just a little walk with caleb.

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Shanda

You may not realize this, but I have a son named Caleb. He is son #4.

I cannot imagine the family without our Caleb. He respects everyone; man, woman, child, and animal. He notices things; beautiful things. He not only holds my hand but it’s all his idea. He is 11 years old and likes to hug and lean against his mama, still, like a much younger child would. He knocks me off balance when he does because he’s such a very strong, solid boy. When he walks we can hear him stomp. When he jumps he lands with a thud. When he laughs the sun comes out. When he sleeps he buries his face in pillows. He tells the truth. He chews his nails off to the quick.

He and Ethan had cleanings this morning at the dentist in town. They both hate the dentist so I had to go along to give the poor babies love and moral support. Caleb had his teeth cleaned first and when he came back I asked him if he would go outside with me to stretch our legs while we waited for E. Even though he was all set to read about football he readily said yes.

I’m thankful for my son Caleb.

He’s a great kid. I can tease him, say no to him, lecture him, or love on him and he never complains. This summer he has listened to JR Tolkien audio books every night and he is currently reading several books, including The Hobbit. He goes to football practice every afternoon and during the day he plays with his siblings. He loves to play video games. He likes his things to be neat and organized and gets very upset when his siblings disturb his legos. He sneezes a lot so I give him Zyrtec in the morning and that helps. I think his favorite color is green. Sometimes when he is silly he makes a “buck-hack” sound like a chicken, which is super annoying. Seth does it now, too. Caleb is always asking to have friends over. He absolutely loves the family dog; Parker gets a lot of attention from his boy Caleb.

“YOU’VE MADE THIS DAY SPECIAL
JUST BY BEING YOU.
THERE’S NO ONE IN THE WORLD
QUITE LIKE YOU, AND
I LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.”

We discovered a nice stream by the dentist office. It was shady under the trees and the water was warm. We studied the sumac plant (first pic), admired a tall mushroom, sank our feet in soft moss, and showed each other our best jumping skills.

It was much better than sitting in a waiting room.

now and then

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Shanda

We just got home from running errands, Caleb, Seth, Sarah, and I. Now Seth and Sarah are playing together and Caleb is curled up at the other end of the couch reading a book. I bought it for him at Costco; Treasure Hunters, Peril at the Top of the World. He says he will probably finish it today.

When I was his age, my favorite thing to do was get a big stack of library books and read, read, read.

When I was a little girl, I lived on a very quiet country road. The lawn was green and soft and the air was sweet. I loved going outside whenever I finished my books. I would go for walks, climb trees, make a fort, pick flowers, walk down the crick, turn some cartwheels, or ride my bike. I did some of these things alone, but mostly with my aunt or cousins or siblings. There was never a lack of playmates and the farm was busy then, too. We could visit the calves or kittens in the hay barn. We could wave to Grandpa as he passed by on his Tractor. If we walked by Grandma’s house she would come out on the porch to wave and say hello.

I liked the smell of the farm. I liked it when Dad got home in the afternoons and we all ate dinner together. I didn’t like my mom’s macaroni and cheese but I do now. My Dad and brothers liked to play basketball outside and sometimes they would try to shoot baskets from as far away as possible. Dad was good at side shots. Dave and I would race but we always tied. We kids all went barefoot all the time. I loved my cut off jeans.

We could always find mom in the garden or in the kitchen. Just knowing she was there made us feel secure. I think I had the best childhood. I felt surrounded by family but I also felt like my own person, too. I was free to do whatever I wanted and think my own thoughts. My life wasn’t controlled by my parents, it was loved, nurtured, and there were rules like there are in every family, but I felt that my days were my own. I lived off fresh air, family, freedom, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

We went to church on Sundays. In the car, I sat in the seat behind my Dad, who drove with Mom by his side. Church, like home, was a safe place, too. I loved going to church, singing hymns, spending time with my special friends whom I only saw on Sundays. I loved the comfortable feeling of sitting so very long listening to a sermon in Pastor’s familiar voice and style with my stomach getting hungrier and hungrier. Every time I looked at my Mom she would smile at me. As I got older, I was able to help in the nursery and I loved playing with the babies. I liked listening to the ladies talk and visit. I observed all the women in the church. I liked to see how they fixed their hair and make up, the way they dressed and walked. I especially loved the musicians and I longed to play the piano like our church pianist did. The older ladies and men were the friendliest to us children, and they smiled at us and spoke to us with love. I loved all my teachers and the things they did to make church a nice place for children.

These are just a few of my memories from childhood. I’m thankful for the way I was raised and even though it certainly wasn’t always sunshine and roses, it all became part of who I am today and God was near to me then just as He is now. It was a slower life back then, which is why I think it is important to be nostalgic now and then, so I can remember to slow down now, too. I can remember to simply let my own kids play, realizing that they don’t need “ME” in ALL of their activities, knowing that just “finding me in the kitchen” is a comfort to them. I can remember to look forward to their Dad coming home just like I did my own Dad. And perhaps I will very soon bake up a nice big bowl of my mom’s delicious homemade macaroni and cheese.

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Yesterday Sarah had a procedure done to remove the stent she’s had since her surgery on July 6th. She was very anxious and the doctors and I had to lay her down on the table and put the mask on her. I held her in my arms and let her look at my face as she fought sleep. Each time she started to relax she would get afraid and clutch at me again. Her little arm was up around my shoulders. It was quite heart wrenching.

She woke up sobbing and upset. She didn’t like the way she felt, “Why am I tired?” she cried. Thankfully the whole experience only took a few hours and soon were were back in the truck going out to lunch. Sarah insisted on tacos. We had to carry her into Moes but she ate her taco fast and determined with the hospital bracelet on and a bandaid from the IV needle, looking pale as a ghost. Then she shared my food.

Later on, I took her outside with me. It’s been hot here but yesterday evening was cooler and it was such a lovely ending to a very stressful day.

I wanted to show her the flower she gave me when she was still in school. She planted a marigold seed and gave the plant to me for Mother’s Day. It is now almost as tall as she is and covered in buds.

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Then I showed her a giant sunflower. She carried her little blue owl every where she went.

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She helped me give the plants some water.

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David was with us, too. So I took a sister and brother photo.

These are from this morning:

I have a morning glory vine in one of my front garden beds (which need a lot of help). It’s been a nice surprise to watch it grow all summer. I’ve been training it up to the porch railings.

M I N T

P U M P K I N

Q U E E N A N N E’S lace, growing near the side steps. Sherlock wants to be let in.

******

Today Ethan and Tessa are celebrating their one year anniversary of when they became a couple. So they went to the beach with Michael, Zach, Grace, Caleb, and David.

It was after I took this photo that they left and then I left with the little kids to run our errands.

I found fiestaware at the Goodwill!!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

enough

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Shanda

Poor Rich had a rough start to his day. He has been getting up early to work out with Ethan, who has to stay in shape for his college wrestling team. This morning when they stepped out the door to leave for the track, they were confronted by a huge mess on the porch.

I knew something was the matter a few hours later when Rich was back home and stomping around the house getting showered and dressed for work. So, the first chance I got I asked him if something was wrong.

“Oh, a few things irritated me this morning. First of all, someone, instead of taking the trash out to the bin, hung it on the porch railing instead. A raccoon must have gotten into it because it was ALL over the place and not only that but it was nothing but raw eggs. I had to scrub and hose the porch and steps off. And then, there were no towels in the bathroom but that wasn’t that big of a deal because I’m used to there being no towels in the bathroom, but when I got out of the shower I slipped on the floor. Also, the big things of shampoo that I bought before camp are gone so I had to go out to get my bag and use my travel shampoo.”

“Wait. Raccoons don’t like eggs?” I asked innocently.

“Oh, they liked them. They had a great time with them. They were all over the porch.”

I was highly amused, and he was too, at that point. But he was not happy in the midst of these surprising experiences.

I confess, it was I who hung the garbage on the railing. And I was the one who filled the bag with raw eggs, too. One of my hens needs to be “dispatched” because she has been laying nothing but a daily stinky egg. I never know which egg I crack will be stinky so I am determined to stay at the coop and check each and every hen’s egg. When I find out who is laying these unusable eggs, I’m going to have to get rid of her. It wouldn’t be so bad if I could visually identify which egg it was (out of 14 per day) but unfortunately there are a lot of eggs that look identical, thus all the light brown eggs are under constant suspicion. As I told Grace, it has become an obsession with me. Sarah Joy saw me industriously smelling a raw egg, which I had broken in a cup, and said, “What are you DOING? That’s discusting!” We can’t have this, we can’t. The mystery must be solved so I can enjoy my hens and eggs again.

((stay tuned.))

So yeah, it was pouring rain yesterday as I reached out the door to hang the trash on the railing. I meant to tell someone to take it to the bins, but I completely forgot.

Ethan was distraught. He was hungry. He’s been working out so much and I am of the opinion that he needs to eat more…..so yesterday I was in the kitchen for a few hours, making pancakes and eggs, and then a delicious homemade coffee cake. Soon not only Ethan was happy, but we all were, and sugar was falling like snow.

Seth was too close to me in the kitchen and I couldn’t resist.

We ate coffeecake while playing a game.

Seth had come upstairs all upset because Caleb had “broken his nose with a hard pillow.” I felt it very carefully. “It’s not broken.” I said. “Lean against my leg and I’ll give you a back scratch.”

It was a contented moment, to play a game with Grace, eat coffee cake, comfort a small son, and look over to the couch now and then where Ethan (who finally had a full tummy thanks to me) was sound asleep under a striped crocheted afghan.

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Gratitude unlocks
the fullness of life.

It turns what we have
into enough……

Grace spent some time on a school paper which needs to be done by the end of this month. When she was finished for the day, she stacked up all of her things and proclaimed, “I have so many books that give me joy!”

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Happiness is an afternoon power walk with a cheerful, talkative daughter & admiring a giant picturesque pine tree by the side of the road.

This morning I went outside to check on the gardens and smell the flowers. It’s going to be a wicked hot and humid day (for us new englanders) so we will spend the day inside.

I found Gentleman Gray in one of his wild moods, attacking my morning glory vine which I have been patiently training up the porch railings. I took his picture right before he fell off the porch, with a little help from a friend.

in the garden

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Shanda

(listen while you visit?)

In my mom and dad’s garden,

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it’s currently pickle-making time, so they are harvesting cucumbers and garlic.

My nephew and niece,

my sister in law, and the new puppy, everybody loves the garden.

Inside the house there are sparkling clean jars, the freshest garlic,

and three generations in the kitchen making pickles!

There was a beautiful sunset at my parents house at the end of a satisfying day.

*****

My brother and mother sent me these photos. I haven’t been “back home” yet this summer, but with the constant texting it’s almost as good as being there.

Here is a lovely video that Mom sent to me one morning in the springtime, which instantly made me happy and homesick at the same time. I grew up here.

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10 large cucumbers
4 sprigs of dill
6 cloves of garlic
6 cups of water
1 1/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar

Wash and sterilize 4 (1 quart) jars. Boil water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and let cool. Cut cucumbers into quarters. Add 1 sprig of dill, and 1 1/2 cloves of garlic per jar. Pack jars with cucumbers, pour liquid over cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate at least 48 hours.

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I spy with my little eye lots of jars of pickles!

a little bit of this a little bit of that

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Shanda

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I made my way to the kitchen in order to make that first cup of coffee. Sarah was on the couch in the living room and the boys were still asleep.

Our nineteen year old son Jacob had left in the wee hours of the morning to go on a road trip and as I poured Sarah’s drink of milk I was touched to see that he had left me a note. It was on the other side of the counter so I had to reach across to pull it toward me, turning it right-side-up in order to read it.

What was it going to say? Perhaps; “I’ll miss you, dearest mother”?, or, “Don’t worry, I will drive safely, God is with me.”? how about, “Give my siblings a hug and kiss for me when they wake up, I’ll miss them!” ? or “I did the laundry before I left” ?

I was so surprised when I read it that I just had to laugh!

What sort of 19 year old leaves notes of remorse about finishing up FOOD?

And that “I love you” tacked on the end. Even his name made me smile! “Jake” not Jacob, but “Jake”. My little Jake, not so little…..but still as sweet as ever.

Does he not know, has he not heard? Mothers want the children to eat ALL the ham salad! Mothers eat lots of ham salad only if they have a sneaking suspicion that the children don’t like it and it will go to waste!

His mother would gladly give him ALLLLLLLL the ham salad!!!!!!!!

The note should have said, “I’m sorry I left the empty ham salad container and little bits of it on the counter for YOU to clean up instead of throwing it away myself!” Am I right? No, maybe not. I saw more of his priceless self and heart in his own quickly written, 3 o’clock in the morning, sincere, paper-towel written love letter than anything else he could have written.

(((my heart))) just never knows what God will give it each day…that little unexpected boost to brighten the moments. So many each day that I lose track. My heart gives grateful praise. A ham salad note. I can’t even……what next? I can’t wait to see.

****

A song for Friday:

****

truths to make your heart sing:

“So, we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:16, The Message translation

****

Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do, is follow.
~Sidney E. Cox, 1950, (from the baptist hymnal)

**Have a very blessed Friday, you are loved!**

a little taste of today (in photos)

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Shanda

I leaned over the porch railing to have a conversation with my boys, who were jumping on the trampoline way down on the lawn (I had to yell). I wanted to know if they were interested in going out with me to run errands and go to the playground.

Sarah was next to me holding Gentleman Gray, our kitty, who must have gotten scared about getting too close to the railing. Did he think he would be thrown over it? Was he afraid he would fall? Was mama yelling too loudly? Regardless, he panicked and scratched Sarah as he leapt from her arms.

Now she was crying hysterically saying she didn’t want to go anywhere.

***

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About half an hour later, we were driving down the road listening to tunes.

We made our way to the Salvation Army, where I prowled around looking for dishes and the children picked out new-to-them stuffed animal friends.

***

Back in the car, we had conversations about childbirth and animal abuse.

Part of the reason why I love taking the kids places is because of the random conversations we have. Seth had all sort of questions about childbirth, “Does it hurt?” “Does the doctor cut anything?” “What is a cord?” “What does the cord look like?” “Is the mother asleep if she needs to have a c-section?” “How does the baby come out of the mother?” “Did you have the numbing medicine?” “Do you want any more babies?” and so on, all very natural and cute…….meanwhile, 11 year old Caleb was groaning in embarrassment. He did perk up when I told him he was my easiest birthing experience and thanked him. “Yeah, but he was your ugliest baby,” Seth interjected in typical brother fashion. “None of my babies were at all ugly!” I squealed with a laugh, and steered the conversation toward how much everyone weighed at birth.

Caleb was feeling disturbed about rhinos and elephants being killed for their tusks. I was in complete sympathy and assured him the the keys on our piano were NOT ivory. He was also offended that so many people hate snakes and destroy them. As I tried to explain that it was all Satan’s fault for choosing to indwell a snake in order to trick Adam and Eve in the Garden, Sarah piped up and said if SHE was Satan, she would have chosen to be……a cheetah.

*****

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Next we stopped at Goodwill and guess what? I found six white fiesta teacups.

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Next, Rita’s ice and custard for dessert BEFORE lunch.

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And then, the meat market.

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Lastly, a long visit to the playground, where I sat in the sun and sleepily read a book while the children played with the stuffed animals (after I assured Seth that “who cares what people think!” when he was hesitant about being seen playing with them and maybe being embarrassed.)

I watched as my children were completely absorbed in their play, making up stories and never stopping their imaginative stuffed animal adventures.

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After they had played for a long time, we left the park and I headed for a quick stop to return milk bottles and to get more bottles of the raw milk we recently discovered.

Once home again, Caleb worked on legos, the little ones played, and I took some photos of things that made my lonely (for my husband) heart happy.

***

“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” Henry Miller

“Any activity done with love and presence is a spiritual practice.”

“I perceive God everywhere in His works; I sense Him in me; I see Him all around me.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:2

weekending

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Shanda

“This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus’ words in John 15:12

We had a house FULL from Friday night to Saturday morning. We had our own seven, plus seven extra teenagers. They were staying the night in order to be at the church bright and early.

This is camp week for our teens and Rich is also there as a team leader.

I’m spending the week here at home with Caleb, Seth, and Sarah. My oldest son, Jacob, is also home because he is now too old for camp. He’s driving up on Friday to see everyone, though, and keeping himself busy with work, music, friends, and helping his mama at home.

This morning I am taking the kids to the one dollar movie and then to get the boys’ their football cleats because tonight Football practice starts for Caleb and Seth….and I am so glad because they need activity at this point. No more lazy-daisy summer evenings for them!

On Saturday morning I drove the campers to the church to get on the bus and then Seth and I went to the bakeshop nearby. The gardens on the property were stunning! I wish my front beds looked like this! Dreams for next year…….

full and luscious flowers beds.

Seth chose a cupcake and we took home a blueberry pie.

For whatever reason, I am determined to keep moving and stay extra busy & active this week while Rich and the kids are away…perhaps to keep those “I’m missing you” feelings at bay? And to get so tired I have no trouble sleeping in the big bed all alone? So on Saturday I took the kids on two walks. It was pretty warm outside so we kept them on the shorter side, but we still saw some pretty sights, the kids climbed big rocks, and the boys found sticks to sword fight with.

Aren’t pond lilies pretty?

That photo which Caleb took that made me realize just how tall and how big my youngest is getting!

When I was a little girl, a happy time for me was going for adventure walks “up to the big rocks” in Grandma and Grandpa’s woods. We would all go, Grandma, the aunts, mom, and the cousins. We had the best time exploring the rocks and daring ourselves to jump over the crack between two tall rocks.

The rocks we discovered on Saturday reminded me of those days. My own children loved the experience just as much as we did years ago.

Soft, dappled sunlight over moss and leaves.

Caleb helped keep Seth from getting lost because our boy Seth runs ahead and OFF the trail just from the joy of being free…….

Sarah Joy took this photo of me….it’s the best, out of focus!

She always has to be holding my hand. It makes her feel stronger and safer.

This is Seth making a “tough guy” face when I asked to take his picture. He is nothing but muscle and bone….he’s the one who gets cold first when they go swimming…has boundless energy and his Dad calls him “Scrapper”. Our very own state wrestling champ!

Yesterday I spent the day with my brother and his wife. We went out shopping, had drinks from Sonic, bought chocolates, ate donuts, and generally ate more sugar than usual. Back at home, we played a game, drank coffee, ate pie (!), sandwiches, and watched a movie with the kids.

Before they left we took a couple of photos outside in the sun.

The kids were flopped on the couch, tired out, while I walked down to our stream to see the Cardinal flowers.

They are a yearly event for me (perhaps I’ll start throwing a party) because they are such a GORGEOUS wild flower, as red as can be.

They liked the wetness of the earth by the stream and at this time of year the stream is low and it is easy to get down the bank and stand on the rocks to take photos.

The wild day lilies are almost done.

Queen Anne’s lace and goldenrod is everywhere. I like to stop and study them because they are almost always entertaining bugs, which if you stop to see them, can be very interesting indeed.

**Queen Anne’s lace remind me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

Each season, each month of the growing months has its own flower-time. Starting with the tiny spring flowers up until the sturdy flowers of fall. I love to welcome them each year and watch them come and go and come again…… year after year.

God’s creation is always exciting, but also solidly dependable, too.

Swallowtail off in the distance, tiptoeing all over this tall, wild “Joe-Pye weed“.

My house, my gardens, my rock wall, my ferns = I love it here. We’ve been at this place for ten years now and my heart is home. I thank God constantly for our life here.

I don’t care if Anne (of Green Gables) thought zinnias were stiff and horrible….I LOVE THEM!

“Look at that wave of poppies breaking against the garden well, Miss Cornelia. Susan and I are very proud of our poppies this year, though we hadn’t a single thing to do with them. Walter spilt a packet of seed there by accident in the spring and this is the result. Every year we have some delightful surprise like that.”
“I’m partial to poppies,” said Miss Cornelia, “though they don’t last long.”
“They have only a day to live,’ admitted Anne, “but how imperially, how gorgeous they live it! Isn’t that better than being a stiff horrible zinnia that lasts practically for ever? We have no zinnias at Ingleside. They’re the only flowers we are not friends with. Susan won’t even speak to them.” ~Anne of Ingleside, chapter 15

I love them because they last practically forever. So there, dear Anne. (I’ll always love you)

Back in the house, I admire my own dear sturdy boy, snuggling with a very loved and spoiled Gentleman Gray kitty.

So thankful for these children o’ mine. Can you imagine if we stopped at four?

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**Queen Anne’s lace reminds me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

YOU ARE LOVED, dear friends.
A very happy August 1st to you!

portrait

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Shanda

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I took this photo of Sarah (6), Caleb (11), and Seth (7) today during a walk in the woods.

Motherhood has taught me the meaning of living in the moment and being at peace. Children don’t think about yesterday, and they don’t think about tomorrow. They just exist in the moment.
~J.Gilsig

loving hearts!

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Shanda

(((this was so exciting!)))

Last week, I took Grace along with me to a second hand furniture shop. I was looking for a dresser for Caleb because his had broken and we had to throw it away. All of his clothes were now located in the toy box and/or all over the place and it was driving me crazy.

We traveled the back roads, which was fun, and we even stopped at a little boy’s lemonade stand. Grace hopped out to make the transaction with him and got back in the car after spending 2 dollars on big red cups of warm watery lemonade and brownies that were as square and dry as chocolate hay bales. But we enjoyed every bite because the little boy reminded us of our Seth and he was sitting so still at his stand waiting hopefully for sales.

We arrived at the furniture store and didn’t make out very well as far as dresser shopping goes. It had only taken minutes to admit defeat, and because we hadn’t ever been in this particular town plaza we decided to check out the other shops, too, since we were there anyway. I mean, it would have been a waste of gas not to do more shopping, right? Conveniently, right next door was a upscale consignment shop full of all the things girls like; clothes, bags, more and more clothes, and to a lesser degree, knick knacks and accessories. Grace found a couple of very cute dresses and I found a shirt. (Okay, two shirts.)

We paid for our selections but as we went out the door the security alarm went off. We went back to the counter so the saleswoman could go through our bag to see if there were any sensors left behind in our items. As she worked, I just so happened to look down through the glass counter into the jewelry case and saw that they had some Tiffany jewelry.

Ten years ago, Rich gave me a Tiffany ring for Christmas. I still have the photos that he took of me opening the blue box wrapped in red ribbon, with a sweet yummy baby Caleb sitting on my lap. The ring was my first experience with Tiffany and it was a heavy, gold “Loving Hearts” ring, very lovely.

I had it on my finger the day Grace and I were together.

As I studied the Tiffany pieces the shop had, I noticed they had a SILVER Loving Hearts ring, exactly like mine!

I immediately knew…..that ring was for my dearest friend and daughter, Grace Lillian. I asked if we could see it. The lady handed it to me, and I handed it to Grace. “See if it fits your finger, this one, the same finger I’m wearing mine on!”

She obediently put it on, and it fit! Thanks to that false alarm (there were no sensors on our clothes) we ended up with a sweet surprise, a ring to match her Mama’s, for Grace. And it was from a second hand shop, marked at a very nice price, plus an extra 20 percent off!!

We walked over to our next stop (ice cream!) looking at our hands, all smiles.

Well, the ring was previously owned and admittedly, quite grimy with a few scratches. But no worries, because on Sunday afternoons Rich gets a craving for Pinkberry and the only Pinkberry around is about half an hour away, in a fancy-type mall which includes a Tiffany jewelry store, with guards at the door. So on Sunday, Grace and I nervously went in past the guards and asked if we could have our rings cleaned. The ladies cheerfully directed us to the back where customer service was located and the woman there told us that my ring could be done within minutes, but because Grace’s was silver it had to be left there for 48 hours. We reluctantly left the ring with them. Forty eight hours indeed passed very quickly and yesterday we drove back to pick it up.

It was like new!!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes, the ring was so sparkly and shiny, just as silvery as could be. And, come to find out, jewelry cleaning was a free service that they provide for their customers! We left a dirty ring and were given back a sparkly one in return.

We skipped out the door and naturally took a hand-selfie right there in the mall!

It was all rather like a fairy tale of some sort!

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PS, Caleb ended up with a very nice dresser–from Goodwill! In fact, his siblings are all jealous! Rich is very happy that he married such a bargain hunter.

******

It has 9 drawers and a square cupboard in the middle for his treasures.

fly

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Shanda

I shut my laptop after the last blog post,
took a shower, got dressed,
went back on the porch……..

…..and discovered a new monarch butterfly. Our first to emerge, out of the four caterpillars we had collected.

I sat and watched it for a long time, thinking about how much life is growth, so much growing and changing. Butterflies only get to do it once, we get to do it over and over. There are dark times when we are in our little stuffy cocoons, lonely, maybe perfectly willing to be all alone, needing *something* but not really knowing what it is. It is a waiting time. Then comes the “break through”. Suddenly we have had enough of cocoon time and find that it’s time to get out from the covers, get out of bed, get out of our own minds, oh how it hurts to start breaking down walls but it feels so good at the same time….new air, new sights, drying wings…….freedom.

After the struggle to emerge comes the strengthening time…….those who are waiting for us almost lose their patience, we ourselves often lose heart, forget that God does indeed have a purpose for everything, but our Father knows, He understands, His children are ready (not in our time, not in their time) but in HIS TIME……..

He has made everything beautiful
in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God’s hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God’s works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time. Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him. God doeth all, that men should fear before him. The world, as it has been, is, and will be. There has no change befallen us, nor has any temptation by it taken us, but such as is common to men.
Matthew Henry

When we are finally strong again.

We can enjoy life. We can fly.

F L Y

Yes, the family and I have been spending a lot of time by the aquarium, watching & waiting for the butterflies to hatch and fly away. Three of them have gone now, but the fourth seems to be stuck in the cocoon. We think maybe it died inside. We can see the wings through the (now clear) casing, but it should have come out a few days ago.

morning glory leaf

It’s been so fun to see my flower garden become a butterfly sanctuary AND a bird feeding station.

The most darling little goldfinches come to get a sunflower seed, but they are shy and at any hint of my eyes watching them they fly away making a chirping distress sound.

As we have morning glory vines twirling up the sunflowers, it makes for a very lovely photo opportunity. I had to take these photos from inside the house through the glass and screen doors……..

fledging

my darling (while mama sits on one end, oftentimes they will be on the other end playing with their little toys).

I find myself watching butterflies, birds, and children every where I turn.

Hosta flowers

*****

currently reading: Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow, by Dr. Jan Pol (good book, I love animal stories)

plans for today: Grace and I are going out with David. We are picking up her ring from Tiffany (left for cleaning) and then have to go to Target to get things for camp next week.

I just want you guys to know that I love you all and that you are so special. I’m thankful for the friends I meet and greet along the way. Friendship and connections of all kinds make life sweet.

look around and be distressed
look within and be depressed
look at Jesus and be at rest