I spent a fun weekend with our metroplex grand-sisters at the NBTA's (National Baton Twirling Association) State Competition in Helotes, Texas. These girls have improved so much and practice so hard!

A little mommy love...

Practicing at the hotel...

X-strut competition...

National anthem...

Ready for her solo. She won 1st of 10 and she is the baby of the group. Very proud! (Oh, wearing her mommy's costume and her sister wore it, too.)

A long day, but she hung in for the win!

Fireworks each night just for us. Okay, maybe not for us, but they were fun!

What a joy God delivers us through our 4 beautiful grandgirls. Can't express the love in my heart!

Fresh Find: Cute shorts!

These two women, Dickie & Jacque, worked at Gabriel's when I did. We had such fun times. I loved selling shoes. I loved shucking shoes. I loved dying podesua shoes the perfect match. I loved shelving shoes. I loved doing the store windows. I loved doing displays. I loved gift wrapping gifts. I loved running the register at the semi-annual sales. I loved the break room. I loved our laughs.

Fresh Find: Thinking 70s and I saw this crazy paper towel holder. 70s!!!

The Wall family has a reunion this month. I know everyone will enjoy each other and sharing their stories. It will be sad that Peggy won't be there with TC. I pray he has a great time with his family. This is a family grouping that I put together several years ago of the Wall family. It is a fun "memory lane" trip.

Fresh Find: Oh, I remember playing with an 8 Ball! Do you?

The Thistle is a widely distributed herbaceous plant of the daisy family, which typically has a prickly stem and leaves and rounded heads of purple flowers.

It is such a beautifully created flower, but ...

In agriculture the Thistle is the recognized sign of untidiness and neglect, being found not so much in barren ground, as in good ground not properly cared for.

I am not a farmer, but from what I have heard, the farmer despises the Thistle.

Genesis 3:17-19, To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

The farmer has to work very hard to protect the ground they prepare for planting. It is not an easy task, but it is one they are called to do, their passion. God blesses and we are thankful for the crops that provide our food. 

We all have some Thistle cleaning out we need to do.

Fresh Find: Cute Fitbit elastic band cover.

Tonight, I wrote a very personal blog that the computer decided to eat instead. It is like the dog that ate the homework story. It is disappointing to put so much work into something, not to mention the time, and you hit a button, the computer program freezes, and poof, it is gone!

So, instead, I decided to go to the beach.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17

Fresh Find: Cute "Do you suppose" mug.

What fun to watch 2 of our sweet grand-sisters in their dance recitals!

Proud daddy & mommy moments!

Proud grandparents moments!

Our beautiful Miss D wakes up.

Our beautiful Miss A wakes up.

I love this picture of Miss A. She is covered in the air mist from the humidity.

Our little Pier 1 model!

Fresh Find: Fun, and on sale, Swingasan!

One of my favorite like father, like son photos. They are different in so many ways, but alike in ways of the heart. Great father's, too!

Fresh Find: Fun Stars at Night Texas print.

We can learn from the snail.

Adopt the pace of nature; the secret is patience.

The hand that dips into the bottom of the pot will eat the biggest snail. Wole Soyinka

Even a snail will eventually reach its destination. Gail Tsukiyama

By perseverance, the snail reached the ark. Proverb, published by Charles Spurgeon in The Salt-cellars: Being a Collection of Proverbs, Together with Homely Notes Thereon (1889), p. 89.

Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers

Even the snail belongs to God.

It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you never stop trying.

We are rather proud of our pretty shells.

The spiral in a snail's shell is the same mathematically as the spiral in the Milky Way galaxy, and it's also the same mathematically as the spirals in our DNA. It's the same ratio that you'll find in very basic music that transcends cultures all over the world. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Fresh Find: What a fun and rustic set!

Oh, the games people play. This most certainly would be an interesting topic for discussion. People do play games. These games create drama. But, I'm not going to get involved in that so...

Look at these three early electronic games that I found in the games closet. 

Our kids had fun with the Nintendo ones, and I think the Wheel of Fortune was mine, a gift. Technology has changed so rapidly it makes my head spin. Buy a letter, buy a vowel ... Mario and Mickey are surely pals!

Fresh Find: I like this pool!

We have all heard someone say, "Thick as weeds." Anything that is tight might be defined by this phrase. It might be a family, a group of friends, blooms on a plant, words on a page, bad times, good times, etc. My personal favorite is, "The stars are thick as weeds." Weeds really are beautiful. Yes, they can be very thick, grown close together to keep out the unwanted.

In tightness, they bloom because God insists they do. He wants the same for us, provides our every need. Will we let Him do his work through us?

Fresh Find: A very fun & brightly colored bag will bring cheer!