Dickens and Dairy Queen

 

No one is more surprised than me that food is actually growing in my care. It's pretty darn exciting! I'm sure my neighbors are getting annoyed with me as I keep bringing food that I have to tell everyone is from my garden. "These appetizers are made with the blackberries and basil that is fresh from my garden." At least I don't claim to have made the mozzarella balls that shared the space on the appetizer skewers. I mean, sheesh, I'm not that extreme! 

I am sad to say that my beets really didn't do anything. And my squash is rotting before it can grow properly. But what REALLY chaps my hide is that the birds are getting the blueberries this year! I should put netting out there like I did for the blackberries but it was such a pain to work around that I was a little worried there for awhile that I would get myself wrapped up in it and not be able to get out. I mean, that netting quickly becomes a tangled mess! Regardless, it's not the birds I most concerned about. How about the baby copperhead that was wrapped around the inside of the blackberry bush? I was out there picking my berries and minding my business when I spotted a pattern. That was it. A pattern. I stepped back and screamed my girly head off! Wayne called down to inquire and when he heard me say "snake", he ran inside to get his gun. 

Men.

He ran down with the .22 and shot it twice which made it drop from the bush and then it was real mad.  That's what I hear anyway because Rachel was long gone. 

Then he bashed it over the head with a shovel and all was right again in the world. 

Any tree huggers out there can keep your judgements to yourself because it was either him or me and there's lots more where he came from. There's only one me. 

This summer has gone by so fast! We've been able to go to a few pastoral installations which is always fun. In May we went to Mountain Home, Arkansas where a fellow Albertan had been assigned to after seminary graduation. Wayne preached for this one. I even got to see one of my childhood pastor's again.  Pastor Laymen not only taught me about Jesus but once tried to teach me how to change a tire. Thankfully I've never had to because I'm pretty sure it didn't stick.  The tire, that is. Not Jesus. 

Before heading home we spent an extra night in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I had a vague memory from my Ozark days growing up that this was a place to explore. I was right:) It was quirky, fun, and very unique. We stayed downtown in an old hotel where we didn't have easy access to our car once we parked it at another location. We walked everywhere and took a tour of the the downtown to get the gist of the layout and the history, which I always find fascinating. 

Our little Arkansas getaway was fun! I love the Ozarks! 

The other installation was closer and for the church Wayne's brother and family attend in the DFW area. 

Our girl is home! We picked her up the end of May from school. She had an awesome first year of high school and we're so proud of her! We got to watch the end of year concert.

From there we headed up farther north and stayed with my mom and dad for a few days. We were able to attend the burial of my grandparents. It was very bittersweet, their matching white caskets sitting side by side. It was a gorgeous day with bright blue skies. 

My folks hosted a little gathering afterwards for the small group that attended. Grandpa's little sister made the trip. I thought it was so cute when Zanna and my cousin, Zoe, sat by her and peppered her with questions about her growing up years and what it was like. I'm thinking she liked all the attention!!

After getting back home to Texas, it was time for the annual Camp Grandma! The neighbor ladies outdid themselves this year planning a weekend of fun for their grandkids complete with a big blow up slide, a Marine obstacle course, plenty of crafts and food, tubing on the lake, pool time, and treasure hunt ( I probably forgot some things!).  They were so kind to invite Zanna again and we didn't see her all weekend! 

Then about a week later began two weeks of Camp Shiloh. She participated in Teen Camp and was a junior counselor for Youth Camp. Will was also home with us for a couple weeks. He brought his friend, Eric, to join him in volunteering at Camp Shiloh for the Daylight program at MLC. It was fun to get to know one of his friends going back to high school and who also is currently studying for the ministry. 

Will wasn't able to spend the whole summer with us but at least he could stay through my birthday. And leave it to Will to get what has been on my Amazon list forever - 

He got me Dickens! Notice the Dairy Queen cake slice too - Dickens and Dairy Queen. Doesn't get much better! 

He is spending the rest of the summer in Ft Leonard Wood, MO for AIT training. We are looking forward to actually being able to attend his graduation next month. Following that he will be starting his Senior Year at MLC. 

Next came Canada Day. We celebrated by eating poutine at the Maple Leaf Diner in Dallas which happens to be close to our dentist where we had to go for our cleaning. Convenient, eh? (see what I did there?) 

The rest of their menu confuses me as to how exactly it's considered Canadian. Except for the butter tarts and Nanaimo bars .. and maybe the Labatts ... it's a stretch. That's OK - it's about as close as we're going to get to Canada for now so it'll have to do!

Following that is, of course, the 4th of July. We had so much fun! Our neighbors put on one heck of a fireworks show over the lake. It was extremely impressive to watch the 45 minute display from the top level of another one of our neighbor's boathouse. We had front row seats to the show while our hostess played patriotic songs over the boathouse speakers and the flag proudly flew from the balcony! 

The 4th is also our wedding anniversary. While 23 is quite an odd number, any number of years married deserves to be celebrated! We had a romantic stay at the Four Seasons in Irving.

Any occasion worth celebrating has to have steak - according to Wayne. We were so surprised to find a Keg restaurant nearby which is a Canadian chain that we really enjoyed back in Ottawa. Sure enough it was the same plus some "Texas" additions to the menu that was to die for! 

We left Zanna home alone for the night with the dog. One of the ways she kept herself busy was to bake a blackberry pie with homemade pie crust.

That's my little dual citizen!! It tasted as good as it looks too! 

Zanna and I also joined a new orchestra this summer. Her former violin teacher has been trying to get an orchestra in our nearby town off the ground for years. It's a variety of ages and abilities and has been fun to do together (more for me than for her but whatever). Our practicing will culminate in a performance right before we have to head up north so that worked out well. 

Finally I leave you with a before and after of what has been in our sightline since we moved here - a coal factory that has shut down and was recently blown up. It was quite the show and the lake was full of boats ready to see the spectacle along with those of us on the shoreline making a party out of it with donuts (southerners have a thing for donuts) and folding chairs. 

We like to blow things up down here!!