Another Milestone Completed…

On Sunday our daughter Katie walked at her Graduation Ceremony from the University of Washington Bothell.

We found our seats and hoped we were on the right side of the arena but we were on the opposite side so we really had to zoom in with the cameras to spot her in the crowd.

We found her and she saw us!

She received her empty graduation degree certificate holder and soon the very long ceremony would be over.

The happy graduate with her boyfriend Andrew.

The proud parents.

Josh and Laura with little sister Katie.

Katie and her boyfriend Andrew visiting from Florida. Andrew starts Marine Bootcamp on June 28th.

The family shot. Our son Dan was not able join us for this occasion. We’re looking forward to seeing more of him at the end of the year when his training is complete and he comes back to Washington.

We had a nonstop weekend and I have a lot of photos to share. This is another busy week as well and we hope to get a breather soon…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

What is Prayer? ~ Hymn

What is Prayer?

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of the eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

O Thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

Words: James Montgomery

(1771-1854) Hymnwriter from Scotland. Montgomery wrote four hundred hymns, many which, like this classic, are still sung today.

Today like everyday there are good reasons to pray…

We’re Still Alive…

We had a wonderful day on Bowman Bay near Deception Pass. I’ll share more next week. Just wanted y’all to know we didn’t end up in the belly of a whale!

Good Saturday to You…

Seattle is serious about soccer and they hope to have a good bid for the World Cup to come here in the future. They decided to make their appeal in a visual way at the last Seattle Sounders Game before the World Cup break! Hope it works!!

We are away from the computer today. We traveled early to Anacortes to the friendliest World Cup Soccer viewing location we could find to watch the USA vs. England game before our Kayaking trip. We had limited time for travel to make our kayak start time so this was our best option since we did not want to miss a minute of this game. Our kayaking tour starts at 2:00 for 3 hours and we hope it’s not a Gilligan’s Island experience.

Hope you are all enjoying your Saturday. We have been promised wonderful weather today with temps in the 70’s. We have our sunblock, our hats, our waterproof shoes. Here’s hoping we don’t tip over because I’m taking my good camera, too!!

Finding Beauty ~ I will Sing…

I took these photos at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens last week. Lavender and purple seemed to be the winning colors that were blooming at this time.

The plush green of the Japanese Garden was so calming and refreshing. Spring is just so lush around here. There are benefits to getting a lot of rain. All this beauty makes me want to smile a lot and to sing. You might even catch me talking in song lyrics. Don’t be alarmed!

…All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings…

Excerpt from All Things Bright and Beautiful

Words: Cecil F. Alexander

Footnote: I won’t be participating in weekly memes due to several key events happening around the homestead and in South Africa! World cup begins on Friday and I’ll be trying to catch every match and probably singing Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole! This is also a busy family weekend because of visitors, graduation, and kayaking. If the whales attack us while we are kayaking I’ll have my sister write a post so you’ll know where I disappeared to.

So until I post again…Go U.S.A.!!

Yard Art…Contrasts

Time again to visit Mary at Work of the Poet and see what people are putting in their yards these days…

So I was having myself a little chuckle as I noticed these contrasts in yard art. You have your lion and your bunny here. At least it is a smiling lion. I was thinking the lion and a lamb would have been a good pairing.

Then you have what I believe is the Madonna at the front door with your classic Gnome down the stairs. Makes me want to sing this song even if there weren’t more then 2 things…

“One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?”

I’m so glad there is yard art to entertain me on my walks!

Lessons in Rain and Dew…

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 (NLT)

“Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!
Hear, O earth, the words that I say!
Let my teaching fall on you like rain;
let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,
like gentle showers on young plants.
I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
how glorious is our God!
He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
how just and upright he is”

We are going back and forth this week from wet days to dry days. Yesterday was dry today is wet again. It’s nice that I don’t have to water any of my plants for now. Hope your week is going well and you are being encouraged.

Sarah Bernhardt Peony~

I started with a Sarah Bernhardt and I have been bitten! I want more Peonies in my yard. I’ll be on the lookout when the time is right to plant some more.

On Sunday I bought a hummingbird feeder. My first of those, too. I want to set it somewhere out my computer window because a sweet hummingbird comes to visit everyday.

My neighbor found Mr. and Mrs. Ducks nest. It’s in one of their planters. There are 8 eggs in the nest. Mrs. Duck was sitting on the eggs when the neighbor showed me the spot. So soon we’ll see some little ducklings. I wonder how soon….

My week is thankfully starting slow but will move into hyper-mode soon.

Dear comes home tomorrow from a 6 day business trip to Chicago, yippee!

World Cup begins on Friday! No…really people, do you understand the magnitude of that for this soccer fan?!

Friday night my daughter’s boyfriend arrives for an 8 day visit before he heads off to bootcamp.

On Saturday after we watch the U.S.A./England World Cup game we head to Bowman Bay for a 3 hour kayak tour.

On Sunday my daughter will be walking in her graduation ceremony from the University of Washington!

Life is rich!

So for now I’m just letting this Sarah Bernhardt Peony intoxicate me with it’s fragrance.

James 1:17

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Thanks for stopping by and blessings on your week.

Between Storms ~ Mosaic Blue

We’ve had a couple dry days this week tucked between some very soggy ones. Saturday dawned dry and glorious.

My kids swung by to pick me up for the Sounders Soccer Game at Qwest field and the Blue and Green was proudly displayed everywhere. Some people go way out to show their colors. We had another record breaking crowd for MLS Soccer. Seattle is the best place to be if you are a soccer fan in the U.S.A.

Here I am with our son Josh and our DIL Laura after we stopped at the Taco truck for our Street tacos, 3 tacos for $5.00. It’s our traditional meal before the game. Oh good there’s no cilantro stuck in our teeth!

I was very happy that the Sounders shut out the New England Revolution 3-0 but another thing that made me very pleased was to finally meet Oliver face to face and to be able to hold him during the game. He slept the whole time grimacing when the crowds exploded in cheers. At the end of the game when I handed him back to his mom Bridget he woke up with a sweet smile for her.

He smiled while I held him, too.

Please visit Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday and Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God ~ Hymn

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

words: Isaac Watts

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Author Archives: Ellen