What does solitude mean to you?
Why do you think it’s important to be alone sometimes?
Where do you go to spend time by yourself?
How do you feel after you have spent some time in solitude?
And when He had
sent the mulitudes away,
He went up into a
mountain apart to pray:
and when the evening
was come, He was
there alone.
Matthew 14:23
Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Anderson
(flower picture of Colleen’s garden)
When I was in NY I was able to spent LOTS of time with my childhood partner in crime. . .my aunt Colleen, who is almost 2 years older than me. We grew up together, so our relationship is special.
When I took the kids to her house they had a lot of fun while Colleen and I talked, looked at cookbooks, and studied our family tree that she has been working on.
Our girls went down to the stream to play indian and came back looking like this:
Apparently they wanted to be “dark-skinned”. Uncle Roger had to spray them off before they got in the pool.
Molly
Meghan
Marissa
Colleen knows I collect pigs and gave me these sprinkles that she found. I thought they were so cute:
Colleen and I got to go antiquing together later on in the week.
Here is what I bought:
(a cool necklace)
for my violet collection! An owl and a pig!
(bottom of teacups)
a cool, “perfect shade of blue” shutter and some awesome cherry teacups (child’s sized)
I got a basket of cookie cutters and a set of 2 handmade table runners.
One of our old forts:
While I was at my mom’s, we went for a walk and I took this picture of a place in the woods where we used to play as kids. Colleen and I named this “Daleen” falls–a combination of our names (and my brother David’s name).
I think it’s great that I have Colleen in my life to be family and friend to me.
Have a great day everyone!
Just when I needed some encouragement:
This is a set of hand-made cherry napkins from my friend, Amanda. She read on my site that I like cherries and she kept searching until she found this material–perfect for the cherry lover! I was so surprised and so touched. She even found a notecard to go with the gift!
I know for a fact that when we take the time to encourage one another it is very pleasing to God and I urge anyone who may read this to go ahead and do something for a “special someone” (child? husband? friend? stranger?). Be on the look-out for ways to lift up others. It’s so important. People get tired and weary and an unexpected ray of sunshine may be just the thing they need to keep going.
By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35
“When I think of the sacredness and the responsibility of parents, I do not see how any father and mother can look upon the little child that has been given to them and consider their duty to it, and not be driven to God by the very weight of the burden that rests upon them, to cry to Him for help and wisdom.
When a man bends over the cradle of his first-born, when he begins to realize that here is a soul which he must train, teach, fashion and guide through this world to God’s bar how can he longer stay away from God?
Let him, as he bends over his child’s crib to kiss its sweet lips, ask himself: “Am I able to meet this solemn responsibility of parenthood all alone, in my unaided human weakness, without divine help?” I know not how any father can honestly meet these questions as he looks upon his innocent, helpless child, given to him to shelter, to keep, to guide, and not fall instantly upon his knees and give himself away to God.
Rather would I see my own little ones laid away in the grave tomorrow, and miss from my life henceforth all their love, and go with empty arms and sobbing heart through this world to life’s close, than to attempt to train them, teach them and lead them on without the help of God.”
J.R. Miller
“Mom, I have to go to the bathroom,” said Jacob.
I inwardly groaned. It was hot and I had just gotten the kids a picnic lunch and was settling down with a magazine at the park. There was a playground and I thought the kids would play for a bit while I read.
“Jake, you’re going to have to go off down there to the woods and go,” I said.
Ethan went along, too. I had to laugh at that. They do everything together but a trip to the woods for a bathroom break was carrying things a little too far, I thought. There was a big stream down there and I wondered if they would notice. A few minutes later they both came back running.
“MOM! You’ve GOT to see this!”
And that is how we discovered the stream and how I gave up my “quiet time”. We went down and the kids paddled around in it. It was so much fun that few days later we went again and I took my camera.
It was beautiful down there. Dark and cool with the sound of running water.
I found this rock: 
It is covered in fossil markings and when we got home I put it in my garden.
The afternoon was all the more fun because the playground and stream are at the school grounds that Rich and I both went to as kids. Seems like yesterday.
I am so incredibly thankful to God for such a lovely vacation. Sure, I was weary at times of living out of the back of my vehicle (I discovered it was much easier to keep the luggage in there) and not sleeping in my own bed, but hey, those are small prices to pay for making memories. . . .
I believe I took about 300 pictures, most of which are blog-worthy (I think so, anyway!) so I plan on sharing vacation highlights all week long. (Let’s see. . .what’s 300 divided by 7? okay, maybe I won’t post all of them! LOL)
For now, here is a hodge-podge of photos to get the ball rolling:
(at the lake in NY, where we stayed for 4 days:)
(with Colleen antiquing in Greene, NY:)
(at my Grandparent’s empty “for sale” farm house, my mom took the picture:)
(Shanda and Joanna together again for a wonderful but too-brief visit. 6 hours wasn’t long enough for us:)
(meeting a xanga friend -Jessica- face to face in Strasburg, PA:)
Thanks for your prayers for my family during this vacation. I truly appreciate it!
Today we are “recovering”. It’s nice to be home. However, Grace is still in NY with her grandparents. (Rich’s mom and stepdad). I sure miss her — she’ll be back next Sunday. Grace has two little aunts that are just about her age and they have horses for her to ride. I am sure she will have the time of her life this week.
More tomorrow!
I am so incredibly thankful to God for such a lovely vacation. Sure, I was weary at times of living out of the back of my vehicle (I discovered it was much easier to keep the luggage in there) and not sleeping in my own bed, but hey, those are small prices to pay for making memories. . . .
I believe I took about 300 pictures, most of which are blog-worthy (I think so, anyway!) so I plan on sharing vacation highlights all week long. (Let’s see. . .what’s 300 divided by 7? okay, maybe I won’t post all of them! LOL)
For now, here is a hodge-podge of photos to get the ball rolling:
(at the lake in NY, where we stayed for 4 days:)
(with Colleen antiquing in Greene, NY:)
(at my Grandparent’s empty “for sale” farm house, my mom took the picture:)
(Shanda and Joanna together again for a wonderful but too-brief visit. 6 hours wasn’t long enough for us:)
(meeting a xanga friend -Jessica- face to face in Strasburg, PA:)
Thanks for your prayers for my family during this vacation. I truly appreciate it!
Today we are “recovering”. It’s nice to be home. However, Grace is still in NY with her grandparents. (Rich’s mom and stepdad). I sure miss her — she’ll be back next Sunday. Grace has two little aunts that are just about her age and they have horses for her to ride. I am sure she will have the time of her life this week.
More tomorrow!
Thought I would share a few pictures that I took last night at our closing night of VBS.
These first pictures are of my friend Cathi, wife of Josh and mom of 2 gorgeous little girls. We’ve been friends for a few years now. We go to the same church and share a common love of the written word. . . . .she’s my loyal xanga pal, too.
Cathi is so sweet and I love sitting right next to her in choir (we both sing alto). We’ve had lots of fun together and our friendship has also been made sweeter by tough times–we’ve been there for each other during church turmoil and personal loss. There’s just something about tears that cement a relationship.
I remember the first time I really noticed her, all absorbed in her firstborn baby girl. And now here she is with her second.
Somehow I just loved the look of black and white for these pictures:
Frankly, I can’t decide who’s cuter–mom or baby!
These next pictures are of my friend Karen with her son, Leo. Leo and my David are good friends and they remind me of each other–especially because of their many facial expressions.
Karen is a “deep thinking” friend. She grew up reading C.S. Lewis and would love to have her own “inkling” club. As soon as we get together we dive right into deep conversations about life and death. . . . . and other important matters.
I guess I should explain why New Englanders are wearing cowboy hats. It’s because our VBS theme for this year was “Calvary Junction”.
One of God’s beautiful blessings—friendship!
More excitement at my house
David (my almost 5 year old) has learned to ride a 2-wheeler,
thanks to the excellent teaching
of his sister, Grace. This little bike has been in almost constant
use for 5 years and has been run over by the truck.
It is missing a pedal.
However, it is the bike of choice because it is so little that David isn’t afraid to fall.
I love his expressions!
Enjoy the pictures of his first day of riding his bike on the driveway:
Milestones
(I also found out yesterday that
Jacob’s feet are now bigger than mine.
!!!)
With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Caleb James (my baby)
(He’s belting out “Jesus Loves Me” in this one:)
Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.
~William Wordsworth, “To a Butterfly”
(Singing again:)
There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff
******************************************
“Love your babies today, say ‘yes’ a lot, read, hug, laugh and smile, praise more than correct.”
~Shanda
Good to be Home 