Time To Reflect

This summer has been a whirlwind of activity that makes me stop and smile and gives me one more chance to do what I feel is one of my greatest callings in life. Being a mom. It started with me moving my two youngest sons home from their University life back in May. It was amazing to me the amount of "stuff" they brought home that quickly filled my entry way, living room and trailed into the kitchen. It took us several days to sort and put away all their treasures. The laundry overfilled the hampers and I swear they did not do it the entire ten months they were away. Extra bedding that did not fit any of our beds was cleaned and stored with promises of use in the future.

The quiet of the house was filled with music, laughter and friends. The beverage glasses in the sink, the toothpaste left out, the messy bedrooms and the never ending piles of dirty clothes make my heart sing.

Rain

I absolutely love it when it rains. My favorite times are when I can hear the thunder in the distance, or an afternoon rain storm, or during the night. I don't know why I have such a fondness for rain. Maybe it began in Alaska during the summer when we would get the rain that would only last for a short time and then the sun would break through the clouds and everything was washed clean and bright. Or maybe it was the times I would curl up with Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre or some other book and live in another time and place. Or maybe it is the soothing sounds of water that quenches my thirst or the knowledge that it is rain that causes things to grow and flourish.

The rain makes me want to dance and sing and Praise the Lord for it. The rain quiets my soul. 

This one holds my onions!

Wall Hanging

I love the colors in this one.

Stepping Stone

OOOH! Ignore the dirty board!

Mosaic Table

Glass lamp

Glass

Several years ago I was sitting in my living room thinking about what I was going to do the second part of my life. The first part I had devoted to motherhood and raising responsible individuals who would take the step of faith in Jesus Christ.  But now my children were older allowing me more time for myself.  I decided to do something that would be a challenge and something that I was afraid of.  My sister had, years earlier taken up the hobby of  working with stained glass.  I thought what she did was very pretty but very scary and wondered why anyone would  do something that would cause pain. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone so I called my sister and found out where she had taken glass classes and thus began my hobby that has been going on for nearly eight years.  My greatest interest is working on mosaics and stepping stones. 

Easter Fun

This Sunday three of my sons will be traveling home to share in the Easter festivities of good food, egg hunts and just hanging out together.  This is not to say that we don't know the real reason for the celebration on Sunday. We will definitely be giving Thanks to our Lord for his Love and Sacrifice. We are so grateful that death could not keep Him down and that He rose from the grave. 

I started the end of March to put out my few decorations and made another purchase for my collection of spring time fun. I thought it would be fun to share them with you.

Letters

My husband and I only dated about two months when I had to head back to college. My husband was stationed in Alaska and I was going to return to Kansas to continue my college education. Cell phones hadn't been invented yet and we couldn't afford the long distance charges so we took up letter writing. We corresponded this way, writing letters back and forth for over two years. I received my proposal of marriage and eventually my engagement ring in the mail. Imagine how happy I was to receive the ring! There were sad letters and happy letters, letters of longing and plans for our future.  We even broke up in a letter and eventually made up in a letter. 

I've kept those letters and they are treasures to me. Someday when I am not here anymore my children will find those letters and know a little more about the two people they call mom and dad. I've enclosed a picture of my engagement ring that came in the mail.

This blog is about me and what I hold dear and near to my heart. I will begin by telling you that I am married and have been for the last thirty one years. We have four sons ranging in age from twenty eight to nineteen years. We have one son who is married and has two beautiful daughters who are the apple of my eye.

After my first date with my husband I knew he was the one I would marry. I came home from that date to tell my mother that very fact. Over two years later we made that commitment and through ups and downs that life throws at you we are still very much in love and committed to each other.