Updates:

Here's the latest for the Tietjen crew:

Luke is keeping busy over summer by continuing his journey in Boy Scouting, fellowshipping and worshiping in youth group, playing 2nd base for his baseball team, and spending time with friends.

Zach is working at Costco and is nearing the home-stretch next fall for his teaching degree from UNLV.

Tim is home until September; when his next contract begins. In the meantime, he is busy practicing, spending time with the brothers, and working.

Luke and I are anticipating CIY church camp in Southern California next month, as well as our mission trip to Peru in August! Alongside that, I recently started a job at the Gap, and am staying very involved at our church.

Our awe-inspiring mom is keeping busy over the summer with old friends, new friends, and best friends, but most importantly, our family.

It would be an understatement to say that our first summer without our dad and great grandpa is gloomy and uncomfortable. However, we have what I can only describe as the perfect friends, church, family, and foremost, faith to combat such trials.

- Sam

Recipe for Sleep?!?

When life gives you overripe bananas . . .

You just gotta make banana chocolate chip

bread.  You already know that I ate one of

the loves . . . all by myself.  It is so incredibly

yummy.  I ate mine right before bedtime.

Maybe THAT will help me sleep.  Goodness

gracious.  I used to be THE best sleeper on

the planet.  Not anymore.  Grrrrrrr.

I will try anything . . . even a whole loaf

of banana chocolate chip bread.

Here's to a good night's sleep!!!

Mom's Day Flowers

Posting from my iPad today! Practicing for my little journey next week!

I did want to post this picture of my be-auuuutiful flowers that my

wonderful Tim sent me! My boys really went the extra mile

to make my Mother's Day special.  Even though it was really

different not having our amazing Mike with us, we managed to have

a wonderful Mom and son day!  I don't know if I have mentioned

it, but I have THE most wonderful boys on this planet!

Baseball Tryouts.

I do so love it when I get to an event

and I lug my camera around for hours

in 104* heat and then go to take a picture

and I do not have a card in the camera.

Nice.  That was the scenario today.

However, I did capture a couple

of pics with my phone.  

Luke had baseball tryouts in the

miserable heat of the day!  He made

the team!!! Yeah!!!!!

Here are a couple of pics that I 

took with my phone!  I could not 

zoom in nor could I get very close . . . 

This was mostly my view of the

tryouts . . . Thank the good Lord that

Jeffy went with me to tryouts!!!  We

had fun talking and laughing while

the boys were working so hard out

there!!!

A big congrats to my Luke.  He will

play American Legion ball this summer

and try out for Desert Oasis High School

baseball when school starts in the fall.

High School . . . I think I blinked!!!

Happy Mother's Day.

Happy, happy Mother's Day to THE bestest

Mom on the planet!  I am so very grateful

that my special Mom and I have always

shared a close relationship.  I am so very

grateful that she is mine, mine, mine.  It

has been so wonderful to live back in

our hometown to be able to be near her!

My mom is a great example of a 

wonderful Mom, grandmother, and 

daughter.  I am thankful that she loves

the Lord with all of her heart and shows

it in her daily living.  We are looking

forward to celebrating all things Mom 

as soon as she is feeling back to 

her normal self.  We have had a difficult

road with her health the past year.  We

are pray, pray, praying that we will be

able to get to the bottom of all of this

very soon.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!!

Whitewater Rafting.

Not the best pic . . . It took this pic

with my phone off of Luke's computer.

This picture is not worth a thousand

words, but the expression on Luke's

face when he got out of his 

Scoutmaster's truck was!!  He had a

wonderful time with his troop 

camping and whitewater rafting on the

Kern River in Cali on a beautimous

day!!  I am so, so, so thrilled for him!!

He is my outdoorsman!!  This is just

what my sweet Luke needed!!  I am

thrilled that he had such a wonderful

time!!!!  Now to get my guy into a

shower and the haystack!!!!

Mother's Day Surprise.

My sweet amazing Tim sent me these

beautiful flowers for Mother's Day.  I 

am soo incredibly blessed to have a

wonderful son who thinks of and loves

me in spite of myself.  I am so very

thankful for my Tim.  He is an incredible

blessing to me.  I am so thankful for

our close relationship.  The flowers are

so BEAUTIFUL and brought gobs of

happy, happy tears to my eyes!!!

Love being you Mom, Tim.

I am truly blessed!!!!

Only 11 more days and I will get

to rendevouz with my oldest son

in the Philly.