Greater love hath no friend than to bring her friend cookies.

I know, I know. It's a mix. But she really tried! First she had them ready and we weren't home. Then she made another batch and her 9 month old son fell down the stairs--scary! Then she made a batch and the chickens got loose and the neighborhood dog was terrorizing them and the cookies got burnt as the family chased the chickens. And then she made a batch and they fell out of the stroller and in to the mud. So she threw up her hands and bought me a mix.

And you know what?

I love it! I still feel her love. I still feel her desire to make my day brighter. It did make my day brighter. I saw the mix sitting on the front porch and started laughing because I knew that yet again some other freakish thing had to happen in order for her to have to resort to the mix. Then I got her e-mail explaining what had happened to not one but two batches and laughed even more because I don't think you could script things that perfectly.

She came over yesterday and we made zucchini bread. I found a delicious recipe and we had a good time making it and gabbing together. It's been a rough adjustment time school-wise for both of us and so it was good to be together.

Thanks and I love you too girl! (btw, in case you are wondering or need it, you left your vanilla at my house!)

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School time has been a rough adjustment here. Now that I know we have to adjust, it makes it easier, but this year has been particularly bad. There was 24 hour time period. . .lets just say it was bad. I found out that Seth is an actor and I snapped and it led to a 24 hour battle. I found out about the acting one evening and just yelled at him, I was so mad. The next day I actually didn't lose it at all. He stayed home from school and I acted completely indifferent and cool as a cucumber (except for once when I bawled my eyes out, but I didn't do it in front of him.) It seems to have worked because now he knows I'm all business. I don't really want to go in to more detail because I'd just like to forget the whole day.

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I love couponing! I cannot believe the deals I've found lately. The danger I'm going to get in is that it isn't necessarily a good deal if you don't have the money. I think I found out how cool it is and went a little hog-wild. I looked at my budget yesterday and realized that I need to reign things in. Budget! Budget! Budget!

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I've been super productive this week. Here's what I have done:
6 loaves of bread
6 loaves of zucchini bread
15 pints of jam
--3 blackberry
--4 blackberry/raspberry
--4 raspberry/currant
--4 plain raspberry
1 loaf of banana bread in which I supplemented my banana with applesauce because I only had one banana
1 batch of zucchini brownies--a pretty good recipe, but not as chocolaty as I'd like. I'd also recommend finely grating the zucchini. It's a bit obvious that it's in there as things stand now.

I've also gotten an oil change and done a lot of shopping.

Today is going to be equally busy. My nephew is getting baptized (something that happens when you turn 8 in the LDS religion). The baptism is at 10:00. Then it's off to lunch at a local restaurant and then a huge slip and slide party with root beer floats. Should be a great day!

I feel good about that!

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I need to get going, but I wanted to add this one last thought.

I was reading through St. John the other day and I came across this passage in chapter 15.

1 I am the true ^avine, and my Father is the husbandman.
I've heard the comparisons to plants frequently. I was reminded of them again as I walked through my father's yard and saw his apple trees that have gotten blight and how he may lose them. The pruning analogy is very real to me because I have, myself, pruned trees.

The thing that struck me this time I highlighted in bold. God doesn't just want us to give him one batch of fruit and be done. He wants us to keep going. That verse, to me that night, was about keeping the faith and enduring to the end. Now, I'm sure this isn't news to anyone but me, but it really hit me the other night. God wants us to be healthy apple trees that will bear Him fruit year after year. He will prune the blight off, but He expects us to live on and bear more fruit after the pruning--until He is ready for us to come home.

God wants perennials, not annuals.

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Happy days to you!