The Computer's Back!

Hooray! After dealing with my slow, buggy, disk-way-full computer for months, I now have a new hard drive, more than five times the storage, and other good stuff thanks to Tech Pros in Franklin. It might not have been a bad idea to ditch the thing and get a new (lighter-weight!) notebook, but we've had a lot of big purchases lately, and I'm hoping that this cleaned and fancified machine will last me a couple years more.

So, yay! I can blog again and share those lovely, gigantic photos that fill up my memory. First order of business, a super-quick recap of life since our big move...

We've been doing a lot of swimming in the neighborhood pool. It's great just to walk out the back door at the end of a long, hot day, and take a quick dip before dinner! Kate was timid at first, but is now jumping in from the side (into our arms) with no fear! (oh, and Matt went clean-shaven for his renewal leave in the month of June)

We also have a playground in our yard that came with the house, and behind that (see it on the ridge there?) is the neighborhood playground, so we have a lot of fun stuff to do outside this summer!

Dear friend Becca's third birthday party was in June. The theme was Super-Readers (a PBS show) and the kids sang along with the show's songs using fun microphones. Becca had the American Idol diva moves down!

Matt and I went to the Wild Goose Festival in North Carolina. Matt had wanted to go to this progressive Christian music/justice/art festival anyway, and I got to go as part of the Find Your Way Home prison tour. (Remember last summer, when we went to Houston?) Becca Stevens, the Magdalene ladies, and a few awesome Nashville musicians presented at a Raleigh women's prison and at the festival. The prison was very impressive in its commitment to rehabilitation and job skills preparation. The warden's stated goal was to help the women know that--whether they would be getting out in twenty years or never--they can have a meaningful life. The Magdalene women with us who had experienced incarceration were wowed by this facility's emphasis on hope and restoration.

And here's Matt and I at the hippie-Christian festival. The highlight for me was hearing Jennifer Knapp play. Her songs feel so much more "real" than many in Christian music.

True to my dorky, survey-loving self, I was genuinely thrilled to have been called on to be a Nielsen family for a week! We got thirty bucks and had to keep a diary of all our television viewing for a week. It's an interesting exercise to actually make note of what you watch and for how long (and how often the TV is on when no one is watching--it asks that too). Turns out, we mostly watch the news and comedy-news shows like Colbert. A few episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" and a late night showing of "Titanic" pretty much rounded out the week. 

My thirtieth birthday was July 4. Kate made this cute firecracker hat in school. I called her "my little firecracker," which made me think of my grandmother, whose words upon hearing of my birth were, "we've got another little firecracker!" since my cousin had also been born on the Fourth of July the year before.

We had a nice birthday/housewarming cookout with friends and family.

 Matt and the dads tapped the mini-kegs on the back patio...

 ... though it was mostly an indoor party, due to the crazy heat.

Kate and Becca had a big time playing together in their red, white, and blue outfits.

 After a brief siesta, some of us continued the festivities at a big concert and fireworks event at a local park.

 Kate danced with Granna and Opa...

And watched fireworks with Nala and Popi (the sweaty, tired, glazed-over look just about sums up the long day!)

Tracy, my best friend from college, came to town for my birthday and came to the fireworks as well.

And just this past weekend, we went to Atlanta for the blessing of her and her husband's marriage (they eloped two years ago and had a lovely church ceremony to bless their civil marriage). My camera wasn't cooperating, so I only have three pics from the weekend, but this one shows the sunflower theme that ran from the invitations to the bouquets to the cake! 

Whew! I'm glad to have gotten all that out there. Coming soon: my six month prego update, Kate's 2 1/2 year pics, and maybe some reflections on Romans as Matt begins an eight-week sermon series on Paul's letter and I try to practice some discipline by reading along as he prepares.