Sister, this post is for you.

If you came for a visit my sweet sister, (DO IT!) this might be your greeting once you made your way through the garage entryway we affectionately call "The Dungeon"...

You might smell something delicious and exotic cooking in the kitchen. You might ask Tess what it is because you know for certain that I was not making anything more than apple & cheddar cheese sandwiches.

Depending on if I was miffed or not about the jab at my lack of cooking skills, I might invite you up the stairs.
You might notice a slight burnt smell about the time you reach the first landing. That is from previously cooked things in the cooking room that have wafted up the stairs and left traces of themselves behind on each step.

Once you reach the top step you might look to your right and see a photo or two of you on our table. That is because I like photos of you so that I can remember what you look like in photos and not in real life, and also, because Tess & I have yet to put anything on the walls.

If you continued gazing counter clockwise about the "Good Room" (also known as the "Great Room") this is what you might see...
(a couch folded down into a bed for now, until Tess & I finish all the furniture arrangements)

our computer area...

and the doorway to the bathroom which you might come back to later if you have to pee...

Another doorway to the sleeping room and storage...

a strange little storage that you will have to see to fully understand...

and our cool black couch that we traded out for a dorkier less slippery couch...

Finally you would see our little upstairs linen cupboard where it evidentally has always been.
It is a cute little area that actually fits a lot (like all my wrapping, photos, coloring books & pencils, and a sewing machine)

At this point you might mention you would like to see the little girl's room. After which I might intentionally take offense at your choice of words, rant about the fact that I am not a little girl but am in fact a regular sized all grown up girl, smile sheepishly in embarrassment as I notice you crossing your legs, and silently point to the bathroom door.

Relieved emotionally you might skip to the loo, to relieve yourself physically...




You might come out to find me visiting with a regular to these parts.
and someone who keeps being confused as you (by both Mumsy & me) since she cut her hair Nashvillainously.

Tess might just then call us down to dinner...

Which we might enjoy immensely since we are Italian.

We would probably end our fun evening with a walk to the downtown Paso Park, even if it is sprinkling.
Wouldn't that be nice?

in the processes of springing...

I went to Shell Creek Road


with the Dubs


and the littlest Cone.


we found a bear


and some Model A Fords


we found a UB...


& a reason why Jude might throw-up

we found some poop


accidentally broke the law


didn't get arrested

but took a "booking" photo anyways


came home to find a princess with her rats

(kidding!)

found out that when they say "that kid sure was climbing the walls", they actually mean the kid was climbing the walls


disciplined said kid by making her carry a rat around town


which she did lovingly and patiently

even if it was a little dramatic


yelled at said kid anyways, because I am her Fairy godMother & that is what I wanted to do


watched a princess catch & kiss a gecko


no prince appeared

(sigh)

enjoyed the flowers springing anyways

my newest roomie

Once upon a time there lived a princess...
"How do I know that she was a princess?" you imply with your eyebrow arched slightly.

I just do okay. (quit interrupting my story).

Her father was a king from a far away place called Indenya (India & Kenya).

As a young prince he was sent to a boarding school (like some kings do) to play football (soccer), to speak the King's English (perfectly), and to appreciate fine foods.

Even though he would one day be called a king, he was still able to experience somewhat of a normal childhood. His classmates treated him as a brother, his brother treated him as a slave, and his parents read to him.

It was quite nice actually.

"What did Their Royal Parents read to the prince?" you may ask.


Well, let me see...maybe something not so "normal" as one might expect for a boy in his early princehood.

A sweet little book, filled with sweet little stories intended to teach young royalty to mind their "p's" & "q's" & maybe, just maybe, to scare the crap out of their royal little bodies.

(actual book pictured here)

"And what kind of sweet crap scaring stories might this book have told?" you may wonder.

Well, children, the kind Royal children are read. Stories like this one, where Suck-a-thumb (a naughty little boy who sucked his thumb well past the obvious age of appropriateness), was warned to stop sucking his thumb.

"Did Suck-a-thumb heed this warning?" you may whisper with a little quiver in your voice.

Alas,
he did not!

And that was the end of Suck-a-thumb's thumbs.

I share this with you, because the King shared it with me & some of his princess daughter's other friends, one night over delicious Indian food.

"Did this princess friend of yours also grow up playing football (soccer), speaking the King's English perfectly, & absorbing important life lessions through sweet children's books of terror?" you may inquire.

As far as I know...um nope, nuh-uh, thankgoodness no!

She did however grow up playing almost every sport, reading mostly science books, and appreciating fine food.



Here are some things I appreciate about HRH Tesska:

1. She is laid back. She cares about people & pets, but is relaxed about it.

2. She is always herself, to a fault. It is funny to hear the things she says and does because of this gift/curse. For example, tripping a cute boy at work thinking he was someone else, asking impertinent and sometimes probing questions of married people and their financial arrangements, almost always saying what she is thinking. Tee-hee.

3. She is scientific in everyway. Providentially she has a sense of humor and she's beautiful, but man can that girl turn anything into a science lesson. Just ask her about cutting boards, water, and the counter.

4. She is a servant. I have had the opportunity to work alongside Tess many times, and I love that she is unobtrusive but hardworking...when she's not napping.

5. She sleeps around. And by "sleeps" I mean this girl naps. And by "around" I mean this girl can nap anywhere!

The kitchen floor after playing with her parent's dogs? Yep.

The car after arriving home and parking in the driveway? Yep.

I kid you not, I will not even bat an eyelash when the day arrives that Princess FranTeska says "you'll never believe where I fell asleep today!".
"Oh yes I will believe it!" I will say, even as she begins to describe how she crawled under the picnic table outside of work during lunch to find a gecko and found a warm patch of cement instead and decided to rest her pretty little head for a minute.
(this did not actually happen...yet, but she does like to catch geckos).

6. She is willing to deal. That means she tells me the truth, even when I am not keen to hear it, and she asks for the same. That is such a treasure in a friend!

7. She has a heart for missions. We were able to take a mission class together last year, and it has been so great to encourage each other to move forward as God works on our hearts and moves our feet to bring the Hope of the Gospel somewhere else.

So, this is what we decided. To move in to the Fanny House, (kinda like a Granny House minus the Granny), and to encourage each other as we both finish school and head out to wherever God calls us.

Here we are driving to our new place after fitting so much stuff in Tess' Subaru that we had to call it Mary Poppins' Purse.

Little Dub

Saturday turned out to be an unexpectedly fun & relaxing day.

I was supposed to be moving, but thankfully the new place wasn't exactly ready, and neither was I. So, I cleaned instead and then Jill (my baby sister-in-law) and Little Dub (my baby nephew) came over and hung out.

He is 5 months & deliciously adorable.

Here he is chilaxin on my couch, just like the lil" dub he is.


If you get to spend your day with that, how can you not enjoy it?

I don't have a picture of my adorable baby sister-in-law, but trust me she is, and I actually enjoy her company as much as I enjoy Little Dub's.

Here are some of the things she does that I appreciate & also that crack me up:

1. Tells Little Dub he is lying when he fusses, or when he stares at a completely blank wall with such intent. "Liar" she mutters.

2. Gives solid and clear advice on all things muddled, like moving, packing & landlords.

3. Encourages match-making-adventures like writing a friend's contact info for facebook on the back of a random business card & putting it on the car of a very attractive, eligible looking young man and sneaking away.

4. Discourages possible consequences of aforementioned matchmaking-adventures by telling me she will drive away and leave me if anyone notices or I get caught. (at least she's forthright).

5. Watches sweet Hallmark movies like "Love is Never Silent" and cries just as much as I do.

I love my baby-sis-in-law. And someday I will put a photo up so you too can see how adorable she actually is.

the wedding

Jessica (the bride - who I will now refer to as "Bridee") was probably one of the most organized brides I have ever seen.

Everything for her big day was planned perfectly.
By the time the rehearsal came around, everything was done...

& Tess, Bridee, I, & Brooke were able to display our "we're prepared for anything from a wedding to a secret ambush" faces...


all that preparation was what helped us to thoroughly enjoy a relaxing day leading up to the celebration.

Relaxing? you may ask.

Yes. I might respond.

And I have proof. I might add.

This is the groom (Demi, who I will now refer to as "Groomie"), taking a one hour nap before we started the wedding photos.


Unfortunately, our attempt to sneak up on Groomie for a surprising & possibly awkard photo, woke Groomie from said nap.

Preparation was the key, and boy was there preparation.

Do you know how much preparation it takes to transform this...


into a more camera-friendly-lady-in-waiting?

a lot.

It's all sort of blurring together now, but I do remember it began with the arrival of our 5 inch heels...



kidding.

These are NOT our 5 inch heels, but wouldn't that have been weird...and oddly fitting if you knew anything about Bridee & Groomie?

When our actual 5 inch heels arrived,


I tried to practice walking in them once every few days.


Then there was the practice styling our hair day,


which was so fun and also so long.



Then there was the make-up which was not as long as I expected, but definitely more fun than expected.

And finally the hair,
which took long enough,
and wouldn't have been possible without Brooke's curling skills...

not that kind of curling, silly Olympic fans...


this kind of curling...



and presto, change-o (which I think is Italian for "SHAZAAM!"),

a tired, but presentable musketeer 3.


and always presentable musketeer 2.



(for photos of musketeer 1, please google "curling").

It really was a neat time to share with my friends. And like I said before, it is such an honor to stand up there with a Bridee & a Groomie, and yell "Woo-hoo you two!"

here's Groomie


& his Bridee


Beginning of story!