.  No more "going to be".  "Is".  Ouch.  Where did that time go????

Anyways....thinking about what  great summer it has been and just saying a 'thank you Lord" for all of the blessings.....

Recap

*A fabulous VBS-such a blessing for me.  Our volunteers...such wonderful spirits.  Wonderful kids.  Just saw one today "hi Miss Kim.  your VBS was the best.  i can't wait for next year.  i am coming every day!!!"  Me too!
(Oh and my right hand man-Dan the Man -already scored a sweeet prop for us for next year!!!!  He rocks and his wife is pretty special too!!!)
Did I say that one day I had 13 kids here after VBS for the afternoon.  In the pool.  I smiled.
(When we were growing up we had a pond.  In the winter, our pond  would be lit with lights, pickups parked everywhere and 15-20 guys playing hockey at night.  My mom must have been smiling.)
Sorry i digress.....

*A summer filled with family and friends and lots of pool time!  Thank you for the pool but thanks even more for the ac mom and Fred!!!!

*A fabulous family reunion-love, love, love culminating with church on the farm.  super, duper love!
(Plus got a lot of honey do jobs done in preperation! )

*Welcoming a wonderful new Pastor and his wife to Hope.  So excited to be in ministry with them!

*Another reunion and celebration for my sweet Aunt Esther's bday

*A wonderful, restful 2 weeks at Arsenic City.

Now a part of me is welcoming the fall and the opportunity to be back on a schedule, but..... not.

Sigh......

Lawrence Welk rocks

One last thing.... I am finishing the night watching Lawrence Welk on PBS. I love LW. I am instantly relaxed and transported back to Max and Ethel's (grandpa and grandma's) davenport. I love that word. I have just decided to use that word exclusively... No more couches for me! Ps..... I wish I could buy a dress or two like the one I just saw. And matching shoes. Sigh. Retro. Heaven right here on PBS.

spent.......

I have no joyful tears left i have expended so many in the past 24 hours.

First-my family gathering.  The waterworks were held in check (barely) throughout most of the day.  I love my family.  Just being in their presence is love defined.  Accepted and loved despite myself.  I told my cousin Molly "I'm not going to say goodbye, I'm just going to say that I have to run out to the truck." OK she says but then when the time came and I said "Hey Mol, I'm just running out to the truck" she grabbed hold of me and we both let it go....and that was just the first cousin.  20 relatives or so later Jim said "I should just build an ark-we'd get home faster there is so much water around here!"  Later he said "I just sat there watching you all.  It was a good thing."

Second-stopped briefly at my 30 year class reunion.  Hugs and laughter-no tears.  :)

Lastly-a most blessed, holy, joyful day for my church family.  Pastor Rolf was ordained and installed while 200+ watched.  Simply beautiful and moving.  Many, many joyful tears.  Looking so forward to ministry with he and Cheryl.

And now-off to my 2 week retirement to rest and reflect and recharge.

Help me not just to serve you Lord, but to serve you well and let the love in my heart pour out into ministry.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.

Sharing the U.P.

So....several friends are coming to the U.P. while we are there-including some who have never been to the U.P. (how could that be????)  So hard to decide where to take them!   So much of God's incredible creation to share with them!!!!!  Can't wait!!!!