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Tonight I held my six-year-old close and slow-danced to piano music at bedtime. My brain jumped back to six years (and seven days, it turns out) ago and I have to post this, if only so I can go spend the night crying on the couch every time I see these side by side.

  

 

 

Oh my sweet girl. How I love you. What a pure gift from God you are.

Purse inventory

It's been time to clean out my purse for a long time. A really long time. I've done several half-inventories, quickly, right before heading out the door and only to make room for whatever I needed to fit.

So I decided to do a complete inventory of my purse, uncensored, for your entertainment.

The purse, before. Snapped closed. Neat and unassuming. A tad bulky.

The purse, after. Emptied of it's cargo. A tad shocking.

What IS all that, you might be wondering. I took notes.

The following was in my purse, in no particular order:

• 1 knitting work in progress. (Hat for Doug.)
• 1 make up brush. (Lancome 8.)
• 1 wallet. (Currently frustratingly unable to close due to the $5 McDonalds gift cards destined for gift bags for the homeless people we encounter.)
• 2 mini composition books filled with my random thoughts and ideas. 
• 1 bag Traditional Medicinal Organic Eater's Digest tea.
• 1 Kindle Paperwhite. (My preciousssssss.)
• 1 mini-journal containing Bible verses I'm memorizing. (Demand a recitation the next time you see me!)
• 2 reusable shopping bags. (Our county has banned the use of disposable plastic bags.)
• 2 small tins of Altoids Smalls. (Simply Mint flavor.)
• 10 (TEN!) pens. (1 appears to be stolen from church. Thou shalt not steal pens.)
• 1 handout from a different church on which was scribbled the URL to a knitting website recommended by a friend.
• 1 bottle of lotion.
• 2 pairs of sunglasses.
• 2 Sugar 'n Cream yarn labels, saved for the dishcloth pattern on the back.
• 1 Cherry 7-UP Lip Smacker.
• 1 credit-card-sized dental floss dispenser.
• 3 small bottles of hand sanitizer.
• 1 purple plastic counting bear.
• 1 packet containing 1 cloth and 1 bottle of lens cleaning solution.
• 1 harmonica.
• 2 strawberry shortcake dolls. (Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Blossom.)
• 1 4G thumb drive. (Not pictured because I immediately put it on Superman's laptop; he's been looking for it.)
• 1 additional cloth for cleaning glasses.
• 1 snack sized baggie containing 4 multivitamins and 2 iron pills.
• 1 travel size dental floss container.
• Another flash drive. (Capacity unknown. Also not pictured for the same reason the other wasn't.)
• My 1-year CODA chip. (Happy recovery to me!)
• Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker
• 6 State Farm anti-texting-while driving thumb rings. 
• 1 dried cherry. (Poor cherry.)
• 1 Hello Kitty mood ring. (Val exclaimed, "My RING! Eliot gave this to me when I took Tesla out of his room!")
• 4 hair barrettes.
• 4 mini hair clips.
• 3 hair bands.
• $1.26 in change (2 quarters, 5 dimes, 4 nickels and 6 pennies)
• Small ring with 6 laminated Bible verse cards attached.
• LunchSkins bag full of trail mix. (Perhaps the dried cherry escaped from there?)
• Paper with notes from last week's lesson (on grace) at Celebrate Recovery
• 1 lacy hair clip. (Worn by Elaine in my brother's wedding! It has not been in my purse since then.
• Paper from our city's sewing center with details on the machine I'd like to buy.
• Strawberry Lip Smacker.
• 1 mini mag lite. (Eddie Bauer.) 
• 1 duck call. (Yes. You blow on it and it makes a noise like a duck quacking.)
• 1 mini bottle ibuprofen.
• Little green rubber bouncy ball.
• 1 Bible.

That's 91 items in one purse. What's in your purse? Think you can do wors-uh-better? Bring it on!

Built To Scale

Built to scale, she is.

That was then. This is now.

I had a tendency to climb things. I still do.

These photos were taken a little more than 20 years apart, in almost exactly the same place. (Looks like the original fence post didn't last.)

Servant leadership, three-year-old style!

Elaine was feeling shy at the park today until the cutest little prince came along (the son of a friend of mine) and asked her to play. He even offered to put her shoes on for her and was so sweet and gentle.

And they played happily ever after.

Oh my heart.

August 30, 2011: first day of preschool

May 29, 2012: last day of preschool, nine months later.

I just. I don't even have words. (Which is why I've supplied pictures.)

Haven't lived here for 8 years.

But it still feels like home to me.
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

Seventh step

Sent from my Droid 2 Global

Brought to you by...

...my meticulous man!
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

Traditional names

The eight of us have taken a picture together at various times and places for the past 25 years. It's nice to have friends who go back that far. Today we spent a good part of the afternoon in the company of many such dear friends.

(I'll give you one guess why I'm not terribly strict about my children wearing shoes at all times... =) )

Sixty second sunny swing!

Break in the clouds.
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

First swim of the year!

Quite the success. And it'll be even warmer tomorrow! Can't wait for summer.

Well.

I can't say that I'm terribly surprised. She certainly comes by it naturally. =)

Val's comment was, "That looks like a GREAT idea! Can I try?" Elaine hadn't bothered to ask; she just got busy, because really, the thing's just ASKING to be climbed.

LONPOS

So excited to finally own this game!
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

This one looks like me, too.

Kids are fun. Usually.
I recommend them. Usually.
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

First bike ride together since before we were married!

I feel like such a fraud. I'm all spandexed up and I don't even know how to change a flat tire!

We went nine miles and it was a ton of fun. I think I'm going to like this road biking thing (not that I ever doubted), especially with a partner like Superman. He was so encouraging and helpful and kind. It was a little unnerving to be on the road and not in a car (especially turning left with opposing traffic ALSO turning left and being just a little biker in the middle of an intersection full of gazillion-pound cars!) but I'm sure I'll adjust.

I hope my legs will eventually have a shape other than KNEE, but whatever. I'm glad to have legs and having a strong, healthy body is more important than whether or not my calf muscle is visible.

We reached speeds of 20 mph. As soon as I figure out how to shift without having to think too much about it and become accustomed to the teeny-tiny tires I'm riding on, I'm going to have a blast. I had a fantastic time today; can't wait for the next ride!

Second caramel attempt

Much, much better. Super delicious.
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

First caramel attempt

We burned it.
Sent from my Droid 2 Global

Rainbow heir

Alright. I guess she looks a little like me.

Yosemite

Yosemite falls (the lower section.)

A few minutes after this was taken we went climbing up the rocks behind us to get close to the waterfall (and become liberally sprayed with waterfall mist.)

I love this guy. He's my favorite.

Those are California Poppies. The hillsides looked rusty.

I love oak trees. (This was outside the park.)

Welcome to Yosemite! This is right after the park entrance.

Agua!

Ahhhhhhhhhgua!