Being brave

Antiquing

Love the color

 

Playing “catch”

French Toast Man

Moon Sand

Telephone

Hanging on the porch

 

And your 7 Days?

 

I told you a while back we were thinking about smart phones.

 

What I didn’t tell you is why this change would fall under the category of being intentional.

 

For starters, we have been using a home phone and two phones that required us to buy cards to put on minutes as needed for cell service. Our home phone service is fine, but the phone itself does not always work. Or, put another way, my patient friends hated that thing.

 

 

Our cell service was pretty good, but as life seasons change, we had been using more minutes than the plan was worth. Plus if I was put on a group text, I would cry into my pillow it took so long to download. I’m only kidding a little.

 

And finally, with the actual phones I would purchase through this cell service being around $5, they didn’t always stand the test of time. Or: when you drop things on the ground and in your coffee cup as much as I do, it may be worth the investment to get a quality cell phone (with a bulletproof case).

 

So we did. We jumped right on that iPhone bandwagon.

 

The best part? Since we bought the phones themselves outright, once we cancel home phone, take out what we budgeted for cell phone minute cards, and add some friends to our new plan, we will be saving money! Not to mention all the awesome money saving apps available.

 

I’m on a definite learning curve. Auto correct makes me crazy. But, just like everything else, once I get the hang of it, I’m sure I’ll love it.

 

Okay, now you: Got a smart phone? Has this been a good way to be available to people in your life? Do you struggle to not let it take over your life? And what apps are your favs?

 

 

 

This week is all about Riverfest! The fun kicks off tomorrow.

I won’t list all the deals and activities since you can search to your heart’s content on their site. But the things I want to make sure to mention are:

Free admission to the Wingnuts baseball game this Sunday with your Riverfest button! (Thanks WOTC)

Botanica Butterfly Festival is $3 with button – and the first 100 kids can release a butterfly. Sounds quite magical.

The Wichita Public Central Library is having a book sale during Riverfest on June 6th from 11:00-5:00. Paperbacks will be 5 for $1!

 

Let’s love our city and the people in it! (Psst…Great time for a Prayer Walk.)

 

 

Beginning next Monday, all Wichita YMCAs will feature Fun Fit for children ages 6-12. This youth fitness class is come and go from 9:00-11:00 Monday through Friday, and is complementary with your membership. A great alternative to the Kid Zone for your older children.

The Cheney Citywide Garage Sale is this weekend!

Beginning next Thursday night, the Summer Outdoor Concert Series at Bradley Fair kicks off. These free, professional jazz concerts go through July 2nd. (Read more about each musical group here.) The final concert will conclude with a fireworks show!  Lovely way to spend summer evenings with your people.

Saturday at 10:30 Watermark’s Story Time is entitled Star Wars. Hmm…

Don’t forget…tomorrow night is Final Friday!

 

Let me know if I’m missing anything. Have a fabulous weekend!

 

Painting frames

How to decorate?

Cutting hair

Not too difficult
Last day of school boys!

Master’s Grad!

Rain Wrestling

 

And your 7 days?

 

We have had many people through our home in the last month, and it has had me pondering the whole idea of Housework. This led me to thoughts about a book I loved called Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life.

What most intrigued me upon first glance was it seemed to be about the why of housework, instead of the how. The author teaches theology at a university, so I figured she would offer theological perspectives to chores.

I’m all about the big picture.

Tell me more.

Here are my favorite thoughts from it:

“Of course housework is about making a home, but a Christian home is never just for one’s own family. It overflows its boundaries; it is an outpost of the kingdom of God, where the hungry are fed and the naked are clothed and there is room enough for everyone…

Sociologists have found that over the past thirty or forty years, the amount of time that women spend doing housework has fallen by nearly half. [One sociologist] documents the increasing prevalence of homes in which every adult member of the household works full time for pay outside the home and no one bears explicit, dedicated responsibility – even part time – for tasks inside the home. The result, she says, is homes so chaotic and unstructured that all the adults in the house would rather be at work than at home. After all, at work people know what their jobs are and can take a break when they’re done; at home all anyone knows is that it is a mess waiting for someone to clean it up.

Housekeeping, in other words, may be mundane but it is not simple.”

I love that. When I keep in mind that changing sheets, loading the dishwasher, hosting kids’ friends, dusting shelves, scrubbing toilets, and keeping our family and others fed with nourishing foods is part of our home being an “outpost for the Kingdom of God”, it can help me find joy in the more mundane tasks of my work.

I also love that we straddle the line of completely traditional roles – like most of our generation. Dan teaches, which gives him two and a half months out of the year with a more flexible schedule. In addition, he is completely in charge of floor carpets we bought from flooring Glasgow in our home: vacuuming, sweeping, mopping. I may spot clean as needed, but it is his domain. I also cannot remember the last time I did windows, or hired curtain makers to cover them. He tackles that job weekly, usually with the boys’ help.

On the other hand, I have explicitly ordered Dan out of the laundry room. I get upset if he tries to load the dishwasher. (There is a proper way, friends.) I do most of the cooking, though we enjoy teaming up on weekends and during the summer. And since our oldest was 9 months, I have worked at least some outside the home, giving me empathy for women who live in both worlds.

In other words: we have seen both sides. And in our world, housework is indeed mundane, but it is not simple. And, like everything else we do as believers, it can have eternal impact.

How about you? What does all this look like in your home? Ever thought of housework being part of making your home an outpost for the kingdom of God?

It has been one of my favorite parts of the day.

 

Every time a sweet, special needs boy sees his Mama after school, he runs to her with abandon.

 

She runs, too, with all the excitement to see him mirrored back. As if they had been separated for 7 weeks, rather than 7 hours.

 

Chokes me up every time.

 

I will miss them this summer.

Do you know about Final Friday? I love this. The last Friday of the month, participating art galleries stay open late to welcome visitors. The Q-Line also offers free trolley rides during this. So you can park once, see lots of cool art for free! Don’t you love our city?

What about Food Trucks at the Fountain? One Sunday a month at the Waterwalk, many of our traveling taste sensations gather in one spot. With live music to boot. The May gathering is this Sunday!

Today is USD 259’s final day of school. Which means…Wichita Public Library Summer Reading Program starts tomorrow! Sign up. You won’t regret it.

Wanna get wet, but don’t want to commit to the pool? Check out the Interactive Fountains in parks and shopping centers all around town. (Thanks Wichita on the Cheap!)

Need a new place for lunch? Have you ever tried City Life Cafe? Great cuisine for a great cause.

Have a zoo pass? The official public grand opening for the new Tropics exhibit is tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

Every Thursday morning from 9:30 – 10:30, Great Plains Nature Center hosts the Little Nature Lovers Program. This free event includes games and sensory activities to get your kids excited about nature. (Thanks WOTC!)

Tonight New Market Square is hosting a free concert for Twilight Thursday Arts AMaize. Bluegrass music and interactive art!

 

One more thing: There are many children in the Wichita area who rely on the school calendar to eat regular meals. I truly love that the school district provides free breakfast and lunch for kids in this situation ages 1 – 18. You can see locations and a schedule at summerfood.usd259.org. Please try to keep this in mind for anyone in your life who could use it.

 

As always (and inspired by an email from last week) I want to make sure and mention it doesn’t take a special event to be intentional, save money, or love people. Let’s invest in others as we pull weeds, hang clothes on the line, workout, blow bubbles, cook dinner, sip coffee on the deck, or head to the local pool.

 

Have such a wonderful weekend. Happy Summer!

Leftover Book Fair books – Buy One, Get One Free sale at school. He remembered to bring his own money.

His preschool-made version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Making waffles for our sweet friends visiting.

Last Page of Reading Homework for First Grade! (Shirts are optional in the summer.)

Picked just for me.

An owl and his trainer in the parking lot after school. Cool.

Field Day Tug of War.

Impromptu after-school play date. With water balloons.

Teamwork.

Our patio picnic last night.

 

Sooo…how are you?

I don’t know where you are, but around here we have 4 more days of school. (Thinking about this for the final day.)

In some ways I cannot wait.

In some ways, I’m a leetle nervous.

You may have seen some of these calendars on Pinterest to help you theme your days…instead of endless stretches of nothingness. Which can lead to bickering. The boys can be rough, too.

Here is our rough draft for the summer:

Make Something Monday: Recipe, craft, build something, science project

Trip Tuesday: Library, Museums, Art Camp, Park, Cheap Theater

Wet Wednesday: Swim, Water Balloons, Water guns

Thoughtful Thursday: Write letters, make cookies, serve people

Fun Friday: Pinterest ideas, Play dates, H2O Days at the Zoo

Other stuff for our family:

Summer reading program

Homemade ice cream

Dry clothes in the sunshine

Picnics and cook outs

Camping with friends

Farmers’ Markets and Gardening

Eat at When Pigs Fly BBQ… Heard it’s amazing

Dan’s Graduation Party (wanna come? bring food)

Practice, practice, practice reading and writing

Watch fireflies on the patio

Time with extended family

Jump rope

T-ball and Baseball

Run through the sprinkler

Riverfest

Bike rides

Chore Dance Parties

Pray for summer teams as a family

Play soccer in the street

Make this from Pinterest…and this

Adult Specific:

Trip to Colorado for my cousin’s wedding (sans children)

Make curtains for the office

Paint Side table

Date Nights

He loves when I choose driving time to take selfies.

 

Okay, what’s on your Summer Bucket List? I love hearing others’ plans!

 

Free Kids Day at Watson Park! This Saturday from 9:00 – noon, there will be plenty of free kids’ activities at this fun park  – like learning how to fish, riding the train, and trying archery.

Then you will have time to break for lunch and head to the free Kite Festival in Derby. From 1:00 to 4:00 at High Park there will be vendors and attractions, including face painting and a candy drop. Plus plenty of air space to fly your kites.

Do you know about NERDSday Thursdays at Reverie? The second Thursday of every month, Reverie hosts a discussion “involving three nerds passionate about their topic.” Things like auctionneering, urban farming and board games. Love it.

Since we missed the RSVP on that last one, what about Game Night at Reverie?

Mead’s Corner is hosting some fun musicians in the next few days.

Are you a biker? Do you know we’re in the middle of Bike Month? Check out the event calendar. (Thanks Wichita on the Cheap!)

Hey Garage Salers: This weekend is the Derby City-wide sale! (I had no idea there were calendars for this.)

And you know about $1.50 movie tickets at the Palace on Tuesdays, right? Okay then.

 

Have a good one!