Picture Collages of Recent Days ~ January 19, 2016

Here in the northeast our winter snows have finally come. 

What a change!

Charlie has been anxiously awaiting the snow, bemoaning that it just doesn't seem like winter without it. There, now he can be happy ~ and I sent him out to shovel it!

Dean spent 2 hours today clearing us out from a blizzard like night with steady snowfall and blustery winds.

Becca had to brush off her car, which had been sitting all day during her shift at work. She says she's not meant to brush off that much snow! It made me chuckle. I think she dislikes being out in the snow as much as I do!

I gathered the dogs for walks through the yard, and smiled as they romped happily in this white stuff that they remember is so much fun to play in....Such is the life of a dog!

When they'd had their fill, once back inside, I peered through the windows to watch my bird feeders. Then I took to the outdoors to snap some pictures.

Despite not liking the snow and cold of winter, I find myself enjoying the beauty of the season nonetheless!

Wishing you well, my friends!

~ ♥~

O Christmas Tree

Last weekend Charlie and I set up our Christmas tree. Every year I think that maybe I should have gotten a bigger, fuller or taller one, but then, as we gently put all the branches in place and fluff them up, the tree takes shape and I change my mind, again. Then I think of how hard it would be to get rid of the first tree Dean and I bought for the first Christmas we ever shared as a family. So I lovingly begin to set out decorations to hang on it's beautiful branches. This year, my folks were also here to share the moment ~ and that makes it special, too. They were there that first Christmas when we brought this very same tree home, and decorated it with the children. I like when moments and memories carry on. ☺

Here is Charlie placing the branches on the "trunk". 

Becca and I decided on a bird theme this year. She and her boyfriend got me started by surprising me with a few ornaments they bought me as a gift. Here they are.....

So It DOES Matter To Them

....To my children, that is! As any parent will tell you, there are many, many moments when we speak to our children, and we're sure they haven't cared a fig about what we've just said! 

As a matter of fact, when Becca and Charlie were younger, there were days when I was so frustrated for all the talking I had done, only to hear them burst out in uproarious laughter over something I had apparently said or done that was funny to them. Some of those moments they still talk about today, and of course, now I can laugh at them, too! 

The other evening, I actually had an "ah-ha" moment during a family discussion around the dinner table. And boy, you could have blown me over with a feather, I was that surprised at what I had heard coming out of the mouths of my two!! I thought, "Wow, they actually have been paying attention!!"

Apparently, while at a friend's house, Charlie had been asked a question by their mom that was simple enough to answer, but he knew that being truthful might have brought about some offense. So he relayed to us that in those brief seconds following, he hesitated and was contemplating just how he should answer. Then he gave pause, and we were all waiting to hear the outcome, when his sister laughingly piped up, "So you wondered, what would Mom do in this situation?!" To which Charlie immediately replied, "Yeah, and I was thinking to myself, Mom would NOT want me to say that!" laughing along with Becca. Whoa! Did I really just hear what I heard??! These are the golden moments in life; when you realize that something you've taught your children really did sink into their heads!! 

 I was so proud to know, now that they are older, there are more times when "Mom's wisdom" echoes in their minds as they are making decisions from day to day. 

And, as any parent would, I like that! It makes my Mom heart happy! ☺

Everything New

If you've been looking for me over the last several months, don't worry. There are many days I was looking for myself, too!! ~SMILE~

Well, where do I start? First things first.

This is a brand new year. Happy 2015!!!

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I wish each and every one of you a year full of every good thing that fulfills all of your wildest hopes and dreams.....and everything in between! I think top on my list for personal desires would be a year that is peaceful, for Dean's business(es) to be comfortably busy, but not crazy busy, (there's a huge difference I've learned in this last year) and most importantly, for all to be well with every single one of us in this big family of mine. I just want the Hand of the Lord to be with each and every one of us, and yes, YOU, too!

One of the main reasons I have been missing in action here on my blog is due to the fact that we've moved! While I had been looking to move earlier on in the year, that idea had come to an end when we kind of hit a roadblock. Then, near the end of the summer I happened upon an ad for lovely home that Dean, Becca, Charlie and I fell in love with......AND here we are!!

We have spent a great deal of time cleaning, moving into, maintaining and now, finally, beginning to do a bit of indoor work we've been anxious to start on! Little by little this unattended to house is now being tended to with lots of tender loving care and becoming a beautiful, cozy home for my family and I. Oh, and all the animals! Which is where the next big change comes in. And one more animal.

A huge blessing, and answer to prayer, came about quite unexpectedly. Kind of like our move. (I guess 2014 was a year for the unexpected!) My son, Charlie, who had previously chosen to live with his father, after 3 years, decided it was time to come home. How wonderful! But oh, so many changes. And court. And attorneys. And money. BUT OH, SO INCREDIBLY NICE!! And we inherited another dog. Lovely, sweet Joanna came home to live, too. ~SMILE~

Here is Charlie, and his first true love, Joanna. He just adores her! And he is her whole world. Their relationship is such a beautiful thing...... ☺

Well, my post will have to come to an end for this evening, but I have so much more to share with you! I hope you won't get tired of pictures, because taking pictures is a big part of what I do here in our new home! Our yard is just so lovely ~ all 2 acres of it. (In spite of the 2 hours it takes to mow it!) And the trees. And the birds. And the wildlife. And our home ~ both inside and out. Oooh, the ideas and dreams I have for making this house into our sweet and welcoming cozy retreat! I hope you'll enjoy this adventure with me.

Goodnight, my friends! I'll meet you right back here real soon! ♥

A Birthday Weekend

This past Saturday, my son, Charlie, turned 15. When we speak with one another, I find myself having to look up. And when we hug, I am on tip toe. Wasn't it only just yesterday that I knelt down when speaking to him and he stood on tip toe to hug me?

I remember when he turned 5, still so much his mommy's little boy, with those adorable, kissable lips, and deep chocolate brown eyes. He'd romp through the fields in farmer boots while the sunlight glistened in his hair and put a rosy color on his cheeks. Every night we'd read a bedtime story, we'd say our prayers and turn out the light ~ "But leave the night light on, Mommy" he'd say. Yet, even then, he was growing much too fast.

The years advanced, and soon he was 10. He'd outgrown much of his little boy ways, but, to me, he was still my little boy. So I found myself having to adjust to his attempts at independence, and the need to flutter his wings like a butterfly as it emerges from its cocoon. He was less apt to lean in tight for a hug or a kiss, but at the end of the day, we still said our prayers, and I turned out the light ~ "But I don't need the night light anymore, Mom" he'd say. In the blink of an eye, he had grown, yet again, much too fast.

Now at 15, his voice has grown deep, he can't wait to drive, and he flexes his muscles every now and then, just to show me how strong he's become. He works in the field gathering hay bales, chops and stacks firewood, and practices driving while plowing his father's driveway to clear it of snow. Sometimes I look at him, amazed that my little 7 1/2 pound bundle of joy has now just about grown into the size of a man.....

Some nights at bedtime I follow him to his room, just to stick around in case he wants to be tucked in, in case he wants me to say our prayers once again, or is waiting for me to turn out the light. He obliges by giving me a quick hug while I lay a kiss on his cheek, and I turn out the light, but there isn't even mention of a night light anymore. My little boy has all too soon grown into a young man......

So, we celebrated Charlie's birthday, complete with Cherry pie (which was his request), vanilla ice cream, candles and gifts. It was a happy time, enjoying the moment and the place to where life has brought us thus far. I'm proud of my son for what he is learning, how he is changing and for the young man that he's growing to be. He's full of excitement and enthusiasm to experience life, to laugh and hang out with his friends, yet still there are moments reserved just for us. This makes my mother's heart glad. And anything further I might have to say, was put so beautifully into words by Amy R. Campbell in her poem

"To My Son"

Oh how the years go by,
Oh how time can certainly fly.
From once just a thought in far away dreams,
now into my arms and in my eyes gleam
the presence of you.
Your laughter and smiles
which go on for miles,
warms my heart and soul.
You're growing up so fast,
as I wish each moment with you to last forever.
My little boy will someday be a man
and right by your side I will forever stand.
I will pick up the pieces when you fall,
I will hold your hand and help you stand tall.
And when the day comes when you are on your own,
never feel that you are alone.
No matter how near or far apart
I am always right there in your heart.
Always remember whatever you go through
that no matter what, I will always love you.

                                    ( Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/to-my-son-2#ixzz2yRh0znYe )

Happy Birthday, Charlie! You are loved beyond measure!!

A Mother's Love

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Farming & Country Life From the Eyes of a Boy

My son is crazy about farming, animals and living life in the country. He has been since he was a little boy. He's now 14. I guess some things you just know will be a part of your child's life when they develop a particular interest at a very young age.....

This is a picture of him at about that young age when he started showing an interest in all things "farm and country"! Isn't he just so darn cute? Those cheeks and lips of his were just so irresistible, thus his cheeks were squeezed and his lips were lavished with mommy kisses on a regular basis! ;)

He took this picture (with the tractor stopped) while the hay was being raked into windrows

Here is his picture of the finished windrows. This is beautiful to him.....

He took this picture of one of his chickens on a very cold day and labeled it, "That moment when your chicken wants in!" Apparently, it was so puffed up to stay warm. I have to admit, I've never seen a chicken do this. But then again, I haven't been around too many chickens in my life! Lol.

Here are his most recent animal additions....the "Chops". He labeled this picture, "Two very happy pigs". However, one of them will not be very happy come butchering time. The pink one he will keep so she can have piglets, which he'll sell to make some money to put in his "piggy bank". No pun intended! ☺

Here's my picture I took of the pigs.....so cute. But already their pen is swarming with flies!

I remember the days when we had fake pigs, cows, horses, chickens, barns, fences, tractors, balers, combines and a myriad of other farm toys spread all over the kitchen table. I love those days! He'd sit there and play for hours every week, making noises of machinery moving and animals calling, and he'd color big sheets of white paper the color of hay so that he could run his tractors up and down the "hay fields". You may have heard of that old expression, "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy!" Yepper. That is certainly true of my boy....♥

"Family" Picture Frame

While stopping in at my local thrift store to look for a particular book, I passed by the picture frames shelf, and happened upon this really nice, good quality frame. I didn't end up finding the book I had wanted, but I walked out very happily with my new picture frame!

When I came home, I dug out some pictures and came across a few that the children, Dean and I had taken when we went to a place called Putt Putt. They have this really cool photo booth that we had a blast squeezing into, and paid a small fortune to get our pictures painted by Leonardo, the "artist". We did this two years in a row, since going to Putt Putt was my son Charlie's request each of those years for his birthday.

I cut them to fit the openings of the new frame and, wah-lah! I was very pleased with the finished results.

There was one picture, though, that my son ended up having taken of himself upright, and obviously it would not fit with the others. So I dug out an extra black frame from my stash for that one.

Don't ask me what he's doing here, because I don't really know, but apparently it's "cool"!

Then I started looking at where I could display the new frame. I settled on the top of my roll top desk, which had already been decorated with items, but I felt it was time for a change. I placed the pictures and a few other things on the desk top, and stood back to look. Hmmm, not quite right.

I immediately decided on putting my son's picture in another black frame I have, because it also had a border of gold that tied in with my smaller gold frame, in addition to matching the new "family" one. Ahhh, that was better. But.....the display was still off. Not balanced correctly and lacking something....... So I added a bit of greenery.

Yes! That was much better. But the balance was still off, and the placement of everything just didn't seem to "fit". So, I shifted some things around, stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief. Ahhh, yes! This arrangement seemed to look appealing and balanced to my eye. Apparently, it must have passed the test with Becca, too. When she came home, she noticed the change right away and complimented that it looked cute. Now that's what I like to hear! 

The end result. Nothing fancy, but I really like it!☺

P.S. The lamp is quite special because it's one that my father made. The red vase is from beautiful Valentine flowers Dean gave me. The little gold framed picture is from my mother ~ it's the Thousand Island Park Gazebo. When I was younger, my family lived in T.I. Park for a few of the most memorable years of our lives! The plant is one that Becca chose and she's had it for several years now. The votive candle holders are a gift from my older sister, and the cat plaque is a gift from my parents. WOW. That's a lot of memories and "specialness" on the top of that desk!!

My Son's Cool Souvenir

Dean brought this home for Charlie from Florida. He really loved it and can't believe it's real!

Seeds In Mother's Garden

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My children ~ Becca and Charlie ~ and me.

Birthday Cheesecake

My youngest turns 14 today...Where does the time go?

Since he loves cheesecake, that's what I made him. We topped it with cherry pie filling and in less than 2 hours, the whole thing was gone! 

Simple Cheesecake

1 graham cracker crust

1 tub of cool-whip

1 box of cream cheese

1/3 c. sugar

Let cream cheese come to near room temperature. Put into mixing bowl, adding cool-whip and sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well incorporated, and filling looks thick and creamy. Scrape from bowl into graham cracker crust, smoothing it out evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, add topping of your choice such as cherry, strawberry, blueberry or red raspberry pie filling.