When Grace was born in 1999, she became my dream-come-true, my first daughter. 
She was the most beautiful baby, so tiny, and she fit so well into my arms, perfectly into my life.
On most days I can push away the reality that my children are growing up before my eyes, but when along comes a milestone, my heart aches.

At five, I felt that she was out of babyhood and into childhood.
At 10, she hit the double digits, oh my heart.
At 12, she’s a BIG girl.
At 13, and now a teenager.

Last night was her 8th grade promotion ceremony.  Her big brother Ethan had his last year, so I did feel desensitized a bit, it was the same ol’ thing but with a new set of kids.  Rich and I clapped and clapped for all the children, but when we saw our Gracie-girl, we smiled big and shook our heads and felt heart-big, proud of her.  The prettiest girl in the room.

our girl in the backseat, on the way to school for her special night

receiving her certificate

singing next to her best friend, Jenna, in the school chorus

with her papa

with her mama

I only make cakes for celebrations now.  This one was for last night’s “after graduation” celebration.  It’s a Duncan Hines cake mix (carrot), with homemade coconut-cream cheese icing, and sprinkled with toasted coconut.

take it all
one day at a time
and enjoy the journey

Kristi Bartlett

it’s a double!

This was Monday.  In a matter of one hour the temperature dropped 20 degrees and the sky went from brilliant blue to stormy, dry to a deluge of rain showers. 

I had to take Ethan to a sports banquet, driving directly under the storm, with lightening flashing, but by the time I arrived back home 10 minutes later, the sun was shining through the rain and a rainbow  had appeared.  I parked the car, ran up the steps, threw open the door, ran through the house calling out to my family “there’s a beautiful rainbow!”, grabbed my camera, and took these pictures from the front porch……

my daughter Grace

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”   Anne Frank

B E F O R E

Sarah Joy’s bedroom needed a little tender loving care.  My goal for the weekend was to whip it back into order and cleanliness and to take the crib down.

This was somewhat of a milestone for Rich and I; it was the first time we took down a crib in over 16 years without another baby on the way to need it soon.

We were both a little sad.  I guess we’ve been putting it off, since Sarah is 3 years old now and perfectly capable of sleeping in her big girl bed.  It was high time.

A F T E R

Now that the crib is out, we gained all that floor space.  (see the kitten in Sarah’s arms-so cute!) 

She has a little kitchen, a dollhouse, and a crib for her baby dolls.  I put some extra dolls and clothes in her closet, out of sight– to be played with some other time.

Her big girl bed has bedding from Shabby Chic (Target), pillow and pillowcase from thrifting and antiquing, and (the best part) a homemade quilt by Hannah.

The paper turtle was something she made in Sunday School and it has a verse on it.

The black and white is a photo I took when she turned 6 months old.  I had it printed on canvas.

The heart picture over her bed was from a thrift store, as was the Princess rug.

The little girl-blue vintage poster (on dresser) was mine when I was a teenager–I bought it myself at an antique shop for a quarter.

This bookcase used to be at the end of her bed (in first picture) and we moved it across the room.

Grace helped me line the books up on the shelves.

I know my book loving friends will enjoy these next few pictures…they represent hours of reading and so many favorites.

Books are of extreme importance to me and I’ve had such fun over the years, adding good stories to our collections.

I buy and find them everywhere, thrift stores, library book sales, bookstores, amazon.com.

As soon as a child can hold a book I put them in their small hands.  Seth and Sarah, and their siblings, are given books at bedtime, always, beginning in babyhood.

The picture on the wall is from the book Blueberries for Sal.  Our copy was torn up so I saved my favorite illustration from it for wall-art….I love it!

I have a little box of junk jewelry that Sarah uses for dress up. The lid of buttons probably will not stay there, I had to pick up so many buttons off the floor and that’s where I was putting them. (They got into my button box a few weeks ago)…..also

a wooden picture book

a vintage song-box

a piggy change purse (she loves little purses)

and a bookmark with a Bible verse on it.

The blue mason jar has shells in it, and a sprig of artificial flowers.

Her room is painted a sage green from years ago when it was an office/homeschool room, but I’ve always thought green and pink were a pretty color combination.

We had fun working on it, and she has been playing so nicely now that her toys are all in the right spots.  I love to see her play quietly and sweetly in her own clean room.

Now, if that was a little too much girliness for ya, here is a “before and after” of the three little boys::

B E F O R E

A F T E R

Haircuts!  I just cannot.stand.the.cuteness.

On Jekyll island, April 2013

Happy Father’s day!

The rain was so loud, it filled us up with joy and adrenaline.

I told Seth to go out into it…….

…he was soon dancing in the rain.  Wild and free.

Sister joined him and I stood, leaning against the porch railing, smiling at their happiness. 

I couldn’t believe my little vegetable garden, with a huge puddle in the corner.  I hope the cucumbers can survive all the rain-love.

Back inside, it was a warm afternoon for napping and folding 4 loads of laundry, and playing with kittens.

Sarah, back in dry clothes, and I watched a Veggietales show (it was the one about “vanna banana”) 

After Rich came home the rain had stopped enough to go outside for a walk.  The glow of the setting sun was gorgeous and the little ones did some puddle jumping.  I didn’t have my camera along, but when we got back home I noticed a rainbow had appeared in the sky.

Jacob was awake by then, and reading on the porch in his shameful socks.

As if the rainbow wasn’t enough, we saw another most beautiful sight, thick heavy storm clouds moving by, revealing a bright blue sky beneath.

Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.

from the hymn “master the tempest is raging” by mary ann baker

(the pond)

The sun was going down still further, and the lighting was thin and watery, but the children were so dear and happy outdoors that I kept snapping away.

The air was filled with the sound of tree frogs, I need to record the sound someday.  It was almost like a chorus of birds.  It gave us the NEED to see one of these allusive and well-hidden frogs.

We searched and listened, heard one close enough that David spotted it, and caught one.

It looked like a little blob of tree, in a frog shape, with very sticky and thin fingers.

********************************

Yesterday was such a gorgeous, clear day that I had no time to blog.  We had friends over in the morning and then after the children came home from school, there was “nothing to eat” and I was harassed into going grocery shopping!  Grace went and sat in the car even though I said I was too tired!  For the sake of family morale, I got up and went to Costco with her and we filled a cart to the utter maximum.  She’s happy, I’m happy, we’re all happy.

But Seth threw up this morning.  He’s currently cuddled in blankets right next to me on the couch, with his bear and a kitten.  Poor baby.  He woke up at 5, so yeah, I’ve been up for over three hours already. 

I’m making beef stew for dinner tonight.  I told Jacob so in the kitchen this morning, and Ethan called from the bathroom, I was surprised he had overheard me, “I love beef stew!”  Really, the way to a man’s heart it through his stomach.  So sweet.

It’s chilly outside, and it’s going to be another couple of days of rain; makes it seem so dark and cozy in the house.  I love home-keeping. 

*blessings and love to anyone who comes along here today*

No, the children are not out of school for the summer yet, (not till next week!) but this is a Sunday-after-church photo of dear Grace, wearing her new long dress from Old Navy and holding a kitten.

And then she took a picture of me, holding the same kitten.  Don’t you just love the new maxi-dress styles?  The stripes were a daring decision.  A older man at church (the teasing type) saw me walking Sarah to her Sunday school class and called after me, “Did they just let you out of jail, Shanda?”  And then, David leaned over upstairs during the message and whispered, “Mom.  You look just like a zebra today.  Did you do that on purpose?” 

Did he HONESTLY think I would make a decision like that?

THEN, Caleb brought home an invitation to a birthday party and said, “Mom, it’s a good thing you bought that new dress!”  It’s a ZEBRA party!  Whoever wears the most stripes gets a prize.  Astounding.  

I love my new dress!  It makes me laugh.

It was a good morning to bake bread.  It was raining outside and we needed bread.  No way was I going to go to the store!  I mixed up a big batch of dough with Seth and Sarah “helping” and kittens attacking my feet.

They love to eat a little bit of raw dough……..

I get feelings of joy and pride when I see a bowl of risen dough. “It’s growing so nicely!”

I formed three loaves, a dozen rolls for sandwiches, and a small pan of caramel cinnamon rolls.

My mother is my inspiration, she bakes all her own bread.  I just do it as a treat now and then.

FRESH FROM THE OVEN:

freshly baked rolls

sky high bread

caramel cinnamon rolls

a view from above

on this rainy morning, the house is warm and filled with the scent of homemade bread

I love working on my journals, but tend to go at spurts.  I’m currently in a productive spurt….I glued in a letter than I got yesterday from cherylyn, and added a few more pictures (cut from magazines) and quotes from the devotional books I’m reading.

Such as:

“The more you realize your self, the less you will seek God.”  Oswald Chambers 

and,

“It is a privilege to be chosen.  He has called you by your name.  You belong to Him in a special way.  You are precious to Him because He loves you and He has poured love into your heart to be able for you to give that love to others.”  Mother Teresa

A story of mischief. 

Yesterday, Sarah woke up from her nap before Seth did.  She was playing quietly and as Seth was still napping, I was not suspicious, because they tend to find trouble only when they are TOGETHER and alone, but Sarah usually plays in solitude like a perfect angel.  She was out of my sight and when I finally went to check on her, the scent of nail polish almost overwhelmed me.

She had painted her leg all the way up and over the knee (front only). 

Why?

“I started to paint my nails …. but then I painted my leg!”  she chirped.

I had to take her to the tub and scrub it off with nail polish remover.

And then I had go get Jacob from school.

But first I went to Rite Aid to buy a couple pretty cards to send to friends.

And then I got Jacob.  But I was late.

And then we went back home to start dinner.  We had homemade Salisbury steak, parsley potatoes, and cucumber salad.

Then it was time to clean the kitchen.

And then, and then, and then……..

it was a good morning to bake bread!

Life is good.

I took all these pictures on Saturday morning.  After two days of drenching rain, the skies cleared.  Rich and I went on a walk with the children and it was more exciting that usual because of the flooding of the stream….so over-full that water was up into the woods.  It was magical with the sun pouring down. 

The children saw so many little creatures on that day, two snakes, a mole, and a baby cardinal that was blown from it’s nest in the storms.  David held it and then put it back with it’s parents.  What a treat to see and wonder over God’s beautiful world.

“We have our all from the hand of God….if we have this thought as a golden thread running through all the comforts of every day; these are God’s gifts, every bit we eat, and every drop we drink is His mercy, every breath we draw, and every step we take is His mercy, this will keep us continually waiting upon Him….and will put a double sweetness into all our enjoyments.”  Matthew Henry, The Secret of Communion with God