My secret sister gave me this set of placemats and cloth napkins for our anniversary. They’re so cheery, and I just love the bright colors. I’m excited to use them!

There have been several of these caterpillars on my dill plants, so I took a picture intending to post here seeing if anyone knew what kind it was. I finally found it online this morning though – it’s a black swallowtail. There’s a few pictures of the butterflies themselves here.

Parsley in the dehydrator. The flavor difference from storebought is amazing.

This week is mostly back to normal after an insanely busy weekend. I do have a lot of preserving I’d like to get done (canning tomatoes and applesauce, starting another batch or two of sweet icicle pickles, and hopefully picking up some peaches to freeze). Other than that, it looks like it’s back to our regular routine.

Sunday: early lunch at home, family dinner at Grandma’s after the funeral

Monday: mini meatloaves, brown rice, green beans

Tuesday: chicken tacos

Wednesday: burgers

Thursday: Spanish rice

Friday: pizza night

Saturday: taco salad (subject to change)

The meals without veggies listed we’ll just decide then which veggie to eat from the freezer.

Breakfasts are eggs, scones, oatmeal, biscuits, grits, and waffles.

Lunches are sandwiches, wraps, macaroni and cheese, tuna salad, and leftovers.

Snacks are cheese, baby carrots, nuts, and fresh fruit.

You can read more menu plans over at Orgjunkie.com.

Life has been so crazy for us lately. Here’s a bit of what’s going on:

I finally hit my pre-pregnancy weight today. It’s been slow losing since I can’t diet while nursing.

Some of my clothing has been loose lately so I measured myself. I discovered I’ve lost 5 inches in my hips. That was very encouraging.

Samuel started first grade this week.

Stephen’s grandfather passed away this week.

When he passed away, family was gathered around his bedside singing hymns. How beautiful it must have been.

The visitation was today and the funeral will be tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my birthday.

My mom sent me a couple of gifts over a month ago. They’re still on my desk, unopened. That is huge for me. My family teases me because I’m so good at guessing gifts ahead of time.

Stephen bought me a pink mouse for my laptop for my birthday.

We’re also getting family portraits made later this week for my birthday. I am beyond excited about that one!

Last Wednesday was our anniversary. But I already blogged about that. :O)

I’ve learned that some comments just don’t deserve a response.

I’ve also learned that sometimes your actions can be remembered by people for years. This is not necessarily a good thing, but it is life.

Another thing I have observed is just how much your actions can affect other people and their lives. It’s amazing what kind of ripple effect they can cause.

I got to play on a beautiful baby grand piano today. It was lovely.

The arrangement I played was one of Blessed Assurance that Stephen’s aunt is singing for the funeral tomorrow. She has a gorgeous voice and it was absolutely wonderful to be able to play for her.

It also encouraged me to work on detailed piano arrangements more. I struggle finding pieces for church, and haven’t worked on music just for me in a long time. I really should work on music just because I like it.

The mocha McDonald’s frappes are really good. So are the caramel ones, but the mocha is better. And both of them taste better when they’re free.

Teaching your children verses about salvation can be a powerful reminder of what God really did when He sent His Son to die.

Teenagers can play Duck, Duck, Goose with six-year-olds and actually have fun. It is also fun for adults to watch.

So there you have it. Our crazy, mixed up week. I’m hoping this coming week will be less eventful.

Finally – the new household notebooks are done. After a LOT of work and too many hours on the computer, the new notebook files are up and ready for download.

Everything on the site has been completely redesigned. The way the files were before wasn’t bad, but this way is much simpler and looks a lot neater.

Head over to my notebook site and check them out. If you get one, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Nine years ago today I married my best friend. It has been nine of the best years of my life.

It’s so funny how young we look. Well, we were young. I wouldn’t change a thing, and I’m looking forward to spending many more years together if the Lord tarries!