::: say cheese...cake! part 2 :::

Fifteen cheesecakes! An incredible band! A wonderful audience! In other words, a great success.

Yes, it was a lot of work, but there were amazing people who came to my rescue, running to the store, washing dishes, giving me hints and tips, offering encouraging words, and, of course, making beautiful and delicious cheesecakes.

Here are a few photos from the cheesecake auction and Honeytown concert. It was so much fun that we're talking about making it an annual event to benefit whatever the need is at the time of the auction.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your hard work, prayers, generosity and thoughtfulness. I'm so blessed!

::: now my feet won't touch the ground :::

The weekend was a beautiful one; visits with loved ones, hugs from nieces and nephews, lots of music and dancing and laughing, and a beautiful bride and a handsome groom.

My little sister, who is actually Bo's little sister, who often comments on this blog as Lil Sis, married her sweetheart, Bishop, on Saturday. The outdoor wedding was blessed with a beautiful day, a group of loving people in attendance, Bo and his brother playing Coldplay's "Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground" on lap dulcimer and guitar, and a whole host of laughing (and, occasionally, crying) children. At one point, the sing-songy serenade of the ice cream truck floated through the park, children and adults flocking to get a cool, sweet treat.

It was such an honor to be a part of Lil Sis's wedding, to do one of the things that I love best, which is to snap photos here and there and take a bit of video. Every time I would point my camera at Lil Sis, that funny little five-year-old girl peeked through her veil, reminding me just how quickly life skitters by.

Lil Sis's groom is so patient and enduring, with a great sense of humor and a no-nonsense approach to relationships. He tells it like it is without being demeaning or angry, and I appreciate that so much about him, about that man who doesn't let the wool be pulled over his eyes and continues to state what he believes. "You have ideals," his new father-in-law said, and it seems that it's true.

The two of them are iron sharpening iron, and they, along with Lil Sis's little girl RJ, are going to do amazing things as a family.

::: scenes from a graduation party :::

A full weekend

Friday night was the Formal Night Out sponsored by our home ed. group. Bard and Houdin went together, brother and sister, and met their other friends there. While Bo and I had dinner and did some errands, the kids dined, enjoyed a speaker, and then headed over to a local gym for games. As if they hadn't had enough by the time the event was over with, they went to Houdin's girlfriend's church for a lock-in. Bright and early the next morning, they had to be at yet another church to make pizzas for a speech and debate fundraiser. They took Grandma's advice of "sleep later" very seriously. When it was all over, they crashed. It was a full weekend, indeed.