Wild Life

We want to hang a swing from this tree, but it is a busy tree...

Our Children's Latest Achievements

Roxie next to her art project displayed at school.

Self-portrait done in markers.

Curly-haired Sam & Gma Sandy, after his choral concert (he is standing in auditorium row below her.  They aren't that different in height!)

Max has 2 job interviews...one at stadium, very hopeful!

Suzu loves working at McDonald's.  Need a picture of her in her black uniform.

Stewart wrote briefly that he is fine and busy and nothing is wrong.

Emmalyn...is getting ready for wedding!

Petticoat

I bought a $7 bridal pouffy underskirt from thrift store.  Cut it apart to make it tea length.  Bought polyester dyes on line (yea, Dharma Trading Co.) to dye bottom half blue, sewed white overskirt and waist back to dyed blue bottom, and then added more soft ruffle netting.  Fun to swish around, but we shall see what Em thinks.  Red petticoat and all turquoise options available.

Come to the party, Friday June 22nd!  I wish Respondez S'il Vous Plait meant something to more people... That is RSVP=RESPOND to the invite PLEASE!  The party will happen, no matter what.  No matter we don't really know how many people will show up.  How much food to prepare.  How many chairs and tables. 

Had time to finish a Round Robin quilting project for my Wild Threads mini-group.  We work on each other's projects, pass boxes around each month.  This is K's project.  Wonky Log Cabin Block in colors I love!  Can you guess which two I made for her quilt?

These two:

Relax.  Party Pretty.  No stress, just lots of excitement, eagerness, a little nervousness.  There was a moment yesterday when I put the family history crib-art back on the freshly painted downstairs hallway and realized Emma's heart will have a + DJ in less than a month!

Kissing in Orange

John sent me an email photo this morning.  I tweaked it, and I am sending it back:

Max is coming to dinner tonight.  Life is hopeful. 

Actually, the quote from the morning is, "Life with Landbecks is AWESOME!"

Two of our children are going to Hershey Park as a school sponsored field trip, one as physics observation, the other as celebration for finishing middle school.  They laughed when they both realized they would be there the same day. 

I am glad when they laugh together!

Happy Mother's Day ULTIMATE Coupon

On this day of the thirteenth of May, year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twelve, I, ________________ hereby sign away my right to complain and offer willingly my full cooperation and cheerful service in rendering the following unsavory job that I may have historically complained while performing, but again, will do so with great fervor and energy: ________________________ as many times as years I have lived on the earth, and for clarification purposes, that is ____ years before the deadline of this date plus three hundred and sixty-five days.



Signature____________________________________________________



Witnessed by _________________________________________________

 
(The students groaned.  I made them do it anyway.  Told them if they put "brushing my teeth" than they needed to think of a harder one.  Something they really struggle wanting to do and something they know their mom wants them to do...One tardy student claimed to not understand what it meant and refused to fill it in.  I told that student their mother could fill in a blank one!  Hopefully the week long in Bible Study Class of thinking of their WOW=MOM spelled upsidedown, writing her thank you notes, drawing her portrait and telling her how much they love her will result in a day of rest, rejoicing, and some good laughs.  A few tears. 
 
I cried when our babies were born--not just with pain or relief, but for joy and the sober responsibility of caring for them as tiny babies.)
 
Thank you, to my mommy.  Thank you for my life, my body, my formative years.  Thank you for your influence and teaching and the wonderful creative atmosphere of your home.  (How would you fill in this blank coupon???).  I am sorry for all the times I complained and grudgingly did things you asked of me.  I am sorry for all of the things I didn't do at all, that I forgot, or ignored, or did poorly so I wouldn't have to do them again.
 
I love you!

I love to laugh

A quilting buddy sent a link to a Jeanne Robertson video.  She has been making people laugh for almost 50 years.  Good, clean, for everyone humor.  The teenage daughter talking to mother in airport segment, and the spouse shopping are my favorites.

Stalker Mom says "I will always love you!"

During a mopey mom moment, I made copies of fb photos--Mr Grey took some great photos in China! This was my favorite kite one.

I love all of my children. They are all talented, smart, funny, kind, brave.

I look forward to future reunions, when we can all gather and eat and laugh together. I feel strongly that making good family memories is an important current role for me.

Not lecturing,
not shaming,
not blaming,
not judging.

Love them for who they are now. And to not hold hostage in my memories their potential future selves. If that makes sense. See them now. Know their hearts now. Talk with them. Be with them. Write/blog to them!

I am looking forward to missionary Stewart's phone call Sunday, hoping to squeeze into the queue for a moment with my Mom! Talking with Emma all week, enforcing mother-day-journal-entry-letters with Suzanna and the other seminary students, anticipating the kids-at-home sing-a-thon John organizes, and hoping for a moment with Maxwell...

I don't know what re-hab is like. I hope it gives him the chance to figure out who he is. Help him grow up. Help him be responsible.

Tough Love means he is homeless if he uses.

Be clean, and you can live here.

Come home to eat dinner with us, anytime.

Bring your friends.

But the drugs can't be here. Deal breaker.

Rescued

My Junk Buddy Tiffany invited me to shop Saturday morning. We were driving back from a cute store (opened once a month: D'Bohemia in Havre de Grace. Check it out!) Driving by a random street, we stopped at what looked like a big yard sale. Just two guys landscaping. I thought it was a big framed window. They were clearing the yard, going to take this to the dump: 2x4 framing a huge piece of metal. Magnets stick. I spent hours getting rid of the moss and outdoor debris from the frame, spent $15 at Home Depot to buy a wall buddy hanging clip to support up to 200 lbs (this is HEAVY) and it is now in our living room. But Tiffany has first rights of ownership when I die. Seriously. This thing is amazing!

Wedding Party Pre-Show

How do you coordinate a wedding party thousands of miles apart?

This is mostly for Emma:

Scalloped edged, 96" length tablecloth, feels like linen, nice hand to the fabric. Lots of space for signatures!

Crazy black/white/red socks (last pair left men's dept @ Tarjay) and first few bow ties in red. Dibs on any of them for DJ's friends?

Awesome turquoise chevron afghan, thrifted $7.00 find today!
It might make a lovely hide-the-basket-ball-pad in the gym backdrop...

Your sister & friends on their anti-social-norms experiment. SEE HER COOL RED SHOES?

Keep your eyes on the goal! (This is me trying to be as tall as Dad.) All the details don't matter. Getting here does. XO love you!

A Wedding: A Bride & a Cheater

Bible Study class, 6 am

How to make Hosea real for teenagers?

Talk about a couple in love. Faithful. Making promises to each other, taking it to the next level of serious committment, legally wedded as husband and wife. Then cheating. Then who broke up with whom? Will he take her back? Is she worth the pain she caused him? How can he say he will never divorce her? How can he love her that much? How can he forgive her?

I told the students to never forget no matter how much they mess up, no matter how much trouble they are in, or how badly they've hurt & disappointed their families, or how much they break the law... they can come back, they can repent.

Christ redeems us as we return to Him. He won't hold a grudge as a jilted lover. He will forgive & forget and welcome our return.

I hope they get it, and remember, when they are hurting and confused and suffering from consequences of bad choices. It can be better. The hurting can stop.

I have felt mostly calm this weekend. Disappointed, sad, and lots of love for my children.

Please remember Max in your prayers this week. Another overdose, and a serious cry for help.

Prom Dress Gets "Sleeves"

Cut off long ties of dress (and sew stumped ends together), create SLEEVES (with a little more lace added from recycling another shirt)!

I hope someone gets a photo of Suzanna today! (How did I not do that before she left?) I found a lightweight white hoodie for her, bought a clearance 3x long sleeve white t-shirt that I showed her how to turn into a skirt (by stepping into neck, pull it up to your waist, and tie the sleeves in back or turn them inside out to form "pockets"). With some bobby pins and hairspray we turned her hair into two cinnamon buns. She used fabric marker to write on the lower back of the hoodie "May the 4th be with you!" So when they ask why she is dressed up as Princess Leia, she can ask "Why aren't you? It is Star Wars Day!" A student in my morning Bible study class is from the Pacific Islands and asked me what it meant, on her shirt. It didn't cross the cultural language barrier, the silly pun. He is in on the joke now. At the last minute before getting out of the car, she hesitated and asked, "Why am I doing this?" I told her she is beautiful and smart and FUNNY!

Why Tuesdays are Good Days

Dear Emma, Your red petticoat/crinoline/tutu is done. Trimmed to length recommended by your dress-maker. It is beautiful. So are you! The leftovers turned into mini-fun for my young friends.

Love you lots, & see you in...6 weeks?! Mom-me