Thursday, June 30, 2011

my present state of mind

mal·con·tent

: a discontented person:
a : one who bears a grudge from a sense of grievance or thwarted ambition
b : one who is in active opposition to an established order or government : rebel

Otherwise known as out of sorts, on-ry. We have an expression in our house: snabby. None of these are quite the right fit for my present headspace. It's like anxietyX10. And, anxiety isn't really right either. It's more this rumbly concerning feeling in my stomach that leaves me feeling distracted, distant and nervous.

It's a combination of the reality that in 31 days, THIRTYONE days, we will not have a place to live, that I know I need to start doing things like packing & cleaning out the freezer, and that my child (my baby!) will turn four in a matter of weeks.

There are also little naggity things like the fact that everyone in our small group now has two or more children (but us). This tid-bit was easier to deny until recently, when it's become very obvious that the Soyk's will be adding a child to their family--any day now. Or, that despite living in Saint Joe for five years, I have closer friends from my two years in Indy.

Have I mentioned that we will be HOMELESS in 31 days? I know that we'll not actually be out on the street--that we have family that will take us in, and could always rent an apartment, but it's just not the same when you have no clue where the boxes you're packing will be unpacked. Or when.

In the mix of all of this, I also know that my good and faithful God has a plan. I'm praying that Griffin and I will continue to do the next right thing, and I'm working on an attitude of gratitude.

No one wants to be friends with malcontent Kate.




Lincoln Park Zoo with my Monkey

the 'seal show'


Mr. Gorilla taking a nap


tickling his toes


Mrs. Monkey & our two monkeys!


the beautiful sky line


happy Eli with ice cream


is this stroller over capacity?


notice pouty pants in the background--that's quite the expression


how many kids will fit under my dress? three!


peek!


We had a great time yesterday at the zoo with the Winklers. The weather was gorgeous and the kids were in great spirits.

Enjoy the pictures.

A beautiful evening for a swim

making a sunset sandcastle


walking by the shore with Daddy


oopps! SJ went in a little too far!


might as well enjoy it--and play awhile





rolling around in the waves


watching the sunset


our shadow family


Tuesday night we ate dinner early so we could enjoy the beautiful weather and take a walk down to the beach. Schaeffer Jo hopped out of the wagon when we got down to the Lake and we walked along the shore looking for seashells. Before we knew it, SJ was completely soaked! She had a great time swimming and splashing around in her clothes.


Monday, June 27, 2011

Cherry Pie!

freshly picked from the Madouck tree





being pitted


my sister, my slave labor


butter makes the perfect pie crust


pie crust ready to be chilled


the filling in the pie


latticed top, ready to go in the oven


ding! fresh cherry pie!


look at the bubbly filling


first piece


the perfect piece of pie



Debbie & Doug's tart cherry tree was picked on Sunday, and I was lucky enough to get some of the fruit! The cherries were pitted, made into filling, and then baked into a yummie pie!


A monkey in a tree

figuring it out


starting to like it


having fun!









Schaeffer Jo climbed her first tree at Great Grandma Jean's house on Saturday. She was like a little monkey, going higher and higher into the limbs of the tree.


Saturday, June 25, 2011

there are photos trapped in my phone!

could she be any more beautiful?








SJ & Eli at Ford Lake


Spoiled girl taking naps in my bed


pretty flowers


riding in the backseat after having my thyroid zapped


sleeping beauty


haircut day


wet willy!



Enjoy the random hodgepodge that was let loose from the recesses of my phone--they're glimpses of fun days and sweet memories.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Strawberry Jam!

The strawberry barn


beautiful berries


the set up


before the chaos


their close-up


after one batch


after two batches


after three batches


cleaning the berries


the equipment


my big-girl helper


after four batches


a whole flat down


after a long day of jam-ming


the end result





The berries couldn't have been any better this year--these little jars of goodness will be such a tasty reminder of summer in the middle of a cold winter.

We'll be making cooked jam tomorrow!