olympia

it has been a while. sorry, i have been busy. well, over the past 2 weeks i have watched the kids about 3.5 of the 5 days. i love these kids like they are my own. the other times i go with sherry to school. it's great to get to observe and see school from this point of view. the 6th graders aren't as old as i was thinking--which just opens up more possibilities when it comes to teach. SO many options. i started another jodi picoult book the other day. it's called vanishing acts. it is excellent. about halfway through. currently silas and breklinn are quietly playing/watching cartoons upstairs. gresham has been asleep for almost an hour now. he didn't fall asleep at his normal bedtime last night. he was ready to go take a nap though. it was cute. i got the milk ready and he wasn't ready to go lay down quite yet. he wanted to lay on the couch and snuggle for a bit. then he got up and grabbed his blanket and milk and stood there waiting for me to get up and take him to his room. love it. brek and sy were painting this morning and gresh wanted to so badly. so i thought it would be alright if i helped him. he knows exactly what to do, but it became a little bit of a mess after a while so i had to say all done. he was so upset. he went up on the landing of the stairs and sat there and cried until i went to go get him. he just wants to be like his bigger brother and sister. of course. he also joins in on conversations too. he gets his word in. :)

we go on lots of walks and to the parks. i really love it. i am so thankful i could come this summer. church has been great too. yesterday they had a service explaining their building addition that is in the works. it was great to see. they had some new christians come up and talk about how the church had reached out to them. it was definitely encouraging. last wednesday we also had a great bible study--one that i've always wanted to have and be apart of but hasn't ever happened. it was great. well, i need to get some lunch going for the childrens. enjoy your day.

love maresalee

rainy

day. i am currently out on the back porch sitting in one of the patio chairs with my feet propped up. i have my coffee on the ledge and computer in my lap. some music (jon foreman) playing--but also the great sound of a light rain. have a book to start reading too. it's a little chilly but i have a blanket wrapped around me.

it has been a busy last 4 days. thursday-emporia. friday-chiropractor, babysitting, decorating for the women's brunch. saturday-women's brunch, sarah's graduation/moving away/birthday party. today-church. so, now everyone is having a relaxing afternoon. mom is taking a nap, markli is reading in the living room and dad is still at church i guess.

today's service was great. it was a weepy sunday for me. it first started out in sunday school. we were just praying for each other in our accountability group. then the spirit was just working in me. it's an incredible thing. and well, that's all. it was just a great sunday. His presence was definitely evident.

i feel like these next 2 months are going to be great. i think the lord has been working in and through me to prepare me for this awesome experience. i can't wait to see what he has in store for me.

i would have liked to go walking this afternoon, but i can wait until this evening.

i hope you have just as great of an afternoon as i am having.

love maresalee

lovelies

i am babysitting today. the mom left out some magazines for me to read while the boys were taking a nap. i love to look at magazines. as i have told you times before about my outings to barnes and noble to get coffee and browze the magazine racks. well, one of the magazines was crate and barrel. i found a few things i love. way to expensive. but the table could probably be made someday. i also love big old rugged round tables.
chair
table
yesterday we went to visit friends in emporia, ks. it was a lovely visit. our main reason for going was to see mr. samuel bruce cerretti. he's a handsome. so glad we could go visit. their house is so nice--they did a great job remodeling. we got to visit andrea for most of the afternoon and we didn't want to leave. it was a great time.

tomorrow is our churches women's brunch. we have lots of prep for it tonight. monday i will be babysitting all day for the same boys i have today. the youngest woke up and we had a little snack but the older 2 are still sleeping. they are sweet boys--should be a fun time.

i need to start some reading. i have a couple of books i would like to read. we leave a week from tomorrow! i can't believe it. i'll have some time on the plane to read and i'm sure there will be time while i'm there. you could be praying that i'll find some sort of job to make a little cash while i'm up in WA--but i'm going to very much enjoy being an aunt and getting to know some people there.

well, i think i might be smelling a little something coming from little man. i'll sign off to go change a diaper. :) hope you all are having wonderful days!

love
maresalee

finally

home. it feels great to be home. we have such a nice home. it's a blessing that i am very thankful for. there have been some great improvements since the last time i was home. such as a screened in porch area and some new landscaping. it is nice.

my room is all put together. feels like home.

i really don't have much to say. i'll probably only be home a total of 5 weeks this summer, but they will be great. the 2 months in WA will be grand. i can't wait to spend time with the family. markli and i were talking sometime today or last night and said how we wish all of the family could get together more. money is dumb. but maybe someday we will all live in closer proximity. but who knows. we do what we can and are very thankful for the times together.

oh life. it's great.

indeed

it was a great weekend. choir concert was great. dr. leavitt hired a union(?) orchestra to come in. they were great. during one of the songs there was a clarinet solo and my was this old man good! it made me want to play again and be that incredible. i told a friend, that i stand/sit by in choir, that i felt very sophisticated. ha--because we were performing, with an orchestra of adults, dr. leavitt treats us like adults (thankful for), etc. afterwards i also said i could do this for life. i loved it. i feel like i could have any life and be happy with it though. i mean, obviously i would be very happy with what i have. i could have a real artsy, music life or i live without--but i'd say it all has to do with the town or city i live in, who i marry, if i am married. so many options.

markli(my sister-for those of you who don't know my siblings names) and i might live together next year. actually, by the looks of it, we are! i'm excited! our room will be awesome. :)

several events have been changed or moved today because of the weather. it has just been rainy and there hasn't been any sun to dry up the ground. of course it has been my favorite weather since it started raining on thursday. it's pretty chilly today but nice and cloudy. just love it.

love

maresalee