Family & Friends

<span style="font-size: large;">I am seriously the worst blogger in the world. It has been 12 days since my last post. But in my defense, I had family (my in-laws, then my sister and her family) visiting for nine of those days. The rest have been a blur of running children from camps, swim team practice, play dates, etc. Throw in a Vacation Bible School meeting and my husband's upcoming birthday tomorrow, and I'm spent. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KgbO8epjCqN7XCwMB3WlwQovuruQvlgpMHE_d8LWpG9QHQrMr85306QHcm94HBVuB2gc351EBBj8rnjXn-3Oc1egiYzSb6Er4pt1EZleRghBW5-kKskh1c0FC4fH9wJNpHnOG9ODDdw/s1600/the-relatives-came.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KgbO8epjCqN7XCwMB3WlwQovuruQvlgpMHE_d8LWpG9QHQrMr85306QHcm94HBVuB2gc351EBBj8rnjXn-3Oc1egiYzSb6Er4pt1EZleRghBW5-kKskh1c0FC4fH9wJNpHnOG9ODDdw/s400/the-relatives-came.jpg" width="365" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My mother-in-law brought the kids this book. It's a wonderful book and rings so true. Get it if you don't already have it.</i></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I also got the chance to visit with several friends over the last few days which is such a treat. Without family and friends, I don't know what I would do. That's why, when I actually got a chance to catch up on some blogs I had been missing while my family was visiting, I was shocked to find out a fellow blogger died last weekend in a car accident. It makes you realize how much you can take your family and friends for granted. A definite reality check.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn2JMq_cw04kepQdpDNs6eYeCKFjK1rgvrhIzX4dzgf8-rlTAEm1qzoJryIDdUOq4tXm1QopNd_f8xp_XxO-Bl1oDXcftwd-TCdspSa_M2jNUftqUTTsqsXlGI3W9O8FtyQOqL5ymEGg/s1600/marija600wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn2JMq_cw04kepQdpDNs6eYeCKFjK1rgvrhIzX4dzgf8-rlTAEm1qzoJryIDdUOq4tXm1QopNd_f8xp_XxO-Bl1oDXcftwd-TCdspSa_M2jNUftqUTTsqsXlGI3W9O8FtyQOqL5ymEGg/s400/marija600wide.jpg" width="267" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Marija Stephens -  loving wife, mother, daughter, talented interior designer, former lawyer and author of the blog <a href="http://holdingcourtblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-love-you-marija.html">Holding Court</a> (which I followed religiously) - was suddenly gone. As so many other bloggers have written about Marija, I did not know her personally, only through her wonderful blog and her astute and helpful comments. Please pray for her family. You can read her husband's loving <a href="http://holdingcourtblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-love-you-marija.html">tribute here</a>. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of friends, one who I haven't seen in a while but got to visit with this week is Kristen. Kristen's been busy with an endeavor of her own. While she is an interior designer with her own business, another passion of hers is art. So, she painted up a storm and set up her own <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kanvasart">Etsy store </a>recently.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop8ZLZrQflwBijFB1iVjxglNa3ORyhE9TFV4ULL6Xi70jJD6rgyuVdfzW-cMKMBPliRbjrObjf0wSmQ7l3LHbf9TjcaqUsxeW7I0gaD-17P2vxy_EuMkDJdb1mJBa2WIiTlnLTwhxeqY/s1600/il_fullxfull.156483196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop8ZLZrQflwBijFB1iVjxglNa3ORyhE9TFV4ULL6Xi70jJD6rgyuVdfzW-cMKMBPliRbjrObjf0wSmQ7l3LHbf9TjcaqUsxeW7I0gaD-17P2vxy_EuMkDJdb1mJBa2WIiTlnLTwhxeqY/s400/il_fullxfull.156483196.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfFkBuT8p1bTo8V5P8bbigNRIfXLMpF2I9vACF-J2xbioyBBDRqoG_uCdmaRETaWHe-Gz_OlBYPvBvQ_Bg9RjH8aemlzrPoXeHDus0lIFZ1AaSbfnEfxBRBEbRGyeW3HsCJxnxkI3Nlk/s1600/il_fullxfull.156668337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfFkBuT8p1bTo8V5P8bbigNRIfXLMpF2I9vACF-J2xbioyBBDRqoG_uCdmaRETaWHe-Gz_OlBYPvBvQ_Bg9RjH8aemlzrPoXeHDus0lIFZ1AaSbfnEfxBRBEbRGyeW3HsCJxnxkI3Nlk/s400/il_fullxfull.156668337.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXA5moE7OkxwWrOQBB-WjDNWmxvKvaNaaCGscj_pHJL_YG7e6MC9FpqFfgxzKoi1gDcue81-NcDoXwmG3JNCxA-sfhqURSubEtPX3YXVDDfU-ElyWGqEVKQqm8b59n7tNTyDWc0H6bV0/s1600/il_fullxfull.156683197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXA5moE7OkxwWrOQBB-WjDNWmxvKvaNaaCGscj_pHJL_YG7e6MC9FpqFfgxzKoi1gDcue81-NcDoXwmG3JNCxA-sfhqURSubEtPX3YXVDDfU-ElyWGqEVKQqm8b59n7tNTyDWc0H6bV0/s400/il_fullxfull.156683197.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite are her dresses but they're all wonderful. You must check out her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kanvasart">Etsy store.</a> Her beautiful paintings would be a welcome addition to any home.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />I have a Kristen original in my guest room that she gave me several months ago. I love the vivid colors.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx36xlcvoKUeNqHcoBikJmVh1eU4J7r62YVSLSzbmsmUW93UwxxsCvkpkFpyU0wocYczGIjJ8FTwfC4xjAy7WkHPlvUKxCKl-sfoeBBkptIr-MqDn0-X31y3mX6115Km8mALm7S0sCez0/s1600/IMG_5212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx36xlcvoKUeNqHcoBikJmVh1eU4J7r62YVSLSzbmsmUW93UwxxsCvkpkFpyU0wocYczGIjJ8FTwfC4xjAy7WkHPlvUKxCKl-sfoeBBkptIr-MqDn0-X31y3mX6115Km8mALm7S0sCez0/s400/IMG_5212.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I promise I will try and be better about posting more regularly, and updates on my table and chairs are on the way. But I am so grateful for my family and friends and the time I spent with them over the last 12 days. I hope you've had some great visits this summer as well.</span></div>

Family & Friends

I am seriously the worst blogger in the world. It has been 12 days since my last post. But in my defense, I had family (my in-laws, then my ...

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