Day 252 - A Dry & Weary Land

This is our front flower bed. I've posted pics before of beautiful, lush greens and vivid flowers.

This drought we are in can be quite depressing, especially to someone who LOVES to savor every ounce of the lush green and colorful foliage so much.  We went to a nursery yesterday to find new ideas for our backyard landscaping project and even all the plants there were just droopy and sad and dry. The expert there told us that the prediction for the next TWO summers here are supposed to be as bad if not worse than this past summer with the horrid temperatures.  That is not the way to perk up one's day.  Just a firm reminder that our circumstances do not determine our joy and that we are NOT HOME YET.

This is yucky here, but far, far worse are all the wildfires in Texas that are raging and ruining people's lives.

Lord, please send rain.

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. 

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,

 in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Day 251 - Suds & Gloves

Day 250 - Just a Little Nuzzle

Day 249 - Birthday Roses from My Man

Day 248 - FALL Came to Our House!!

After a miserable summer with most every day being over 105 degrees.....FALL came to our house this morning with a wonderfully cool breeze of 70 degrees!!!!! Happy Birthday present to me! We know it's just a teaser and that more hot is to come throughout September, but OH what a much needed and appreciated relief.  PP and I sat out back with our precious doggie, the best coffee ever and penciled down some fresh ideas for our backyard....all while feeling the cool breeze.  I may have even been wearing my Baylor Bear hoodie. Maybe.

Day 247 - My 41st Birthday

Day 246 - Christmas Prep

Yet another cute idea I got from Pinterest** for a darling advent calendar!! I have finished it and will save that pic for Christmas time.  I even pulled out my old sewing machine to tack down the little card holders.  It got my creative bug all wiggly again!

Day 245 - Long Legs

Day 244 - 100% Real

While are trying to eat cleaner and make much healthier choices along with portion control we are also enjoying not being so legalistic with "eat this, DON'T eat that" blah, blah, blah.  If I count my calories and make sure that I don't go crazy then for me......REAL creamer is worth it in my coffee.  I am sick of yuck coffee at home by trying so many different ways to flavor it with artificial junk.  These are REAL creamers and the calories aren't that high.  Yum.

Day 243 - The Best Chicken Strips & Sauce Ever

Day 242 - My Motivation

This little baby is what keeps me working out!! I started working out faithfully two weeks ago and discovered the elliptical machine that is fabulous for my knees because there's NO impact.  I play just the right music and I'm off!!!

Day 241 - It Pays

PandaGirl's allowance is $2 per week and then she gets paid a little to do a couple of extra chores.  I got this idea from my dear friend at the beginning of summer and it works with PG.  I start the week with 8 quarters and take a quarter away for disrespectful attitudes, eye-rolling, disobedience, etc.  I also have been known to allow her put a quarter BACK into the cup if I really catch her doing the right thing without being told to do so.  Very effective for her.

Day 240 - One Year Dog-aversary

It blows my mind that today marks the one year date for us having brought home this crazy PandaDoggie!!! I have cried, laughed, wanted to kill, wanted to give away, wanted to strangle, hugged, snuggled with and played with this adorable DEAF DOGGIE more than I can imagine in the past year.  He's like a growth that won't go away and takes so much work, leaves tons of white hair everywhere, is spoiled rotten and still puts his big paw in the middle of my cat's tummy but wins my heart over every single time I think about his disability.  His deafness and his super sweet disposition keeps him alive and well and thriving in our PandaFamily.

Day 239 - Homemade Cherry Pie

This is PandaPop's mema's recipe with a couple of secrets that his mom taught me how to make.  It the third time I've made it in four years and the only real pie I've ever attempted.  I know.....I should try more pie baking!!! It's PP's favorite pie and is very nostalgic for him.

Day 238 - Children's Ministry Event

Day 237 - The Birds & The Bees & a Frappuccino, Please

I needed something to distract from the awkwardness of telling PandaGirl about the facts of life and how bodies work and such so at the last second I remembered that I had some coffee in the fridge and whipped up some pretty amazing fraps for us girls to enjoy while we delved into the great......well, you know. hee....hee.....  We had a BLAST!!!

Day 236 - Child-Free Shopping-Spree!!

And all God's people said, "Amen."

Day 235 - 3rd Grade Textbooks

Day 234 - 19th Wedding Anniversary

Using our same 99 cent glasses that PandaPop bought at the grocery store way back in our seminary days. We use them every year to celebrate the blessings of our marriage.  God knew what He was doing when He introduced me to my best friend. He is my Love.

Day 233 - Ready for the 1st Day of School

Day 232 - SHINE

These DARLING handmade blingy gemstone keychains were our party favor at the luncheon that went along with our SHINE theme.  Every time we use the key on the keychain we are reminded to SHINE for the glory of the Lord and the work He is continually doing through us when the light shines through the stones.  They were displayed on the cupcake-tree table and we got to choose which one we wanted as we also chose our cupcake.  That's my kind of dessert...frosting & bling!

Day 231 - Whimsy

This is part of my set up for the tablescape I did for our Women's Ministry luncheon where we kick off the academic year with a showcase of all the opportunities available for Bible Study, missions and other women's groups that we offer at our church.  I so love doing these table set-ups!!! My inspiration all started with that darling little retro straw.  I saw it on Pinterest** and knew I HAD TO do something cute with them.  They were a hit.

Day 230 - Grillin'

With the HORRIBLY HOT summer we are still having, we really could have cooked these babies on the sidewalk, but figured the grill was cleaner.  We are so sick of 110 degree days back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to......

Day 229 - RIP Shadow

We froggy-sat Shadow.  Shadow went to be with Jesus during the first night.  His life was short.  The owners understood the grave circumstances.

Day 228 - School Supplies---CHECK

Day 227 - His & Hers---Switched

Mine was the blue and His was the pink.  Mixed together was pretty good, too!

Day 226 - Sweets from a Sweet

Precious girl from my 6th grade Bible Study class blessed me and my co-teacher with these darling treats along with a movie gift card just for being her teacher at church.

Day 225 - Saturday Breakfast Out---my favorite

Day 224 - Tablescape Prepping

Day 223 - You Smell Like Beef & Cheese

Day 222 - Completely Squeezable

Day 221 - Our Favorite PB

Day 220 - Delectable

Day 219 - Big Girl Panties

Day 218 - On the Lake

Day 217 - Shhhh---They're TOUCHING!!!

Day 216 - The Root Beer Bottles

Day - 215 - The Tournament

I have to say that this photo IS FABULOUS!!!!!!! I took it at Medieval**Times which is an entertainment place that serves 11th century food you eat with your fingers and actual (choreographed) jousting with real horses and knights and kings, etc.  It was soooooo much FUN!!!!!  I captured this moment in a nano-second of time when the swords of the good guy and the bad guy hit in their final battle.  I put the watermark across the middle because I don't want it stolen from here by anyone.  I plan sending it to the company because it is so COOL!! In real life the sparks were tiny, but the camera doesn't lie, right?  I guess it happened so fast that our eyes didn't catch it like my little 50mm 1.8 did.

The night before we went to a Japanese hibachi grill for dinner which was fabulous fun for the girls to see fire right at our table, but I took my point & shoot camera and the pics are gross. : (

Day 214 - WaterPark!!!

I am NOT a waterpark kinda girl since I burn so easily and certainly do not like to be in public in a swimsuit, but this new park opened up in our area and we loved every second of it!!!!

Day 213 - Melt in Your Mouth

We picked up these babies at a mall that we stopped by when kicking off our vacation staycation. They were gone the first night!!

Day 212 - Real Men Wear Candy Necklaces

Headed on the road for our STAYcation that was changed from an original trip to San Antonio for Sea*World, but was changed because the A/C in our Tahoe went out while on the way to camp a couple of weeks ago....we all put on candy necklaces and PandaPop wouldn't be left out of the fun! We ended up having THE BEST staycation ever that was far better than being on the road in such horrible temperature and standing around an amusement park.  More pics to come of our adventures!

Day 211 - Yogurt Pops

Homemade yogurt pops made with organic vanilla yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and honey and frozen in small Dixie cups.....so yummy and healthy!  With our TEXAS HEAT WAVE that is truly horrible.....temps going up to 114 for consecutive days!!!!!!!!!........we are doing all we can to stay cool and frozen treats help for a moment in time.

Day 210 - Newbie at Hogwarts

PandaGirl finally decided that she was ready to start the Harry**Potter series. She sucked it up quickly and watched the movie while we were on vacation.  She thought it was totally weird at first, but then got hooked and now loves it!

Day 209 - When Glass Hits Tile

I was about to pain PandaJOY's toenails when I dropped the glass bottle of bright red polish on the counter and then watched in slow motion as it crashed on the floor. And wall.  And rug.  Me and PJ just stopped for a second with mouths gaping open and stared.  I got it all up, but it took many, many cotton balls drenched in polish remover and the paint came off the wall.  Yikes!!!

Day 208 - Christmas in July

This is my YUMMY breakfast smoothie that is a SUPERFOOD mixture of healthy goodness!!!

Day 207 - PP's 42nd Birthday!!

Though this pic has nothing to do with PandaPop's birthday, it does have to do with HIM.  He LOVES Batman!! We celebrated by eating out......with other grown ups....without children.....and went to see Harry*Potter. Fun!

Day 206 - Smoothie Gone Badly

Day 205 - Camp Share Night

Day 204 - Pedal Pusher Taking a Break

Day 203 - Sit, Miao...Good Kitty