"Food is an important part of a balanced diet."

Kaylee's been on a roll -- meal-planning, shopping, cooking. Hmmm, I say. This is very nice! "So, what's for dinner tonight, Kaylee?" I ask, sipping iced tea from my recliner.

(Well, maybe it's not *exactly* like that...)

Salsa fixins.

The Happy Cook.

The Sad Cook.

What to do for hot pepper burns on hands? Quick - Google it! "Wear gloves." Well, it's a little late for that. "Rinse in bleach... turns the peppery stuff to salt, which rinses off." Tried that. "Don't EVER use bleach!" A little late for that, too. Mayonnaise. Sour cream. Lemon juice. Milk. Aloe. Kaylee chose ice cubes - "Maybe I can just freeze my hands so I don't feel them." (By the end of the evening, the good friendship of the girls she'd hosted for dinner -- the "girlfriends from way back" -- had healed her aching hands:-)

A beeeeauuuutiful pizza! And delicious!

And now, just some fun cooking quotes (thanks to a google search) in honor of Kaylee's fine service to us:

There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves. Thomas Wolfe

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. Voltaire

Never eat more than you can lift. Miss Piggy

Leopold: "Where I come from the meal is the result of reflection and study... It is said, without the culinary arts the crudeness of reality would be unbearable." Charlie: "We had a saying in the McKay house: You shake and shake the ketchup bottle; None will come and then a lot'll." Kate and Leopold

Tis a superstition to insist on a special diet. All is made at last of the same chemical atoms. Ralph Waldo Emerson

(This one's for Robynn, to go along with the Ravings at her blog:-) Hey Baby - do you like fine cooking? Cause you know what? I got Swanson's Dinner in the freezer with your name on it. Jimmy Fallon

sweetness...

Just one photo for now... Kaylee will want to add others of our trip to Oklahoma. But for now, just pondering life and relationships and the sweetness of it all... and the bittersweet moments. (Wow, Robynn, thanks a lot for getting us all going on this! www.robynnsravings.blogspot.com Gee whiz! Bring on the Kleenexes! Guess that's what our Moms Night is about this Friday? :-)

So glad we can trust the Lord. Our families are in His hands. That's really good.

(In the past few days we've heard of several friends going through huge trials - death of a dad, grave health concerns for several moms. We know God is in control. He's not impotent. He cares. But still, such trying, difficult times. Kind of helps me to put my own concerns in perspective. A friend shared some helpful thoughts the other day at her blog: www.thankful-hearts.blogspot.com)



~Lori

A day at Pine Flat

The Archers and Hemphills had the idea of going out to Pine Flat for a day with our church. We rented two pontoon boats and spent the day out on the lake inner-tubing, riding the wave runner, jumping off the top of the boats, barbecuing and just hanging out. It was a perfect day. The weather really couldn't have been better; not too warm with a beautiful breeze. Thanks for planning this Archers and Hemphills!!

"This isn't flying! This is falling...with style" :)

The scary sun-screened Bus


attaching the two boats

Ashley took us for some wild rides, lemme tell ya :) (great fun)

"Among all those I took on the wave runner....Matt was definitely the most aerodynamic" ~Bus

just hanging out up there, Andrew?

We're moving...

...furniture, that is.

Jenny sent us a photo tour of her place. Here's a picture or two of ours.

(Come and make music with us around the piano.)Kaylee and I heaved furniture around (while Connor mowed lawns, coming in to assist us with the immovable armoire).
We need a photo of Graham up there. And Tim and me, too, I suppose. Got some missing links in our representation of the generations, I'm thinking.

Relaxing in the newly re-arranged living room.
(Molly's belly spots match Kaylee's skirt. :-)
Speaking of "lawns"...
(a few lines ago.... just trying to connect a story line, here)
...we had one. For awhile. A short while. Flowers were planted. The tree was growing.
The lawn was green.
Water was applied.
(Did you hear that, mom? Water was applied. Sometimes we've missed that step - but not this time.)


Perhaps water was applied to more than just the lawn. There's a glint in Kaylee's eye, a hose in Kaylee's hand, and Connor's back was turned.



(He didn't really do it.)

Back to the lawn...

it isn't there anymore.

All gone.
Fungus? Dogs doing what dogs do? Fescue instead of Bermuda? Enemies salting the land? The Fall of Adam and all creation? (Connor's been trying to solve this mystery while working for a landscaper this summer.)

But, ending on a more pleasant note -- heading up to Kaylee's re-arranged bedroom. (Taking Molly up to her little kennel in Kaylee's room.)



(oops... lamplight's a bit bright for the camera)

Kaylee's current entry on her chalkboard.

(And don't miss Kaylee's posts below. They could have sat there longer without me adding one above them -- but I was waiting for the washer to finish so I could get Connor's work clothes in the dryer for 5 a.m. tomorrow morning... figured I'd post a few things while waiting...)

~Lori

Firs Conference

A couple weeks ago our church had its annual family camp/conference. This time it was in the beautiful town of Bellingham, WA. Whenever the season for camp rolls around, there is much excitement as we anticipate taking the two day trip as a caravan with others from church, and look forward to a week that promises much encouragement in the Lord through the fellowship of his saints. Getting to breathe in the beauty of God's creation on the way adds to the overall enjoyment of the trip.
After the first day of driving, we stopped at a Motel 6 for the night and enjoyed the convenient location of a Dairy Queen, just a hop, skip, and a jump from our sleeping quarters. When one doesn't get to partake of the Queen's delicacies (because it has been all but completely removed from the state of CA.....) the sight of one is very refreshing. We couldn't resist. So we ventured to hop, skip, and jump over there (very literally) and indulged ourselves with blizzards.
Upon arrival in Seattle, WA, after another day's travel, we went our separate directions to our weekend hosts - Ariel, Samantha, and I to the Perkins, Mom and Dad to the Pipers, and Connor to the Cunninghams with whom he and some others went to a Seattle Mariner's game. We all greatly benefited from a restful Sunday spent with the Seattle congregation and went back to our host families to spend one more night before camp began the next morning. We girls enjoyed reuniting with a friend from Seattle and she was invited to spend the night with us at our location. Much of the evening was spent in catching up, laughing, and....tossing M&Ms..... :)
After a good night's rest, Mom and Dad came to pick us up and we headed to Pike Place in the heart of Seattle for the morning and early afternoon before beginning our treck up to the camp-ground. We sipped coffee from the original Starbucks and wandered the shops. We even ran into friends from Fresno that were in Seattle to visit a cousin. (How weird is that?? Two states away and we find people we know from home in one of the busiest places in Seattle where you could hardly hope to even find someone that you knew was going to be there!)
In the afternoon, we left Seattle for Bellingham. The first night we all gathered for dinner and a reaquainting night where we played some games, ate sundaes and had campfire. The rest of the week consisted of teaching sessions in the morning on The Growth of God's Kingdom, followed by discussion groups, a missions presentation from our missions coordinator/leader, a talent show, and then sports and games of all kinds, lake-side activities, crafts, and lots and lots of fellowship. God really showered his blessings on our time and used his people to encourage and build each other up. I feel so blessed to be a part of this corner of God's kingdom.

Timothy heaves the heavy suitcase

basking in our blizzards

Ariel and Sam and I took a lovely walk around Greenlake at sunset after dinner at the Perkin's.

going to Pike Place Market

we found a fish 'n' chips place!

Starbucks in Seattle - nuthin better

Snapshots of the week

Time with the little tykes

Youth presentations from different congregations

A peek into the talent show

"If I had a fine white horse..."

What's a talent show with out Mr. Short??

Bananas and Bandannas

A week of laughter and fun

Timothy was hysterical during "Apples and Bananas" - he was bent over double, laughing

"when I'm at the Firs...."

"wake up dad....daaaaad" :-p

Lake-side and sports