August Family Stuff

Well at the beginning of August, we spent some time with one of our sweet nephews and found out what his new sibling will be....(also it was Andrew's bday, he got a Canon Rebel T2i, his first photos will be featured).

I love this one!

Clearly, I have the touch!

I just love his expression!

 Andrew's birthday cake was the cake that revealed what gender the new baby will be....

And the baby will be.....

A GIRL!!!! To most of us, this wasn't a surpise. Julie's pregnancy's have

 been so different we didn't think it could be another boy.

Aww...did Charlie want a brother?

Charlie 2 and Grandma Clark
(we call him Charlie 2, b/c Andrew's dad is Charlie as well)

This boy knows how....

...to work a room! I think he gets it from his Mama :)

Uncle Andrew is so fun!

Can you believe this cutie had a fever the entire weekend we were there! He was such a trooper!

Officially in love with Pinterest!

So I have been trying to decrease my internet time, but Pinterest has ruined my efforts. It has spike my interest in crafts again. Yesterday my niece and me made sidewalk chalk paint and painted the driveway. I didn't take any pics but it was a good time. Saturday when cleaning out a spare bedroom I had a bucket container that was pink and floral and just not me at all (pretty sure someone gave me a care package in college in it). I ran out to the garage and scrubbed it down with sandpaper to ruff it up a bit and then sprayed it with some Rustoleum brushed nickel spray paint. I had another galvanized steel bucket (the little cutesy ones) so now they go together much better. I have two projects in my mind that I hope to create very soon! Man I feel addicted!

Also hopefully making some zucchini fries tonight!

Late photos of the garden

We had a great garden this year and might replant some more squash and green beans soon. We put away 11 quarts of green beans, 14 quarts of tomatoes, and 2 quarts of tomato soup. My great aunt Martha has the best recipe that my mom has always used. I'm telling you there aren't many things better than homemade tomato soup. I need to make it a few more times before I'm truly comfortable that I have it down, but I'll get there. I'll share it someday.

We officially learned how to can without my mom's supervision. We still called to ask questions, but progress none-the-less. My mom and I pulled out boxes and boxes of Mason jars and I've cleaned up about half. This was so neat because of the variety of brands and styles. My mom really likes the square-ish jars usually called a perfect mason. I love the longlife masons. Something really sentimental to me about the longlife ones. I guess that some of these belonged to my mom's mom and truly these jars have kept food to feed generations of my family. I know I can make anything sentimental. Haha!

Anyway here are some photos. You can see how lush our squash and zucchini got by my hand photo below.

More barn wood art

Yes we are alive and well. Do you remember the planters we made for my mom for her birthday? Well I drug Andrew out to that barn again because I was inspired.
I saw someone's pinned palate art and it initiated a chain of thoughts that led to this. I have plans for bigger and more complicated but this was the warm up and I'm pleased. From idea to reality was less than 24 hours. This will go in the guest bedroom.

Charity Opportunity

I'm sorry I have not been blogging. It's the thing I'm kind of letting go lately in attempt to take more time for family and friends. Hopefully I will pick it up here and there.

I work with someone who has hooked up with Chapin Baptist Church who takes an annual trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. I think the primary purpose of the trip is for medical and veterinary clinics. A lady who attended the trip several years ago wanted to contribute more, so she thought of making pillowcase dresses to donate to orphanages in the area. Her goal was to take 100 dresses last year. She exceeded her goal and took 800+ dresses! My coworker is campaigning for materials like: pillowcases, fabric, ribbon, and other accent materials. The trip leaves in September. Please let me know if you would like to help. Here are two dresses that she's made, one with a pillowcase and the other with fabric.

Outlets

An outlet is a way you get through frustrations or disappointments. We all have them, at least if we are healthy and move past things.

One of my best outlets is music. It gets me IN my head WITHOUT focusing on whatever problem is going on which is usually a welcomed break. I think this is why I love music so much. It seems the notes express things that I can't articulate. I'm not a musician, and I am not particularly a good singer. More accurately, I'm one step away from tone deaf, but I love it!

Prayer is also an outlet that I definitely don't utilize like I should. That reminds me that I don't really live like a Christian. (my mom's quote) I live quite independent of God way too often, and by independent I mean denying the truth that every breath and sunrise is an act of God's sustaining power for the universe. Do you struggle with this? You're breathing and reading this so I assume you do. God is so faithful to meet us again and again. We recently had the opportunity to hear USC's RUF minister, Sammy Rhodes, preach at LPC and he said "God is much more willing to forgive our sins than we are to ask for it." I forget it's so simple. I hope this is a pleasant reminder of the immensity of God's grace. Also I hope God has given you ways to let out your struggles.

Also, one more is writing song lyrics in cursive. It's quite relaxing for me, and I never write in cursive so it's fun! Some albums that have been outlets for me lately are The Fray's new one called Scars and Stories. Get the deluxe version; they do a cover of Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs that makes me smile. Lots of good songs Heartbeat, Turn Me On, 1961, 48 to go, Munich, Rainy Zurich, and Be Still. Then there is a group I shazaamed on 99.3 WXRY, Of Monsters and Men that is upbeat and folky. They're from Iceland and the male lead sounds like Mumford. Love them! Also a group called the Lumineers that have a song called Hey Ho which is so fun you can't help but sing along and smile. I hope you check out some of this and love it as much as I do.

Camping

Jim Gaffigan, a loved comedian in the Clark home, has a sketch on camping. He says things like "my parents didn't take me camping because they loved me" and "happy camper, a happy camper is the camper leaving the campground" and "hey in my family camping is a tradition; hey camping was a tradition in everyone's family before we invented the house" "I'm what you would call indoorsy" "if it's so great outside why are all the bugs trying to get in my house". So you get the picture? He's hilarious, but we love camping anyway. I love it in the fall and spring no thank you winter or summer.

This past weekend we went to the Brevard area in NC and camped at Cascade Lake recreation. It was beautiful scenery and weather. We did a little hiking on Saturday an saw some beautiful waterfalls. I love cooking outside on the Coleman stove. Genuinely I had a blast. We have kind of started a biannual tradition with some friends from college. I hope it continues.

Here are some waterfall shots. This is High Falls, Triple Falls, and Connestee Falls.