a 10-year-old girl...

in early june: a double digit--decade celebration warranted a double birthday weekend, complete with a sewing workshop with IA grandma and a new dress of purple stars, and a professional-piano bench sparkly ear piercing by AZ grandma while wearing said purple dress. WOW! she's really TEN!

then whoosh- girls getaway (thanks todd!), mini-anniversary getaway (thanks aunt jan!), theater in the park for at least one half (before storm came and rained it out!) of the sound of music-my FAVORITE!

...and then fourth of July, and a cool new swimming pool...and august's almost here!

 

like a kite

in like a lion, out like a lamb...
but time is still just a crazy-beautiful kite whose strings i can only just barely grasp the tips of once in a blue moon

a few highlights in word since last i wrote:

celebrating

• one third birthday with veggie tales and chocolate cake

(my little baker, explaining the intricacies of wacky cake)

• one beautiful cousin's second birthday with nemo and friends

• one visit to land-o-lincoln
(here in front of abe and mary's home!)

(on the door it says A. Lincoln, and in front of the door is a Lincoln, a Neva and a Rowan... :)

• to celebrate one seventh birthday with phenomenal field trips & family

• one BIRTH day of new baby boy cousin, brother to nemo-devotee
(here are the two boys born-on-a-tuesday-in-middlemarch, just 1 day shy of being exactly 7 years apart)

• 4 people carrying 6 backpacks, 2 bulky bags, 1 bulky carseat, 1 booster, and one aforementioned three year old across 6 airports, 2 suburbs, and 5.5 days to have a fantastic time with one adorable cousin and 6 other delightful family members plus a variety of other lovely people

...arriving back in the driveway on an unsuspecting Monday evening with a 15 margin between 2 parents to teach
• 4 lovely piano students, and attend 1 meeting

neva's nine!

Wow. We have a nine year old in the house. Halfway to 18--hard to comprehend!!! I can remember so easily what it was like waiting for her to be born, wondering what she'd look like, how she'd think, what she might want to do have for breakfast on her ninth birthday...

Well, already this morning I have witnessed a hula-hooping-while-drinking-orange-slush feat, which is, of course, breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

And we've had licorice as part of this complete breakfast...it did have natural flavors and colors, at least. And applesauce muffins are in the oven. Ahh...life is good.

So grateful for the small simple things that fill up a heart big, and a life abundant.