Good afternoon! Sarah is asleep in the big armchair, with her quilt that Hannah made her. Jacob is over in our schoolroom, painting. He has his ipod on and he’s working away. I’m proud of him. The others are watching an old Disney movie that we got at the library today.
Rich just called and he sounds good. I could cry. He said the funeral was tough (of course) but he was able to meet a lot of his friend’s family and they were so kind. He said that a lot of people from work made the trip. He is now driving with his friend Mark, back to the airport. He should be back home at about midnight. Thank you so much for praying for him. He sounded so good on the phone, relieved that we are slowing moving out of the intensity of the sadness. He will never forget his friend, or the lessons his life and death taught him.
Rich and I stayed up late the other night, talking. I told him I was concerned about all he’s been going through and asked him if he could please try to take a good solid week-long vacation. He needs it. So he was able to take the first week of October off. We aren’t sure what we are going to do. The main objective is to relax and enjoy our family without the pressures of work.
I made apple crisp last night. A huge bowl of it, and it’s already GONE.
I have applesauce on the stovetop. Smells so good.
I read the comments in the last post and here are the answers to some of the questions:
What’s going on in my heart lately? Well, our sermon in church last Sunday was excellent. A couple of things the preacher said have been going through my mind. One thing: “There is nothing you can do to make God love you more than he already does.” Another: “The beauty of the gospel is that what we cannot do, JESUS DID.” He preached from Romans, a book that excites me. I read it and want to underline everything!
Something Home related: I have a rectangular doily on the table, with two lit candles and two little vases of flowers; cosmos from my garden, and some wild flowers. I found an index card while cleaning. On it was a note from my Great-Grandma (now passed away). I put her familiar, pretty handwriting on the table with the flowers. I smile whenever I see it.
Favorite Childhood memories: Sitting in church on Sunday with my family. Dad, Mom, Me, David, Amanda, Nathan, and Isaac all in a line. Hearing my mom’s pretty voice singing the hymns. She would look at me and smile sometimes, during the sermon. Hearing my Dad laugh. I remember one time he came home from work with a surprise candy bar for each of us. We had to be careful with our money when I was small so things like that were a real treat. My pet cats, how I loved them. Early spring walks in the woods, to find the first wild flowers. Making “jam” (squished berries) in the woods with my aunt (only a year older) and brother. Reading a lot, especially LM Montgomery books. My own purchased copies were treasured and still are. Doing hours of gymnastics out on the lawn, and the wooden board my sister and I used as a balance beam. How thrilling it was to do a cartwheel and full turn without falling of it. I still want to do cartwheels when I go home and feel the cool grass and soft earth of my parent’s lawn. Picking “wild” apples up the road (on old farm land). Picking small, wild strawberries and wild blueberries. Running, walking, and riding bikes on the dirt road. The smell of the farm. The quiet of living in the country. Whenever I was upset, the woods calmed me down.
How I met my husband: We are High School sweethearts. Rich talked to my brother Dave about me and then Dave came home and said, “Guess who likes you?” I was thrilled. Surprised, too. Happy. I did a whole post about this topic, click HERE to read it.
I took a couple of pictures of our schoolroom, in progress. You can see them HERE.
For a post I did about a very special OLD BARN, click HERE.
Thanks for stopping by! ~Shan
PS. The bowls are fiestaware presentation bowls in juniper and heather.
Good to be Home 
hi shanda…….thanks for indulging me with the apples and fiestaware photos – beautiful and so autumnal!
I love it when you post new fiestaware! I always look in all the little antique shops for old fiestaware – and then on eBay too. Love all those fall leaves – and the school room is going to be so nice. The blog about your husband was certainly one of the sweetest I’ve read in a long time.
Your new schoolroom is going to be wonderful! I’m glad you linked to your homeschool blog I had wondered if you still kept up with it. I was curious how you came to homeschooling and about your switch with David, I found the answers there! Your post about pride there was excellent. It’s prevalant in the homeschool community, as it is everywhere I suppose, but the self righteousness homeschooling can bring about certainly is icky…I’m seeing it with different eyes this year…and that’s been helpful. Your switch from abeka to mfw intrigued me…I can certainly understand! It’s hard to teach a close group of children individually, I enjoyed seeing how you are doing as I’m feeling a bit removed from that part of life this year.:) You are a lovely homeschooling family.Beautiful fall pictures. I’m so sorry for Rich’s coworker. Glad you all will have more time to heal from it.
Thanks for the pictures. The apples look so yummy! What you said about us not being able to make God love us more than He already does got me thinking about something I read. In Wayne Jacobsen’s book “He Loves Me!”, he talks about the story of the prodigal son. He asks the question, “In this incredible story, when do you think the father loved his son the most?” The answer is that he loved him completely through the whole story. The son’s perception of that love varied throughout the story, but the father’s love was constant. Through much of the story the son “lived less loved.” How often do I do that? Live less loved, when the Father’s love for me never changes.
pretty pictures! I love apple crisp…I think I could eat it every day! And about applesauce…love it too!
I’m so glad your honey is doing good and that you’ll get a week together. I’m sure that will be a big help to all of you. 🙂 Thanks for answering my questions! I loved hearing about your childhood and that peek at the old barn and how you and your hubby met. Your new schoolroom looks amazing too! What a fun place to do school. Can’t wait to see your finished product. I’m sure it will be amazing with your pictures up. Hope you have a great evening. 🙂
Rich taking off one week is a good idea. I am enjoying the fall crop of apples as they arrive in our grocery stores! Rissy likes to make apple crisp (well, “Anything” Crisp), but she makes it with pie fillings. I bet fresh apples would taste wonderfully good!
I always love how you invite us into you life Shanda, and it is so full of God, love, family, and so very cosy. Beautiful Fall apples…yum. We are contrasting with the best SUMMER days we had…now that it is Fall. David is swimming every day, and I went in too, just not over and over like he does. Happy to think of Rich able to have a week off. Good to hear all went well, I know it is a lot to work through. Love to you!
Hey Shan! I’m glad to hear that Rich will have a week of vacation next week. I hope you have a great time together as a family. I visited your linked post’s which I’ve already read but it was so nice to read about you and Rich again. God is so awesome to give us such fine husbands. Lifting you up today and praying you have a joyful, grateful, graceful day. Love you, Lish
I was up on “the Hill” Saturday at Aunt Carol’s house…I made a special trip up the road just to pick an apple and eat it. Then threw the core into the pond for old time’s sake. I went walking in the woods with the family – talking with your mom and Melissa the whole time – we were remembering the walk we took with all of us a couple of years ago. So you were with us in spirit…If I get a chance I will post a few pictures from the walk. I’m glad to hear that Rich is doing well…and that you will both get a week to recharge and reconnect your family. (I will have to say though I do wish you would come for a visit – but I am being selfish..and that is what our lessons were about yesterday at church…to put God first not ourselves) Our church is in the process of updating the church constitution – and we are using Romans 12 as the church covenant on how we should be living together as a church body. I have always enjoyed the book of Romans. Love you a bunch – and wish we could take another girls weekend together to re-connect.
@colleena146 – you’re making me cry~ love you~
This is so funny, but I put the song The Best Day on my site! So when I clicked onto yours and heard the song, I was wondering what I did! I scrolled down to your playlist and saw you put it on too. Haha, we have the same song. My husband and I are also hs sweethearts. I am going to go read your post about your love story next. =) I can just imagine how wonderfully good that applesauce smelled! We will be making ours in a couple of weeks, I’m just waiting for certain apples to be in season. Have a happy day. =)