Happiness!

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The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.

Proverbs 10:22

There is a lot of happiness around here right now!  Here are the pictures to show it.  They were taken in Olympia at the park, the harbor and the fountain.  Not much commentary is needed, ya think?

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And.....the ring!

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Good Gifts Only

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"Dear Lord, for all the gifts that we never see clearly or understand much or appreciate hardly at all, bless You."  Brian Doyle

Thank You for that.  Another reminder of good gifts.  Everything from Your hand is intended for my benefit.  Nothing is a bad gift.  Nothing.  So please help me to always say "Thank You" -- for everything -- no matter what it looks like, because You only give good gifts and You are incapable of making a mistake with my life.

Peace.  Awesome.

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Oh, Summer! Where Art Thou?

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The summer of 2010 will be remembered by me in two ways.  As the summer that wasn't.  And as the hardest time I have ever gone through.

For me, summer is a recharging time that readies me for the coming grey and wet months of the northwest.  This summer we had very few warm days, it rained through June, the garden never really happened because of my focus being on my dad while he was here, and what was planted never really grew.  We had one "sheet only" night all summer, and that only for about 4 hours before the blanket was back over me.  I had hopes of a warm fall, but it's not looking that way right now.

My dad being here for 6 weeks was a growing time for me.  And very hard.  The hardest thing I have ever done.  Suffice it to say, God knows.  Period.

So, here are some highlights of the blessings God gave in the midst of the Summer of 2010:

  


The cake I was privileged to make for Dale's nephew's wedding which was on the day of my last post.  :-)  Jessie saved it for me by decorating with all the beautiful flowers!

A wonderful day-trip to the beach with some of my favorite people.  I needed the day away.  It was awesome.

Another beautiful wedding for another of Dale's nephews.  It was an absolutely stunning day in Portland.  I had so much fun photographing the day.

It was held in Cathedral Park under the St. John's Bridge.  Amazing, isn't it?

A BUNCH OF FUN CONCERTS!

At the Strawberry Festival

 At the Cascade Country Cook-Off.

Amazing Day!!!

At the Fair.....

Still at the Fair

At the Garlic Fest......

.....And I caught Dale laughing.

He had recently learned how good the band sounds

and it is written all over his face.  I love it.

Two of my favorite MacInnis men.

And.....Xander's 3rd birthday party,

for which I was delighted to make this cake.

He asked for vanilla and green.  So, then.

So, after three months of silence, there you have an encapsulation of my summer.  Now I'm working on  putting together a blog/website for the beginnings of a candid portraiture business that I hope to launch this fall with an ad for school pictures for the families in our homeschooling community.  We'll see where that road takes us.

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God's Blessings Today

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Today my family went to the wedding of Dale's nephew up in Shoreline.  It has been a greatly anticipated event for us all.  Two weeks ago, my dad came to live with us and as this past week went by, I knew the likelihood of my going to the wedding was not good.  Hard has it was not to go, I know it was the right thing to do.  Because of that, I have been watching for God's blessing in this day.  Here it is:

I haven't been able to work in the garden for about a year because of my back.  Over the past 4 weeks, it has been getting better, maybe because of some diet changes, and today I felt I might be able to do a little out there.  Beans are in (second time, the first batch rotted in the ground) and the squash and cukes are planted.  I bought plants this year.  I NEVER thought I'd do that.  Shows what I know!  If I want squash and cukes this year, they needed to get a running start because the rain lasted so long this spring.

So, time in the garden, time with my dad.....a very good day.  Thank You, Jesus.
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God Knows What He's About

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I love this...  From a high school friend of mine who is praying for us in this time:

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man-
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And which every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out-
God knows what He's about.
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I Will Lift My Eyes........

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A friend sent me this song lately, I Will Lift My Eyes, by Bebo Norman.  It has been running through my head a lot.  It's right where I'm living these days.
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Mother's Day Tea

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My daughters treated me to a lovely tea at our dear friend Cathi's house.

The day was stunning and the company delightful!

The table was beautiful.

The food was amazing!

Flowering tea.....

and cucumber sandwiches, quiche and muffins.....

and a stunning fresh berry pie!

My treasured daughters and daughter-in-law, and dear friend Cathi.

Jessie painted really cool name cards.  :-)

And we were blessed to have sweet children....

to delight us.

And to top it off, the mountain showed her face in the front yard,

and dogwood was blooming.....one of my favorite parts of spring.

Thanks Jessie, Maggie and Cathi!
Dana, we missed you!!
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