Wedding Rings

When I think about my wedding ring so many thoughts flood my mind. First, my love, my husband...I think of him on his knee in our living room...I think of our wedding day as he made a promise to me and placed it on my finger...I think of how much my heart swells with love, adoration and pride to know that I am his and he is mine. Thank you Lord for this man, for giving him a heart for me.

I also think about my great grandma Winey. It has been along time since she cut the crust from my peanut butter and honey sandwich or played a game of bridge with me....a long time....but I still remember her as vividly as I remember an event 10 minutes ago. She would rub lipstick onto her cheeks to "brighten them up a bit" and she would tuck money away on her bra "just in case" and she would adorn her neck with a string of colored beads and her ring finger with a diamond from the love of her life. I remember this precious diamond on her hand...and as I look at my own hand with that same diamond I think of her. Would she be proud? Would she love Wade? What words of encouragement and love would she whisper into my ear? I miss her.

Last night Wade and I were sitting on the couch exhausted after battling with Hunter to fall asleep as he is cutting a second molar (poor kid)...Wade looked over to my hand, took off his wedding ring and jokingly said "I guess I do not have to wear my ring either". You see I rarely wear my ring these days. Ever since I gave birth to Hunter it irritates my finger and a red itchy rash appears. On top of that I work in an almond packing plant and it is not only a dirty place for a sparkly ring, but the ring could be a food safety hazard at times...so unless we are going out for dinner on the weekend or it a special occasion the ring sits in the safe. It was not until last night that I knew this bothered Wade. The more I thought about it the more I realized if Wade was not wearing his ring, for whatever understandable reason, it would bother me too.

Rings ARE a big deal...a HUGE deal. They are the one physical symbol of the deep, faithful love between my husband and I. I NEED to find a way to get that ring on and KEEP it on.

Bees

I am not a fan of bees....they STING! But almonds not only love bees, they NEED bees. These little bees fly around during bloom and pollinate the trees.

I love this picture....and for this one second I just might like bees too....

Harvest is around the corner and I am in a state of flurry trying to make sure we are not only ready but that things will be smooth. August 17 seems like the date we should start receiving almonds from the field. Lots of hard work is coming and less time with my family...but part of me loves the energy that harvest brings. It is a thrilling time to see the farmers reap the harvest they have been cultivating for a year and to know that they trust me with their harvest is motivating.

Just in case

Just in case any of you, like me, worried about Hunter while Wade and I were away in Catalina....

Worry no more...this child is simply ADORED.

Sail away

We wanted to feel like a bird and just fly away...well since we couldn't do thought we thought parasailing was the next best thing.


















Post From My iPhone

Good bye Hunter

Hello Catalina! Don't worry Hunter mom and love will be home tomorrow






-- Post From My iPhone

Look Out Below....

Those words were never called....as you can see. A few weeks ago the city came to remove a dying and dangerous tree from our from lawn...they cut a few corners to cut costs...which led to not tying limbs and easing them down. One large limb fell and hit our roof leaving this gaping hole. The city contracted out the job...meaning we had to negotiate with this contractor to get the issue resolved. They gave us two choices, take cash under the table and their journey man will patch the hole or they will pay for for a hole new roof. What would you do??

The money was tempting, but the new roof was the RIGHT choice. The right choice is always the hardest choice....

Tulsoa Winery

This girl got the crazy idea that it would be fun to spend the afternoon at the winery....obviously a slam dunk with this crowd. Ericka is a party planner extraordinaire. Cheese of every kind, crisp crackers, sunblock, fruit and LOVE. She is full of it all!

Having my sister and Ken around is the BEST. Not only are they good with the babies, but they are smart, funny and just a KICK to be around.

Look at these boys...just weeks apart. How good is God to give Courtney, Ericka and I such amazing little men. I feel better about the world and Hunter's future knowing that these young men will be out there. I have loved seeing them grow together and watching their different personalities surface as they play. The bond between us as friends has only been knit tighter by these boys and our adventures in motherhood.

I love this group of people. I love that EVERY person is smiling and doing something fun in this moment. I love that we are together...it is never often enough.