Summer? Fall? Fall? Summer?

I'm dreaming of macintosh scented candles, scarves, dark denim, chilly winds, chunky sweaters, orange leaves... (pause) football (because football is a total sign that fall is here)... one heavy blanket, crock-pot cooking, darker lipsticks, my new boots, sigh...

and then I realize

I'm sitting in 100 degree weather.

THREE DIGITS HOT!

It's supposed to be fall people, at least somewhat "fallish," right?

I got the new Pottery Barn catalog this past week. Man do I want some rocking chairs on the front porch.

Anyhow, I'm planning our autumn decor (since I'm the only Dunbar who gives a hoot about "decor".) Got a great idea from Lemonade Makin' Mama on some easy candle dress-ups. I also was found Nester's Idea on No Fuss Fall Decorating from 2008. Can't wait to she what she comes up with this year.

Thinking of our fall menu... lots of potatoes and hefty vegetables. Some pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, and no way am I going to say pumpkin pie (hate the stuff.) But I probably will bake some banana bread or some apple sticky buns. And I'm praying to the Angel of Food that my MIL bakes me some monkey bread. (It's the reason I married her son.) I can eat nearly the whole bundt cake full of sticky goodness called monkey bread. YUM!! Can you feel the pounds I'm gaining just dreaming of these divine creations?

Anyhow, for tonight, I'll be dreaming of trees with oranges, and yellows and reds while my thermostat continues to scream "HOT."

Introductions

When I had this blog redone and had those handy little button things put up there on top, I figured they would help me stay on some sort of track with what to write about or post. Topics that are important to me. Home Making, Lady Proclamations (speaking my mind), Raising Men, and Great Books to read (because I hate wasting my time and money.)Somehow I keep swaying back and forth on what I post up here on this lil blog. Anyhow, one thing that is really important to both myself and Mr. Dunbar is "raising men."

I am not raising boys

I am raising men,

who will hopefully one day

be warriors for God,

leaders of homes,

gentle lovers of wives,

and men of integrity.

This morning we went to Mr. Dunbar's office for the first time. Of course I starched them up real nice, well collared shirts and nice shorts. We stopped off and bought daddy a $3 plant. Before we got off of the car I reminded Monkey about introductions, and looking people in their eyes while giving a firm handshake. Yes, I gave this chat to a 3 year old. We play almost every waking hour at home, but when it comes to business, we talk business. We practiced two firm handshakes before we got off the car and then it was show time.

Monkey impressed everyone in Mr. Dunbar's office and thrilled his us, his parents. He walked up to everyone he saw, shook their hands, looked them in the eye, told them his name, how old he was, pushed his little brother into their eyesight, told them his little brother's name and how old he was. I didn't tell him to do any of that. I was amazed, as was Mr. Dunbar.

The icing on top of this was when Mr. Dunbar's boss's boss, came out of his office a second time, and says to Monkey, "I've got a cubicle back here with your name on it. You've passed the interview and we want to hire you." Just as one of Mr.Dunbar's coworkers is saying "You can tell his dad comes from sales." Everyone laughed, Monkey beamed.

It was one of those proud parent moments. But even more so, more importantly for Monkey, he learned first hand just how important that initial meeting is. He owned the room, not just because he's a cute 3 year old, but because he was friendly, charismatic, and personable. Characteristics I hope stay with him always.

Bogie did some wow things too, gave high 5's, waved hello, and smiled when he was being introduced by his big brother. Everything we hoped he would do.

My tip today on Raising Men: Teach them how important the initial meeting is.

Eye-contact , firm handshakes, and friendliness go a long way.

On the lighter side

Our living room is dark, very dark any time of the day past 10am, the sun just shines on the other side of the house. Due to family expansions (ie Mr. Bogie) we've had to move our desk into the great room. The dreadful hand-me-down desk that over powers the corner.

This is what is used to look like. It was Mr. Dunbar's desk, when he used to work from home. But now it is my desk, because now I work at home. So I finally changed it up a bit, a while back.

This is the material I used. In the picture below, it looks like crinkled paper bags, but that is so not the case. Its a really nice woven fabric that just happens to be the same color as paper bags.

And this is what my desk looks like now.

So much nicer for me. I love the new chair. Mr. Dunbar doesn't. He says it hurts his back and his butt. I say, "Don't sit in it then. You stole the fancy laptop we got for Christmas a few years back. Go use that computer, elsewhere."

He just laughs.

Oh, well, he's a happy man other than that.

Treasures

Mr. Dunbar and I are home from our annual Married Couples Getaway.

We had such a good time this year, as always.

The theme this year was Treasure.

As in, what do you treasure? And how can you prove it?

You know what the right answer is supposed to be, right?

Jesus.

That's always the right sunday school answer isn't it.

Here are just a couple of pictures.

Friday night right before the kick off and dance party.

This was the view from our room, over looking the golf course.
Our Saturday dinner, we went out for Mexican. It was a fun night.
How come men never grow-up?

So I'm curious, what do you treasure?

Raspberry Picking

We went raspberry picking this week also.

The boys ate just as much as they dropped in the basket.

I repeated "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt."

over and over again when I saw what was happening.

The Beach

This week is all about the boys and getting the last taste of summer.

Every day we are doing something fun and memorable.

So as the countdown to the end of summer nears, of course we had to go to the beach. And what's better than going to the beach when your friends have their trailer there with a clean potty, shower, microwave, fridge and beds?

This was Bogie's first taste of salty sea water. (Please don't remind me what else is in there.) I could not keep him out of the water for more than two minutes to eat something. Here he's got seaweed on the face and he's still running in.

Crazy water bugs.Two minute snack.

Group shot towards the end of the day, they still put board shorts back on and got back into the water even after this picture was taken.

I told our friends, next year my boys would just be staying the entire week with them.

WW- Lil Beastie Boys

I died laughing when I saw this one.
They look like rappers, YO!

Till the very end...

We are going to celebrate summer until the very end around these parts.

School starts next week for the bigger kids, so summer festivities will be winding down. For now we are enjoying the last of our playdates and outings with friends. The weather doesn't know that fall should be approaching soon, so us Dunbar's are living it up until the very end. Bedtimes will be earlier starting next week, wake times will also (for me at least), and we'll be preparing for routines, schedules, work and school. But for now, this is our last true week of summer.

Wishing you well,

Oh, so good...

If you've ever read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, you just know what a phenomenal author she is. Even men will love Redeeming Love, funny story here. So when my MAP group decided to have a book club this summer with a series of books written by Rivers I immediately signed up.

Mark of the Lion is a winner all the way around.

This series will blow your socks off!!

Ha, I just wanted to say that.

And again, I feel like I am years behind because Mark of the Lion series was written like 5 or 10 years ago. But seriously, these are fabulous books with a plot that happened just about 2,000 years ago. Remember the movie Gladiator? I am a HUGE fan of the movie Gladiator. These books will surpass the movie, especially if you weren't into all of the war scenes and blood from the Gladiator movie. Set in Rome, they will give you a glimpse of how truly corrupt the Romans were and how us Americans are not that much different. The main character, Hadassah, is lovely. Hadassah, a slave girl, will capture your heart and defy what you think a Christian woman looks like. (She's Proverbs 31 and then some...she'll remind of another person we find in the Bible.) Marcus, is the hottie every girl always wanted. (Yes, I even said that in Book Club. All the mature Christian women were squirming in their seats, but it's the truth.) He's smart, confident, rich, humorous, good-looking, a total stud. Haddasah and Marcus' lives will consume you as you peruse these books and when they are over you will wonder where they are because so much of them is revealed. Oh, and God, has a way of revealing His master plan in all things in this book. Hadassah's life will challenge you to be the Christian you always wanted to be.

Read them, your walk with God will be altered.

Black and Green Snack Salad

A staple salad when I was growing up was macroni salad. We had it at every bbq, every weekend gathering, every party. Nowdays there are times I don't want a heavy pasta salad, sometimes I just want the crunch and ting.

So I took the first three ingredients that always made the base for the macroni salad in my mom's house and turned that into a snack all on its own.

Celerly, pickles, and black olives

are dee-lish, and make for a great snack or salad.

Try it.

Or do you think I'm nuts?

WW- August 2008

One year ago.

Notice the BIG difference

Check out the new alarm clock on Mr. Dunbar's nightstand.

Here's a picture of mine, just for comparison.

And Mr. Dunbar's one more time. Notice anything? (about the numbers.)

So far its been named Big Ben.

Last night he said, "Hey kids look, it's the Helen Keller Special." (Please don't think ill of him. Mr. Dunbar really is funny.)

Two nights ago he said it probably competes with the Great Wall of China, as one of the Seven Wonders seen from outer space. The austronauts could see what time it was.

The first night, he said it was glowing in our room, and then he turned it away from his vision, only to point it straight at his mirrored closet door. I thought he was going to get up and get his sunglasses.

We were laughing so hard.

You know those gut laughs where your stomach hurts.

If there is one thing I am learning about this marriage thing, it's that you have to learn to laugh. Even if all of your nice efforts to replace his taped together alarm clock receive a snide remark each and every time your head its the pillow.

UPDATED: Tonights comment "Alex Trebek reads "Things we can see from outerspace."

Movin on up, to the east side...

Yesterday morning at church, our Pastor announced that after eleven years our church body is now formally in the process of purchasing a building. We have rented other churches, and for the past 7 and 1/2 years we have been meeting in the gym of the local Christian college. In Pastor Matt's words, "They were the only building in the city that would rent to us back then. The only building."
I still can not believe its true. Sandals Church is going to have a place to call home.

Now granted, I know that the building is not the church. If you have ever been to Sandals you know that, we have been the largest church in our city without a building for the past 5 or 6 years. But it is so amazing to think that my boys will have a real classroom to go to, new families will be able to meet in a lobby and not in a tent city that always is subject to the weather gods, our engaged couples won't have to open up the phone book and start calling outside churches to rent for their wedding like Mr. Dunbar and I had to do.

Much has to be done still, we have to be approved for 13 acres right next to the building for the parking lot. (Pastor Matt encouraged us to email our councilman. I've included some links below if you are a local resident. )
Mayer Ron Loveridge: rloveridge@riversideca.gov
Rusty Bailey Ward 3: rbailey@riversideca.gov
Don't know who your Councilman is find out here.

After the service we drove down to the site. It's a huge shell. We prayed as a family over this site and thanked God for his provision. As were were driving around the building Mr. Dunbar was explaining to Monkey that we were heading to the new Sandals Church, because this is something we've been praying for and God had now answered our prayers.

Monkey's response: "Is this heaven?"

Not quite Monkey, only a glimpse.

150 Palmyrita

Riverside, California

Weekend Happenings

We've had a fabulous weekend. Started it out on Friday night by hanging out with some of our very dearest friends. Good friends, good grub (beer, beer bread, bbq'd chicken sticks, and brownies with ice cream), good conversation, and kids who play together (oh so well), makes for a great night.

Saturday we headed to a luau in honor of the daughter of some other friends. Lauren heading to Hawaii for seminary. (I wish God would call me to Hawaii.) It was such a nice afternoon. We were able to catch up with quite a few friends we haven't had the chance to see in well over a year or more. (Something about an MBA program, left the Dunbar's somewhat M.I.A, in social circles.)

These are some of my favorite girlfriends ever!

Jamie, Danielle, me, and Erin

Married thirteen years and still in love.

The men hanging out.

I caught the boys all looking at the camera.

Bogie hauling rocks.

(big butt) Jamie and I trying to take a picture of ourselves.

It was so nice to see everyone.

We wish Lauren the best in Hawaii. (Even though I didn't get a picture of her...agh!)

What did you do this weekend?