February Moments

Another month has flown by, I'm convinced time goes by more quickly the older we get. Once again it's time for me to put together my "moments" from the month before.

February is always a crazy busy month for us, mainly because it's our birthday month. We generally celebrate our birthdays together and this month it seemed like the celebrating went on for over a week.  (not complaining)

We took a little excursion to Richmond, believe it or not we had never been, and we couldn't have had a nicer time. We had planned on doing some museum touring, but honestly, the weather was so gorgeous, we didn't want to be inside. We found some outside activities, put the top down on a car we had use of, and went with Plan B. 

Weather here has been crazy, spring is about three weeks early for the plants and trees, Last weekend we had a couple of nights below freezing so we tried to protect by covering some of the more sensitive plants with plastic, not sure how successful we were.  This weekend is promising to be much the same. I guess it's not time to put the winter clothes away just yet. One day 80 degrees the next day 40 degrees, crazy!

February was a good month for us, family made us feel very loved and blessed.Lots of cards and adorable letters written by each grandchild. I loved it and will keep them forever. We been doing a lot of talking these last couple of weeks about the future, birthdays will do that and have had some discussions on the future and what it may or may not be. None of use really know do we? We are not promised tomorrow, how does this effect our livest and choices today

Coincidentally (not) I was reading Psalm 90 the other day, it echoed many of the things my husband and I had been talking about. There are so many verses in this Psalm that are resonating with me right now but I will leave you with the one that is directing my thoughts right now

Teach us to number our  days  that we may gain a heart of wisdom  Psalm 90:12

Without further ado, this was our month

Southern Charm

We've done a lot of travel this year, mostly to the Mountain House to take care of business. But last week we decided to spend a couple of days away to celebrate our anniversary. It wasn't a milestone anniversary or anything, but I am thankful for every year that we are together, and we both felt that we needed to get away for a little bit, our destination city was Charleston.

We stayed at an Airbnb again and had the most charming hostess. This is our third experience with Airbnb and have had good experiences each time. I think the key with finding a good Airbnb is to read the listing and the reviews and find one that best matches your lifestyle needs. We like centrally located places and prefer homes over apartments. It's a great option for couples. Our hostess would have coffee with us each morning before she headed off to work, and would give us suggestions on what to see or do, then we would be on our own.

We spent our days exploring the city, riding the bikes to Sunrise Park and trying out some yummy places to eat. It ended up being a pretty low key getaway and exactly what was needed. We came home refreshed, (not knowing we even needed to be refreshed) and a new appreciation for each other.

In case you were wondering we celebrated 41 years, I'm not sure where all the time has gone, but it has gone by pretty quickly. Like all marriages there have been good times and bad times, lots of laughter and plenty of tears. I'm thankful for this guy but mostly for the Lord who has been the foundation of our marriage, the Rock we have turned to time and again while navigating this journey.

August Moments

Life has been busy around these parts, so blogging had to be put on the back burner while we attended to the stuff of life.

We started the month on the road, visiting family after both father and MIL were hospitalized. It was a whirlwind trip, three states in four days, nice to be able to connect with family but not under the most ideal circumstances in which to do so.

I wish I could say things were back to as they were before, but that's not quite the case, but both are home now, which is good, and we are taking one day at a time.

The Lord has reminded me often these last few weeks, that he directs our steps, that we are in this circumstance by his providence. That he is always doing a work and that I need to look at each circumstance that I encounter through eternal eyes and respond accordingly. It has been and continues to be a process.

We were also able to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this past month. Our anniversary was officially in June but the Grands were here and they will always trump any kind of travel plans.
We spent a week in Asheville (where most of photos below were taken) and enjoyed exploring the Gardens, The Blue Ridge Parkway and Biltmore House not to mention the outstanding restaurants that are located in Asheville (lots of farm to table type of fare)

To make the trip a little interesting we stayed in an Airbnb. With an Airbnb people list spaces in their home for others to rent out by the day. Kind of like a Bed and Breakfast but much less formal. Every listing is different, and offers different amenities. We stayed with three other guests(we each had our own rooms) in this lovely old Victorian Home with a very interesting host. This is not for everyone, your going to be sharing some of the common spaces,  but we are pretty laid back and social so it worked beautifully for us. We enjoyed it so much we are going to try another Airbnb space when we go pick apples this fall....did I mention it's pretty economical too.

So that's our month in a nutshell, lots of changes and some celebrating. My husband and I have felt that we have entered a new season in our lives, it will be interesting to see what's ahead. One thing that has not changed though is our faithful God, he is the same today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow. That is a comfort in all the unknowns of our lives, don't you agree?

June Moments

I'm bit late on getting my June Moments together, but like I mentioned in my last post, it has been a crazy busy couple of weeks. To make matters worse, I never cleaned up any photos while the Grands were here and my IPhoto went into overload mode. Too many photos, not enough space. I have spent the last two weeks deleting photos or moving them to a backup drive. I have a long way to go but, I am getting things organized and can once again upload photos.

So ya'll know the Grands were here for just over two weeks, so it should be no surprise that the bulk of my photos are from their visit. While they were here we celebrated both Sweet Lady's and Little Red's Birthday and our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We will be doing some official celebrating of the Anniversary a little later this year.

Sweet Lady has kept us busy with all the details involved with her move. She's been at her new home for about three weeks now and we couldn't be more delighted.

Youngest son was also here while Grands were visiting, it made for a really busy house but we loved it.

The house is quiet again, but life continues to be busy. I have struggled with God's purposes in this "season" of life I am in. I can't explain it fully, but I am more at peace than I have been. I still don't understanding all of his purposes but I have to believe he is directing my circumstances. In that truth I can rest, but it's a work in progress.

It was a month of laughter and tears, of beach days and rainy days, celebrations and goodbyes. This month has had it all.

So without further ado, here's a little glimpse of June

Thoughts on Getting Older

Are you the type of person that keeps journals, or scrapbooks?  I used to do both on a regular basis. I still journal but haven't done scrapbooking in a very long time.  Everything is digital now, I seldom print any of my photos.

During the height of my scrapbooking days I celebrated my 50th birthday. Like every good scrapbooker, I documented the occasion with photo pages, and thoughts and well wishes from family and friends.

I thought it would be fun to see the thoughts I had when I turned 50.

Things I wrote

*I am surprised at how quickly 50 arrived
*I don't feel 50
*Realizing I am now middle aged
*Lot's of changes on the horizon, soon to be Empty Nester's
*Family and friends so kind and generous in remembering my birthday
*Realizing just how blessed I am to have the people in my life that I do

Fast forward ten years.... lots of water under that bridge...and so many changes I never saw coming, that's right I am now 60

My thoughts today

*I am still pretty amazed at how quickly time passes
*There are days when I feel every bit of 60, or what I think 60 should feel like and other days when I don't
*I wonder if I am I still considered middle aged or did I cross over into old age. By definition if I was in the middle of my life span, I would have to live to be 120 to still be considered middle aged....right? Guess I am old..lol
*When I turned 50 I knew changes were on the horizon. The year I turned 50 one son married and another graduated high school and went away to college.
Looking ahead into my 60's, the future is not as clear, there maybe a move to a smaller home, or maybe not, maybe retirement, maybe caring for family...there are so many variables. One thing I learned in my 50's is that life can change in a moment ....but I also learned that I can be sure that God will faithfully guide our steps whatever the path.
*And I am continuing to be blessed with the people God has put in my life..and have been overwhelmed by the kindness I was shown by so many friends in celebrating this birthday...it was truly special.

We spent my birthday simply, doing the things I enjoy doing. My husband had asked if I wanted a party (he asked because I don't like surprises) Because all family was out of state I told him no, I just wanted a day out with him and a quiet dinner someplace nice. We went to Williamsburg, did a little shopping and took some photos out by the river, it was perfect. The only *almost* wrinkle was when I talked about going to a different restaurant then we had planned.... at the last minute. You should have seen the look on my husbands face...He told me that we were not changing our plans....little did I know he had arranged to have flowers waiting for me at our table.

60 doesn't feel any different than 59....it really is JUST a number. If you were to ask me what age I would want to be if I had a choice, I wouldn't pick any other age...no do-overs please! Yes, I would love more energy, and the aches and pains can be challenging.....but at this age I have a history of seeing God's faithfulness in all kinds of situations. It gives me faith for the future....no matter what that may look like.

How did you do with your most recent "milestone" birthday? Did you handle it well?

Fruit basket was from my little Frontier Family, it was a perfect ending to a perfect celebration.

February Moments

 When gathering the photos for this month, I found the recurring theme was definitely snow. I had more snow photos than anything else. Snow was also the main topic of conversation between anyone I came into contact with, for awhile, even complete strangers. It disrupted schedules and routines and slowed us down quite a bit. I passed the time indoors cooking and trying new recipes....my husband was the happy recipient

February is also a month of celebrations for us and this year we had some surprises (I might add at a time I needed it the most...I saw this as God's kindness, in my life) I started out the month a little bit down, I was really missing my little Frontier Family, they wouldn't be around to celebrate with us this year and I wasn't going to have any little hands helping me make heart shaped sugar cookies. Photo below was taken a couple of years ago.

I still made the cookies, one decorated batch for us and one undecorated batch for them (with supplies to decorate shipped to them in their monthly "Happy Box" ) Making the cookies was therapeutic for me and was thoroughly enjoyed by my husband...again...the happy recipient of the decorated cookies. 

The surprise we had this month, was some unexpected visits from our youngest son. He had a job in town...for three weekends in a row!!! (one of the weekends just happened to fall on Valentines Day and Hubby's birthday) It has been a blessing to be able to spend some time with him, and the timing could not have been better. He will be back again this weekend...and we get t go to another concert!

I could go on about the rest of of month, but photos paint a much better picture. Did you all make any February memories?

February Surprises

February has been full of surprises for us. As mentioned in my previous post our son got some work in the area and was home for a few days. He was able to join us in a birthday celebration at a local eatery that husband likes and we were able to go to the symphony....having him home proved to be a real treat.

We also spent the weekend baking and cooking, it was Valentines Day and my hubby's birthday after
all. It's time to bake again, our treats are almost gone (some of this went north...lol) I will have to post the recipes for the Cinnamon Apple Scones...so delicious

Our other surprise has been snow and really cold temperatures. Usually if we haven't had snow by early February we're not going to get any, so in my mind winter was over...lol. We have been told that the temperatures expected tomorrow haven't been this cold in nearly twenty years...yikes!

A text I received from a friend yesterday stated,  "Remember a couple of weeks ago we all agreed it was going to be a short mild winter and early spring....maybe we spoke too soon"

We were talking about pruning our roses, she had already done hers, I had not gotten around to mine yet. Hopefully this cold weather hasn't damaged any of the early growth, I know ice can be a protector, like a warm blanket,  so maybe that will help.

We have officially been snowed in since Monday night and with super cold temperatures  predicted, I'm not sure that's going to change till the weekend. (photo above taken at a local parking lot...so maybe not totally snowed in, we did venture out this afternoon for a bit.) We don't do snow here, even the smallest amount will close down most places of business . What has made it worse is our 4-6 inches of snow is covered by a thick coating of ice..think "magic shell" ... you know the stuff they put on ice cream...that's what the snow is like. I can actually walk on top of this stuff without breaking through.

The children are enjoying all this snow and while there is no sledding allowed at the city park that has the "big hill" (too many injuries) Kids have still been able to find places to use those surf boards and trash cans lids to sled ...any piece of land with an incline will do. I have memories of sliding down a neighborhood street when I was growing up....I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed today. Things seemed so much simpler when I was growing up, or for that matter, when I was a young mom raising children.

So we've had a couple of quiet days. Besides cooking, we have done some reading, listened to a  teaching from church...(gotta love the Internet), done some research on supplements , looked at possible vacation ideas (40th anniversary coming up this year) and gotten lost on Pinterest (I've found so many good recipes) The snow has also given us the opportunity to recharge....a forced slow down...not a bad thing really...but I think hubby is ready to get back to work.

How about you, are y'all snowed in? How do you spend your snow days?

Celebrating A Little Differently

It's a season of doing things a bit differently for us, and celebrating a bit differently. My grandson recently had a birthday. There has always been a party with the family the weekend before or the weekend after the birthday. Because they are so far away, this wasn't going to happen. This was the first time that we have not been part of a birthday celebration for a grandchild and I was a little sad.

We mailed our gifts and scheduled some *face time* and missed him a whole lot as the day came and went and wished him a Happy Birthday. From what we were told he had a nice day.

Our grandson has three sisters. He has a gentle spirit but is all boy. His favorite part of school is that he gets three recesses with some type of zip line they they get to play on. He loves to play with Lego's, and learned this year with the help from from an older Lego enthusiast not to get upset when your creation breaks because "you can always rebuild" He is a blessing to us and we are very thankful the Lord has put him into our lives. 

So because there was no birthday party to attend this year we decided to join some friends and "experience" Grand Illumination in Williamsburg. It was one of those things we always wanted to do someday. Colonial Williamsburg is decorated as it would have been back in the day, using the items that would have been available back them. Lots of garlands and wreaths made out of natural materials and dried flowers. Unfortunately not many  photos because we got there kind of late and the streets were only lit by torches

We laughed a little about the torches. It was a cold night and people were huddled around those torches trying to get warm. it reminded us of bugs flying around a bug zapper in the summer. With sparks flying out from the torches it could have had the same effect.

The night ended with fireworks, which we enjoyed despite the cold weather and we got know these friends a little better. I keep trying to see these changes as new opportunities that the Lord has given us. His purposes are always good.

Little Red

We celebrated Little Red's birthday last weekend, she is three. She is the youngest of our four grandchildren and full of energy, and like most "babies" of the family, works hard at keeping up with her three older siblings.

Her aunt created a "Frozen" wonderland for her birthday complete with costumes and a cardboard castle she made out of cardboard boxes. Little Red and Little Miss (her older sister and BFF loved it)

Little Red is not so red anymore, her hair has turned a strawberry blonde. She loves to sing and will never be found far from her older sister, they're like a matched set. She loves to cuddle and will grab you around the neck without warning to give kisses. She likes to help me do whatever it is that I am doing in the kitchen and one of her favorite dishes is hummus. She will scrape the bowl of my food processor after I'm done making it, as if it were cake mix.

I love to hear her sing "Jesus Loves Me"

Do you remember the words? Simple truths

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so

Little ones to him belong, we are weak but he is strong

Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so


Jesus loves me! He who died

Heavens gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin;

Let his little child come in

Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus love me

Yes Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so

(I know there are other verses but we are keeping it simple for now)

Happy Birthday little Red...we love you!

Anniversary

In 1975

• Gerald Ford was president
• The median household income was 11,800
• Price of a first class stamp was 10 cents
• A gallon of gas would cost you around 44 cents
• The average home price was 11,787 (we paid $150 month for a furnished apartment)
• The Eagles and Chicago were popular music groups
• Saigon had fallen, and the Vietnam War was officially over
• Jaw's and Towering Inferno were some of the movies playing in the theaters
• Leisure Suits were fashionable for men...as were blue tuxedos...really they were!

And in 1975 we were married, and just so you don't have to do any quick math in your head, that makes 39 years. We celebrated with a little getaway to Williamsburg, reminisced about days past and thought about what the future might hold for us. What a ride it has been...there has been good, bad and everything in between...I think it's called life...and I wouldn't have "written" it any other way!

Dinner  Saturday night over looking the York River

Valentines and Birthdays

We had a real treat this past Valentines Day, we got to spend the day with the "Girlies" Aren't the tutu's adorable, their Aunt made them from netting that she slip knotted over ribbon, the two ends of the ribbon tie together around the waist and voila...instant tutu. I was asked if I could please take photos, which you know I was only too happy to do.

Then Saturday as  I was finishing getting dressed my bathroom door popped open and I heard a little voice say " I'm back" it was Little Red. I wasn't too surprised, the plan was for them to come over for the day with their brother while the guys went to a men's breakfast at church and their mom and my oldest grand daughter went to a cheerleading competition. It was a busy and full day, ending with a family dinner and birthday celebration for my husband. By the end of the day I was tired but in a good kind of way

Husband didn't have a special request for any particular cake so I made a Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Coffee Cake, it' not the prettiest...had trouble getting it out of the pan, but it was delicious. ( I had to have a tiny piece even though it's not dairy free) I have included the recipe which is from the Cake Doctors Returns, one of my favorite cookbooks.

Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Coffee Cake

For the chocolate chip streusel
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons melted butter

For the cake
Vegetable oil pan for misting the pan
flour for dusting the pan
1 package plain vanilla cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee or water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping
1 tablespoon confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350
2. Make the streusel: place the brown sugar, pecans, chocolate chips, flour, cinnamon, 2 tsps cocoa powder, and the melted butter in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set The streusel aside.
3. Lightly mist a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set pan aside.
4. Place the cake mix, pudding mix sour cream, coffee or water, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until ingredients just come together, about 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter is thick and smooth. 1 1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. Pour 2/3 of the batter into prepared Bundt pan and sprinkle half of the streusel mixture on top of the batter. Pour remaining third of the batter on top of the streusel and using a rubber spatula spread the batter to reach the side of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Place in the oven.
5. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with finger 45-50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool 10-15 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around the edge of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a serving plate, so that the streusel stays on the bottom of the cake. Let the cake cool completely 25-30 minutes longer.
6. Make the topping. Place the confectioners sugar and 1 tsp cocoa powder in a small bowl and stir to combine. Sift the mixture on top of the cake, then slice and serve.

Hope you try it, you won't be sorry.

Celebrations

This is birthday season for our family. In a span of two weeks we have celebrated the birthdays of both                                                       sons and one grand daughter.

My grand daughter was twelve this year....twelve. These last couple of weeks I have been acutely aware of how fast time is going by, in another five years my grand daughter will be graduating from high school...I see the transformation from little girl to young lady happening before my eyes.

 Mamas, mamas enjoy those little ones, they grow so fast. I know when you are in the midst of raising a family there are times when you are just trying to get through the day, but take the time to enjoy your children, make the most of every opportunity, teach them in the ways of the Lord, they will be grown before you know it. I think that's why my husband and I jump at any chance to spend time with our grands...after  raising two sons, we both realize how quickly the time passes...they are little for such a short while. I know you have heard it a million times but it is true.

That brings me to the last birthday we just celebrated, that of our youngest son. He's an adorable little boy don't you think? Well this photo was taken over twenty years ago....doesn't seem possible!  Not a little boy anymore.... Make the most of every opportunity!

My youngest son is all grown up, working as a musician. This photo was taken back in June when my husband and I took our grand daughter up to DC to see her uncle 

Life can be so busy that you can forget what is most important. Time goes by so quickly, make the most of every opportunity.