Mental Blocks, uprooted trees, and Rich Mullins

here is the tree that we lost last Sunday, when Ike's remnants swept thru...Tree #2 that we've lost...it split in two and one part went into the neighbor's yard and part #2 landed on the big tree that we lost in July...and to think, I saw both of them fall. opened the door at just the right moment twice. weird.



I'm a bit of an exaggerator but I do believe this landed about 20-30 feet from our pool (which I need to close up before October)

Ethan, you will build great things when you are a man...

Drafting with Dad 101. Shirts are optional. Here are the big boys making the second beam for the upper porch. living life, gaining experience, all in the comfort (well, this doesn't look so comfortable) of your own home, with dad as your teacher.

~I've been having a really horrible blog block lately...Tory, is this normal to go thru when you write often?

~I've always journaled but nothing daily, so this everyday blogging is a bit tough. I do enjoy it though, so patience with me while I go thru this blah blah time is much appreciated. Keep coming back, k?

~11 years ago today, Christian music lost a true talent, gifted singer/musician, and voice of truth. Rich Mullins died in a car accident at the age of 41...not wearing a seatbelt, flipped his Jeep, and was killed when an oncoming tractor-trailer hit him. Youch. This is the song I bet he was singing as he passed from this life to the eternal one...

The lyrics of one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs follows:

Hold Me Jesus

Sometimes my life just don't

make sense at all

When the mountains look so

big

And my faith just seems so small

Chorus:

So hold me Jesus 'cause I'm

shaking like a leaf

You have been King of my

glory

Won't you be my Prince of

peace

And I wake up in the night and

feel the dark

It's so hot inside my soul I

swear

There must be blisters on my

heart

repeat chorus

Surrender don't come natural (that is NOT proper English :))

to me

I'd rather fight You for something

I don't really want

Then to take what You give

that I need

And I've beat my head against

so many walls

I'm falling down, I'm falling on

my knees

And this Salvation Army band

is playing this hymn

And Your grace rings out so

deep

It makes my resistance seem

so thin

chorus

He was kind of a funny dude...

Anyways, I started this post on Friday evening, the pix took 6 hours to upload and now here we are..Saturday. Time to get up for Levi's soccer game...and then home to clean, lay Molly down, beat MY head against the wall, and head back out for Mel's soccer double header, and the boys' game...ahhhh. Choose JOY, choose JOY...I've got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart. WHERE? down in my heart (remember this old church song??) Joy is so much more mature than happiness....it means putting a smile on your face and in your attitude in spite of the how much you don't want to.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

the prize at the end of the day is an evening out with my hubby...we are going to Indy's Irish Fest downtown at Military Park...I can't WAIT for some grown up time!! woo hoooooooo! thanks, Mom, for keeping the kids. YOU ROCK!

I'm outta here

Did I mention that I was able to exchange my Canon the other day? these pix above were taken with my new magical camera...10 megapixels, 3" screen...whoa nelly!

My Studly Men...

E. is quite handy with power tools....
so ya can see just how big these pillars really are..
Will being a goof ball and fake stabbing himself...
He didn't help, he just got eaten up by 'squitoes...

Well, hello there again! Just thought I would get some pix up on the porch work that has been going on. It has changed the look of our house quite a bit. It's kinda hard to explain exactly what the porch will look like. It will be considerably larger than the one we had on here...it's depth is to the brick pillars, which will have a limestone ledge on each one with a cool angled pole up to the new roof. most of this work will not be done till next year. if we do not hit a recession, that is. eventually that will lead into a breeze way ( I think, David changes it often) and then onto a garage!! this new deck will also lead out to the pool someday.

These pix are of my guys working on it last night...they got started on the decking. We are so impressed with the detailed work that the bricklayer (Josh) did...he spent a great deal of time making sure these pillars were JUST RIGHT. very particular! He did an incredible job! I didn't post the pic I took of David hugging the pillar. It's pretty funny but unnecessarily embarrassing. maybe another day.

Needless to say, eventually this porch will be spectacular. When someone else buys this house. I just don't have it in me to decorate efficiently. Martha Stewart has left the building. o well.

Have a wonderful Thursday!