July 9, 2010 10:19 p.m.

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged.  So many things have been going on, and we are so out of our normal routine, as well.  I suppose this is one of those posts that call for photos and captions.


Let's see.  What's this again?  Oh, Chips is always coming up with his own experiments in electricity.  This one was an LED connected to two button cells and two magnets.  Voila!  The LED glows, but unfortunately my camera flash was too bright to show it.


World's longest lasting Christmas Wreath.  I thought that July 2nd was long enough this year, what about you?  I have to say it still looked good, though.  The children helped themselves to the decorations, but the rest ended up in our fire pit.


After six years, we finally put our Black Forest cuckoo clock back on the wall.  This clock was a wedding gift to us from my husband's uncle.  Self-Reliant Man cleaned up the insides and added some lubricant.  Now we enjoy the chiming very much.  It is quite a novelty to the children, since they don't remember it when it was up in our previous house.

 We witnessed the transformation of four monarchs this month.  My husband's boss's boss went on vacation and couldn't tend to them, so he gave them to us.  All four of them matured healthy and whole, and have since flown away somewhere, to the great satisfaction of our family.


I can sleep soundly at night, now, knowing that if all h*** breaks loose, and the End-Of-The-World-As-We-Know-It takes place, at least our family will be set for toilet paper for awhile.  Who knows?  We could probably barter a roll for a tank of gasoline.

 A month ago, we went to visit my MIL.  Here, Chips is sharing his musical gift with a small audience at her nursing home.  It was very calming...


... and it's a good thing I felt calm, because I met up with a space alien that evening at the campground pool!


Our dear friend from church finished up our mother-daughter apron set.  We are using them often together.  Aren't they great?


Self-Reliant Man wanted another Stetson for Father's Day, and he got one.  How 'bout that?  He was a very pleased man.  So was Chips a pleased son.

Highlight of the Month Award goes to Self-Reliant Man's prize for twenty productive years with the company.  He selected from a catalog of gifts that included consumer electronics, an air compressor, jewelry, home decorating items, a propane fire pit, and THIS.  He chose (without my influence at all) this Premium Belgian Waffle Maker.  Wow - what fun!  So friends, for the next several months if you come to visit me, you're getting waffles.  Don't believe it? Then just try me.  Self-Reliant Man now happily makes all kinds of huge, perfect waffles......


.... and Chips chips in his cooking expertise.

 The results are a crunchy and fluffy culinary delight!


Finally, we just completed a week of Music Camp at our church.  There were sixty campers ranging in age from 5 to 13.  They all experienced chorus and Orff classes together.  They also got to select one of the following instruments to learn during the week: classical guitar, harp, or tone chimes.  Our kids did tone chimes, and they loved them, perhaps more than anything else.
But Orff class was a close second.  That looked like a lot of fun.  I would have loved to participate, except I had other duties to tend to during the camp.


Sweet Girl played a metallophone.


Chips played the bass xylophone.  It was a very memorable week for them!