Picture 188 - Round 2

On my return from Michigan I began to feel a "yucky" and crummy. I attributed it to mostly homesickness and the blues, but turns out I had managed to get an ear and sinus infection. I was able to get in to the doctor Thursday afternoon and she gave me some antibiotics because, let's face it, who wants to "tough it out" and let the sickness run its course when you're staying at the beach. I can't remember the last time I had to be on antibiotics, let alone two times in a month, but I'm so glad these medicines are available. Hopefully by tonight I'll be feeling more like myself and be able to walk in a straight line again.

Picture 187 - A promise for the future

I have some very creative family, but when it comes to making things out of posters, no one can top my brother in law. For my birthday, I was given this really cool looking camera. It looks like a camera I would want when I upgrade. I have decided that I will wait till I have earned enough from taking pictures to justify buying such a nice camera. Not only is this a very cool looking camera, it also doubles as a bank. So, now whenever I get paid for pictures, I can just put it in my camera bank for future use. I'm so thankful for family that supports and encourages my hobbies.

Picture 186 - reality check

Well, while I took a ton of pictures while I was home, I did not keep up on posting, so I'm just going to skip ahead to today and keep going from there.

Yesterday evening I got "home" around 9 from Michigan. It was really hard to leave, so today has been a little bit of a roller coaster. I was really tired, I have a feeling I'm getting sick, and I miss being 30 minutes from my family. I know this is where God has me for now, and I am fully aware that in a few days when I see all my friends again, when life settles back into its routine, I will be so glad to be back. But I always know the first days back will be sad.

So, where do the walmart shopping bags come in? After being gone for 5 weeks, I only had a few condiments, yogurt and water in the fridge along with some VERY spoiled milk. I went in to work today, so was not really interested in dealing with the grocery store, but the lack of food and my growling tummy made me go. I happened to be on facebook and was about to update my status to "ugh, grocery shopping, why can't I come home to a pre-stocked fridge?" Just as I was about to hit enter, I realized how whiny and spoiled that sounded. I am so incredibly grateful for the finances to go shopping for food, for stores that carry more than 1 or 2 options, and for a vehicle that will take me to three different stores looking for yellow squash. I need to remember all that God has done for me and choose gratitude instead of complaining.

Picture 185 - Blueberries

One of the best things about living in Michigan is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. For the person who has the motivation, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and apples are all available for picking when they come in season. Today I spent the afternoon at Gold Barn picking. Turns out the only way to tell the difference between types of berries is to taste them. Not a problem for me. Three for the bucket, one for me to taste. Repeat till bucket is full.

Picture 184 - so close

One of the things I love about coming home is swimming in the pool on a daily basis. Last summer the temperature got above 80 only once while I was home. This summer it hasn't really dipped below 80. I'm loving the weather, but I'm missing the pool. When it was opened, it was discovered that the old liner had ripped and it needed to be replaced. Yesterday the pool repair guys came, put the new liner in and began the process of filling the pool. Only a few more days now until I can kick back, relax, and chill poolside.

Picture 183 - The Mighty Hunter

Lucy decided that she wanted to sit on the rocking horse, the plant in the background made for just the right setting.

Picture 182 - Photo Fun

A friend's little girl turns 1 this summer so I asked if I could come and take her pictures to get some practice. Here she looks just like her momma.