Last day of May!

Wow, I can't believe May is almost over!! This year is just flying by! I am catching up on some of my pictures from the last week. We enjoyed touring some sites around here on Thursday - an old house that has been turned into a museum (I had my bridal portraits taken here, but had never toured it.) and we also toured a Civil War prisoner of war camp site. Thursday was also my mom's birthday so we went out to eat with them and then to my parents for cake and gifts. We had bought Kim Collingsworth's new Sunday Morning Ivories cd at the concert in March. Mom saw it then, but by her birthday she had forgotten all about it! It was such a nice "surprise."

Friday we went to Dallas to visit the Ancient Treasures of the Holy Land Exhibit. We couldn't take pictures in the exhibit, but there was a Bible exhibit outside, and we took a few pictures of it. The Ancient Treasures was really neat, we had headphones to listen to the comments at all the different stops. It was very well done and very Biblical! They talked about how archeology just verifies the facts of the Bible. And they also discussed history related to Israel, but not in Scripture, such as Alexander the Great, the Macabees, and Messada. After that we ate supper at Panera Bread and went shopping at an outlet mall. Quite a busy day!

Saturday we didn't do a whole lot, but we did get some garage sales in and bought flowers for the front yard. Monday we planted flowers and that evening went to a picnic at church.

The pictures are a compilation of the whole weekend and then some. We have been getting a TON of rain! Tuesday evening it poured! I included a little clip showing how fast the water was going in our drainage ditch out front. Also I have been doing some knitting, but most of what I have been doing are gifts (and can't be posted until they are given!). I included a picture of the purse I made for Katrin's first birthday (she is the daughter of my friend and fellow blogger, Jennifer). :)

Memorial Day Weekend

Oh, and one more thing... Angie had her first treatment of Remicade today. Thankfully she isn't allergic to it (they would have known in the first few minutes of infusion). Please help us pray that this works for her!

Books

I don't know about many of you, but I love to read! :) I read mostly fiction, and some authors I like better than others. I also have a unique opportunity to read a lot of what is available on the Christian market. One of the local churches has a large library available for the community, and they get most of the new books in for people to check out. I have found several new authors/series that I really have enjoyed. I thought I would list a few of my favorites here, and I will put a more comprehensive list of links on the right.

I mostly read "fluffy" stuff, I like to keep my reading light, unless it is for devotional reading (sorry, no spine-chilling mysteries for me.) I do enjoy some mysteries, but these tend to be more of the "cozy" mysteries. (for definition click here) :
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Mysteries Series - these are set in a tea museum in England. Some of my favorite characters have either four legs or a set of wings. :)
Jacques & Cleo, Cat Detectives, by Gilbert Morris - a little different twist for this author! But fun... I love the "conversations" between the cats. I haven't read the third one yet.

I love historical fiction, which probably led to my interest in history as a major.
The Oxford Chronicles- I read these a couple of months ago. Melanie Jeschke is a great author, I think this is all she has written, anyway these books center around C. S. Lewis and his legacy. I highly recommend them!

Ok, now for the really fluffy stuff:
Trish Perry has come out with a couple of books that I really enjoyed. I don't often laugh out loud when I am reading, but you can't help it with some of the scenes! :)
The Sisterchicks series is also great! Robin Jones Gunn has been one of my favorite authors for years. I love "traveling" with the different stories!
The Deep Haven Series - Susan May Warren - (the first one is linked) These have been out a little while (2003), but the first one is being reissued! :)

This isn't a list of my all-time favorites, just some of the new stuff that others might not have heard of and what I am able to think of this late in the day. Also, I just listed fiction books. Maybe I'll review some non-fiction in a later post. Let me know if I missed some good ones! I would love to hear what you are reading! :)

Recital

No, not mine! Angie's recital was Friday. I tried to put the video in the album, but it is too large... sorry! She did very well. The recital hall is beautiful. It is located at a local college campus. I think she really enjoyed playing there on the nine foot Steinway concert grand! :) The first picture in the album is our "celebration" for finishing history for the year! I was her history teacher this year, and we finished the whole book (unlike most "regular" history classes)! :) She hasn't started treatments yet with Remicade. Hopefully soon, she wants to get off steriods!

Angie's Recital

In other news.... :) I have been busily working on things for children's services at camp. The rest of the crafts came in the mail last week and they needed a little pre-assembly! The kids would have been working hours on all those little pieces! I finished those and have been working on my decorations - which are turning out a little better than expected! I love coloring things with chalks! Now to get the songs and memory verses on posters!! AHHH! - less than two weeks to go!

Our anniversary is Monday - it is hard to believe we have been married two years! I have the best husband in the world!! :) Instead of a big anniversary trip, Mark is taking a few days off, and we will be doing some things close by.


hmmm, I think we've changed a little in two years! :)

Mother's Day Weekend

We had a nice weekend. I hope everyone else did! :) Mark and I decided to spend Mother's Day with his mother this year. So on Thursday, we had supper for my mother! :) Angie came over and helped me cook. Everything turned out yummy and Mom really enjoyed it! Then Friday evening we headed up to Mark's parent's for the weekend. We had a good visit with them! As always it is good to be back home!

Click on the picture below to see pictures of our weekend:

Mother's Days

Vanessa Flew!!

She is gone!! Nessa did turn into a beautiful butterfly. When I checked on her this afternoon, she was out of her chrysalis and ready to fly! ... and fly she did! I was able to get several pictures before she flew across the street. I hope she finds suitable flowers soon!

LET ME OUT!!!!

Ready for takeoff!!!

Beautiful!!!

Can you find Vanessa?
(She is trying to hide from me!)

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to the two best moms in the world! Your walk with God has been an inspiration to us both and we are thankful for you! Thank you for your dedication in raising us to serve the Lord. We love you!

Love,
Mark and Chari

Music

Check out my music playlist to the right... Thanks Nancy for the idea! I had fun putting this together. Oh all the fun things you can put on a blog!! :) Enjoy! (I know I will.)

Who are your favorite artists/songs??

Life

Mark found this t-shirt on one of his favorite sites: www.thinkgeek.com. He thought it was appropriate for me! :) I think it is pretty funny myself. How many of you reading this need one? hehehe!












Life just keeps trucking on! Work a little here and there, laundry, dishes, oh, and thanks, Dad, we now have our ice maker hooked up!! Then there is shopping: shoes = fun, groceries - not so much, but it is necessary, right? Then there is reading... I just finished A Young Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George. Very good and practical!! I love her books, she is a great author for women. For fiction I am reading It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer. It is a fiction book based on Chapman's book The Four Seasons of Marriage.

A quick update on Angie, they have decided to go with the infusion, Remicade. Please pray that it has the effect needed and will help heal her intestines! Her doctor has had good experience with it in the past.

Nessa is still wrapped up, she has about eight more days before she is ready to come out. She is rather boring at the moment! :) Hopefully, I can catch her coming out, but I'm not too optomistic, I think I am working that day! Oh, well.

By the way, thank you for your comments! (especially those praying for Angie) As for everyone else who visits... *ahem* I would love to here from you and know who is stopping by! (hint, hint!) :) Some of you, I know who you are!!! hehehe!

Vanessa Changes

Well, I got an old caterpillar! Yesterday she had already started the pupa stage. Here she is spinning the attachment to hang on. Her spinnerets are right at her "neck."

Here she is getting ready to shed her old skin. I'm not sure how long she hung like this:


When I got up this morning this is what I found. My little caterpillar is going to be a butterfly! :)

She doesn't require any real care at this point. I only fed her for about 24 hours! One website I read just said to mist the cage every now and then to keep things from becoming too dry. For a descriptive article on this genus of butterfly click here (pdf).

Meet Vanessa

While out working in the yard yesterday - pulling up weeds - I found this caterpillar. She is now happily ensconced in a jar in my family room. I thought that I would post updates on her condition, as she develops. I did a little research and found out that she is a American Lady larva. Butterflies are some of my favorite creatures for various reasons, but mostly because of the life that they symbolize for a Christian - the new life that we have in Christ and our eternal life after death.

Back to Vanessa, so named from her classification Genus name. I think I will call her Nessa for short. (Nessie makes me think of Loch Ness!) :) She likes to eat dandylion leaves and she eats a lot. Well, did eat, but that is for the next post. I don't remember where I read this, but caterpillars can only see things in shades of green. I guess if that is all you eat, that is all you need to see! Here is Nessa in her new home:

Saturday at Home

It is so nice to stay home on a Saturday for once! :) Everything has been so busy lately. Mark is outside mowing, just one of the many things that needs to be done on our yard. I am waiting for all the pollen to settle before I join him. I am hoping to get my bushes planted that I have had for several weeks. The rose bush is already blooming!

I have been slowing getting things together for camp children's services. It is such a big job, decorations, crafts, songs, verses, etc.... Thankfully I found an outline that is what I need for stories and corresponding verses, but I still need to get all the songs and memory verses on posters. Mom will probably help me with that.

I am including pictures from the birthday lunch we had for our pastor's wife Monday. We had a salad lunch - different people brought salads, fruit salad, chicken salad, green salad, pea salad, etc... It was all very good! She really likes teapots and cups, so I put together a little gift set for "Nana and her granddaughters" with a children's book on teaparties, a little teacup just the right size for a little girl, some tea, and a dishrag I knitted. (They have five granddaughters! and finally got a grandson!)
Click on the picture below to see the album:

Birthday Party

Quick Update

I just wanted to post a quick note on what is going on with Angie. The steroids she was on were causing her muscles to deteriorate and possibly even her bones. You can really tell in her hands - they are very thin especially for a piano player. The good news is that she won't have to have surgery now. There are two options for treatment for her. One is a special all-liquid diet for a month. The other option is infusion of the drug Remicade. The liquid diet would have no side effects, but that would be all she could eat except for some clear liquids (jello, Popsicles, etc) and the doctor said that it tastes nasty. The Remicade could have some side effects and she could possibly have to be on it for the rest of her life. Please pray for Angie and my parents as they seek God's will for the best route for her treatment. Thank you for your prayers and your concern.

Ben and Angela's Wedding

Saturday we went to the wedding of one of my good friends. Mom played the piano for them. We enjoyed their beautiful wedding, and wish them both the very best! Angela and I have been friends for years. (And our dads were friends for years before that!) She and her brother, Max, have been like siblings to me. Now she is moving way off to Indiana!! ...but you can take the girl out of Texas, but not Texas out of the girl!! :)

Ben and Angela's Wedding

Click here to see a Michael W. Smith music video, very appropriate for the occasion - beautiful song - grab for the kleenex!

Prayer Request

My sister, Angie, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in June of 2002. She has been off an on steroids ever since, along with a bunch of other prescriptions. Recently, she had a major bout. She is going to have to have some tests done at the Children's Hospital in Dallas tomorrow. (there are no pediatric GI doctors locally, her dr is the head GI there). Please pray that he will be able to find out why she is having such a difficult recurence. Anyone familiar with steroids, knows that extended use isn't good for you. Other options include an all liquid diet or even surgery. Please pray for wisdom for the doctor or healing if that is God's will for her. Being a teenager is hard enough without dealing with a long-term disease - she will be 16 in August. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!















Picture taken 8-06