“There is just so much to laugh and cry about” . . .just read this “Anne” quote in a comment that was left in my last post.
Isn’t that the truth, especially for overly sentimental folk, like me? (can anyone relate?)
This morning I am aching for my home. . not this one, this one is wonderful. . but, I’m talking about home–mom and dad and family back home in NY. I wish I could *snap* my fingers and transport myself and everyone else to Mom and Dad’s on a Sunday afternoon. I loved those days, of coming home from church all together and bursting through the door to be greeted by the warm smell of Sunday dinner. My mom was so good at making a big Sunday dinner—chicken or a roast with all the fixings.
We would all get changed and then Dad would turn on football. The sound of the football games is still so soothing to me. *sniff, sniff*
AHHHHHH, What am I doing to myself????
I talked to my mom last night on the phone for a while. . telling her all the little stories from my days here at home, she laughs so hard when she hears what the kids have been doing and saying. We talked for 40 minutes. Tomorrow Mom and Dad leave to go to South Carolina for a vacation. They will be back on the 22nd and we will all be at their place for Easter dinner, Lord willing. I can’t wait.
(By the way, honking geese just flew overhead.)
I made pancakes for the children this morning. “Yay!!!!” Part of the pleasure of pancakes is pouring some of our 1 gallon of pure maple syrup (from Costco) into these dear little Homer Laughlin China Co. pitchers. They are much easier to handle that the big jug. . .and I always warm the syrup. It’s not good to pour icy cold syrup on a steaming hot, perfect pancake.
Aren’t they so sweet? I like the taller one better, because of the dark-ish pastel color to the flowers. I picked these up for next to nothing at an antique store. They are made by the same company that makes Fiestaware.
When I came back into the kitchen after snapping the photo, I found Caleb had parked his trains under the pancake griddle. They were all happy and toasty warm. (Except Diesel, he’s always grumpy.)
I find these guys all over the place, parked in “tunnels” of all sorts.
I was so blessed by this Scripture passage yesterday:
“It is of the Lord’s mercies
that we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning:
great is Thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in Him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him,
to the soul that seeketh Him.
It is good that a man should both hope
and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:22-26
These are overwhelmingly beautiful and comforting words, aren’t they? There is so much to think about here–God’s mercy, God’s compassion, God’s faithfulness, are all abundantly given to us. God is more generous than we can imagine! And I am encouraged, to wait for Him, and to seek Him. The whole idea of seeking. . .I almost feel as if my seeking soul is like a magnet being pulled to Him. . .I can’t resist Him. . .and, there is that word, HOPE again! (word of the year)
“And the Lord shall guide thee continually,
and satisfy thy soul in droughts,
and make fat thy bones:
and thou shalt be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water,
whose waters fail not.” Is. 58:11
Guess what?
The long pond is free of ice! The ice has all melted, as of this morning. I looked out the window, and rushed outside to take a picture. . . .
The other, smaller pond still looks like this. All ice, except for the ring around the outside.
As you may have guessed, I’m in no big hurry to start school this morning. Yesterday we got started so early that we were done before lunch. Consequently, we had about 9 hours of free time until Daddy came home (at 8). Not good. Too challenging for me to keep the children busy doing constructive things.
Right now Jacob, Ethan, and Grace are outside and David is sitting here with me. I guess I better go get them dressed. . .time with just the 2 little ones is rare so I want to take advantage of it. Maybe we’ll pick up their room and do some reading.
Attached is a link to the book
that I’ve been singing (yup, singing) to the children all week, several times a day. They LOVE it. It’s a library book.
Good to be Home 
I hope your day takes its time today and lets you enjoy the little things!
Love those verses. Your pictures are stunning. I long for warm weather and sticking my feet in those streams. :)I understand how much you miss home. I already miss it and I was just there. I bet you can’t wait to visit them over Easter. That will be so much fun.
I know how you feel. There are places and people I miss dearly sometimes. It just goes to show that we have to be so careful to appreciate our everyday lives, because in the future, it’s the everyday simple things that may be the things that are the greatest and most treasured memories. : )
I loved the scriptures you chose for today too, how healing to our hearts! : ) Pretty servers too, I like to pick up little things like that too, antique stores are soooo much fun! Maybe I need to go to an antique store today! : )
Take care now, seize the day, that is what I will be trying to do as well! Blessings to you dear one! May we all pray for one another as we serve the Lord in our homes. Love, ~Amelia
Ahh yes…those verses….such a comfort!Enjoy this day with your sweet ones surrounding you…Dawnxo
A gaggle of geese flew over the house this morning and I heard a cardinal singing. Spring must be coming soon (er or later).
How you feel about your parents is how I feel about Sunday’s at my grandparents. Sniffle.
Oh I love that verse is Isaiah 58. Isaiah is one of my favorite books.
Those pitchers are lovely!
Oh, how well I can identify with homesickness! Ever since we have been back in Denmark, a part of me has been pining for America. I miss my girls. I miss my Mom. My husband tells me I am spoiled because our girls were here for a visit last summer, and we also saw them in January for my daughter’s wedding. Spoiled? Twice in two years? SIGH…. they won’t be coming over this summer, and we won’t be going there, so it will be two years before we are together again. I know God can give me grace, but I still tear up whenever I think about them. ** Enough whining! Loved the descriptions of your day, and the pictures. Blessings on your weekend!
Oh, my goodness! Your parents house sounds just like my parents house! Mom always had a roast in the oven or chicken in the crockpot or something yummy that filled the house with wonderful aromas after church and we would all come in hungry and anxious for it to be out of the oven and in our tummies! Football…..you are the only other person ever…..that K know who feels the same way about hearing a football game on t.v. as I do. It is my favorite thing. I feel such a warm, cozy feeling when I hear that. I had three brothers growing up and my Dad and brothers always turned that on after a sunday meal or a holiday meal and any time a game was on in between. I love it!!! :):)
Great and fun, warm, fuzzy post. Love the trains parked under the griddle. It sounds like home to me….with my three little boys!
Have a great day!
jana
Shanda, do you make your pancakes from scratch like Mom used to? I love them so much that I take my posted-note recipe from house to house everytime I move…they taste like home and they make me feel young again when i eat them…here is the recipe:
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbl-spoon sugar
2 tbl-spoon veg. or peanut oil
1/4 tsp of each: baking powder, salt, baking soda
wisk in flour to desired thickness
that’s it….they always taste the best cooked in a old black cast-iron pan with a little crisco. I put REAL maple syrup or Smuckers Strawberry Jam…so so so so good. I will think of Mother EVERY time I eat them until the day I die!!! Mom always made the best breakfast food for us almost every morning, the other kids on the bus would be so jealous that we started taking stuff to them…like moms homeade bagles!! Now i can’t wait to go to Moms now…I have to bring 3 chocolate pies…can’t wait to make’em! Love you, don’t be sad…because it makes me sad too! I would do anything to have one more day with all my siblings again…those were the days.
Thank you for those encouraging verses. I seem to go to your sight when I am in need for some encouragment and the Lord shows me what I need to be thank ful for. I had a rough week so thank you so much. Don’t you worry, spring will be there before you know it Shan and you will get all those cute pictures of your kids and the beautiful outdoors. Have a great day!
miss ya
Courtney
Your memories of coming home to the smell of your mother’s cooking on Sundays makes me homesick for my grandma’s pork roast dinners. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.I truly can’t remember the last time I walked into a house where I could enjoy the smell of food cooking – and, it not be something I’VE cooked! The closest I come to enjoying something I didn’t cook is when I use my crockpot!
Forgot to ask: How many hours do you spend on school each morning? I’m amazed at how little time we spend, yet we are racing through our books. Do you cover all subjects each day or alternate subjects by days or months?
I know what you mean, we just moved 2 weeks ago & I miss my family to. It’s nice to think about the time you had at home and now you are making those memories with your kids. It’s truly priceless. I hope today goes well for you. Your pictures are wonderful! So nice and calm.
How sweet of your brother to post those wonderful comments!
You make everyday things seem so special…..you know what? They are special! Thanks again for your posts. I have a Fiesta mug I picked up somewhere and now whenever I use it I take time to say a little prayer for purpleamethyst76 and her family.
I’ve laughed and cried already today, so I would have to agree. I too, miss the smell of roast in the oven upon arriving home from church. It’s just not quite the same when it is a roast that I have made. Have a wonderful Easter with your family! We have good friends that are making the 8-hour-drive over to be with us for Easter. I like warm syrup on my pancakes too!
What a sweet post, Shanda. I hope that one day my children will long for home as you do. How exciting you get to spend Easter with them, that is only a week away. I LOVE your pictures today, you have such beautiful land to photograph. RYC: I took you up on your offer and named my picture “Purple Mountain Majesty”, such a beautiful name. I took that picture last June while we were in the NH White Mountains. I am feeling a little better but still having some trouble. They don’t think they were able to break the stone up very well so I may have to have another surgery.
That passage from Lamentations is wonderful; I love Scriptures that point us to God’s promises and the hope we have in Him!I can SO identify with your homesickness, Shanda! I don’t remember hearing that you guys ever made it to your folks’ place for a Christmas celebration, so I guess you are especially looking forward to seeing them over Easter! Well, guess what? I’m doing the same thing; Terry and I are flying back to MS for Easter with my family, and I am OVERJOYED! Yay for us!P.S. Referencing your previous posts, I meant to comment that in the second picture of you and Caleb, you don’t look any older than in the first – in fact, I think you actually look younger! Those were really sweet shots.
Your post was sweet. All that you miss about your home, your children will miss someday. You are helpingthem create lasting memories that they will want to relive. I just love the trains under the griddle. So cute.
what a wonderful heartfelt post today…have a great weekend…Lisa
Beautiful verses….I drank them in. It is wonderful to have that richness in family…though missing one another can be hard. I thought both my big boys were coming this weekend with their wives and I pictured all of us singing together at church. My middle son we will see at Easter …but he isn’t coming after all this weekend and I just about cried. So hug all your little ones and enjoy them…though I know the days can be so long and tiring. My eldest and his wife are driving down to go to a wedding and we will enjoy seeing them even for a day. They live 6+ hours away so it is a treat.
I bought a mix to make crepes with….I tasted the sample at the store and they tasted so much like the kind my grandmother always made when she babysat us as children. I showed My husband Bob and David the box and started to tell them about it and they both started laughing at me. I asked why and they said I looked like a commercial. Then they laughed and said they loved me Spring is here and even though CA. is warm comparitively the flowers and longer days are such a blessing! Jenny
I know what you mean about going home. It’s been so snowy up in NH this year, that I haven’t been home since last summer 😦 It stinks. I’m glad you guys get to go for Easter, though. I hope you had a good evening.
Hi, thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello. I hope you’ll stop by again. I have so enjoyed reading your blog. I just love your picture of the trains under your griddle. When my son was little (he’s now 19), he loved Thomas trains and I remember them being everywhere. We still have them all but they are made of metal. He had Thomas curtains and bedspread also.
Thanks for sharing the verses. Very encouraging!!
I’ve really been missing home lately too.
I learned something new about you today! The pictures of the water are absolutely beautiful!
@ElishaDecker – What? What did you learn new about me? I was talking to Rich about you coming out next month. I cannot wait! We’re going to go downtown and walk. . .there are so many little shops I want to go to, a new bookstore even! And lots of cool photo-opportunities! And of course the scrapbooking store!
just things that remind you of home. I am looking forward to coming too! Thank you for making plans of a good time. It sounds like so much fun and I look forward to spending time with you and your family! You all mean so much to me! I love you! lish