I Love Lancaster County Part Two...

Sorry if you subscribe to the is blog and are getting this post repeatedly, I rushed through and keep finding typos...oopsie! =)

We were driving around to a couple of garage sales yesterday. I was once again struck by the beauty of our everyday surroundings. I was born and raised in Long Island, NY and have lived here for six years.

Although the transition was a rough one for me. I am forever grateful to God for bringing us here, it has been good, really, really, good for us.I never want to take any of it for granted, but I'm quite sure,

in my humanness I do.

These covered bridges are all over the county. They are hundreds of years old and were built to last. That kind of craftmanship seems so rare in our times.
I still get a chuckle every time one of these guys park next to me.

We are surrounded by Amish folk everywhere we go. I know they are not perfect, but they remind me to live consciously and simply. I don't always get that right either, I am a work in progress...
Small hospitable gestures abound...

All this within a five mile radius of our home...
Oh the possibilities...

happy things...

I got up at the crack of dawn and made these this morning.

Little one who also gets up at the crack of dawn, sat nearby and strung buttons on a needle and thread.

They look like cousins, don't they?

now we're rockin...

Not...

I picked up these 1940's metal rocking chairs recently at a yard sale. They are so comfortable! I have always wanted chairs like these. They have been painted over a few times. They are fine for now, they go with the house the way they are. But someday...

I hope these will be sitting on the big old porch of our farmhouse overlooking our organic produce stand/other home business. And of course they will be painted pink, aqua or maybe a sunny yellow. Humor me, I'm daydreaming...

P.S. I just added some more pictures to flickr.

yummy...

That is one super thick fruit smoothie!

I'm probably behind the times but I never knew you could just freeze all those really ripe bananas. I think I'll thaw them out a little next time I make her one of these babies.
I found all these groovy vintage gardening tools for her at a yard sale this weekend.
Happy Monday!

around the garden...

Random shots from the garden, in no sensible order...I don't have time to argue with blogger this morning.

spinach

romaine lettuce
gerbera daisy

pansy
The very first strawberry of the year so far.
by next week, there should be more...mmmm
I was snapping pictures outside last evening and they went by.Horse and buggys are commonplace in Lancaster County, although they only come through our neighborhood occasionally.
lots of oregano
mint
These are called bleeding hearts, I cannot look of them without thinking of Jesus. These amaze me.

azalea

potatoes
broccoli
garlic
Hubby gets all the credit for this. He is the passionate gardener.

gratitude...

Saturday Morning, little one and I got out those ready to go, everything you need in one box, craft projects. It was 2 porcelain dishes to paint. She loves these activities!

Here are the finished projects
She was so very pleased with her masterpeice!
We had a lovely Mothers Day. Hubby purchased and planted a

pink hydrangea for me-so sweet. I can't wait to see it bloom. Saturday my son took me out to lunch and we walked around downtown, it was really fun. I awoke Sunday morning to the most wonderful cards and flowers. My older daughter made this beautiful handmade card with the most touching words I have ever been told as a mother. I wish I could share but she would be really mad. I still can't get over what she wrote...

See that Christmas Card on the table. Little one felt the need to give me a store bought card I guess, so she just went to my desk and pulled out this card and gave it to me. It was from someone else and we received it this past Christmas. (lol)

Thank God for making me a mother!

a little modesty please...

If you have daughters or know anyone that has daughters please take the time to read this article by Mary Ellen over at Tales of the Bonny Blue House.

locks...

a new dress...

Not for me, for my chair.

That was a fun project.
You can't tell from the pictures but it is a pretty seersucker fabric. I thought it would be nice for spring and summer to lighten things up a bit. It did, but it also makes me want ot paint and rip up the carpet.

he's growing up...

17!

Last night was Junior Prom.


He had enough of me and my camera at this point. I took over 100 pictures. At one point I kept snapping away just to annoy him-yes, I get like that. We had a good laugh.

The limo...
Big week, our 20th wedding anniversary, our oldest turning 17 and the first prom for our family. I get so emotional with this stuff. I think it is the fact we are getting closer to the point when we have to let him go out on his own. Next year at this time I expect I will be a puddle. 18th Birthday, two going to the prom, graduation!!! College!!!
Oh my, I have to go now...

i do...

Yesterday was our 20th wedding anniversary. Wow!!!

The kids stayed at their grandparents house last night

which incidentally is right down the block=). We spent the day just being together,

it was really, really good.

We weren't sure what we were doing until we did it. When I woke up yesterday, I remembered I had won 2 free tickets to Hershey Gardens back in September at our church carnival.

It was a bit early in the season for many flowers but these were just gorgeous!
oooohhh...
ahhhh...
After Hershey Gardens, we headed to downtown Harrisburg, just because.
This is the steeple of St. Patrick Cathedral Roman Catholic Church. I wanted to stop in just to give thanks for the abundant blessing God has poured out on us these last 20 years. The Cathedral is most impressive, I wish I took pictures of the stained glass windows.
A picture of the impressive Capitol Building right down the street.
We did some other fun stuff too and ended our day with a lovely dinner out and then went to Borders to relax and flip through some books and magazines.

It was great just to have him all to myself for a day.

Today is our son's 17th birthday! Yes, he was born the day after our third anniversary. Our anniversary has always gotten a bit lost amidst the birthday festivities-and that is perfectly fine, although I think that is why taking yesterday for each other was all the more special.

Well, I'm off to start birthday preparations, hope you have a great day!