love...

Oh, how I treasure these moments...

live...

I'm biased I know, but I love this little piece by my daughter. If you can't make it out, it's "LIVE" spelled out in sign language. I've mentioned before our two oldest children are hearing impaired. DD17 started wearing hearing aids at 22 months old, and rebelled from the beginning. She never wanted to be seen as "different".

God has allowed some heavy crosses in her young life, this one not being the heaviest but nonetheless quite challenging at times.

It's hard to be a kid with hearing aids, which, several years ago she chose not to wear anymore, and we accept that. Now, it can be hard to be the only teenager in the group who has to focus intently on everything that's being said around her, to try not to miss anything. When people are aware of her hearing loss, most are understanding and considerate. Sometimes they just aren't, you would be amazed.

Our kids never required sign language for communication. Although, in their toddler and preschool years we did use some sign, before it was en vogue. It was something we did naturally and was never learned or taught, we just did it. Our daughter has a renewed interest in sign and would like, perhaps to take some classes in the future.

I see this little piece as an expression of self acceptance, that's why I love it. I see my daughter embracing who God made her to be, a little more each and everyday.

My sister told me about a book she is reading Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I have just started to get into it but it is already worth the purchase price. I read my daughter a little quote from this book the another night...

"You will never enjoy other people, you will never have stable emotions, you will never lead a life of godly contentment, you will never conquer jealousy and love others as you should until you thank God for making you the way He did"

Thank you Lord, for making me, me. Warts and all.

a little addition...

I made a little addition to the blog on the sidebar.

God's ways are strange and wonderful!!

Next year we will have 2 in college, 1 in 1st grade and an infant.

hi there!

This was the last of the flowers from the garden for the year.

Pretty, pretty! (This picture doesn't have much to do with this post-but I liked it) It's been a while, I know. I saw my sister this weekend who mentioned my blog and she was wondering if I was depressed because I hadn't written anything since my son went off to college. This fall has brought lots of changes, perhaps more than I was ready for. Our oldest going off to college, our dd17 starting her senior year in a new school and little one beginning kindergarten. Don't get me started on how difficult it was trying to figure out the best option for the little one this year-ooh, that was tough.So far, so good. they are all doing very well.Our son is thriving in college. Growing in faith and knowledge at a wonderful university. Our dd17 is growing and maturing in many wonderful ways we could not have predicted. The little one is just thrilled to be with lots of other kids her age everyday -kindergarten is fun! I 'll be the first to admit, I do not like change. But it is necessary for growth. Maybe I was a little depressed. But not to worry, I'm fine. Life is good, God is good! All according to His plan....

We are nearing the end of the garden. Tomorrow I will be making lots of cauliflower soup for the freezer, the whole family loves it-which is rather surprising, but not really when you consider it tastes like yummy mashed potatoes.

The last of the lettuce.

Tonights dinner menu: Grilled chicken breast on this yummy lettuce with homemade garlic-ky croutons. Mmm...

These are a few pictures from our leaf hunt this weekend...

I think we'll call her the butterfly whisperer, she doesn't even need a net anymore.

Scene near and from a covered bridge. There are lots of them around here, another little piece of history preserved.

Our son is on his way home for fall break. He's taking the train, a 6 hour ride. This is his first time traveling alone and of course he is old enough and capable of doing this, but as a mom, I still worry. As I woke up this morning I felt God's nudge reminding me to stop and pray for my son's safe travel. I had to chuckle when I received a text from him saying he was on the train and surrounded by a large number of Amish folk headed this way for a wedding. I was quite comforted by this image.

God knows what we need.

Have a fabulous day!

amy

socks...

Well, these last weeks of summer are flying by...

Busy, busy, busy getting our son ready to go off to college. I have been walking around the house today, bursting into spontaneous tears more times than I care to admit.

He's been packing up his room, his toiletries, school supplies, his new linens, clothes, snacks, water bottles, laundry supplies etc... . Today, in the midst of all this packing and cleaning out of drawers, he made a startling discovery...

We always here about the nebulous black hole, every household has one, that place only one sock out of a pair disappears into, only never to return. Upon cleaning his sock drawer he discovered approximately 50-60 socks, many without partners! Socks that belonged to the rest of the family! Socks that I have searched for high and low for! Socks that I had given up on almost entirely! How long have they been hiding in there? Nobody really knows.

Yes, I am having all kinds of emotions about my son leaving for college. I will miss him terribly. It won't be the same....

But at least we got our socks back.=)

diners and dives

There is this little itty bitty truck stop not too far from us that I have always wanted to try. I think we stopped years ago and it was smoky, so we went on our merry way. Since smoking is now outlawed in restaurants in these parts we gave it another try. Guess what? I thought it was totally cool. A real throw back...

It reminds me of a place we would go as a family when I was a kid on vacation in upstate New York.

Who could resist a sign like this? We had the egg special. Eggs over easy, homes fries, wheat toast and coffee. They give you so much food people leave with containers to go. All that for under $4. The homefries are especially yummy!

The walls are lined with local military heroes, a real tribute.
You don't see too many of these around anymore.

We enjoyed some Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Elvis and of course a little "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyryd Skynyrd.

It's called Jenny's and it's Rte. 30 in Lancaster.

what we've been up to...

Just really enjoying the simple things...

She wanted to make this "safari hat" out of carrot tops.

Hulling peas...
Lots of library...

tadpoles...

sightseeing in nearby places...

and lots of just enjoying the garden in full bloom...

You'll find me here...

and here for a little while every afternoon.

Trying to keep up with what is coming from the garden. We are eating lots of yummy roasted vegetables these days.

This week I made roasted zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini cake, I was shredding and freezing zucchini, peas, pesto...

If you live nearby and want to pick up some zucchini give me a buzz.

hmmm...

Me: What were you doing?

Her: Just havin some water...

Me: Anything else?

Her: and some cherries

Me: Anything else?

Her: No, nope, nothing else...

Me: Did you have any sprinkles?

Her: Yes?

Me: Good answer!

soon...

black raspberries...

blueberries...
cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrotts...

broccoli is on the menu this week...

can't wait for tomatoes...

Have a great day!

home again, home again...

This weekend my family and I went down to the Washington D.C. area for a conference. In many ways it felt a little like National Lampoon's Vacation.

What went wrong:

1.The National Zoo was half closed so we couldn't see much and it was so hot!

2. 3 kids, technically one 18, 16 and 5 year old squished in the backseat on a long car ride.

3.It is a major feat to find parking in Washington D.C. on a hot Saturday afternoon in mid-June.

4. One potty disaster averted after sprinting a couple of blocks in D.C. to locate public restroom.

5. Major, major car problems-(so bad that we need a knew one).

What went right:

1. The conference was nice and I was able to check out the vendors that I was hoping to.

2. Quality family time.

3. After driving around in circles for a time I finally remembered that we should pray for a parking spot and found one almost immediately.

4. One potty disaster averted.

5. We made it home safely after a very difficult and scary ride. and friends that were on their way home from the conference offered to turn around and come and get us if we wanted them to. They were 1 1/2 hours away! We are so blessed to have many people like this in our lives.

Here are a ton of pictures from one of the highlights of our trip. We stopped at Lucketts Store in Lucketts, VA. One of the coolest displays of what many people would call old junk I have ever seen. Every room was a like a picture that you might see in Country Living Magazine.

Dad's old camera, her new hobby...

The whole family seemed to enjoy it as much as I did!

And this store next door...

Kind of looks like my fridge

In D.C.

Have a fabulous Monday!!!