Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Let the Birthday Season Begin!

Happy 4th Birthday to the Panda!  He had his third birthday party and first voluntary bite of cake!  Grandma and Grandpa got to have a rehearsal birthday cupcake with him this afternoon, so he sort of had some idea about blowing out candles this evening.  His siblings helped, though...






My thoughts turn to his first parents.  May God truly comfort their hearts on the Panda's birthday.  I would love for them to know that he is safe and amazing.

We had VBS last week, and it was great.  That means that Monday should have been our first day of homeschool.  I am not even close to ready to start, so we didn't.  I have all the books and stuff, I just am not emotionally ready to start.  Grandma and Grandpa are moving across the country this weekend, we have appointments all week, travel this weekend, and family vacation next week.  Not a great time to get momentum going for the year.  I'm aiming for Wed. August 28 for our first day, the day after I start my 5th year at our homeschool co-op.  I also found out that I get to teach middle school girls in Sunday School this year, which is exciting.    By the time we get started on school, both the Puppy and I will also have had our birthdays.

The Panda's birthday cupcakes were made from an accidental pumpkin that grew in my "compost heap".  Don't ask Matt about the "compost heap" though....  Also, it turns out the mystery plants in my garden were muskmelons.  One finally fell off the vine and we cut it- it was just like the thing that they sell in the stores as cantaloupe (they aren't, though... they are muskmelons).  Here's a runaway zucchini.



Last weekend I headed home for my ****th class reunion.  What a fun night!  My classmates are really a great bunch of people.


The Panda and I with Zhou dynasty tigers at the Sackler Gallery.


The Penguin in front of the Smithsonian Castle.


The giant flower that smells like rotting meat at the DC Botanical Gardens.  



I can not wait to see my dad's side of our family this weekend for my cousin's wedding.  She was my youngest bridesmaid, and we wish her and her new husband happiness and joy in their new life together.  Also, we will get to hear him perform with his band at The Purple Fiddle this weekend, apparently, which sounds like a really fun time.

My mom's family reunion was 2 weeks ago.  I love them so much and had a great time.  Matt got to have a Fear Factor weekend- about 17 yellowjacket stings...  My dear 97 year old auntie hasn't known me for about a year.  She usually won't wake up to talk to me anymore.  That weekend, I got a gift from the Lord when I visited her.  She was awake when I got there, and her opening line was, "I am ANCIENT!"  We had a precious walk down memory lane.  She talked about her days teaching in a one room schoolhouse, and when the gypsies came to Thomas, and going to Catholic school.  It was good to have her back for an hour.

Isaiah 40:8  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.