I know it's been a month since I last posted, but we've been busy with our basement....and I'll try to post those pictures later this weekend. But yesterday we took a break. I was so tired when I came home from work, but Kevin realized my need to get outside and said we were going to Palisades to walk the beach. Trying to muster any enthusiasm, I agreed to go. By the end of our visit there, I was much refreshed in body and soul. Of course, I took my camera. There was a grandpa and grandma there with their 2 granddaughters...they let me take some photos...the one little girl was so filthy from playing in the sand, mud, and the river...but she and her grandpa were having such a great time. I wanted to capture some of it with my camera, but was shy about asking if I could take some candid shots. Thus, I missed the best photo ops, but later I asked if i could take some pictures and would email them. The grandparents were delighted because they had forgotten their camera and their grandchildren were visiting from out of state. Lesson learned. I won't be posting their pictures, but here are some other ones I'll share with you.

Just enjoying God's magnificent creation


I'm enjoying MORE of His creation :o)


Kevin is the best rock-skipper I've ever known. He can make a rock skip so fast and so many times, that one cannot count the number of skips. Here, you can see where the rock skipped the first time.


We love to look for rocks at Palisades. We've found such intersting fossils, quartz, and just the unusual.


Kevin found this one...looking at it with the bright sunlight behind it.

These pictures were supposed to be posted on the previous post, but for some reason my blog wouldn't accept anymore photos. So you'll need to mentally attach these to the previous one. What a great day to be outside with friends! Andy putting a lot of muscle into his bocce ball toss. Can't remember how well he did on this toss, but one can see his concentration.



Lisa and Andy. It was great meeting Andy and getting to know these two....a lot of fun!!



Hilary. This girl knows EVERYBODY! In our dinner conversation, Andy figured out she actually used to be his babysitter!!! And everyone we brought up in conversation, Hilary knew!!! She's Kevin Bacon all over.

A great Memorial Day weekend so far. Today we had some friends over for a cookout and Bocce Ball. Kevin's student teacher from this last semester, Lisa and her husband, Andy, and Hilary, another teacher from Kevin's building. (Hilary was the Spanish student teacher when Jesse was taking Spanish in high school several years ago.) It was a great afternoon of fun.


l-r: Lisa, Andy, Hilary



Ok...who's closer? blue or red?



Kevin and his throwing style. Hilary strategizing.



And...just where is the ball???



Ok, now...I think this one may actually be mine!



We're trespassing in our neighbors' yard, but what an interesting view of our place. We never saw it from up the hill.



Kevin installing the bead board in the bathroom.



Deb gave me this start last summer. (Deb, what is this flower?) It's perfect in this spot where we planted it.


Same flower close up.

Finally....great weather after 2 wks of rain. We went to the Marion Art Festival this morning to drop off Kevin's students' work to sell, and then took a look around. Then upon returning home Kevin donned his new Discovery jersey for the first time.

Kevin in full kit


...with his Trek


And me getting ready to mow lawn. That's how I got my excercise in today...even if the mower is self-propelled.

We're painting in the basement :o) I went to my friend, Belinda's house today and saw what she did to her dining room walls. I absolutely loved it and asked Kevin to go look at it....because now I want to do that to some of our walls. She used tissue paper (ahhhhh, Julie...not what you're thinking). Belinda is so talented with decorating and she's not afraid to try new and unique ideas. (Thanks for sharing, Belinda)

The bathroom is Merlot (a deep red wine color). There will be white beaded board below the paint.


Below is the hallway (color: Martha Stewart's Pinion Seed) is kind of a coffee color and the bar sink area color on the left is called Submarine..it's kind of a forest green with a bit of blue.


The bar sink area