Hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed it as much as we did.  Weddings, family birthdays, vacations, and often just sitting back resting.

Deb is on vacation in Southern France and I am holding down the fort, hoping and praying they will return home safely!

Hopefully, we will have something new to share in the months to come.

Picture from the grandson’s wedding table we had so much planning and putting it together.

We were really practical…used a piece of organza fabric to make a table runner, dark chocolate ribbons on napkins folded with silver tucked into the pocket and three low rose bouquets to allow lots of conversation, and lots of candles,  Barely visible in these pictures are the beautiful stemware from Germany that Deb inherited from Robert’s Mother, Mary, they are beautiful beyond words.

It was a small wedding with only special guests as the Bride arrived from the Philippines only days prior to the event and then they left shortly for Hawaii for a long honeymoon.

Last week I took this bouquet of peonies, lilac and lamb’s ear to my brother at his work to surprise him. He did such a sweet thing for me and Mom this past week so it was a little thank you for his kindness. I think he was pleasantly surprised when he received them. I love how old fashioned the bouquet looks too.

I had to laugh at Mom’s post the other day about being boring. If you were a little mouse listening in on our  many phone conversations through the day, you would think we were quite entertaining, perhaps even a tad bit crazy and eccentric too.

School just got out last week so my youngest is now underfoot; although you can hardly be underfoot when you are approaching 6′ tall. He can eat me out of house and home and leaves a trail of dirty dishes everywhere he goes. Welcome summertime!

Then there is my 24 year old who is struggling to become a real grown up. She causes me angst, stomach aches, temper tantrums, and a very sore tongue from biting it so much. She moved back about a year ago…with her 1 year old Boxer dog named Dexter. She is in countdown mode to move out (Mom’s deadline) and I hope I make it to the finish line without hurting anyone.

My oldest boy is doing great in life. A single dad who loves to hang out with his younger brother and totes along his 5 year old daughter Aria. That means they all hang out at my house hoping for Mom’s home cooked meals….a lot. I love it, but it also means a lot of unexpected company at my house.

Our oldest daughter and her husband have just moved across town and now live about 3 miles from us. They are still getting settled in although we were at their house several times this weekend fixing lawn mowers and training her on how to actually use one!

So Mom is right, our life is busy, chaotic, always interrupted for the “more important things” like family. It provides great material for lots of stories and lots of laughs. Boring, never around here. Some days I dream of boring. Seriously I do! (PS: I thought these photos of the cactus and agapanthus were good metaphors for my family life, prickly but beautiful and going in all directions yet still part of one flower.)