Rebecca's Joy

June saw many changes not mentioned last month. It started with traveling to South Carolina to snuggle my new nephew, and creating memories with his three older siblings. My sister and I have a newfound bond over Frog & Toad episodes. We also did some camping at the Royal Gorge and the Great Sand Dunes National Park. At the end of this month, my dad will be visiting. Then, I will be traveling with my brother’s family, and will capture those memories in the August edition. 

We went to a rodeo and had so much fun! It was very patriotic, filled with lots of entertainers: rode queens, the Rangerettes, a rode clown, and so much more! In summary, the rodeo had lots of bucking broncos, steers, ropes, barrels, cowboys, cowgirls, and horses. We enjoyed a bbq buffet with our friends, baby animals, photo opportunities, and lots of fellowship. I definetly want to go again!

As the school year is coming abruptly, several friends and family members have asked how I feel about not returning to school. In some sense, relieved from the hustle of a new kindergarten round-up, and in other ways, sad to have closed this chapter. I’m not sure what will be my emotions and thoughts on the day that school starts. 

Recipes tried: 

Sourdough Pizza: I’ve made multiple loaves of bread, but decided to make a pizza utilizing this easy homemade marinara sauce, and fresh mozzarella (instead of plopping disks of mozz’ onto the pizza, try tearing it and spreading it out-much better melt, in my opinion), fresh basil, and prosciutto (Costco really got me into this delicious scene). 

Sourdough Blueberry Scones: These were delicious and easy to bake. I had a friend over for tea, and we enjoyed scones together. 

Sourdough Naan: Easy recipe. Made a delicious accompaniment to the hummus recipe and chicken schwarma recipes from last month. 

Books Read: 

I have dabbled in a few books but only completed one, “Soap Making Reloaded” by Janet Evans. I dabbled in the book, “New King New Court: Charles III The Inside Story” by Robert Hardman, “My Amish Childhood” by Jerry Eicher (had to return the book before I finished & couldn’t check it back out), “Static Lines: Letters from a Kansas City Paratrooper” by Eric Palmer, and am currently dabbling in “Son of Hamas” by Mosab Hassan YP.” 

Projects I’m Working On: 

Teacher stuff: I sold my classroom decor bundle to a dear friend and distant relation. It feels good to get rid of the things I know I won’t be using for a while, but also sad in that it is the end of a chapter, for now. I don’t know what the future holds. 

Exercise classes at the gym: I have dabbled in a few different exercise classes: a step class, dance class, and a few bike riding classes. Surprisingly, the bike class is turning out to be a lot more enjoyable than I thought. I will be taking a hiatus on classes in August, but hope to resume them in a few weeks. I am hoping to do some light exercise while away from the gym.

Celebrations:

We celebrated our 17th anniversary on July 28th! For our celebration, we enjoyed ice cream at a new place! 

Takoda (our chocolate lab) turned 4 on July 29th! I have fun baking him a birthday cake (an interesting concoction of blueberries, peanut butter, and pumpkin)! He’s a lab, so I don’t even think he has any discernment on taste or quality, so take this nugget of useless information for what it’s worth. He looks pathetic, which is not wrong, but he donned a hat in order to get the piece of cake in his belly. 

Adoption Education Corner: 

We finished a phone call with our adoption coordinator and were assured that everything we have done thus far is what we are supposed to do. Two key concepts come to mind in adoption: flexibility and openess to what God has for us. I did listen to a webinar and learned about promoting our adoption through business cards. These cards are an opportunity to spread the word about our desire to adopt, and to give people a way to connect with us. If you would like a few cards to pass out, please let me know. I can walk you through what to do with them. An example of our cards are below: 

Love, 

Rebecca and Frank