Now the sweet veils of mercy drift through the evening trees

Picture: Sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I distinctly remember my flight over the Pacific when we came home from PNG. I swore I was going to be awake to see the sunrise. Next thing I know, my sister's tapping me on the shoulder while a flight attendant is asking me if I want some orange juice. There goes THAT experience.

Not much is new on the home front. It's getting warmer here, and progressively harder for me and Dan not to get Slurpees way more often than necessary. Seriously...they're the perfect summer treat. They cool you down, heart and soul. Our apartment has been bearable so far, but both of our treasured tower fans are starting to make weird noises and we're literally praying they aren't on the fritz. Dan said, "If I get a job soon, let's get ourselves a treat of new fans." How sad...yet SO exciting. Seriously.

So this morning I was drying my hair (with my head up-side-down, pulling the towel across the back of my in side-to-side motion). When I got done, all of a sudden my neck started BURNING like crazy! I looked in the mirror and there was this huge red spot that literally felt like raw skin. It was so bad that I had to get a bag of coffee grounds out of the freezer and attached it to my neck with a headband while I got ready. It was SO weird. I have no idea where it came from, but it STILL burns. Maybe I was too aggressive with my towel and actually gave myself towel burn? I made Dan look to see if he could find a puncture mark (or God forbid, two...spider!) to make sure I wasn't bit by anything. But seriously...very odd. I've been made fun of at work all day for the massive burn mark on my neck. Not cool, guys.

I'm in the process of re-organizing my recipes. It's been a long and tedious process, but hopefully in the end it'll make perusing recipes easier AND eliminate some of my lit'rally never used recipes. I made my whole recipe box before I was married. Back when I had visions of each night having a main dish, homemade side dish, salad, warm vegetable and starch. HA! HAHAHA! Don't get me wrong - we cook well, but my expectations were a little ridiculous. So now that I know how we eat, what we eat, how we cook...I can definitely get rid of some unrealistic recipes.

So basically, my nephew Ben is one of the world's cutest babies. Look. Tell me you disagree.

One and a half hours left of the work week. Then...me and Dan are going to our favorite Mexican restaurant for supper to celebrate being under budget for the last couple weeks :)

Streams In The Desert from this morning:

"Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear. Rather look at them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto; do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms.

Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations."

SPOT. ON.