Then and Now Photo post

I attend a "Survey of the Bible" class each Thursday.
We have made it to Joshua chapter 5 as of today.
It is slow going, which matters not to me.
Oh wait I forgot to say we have been meeting for two and a half years and have just now made it to Joshua.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua!
Divide 5 books over 2 years, multiply that by the remaining 61 books, divided in a likewise manner and I think I will be about 64 when we get to Revelation.

Well over 7/8 of the class participants are in within this age, if not older and I love it.
Each first Thursday of the month we have what we call an eatin' meetin'.
Meaning we meet, study and eat!
My class buddies know I will always bring something colorful...usually a vegetable.
And, more likely than not it will be considered "healthy". Luckily I am a good cook so they put up with my food nazi ways.

Okay...that combined with my photo assignment of the day led me to these next pictures.
The assignment from The Joy of Love was Then and Now.
I thought to myself as I was making my dish that the cilantro was in a then and now situation right then and there. It had gone from growing in my garden to chopped wonderfulness in my salsa!
Then:


Now:

This concoction is a simple salsa made with a can of rotel tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and a squeeze of lime. Also in the dish, some simply saute'd shrimp cooked with the same spices, and a a quarter of a finely diced red bell pepper.

Then I decided to stir it all around.

See, the thing is, I had 3 avocados which were ripe and ready for using which made me think of using them in a "salsa" of sorts. I waited to put the avocado in until just before serving so it was nice and bright and healthy looking. hee hee. (no photo of the final product sorry)
Someone actually did peer over my shoulder today as I was cutting and say...uh huh just as I thought...something healthy, looks good.
HA!!
I am also desperate to use my cilantro and save it from frostbite!!!

Woohoo, dish for eatin' meetin' done and photo assignment done too!!
But then I came upstairs and logged onto the internet for posting my photo and realized once again that the assignment is to capture moments of those you love!
And as much as I love cilantro and avocado, it just didn't fit into the photo stream. I would have looked like a heartless loser compared to all those cute baby to child and puppy to dog photos.
So, it was back to square one.
Then I remembered a tattered and well loved book the kids and I had come across a few days ago.
It was a little bound book made by my oldest child when he was about 6.

An idea hit me and I went to his room in search of a recent drawing.
I then combined the two for quite a successful then and now!

I like how his little people haven't changed all that much, but the subject matter sure has!!
All those dynamic lines are weapons being shot.

That page there says my mom does different things. Maybe this is laundry??

Here are a few others carefully written in his choppy boy writing.
My mom loves the color green.
My mom always loves me.
My mom is best at loveing my family.
My mom has lots of dress's.

Oh, there is one other I simply must share with you.

We laughed and laughed!
That says... my mom is nice.

I ask you...do I look nice???
And that other blue figure there is little brother.
He doesn't look like I have been being nice to him either!

I am happy to say every other picture of the book shows bright smiling faces... less we all feel the need to drag him off for evaluation!
But the very last page in the book is my absolute favorite.
It simply says...
My mom is so smart.
She even knows times.
Ahhhhhh ha ha ha! I wish I could say that I do.
Math is not one of my talents, unless fingers or a calculator are involved.

The sweet innocence of youth.

I am sure I had impressed him with an amazing 2x2 problem, or 1x1.
You know the simple ones that you can use your fingers for!!!

We are hoping for snow around here.
I will keep ya posted.