from this to that...

How did we get from this...

first visit to the beach...

first Christmas as a big sister...

always best buddies,

always laughing! 

to this...

Sweet 16 trip to see the musical, Wicked

our ballerina

Senior pictures... 

and finally that?

Those of you who have been through it, know it's an emotional, exciting, bittersweet time.  For years I've had a count-down...how many Christmases left? How many summers? And before we knew it, senior year was over. Having family & dear friends around made graduation easier, and keeping busy on the days leading up to the drive to college made the time fly. 

There were the usual must-do's...choosing dorm decorations, new bedding, ordering textbooks, and getting the class schedule finalized. We also squeezed in as much family fun as we could...visiting favorite places, staying up late, and I think we slept in our camper, Maizy, about 5 days in a row (terrific mother-daughter time!)

On move-in day we left before dawn...the university had lots of family activities to keep us busy until evening, then after dinner it was time to go.  We dropped our sweet girl off at a get-together for the new freshmen, and after lots of hugs and tears, we drove home.

It was a quiet 3 hours on the road...all I remember is staring out the window.  As a good friend told me, "It's such a hard thing to let those babies fly." Yes, yes it is. But everyone needs to chase their dreams, do what they love, and see what the future holds.

Things are little different here at home...it's more quiet. I love that our kids get along so well, and there is always laughter and non-stop chatter when they're together. What a blessing technology is that lets our family see each other to catch up and text to chat whenever we want to.

I'm keeping as busy as I can...our younger son is in the high school marching band so football games are great fun, soon he'll be driving, and he's wrapping up his Eagle Scout project! I'm working on our house...sprucing up and cleaning out - 155-year old houses always need a little extra love.

Our daughter is settling in...psychology classes during the day and dancing with a ballet company in the evening. We visit on Face-time each week and text every day. Again, I'm so grateful that such technology exists. 

And so it goes...as I've said before, enjoy every minute with those you love, time flies. 

Enjoy the season you are in!

survival...

We  laughed, we cried, we ate chocolate...Orange Milanos, Hershey bars, Andes Mints, and chocolate chip cookies were in abundance between all the moms as the charter buses pulled out of the school parking lot.

The kids didn't see us shed a tear...we waved and smiled as we quietly dug our nails into our palms. Yep...we had this down perfectly.

So today, in about an hour, the buses will be pulling up to the beach...it should be 77 degrees in Orlando and the plan is to swim, visit the surf shops, and enjoy a beach barbecue...what fun they'll have!

So what will we moms do to keep busy?  Well my friend Kathy and I have already started, but we plan to hit our spring cleaning with a frenzy!  I'm following my tried & true schedule, but found this terrific one too and thought I'd share...you can find it by clicking here...

And so I'm off!  Tomorrow is a teacher work day so the boy-child (or does age 13 make him a man-child now?) will find something fun to do.

My, oh my...time DOES fly.

time flies...

I don't know how we went from this...

and this...

to this...

and this...

Wow..time does fly.

Our daughter is going to Disney tomorrow with the orchestra/band/choir for a 6- day trip. Yep...she'll be totin' that cello down to the Magic Kingdom on charter buses
with 200 of her closest friends.

For 18 hours.

I know they'll have a ball!

I've tucked surprises in her suitcase for her to open each day, and wrapped chocolate bars with "Disney or Bust!" candy wrappers to share with friends.

However...

my best girlfriends and I are meeting at the school to console ourselves with mass quantities of chocolate as we smile and wave goodbye.

I don't want to hear stories about cutting apron strings...
I want chocolate and girlfriends to cry with.

family history and hollyhocks...

A short post on this cool summer morning to share a photo..



My daughter and I help in our church's Family History Center twice a month,
and on our last visit, I found this photo had been added to our family tree.

Her name is Matilda, and as I gazed at the photo, I became lost wondering about her.
The dress (oh-so warm in summer) the pin (a gift or maybe handed down?)  & shawl
(surely handmade), the clapboard home behind her with the pretty window trim. 

And those stately hollyhocks..so beautiful. I wonder if she loved them as much as I do...a trait handed down through the generations, maybe?

Have you done any digging into your family tree? What treasures have you discovered? You may want to give it a try...there's so many wonderful stories and photos to bind the generations.

it's the big weekend!

Our family is ready for the annual Nutcracker performance and we couldn't be more excited! For us, this really kicks off the Christmas holidays.

 

An all-youth production finds that three months of rehearsals are coming to a close...tired dancers, aching feet, and this week...exhausting 10-hour rehearsal days.

But they wouldn't miss it for anything, and neither would we.
Can't wait to see our Sweet Girl doing what she loves!

Wishing all of you a great weekend as you too, kick off the holiday season!

losing a friend...

When we arrived at our first home, as young twenty-somethings, we found our church's Boy Scout Troop ready to help us unload the moving truck. They were a welcome sight indeed! We were now in a new town, and as time passed, we found ourselves becoming familiar with our way around, and slowly beginning to make new friends.

Soon, the parents of two of those helpful Scouts become good friends. We found we had much in common, laughed at the same things, and attended the same church. Their friendship was dear...a hand-stitched quilt was made for the arrival of our Sweet Girl, and then later, a beautiful hand-sewn baptism dress, complete with ruffles and lace, was made for baptism day. When our Little Man came along, they gave him his first pair of jeans...just what every little farm-boy needs!

As time passed, we watched their children grow to become wonderful examples of righteous young men and women, who serve with all their hearts. It's been heart-warming to see them grow, marry, and begin families of their own.

When a change of jobs meant a move for our good friends, our hearts were heavy...to know that distance makes keeping close difficult. But we did keep in touch...we traveled to weddings, and they returned for baptisms and visits to catch up.

It was with great sadness when Margaret shared with us she was diagnosed with cancer. And while enduring the side-effects that came with treatments, she was remarkably consistent in the cycles that led her through the months and seasons. Pictures showed her celebrating the births of grandchildren, holidays spent with loved ones, and vacations to visit family far away. Her love for those dear to her and making every moment count never waned.

The sad news come in an email from her husband...there is an emptiness.

Margaret was the chorister in our church, and before they moved, she led the congregation in singing God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again as the closing hymn...

click here for a beautiful rendition by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Until we meet again...

don't you love a good flea market?

This post is way overdue, but with wrapping up the farm for winter and learning oodles about goats (but that's another post), I've lost track of time.

Anyway, my friend Diana and I went to a terrific flea market this fall. It was on a nearby farm, and every barn was overflowing with wonderful things! Some vintage and retro, some primitive and time-worn, but all fabulous...it was hard to know where to begin!

Diana found some great retro items for her 1963 camper (see it here) like a darling old turquoise AM radio (that works!) and a pair of vintage suitcases which she turned into an oh-so handy end table.

I was on the lookout for primitive goodies, and came home with two enamelware pails that are perfect. Well...not quite perfect (the older the better!) they have rust spots and are a bit worn, but the colors...oooh, that's what got me. One is a robin's egg blue (and holds exactly 4 pounds of sweet mix for the goats...ideal!) The second pail is a swirl of evergreen and white. I'm not sure just what I'll do with it, but for now, it's holding seeds gathered from our flower gardens, ready to pack up and share with friends.

And so here are a few snapshots of the day...clever, creative, fun-filled inspiration!

I LOVE these doors!

Hand-painted slate signs...



Feed sacks, clocks, and sleigh bells...

A table completely covered with recipe cards!





This old rail-road crossing sign...

and last, but not least (don't let this frighten you!) vintage hats were given a new twist!

Diana and I joked we both should have bought one, and instantly our Halloween costumes would be complete!

There was so much more to see...and what a fun way to spend the morning with a good friend...roaming through barns, looking in nooks & crannies, and finding just the right goodies that needed a new home.

 

the summer has flown by...

Time flies, as the old saying goes, and boy did this summer fly by. The kids are back in school in just a couple short weeks, and now is the time for gathering school supplies and shopping with Grandma for new clothes. Grandma loves to shop...good thing, I'm not a big shopper (unless it's a flea market, nursery, or antique store!)

Here's a few snapshots of what the kids did all summer...

Speaking of Grandma, here she is with both kids after a performance at the school for mime theatre...a fun 3-week class they also took last summer. Don't let the name fool you, these mimes are nothing like the ones from the past...what they do is amazing!

Below is Sweet Girl preparing for a ballet recital. The picture was blurry, but somehow, I still loved it. (Oh my, adding makeup for the performance makes her look much more grown-up than her 12 years!)

Little Man had his first piano recital...we were so proud of him!

From where we were sitting, I could see his reflection in the piano...


 
Guess who was a featured dancer in one of our very favorite musicals The Music Man?  Community theatre in a small town is such fun!

Soon, it was county fair time...oh, the food, the rides, the animals! Little Man did terrific his first official year in 4-H! He was first for this age in the Skill-a-thon, first in Showmanship, and first in Halter. Does he look surprised?!

Sweet Girl did a super job, too...first place for her age in the Skill-a-thon, 2nd in halter, and she brought home a first place ribbon and Best of Show for her mixed-media artwork! Both of them snagged first for their famous chocolate chip cookies in the culinary judging...what a fun fair!

 

And so now what do we do to top all this? Well, definitely a little breather is in order...it's been a face-paced, and fun-filled summer. Time for a little R& R.

Oh, our next project?

Here's a little clue...

remember this fella?

happy first day of summer!

Ahhh, today is one of those days that will surely bring up opposite points of view. To some, (me), it's hard to believe the days will be getting shorter...it's a bit sad, how is that possible already? To others, (you know who you are!) it's now officially summer, nothing sad about it, let's enjoy every moment!  

And so it goes...summer has officially come to the farm, but you would hardly know it. 

yes...the flowers are in boom

yes...the garden is growing madly

yes...the grass seems to need mowing endlessly

and yes, the kiddos are out of school and enjoying these lazy days

However, my hubby said it was 48-degrees when he left for work yesterday, and do these look like scenes from a Midwestern summertime usually filled with heat & humidity?

Yes...this is Sweet Girl, 

and Little Man, roasting marshmallows...in June!

Now, don't get me wrong...this is just fine by me. While I love the summertime bounty found at the farmers' market and from our own back yard, I do not love the heat & humidity that usually come along with such joys of summer.

The weather, while fall-like, has been ideal for putting in the garden, weeding flowerbeds, and all around summertime chores. It could stay like this all 'til October and I'd be jumping for joy!

And so, while it lasts (deep down I know it will hit 90-degrees eventually) tonight, to celebrate the first day of summer, I'll hang tealight lanterns from the trees, light a small bonfire, and we'll be roasting marshmallows again...s'mores anyone?

Sarah Ban Breathnach sums up my feelings perfectly...

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string,"

Happy first day of summer, friends! 

just for fun!

Life on the farm doesn't always mean cleaning the hen house, wondering if the latest frost harmed the fruit trees, asking myself if this is the year to become beekeepers, or tackling a seemingly endless to-do list. Sometimes, something just plain FUN comes along on the farm! This past weekend Sweet Girl had the opportunity to be in the high school musical, Seussical. There were so many characters needed, that auditions were held at the elementary schools. And so in January, thrilled to make the elementary cut, Sweet Girl began rehearsals. The last few weeks most rehearsals were 4 hours, 4 nights a week. The days were long, and the mornings came much too early, but she was having a ball trying something new and loving every minute of it. And so, here's our FUN...Sweet Girl, the tightrope walker in Seussical! posing for a cast photo... singing with the Circus...   with the sweet little Elephant Bird... Now the makeup (which was beautifully done) did make Sweet Girl look a bit older...gulp. And I did tell her.. "Now if anyone should ask, tell them you are still in elementary school,  and yes, you are tall for your age;  however, you won't be dating for 5 more years,  and then it will only be double dates!" Sigh...what's a mom to do? Mom worries aside, we all had a terrific time making sweet memories!

taking Christmas photos (or trying to)...

Yesterday brought our first snow! The kids were thrilled and couldn't wait to get outside and play.
It was also the perfect time for taking some Christmas pictures. Yes, yes...I am a bit late in getting cards out this year; however I blame Mother Nature. I mean, who wants to take Christmas pictures in the pouring rain or dodging mud puddles?

Anyway, let's not focus on that.

We decided to walk out to the woods for pictures, so off we went. As I looked for good spots to snap some photos (translated this means places where they wouldn't sink in the mud or fall into the creek) , I was reminded that our kids are terrific, even wonderful when it comes to taking silly pictures...

and creating special effects...

and even trying to hide from the camera.                
                                                                                                        

However; for ever 50 of those I get, I get one of these...

a lean in for a quick kiss on the cheek, 

which leads to a sweet hug...

Yep...they're keepers.

summer's over...

Well, not officially; however today is the first day of school,
and each of us see it a bit differently.

For them...

-up early; excited to catch up and visit with friends again
-backpacks were filled days ago with supplies
-"Can we go  yet?" (45 minutes before school begins.)


For me...

-the house is quiet...
                    which isn't bad, a little quiet time does a person good
-now's the time to catch up
                    on a summer's worth of lazily letting the chores slide
-but it's too quiet...

I promised Little Man I'd bake a checkerboard cake for after school...better get started.

Miss my sweet ones!

a few more vacation snapshots...

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...

splashing in the lake, playing in the sand,
eating ice cream alongside the docks, and, of course,
finding the perfect Christmas ornament to remember it all!

kayaks lined up along Lake Erie's sandy shores...

kids in a funhouse, having, well, FUN!

 a 25,000 sq. ft. model train layout...
and you know how we LOVE trains!

the detail in the layout was amazing.

the circular stairs leading to the top of...

Marblehead Lighthouse

A great time was had by all, and next visit, we may spend a week
in one of the yurts available for rent!

Family...Fun...Making Memories...Laughing
It's the small & simple things that matter.

How does that saying go?
"It's not the years in your life,
but the life in your years that matters."