it's my kind of town

Playing catch up! Pics from our trip to Chicago to see Dave & Sara.

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[1] partners in crime on the way to chicago

[2] night in the city sure looks pretty to me

[3] potato boats for breakfast. we unintentionally had a "boat" themed weekend.

[4] sara's cute decor on the balcony.

[5] hanging out* after an afternoon of window shopping & thrifting.

*didn't get a great shot of them, but we're sitting on benches sara made from old pallets!

[6] down to the boardwalk for dinner!

[7] boat out on lake michigan

[8] cute picnic & game bags. we brought a little grill & made kebabs.

[9] sun setting. watching navy pier to see if they'd do fireworks...

[10] the sky gets darker & the city lights get brighter

[11] just hanging out & talking

[12] sara & doug are disappearing!

[13] the 4 of us.

[14] me & sar

[15] started to rain, so we* went back to the house to grill banana boats!

*an incredibly alarming picture. we are extremely excited about this endeavor.

[16] grilled banana boats: cut open your banana, add various things that make said banana unhealthy, wrap in foil & grill for about 10 minutes.

[17] zucchini boats & homemade mac. incredibly sunday lunch.

[18] afternoon snack of frozen grapes, our* new fav!

*possibly the only picture in existence in which sara is in a dress and i'm in shorts.

A wonderful weekend with people we love!

Thanks, Winks!

bingo bango.

Oh Grandpa, how we loved to laugh

at the little things you'd do -

napkin tucked into your collar,

Equal always at hand

for that "strong potato flavor".

Clotheslines strung in minivans,

causing questions at borders.

Numbering the orchard blocks

and shaving while you walked.

Do you remember when Robert and I

stole your cart and tried to make it a car?

Or how mad you'd get

when you caught us peeling the birch tree?

And Grandpa, when we played Rummikub,

you'd impatiently urge us to hurry

then take your time at your turn.

Sneaking a cookie when I decorated with Gram,

I'd take out a snack to your studio.

Watching the slow, patient brush strokes

as your created life on the canvas.

You'd make me show off my latest piano piece

and you'd show off too -

the latest piece you'd composed.

How you'd beam with pride at our recitals!

Planting a hard, whiskery kiss on our cheeks.

On birthdays and at Christmas,

a harmonica has never sounded as sweet.

Always around the farm,

you'd come over and help me pick peaches.

Driving tractor, I'd climb up

To bring you a cup of water.

And when I was old enough to drive,

you flagged me down at the end of the field

to give me a frozen Snickers.

Picnics at the pond, where you sat

quietly watching the ones you loved.

A family so loud, so proud.

So beautiful, so bickering, so full.

As the old tree in the yard lost branches,

you nailed planks in their place

so your grandkids could still play.

Bingo bango, bingo bango...

Oh Grandpa, we love you.

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in loving memory of

Grandpa Bannister

December 31, 1918 - August 31, 2011

back to school

Hello, my name is Mrs. Parton, and I am an English teacher.*

*Childish lunch box - with Goldfish and juice box - not pictured.

Today was our first day back! It went really smoothly, despite my apprehension. Because of our last-minute trip to NY last week, I kept feeling like I wasn't really prepared. I missed some meetings and didn't have as much time in the classroom as I would have liked, but I ended up being more prepared than I thought! I guess the fact that this is my 4th year at PCA probably helped a bit.

My friend Maria (hey, Maria!) recently started doing her "Weekly Wish List" - and I love this idea, so I'm obviously stealing it. Maria writes that she wants to document goals for the week: "things I am looking forward to, dreading, want to accomplish, etcetera." As some of my readers may know, I'm a big list person (hello, Type A syndromes). I also love resolutions and goals, so this is right up my alley. I don't know that I'll share these on the blog each week, but when I remember, I probably will.

So! This week, I wish...

[1] to memorize the names of my freshman class. I'm decent with names, and there are only 22 of them, so hopefully this will be easy.

[2] to mail Emily some cookies. Oops, I hope she's not reading this because I really like surprises and want her to be surprised.

[3] to finish The Sun Also Rises. Last "summer" book. Sigh.

[4] to get my new contract signed & update the school website. Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm the new school webmaster? Yeah, I am. Not really sure what I'm getting myself into.

[5] to finish memorizing Psalm 121. My grandma is an inspiration.

Oh - one more for this week.

[6] to blog about our trip to Chicago! Life got a little hectic after we got back from this trip, but it was definitely a blog-worthy experience.

Okay - what are YOUR weekly goals?!

Come on, peeps - jump on the list bandwagon.

AND just because I'm feeling ambitious - I'll share my goal for the ENTIRE school year! This is a big one, folks.

My goal for the 2011-2012 school year is to leave the house every morning by 7:05am.

I was going to say 7am, but let's not get crazy.

seeing God

During times of trial and pain, people often wonder where God is. Now, I'm no theologian, and my faith certainly waivers because of my fickle heart, but I just wanted to share a few places that I've seen God so far during the past week.

- God is in Grandma's lack of injuries.

- God is in the fact that Grandpa was not killed immediately.

- God is in my family not being injured while getting Gram & Gramps out of the house.

- God is in my family living next door.

- God is in how fast Gramps was taken care of - how quickly ambulances & helicopters responded.

- God is in the love that the Bannister family has surrounded one another with - buying clothes for Gram, bringing food to the hospital, hosting meals for those visiting the hospital, phone calls, emails, hugs, tears, love from far away...

- God is in the love that has been showered upon the Bannister family.

- God is in the masses of prayers that are going up from people who don't even know Grandpa.

- God is in random messages from people I haven't talked to in years, telling me they're praying and thinking of my family.

- God is in Aunt Lynnie's discovery of something important we thought had been lost among the rubble.

- God is in Gram memorizing Psalm 121 and encouraging her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren throughout everything.

- God is in little smiles that Grandpa has given visitors.

- God is in a good night's rest.

God is sustaining. In the good and the bad, he is sovereign. This list is only a glimpse of the ways God has shown himself to me this week.

My sweet family members -

what evidences of God's grace have you seen?

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

-Job 1:21

trivial.

So, it seems a little ridiculous to follow up the post about my Grandpa with a silly before&after hair picture, but I promised a couple people I would do a blog post to unveil my haircut. We got back from New York around 3pm on Thursday, and I had a haircut at 5pm. I felt like an insane person - lying there, getting my hair washed while the rest of my family was sitting in a hospital waiting room. As Marla wrote, "when things like this happen, you walk around in a haze. wondering how the world can just go on. wondering how i can just go on. but life goes on. and i go on. but there is a lump in my throat that never fully goes away." I think more than ever, this week has taught me what it really means to "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). The report on Grandpa was good this morning - it sounds like he will hopefully be off the ventilator in a day or two. Pray for continued progress!

All that being said - here is my "before" shot.

As you can see from my expression, I don't really know what's going on. I was debating chopping all my hair off. Split ends are out of control. It's a hot mess.

After:

This is what I call my "unsure smile" - I think I like it, but it does make me look like a 12-year old. I chickened out at the very last second and decided just to chop my bangs instead. At least the split ends are gone!