God Leads

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Psalm 32:8

A Secretary for the Office

The professor loves nothing more than the thrill of finding an {inexpensive} treasure at a Saturday morning estate sale... which is precisely the way that we came to own this mid-century, Danish modern secretary desk!

{Don't you love that smattering of glittery sunlight splashed across the photo. Oh, how I love early morning light pouring in from an east-facing window!}


This new piece fits perfectly in our home office space, replacing a practical and functional, but very bland, white oak bookcase. We love it! The large desk compartment, with built-in pigeon holes, is the perfect place for storing and concealing our cameras and lenses, battery chargers and laptop. And, look, the secretary even came with a matching chair; the busy, pajama-clad tot was not included.

Paper Computer

The creative and earnest mind of a five-year-old is no small wonder.

{And, the alligator tears that were shed by the young artist when a random bloody nose dripped on his carefully composed keyboard were heartbreaking.}

Marked and Measured

The professor has marked another year.This dear man... he is a treasure and a gift.How can it be that he is mine?
For posterity's sake...Our strawberry baby weighs 19 pounds and 4 ounces at 15 {almost 16} months of age.Somehow she manages to balance her 75th percentile head on her 5th percentile body.We love our little juicy fruit girl.

God is Near

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,

For Your name is near;

Men declare Your wondrous works.

Psalm 75:1

Vacation 2011: Tailgating, NASA Style

We woke at 4 a.m. and drove over to Titusville from the Orlando area where we were staying with the professor's sister and brother-in-law. We arrived before daylight.


Ten dollars per person at sunrise got us "front row seats" in someone's backyard.
It was so worth it!

Eager.

Look at all the people on the bridge!
Many of them camped out overnight to secure their spot.

We had plenty of time to kill so we wandered over to the bridge to see what we could see.

Serving up coffee on launch day since the Apollo program.

A history lesson in Space View Park.

Waiting, waiting, waiting... lots of waiting.
We were thankful for the cloud cover.

Snacking, snacking, snacking.

And then we all counted down together...

And cheered...

And agreed it was spectacular.
Tailgating in Titusville, Florida
6:00 a.m. to 11:26 a.m.
July 8, 2011
STS-135, Atlantis
{The photos in this post were a collaborative effort by the professor, my brother-in-law, and me.}

Swallowed in Summer

This is what my kitchen looked like at 1:09 p.m. today. In case you're wondering, the rest of my house pretty much looked like this as well. We are officially swallowed in summer... not the idyllic summer days of sprinklers and popsicles and lightening bugs, that part seems to be way behind us. The stagnant Dog Days have arrived enveloping us with a listlessness that only the heat, humidity, and lack of routine can create. The cicadas sing endlessly, the suffocating heat hangs, the bugs bite... High summer is relentless in the Deep South.
I found the boys wallowing {literally} on my bedroom floor... making animal noises, no less, and I could take it no more. Tired of Legos strewn from one end of the house to the other, tired of seeing fingerprints and nose prints and, yes, footprints on the windows, tired of catching the baby eating cornflakes off the kitchen floor... I issued some marching orders {because Mama can't keep a tidy ship on her own if there are forces working against her!}. Dust rags and window cleaner were dispensed, elbow grease applied, and when they asked me if I thought they were my servants I replied, with a wicked grin, "No, you are my slaves."
It's amazing, really, how quickly things improved... but, most importantly, the listlessness started to lift. I'm confident that we'll be able to find more happy summer days despite the heat. If anyone resorts to wallowing again I'll be on hand with plenty of ideas for keeping them busy.

Vacation 2011: A Cloudy Sunrise Over Cape Canaveral

July 8, 2011 {launch day!}6:00 a.m.Titusville, Florida

My Best Breads: Grilled Bread

Bread cooked on the grill is one of our family's summertime favorites. I make this recipe whenever I'm preparing dinner on the grill, which is several times per week. Not only is it simple and delicious, it also keeps the cooking heat outdoors {where it belongs} and not in my kitchen.

Grilled Bread

.75 cups + 2 T. water, slightly warm
.75 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
2.5 cups flour
2 t. honey or sugar, I like honey
2 t. active dry yeast

You already know that I'm a lazy baker, which means I place all the ingredients {in the order listed} into my breadmaker and use the "dough" setting.

If you don't have a breadmaker, dissolve the yeast in the warm water then combine the remaining ingredients. Stir until well mixed and then knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, flip once, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Punch down, turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead gently for a minute or two.

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Using a rolling pin {or your hands}, gently roll {or press} the dough into two thin'ish, round'ish shapes {I do this on a big cookie sheet to make transporting to the grill easier} brush tops with olive oil and season as desired {sea salt, garlic, herbs... be creative}.

Using the low heat setting, place the dough, oiled and seasoned side down, directly on the bottom rack of a gas grill. Close the lid and let it "bake" about 5 minutes. When the bread starts to puff up a bit, brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle with additional seasonings, then flip and rotate when the first side is starting to look toasty but not charred. Grill an additional 4-5 minutes. {Grilling times are approximate, just watch it carefully!} Serve immediately with seasoned olive oil for dipping. Or...


Remove and top with your favorite pizza toppings then return them to the grill {second rack over medium heat this time around} to make your grilled pizzas melt-y and delicious. When dinner is over your mouth will be happy, your tummy will be full, and your kitchen will be cool... not bad at all!

Fountain of Life

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Psalm 36:9

Assorted Colors {and a Flavor}

{2:23 p.m., today}

Because Joy and her boys inspired us.

{4:47 p.m., yesterday}

Because this little red box helps all of us make it through the witching hour.
Yep, I refill it from my bulk stash of raisins every day.
It's a happy box... works like magic!

Have a great weekend, my friends!

My sisters and I are going to be cleaning out our old stuff from my parents' house.

Maybe I'll model an old prom dress for you... Yikes, maybe not!

Vacation 2011: Anticipating Their First Flight

{July 7, 2011}

Resuming Normal

We're home from our grand adventure, which means that some of us are keeping busy with furniture climbing {of course!} and indoor helicopter flying. The rest of us are spinning... the resident five year old DJ is busy spinning tunes, the professor is spinning bicycle wheels to campus, and I am spinning laundry. Like I said, normal... which is just as lovely {if not more} than an extra-special vacation!

Lord of Heaven and Earth

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25

Launch Day

What an amazingly incredible, exhilarating experience!
I still have chill bumps.
We are so very thankful for the opportunity.

I'll share more photos and details next week...
For now, we're keeping busy with vacation fun.

{Photo credit goes to my brother-in-law}

Mission STS-135, Atlantis

All is quiet on the homefront and we're ready for our summer's big adventure. If everything goes according to schedule, I'll see you after the countdown is over and we've watched the launch of Atlantis!  Don't forget to tune in live on Friday, July 8 at 11:26 a.m., EDT. This is the end of an era!

Busy Monkey

Monkey hiding.Monkey riding.Monkey leaping.Monkey creeping...Monkey clinging.Monkey swinging.
There's no wonder Busy Monkeys is her favorite book these days...She relates to it on a very personal level.{No busy monkeys or daredevil little girls were harmed in the capturing of this moment.}

Independence Day

"July Fouth started {ended} with setting off firecrackers under tin cans {from soda bottles}. The boys {Big Brother} loved the noise. But the corgis {Little Brother} didn't!"

quote adapted from A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

Our Dwelling Place

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

Psalm 90:1

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!”

Psalm 91:1-2

Color Week: Green

{Lunch}
{At the Ecology Preserve}
{Morning Dew}

Color Week: Yellow/Orange