We got a house for the weekend in Cooperstown, NY. It worked out great, the house was big and spacious. The lawn was pretty, with lots of big trees. The children love to climb trees, and there was also an apple tree. The apples were still half green, but the kids loved picking and eating them.
We met my parents at the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown on Saturday morning. We enjoyed visiting the museum, with the old things to see, and also animals and the working village with a store, blacksmith, print shop, barn, and so on.
Aren’t the homemade brooms nice? I get inspired by things like this.
I love this picture of Sarah walking into her Grandpa’s arms.
This was a sign in the Blacksmith shop: “When you are the anvil, bear. When you are the hammer, strike.”
I liked the way they used old fence posts to surround this small garden of zinnias. It’s so pretty against the stone foundation and the outside of the barn walls.
After the museum, Mom and Dad came to our house and visited before leaving again for home.
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Rich and I shared a delicious bagel for breakfast on Sunday morning. It was a toasted bagel, with cream cheese and thinly sliced tomato on top of each half, with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Try it! It’s so good. I made myself one for breakfast this morning. (While looking at the September issue of Country Living, did you see page 22? Fiestaware!)
I didn’t get very many photos of the Baseball Hall of Fame, which was what we did on Sunday. Cooperstown is such a beautiful town! I highly recommend a visit, if you can.
On the way back home yesterday, I played with my phone on the way home and made these pictures using a new app called “Halftone”. Fun!
This one is made with an older photo of the little ones at the library.
Happy Monday to you!
A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. inspired by soulemama
Do you have a special moment from this week? If so, perhaps you would like to share it in the comments section for us all to smile over!
Happy weekend to you~
You know what makes me feel really really happy? Sitting and gabbing with a friend while watching our children have fun together. And that’s what I got to do again today! My friend Caroline invited us to a campground and we got to swim in the pool.
Grace couldn’t find her bathing suit so she wore a t-shirt and shorts.
David is like a fish, he loves to swim! We are used to a POND, so David does miss the pond creatures when he’s in a pool. However, swimming in clear water is a nice treat.
He did take a break to read the rules. One of the differences between the pond and the pool is that he is not allowed to run around the pool at breakneck speed.
Caroline helped Sethie swim and he loved it. He is not afraid one bit, unless he accidently floats onto his back.
The wonderful children. The older boys like to swim in shirts, I’m not sure why but if I had to guess I think it is because they are in that teenager self conscious stage.
They had a lot of fun splashing each other and playing catch with a little football.
Caroline generously provided lunch for all of us. A picnic! We had watermelon, sandwiches, and drinks.
There was also a basketball court.
And a playground.
Seth rode, what he called, a HORSE. Aren’t 2 year olds so cute? He is talking more and more. It’s amazing to hear his thoughts.
It’s been a crazy week for me personally, lots of emotions and crying. But I have to say, getting away from the house routines now and then does a world of good for a mama’s mental outlook!
We had such a good time! I’m so thankful for friends, here, there, and everywhere. That includes you.
xoxo
If you’re alone, I’ll be your shadow.
If you want to cry, I’ll be your shoulder.
If you want a hug, I’ll be your pillow.
If you need to be happy, I’ll be your smile.
But anytime you need a friend, I’ll just be me. ~Author Unknown
We spent hours at their house today.
And today, I’m just thanking God over and over for this family. God perfectly matched us to be best friends with one another. We’ve been doing stuff together for over 10 years. There are hundreds of sweet memories.
(missing from photo: Bethany, age 2, Seth and Sarah’s bestie).
Kathy and I had the greatest time watching them all play. Poor Tristan and Kevin got stung by bees. David and Emily sat right next to each other on the couch to watch a show. So comfy. Seth and Beth had spats and went skinny dipping (you can do that when you’re two.) Sarah started a few arguements by saying “mine” when toys were taken from her. The older ones played catch, volleyball, and jumped on the trampoline. The pool died and poured out all over the lawn (it was a big huge blow up one).
As soon as we got home one of my children printed out this photo and had me put it in a frame. That’s how much we love these people!
Lots going on here, lots of plans and preparations; end of summer stuff.
I like being busy, it’s just that I’m so tired! 
I can’t believe it’s August, 2011!
The children are growing so fast….sunshine and love does that, you know.
There is so much to be thankful for. Health, smiles, fresh air.
Here are some of God’s little creatures that make no fuss to be noticed.
But if you do happen to notice them, it’s a delight.
Did you ever see the amazing neon colors of the dragonfly? I used to think that God didn’t have a hand in creating NEON, but I’ve since learned (from the dragonfly and the shine on bubbles) that He most certainly did!
I like to see the flying things attracted to my gardens. Moths, butterflies, bees…….
Drops of rain on the flowers.
Discovering a new-to-me moth;
A pretty baby at dusk.
Blessings to you as you enjoy this new month!
Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high!
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life be past;
Safe into the haven guide,
Oh, receive my soul at last!
Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me!
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.
Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care:
Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and, behold, I live!
Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name;
I am all unrighteousness:
False and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art
Freely let me take of Thee:
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity!
Charles Wesley
(You can listen here. I cried all the way through the video.)
Feeling so achingly thankful for a hiding place, a grace-full, merciful, healing, purifying, eternal, abundant, cheerful, living, safe, plenteous, strong, HIDING PLACE, in my Savior, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
This week has been FULL of especially precious moments for me. I will share the two I actually got pictures of. Both of these were taken with my iphone.
This has been a busy week of VBS. One night, I was able to leave early with Seth and Sarah, and let Rich stay to bring the other children home. I was distracted all the way by a gorgeous sunset; it was so beautiful to me at the end of a busy day that I pulled into a parking lot to take a picture of it.
Imagine what the sky will look like when Jesus someday appears!
I had to take this next picture last night, for Rich. He is away on a business trip and I knew he would like to see the children around the dinner table.
Oh how we love eating together, laughing and talking over a good meal. It’s always chaotic, but I know that it will be missed terribly when the day arrives that they are grown and gone………
I would just love it if you would maybe *pretty please* share a special little moment from your week, for us all to read and smile over, in the comments section.
friday’s moments posts are inspire by soulemama
I sat in my room this morning, playing with Sarah. I looked at my bookcase and I remembered that when Grace was a baby, I sat her on a shelf in the midst of my books and took some pictures of her. I wanted to do something like that with Sarah, but she has gotten too big to put in a bookshelf.
So I stood her on a basket in front of the books and gave her some Beatrix Potters to hold in her arm.
I dressed her this way before I thought to take portraits. Life is too short to save the white dresses for a special occasion, especially if you are a baby who grows so very fast. This was Sarah’s Easter dress.
Seth observed all this and as soon as I took Sarah down, he hopped up and said, “My turn!” I couldn’t deny him. He’s a beautiful boy and was so happy to have a chance. As you can see, he wasn’t dressed for the day quite yet. Gotta love the belly and Thomas pj’s.
Books! I love reading………
I took David and Caleb to the library yesterday and we found some new delights:
Big Fat Hen, by Keith Baker; a counting book of the familiar rhyme, with gorgeous fancy hens illustrated throughout.
The Grannyman, by Judith Byron Schachner (of SkippyJonJones fame). She wrote a sweet story about an elderly cat, ready to die, until his family gives him a tiny kitten to care for. It’s just what he needed to be interested in life again. A tearjerker for old softies like me.
Seasons, by Blexbolex; a thick artsy book of simple words matched with a gorgeous illustration. For all ages.
Grace (11 years old) is busy reading every Newbery Award winner. Cool idea, huh?
As for myself, I am scared to continue The Book Thief. A few years back, I told myself I would never read another holocaust book because they gave me depression and gloomy feelings after I read them (the exception being The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom). Now, I didn’t know and still don’t know what exactly The Book Thief is all about. I chose it randomly at Barnes and Noble a week or so ago. I bought it, started it, and as soon as I realized it was set in that time period I put it down. Now I glare at it every time I walk by my nightstand. I want to read it, learn from it, love it, but my suspicion is holding me back. Have any of you read it? Is it disturbing? Or redemptive?
As always, I (and any comment readers) would love to hear about your family’s favorite books~
(I like to write stories now and then for the children. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to read it out loud to your youngsters!)
Yesterday, on a beautifully cool summer day, David (who is 8) and Caleb (who is 6) made their own fishing pole with a long stick, a long string, and a fish hook. They found a pale yellow slug and baited their hook with it. Then, they went to the pond to fish.
Before I knew it, they were walking briskly back, side by side, and smiling big.
“Mom! Mom!” David cried. “Caleb caught a fish! Come see it!” I laughed when they ran to meet me, with a big coffee mug brimming to the top with pond water.
I looked inside the mug and there it was swimming in a panic, ’round and ’round. “Isn’t it beautiful?” asked Caleb, proudly. I looked at Caleb, and then at the fish.
It was quite a small fish, and I could see why he thought it was beautiful. Fish are beautiful, if you stop to think about it. Especially if it’s the first one you ever caught.
“Can we keep it, Mom?” they both asked.
While I took care of the other children and forgot about the fish, the two busy brothers put the fish in an old pot, high up on a shelf in their bedroom. They named him Lego and took care of him all day.
They left their fish to help me make pickles (see previous post), and as soon as we were done they ran downstairs to their room. “Let’s go check on Lego!”
“He’s…….he’s GONE!” one little boy said, in awe and amazement.
I went downstairs to see what was the matter. The fish was back in the pot by the time I got there. “What was he doing?” I wanted to know.
“He was just lying right there on the floor, trying to breathe!” There was a wet spot. Lego was desperate to escape.
After that incident, I helped them find a taller fishtank. It was an old big ice cream tub from Schwan’s.
Want to see a picture of him under his lego lily-pad?
Even in the pouring rain that afternoon, David could be found under an umbrella, finding worms for Lego.
Lego was fed, talked to, and gently poked at.
Lego was given so much care that as we went to bed that night, we older ones wondered if he would live to see another day. The next morning, we looked in the plastic ice cream tub. Was he okay? Did he live to see another day?
He wasn’t moving at all. In fact, he was stiff. And, he was over on his side under the water! But, how did we know he wasn’t just sleeping? “Because his eyes were open.” Caleb said.
Well, just in case he really was just sleeping, Caleb and I walked outside and poured him back into the pond.
This afternoon, when I read this story to the boys, they ran outside to see if he was still where Caleb had left him and he wasn’t there!
I will leave you to decide whether or not Lego is alive.
And that is the end of the fish tale, which is where fish tails usually are. On the end.
