Back in the harness again

It has been over twelve years since I worked at summer camp, and that long since I have been in a climbing harness. We were invited to a birthday party at a Rock Wall today, and when they offered the chance to the adults, I couldn't pass it up. I was surprised at the strength that I found in myself (I made it all the way to the top - on the easiest climb). Caleb said 'Mom, you're afraid of heights, aren't you?' 'Yes, C aleb' 'Why did you do it then?' Without thinking I answered, 'So my fear wouldn't have control of me.'

It was such a fun experience... I'm looking for excuses to go again!

Anna on the Rock Wall

We were invited to a birthday part at the Alfond Youth Center today. We had the chance to climb the rockwall. Here is Anna having a turn in the harness. Caleb wasn't interesting in trying it.

This morning

This morning, we did our first of several Penny Car Washes at Vineyard Church of Waterville. Here I am holding a sign. After we washed each car we gave the driver a penny and a very cool business card that said 'this is a practical way of showing that God loves you'.

A - Guilty Pleasures

(Guilty Pleasures is my alphabetic summer jaunt through fiction at my favorite library.)

My first attempt at reading fiction through the alphabet - Baseball Cat by Garrison Allen - has been an exercise in... well, an exercise. I'll take responsibility for reading at hours when I'm not the most awake. But I really don't think this a good book. It's a mystery, which I usually love, and lose myself in quickly. But I'm nearly halfway through, and frankly I don't even care 'who-dun-it'. And then there is all this misplaced sexual .... frustration? It's almost as though Allen was trying to combine two genre's in a way that just doesn't work.

So I've been laboring through this book. I alternately think 'I have to finish this book - it's part of my 'guilty pleasures series' and then thinking... 'this sucks, I don't want to finish it.' So today I'm deciding to not be a slave to my own legalism. I'm going to return this book to the library, and move onto B.

Anna's Quilt

the three borders (the purple border is also the backing)

Anna in her new bed

sisters in bed (lately every time we tell Sofia to smile she does that to her mouth)

Anna's Quilt is done

fresh from the cleaner and put on her bed....

the pattern I used was 'Around the World'

the six main materials that I used in the pattern (I used another yellow, a colorful heart/bugs, and a purple for the borders. I used the border purple - which has a happy pattern in it - for the back)

Reading

I walked into the kitchen the other morning, and this is what I saw. My two guys reading. *sigh*

Guilty Pleasures

I LOVE fiction! I also have incredible guilt about enjoying it as much as I do, and feel the need to justify every adventure I take in a good (or not so good) piece of fiction.

I also LOVE walking through the stacks at my library. I love running my fingers down the spines of the books, the smell, the variety of color, font, and design on the covers.

To combine my two loves, I am starting my 'Guilty Pleasures' list on my side bar. As I go through the summer, I am going to go through alphabetically through the fiction at the library.

So that's what it's called

Caleb and I were reading more about the missionary translator to the Balangoa people in the Phillipines. (What an amazing book!) We came to the point in the story when the release date for the New Testament was pushed from 1980 to 1981.

Caleb: "Wait, wait Mom. Was the 19's, was that when Gladys Aylward lived, too?"

OOOOhh. I have honestly been wondering how to we refer to the two different centuries... and now I know. The 19's.

Heifer Project

May 23 was National Penny Day. May 27 is our 12th anniversary. So to celebrate both, we are having a party tonight. We are collecting Pennies to donate to Heifer Project. With the pennies we will purchase an animal (or a group of animals) for a family or community in need. For more information about Heifer Project click on the image. If you'd like to give to our anniversary celebration by sending your pennies, contact Marc or me for more information.