Recent-ness

   “…I can’t imagine not staying awake to God in the moment, the joy in the now.”

Outside the theater, the business of Tale, we have been doing *normal* life too. Keeping busy with school and the regulars of life around here - I'll share a few moments with you today:


14}Happy gardening. One thing I love about spring is how happy it makes my Mom. My Mom simply loves the spring. Nothing gets her so excited as to look at all the flowers, to go on about the gorgeous weather, to sit with the animals and soak it all in. She runs about getting her new plants in, bringing cuttings in each day for all of us to enjoy. It's a fun thing to see.

15} Cool faces.(he beats me I think...) My little brothers are two of my favorite blessings in my life. I can't tell you the smiles, the laughs, the simplicity, and the lessons they give to me. They are...well, the best.

16} Ozark combinations. They add to the 'norm' of life.

17}These two. That little farm kid to the right there? He likes to randomly show up at our house at all hours of the day, wandering about, wondering, "Is David free?" I love how it's that way with all the cousins...you never know when one will just show up in the kitchen!
Just as soon as these boys can finish up their school work, it's off to the trenches, the forts, the pirate ship, the fallen tree, all over the farm making some kind of poor kid game that all of us grew up playing.(still do, actually...) They do brighten my day..those missing teeth make me smile. I like this picture.

18}Fairy houses. When we were pretty little kids, Ashley, who was probably only about 10 at the time...would teach us how to make 'fairy houses.' Out underneath some tree in the yard, we'd run around gathering the necessary rocks, sticks, leaves, little flowers or decorations needed to make just the perfect little home. We'd leave it there all nice and ready for that night's fairies to move in comfy-cozy. I guess we didn't really believe that real fairies would come, but we knew the ants and beetles would enjoy our creation.
So last week when Johnny boy was trudging around the yard with nothing to do, I decided it was high time he learn the game. I ran outside to find him and we began building. Pretty soon Stephie came to join us, followed by David and Braden. In about an hour the little house was completed and we turned to making pits to fill with walnuts to be stored for the winter's food. That turned into making mud pies, to getting mud all over faces, hands, hair, which eventually took us to the pump to wash up and get soaked all over.
I have decided I need to make more time for building fairy houses with my sibs this summer.

19}Babysitting.The little Evs continues to grow right before our eyes. He's a chunk. He's getting used to the craziness of being a chuzzy. 
We haven't gotten to spend much time with him lately with the play, so tonight he's coming over to have a party with his Riefer family. We'll have him to ourselves for several hours, and I can't wait for him to get here. Evan's most recent accomplishment: Learning to play peek-a-boo. It's hilarious.