The Shafferland Shuffle

I'll start out today with a giant Happy Father's Day to my dad, Ryan's Dad and Allen...and to all of you dads out there!! Enjoy your special day!!

* Last Sunday, Ryan and I had the honor of attending my friend Faith's baptism. She asked if I would come and take pictures, and of course I said YES! She also invited us to go to the celebration lunch with her family after church, so we did that. Delicious lunch {although when you're a party of nine, you wait a bit for a table!} and then straight home for a nap!

* I think I briefly mentioned our latest house project, which is finishing off our garage so it can be used as an additional gathering space. Last Monday, the drywall guys came to finish the drywall {it was half done when we bought the house}, and I couldn't believe how different it looked when they finished! And they left their equipment since they were coming back to work the next day and SOMEONE thought he should try out the stilt thingies. Shaking head. As for me? I had a rather rotten day, so I polished off the smallest possible bowl of consolation frozen yogurt.

* Tuesday I developed a new respect for moms EVERYWHERE. I kept all of Ryan's brother's kids for the day, and they were a DELIGHT, but I was a bit pooped when the day was done! Three kids, three ages, three levels of need, and we spent the whole day just having fun and trying to make sure everyone was happy! Movies, books, naps, making our own pizza, playing ball, drawing with sidewalk chalk, visiting Ryan at work...WHEW!

* I think, when Wednesday rolled around, Braeya was glad to have her nice quiet house back. {She is pretty anti-kids or anything else that makes noise.} I had to drive to Marion for a meeting that evening, so Ryan worked on house projects while I was gone, and when I got back, it was so pretty out, we went for a walk!

* Thursday, a couple of my WBCL friends happened to be in Marion for a sticker stop, so I drove over to see them for a while and I ended up just having lunch with them! I miss them! The drywall guys had finished up their work on Tuesday, which included finishing the ceiling so that it matched the interior of the house, so Ryan and I spent that night PAINTING the ceiling. Drippy work!

* Friday I bought my first lemonade from a kid's lemonade stand in our neighborhood. This seems like a rite of passage somehow, and it was fun! I was so excited when my FOUR scrapbooks arrived a day EARLY and I couldn't look through those enough as the day went on! And that night, Ryan and I went to Phoebe's house for dinner! {Her humans invited us. She did not cook.} I think she missed us!

* Yesterday I went to a first birthday party for the daughter of some of our friends. {Ryan had to work so he missed the party. Great sadness.} When we both got home, we got busy painting the garage! That is one large room to paint! And then - a surprise late-night date to see fireworks!!! Ten million points to Ryan for walking away from a half-done paint job to take me to see fireworks!