Clausen in the Hausen & out in the Garden

Today,

I released this balloon for our precious tiny one.

Precious people.

Hundreds of balloons were released,

as hundreds of babies names were read aloud.

It was a beautiful and windy day,

carrying the individual balloons away,

and lifting the large balloon groups up.

Cadence's balloon got stuck in a tree.

Prophetically;
like he was stuck in my tube
and
then released to Worship God Forever.

Thank God for good friend support.

I miss my tiny person.

this is the link to the STL Today article

...

http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-annual-share-walk-remembrance-100210,0,2233033.story

We want another child, but losing him

took my natural ability to create another.

I could have IVF.

If I had $14 K.

somehow the amount makes it seem simply selfish

even though adoption is twice that.

So, I'll just sing...

If I had a Million dollars...

hum along now.

Aah, some video ...

Baby dedications ... and Garden Mourning

Today we celebrated with some baby dedications at our church. These are precious to me.

Uniquely, we stood up with all three couples and prayed as they dedicated. One family are friends from our home group, one family are friends simply because we love them, and one family are friends from playing on Chris's HOP team. We love all of them and their precious little ones.

Today was a celebration, however, I had to actually hold back some tears.

See, we would have been dedicating Cadence today.

It was a little hard, when it hit me that this was the first set of dedications since what would have been his birth date.

I'm sure there will come a time that I do not measure the days like this. but that time isn't now.

As I sat in church and recalled what happened yesterday morning, I was touched by how important my grief and understanding are to God.

I went out yesterday morning to put the tomato plants back out in the sun from there nightly reprieve from cold in the garage. One of the newly placed raised beds had a stone knocked over and my first thought was "raccoons" since there have been foot prints in the dust. However, there was a strange sight in that raised bed. A hawk must have made a kill in that bed and knocked over the stone.

There were three things left behind...

(if you are weak in the stomach, read no further)

seriously,

There was a large tuft of rabbit fur.

There was an intact intestine. (they won't eat it)

There was an unborn rabbit carcass. (wild, huh)

Hubby disposed of it all for me. (My hero)

Today in church I was going to write down but as soon as I wrote:

"Garden in Morning"

The Lord called His word play to my attention ...

"Garden in Mourning"

Bittersweet.

But lovely to hear from Him always.

He holds my heart and holds me up,

amen

Perfect in November ... :)

... A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and you my love...

and maybe a little bacon and tomato...

Mr Stripey, Bloesser Pink and Yellows

ripened to perfection

(In the garage!)

A little vino

frying the bacon

Finished bacon.

BLT's

Perfect Sunday Supper in November!

Then they grow all up ... sigh

My Beauty

All Grown Up

(almost)

and then there's medium

Cutting up as usual. :)

*sigh*

She's so pretty.

in my Mom's costume pearls no less.

*sigh*

It went so fast.

Medium builds ...

Fantastic!

On poison ivy and the skin reaction that follows...

Obviously,

my neck

this is the top of my arm
it shows the blistering, but not the redness and swelling (ouch)

this is the inside of my elbow... with flash (sorry)

It is a deep dark red and swollen and hard.

Maybe tomorrow I will take better pics in the daylight.

So, I went out back and cut out some of the false honeysuckle growing at the fence line, specifically where I wanted the compost pile.

I certainly did not see the poison ivy.

Until today... you can see where some of it is growing up from the ground,

I must have missed it and gotten it on my left glove.

Judging by the tracks all over my right arm and neck.

Tall has a patch on her ear, where she carried the branches over her shoulder

to the pile where I thought we would let it dry and then burn it.

but no, we will be bagging that all up for the yard waste guys now.

Husband has a patch on his ankle? and his shoulder? no idea.

I threw out all the gardening gloves. :(

I had washed my shoes and the clothes I gardened in already.

Now I wonder if that is how it is spreading or

if I simply touched my face with those gloves that day last week.

Egads.

I guess I have to go the doc tomorrow and get anti-itch steroid something for this.

garden fail.

Oh well,

I can look forward to getting

my bulbs and poppy seeds planted this week

while we are having our unusual 70 degree days.

Poppies at my house,

Garden Pass!

My handsome men ...

and my beautiful girl!

taking some geeky and gorgeous pics of herself!

the men...

Handsome!

and some more ...

On Declaring War ...

This was my shirt.

It became mouse food,

Now it is trash.

Seriously.

One Dead mouse in snap trap = September 20th

approximately 10 shirts - chewed & into trash = October 19th

Still smelling them, no other noticable mice tracks

One Dead in Snap Trap = November 1st

2 more shirts - chewed & into trash = November 2nd

I now officially Declare War on the Mice who have invaded my Home.

Cute !

This is our new eat in kitchen space.

(with the leaf in!)

Pretty cute all dressed up

with my mom's tablecloth.

This is the picture ad when I found it.

I would say it is a very unique Retro 1950's Dinette set.

I like it!

(Thanks honey for indulging me!)

It totally makes the kitchen.
We have eaten at it several times and had a family game night too!

:)

Funny story that goes with it.

I was looking on craigslist for an inexpensive or free retro little table and chairs for the kitchen. Many reasons, breakfast and lunch crumbs having a lot to do with it, plus we have the space in the kitchen. I found a table on craigslist at a local resale shop. So we went to look at it, but this resale store was closed, so we looked through the gate door. I saw this little set and liked it, better than the table we came to look at. Two days later we went to check out some retro white vinyl chairs. Which we bought and were headed back to this store to get the first table, because it was cheaper, having no matching chairs. When we got to the store, we looked and sat down at this table and then were talking with the owner. We asked her if she would consider trading us the chairs we had just bought and bringing down the price on the dinette set. She walked out to our van and looked at the chairs and to my surprise she agreed.

Now I have this sweet little set in my kitchen!

... and I may have a new favorite little shop too.

But, how much retro can one house stand?

;)