Blog Award

I receieved a "Best Blog" award from Jenny at http://www.agreaterhand.blogspot.com/. A great big THANK YOU goes out to Jenny. It is always wonderful to know that someone out there in blog land is reading and enjoying your posts.

Watercolors, Insect Bites and Video Games

Grace has been completely fascinated with watercolor painting lately and is learning many techniques in her art classes. The above picture is something we tore out of a magazine. The bottom picture is her interpretation of the cat.

A couple of days ago I think I was bitten by some sort of insect right under my eye. Mostly just a little stinging involved. But this morning when I woke up everything changed. Under my eye was so swollen that I looked like a basset hound. Had to go to the doctor first thing and get an injection of dexamethasone. Also taking lodrane and ibuprofen. My lymph nodes in my neck were also sore. This afternoon the swelling is going down but feeling alot of pins and needles type feeling under my eye.

Wednesday night we were over at my sister's house for my nephew's birthday. All the kids decided to play Rock Band. Fun had by all.

Bad Blogger

I have been bad this week. Not alot of posts. Busy I guess. Catching up on some TV programs via the computer. I have lost all interest in American TV and tend to watch lots of programs from the BBC and other countries. Anyway, life is getting hectic with practices for The Wizard of Oz. Three days this week along with three days of school, a couple of library programs, art lesson, and just living life. For those of you praying for Sally - here is an update - the tumor is at the base of her skull and will need immediate surgery. Please continue to pray for full recovery. We have slept in late this morning. Need to go to the store and get a few items - running through the fruit like crazy making smoothies and milkshakes. Grace also needs a new sketch pad and some water color paper. Last day of summer school this morning for us, finishing up a couple of books, etc. then we will have a three week break from school due to craziness associated with volley ball camp, another art camp, and practices and performances for Wizard of Oz. We will start back for official school on August 2nd. Got to get the move on - hope everyone has a blessed day.

Prayer Request

As many of you know we love our library and we love our librarians just as much. We are especially fond of our children's librarian. Her name is Sally and she has been going through treatments for breast cancer for the past year and a a half. She has such a great attitude and really didn't miss many days of work during her treatments. She has been healthy and feeling good. Yesterday we showed up for a children's summer reading program and was informed it has been canceled because she had to go to the emergency room the night before due to suffering from headaches. They did a scan at the emergency room and found a mass in her brain. She was not at the library yesterday because she had an appointment with her oncologist. This really shook us to the core. Grace works closely with Sally through the library volunteer program. This morning we are going in for her weekly volunteer time and don't know if Sally will be there or not. Please prayer for healing, understanding, courage, and wisdom for her doctors for further treatment. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Construction Zone

Our backyard is a construction zone at the moment. All Sunday afternoon and some of yesterday was spent starting our chicken coop. The top pic is from our bedroom window. Kind of neat that each morning when I wake up I can check on them from the window. Grace is uber excited to hurry up and get the chickens.

We were able to get the frame built and part of the nesting boxes. With hubby being in the steel business we were able to get all of our wood and the metal we used for free. All repurposed items that would have gone in the trash heap at his business. Very little will have to be purchased other than the feeders, litter, hay for the nesting boxes and the metal roof.

Happy July 4th

Today is somewhat of a calm day for us. Yesterday we celebrated my sister's 40th birthday with a big swim party bash at a friend's house. Today after church we started in on building our chicken coop. Pictures to come later. While in the back yard we noticed this huge squirrel's next in one of the trees. We have tons of squirrels this year. The bottom photo is Grace's lego quest challenge for this week. The challenge was to build something to display your artwork.

Day in the Life

This morning we actually got to sleep in - 8:30 that is. Ate breakfast and just hung out until 11:00 art lesson. Today they practiced with water color pencils and pain for different effects. Grace really got in to this and did more of it later on in the day. After art lesson we went to the library to pick up the next book in The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series that came in then over to Zaxbys for lunch. Also checked on getting new tires for the car before heading home.

Once we got home, Grace had an hour to herself which she used to draw a dragon in pen and ink and do some more water color pictures. Then we had some school to do. Today that consisted of finishing a book about The Pony Express, two math review pages, grammar review, Bible, a chapter from By the Shores of Silver Lake, a chapter from Among the Forest People, and in the picture below writing - finishing a chapter for her fantasy book she is writing. I did learn something new today about The Pony Express - it was on in existence for 1 1/2 years before the telegraph took over.

After school work and a snack we got to relax for another hour before heading out for play practice. Tonight was Oz and Emerald City practice for two hours. Lots of dancing, lots to remember. We go again tomorrow night for more Oz people practice. All in all it was a busy day but very enjoyable. Between art and drama she had both of her passions fit in to a neat little package for today.