Brave: My Personal Thoughts

I went to see Brave last night, but I didn't think the message was very brave at all.  This, of course, is my own personal opinion, but I was sad to see that in order to empower girls and give them encouragement, Disney had to present us with clueless, silly male characters. 

There is no hero in this movie, only a heroine.  However, Disney not only gives us a purposefully absent prince or love interest (long gone are the days when a princess needs saving by a man), but they draw the men as violent, rash, stupid, silly, pompous males.  The king, arguably the most normal man in the movie, is unable to publically speak without his queen prompting his words, and every clan leader and clan leader's son is a laughable joke until the main character princess comes in and rallies them all to enlightenment and proper decision making with her speech on unity, breaking tradition and forging your own path.

What I found particularly unbrave about Brave was the moral of the story.  I couldn't really find an admirable lesson.  Perhaps there was a pale innuendo that pride leads to misunderstanding and trouble, plus reconciliation is necessary when we fight.  Any trace of this was erased, though, by presenting us with a selfish princess (even admiting she is selfish) who decides her desires for her destiny are most important, even if she has to hurt others to get there.  Sure, she ultimately has remorse for what she does to others, but all is excused at the end, and she ultimately still gets her desires, as if it were all worth it in the end.

My favorite Disney movies have had solid moral stories--Cars teaches us about not being prideful and relying on others, not judging a book by its cover (Mater and Sally), and that oftentimes fame and fortune are disappointing, superficial paths.  Toy Story teaches us to be a loyal friend, to not let jealousy take hold, and to love each other for our own unique strengths--forgiving mistakes and working on weaknesses because we all have them.  Up teaches us about empathy and the strength of love.  Even in the recent Tangled, the characters may start out as flawed and self serving, but they realign their priorities for what is right and good. 

Brave didn't teach me much.  It is a miss to me.  I don't understand why we have to belittle men to build women up.  I don't know why bravery is equated with selfish drive and ambition to decide one's own fate.    It seems cowardly to me to hurt others in order to achieve your dreams.  Though Merida tries to correct her hurtful decisions, there is no compromise with others at any point in the movie, no hint of true, selfless sacrifice. 

I'd rather have my children watch a movie about real heroes and heroines who sacrificed for others and considered others better than themselves--even if they take a flawed journey to get there.  That is what I consider brave.

Have you seen Brave?  What were your thoughts?

Women in the Word Wednesday: Change

I hate change.  I don't know of very many people who love it.  We have had some change in our lives lately with jobs, friend relocations, kids' routines/needs, etc. 

Why do we hate change?  I think it is mostly selfish. . .

*We don't like to take the time to re-establish relationships or make new ones
*We dislike a new routine, which upsets our ongoing schedule and challenges our priorities
*We will miss the constant support and encouragement we have from relationships that change in location or situation
*We like being comfortable and knowing what to expect
*We fear trials or difficult situations that might arise with change
*We don't fully trust God with our plans

That last point is the main problem if we are Christians, and we all struggle with this.  The top five are issues, but the foundation of the problem is that we don't completely trust God and accept that He knows best.  We think what we want is best, and what our flesh wants is comfort and ease.

If we look at examples in the Bible, God often stretches His children with change and unknown circumstances or trials.  From Genesis to Revelation, we are called to trust as God sovereignly orchestrates change and direction.  Ask Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Mary, Jesus, Peter, the disciples, or Paul, just to name a few. 

If you are facing change today, think about it with an eternal perspective.  Know, if you are a Christian, it comes directly from God's hand and has been lovingly and sovereignly assigned to you.  It is often not easy, but he gives us tools of peace, comfort and much grace in the stretching process.  Trust with joy and a firm grasp of God's faithfulness.

He is growing you in the likeness of your Savior, Christ Jesus.  What could be more beautiful and good?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Shrimp Enchiladas in a Creamy, Jalapeno Sauce

We live in Southern California, and there is a restaurant called Javier's here where I always order the same dish:  shrimp enchiladas.  They come out in a creamy, white sauce dripping down over spicy prawns.  There are always buttery, rich avocado slices across the top, and I ALWAYS get this dish.

A week or so ago, I pinned a similar dish on Pinterest and knew I'd make this recipe soon.  The original recipe and pinned site is here.  

I adjusted the recipe to my taste and what seemed most like my Javier's dish. 

Serves 2:

About 10 ounces of shrimp--small is fine
3 flour tortillas (homemade or pick up freshly made ones for the best results)
sour cream--about 3/4 cup
1 small can of chicken stock (about 2 cups)
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and chopped
garlic powder (1 tbsp)
1 small white onion, chopped
4 tbsp of butter
almond flour
chopped cilantro to taste
1 avocado, sliced

Set oven to 350

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan and then saute the onion in the butter.  When it is starting to brown/carmalize, throw in your shrimp.  I sauted all of this until the shrimp were pink and done.  Add the garlic powder and stir all of it together.  Take off the heat and set aside.

Sauce:  Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan.  Add about 1 tbsp of almond flour to thicken the base.  Stir.  Slowly add in chicken stock until all mixed.  When boiling, slowly stir in sour cream until it is all incorporated.  Stir in the chopped jalapeno and let all of it simmer until it is thicker. (If you don't like spice, add no or fewer jalapeno pieces).

You can toast your tortillas directly on a gas range for some texture and crunch.  I forgot this step, but it would add to the dish.

Prepare a casserole dish.  Fill each of the three tortillas with the shrimp, onion mixture.  Add a little bit of chopped cilantro if you wish.  Roll.  Place in casserole dish.  Repeat with all three.  Top all of it with a very generous helping of the sauce.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Take it out of the oven.  Top off with the sauce that is left, sprinkle on some cilantro, and lay a generous amount of sliced, creamy avocado over the top.

Serve with Mexican rice and beans. 
For best results, eat this dish outside on a gorgeous summer evening.  Enjoy!

Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

I was at a bbq recently, and a friend brought cakies--I think that is what she called them.  It is cake mix, butter and an egg made into cookies.  She made lemon cookies, and I thought they were SO good!  I'm also all about easy recipes.
So, when a friend asked me to make a non-chocolate chip cookie for her summer wedding to contribute to her reception's cookie bar, I thought of my summery, lemon cookies I had tasted.

These are sweet--I love sweet--so all you bitter-dark chocolate lovers out there probably won't relish these cookies.  If you have a super sweet tooth, you will love these.  They are perfect for the summer.  Just remember to refrigerate the frosting before you serve them.

Ingredients:
1 box of lemon cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 egg

frosting: 
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese at room temp

Mix the cookie ingredients.  Roll into small balls and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.  They will have crinkles all over when they are done.

Frosting:  Mix the cream cheese until smooth.  Mix in the sugar and vanilla.  This will yield frosting for about 3-4 batches of cookies, so you will most likely have left over frosting--bummer!  Wink, wink.

Disneyland Tips

I have deep rooted ties to Disneyland.  My dad and mom both worked there when they were teenagers--surprisingly, not meeting there.  My dad worked at almost every ride in tomorrowland and fantasyland--in fact he was there to witness Walt Disney pouring water from the different oceans into the canals when they opened It's A Small World.  My mom dressed up as Snow White to run the indoor Snow White Ride.  My aunt, my mom's sister, dressed up and walked around as the Snow White character in the park.  My older sister worked in the Star Tours shop when Star Tours first opened.  I remember her telling me about a giant water ride they were going to build called Splash Mountain.

My husband also has Disneyland ties.  His grandpa wrote the screenplay for Disney's Swiss Family Robinson movie, and, because of this, my father in law grew up around the Disney lots. 

Growing up, there was no such thing as season passes, but we would go to Disneyland often.  For awhile, when I was little, we had a ticket stub in the paperwork drawer with the E tickets we had bought on a visit. I remember shorter lines and long gone attractions like The Tuna Boat/Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant whose location now hosts the Dumbo ride, the People Mover ("You are now entering the world of Tron"), the original Rockets in tomorrowland--above the Tomorrowland Terrace (remember the elevator to the top?), Journey to Inner Space, and Bear Country Jamboree (I can still hear the snoring bear at the entrance to Bear Country).  I remember parking directly in front of the gates--long before the Mickey and Friends parking lot was built and trams were a given part of your visit. 

Some things remain the same, though.  Thunder Mountain is still my favorite ride.  New Orleans Square is still one of my favorite views in the park, and Disneyland is still a place that makes me happy--now because I can see my young boys enjoying all the fun I used to discover.

My husband and I have had four years of season passes, and through the years, we have learned some tricks to making the visits more productive and stress free for a family with young kids--especially kids with different ride preferences. I want to share some of our tips for your next visit!

The character breakfast at the Storyteller Cafe is less crowded than Goofy's Kitchen

1. Go early. 
My husband and I laugh because when we got married, he introduced me to Disneyland at night, and I introduced him to getting to the park when it opens.  He grew up in a night owl family who never went at opening, and my family was the early to rise sort of family who never stayed past 3 p.m.
Though night has advantages with cool breezes, decorative lights and fireworks, the way to beat the crowds is to get there right when the park opens. 
We have to go on Sundays due to our passes, which is notoriously the busiest day.  However, we get there right when it opens (8 or 9 depending on the season) and leave around 1:00 as the park is starting to feel the strain of the crowds.  It is a perfect amount of time when you have young kids.


2.  Fast Passes are your best friend if you have any kids over 40 inches--or if you just want to take a mommy or daddy break to ride a roller coaster and then swap turns watching the kids.

Almost every high demand ride and/or roller coaster has a fast pass.  Almost all--there are none for Toy Story or Matterhorn, for example.  (Speaking of Matterhorn, make note that they upped the height requirement from 35 inches to 42 inches.)  Like many people, Space Mountain is always the first ride my oldest son wants to ride at Disneyland.  If the line is short, they do one wait.  Otherwise, they go there first for a fast pass and meet up with us on the Teacups or further into the park.  (Further into the park, such as Pirates or Splash Mountain, is pretty much EMPTY early in the morning).
Fast passes, in case you don't know, are special tickets you get from machines near the fast pass rides. You slide your ticket or season pass in the machine and it prints up a special ticket.  They have a time window printed on them.  You come later than the starting time on the ticket and get to bypass much of the long line for the ride. 
Many people don't know this, but you can use fast passes AFTER the time on the time span window--just not before the time printed.  They don't expire that day--but you can't use them the following day or later--only that day.
You can get a limited number of fast passes at a time, but once the start window time on your fast pass starts, you start over--able to get fast passes again and still use your fast pass you already have. 
Since we have four passes in our family but only one kid who is tall enough for fast pass rides, we can get fast passes for two rides at a time (two tickets at each).  For instance, my husband can use the passes to get two fast passes for Space Mountain and then use two other passes to get fast passes for Thunder Mountain.  Once the start time for when we can get the fast passes hits, he purposefully goes and gets more fast passes for different or the same rides.  By the end of the day, we have TONS!
Rides that have fast passes are Autopia, Star Tours, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, World of Color, the new Cars ride--Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin' over California, Tower of Terror, the Grizzly Rapids, Goofy's Sky School and California Screamin.  I might be missing one or two rides, but that is a pretty thorough list.
When it is really crowded, the fast passes run out quickly. For instance, the fast passes for the new Radiator Springs Racers were gone by 9:00 a.m. the other day, and the park opened at 8.  That is extreme, but when it is crowded, for instance, you probably won't get a Space Mountain Fast Pass after 5:00 p.m. 


This leads us to how both he AND I get a turn on the ride . . . switch passes.

3.  Use switch passes if you have kids under 40 inches. 
When my husband finally goes to use his fast pass ticket, he asks the ride workers for a switch pass--which functions like a fast pass ticket.  The idea of a switch pass is that he and my oldest can go on the roller coaster, but I can't because our youngest isn't tall enough and I have to stay and watch him--he is only 36 inches. 
Even if you have a fast pass, you can ask for a switch pass when you go on the ride. 
Once my husband is off the ride, he gives me the switch pass and then I get to go on the roller coaster with my son--I can get both of us (my older son and I) on the ride with one switch pass ticket.  (The adults have just essentially "switched" places).
Like fast passes, switch passes are good for the entire day, so I can go do other rides with my youngest rather than sitting outside the exit and waiting to do the "switch." 

4.  Avoid Certain Rides
Certain rides always have long lines.  You have to decide if it is worth the wait for your family visit.
We have learned that unless there is a freakishly short line, we don't go on Peter Pan in Fantasyland.  The line is always long.  It doesn't look really long, but it is a slow loading ride that is, indeed, long.  The ride itself is short and just okay.  My boys don't love Peter Pan, so we are okay skipping it.
We also don't go on Toy Story very much since my husband hates long lines.  There is no fast pass for that ride, and it is usually 40 minutes to an hour wait to ride.  Once in awhile we'll break out snacks and go through the line wait, but not very often.
Always check the wait time when you enter a line.  Some lines "look" short and are deceptively long waits--Bug's Land rides, Peter Pan, Casey Jr. Train, and Dumbo for example.  Some lines look long but are fast moving and not that bad--like Pirates or Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters.

5.  Know Options when Crowded
The park will have times when you can't avoid crowds.  Sometimes it is bad and you get grumpy.
We know that we will go run around on the Pirate Cove Island when it is crowded or go have fun over at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at CA Adventure.

Sliding at the Redwood Creek Challenge play area

Due to Cars Land opening, CA Adventure is going to be more crowded than normal for awhile and Disneyland is being blessed with fewer people--especially early in the morning.  Take advantage of that in how you plan your day. . .
Also, on hot days, everyone is going on the rapids, Pirates, or Splash Mountain.  Think of less crowded shady rides--Innovations, any of the films (Captain EO, Muppets or the Bugs Land movie). The Tiki Tiki Room, or the Rivers of America boats.
If you aren't sure, ask a castmember (employee) what rides have smaller crowds and will lend shade, or be age appropriate for your younger ones, etc.  They will be helpful.

6. Bring Snacks and Water
Disneyland will let you bring in anything but alcohol and glass.  As with all amusement parks, snacks, drinks and meals are pricey.  Plan ahead and bring your food. 
My kids love the churros at Disneyland, which are expensive.  I went to the market and found frozen churros.  I can cook them ahead of time and bring a couple as special treat snacks, saving several dollars in the process.  Bring some great protein snacks to give the kids energy throughout the day--cheese sticks, nuts in a bag, even sandwiches.  You won't get the fits and meltdowns that come with the sugar lows.
We put everything in our stroller, but they have lockers you can rent at the park fairly inexpensively.

There is a bag/security check area before you can enter the park.

When we do eat at Disneyland, our favorite restaurant is Rancho del Zocalo in Disneyland.  The boys get to watch the Thunder Mountain train go by, I get a delicious Mexican chicken Caesar salad and Ryan gets his favorite snack--chips and salsa.  Again, it isn't cheap (about 11-12 dollars per adult meal), but it is better than the burgers and fries around much of the park.

Sometimes we leave the park and eat at Downtown Disney--also pricey, but less.  We love the little Napoli restaurant on the end, and they have a little area where you can buy slices of pizza and salad "to go". 

7.  Double Stroller Tips--
Double strollers are a must with two small kids, but they are hard to place on the tram (which takes you from the parking lot to the park).  The tram has two sections--very front and back--for double strollers, and when it is crowded, you wait several trams to get a spot.  SO, walk from the parking to the park.  There is a trail leading to the park.  Ask any employee in the tram area, and they will point you in the right direction.  We've timed it a couple of times, and the tram and walking are about equal times on light waiting days--walking quickly, though.  When the trams are crowded, walking is much faster.

Also, when you enter Disneyland, there is an entrance for wheelchairs and double strollers on the far right of all the gates.  Often this line is actually shorter and people don't realize it isn't just for wheelchairs.  The gates for Disneyland weren't built for double strollers, so it is a tight squeeze to get through--doable, but tight.  California Adventure was built for the double stroller, so there is no special entrance on that side.

8.  Know the Right Time of Year for Hotel Visits and Missing Crowds
The park gets crowded around Christmas.  It is gorgeous, but people are on break and regular passholders come to see the holiday decorations and special ride makeovers for Christmas.  We are blocked out pass-wise for much of December, but we don't mind.

A rare Christmas visit

We usually come stay for a couple of nights in November--right before the decorations go up.  It is not very crowded, and we get to enjoy the stay more. 
October can get crowded due to the Halloween decor and special rides they offer.  The Haunted Mansion, for instance, gets a makeover, as does Space Mountain--scary extras. . .
Of course, spring break season gets very crowded with families on vacation and college kids blowing off some steam.  Again, we are blocked out for many of the crowded times.
If you come during a school break or holiday season, use the tips of coming early and using fast passes to help you get to more rides despite the crowds.


9.  Slow down and see the day through your kids' eyes.
If you try to get on as many rides as possible, never stopping to enjoy the parades or throw a penny in Snow White's well as she sings, you will miss much of the magic of Disneyland.  Sometimes when I go without my hubby, I am glad we can't do the roller coasters and fast pass routine (I have both kids alone when he isn't there).  I walk slowly, we stop and get character signatures, and we watch the swans swimming by the castle.  It is low stress and calm.  We get on only a few rides in a morning, but we have passes, so we can do the whirlwind visit next time.  It is fun having both kinds of visits.
If you have kids all under 40 inches or you have one adult with any kids under 40 inches, you are blessed!  You don't have to worry about the roller coasters and fast passes.  You can see them get excited about going on It's a Small World and grab your hand in amazement when a character walks by.  It is such a short amount of time that they really just love BEING there and you don't have to get on Space Mountain and Star Tours to call the day a success.

Enjoying a rare night visit--we prefer early with fewer crowds.

Posing by Splash Mountain and Winnie the Pooh Ride

Whatever you do--enjoy your time.  It is easy to let heat or crowds get you grumpy.  Sometimes the happiest place can seem anything but when you look around.  Take it all in stride and put it all in perspective.  You are in a very fun place enjoying time with your family.  Have a fabulous visit!

Father's Day Mod Podge Gift

Is your June as crazy as ours?  I think everyone has crazy Junes.  School ends, teacher's presents, Father's Day, graduations, weddings, a sister in law had a baby, vacations, ministry work, etc. 

My hubby sweetly helped me out by giving me a detailed list of some gift for Father's Day, but I also really wanted to do something from the boys that we could make.

The three picture DAD frames have been on blogs for a long time, but my husband doesn't know that.  I thought that would be a fun project, but I wanted it to be low cost, as we were buying other gifts.

I went to Hobby Lobby to price the three part frames, but they were more than I wanted to spend.  I knew I had long, thin canvases at home already, so I decided to try a Mod Podge project with supplies I already had at home.

First, I painted a canvas black and rubbed off all the paint with a paper towel.  This gives a canvas a "denim" and distressed look.  Then I painted a true, thick stripe of black around the edges of the canvas.

I took the boys' pictures with my camera.  They were holding letters I just cut quickly on my Silhouette.

I took the pictures and made them black and white on PicMonkey.  Then I printed them out on thin, letter paper.  Next time I would use cardstock, because the paint and thin paper made the pictures a greenish/black hue, but it wasn't enough of an error to start over.

I Mod Podged the top of the canvas with a thick layer of glue and then measured out how to evenly space my pictures I had printed straight off my computer.

I did a VERY thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper to keep it from curling.  (I actually just spread some of the Mod Podge that was already on the canvas over to the top of the pic).

I let it dry, and voila!  The glue is invisible, and the pictures are "floating" against the denim black canvas.  I am thinking this would be cute for his office at work.  It is very masculine and he loves reminders of the kids when he is working all day.

What are you making for Father's Day?

Women in the Word Wednesday: Sensitivity to Sin

My oldest has an extreme sensitivity to hair on his skin.  Haircuts are quite an ordeal.  We cut his hair at home with the TV distracting him.  He is old enough that he tries to keep his tears under control, but it is hard for him.  After the haircut, he has an immediate bath, and then we transfer him from the bath to the shower to scrub and wash off any stray hairs the bath missed.  We towel him off well, followed by lotion to soothe his skin, which indeed has little red bumps of irritation blanketing it from the short exposure to hairs during the haircut.  After lotion, we end with a good dusting of baby powder, brushing off any stubborn stray hairs that escaped the rest of the process.

If that weren't thorough enough, he refuses a hair cape during the haircut, so he wears onek of his larger T-shirts during the haircut.  After each haircut, I wash the shirt a couple of times and then stick it in the back of his closet.  If for some reason we accidentally pull out a "haircut" shirt for him to wear to bed, he tells me within thirty seconds that his shirt is "itchy" without even realizing it was indeed used during his last haircut.

Today was haircut day, and I thought again about how extremely sensitive he is to hair on his skin.  During my quiet time, I thought of that analogy with our sin.  When we are seeking God's will, praying, meditating on scripture, regularly reading His Word, and really seeking please God, we are sensitive to sin--we can be as sensitive to it as my son is to his haircuts.  We immediately regret impatient thoughts or wince at resentment that we might allow to creep into our heart.  The slightest sin can irritate us and get our attention.  We stay away from situations that tempt us to sin the way my son steers clear of even the shirts from his haircuts. The Holy Spirit steers us away from unrighteousness as we seek to listen to Him and do His will.

When we are neglecting quiet time, enveloping all our time with worldly distractions, and trying to tiptoe into gray areas and slippery slopes with which we feel conviction, we dull our sensitivity to sin.  We get spiritually lazy.  We get too comfortable with sins such as unkind words, laziness, lack of contentedness, selfish thoughts, or prideful behavior. 

We have to put on our spiritual armor each day and use the tools God gives us to fight our flesh.  Sin shouldn't feel comfortable to a Christian woman.  It should cause us much uncomfort and irritation.

I pray that I can rely on God, pursue holiness and be as spiritually sensitive to sin as my little buddy is to his haircuts.

Ephesians 6:10-18 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance,"

Signs I've Made

In an effort to keep track of signs I've made to order and as gifts, I'm going to keep a picture catalogue here.  I will post this to the sidebar too.  I will make signs to order (custom scripture and colors), and I have some premade signs listed on my Etsy shop.  Enjoy!

Recent sign order

Recent Sign Order

Gift for a friend in trial

Sign order for a pastor's office

Sign order for the Women's Ministry Director's office

This was a sign I made for Etsy. I distressed it with sand paper at the end.  I love this one!

This was another custom order

This is a 16 by 20 canvas that was a custom order.  She is a young mom like me--such a great verse!

(custom order for a friend's new home)

Mother's Day custom order

My graduating niece ordered this for her mom--it was a saying they had as she was growing up . . .

These 2 are on MY picture gallery wall

Custom order

Ombre text for a friend's birthday

Giveaway sign

Etsy order

Giveaway sign

(First canvas sign--I love how this shows how I've gotten better over time!)

This is my only wood sign I made for a friend's home

Early canvas sign

Early canvas sign

Etsy order

Sign made as a pastor's gift

Etsy sign

Sign made for a friend's birthday

June Photo Challenge

I thought Fat Mum Slim's photo challenge for June looked creative, fun and easy.  Vintage Gwen has been doing the challenge in May, and I have had fun seeing all her pictures and getting to know her more.  I'm going to take a stab at it.  I am taking an Instagram photo a day and just hashmarking it #photoadayjune.  You can find me at calicoandcupcakes on Instagram. 
Yesterday's challenge was "morning", and today's challenge is "empty." 
Just in case you want to do this too-you don't have to be a blogger--here are the topics for each day.  You can get more details at the Fat Mum Slim link above.:



Obviously, my take on each day will be wholesome and, I pray, God pleasing.  I'll share my June photos at the end.  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!