12 years ago...

...I married J. Kyle Parker.

Little did I know that it would be a crazy and wild ride. On one's anniversary one does a lot of looking back at what has happened not only over the last year, but also over the years that one has been married. There are a lot of good things to remember, and a lot of adventures for Kyle and me. Little did I know that just about this time as the ceremony was over in Dallas, Texas that I would end up in Eugene, Oregon being a senior pastor's wife. There is no judgement in that statement for the good or the bad - I don't remember thinking a whole lot about where we would be in 12 years. Of course, I would say that is a theme in my life. I study art in school because I loved it, and not because I thought it was a great plan of opportunity for my life! :) I am not too much of a dreamer. I knew that I loved Kyle, and that he would take me places. It was his job to dream it, and my job to make the details come together!

I have loved the last 12 years of marriage with all the ups, downs, and in betweens. I love being where we are now. I love that I can say I have known Kyle for 16 years come this August. I love that I love Kyle more today than I did on our wedding day because I know his heart more today than I did 12 years ago! I love our life with the kids - all the joys and frustrations that brings. I am thankful to God for granting me this life! May I always be this thankful.

Happy Anniversary Kyle Parker!

And then there was a sidewalk...

One might think that four pictures of a new sidewalk are overkill, but I wanted to do it justice.

This is the end where our sidewalk meets the city's street sidewalk. Notice the lovely new sod to fill in the gap where the edging for the sidewalk is underneath.

A nice long view as one would see when they are about to embark on the walnut brick path to the front door.

A wet newly wash path looking down from the front door.

A nice view out the kitchen window. This is what I see when I am doing the dishes!

Kyle and others worked so hard to get this project done, and it only took us less than a week to totally complete. Yeah us! :) We are really going to enjoy the sidewalk, and those visiting us will really like walking directly to the front door from their car. Also it gives me a little place to do some more flowers in pots as accent pieces for color! Yeah me!

Molly, the helper...

Molly has become quite the helper this year. She is always in the mix of wanting to do things when we are working outside. She loves to help Kyle plant new shrubs. She is willing to help pull weeds, and pick up dead rhodie flowers (of course there is usually an incentive of some treat for the help)! Yesterday, we started a new project - surprise - of a new sidewalk. Since buying the house, we have wanted a sidewalk that goes directly to the front door so you don't have to walk around the car in the driveway. We had left over pavers from the backyard patio, and thought it would be perfect for this project. Well, little miss Molly was helping with shovel full of dirt most of the day. She would get a scoop and diligently carry it over to the truck and stretch just enough to get most of it in the back. It was fun to watch - and snap a few pictures - of the hardwork she was willing to do on her own. Well done, Molly!

A really close view...

...of Molly. I know this is a strange picture, but there is something about it I love. I love the color with the green grass in the background, and the stunningly bright pink in your face. I love the expression on her face. It was really bright out so I think this is her way of smiling for me while not really being able to look at the camera without immediate tears. I love the wings on her back. It looks as though she could really be flying. I just love this picture, so enjoy.

Strawberry picking...

This was actually at the end of the picking - notice the full bucket.

I had never made it to strawberry picking since living in Oregon. The smell of the field was amazing. I wanted to bottle it and bring it home! I loved the rows and rows of berries.

Jack mostly ran up and down the rows with short stops to pick a berry and eat it!

A usual "Jack" pose - watching and waiting while others work.

Molly showing me the berry she so carefully picked and was ready to eat.

We had a wonderful day to go berry picking. We went with some friends. It was fun to travel to the country and see the hillside. I wanted to bring trucks and trucks of berries home, but have no where to put them all. We may go back next week to pick some for freezing. I never knew fresh picked berries could be so good!

Molly singing...

I wish I would have had a video of Molly's "performance" but I think that the facial expressions of these 3 photos can leave enough to the imagination to make it enjoyable! Molly got to hold the church's microphone this afternoon, and LOVED it. She is my future performer!

Father's Day...

Trying to take a picture of a 3 1/2 year old, 5 1/2 year old, and a 39 year old - who don't like to pose - is often a very hard task. This is what I got today! It might not be the best picture of my family, but I look at it and I can see an expression of each of THEIR personalities on the faces.

Happy Father's day to each of the fathers out there that have touched our lives!

My first dahlia...

This is our planter that is out front.  Last year it was not very successful, but while my mom was here last summer we moved a bunch of random bulbs that we had in the backyard to this planter.  They were not very pretty in the back, but I realized this year it was most likely because of a lack of water and bad soil.  They have thrived this year, and make me so happy.  The red asiatic lilies are just about done.  The calla lilies are great, and to my surprise the second to last picture is a calla lily.  I did not know what these bulbs were because they never bloomed in the back.  I am thrilled my dahlias came back, and they look much better this year.  I love the red, and am looking forward to enjoying them in the coming months.

Jack...

Jack was very upset the morning of this picture.  The night before we had gone to a carnival at his new school for next year.  He had won enough tickets to go and pick out a prize.  He chose some groovy new sunglasses with blue lenses.  He was in love.  The next morning he was playing with them.  It was time for a shower so I told him to take them off and come get in the shower.  Somehow between the shower they went missing - and we could not find them.  Now if you know Jack at all - this was very upsetting news.   He spent the rest of the morning pouting and crying.  Kyle and I tried talking with him - they will turn up, we haven't left the house so they have to be here, there is no reason to be this upset, etc.  In my brilliance, I wanted to take a picture of the kids because I have been a little slow in that department lately.  I made him pose, and the picture above is what I got.  I laugh because it is classic, and really shows the emotions he was feeling at the time.  I was a good enough mom to realize that that was all I was going to get, and not to try any harder.  Well done me!  And just so you know, the sunglasses turned up that day after naps and a little more cleaning up on my part.  Well done me twice!

Pictures for you...

Molly enjoying a rare homemade cupcake out back.  She got all wet and soapy with another outfit earlier in the day, so I pulled out some old clothes for her to wear.  I thought it would be funny to put her in all stripes.  She has grown a little bit since last summer, and I was hoping these would fit but alas I think the shirt will have to go to a friend's home!
Jack was not wanting to take a picture, and Molly really wanted to do some posing for me! (Can you tell Jack has been crying?!)

Molly's somber face.

Molly caring for baby Betsy...

Some late flower pictures...

We loved our pink rhodies this year.  I didn't get pictures of our purple rhodies, but they were wonderful this year.  The white rhodie pictured was the biggest and best this year.  It smells, which is always a fun treat because we do not have a lot of things that smell in our backyard.  My dad doesn't believe they smell, so I am hoping that one year I can talk him into coming for a visit during their bloom.  The yellow azalea was Kyle's favorite this year.  It was amazing, and this year I could smell the flowers.  Of course, all these flowers are gone now but we sure did enjoy them while they were around!

Oxy-clean....

The joy and amazing quality of Oxy-clean.  I soaked all of my running shirts in oxy-clean for a good 24 hours and it worked.  I decided that after it got the blood out of my white sweater after having put off cleaning it for a good two weeks that just maybe it could conquer the smell in my shirts.  I have been running alot lately, and I sweat.  I feel like I sweat more than other ladies out there.  I am wet when I am done, so my clothes don't have that great smell anymore.  I wash them, oh yes, I wash them but when I pull them out of the dryer - oh yes, they still smell.  So for the kind ladies that I run with weekly - know that I won't smell for the next couple of runs.  I don't promise that the smell won't come back, but for now there is something fresh wafting after me and not b.o.!

Allergies....

...are for the birds!  If you hate them as much as I do, please join me in raising your hand.  I want them to go away - NOW!