7.09.2008

fit is go



Much to the joy of... well... everyone in my life, we have finally bought a new car. With air conditioning. And power windows. And airbags. It is awesome and black and a Honda Fit. Joey tried to do this great finagling scheme that his brother does, and it would have worked wonderfully if we weren't buying a car that everyone and their mother wants right now. So we went through Costco instead and saved a small chunk o' change. Wahoo for family businesses that lovingly retain you on their Costco membership. We needed something that wrestling a child into and out of would not cause severe neck trauma (although we apparently have chiropractic coverage with Joey's new health plan -- wahoo!); and that would not break down anytime I drove it alone without a cell phone (the Jeep really has it in for me). We can only praise God for continuing to provide for us and place encouraging and supportive people in our lives. And so... drumroll please...

The Fit. It still needs a name.



Also, tonight was the first night in a while that we were able to sneak a couple of quiet hours just for ourselves (and I mean two) to have dinner and work on projects before the busy evening takes off. We've been eating all of our meals outside on the back patio because it's just so lovely, and grilling most of them because it is too stinking hot in the house. Our post dinner activities: Joey catching up with his Pops and me catching up on my Garrison Keillor while working on a new Sunday School promo for the church (a very awesome, inter-generational, story/Jesus-based sharing time).



Welp, I have to run down to camp to lead a small family group, then it's back up here for a Day Camp Boys hair-dying party. Fun fun fun. Someday I may be able to do my own laundry, but I might be getting a little to eager. Hah!

7.07.2008

Mostly Good, Some Required

For you: a pictorial history of the last few weeks.

Nephew Number Two (soon to be Kaden the First) is on the way. I flew down to the desert and saw The Other Family who I adore.





The peas are growing better than anything else. I eat them every day as I walk past. We shelled some a few nights ago and mixed it in with organic white chedder macaroni and it was delicious. Would have been better with panchetta though. Next time.



Camp is back, along with some wonderful, wonderful girls. Nova and the Gidge are mine this summer and it makes me happy in my bones.



The littlest brother has graduated. He is smart and funny and responsible and has taken care of so much more than he even is aware of right now. It will be years until he realizes how remarkable he truly is. I love him quite a lot and am so very proud of him.



This is the Man Wing of the Hansen clan in all its honesty. We celebrated the smallest one.



Sophocles the Snail has passed away. He was a shy snail. Quiet, but friendly and sweet. I am sad to see him go.



I've been teaching loads of Red Cross First Aid/CPR classes to the camping folks. The mannequins are creepy, but you realize that plastic lungs and foam faces are maybe not so bad. And it's fun to show cheesy videos full of random acronyms and carefully placed joviality.



These are the books I'm reading. Mostly good, some required. There is a theme to many of them... which brings forth our fun news. We've begun the process of adopting from Ethiopia. It's a year to two year long process, and we're about 1 1/2 months into it. Very exciting, very time-consuming, very challenging, and very much a God thing.



We are happy. We are tired. It's all good.