It's been a few weeks...
This LJ-er isn't completely dead, I've just been spending most of my time on facebook. (Search for Jenny Stoudt to add me.)
Anywho, it's been a busy summer with lots of visitors, events, and projects. Rather than go into detail, I'll sum things up with a slew of photos. They're more fun anyway.
My sister-in-law had her third boy named Benjamin. He's a cutie. I was holding him and died laughing when he made this Zoolander face.
I received an award at the Academy in Lansing. I don't think it's a big deal, but they seem to think so. I'm supposed to receive a professional photo from this sometime, but in the meantime I have this really dark shot that Aaron snapped of me with the MSP Director Col. Munoz, and another higher up. I was le embarrassed. (Thanks Sara for the tweaking!)
My parents, aunt and uncle visited last weekend. This is us (minus my aunt) at the beach near our place.
Murphy fetched many sticks that day. And logs.
Aaron and I revamped an old Duncan Phyfe buffet which expands to seat TWELVE. It looks cooler in person, but you get the jist of what a detailed paint job and some new hardware can do. I picked out the paint and supplies and Aaron was doubtful at first, but he came around.
Detail shot, which is truer in color:
Aaron and I unloaded a couch and loveseat on freecycle just minutes after posting it. He'd already put it by the side of the road. I'm amused by this shot.
Danna and Diane visited the last four days. We went swimming in the Yellow Dog River and slid down the waterfalls twice. There's me on the left after coming up for air. It sure was cold! Much fun was had.
We had Thai 'n Tie Feastaganza at our place on Saturday. Upon arrival, a kid's finger was slammed in a car door resulting in a to-the-bone cut and an E.R. trip. At the end of the night Aaron fell and bit the inside of his lip open wide enough that I almost took him to the E.R. (He had blood all around his mouth, running down his chin, and on his shirt.) He also cut his chin and scraped his leg. Think the hospital runs a "two for one" deal? Here's the bonfire in our back yard and the injured kid on the right:
We went to "Fire on the Bay" afterward, which was lovely. Fireworks over Lake Superior:
My niece turned 9 months the other day. Her shoulder length hair never ceases to amaze me. She a lovely chubbers. Here are my fave pics of her:
I sold 13 bouts on etsy. She loved them so much she's asked me to make matching corsages. A few of them:
We went downstate for my cousin Monica's wedding. Here's us at the reception at Eagle Eye.
That's it for pictures. Onto other things!
I've been losing weight. That's going ok, though I always go off my diet when people visit and gain weight. Still, on average I'm down about 30 pounds. Still a ways to go, but it was very flattering (and a bit embarrassing) to here my family comment within minutes of arriving how great I look.
A friend is supposed to visit on Sunday, I think. Next weekend I'll be headed to Leland/Traverse City (5+ hour drive each way, egh.) to hang out with a couple of gal pals. There was supposed to be more of us, but some people had to back out and our host ended up canceling a surprise for us - a limo wine tour. Le sad. That would have been a lot of fun.
I went to a different (though still Catholic) Church in town on Sunday. They have two new priests and I'm taken with the freshly minted Fr. Ben. A former forester, he strikes me as someone Aaron could get along with since they have so much in common and are probably about the same age. Plus, he's pretty funny. Aaron's attendance at Mass with me varies and is heavily dependent upon who is celebrating the Mass. A couple weeks ago during Mass he asked me if we could have our future children baptized in Lake Superior. I said yes, but we'd have to find a priest willing to do that. I'd like to have Fr. Ben out for dinner (and to perhaps bless our house) at some point. It'd be nice if he and Aaron could become friends and maybe someday he could baptize our kids in the lake.
Anywho, it's been a busy summer with lots of visitors, events, and projects. Rather than go into detail, I'll sum things up with a slew of photos. They're more fun anyway.
My sister-in-law had her third boy named Benjamin. He's a cutie. I was holding him and died laughing when he made this Zoolander face.
I received an award at the Academy in Lansing. I don't think it's a big deal, but they seem to think so. I'm supposed to receive a professional photo from this sometime, but in the meantime I have this really dark shot that Aaron snapped of me with the MSP Director Col. Munoz, and another higher up. I was le embarrassed. (Thanks Sara for the tweaking!)
My parents, aunt and uncle visited last weekend. This is us (minus my aunt) at the beach near our place.
Murphy fetched many sticks that day. And logs.
Aaron and I revamped an old Duncan Phyfe buffet which expands to seat TWELVE. It looks cooler in person, but you get the jist of what a detailed paint job and some new hardware can do. I picked out the paint and supplies and Aaron was doubtful at first, but he came around.
Detail shot, which is truer in color:
Aaron and I unloaded a couch and loveseat on freecycle just minutes after posting it. He'd already put it by the side of the road. I'm amused by this shot.
Danna and Diane visited the last four days. We went swimming in the Yellow Dog River and slid down the waterfalls twice. There's me on the left after coming up for air. It sure was cold! Much fun was had.
We had Thai 'n Tie Feastaganza at our place on Saturday. Upon arrival, a kid's finger was slammed in a car door resulting in a to-the-bone cut and an E.R. trip. At the end of the night Aaron fell and bit the inside of his lip open wide enough that I almost took him to the E.R. (He had blood all around his mouth, running down his chin, and on his shirt.) He also cut his chin and scraped his leg. Think the hospital runs a "two for one" deal? Here's the bonfire in our back yard and the injured kid on the right:
We went to "Fire on the Bay" afterward, which was lovely. Fireworks over Lake Superior:
My niece turned 9 months the other day. Her shoulder length hair never ceases to amaze me. She a lovely chubbers. Here are my fave pics of her:
I sold 13 bouts on etsy. She loved them so much she's asked me to make matching corsages. A few of them:
We went downstate for my cousin Monica's wedding. Here's us at the reception at Eagle Eye.
That's it for pictures. Onto other things!
I've been losing weight. That's going ok, though I always go off my diet when people visit and gain weight. Still, on average I'm down about 30 pounds. Still a ways to go, but it was very flattering (and a bit embarrassing) to here my family comment within minutes of arriving how great I look.
A friend is supposed to visit on Sunday, I think. Next weekend I'll be headed to Leland/Traverse City (5+ hour drive each way, egh.) to hang out with a couple of gal pals. There was supposed to be more of us, but some people had to back out and our host ended up canceling a surprise for us - a limo wine tour. Le sad. That would have been a lot of fun.
I went to a different (though still Catholic) Church in town on Sunday. They have two new priests and I'm taken with the freshly minted Fr. Ben. A former forester, he strikes me as someone Aaron could get along with since they have so much in common and are probably about the same age. Plus, he's pretty funny. Aaron's attendance at Mass with me varies and is heavily dependent upon who is celebrating the Mass. A couple weeks ago during Mass he asked me if we could have our future children baptized in Lake Superior. I said yes, but we'd have to find a priest willing to do that. I'd like to have Fr. Ben out for dinner (and to perhaps bless our house) at some point. It'd be nice if he and Aaron could become friends and maybe someday he could baptize our kids in the lake.