Summer projects and Fathers Day

We kept quite busy for the rest of June working in the yard and garden and doing other little projects around the house. 

I've been teaching Sunday school for two years now. I have a couple favorite books I like to read from.  Marion's Big Book of Bible Stories and 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible.  I really like 101 because it has awesome pictures and the stories do a good job of keeping the depth and meaning but telling it in a way kids can understand. Marion's  typically has longer stories and covers more, still on the level that they can understand. But, the other Sunday, I came across this story:  

um... 

Yah. Part of me wants to laugh.  It was written in the late 40s, I think. Part of me get's annoyed.  This edition was updated in the 2000s.  I think they could have rewritten this story.  The Bible never mentions this man's skin color. Why was it ever necessary to clarify that he was black? That many times!?  (applicable side rant: Why is it ever necessary to clarify someones skin tone? Why does it matter? When telling a story, why do you need to know skin tone? It doesn't tell you anything about the person. It doesn't tell you about their personality, their opinions, beliefs, attitudes, ideas, or state of their soul. Skin tone does not tell you anything. Ever.)

*cough* anyway.  It just kept going:

Can you imagine being a child with darker skin? Can you imagine reading this story in your Bible story book?  

I admit. I did laugh. It was written in a very different time.   But, it shocked me all the same. I'm glad we've come as far as we have against racism, but with the future of my family including foster children, and by default most likely adoption, the amount of racism still in the church really bothers me. 

I spent a few evenings finishing up a project for Fred.   Fred asked me to wood burn some baseball bats he had made for a few kids. 

tada!

One evening,  late one evening, Nathan and I replaced our kitchen curtain rods.

It required some patching up. 

I think it was about  9:00 at night. Nathan is such a sport :)

The finished project.

I went in for my 20 (ish) week appointment mid June.  And we found out we are having a skeleton. :) hehe.

It's a cute little skeleton. :)

Everything seems to be coming along well still.  I'm feeling great and baby B is doing good.  I went to two specialist appointments last week. Nathan has a heart condition and the doctor's wanted to make sure that baby B didn't inherit a heart problem or birth defect.  The heart is looking great and there are no other visible birth defects. :)

 After two 45 minute sonograms in one day, my stomach hurt.  I am convinced that people are too cautious during pregnancy. The way those sonographers were pressing on my stomach, trying to move the baby into a better position, and jabbing at me, I think some of the pregnancy carefulness is too over done.  I mean my grandmother was probably baking pies and working in the fields and gardening the day before she gave birth. Women for centuries have done way more than sit on the couch for nine months.  Also, the fear over listeria (aka pregnant women can't eat cold meat) is silly. The most recent outbreak was in granola bars. And, it's often found in fresh fruit. 

hehe there is my second opinionated rant for one post. 

We spent Father's Day with Nathan's family.  I decided I would make my dad a pie as a father's day gift. As we all know "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."  :) So, I found a recipe and made my first coconut cream pie. 

coconut goodness cooking on the stove

The finished product

I had an extra pie shell and it turned out that Nathan's dad's favorite pie is also coconut cream, so I made him one as well :)

I had enough filling leftover for a mini pie for Nathan and I. It was really good. :)

Nathan's siblings are raising bunnies.  

This little guy got to be in the house.

Our next outdoor project is building a fire ring.  There was an old one in the back yard,  but it was falling apart. So, we filling in the hole and bought a ring from Menards. 

I plan to put the leftover brick from out landscaping around the sides. 

We are starting to get squash and peas out of the garden.  The raspberries are almost ready.  :) I just wish that the sweet corn (at the farm) was ready. 

The last weekend in June, Nathan and I went up to Minnesota to visit Trent.  I'll save the details and pictures for later since this is getting long. :)

I became an aunt again! :)  Cadence Mae is the latest addition.  I have yet to meet her but from pictures, she is a dolly. 

That about brings us up to the end of June. 

In Christ
~Michelle