Lavender...

Last week,  I babysat my two youngest granddaughters while their mama and daddy were out of town.

 My daughter surprised me with a bunch of lavender from her yard and some cherries from her neighbor's tree

 that has fruit filled branches hanging over into my daughter's yard.

I was thrilled!

Lavender is a favorite of mine, and the lavender in my yard had an unfortunate demise and didn't bloom.

Thankfully, lavender plants are relatively inexpensive, so I dug up the old and planted some new.

I've bought and planted two English culinary lavender plants, one French lavender, and two Spanish lavender.

Dried lavender in a zinc watering can is perfection to me.

Now, I just hope I don't kill the lavender in my yard again!

still following,

Bloom...

(texture-Kim's just a touch, overlay, 30% opacity)

I picked up the orchid, 

ready to thrown it out, 

thinking it had no life left in it,

when I noticed three buds.

(texture-Kim's rainy day, soft light, 15% opacity)

The next week, 

it began to bloom.

(texture-Kim's 1111 screen mode, 25% opacity)

Sometimes, it's all too easy to give up, 

to quit too soon.

Your season to bloom might be sooner than you think.

(texture-Kim's waterfront 18)

still following,

texture-twist

One more moment pregnant with wonder...

******************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#4778-#4804

6-16-14-

-remembering my mama on what would have been her 89th birthday

-our youngest grandson's real due date,

 (he now weighs 6 lbs. 9 oz. which is 2 lbs. more than his birthweight - 5 wks, 1 day ago)

(Giving a shout out to the AMAZING Brienne Kristin,  

baby photographer extraordinaire and my sweet friend!

Vancouver/Portland area peeps check out her business on Facebook here.)

-God's Word made personal (Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 10:35-36)

-taking communion while reading and praying through 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 53, Psalm 103

6-17-14-

-candlelight on a rainy June morning

-our oldest daughter and her family all safely home from a trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota

-the hubs going grocery shopping with me after he got home from the church

6-18-14-

-two sleepy little granddaughters crawling into bed with me at 5:30am while Papa took their parents to the airport

-cherry season!  I made clafoutis and we ate it for breakfast!

-youngest granddaughter starting to actually get the hang of using the potty

-secondborn daughter and the grandsons coming over to join in on some of the fun with the girls

-making homemade pizza for dinner

-playing in the backyard 

-making s'mores in the backyard fire pit

6-19-14-

-the two youngest granddaughters slept well and even a wee bit later than usual

-taking all three granddaughters to Lake Sacajawea

-putting two year old granddaughter to bed and letting five year old granddaughter watch Aladdin for the first time with eleven year old granddaughter (she loved it!)

6-20-14-

-letting the girls watch morning cartoons so I can have my devotions

-the hubs making us all breakfast

-taking all the grandkids, except the baby, to the $3 movie theatre to see "Peabody and Sherman"

-the two youngest granddaughters so happy to see their mama and daddy when they got home from their trip

6-21-14-

-a beautiful official first day of summer

-an afternoon walk by the river with the hubs

-the hubs taking me to Chipotle for dinner because I love it, even though he doesn't

6-22-14-

-worshipping

-holding my baby grandson at church

-lunch with a dear family from church

-having fun with my youngest daughter while she baked her boyfriend a german chocolate cake for his birthday

gratefully yours,

Psalm 42:8...

I wondered about the word command in this verse.  The Hebrew word is "tzsavah" and it means to give orders, to charge or to bid.  The original emphasis of this word in the Hebrew is something that God will do with great intensity.  I love that God forcefully commands His lovingkindness toward us!

still following,

Also happily linking up with the lovely Lisha Epperson.

Friday Faves....my favorite "junk store".

When I went on a little beach getaway with my granddaughter last week

I just had to pay a visit to my favorite "junk store".

I call it a junk store because there are no nicely decorated displays like in your typical antique store or mall.

However,  there are probably more genuine antiques in this store than in those that are more esthetically pleasing.

You just have to find them in this packed to the brim with stuff store!

My grandkids and I call it "the Jesus junk store" because of the obvious Christian signs out front and also because they have worship music playing in the store.

It's an interesting enough place that my grandkids actually ask to go there with me!

Now,  if only I had a big farmhouse kitchen with room enough to hang this white and red cabinet!

There's my granddaughter looking at the bookcases full of old books.

Look at all of that crystal!

Just about every kind of art you can think of!

Need an old trunk?

If you're ever on the Oregon Coast, specifically Lincoln City,

just head to the south part of town and keep your eyes open for some large Jesus signs.

I bet you'll like the "Jesus junk store" as much as I do.

It's almost Friday, friends.

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and 

a BLESSED weekend!

                  

Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday