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About Shanda

wife, mom of seven, friend, child of God

weekending

I just got back from Agway.  The kids don’t have school today so I took Sarah with me.  She talked to me in the car, all about her future in which she wants “ten cats, including kittens.”  She’s trying to figure out what sort of job she should get that will allow her to take care of her cats and spend as much time with them as possible.  She dreams of mealtimes when she has them all sitting around the table with her “eating chicken scraps” while she “eats potatoes”.  She showed her love to me by generously telling me “I’ll give YOU a kitten if you want one.”  I told her she should write all of it down and title it “Sarah’s hopes and dreams.”

*****

I wanted to post photos from Saturday and Sunday on here because we had a nice weekend.

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On Saturday Rich was at a wrestling tournament with his team.  I had begged him to take Caleb along, as he sometimes has a struggle with boredom at home with me and his two younger siblings so…….. off he went with his Dad, somewhat reluctantly.  This left me with just Seth and Sarah for the entire day which was lovely.  They were good company for each other and for me.  We went to Barnes and Noble because I had bought Sarah a book as a Valentine’s gift but alas it was a book she already owned.  Thankfully, when we made the return, the one she wanted was at the store, but we had a few nervous minutes while the lady looked in the back for it.  Sarah LOVES the Warrior books by Erin Hunter just like her big sister Grace did at her age.

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I took them to Chick fil a for lunch and snapped this photo because Sarah cutely complained, “The chicken keeps slipping from my grasp” which I thought was an adorable way to explain the situation.  She ended up putting it down in the box it came in and eating it with a fork.

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The rest of the day was spent at home quietly with cats and books.

THEN ON SUNDAY;

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We actually had time to relax in bed that morning for an extra hour or so.  Rich fell back to sleep after taking Seth and Caleb to their coaches house, I looked at magazines and Sarah read her new book.

Then we got ready and went to see Jacob and Ethan wrestle!!  I was so excited to see my two biggest boys.

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Look at them!!!!  They are wonderful.  My heart was happy all day long even though yet again, I was in a wrestling gym.  🙂

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They had the best time together.

David alternated between hanging out with his brothers and his mother.  Sarah was all over the place, coming back to me now and then when she wanted a dollar or two.  She loves buying snacks from the concession table.  I think she bought Doritos, and a piece of pizza for lunch.  Her pizza looked so good that when she was done I had her go get me a piece (BECAUSE David wouldn’t!!  He said if I was a young pretty girl he would get it for me but because I am his mother he felt that I should be getting HIM a piece.  We laughed and laughed).

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I found Sarah sitting in a lounge area reading her book.

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I was up in the stands (bleachers were packed) watching my boy Ethan.

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He won easily.  I was cheering so loudly that Rich told me that at one point Ethan’s coaches stopped watching Ethan wrestle to look around and wonder who was yelling for him.  🙂

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He knew right where I was in the stands and made eye contact with his mom after his win.  So dear.

Later, we were sitting in the extra room where mat #5 was when Seth and Caleb were dropped off by their coach.  They had BOTH qualified for States AND they BOTH won 2nd place!!  It was very special to me because Seth was a little quiet and pensive the night before the meet.  I noticed and told him he didn’t have a thing to worry about and to “just do it for your hometown”.  About an hour later I was tucking him into bed and he told me he would “do it for his mom”.    So when he came in he gave me his medal.  In the photo I actually have Seth’s and Caleb’s medals around my neck but later on I let Sarah have Caleb’s.

Michael and Zach were at the meet, too, so they could see Jacob and Ethan.

The only one missing was our dear Grace.  I missed her so much.

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Sarah frolicking across the mat.  🙂

Jacob wrestling.  He’s so strong.

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So many people I love in one photo……Ethan had just gotten done with a match.  Rich and Jacob were busy discussing some wrestling technique with Caleb, Seth, and Michael looking on.

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Later on when the  meet was over……one last photo of Rich and his five sons, not wanting the day to be over just yet.   After we left them, we took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then grocery shopping.

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Yesterday the children played in the newly fallen snow.

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Cats were sleeping everywhere.

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David cleaned his room without anyone telling him to do it, and he printed and taped up all these inspirational quotes above his bed.

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Yesterday I made pancakes, remember?  This morning it was waffles.

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And David got breakfast in bed again,  now with a nice clean bedroom.  I’m still in shock that he cleaned it.

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It’s a beautiful morning and there’s so much to look forward to.

As I type I can hear David playing the piano and the other kids fooling around on my bed.

“What is done in love is done well.”  Vincent Van Gogh

 

 

 

racking up the mom points

David, Caleb, Seth, and Sarah have today and tomorrow off from school and I was telling them that I would make pancakes for breakfast but David complained and he said “I’ll still be asleep and miss out, as always.”  My quick thinking mind came up with a solution.  “I know, Dave! I’ll just bring you some in bed and after you eat them you can go right back to sleep!”  He shut his eyes and smiled like a pleased cat.  “That would be AWESOME.”

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9:58am

 

tiny music maker

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Lately I’ve been feeling blessed by family in so many ways.

Look who came to visit Aunt Shanda today!

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The three of us sisters sat and visited over tea.

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And then I took the baby to the piano and showed her the keys and what they did.

She figured it out easily.

It was a beautiful moment, to see these tiny baby hands making baby music.

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She absolutely loved it, and so did we, as we watched her delight.

We played a few hymns, including Jesus Loves Me.

Then we took her out to the livingroom and ate cookies (she couldn’t eat one so she had some milk) and then she fell into a sound and happy asleep.  She had an exciting morning.

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milk-drunk

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We also put her hair in a pony tail.

Ah it’s such fun to play with real live baby dolls!

Thanks Amanda and Cassandra and Elena for visiting me today!

good things

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonderful deeds.”

Tuesday morning

listening to music

staring out the window, the eaves are dripping, dripping, dripping (in time to the music)

lots of photos to share;

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((for the people I love))

 

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On Friday night we were watching the Incredibles 2

I was sitting weary but happy at my favorite spot at the table when Seth came by and said “I want to sit on you” and he sat on my lap.  I couldn’t see the movie very well after that but I put my nose in the back of his hair now and then and breathed in this boy of mine.  I gave that look across the room to Rich that he knows means, “Take a picture!”

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The very next morning, he was 10 and opening his big bag of gifts with some of his best friends watching curiously.

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He was given Dude Perfect things to play with, a new outfit, a stuffed animal dog that breathes thanks to a battery (he named it Oliver), and other little things.

I mixed up his requested birthday cake, which was Red Velvet, and then off we went to the wrestling tournament at our High School.  Rich is the head coach and hadn’t slept a wink the night before in all the excitement……

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Here he is, opening up the day of wrestling.

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Meanwhile, the birthday boy had a good friend with him all day and they (along with other boys) had the greatest time in the gym and also in the wrestling room nearby, playing football and running around.  They came to me now and then, mostly to get money so Seth could buy himself stuff in the cafeteria.  Since it was his birthday I didn’t say things like, “Don’t get candy with this” like I normally would.

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David with his friend Tristan.  Best boys in the world (the whole team is awesome)

There is so much sitting around and waiting at these tournaments.  David stayed bundled in his warm ups until it was time to wrestle.

I found myself a spot at the top of the bleachers so I could rest my back against the wall.  Sarah stayed nearby and we played cards and she also had a book and her DS.  I was able to chat with another wrestling mom which was fun, her name was Shannon.

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Dave after a win, going to the center to take off his ankle strap and get his hand raised.

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“Mom, can I have your phone?”

“Only if you sit over here and have your picture taken with me, birthday boy!”

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David getting set up to pin.

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My wonderful son.

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Another wonderful son (Caleb)…..watching one of our guys wrestle.

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Later on that night (what a long day, also Dave got 4th place in his bracket), Seth blew out his birthday candles and we ate the cake.  I had been concerned that it wasn’t going to be perfect……..but it was.  (in all humility)

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Isn’t it just so pretty on a Shamrock fiesta plate?  By the way, the newest color is another shade of green and they named it “Meadow” and I cannot wait to get a piece of it!!!!

(((Walter pictures)))  This cat is adored!  He’s sitting on the floor staring at me as I type, too, it’s quite funny.

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Well, and then on Sunday we all know what day it was.  Superbowl number 53 and my team was in the game.  Every time my husband flies into L.A. he gets me merchandise so I was all set to wear Rams stuff from head to toe.

We cleaned and pushed furniture around, plowed the driveway, ordered pizza and wings, and prepared for a houseful of friends all day long!

I was tired out so around 4 I went to bed to rest.  I was highly amused by the frequent visitors I had……

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Seth even stole my hat!

Isaac was the first to arrive and pretty much the first thing he said after taking off his coat and hugging me was “is that a red velvet cake?” and he ate 2 pieces.  🙂

I sat right in between my sis and my bro and it was a delight.  It was also a delight to see our girlies play and have fun.  Naomi braided Sarah’s hair and then they made batch after batch of slime upstairs.  They didn’t even make that big of a mess….I just had to vacuum the next morning what with all the glitter and foam beads everywhere.

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This picture makes me so so so so happy!  Rich invited his wrestlers to come watch the game and we had some parents stay, too.  Our friends Chris and Carolyn came again this year (they have in the past as well) and it was great to see them and catch up.  We had TON of food to enjoy.  I’m just so thankful and happy to have good friends through our community.  Look at Seth and John standing on the bookshelf behind the couch.  And Sarah sitting with her Uncle Isaac.  And sweet Naomi sitting between me and her mama.  I really need to print this and put it on my fridge.  I’ll smile all day.

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Well, alas, I was disappointed in how the game turned out.  My team lost to my son’s favorite team and Caleb has such a sweet heart that he felt bad and just stood next to me in silence as we watched the Patriots celebrate after the clock ticked down and the game was over.  “You can be happy, Caleb!” said Rich, but Caleb didn’t have it in him.  I had to go get groceries the next morning so I thought I would see if I could get Caleb a shirt to show him I was a good sport.  😉

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I took this photo at 6:20 this morning!!!!

By the way, when you have wrestlers in the house they’re gonna wrestle.  Caleb got a huge goose-egg on his forehead and another boy hurt his thumb (Rich even wonders if it’s broken).   That shadowy spot on Caleb’s head is The Bruise.

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I went for a nice walk yesterday again, the temps reached 60 which felt so nice after days and days of frigid temperatures.  I even saw a Robin taking a bath in a stream in the woods.  The birds were happy, too.

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(after a long day) we were texting Michael and the kids and laughing on the couch.

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Pictures from this morning.  (see Walter?)  Grace, David got the ink pot unstuck from the table finally.

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I sang him a song about a Handsome Handsome Cat.

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I praised the sunrise.

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And a few minutes later, the morning golden glow.

 

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for all mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

amazing

It had been a long while since I had gone to the woods by myself so I practically ran.

I spent so much time over the holidays inside malls, inside the house, inside the car, doing, doing, doing.  It was time to just “be”.

I took all of these photos on Friday.

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First stop was the chicken coop where I found some eggs.  Walter begged and begged to go on the walk with me but I said “no” right away because I knew (from what Grace had told me) that all he would do is feel lost and scared and meow a lot.  Therefore,  I put the eggs and the cat in the house.

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I’m so thankful to live close to running water.  In fact, I was outside again yesterday in the cold sun, laying back on the frozen ground with my eyes shut, listening to the sound of it.

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The tree I hugged.

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self-portrait

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funny icicles hanging down from a fallen pine tree

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Looks like snow or styrafoam, but it’s really some kind of fungus.

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more pretty pretty fungus on a fallen tree

The sunshine was really lovely to see on this walk, after several gloomy days.

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I am an admirer of ice.

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In fact, I ate a bite of it.  It tasted good, like pine, but later on when I gave some to Sarah she spit it out and said it “tasted like the stench of the forest.”

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As I made my way around to the stream again (the same stream from near our house, only deeper in the woods)  I found that it had flooded the day before, well beyond its banks.  Then, it froze overnight and the next morning when the water started to recede, it left its coat of ice spreading across the ground.

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I stood up on a bank to take this photo, looking down across the ice.  I closed my eyes and could hear it falling and cracking.  It almost sounded like someone else walking throught it in the distance, but I was alone.

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I got as close as I could to the water and sat on a frozen moss covered boulder for a while.

(A good thinking spot.)

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I didn’t see any birds but the closer I got to the field the more I could hear them.

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The trees had sheets of ice hanging off their lower branches.  Sometimes a wind would blow gently through and shake the ice enough to make a sound like soothing wind chimes.

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It was all such a delight and my face was pleasantly cold.  It felt good to BREATHE.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say over and over again.  Everytime I go outside for a walk I get surprised (and smile a lot) over something in God’s big beautiful world.  Which is why I always take my camera along.

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My heart, mind, and soul go back home refreshed.

“If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you very much.”

~Mary Oliver

 

 

 

permitted

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We left at 8:15 this morning to drive through rush hour traffic to go to the DMV testing center.  The weather was astounding; pounding rain and in the 50’s after days when everything was frozen solid and not even 10 degrees.  We drove through it together, my hands on the steering wheel, his hands clutching the laptop on which the driver’s manual was displayed.

Neither one of us slept much last night for whatever reason.

When I tried to make conversation he said, eyes on the computer screen, “Shhhhh, stop” and so I just reached over and patted his shoulder with a laugh.  I’m glad he’s safe and comfortable enough with me to be true.

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We arrived 15 minutes before the doors would be unlocked and Dave thought it was just way too long of a wait.  He was nervous.

Just as I knew he would, he passed easily.

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“That was incredibly nerve wracking.”

“My hands were shaking the whole time.”

“Okay now I gotta do my History homework.”

And that’s what he did.

We also got Dunkin Donuts coffees and listened to music.

Me and my buddy Dave.  How I love him.

I dropped him off at school and then got groceries…and very wet…..came home, and crashed on the couch.  I didn’t do a thing for the past 2 hours but watch TV and snooze with a cat on my lap.

When Caleb got home from school, he joined us.

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This is the view from here.

Happy Thursday, friends.

smart bird

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In the early part of winter I had cut a big armful of winterberry branches from the side of the stream and put them out by the birdfeeders.  Actually, I had originally put them in the house for a natural Christmas decoration but the cats wouldn’t leave them alone so I ended up putting them outside.  They looked pretty out there and I’ve enjoyed seeing them each time I looked out the window; delightful bright red berries.

Look what came to visit yesterday!  I was on the couch minding my own business when out of the corner of my eye I saw it fly to the tree by the bird feeder.  I said, “What in the world?”  I’ve never had a Robin come to the feeders as they don’t eat seed, much less a Robin in the dead of winter on the most coldest of days.  I thought maybe it was a curious, sociable Robin and was trying to see what all the other neighborhood birds were doing on my porch.

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But it really came to eat the berries.

Smart bird.