Tuesday Musings

Greetings from Dairyland!  I just returned from a few errands - one of which was a quick run into Aldi.  They are under construction as they are creating a full-service, in-house bakery (is that proper to do two-dashes next to each other in a sentence?).  I had two items on my Post-it note.  I came out with an IKEA blue plastic shopping bag overflowing with necessities.  Feeding teenagers will make you do that.

One thing you may or may not need to know about me is a ritual Lisi and I have after I return from somewhere.  She barks at me in the garage and then I have to give chase.  We run around the car about three or four times playing hide and seek.  She waits and then I come from the other side and I yell and we carry on in joyful silliness.  This may or may not be the reason we are not invited to neighborhood functions.  Heh.

The MYP and I just returned from a glorious weekend "up north".  I told someone that it was actually one of my favorite weekends ever.  I wish the Chairman could have been there too but sometimes work gets in the way of plans.  My soul was enlarged and refreshed.  I was able to visit with a lot of people that I wouldn't ordinarily get to visit with.  The four MYP in our car were really wanting to visit about good and sometimes serious things for quite awhile as we were returning.  And the drive up and back was beautiful.  I do love our state.

I heard from more than a few about them being blog readers.  As usual, I worry about that because it makes me feel self-conscious for some reason.  Then there was the lady that came up to me and looked very serious.  She said, 'I have to tell you something.'  Oh no - I'm thinking.  What did I do?  She said, 'I haven't been reading your blog lately...'  Oh really!  The first thing that popped into my head and what I said was, 'oh good!  Now you have time to read more profitable things!'.  She laughed and said she'd come back and read again sometime.  But I won't count on it.

I'm sure there are regional differences within this country with the food served, the accent spoken, and the general atmosphere.  I noticed that there is lots and lots of butter on every dining table - not to mention cheese plates overflowing with goodness.  The testimonies in this more rural location of our state told of crops and grape vines and horses and worn-down paths that people said gave them thought of more serious things.  Interesting.

Can I say that I'm sick of the upcoming election theatrics?  Not to mention the candidates.

Yesterday, was senior picture day for our senior.  Since we had our friend and photographer booked, we all dressed in muted colors and showed up for some family shots as well.  I think it all went as good as possible and now I wish for instant gratification and seeing the pictures.  It was fun to be an observer as our petite, precious daughter was getting her senior photos done.  It goes without saying that my mind was transported back to the very first picture we had of her as we desperately waited for travel approval to go to China to bring her home.  In some ways, I wish I could have seen into the future to yesterday to see what she's become.  How I stood afar with my heart bursting because I love her so fiercely.  Thanks isn't enough for what she's brought to our family.

So time to look at my camera roll and see what I can share.

Dairyland showing her color

these two... the one on the left is a YP but not one of our MYP but she feels like one of our MYP... make sense?

lining up 

he isn't a toddler anymore...

nor is she... isn't Lake Michigan lovely?

street scenes

river/city scenes

yep

for sure!

Happy Tuesday!