I Can See Clearly Now {almost!}

See this lovely bowl of summertime sweetness?

ME TOO!!!

Thank you all for your sweet, encouraging words and your prayers.

The Lord came through in a mighty way for me this morning

as I had the greatest peace about my eye surgery.

His faithfulness amazes and humbles me...

every time.

The surgery went well,

about 40 minutes 

{compared the the standard 10-15 minute cataract surgery}

It was comfortable, but not completely pain free.

That was to be expected, as the amount of work to do was huge.

But, tonight I am singing the praises of Valium

and one great God!

My first post-op visit was this afternoon and when the doc checked my vision

I could actually see!

My vision isn't quite clear,

and probably will take a few weeks to

come to a place of stability,

 but I can see faces and numbers and prints

and on and on!!

We are continuing to pray that my autoimmune system stays quiet

and won't perceive a threat in that eye and do a major

freak out in the form of swelling.

On a completely seperate, but kinda related note

the issues with Photobucket worked themselves out

and I can post some of my recent faves...

that I can actually see...

because God and Dr. Kumar are

 just. 

that. 

good.

feeling poorly

summer reading list... more on that later

football camp

THE best cookies... EVER!

more to come...

Thank you again for all your prayers!!

XO,

{K}

lately...

As you can see, I have yet to fix my issues with Photobucket.

  This is not their fault - all mine.  I just can't seem to find the time or make the time to sit down and get it done.

I need a bit of help from my sweetie, as we just got this computer up and running after a hard drive crash, a printer that died, and a modem blown out by storms.

I'm a bit leery of causing any damage, and that is just what I might do!

We are fully enjoying the last few days of summer here.

The kids start school in about two weeks so we have been trying

to get all those supplies shopped for and squeeze as many pool dates in as we can.

However, the storms keep thwarting us!

We made two attempts to get there today and finally decided to just make a trip to the fabric store instead.

I can't tell you of the utter joy and elation that came from my boys. :0)

Sweet girl is up to all things flipp-y and cart wheel-y.

{Are you watching the Olympics too?}

She will spend a bit of time on the computer checking out gymnastics moves

and then head out in the yard to perfect them.

I think she would be a great gymnast.

Completely flexible and coordinated,

but she doesn't need one more thing to fill her schedule.

{Neither does her mama!}

That big ole 14 year old boy has been running a lot lately,

all in preparation for cross country this fall.

Being as he has just about reached the 6' mark, 

you can imagine his stride.

He is a great runner and kicks my fanny every time we head out together.

Little Bit is finished with swim lessons where he earned the title of

MVP Butterflier.  

He can kick it in the poollike nobody's business.

This time of year his skin turns the loveliest shade of deep brown, just like his daddy's.

I can hardly keep my hands off of him!

The cowboy is keeping up with keeping up.

We celebrated 18 years of wedded bliss yesterday

with a yummy dinner on the patio of one of our favorite local italian restaurants.

It was so lovely to have uninterrupted conversation 

and reminisce on the past.

He gets more amazing with every passing year,

I'm one lucky girl.

As for me,

 I head in for eye surgery in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.

Pray for me??

I am in desperate need of getting a humdinger of a cataract removed.

It has been there forever 

{thanks rheumatoid arthritis for 40+ years}

and has completely blocked the vision in my right eye.

I can see colors and some shapes,

 but absolutely no detail.

Lord willing, all will go smoothly.

My surgery will take longer than normal as there is much scar tissue to remove and work around

and according to the doc, it's a sticky mess in there.

Eesh!

I am so thrilled to be getting this taken care of and behind me.

It really has been too long.

If you wouldn't mind, I would love if you would send a prayer up for me!

Thanks!

A Heavy Sadness

I just got back from meeting my best friend for lunch.  She is headed to Uganda to love on some cocoa colored babies.  To be a temporary mama to those who don't have one, to read stories to those who just want to curl up on a kind lap and have their hair stroked and hear a sweet voice, even if they don't share the same language.  She is traveling half way around the world to be Jesus to the least of these.

We gathered to catch up and to see how we can pray for each other and we laughed ourselves silly over husbands and kids.

And finally we talked of gunmen who enter theaters and start shooting, killing so many and how does this happen just an hour away from us??  We question why a three month old was in a movie at midnight.  Or a six year old.  Or a seven year old for that matter.  And the judgmental, critical side of me wants to shout to parents out there, "Don't you know nothing good happens after midnight??" But those parents who lost their little ones and not so little ones don't need me speculating while they plan their child's funeral.  They need my prayers and compassion.

 They need Jesus.

This hurting, depraved world needs Jesus.  Not controversy over gun control, attempting to legislate human evil.  Not my words making a very feeble attempt to make sense of such a senseless, horrendous act.  Not every news person's take on the story.  We need His words. 

And we know that in ALL THINGS {emphasis mine} God works for the good of those who love him...  Romans 8:28

You see, this side of heaven we will never understand why things like this happen.  We will never be privy to the perspective of the Creator who set this planet into motion or why He allows some things to happen and others not to.  It is not ours to know.  We only need to trust.  Trust that He will keep His promises, trust that He has this in His hands too.

What I also know is this.  The ties that bind us are fragile and fleeting.  No one ever knows how much time they will have here or when, instead of coming home, they go Home.  Take advantage of the time you have.  Time is measured in people and relationships - love on your loved ones!  Kiss your husband longer, hug your kids tighter, call that friend you've been meaning to call and be a little more patient with that person behind the counter.

This morning my 14 year old was mad at me.  I mean really mad.  He didn't speak to me on our drive to his grandparent's house when I dropped him off to mow their yard.  When I said good-bye I gave him a hug and told him that I loved him.  He didn't respond.  So I kept hugging.  I told him I wouldn't let go until he told me that he loved me too.  He complained and asked why {while I was still hugging him} and I said because you never know when something will happen to someone you love and that I was preventing him from a life time of regrets and counseling should something happen to me today. :0) I got a grin out of that.  And an 'I love you, too Mom."  And then I thought to ask him to look me in the eye and say it respectfully, and then we just cracked up together.

Make the most of your moments, make them count.  You won't regret it.

Blessings,
{K}

Checking In...

I think this summer of blogging officially puts me in the 'Lamest Blogger Ever' category.

Every time I sit down to post, I have technical issues.  Big ones.  Right now I can't access my photos {which is causing me great stress}.  My sources are helping, but they are closed on weekends and they take a few days to get back to me and sometimes I'm at the pool and can't seem to get out of my chaise to respond to them and it takes a day or two for me to get back with them and so on and so on.... and who wants to read a post without pictures??  

Needless to say, we are working on solving the issues but I'm not willing to hijack my kids' summer so that I can sit in the basement for hours and attempt to connect with 'Steve' from Photobucket {is 'Steve' a real person or an automatically generated response based on key words??} and stress over photos.  But I do anyway.  At night.  When we can't be at the pool.

A quick thank you to all you sweet readers who leave comments.  I get them, I read them, and love them.  Y'all are so kind!  Unfortunately I cannot respond to your comments unless I have your email in my system.  I can respond to the comment under your original comment but who wants to log back into the comment section to see if I replied or not?  If you do, give a shout and I'm happy to do so.  I just figure nobody has that kind of time.  Just know that I do read them and so appreciate the fact that I am not just out here in cyberspace having a conversation with myself :)  Earen, Kristi, and Mary Lou - thank you for your encouraging words{love you tons!}

The biggest news here is the rain.  Yes, the blessed rain!!  We were in Costco yesterday when the heavens OPENED UP and sent a deluge our way.  No kidding, people were dancing and cheering and wanting to play in it.  Seems to be an appropriate response when half of your state has been on fire for a month and temperatures have averaged somewhere near what is common on the surface of the sun.  Thank you, Lord for rain.  Amen.

On another note, I have news to share with you all but I am waiting for Photobucket to get their act together before I do so.  A picture would make a much better story than just my words.

Fourth of July was great, but falling smack dab in the middle of the week and having a fireworks ban due to the extremely dry conditions made it feel like an average summer weekend.  I didn't even bring my camera to the mountain with us.  See?  Lamest Blogger Ever.


Blessings,
{K}

A Memorial Day Recap

Ah... laziness I must be rid of you.  It is almost the 4th of July and I am just now getting to a Memorial Day recap. Good heavens!!  My 4th of July recap {likely in October} will look much like this post, except everyone will be in red, white and blue, of course.  And there might be a flag or two thrown in for good measure.

My in-laws have a nice little place in the mountains that we head to for all the summer holidays and an occasional fall weekend or two.  Or three.  It's here that the vast majority of our family gathers to spend time together, relax and get away from it all.


For the kids this means cousin time.  And we all know that there is nothing better than 48-72 hours of  the sheer delight that is know as 'cousin time'.  A new house was built on the property in the last year and my in-laws had the super great idea to make the upstairs 'the bunk room'.  A place with numerous bunk beds and cozy nooks for all the kids to gather, play games, read a book and most importantly, sleep together.  They couldn't be happier.  They all get along fabulously {all 13} and highly prefer each other's company over most anyone else's.  They play and laugh and the fun never ends.  For me and Todd, it means a long walk through the pastures and uninterrupted queso dip!

  It's like a living dream.

Isn't it just lovely??

best buds

they kinda like each other a bit :)

growing up waaaaay too fast

2nd fish ever - brought this one home and grilled it

always a good time

7 of the 13 cousins


Blessings,
{K}

Lately...

I have sat down to start a post no less than 50 times and would you believe I just can't pull my creative juices together??  Summer has that effect on me.

I would much rather be at the pool smelling the chlorine and sunscreen and lost in my current read {more on that to come}.

Most other bloggers out there have a laptop and can therefore write and post from where ever they are.  This very fancy girl has a computer in the basement and because of that I must check out of life and and hole up away from everything else to get a post up.  Not that that is all together a bad idea because the basement is the only cool place in the house and feels rather nice compared to the 87 degrees that was  the upstairs part of the house last night.  No kidding.

Yes, it's been a bit over the top here the last week or so, temperature wise.  I mean like Africa hot.  Feels more like late July than June with temps hovering near 100.  I believe my car 's thermometer read out at a balmy 107 on the way home from the pool yesterday.  Now my car does not count as the state's official temperature reading guide but clearly 107 on the way HOME from the pool meant we were going the wrong direction.

Speaking of Africa hot, I have had to keep a more visually tantalizing stock of magazines near the treadmill while I do my morning workout.  I suffer from extreme lack of interest in all thing running and therefore keep a handy pile of magazines next to me so that I might get lost in them and forget that I'm actually running.  I think I have runner ADD.  I also have to use those same magazines to focus my attention on something other than the voice in my head that keeps shouting at me,"THE HEAT!  MY WORD THE HEAT!!  STOP RUNNING YOU FOOL, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!!"

She is such a drama queen.

Anyhow, I woke this morning to cool temps and cloudy skies and may or may not have hollered out, "Thank you, Jesus!!!!" as I jumped up and down on the bed.

Today is a big day. Cousins are coming to spend the day with us, we have to go to Target and pick up a birthday gift for a friend, and the new Walmart opens up just down the street.  Big stuff, folks.  Big stuff.

 We are so excited about the new Walmart {gosh, you'd think a Trader Joe's was coming to the hood - oh, how I wish!!} because it will save me time and $$ on my groceries as the closest Walmart is a good 25 minutes away.  I'm all about saving the time and money!

Well, now that I've bored both of us to tears, we're heading out for a run.  Just me and the drama queen.  Running. Together.

This is big stuff, folks.

Blessings,
{K}

Catching Up

Well.

 My goodness.

Between the end of school, a hard drive failure, a husband traveling and the beginning of summer, I've had no time to post.  Oh, throw in some email issues with Blogger not recognizing passwords and a whole new redesigned site {Blogger, not mine}, and this not-so-tech-savvy-girl has been a bit overwhelmed.

To say I'm behind in posting photos is a gross understatement.  You see, some pictures are on the cowboy's phone, some are on my camera and coordinating a download to multiple places takes forever!  And boggles my mind.

So, I will give you the briefest of updates and pictures that go back to Christmas.

Yes, Christmas.  Have mercy!  I know, it's so silly to go back that far because who really cares any more, but I promise it will just be the highlights.

Spring Break entertainment at it's finest.  Oh, how they love a good fort!

Valentine love

pretty bird on a summer's eve

warm, sweet start to the day

HUGE snow, huge fun!

Christmas joy

My biggest boys

teacher gifts

THE highlight of my Christmas season - packing shoeboxes to send around the world to the poorest and neediest

Three times a day all activity stops to lay hands on the gifts and pray over them

How I love the work they do!

Well, I think that should do it for now.  Do you feel like we;ve never been apart?  We didn't skip a beat?  Me too!

Blessings to you, sweet friends!

{K}