Random Pictures on My Phone

Today is our 23rd anniversary.  As has happened the past few years, Tom has been away at Canoe Camp or I've picked him up from it or something (it's always around this time). . .but we had a trip a week and a half ago and this is one of two selfies we took -- we are lame.  I will blog about it I hope -- Savannah! -- it was great.  On top of that he brought flowers home for me yesterday and had a card for me today -- I had forgotten.  I know, I know. . .I'll have something for him when he gets home next weekend.

So. . .this is the first evening in a long time that I have had nothing to do (the younger two and I watched a movie, I took a nap, Stephen and I played Bananagrams) so I was going through my phone pictures.  You know, the ones that are still there even though Tom dumped my phone a day or so ago?  Oh, that's only me?  O.K., that would be about right.  Anyway, these are randomly here. . .I love pictures and the memories they bring back -- even the "everyday" sort of things.

My phone says this was taken May 6th.  Most Sundays we go to Mexican after church but for some reason this particular week we did not. . .I decided to make this spread for later in the day instead.  All decided that is was a MUCH better idea -- I was ambitious and got most of my recipes off of Mix and Match Mama's Tex-Mex menu.  We need to do this more often.  It's great for a crowd!

May 22nd - Last day of school (all three of them together -- the  younger two took the bus the next day)

Stephen, the dog, and I walked to the bus stop together most mornings so here she is a little confused that they all took off together.

Margaret's 16th birthday!!  She had some people

 over for ice cream sundaes -- it was actually the day before her birthday -- she left for camp ON Memorial Day, which was her "real" birthday.

Tommy must have taken this picture -- and since it's still on my phone it's not edited. . .oh well.  Can't make people look at the camera in an editing program anyway, right?

During Training Week at Camp one of her friends took and edited this picture and Laura sent it to me -- I love it.

My beautiful niece's graduation -- I told you these were random!  We weren't able to attend the ceremony but were at her party the day before. . .I am so proud of her and her high school accomplishments!!

Week 2 of Cedar Lake Camp -- this is the Bell AND Kilby crew!  Only 3/4 Bells shown, 4/7 Kilby's + 1/5 of the Kilby fosters.  (I'm not sure if that sweet boy is allowed to be on the internet so I'll err on the side of caution.  I wish you could see his cheesy smile though!)

  Birthday "cake" for my work sister -- it was actually a coffee cake since we had a birthday breakfast instead of a birthday lunch for her.  Why are some still here and others not?. . .the picture of her blowing out the candles is NOT still on my phone.  

A picture of two very burnt girls on their last night in FL.  They bought these matching shirts for fun -- it was Kris's graduation trip and she took beautiful Laura as her friend :)

Tom and I bought this book this week.  This picture is on the phone, but not the next one that shows how I marked up the pages!  Our family did Keto together in April and Tom and I have continued to "loosely" follow it these last two months.  What a difference it has made!  I was looking for some more meal ideas and such -- I got extremely bored with my food choices but feel great and don't miss the sugar too much so it's worth continuing.

These last two pictures are from last night. . .a client has taken a liking to Laura and her soccer (even coming to watch her play once this spring season).  Anyway, they have a beautiful lake house near us but live in NY the majority of the time.  They were down this weekend and invited our family out for a boat ride and dinner -- it was so nice of them!!  Robert wasn't with us, but a friend of Laura's from camp, AM, joined us as an honorary Bell :) That is her and Stephen tubing -- then Tom and Stephen on the jet ski.  It was a wonderful afternoon/evening.  I love meeting and connecting with people.

 Right before they got on the jet ski Tom had dropped his prescription sunglasses in the lake by the dock -- luckily he was able to retrieve them after only 2-3 dives down.

Unfortunately we have not had a ton of time out on the lake this year (although Tom has a week there this week!) and it is certainly my happy place.  This was a new lake to us and fun to explore with people who live on it and know it well.



Today I left straight from church for my third tennis match in three days.  I got downtown on time (I wore my tennis clothes under my church clothes) and found out I was playing with the same partner I played with Friday and Saturday.  We had already won both matches this weekend so I was hoping we held our streak.  We were ahead for a bit, then as it started to spit rain and we were tied it up at 5-5.  As soon as we got off the courts the rain came pouring -- but you can see by sky in the picture why this storm surprised us:

It was still pouring when I took this, then made a dash for the car.  Someone had booked inside courts a few miles down the road so we headed there.  When we arrived the sun was shining -- it had never rained there so we headed back outside to play and ended up losing those last two games in the first set, going into the second set 5-7.  We won the second set 6-3 and the tie break 10-3.  Our Friday night match went to a match tie-break too. . .this is a new team for me and I'm enjoying meeting new people and all.the.tennis.  I heard I may get to play more than 3 games next weekend. . .shhhhh. . .don't tell Tom. . . .

I'm ending my anniversary with the two younger ones and dog. . .the four of us went to the dog park, came home and watched Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (well, I slept through most of it), Stephen and I played Bananagrams together and while I've been typing Tom let me know that he is enjoying his evening.

See what I mean about Keto?  "Loosely" is the key word.  Believe it or not, there are several beers with very low carb content. . .and I have added all fruit back into my diet -- not having anything but berries for a month was hard for me.








With all my "time" this week I hope to get a Savannah post up as well as some things done around the house since our office is closing on the 3rd and the 4th.  There are lots of good movies out too. . .I'll quickly fill my week :)  Frederick has two tennis matches, I have a match and a clinic, Margaret has her driver's license now so is feeling a whole new kind of freedom. . .tonight while we were walking I told Margaret I liked it when they were 4 and 6 and Daddy was gone for the week -- we'd do McDonald's and the park and read books. . .and they'd go to bed at 8 p.m. and I'd have tons of adult time to myself.  This season of life is a little different -- they aren't as easily pleased with fast food and reading books together :)  I love my 14 and 16 years old. . .and am grateful for the time Tom has away with the 17 and 19 year old.  As I look back I also am overwhelmed with thankfulness of where I am and try to live each day in the moment with the time I have.

It's been a terrific 23 years Tom Bell!!!  I look forward to our next 23 :)