Sisters

Alyssa came home for a few days.  She had a few days off from the pool in Emporia.  It is a joy to have her home.  I have a feeling she is struggling a bit with growing up and wanting to be on her own but also being a little home sick and wanting to stay home.  I remember those feelings growing up.  You feel you are old enough to be on your own but miss the things and time with family.  She will figure it out and get it balanced.  While she was home her permanent retainer came loose so her orthodontists told her to come in and he would fix it while she was in town.  She took her sister with her and then they went shopping.  Courtneys little face just lit up.  She had some gift certificates she was dying to use.  So they went shopping, went to lunch and had a wonderful time.  Courtney was so happy with the clothes and shoes Alyssa helped her pick out that were 70% off.  I taught them well.  They came home all smiles and laughing with funny stories.  Alyssa is kind of our crazy child, she loves to enjoy life to the fullest.  I just love that my girls love each other and enjoy each others company.  13 year old Courtney really looks up to her 20 year old sister.  Alyssa is doing a great job at being a wonderful role model.  I firmly believe no matter the age we can  be good role models.  I hope I am being a good one. 

Happy Birthday

It is my husbands birthday today.  Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father. 

Oh My Back

Oh my I have done something to my back.  It has been going on for about 2 weeks.  Some days are worse than others but then yesterday I got a terrible pain in my lower back while talking to my oldest daughter on the phone.  I threw the phone down I was in such pain.  My youngest picked it up and told her what was going on.  I think I scared her and my youngest to death.  I was just bawling.  It was my lower back muscles tightening up.  It finally subsided but I am in so much pain now I can hardly get off the couch. My husband kept telling me to go to the doctor but I just did not want to spend the money.  He needs new tires for his car.  My son needs new tires for his car before leaving for college.  We still have things to get him that he will need for college.  I do not bring in an income in the summer so things are a little tighter and I just did not feel it was worth spending the money on to see the doctor.  Now if it had been my husband or one of the kids we would have been there 2 weeks ago but not for me.  I kept telling myself it will get better.  Oh I wish I had listened to my husband.  I hurt so, so, so, bad.  Do you always put things off for your self but would jump on it for one of your family members?  Please say a prayer for my back I hurt so bad.

Blessing from the couch

Crystal

Shoe Box Swap Summer 2010

Shoe Box Swap

All the Goodies I received

Where I hung one of the towels in my kitchen.  Love it.  Made these yummy cookies with some of the candy.

The candle in the middle and my pretty new apron.  I am afraid to get it dirty. 

I had so much fun participating in the Shoe Box Swap.  It was hosted by The Homespun Heart and With All That I Have Been Given.  You can go here and here to check them out.  They have wonderful blogs.  Well look at the wonderful goodies I received from Danielle.  When my box came I could hardly contain myself.  I had all these plans to take pictures of the box, opening it and everything.  But I was like a kid at Christmas.  I tore open the box and was so excited about what I found.  Do you see the beautiful necklace she made me.  The wonderful apron.  I have really been wanting one.  The yarn I just can not wait to teach myself. (I have started and it is not pretty. She said it will take a few times  She gave me a web site and everything to help me learn.  The yummy candy.  The candle in the far back ground, the kitchen towels. I am so glad I participated. I did not think to take pictures of what I gave her so please go to her blog and take a look. Goodness I really need to control the excitement thing. Ha Ha.  It is wonderful to have a new blogging friend.   Thanks Danielle for making this so fun.  You are wonderful.  I can not wait for the next shoe box swap. 

Blessings

Crystal

Coasters

Look what I made.  I needed some coasters so I bought tiles from Lowes, paper from the craft store Modge Podge and acrylic sealer. 

I think they turned out wonderful.  I got the idea from here.

These will make great Christmas gifts.  A wonderful thing to do as the temperature here feels over 100.  So I need to go back to Lowes and the craft store for a few items. 

Blessings

Crystal

Relaxing Weekend

I just like these pictures.  As you can see she cut her hair off.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Ours was pretty uneventful.  We went and saw Alyssa dance on Saturday.  Mike had to umpire 5 softball games on Sunday.  He did not get home until later but when he did we had a wonderful Father Day meal waiting.  We had steak, corn, home made rolls, home made applesauce and chocolate zucchini cake.  I was so proud I did not burn the steaks.  Usually Mike grills them.  I tend to get distracted by other things I need to do.  You know that mom thing we all do.  Have a wonderful and productive Monday. 

Blessings

Crystal

22 Anniversary

Yesterday Mike and I had our 22nd Anniversary.  Yea.  We did not do anything special.  We stayed home with Courtney, Ryan and Emily.  Alyssa is back in Emporia. :(  We just stayed home and grilled brats and enjoyed the nice evening night.  It was a nice relaxing evening.  I can not imagine being in a life without Mike.  I thank the Lord everyday for such a wonderful, caring, hardworking, loving father and husband. 

Blessings

Crystal   

Summer School

I have summer school 3 days a week, just in the mornings.  The other teacher went on vacation for a few days. Alyssa said she would love to help.  It does not hurt when you get paid.  Working with me she has come to conclusion that she would not like being a teacher.  She said she does not think she has the patience for it.  And she said it makes me wonder if I want kids.  I told her it is totally different when they are yours.  She is so funny.  She just is not at that place in her life.  She is very focused on school and enjoying her young life.  As much as I can not wait to be a grandma, I can definitely wait until she is married and God decides the time is right.  Until then I will enjoy my little preschoolers at school.

Blessings

Crystal 

In-Laws Garden

My in-laws live a little further south so their garden is always ready way before ours.  They also have a huge garden and plant a lot more than we can.  The onions and the beans were just a few things they gave us.  I was able to get 5 quart bags full of the beans.  This year I tried freezing them.  I usually can but thought I would try it a different way.  I also chopped and diced the onions and double bagged them and put them in the freezer.  It is so easy to just grab a bag and put them with your roasts or soups.  You can use them in just about anything.  They also gave us some red potatoes and peas.  We are in heaven and feel so blessed that they shared their crops with us.  Don't you just love gardens? 

Blessings

Crystal

Family Reunion

We had a wonderful time at the family reunion.  Saturday evening we had a dutch oven supper.  There were dutch ovens all lined up.  In each one we had BBQ chicken, beans, potatoes, baked biscuits, apple cobbler, cherry cobbler, peach cobbler.  Remember they do not believe in pictures so I did not want to be disrespectful and take any.  But if you don't know what a dutch oven it is pictured above.  You then put a few pieces of charcoal underneath it and a few on top. You then just sit and wait for your food to cook.  It was so nice to see all of Mikes family.  There were about 95 people there.  We went to Sunday school and church with them and then to another supper after church.  I always eat way to much when we are there.  They are such wonderful cooks. I just wish we lived closer to them.  I get lonely for family.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  We did.

Blessings

Crystal

Family Reunion

This weekend we are headed for a family reunion on my husbands side. It should be a wonderful time of fellowship.  Mikes side of the family are mainly Mennonite.  The old version.  They do not have t.v., radio or internet.  They wear dresses and attend their own school.  Such wonderful people.  Loving, giving and love the lord.  Oh, and they are wonderful cooks.  I have learned a lot from them. I wish I had pictures to post but they do not believe we should take pictures.  It should be a good weekend.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Blessings

Crystal

Hard Working Man

 My husband has just been working so hard.  He has been working overtime at his day job and then he was home for about 30 minutes last night ate dinner quickly and was off to umpire some games.  I feel so bad that he has to work so hard and he never ever complains about it.  I do my best to be a good wife.  I try to have dinner ready for him, give him down time when he has the time and just try to make sure he is happy.  But I still just feel so bad and feel like I don't do enough.  He says I do more than enough.  Do other wives feel this way?  What little things do you do for your husband?

Blessings

Crystal

Devotions

Now that it is summer time my routine is a little different.  I usually get up between 5 and 5:30.  I hear my son getting ready for work so I get up to see if he needs anything. He has a wonderful summer job.  He is saving money for college this fall. Then  usually I pick up the house a bit if I was to tired to do it the night before.  I then go outside with the dog and check the garden or my flowers.  Morning is my favorite.  It is so peaceful. Right now I brush the dog every morning, he is shedding so bad. Then it is time for my devotions. I have to do them in the morning or I feel as if I can not function.  Sometimes I will sit at the kitchen table.

Other times I will stay outside and sit on my swing.  (I really need to decide on material for pillows)

 Other times I sit on my couch.  Or maybe just lay in my bed.  I believe God does not care where you spend time with him just make the time to do it.  If I chose today my favorite place would be the swing.  Just because it is summer and I love to listen to the birds.  In winter I would say my couch all wrapped in a blanket or my bed.  Where is you favorite place to do your devotions and talk to the Lord?

Have a wonderful day.

Blessings

Crystal

The Plaza Experince

Saturday my husband had to ref 4 basketball games. Ryan went to his girlfriends, grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Courtney my youngest was babysitting for a family friend all day and of course Alyssa is living in Emporia.  So what to do stay home and clean or go with Mike.  He was refering games down by the Plaza in Missouri.  It is a wonderful place.  Very expensive but a great place to look around.  So I decided to go with Mike.  While he was refing I would go window shopping.  It was so fun.  I was  little out of my element though.  I am a small town girl pretty sheltered I guess you would say.  While I was window shopping I came across some pretty neat things (pictures below) and interesting people.  One young lady I came across was sitting in front of a store with a baby in a stroller and a little boy sitting next to her.  She stopped me and asked me if I had any money for her to get a hotel room for the night.  Now I am a person who usually never carries cash and it was true on this day also.  I had $2.00 so I gave that to her.  I just felt so bad.  She was young, very clean and the kids were so cute.  I window shopped a little more and decided I was done and started to head back to where Mike was Refing.  On the way back a homeless man decided to keep me company. I was a little nervous and I could smell alcohol on his breath but our conversation went a little like this.

Hi my name is Rick

Hi Rick my name is Crystal.  It is nice to meet you.

(We shake hands)

I am homeless

Oh I am sorry Rick

It is ok but look at my arm

(It was all cut up)

They jumped me last night.

Oh my I am so sorry I am glad you are ok.

Yea me to.  A lady should not be walking around down here by herself. 

Well I am headed back to my husband now.

Well God Bless you but I see he already has

Thank you Rick.  It was nice to meet you.

He never did ask me for any money.  Which I had none to give since I just gave it all to the young lady. But it was an experience for me to step out of my own little world.  So the young lady with the kids and Rick are in my prayer journal.  I wish them much happiness and better days ahead.

So cute she is watering the flower stems.

Wishing well

Isn't this cute. I wished Ruben was with me to use it.

I bought Ruben some doggie treats here.

They had the most beautiful paper.  I spent a long time in here.

I just thought this was pretty.

The Plaza

Quiet Talk Statue.  I love it.

This is such a cool plant.

After Mike was done with his games we went and used a gift certificate I had been saving.  It was for the Olive Garden, one of my favorite places.  I could eat and eat and eat their salad and bread sticks.  So we each told our stories about our day and had a quite dinner.  Oh I loved it. I thank the lord for the lesson learned and the wonderful time spent with my husband.

Blessings

Crystal

Facebook

You just never know what words come out of your mouth that may help or hurt someone.  I don't have a personal  facebook page nor do I want one.  I do have a facebook page that I use for coupons or free items.  All of my family have one though and my youngest daughter and my son said, "mom come look at Alyssa's facebook".  I look at her page and this is what her status says:  "I love my mama, she always knows the exact things to say when I need her".  I am not sure what I said o help her out but I am so happy I did. So choose your words wisely you just never know.  Love you to Alyssa.

Blessings

Crystal   

Craft

This was my project yesterday.  I have really been wanting to give these jars color.  Since I can not afford the real blue jars I thought I would improvise.  I used Mod Podge and food coloring. 

I really like how they turned out.

 This is where I am keeping them in my kitchen.  I just love them.

Blessings

Crystal