Monday Night at Mardels

Matticus, Amy and Simon
Tonight we went to Mardel's to visit Scott,
our brother, brother-in-law, and uncle, counterclockwise.
Sad news: Simon might be coming down with a cold.
Breaking News: As we speak, Matt just completed 100 crunches.
No comment.

Mother and Child

Mother and Child
This is a mosaic of Simon and Amy. Today has been a typical Monday.
Highs: Dickens' Toffee Coffee this morning while reading. Lows: Wal-Mart.
Good news! Sarah has a blog: voteforsarah.blogspot.com

5th Sunday Snapshot

Ashley and Amy at the 5th Sunday Singspiration Have you ever been to a 5th Sunday Singspiration? Very quaint and family like. It started at 6:00. Let's just say that Matt, Simon, and I would have been five minutes early if it had started at 7:00. I had so much fun visiting with people that I don't get to see very much. Some good news for all of the Hilltop Campers out there--Mark Mills will be the director this year! You might remember the Survivor Camp that he organized -- (the sleep deprivation, gross food contest, and tribal council meetings...) Matt wants to be the camp videographer, if they'll let him. Matthew Pecina went to a camp once where each morning they would replay highlights of the day before. I know Matt is also looking forward to helping with the Humble's music ministry at Hilltop. Simon is whimpering in his room and I must go rescue him.

Forget Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Matticus

"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort."
~ Jane Austen

"...as I think back over the Lord's guidance in my own life,
I feel ashamed that my faith is not a more radiant, contagious thing..."
~ Peter Marshall

"That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Be of Good Cheer

Friend of the evening: Shay

You'll see Shay and Amy hard at work in the kitchen.
The very fact that Amy is posting this picture of herself shows that she has no pride.
Question: Who do you think Amy is talking to on the phone?
(Hint: the person has a last name that is also a geographical formation, she has a first name that is the same as a close relative of Amy's, she has a middle name that is often included in country western songs and musicals...)

Saturday Lunch and Conversation

Friends of the Day:

Amber, Tamitha,
Simon (my son), and Chloe

For those of you who are interested, we opted for the muffling of the coffee grinding by a towel, and Simon did not wake from the noise.


Amber, Tamitha, and Chloe came over for lunch. Yummy baked potatoes and tolerable chicken nuggets. (Sorry about the lack of gourmet food here ...) We had such a wonderful time visiting. Straight out of a Little Women type scene, we had Amber and Chloe chrocheting, Simon cooing nearby, and Amy and Tamitha discussing things they had read recently. Deep things and not so deep things were discussed (the seal?), and old friendships were renewed. Simon made a friend with Chloe. (Chloe, if you read this, Simon says sorry for pulling your hair.) All in all a nice midday visit free of danger, except for the raccoon fox (a.k.a. kitty cat.) Amber, thank you for the very special and very perfect baby blanket for Simon. That's all for now.

Coffee Desperations

You go to great lengths to keep a sleeping baby asleep. Simon woke up this morning at 5:30 (and 12:30.) At 5:30, after turning up the heat and wrapping him in a blanket, he did go back to sleep. I decided to go ahead and make Matt breakfast--baked oatmeal and coffee. But, alas, last night we forgot to grind our Dickens' Toffee coffee beans. The problem is that we cannot grind them in the morning because it will wake up Simon.

Hmmm....

We could go without coffee. But, no, we will not forgo the warm coffee. We have two choices: bring the coffee grinder to our bedroom and put a towel over it to muffle the noise or take the grinder outside to the carport and use the outside outlet.

Matt wants to try the towel in the bedroom option. I'll let you know tomorrow if it worked.