my week in instagram

I recently joined Instagram. It's a great little thing you can do if you have a smartphone (which I haven't had until just last month). You can take photos with your phone, put a cool filter on the picture, and then post it to your little photo album of sorts. Here's my past week in instagram photos that I took with my phone. (If you want to look at all of my photos or follow me on Instagram, here's my page. )

happy to have my phone back. 

the screen broke and i didn't have it for 9 days. talk about feeling disconnected!

I burned my hand pretty badly with steam from my rice cooker. the pain was so intense that I immediately burst into tears and got very nauseous. Clint brought this little aloe plant home that night (he keeps it in his classroom). I was totally amazed at how quickly my hand healed, thanks to this little plant and the gooey aloe vera inside the leaves.

I thank God for that little aloe plant! He is so creative and amazing!

one of my themes for the week. 

I was so blessed to go to a baby shower for my friend LaSaunda. She is expecting her fourth child (and first girl!). It was held in our church, and it was decorated just beautifully! So much fun!

isn't she cute?! they put a tiara and "mommy-to-be" sash on her while she opened the gifts. :)

latkes (aka potato pancakes)!

if you've never tried them before, I highly recommend them! 

(you can get a mix in the Jewish food section in your grocery store - usually near the mexican food, indian food, chinese food, etc..)

enjoying a glass on champagne with clint on our backyard patio as the sun went down.

Benjamin and Leo made Clint this breakfast for Father's Day. (I helped just a teeny bit)

So cute!

breakfast in bed!

later that morning, I got a text from my next door neighbor asking us if we wanted their old sectional. They were having new furniture delivered the next day. Clint and I moved two couches and a recliner upstairs to make room for the new sectional. It is only 5 years old, and in very good condition. What a blessing!!

last night, Clint and I enjoyed some quiet time sitting on our comfy new sectional 

(that reclines in four places!)

We stayed up very late watching a live concert video from 1999 of Donna Summer.

(it was my Father's Day gift to Clint :) - he's a big fan!)

When I stumbled downstairs this morning, sleepy eyed from a late night, I was delighted to see that the children had marked the sectional as their own. 

There's plenty of room for pillows and blankets and stuffed animals. :)

the Lord gave me this little prayer the other day. 

that is the cry of my heart. 

to have eyes to see. 

eyes to see His beauty. 

in the little things.

in the mundane.

in the day-to-day goings on of my life. 

His beauty is everywhere. 

I just have to look for it!