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!!!

Thanks be to God!!

He did it!

I mentioned a while back that I would be a puddle when this week came upon us-I wasn't kidding, I have been. What a week!

God has been so very good to this child! We have witnessed many miracles in his life.

There have been so many ups, downs, challenges and triumphs through his educational career. Many having to do with the fact he has a moderate bilateral sensorinueral hearing loss.

There is so much I could tell you about his journey. I started to do that in this post but it just got too long.

Many years ago, I was on my way to yet another meeting to discuss his educational needs and requirements to be successful in the classroom with his degree of hearing loss. I was really uptight and anxious, as the anticipation of these meetings always had a way of tying me up in knots. My friend prayed with me and asked our Lord that my children (his sister is also hearing impaired) would always have optimal learning conditions, not just satisfactory but optimal as far as teachers, classroom placement, equipment, whatever they needed. We finished our prayer, I was very peaceful and went off to my meeting. That particular meeting could not have gone better.

Our son came to us in eighth grade and told us that he really wanted to attend catholic high school after attending "See you at the Pole" at his public junior high school. "See you at the Pole" happens all over the country one day a year before the school day starts. Students and teachers and parents of faith gather around the flagpole at there school and offer prayer for their country, government, teachers and fellow students. He was very moved by this experience having never experienced prayer at school before, he had always attended public school.

It wasn't exactly an ideal time for us to be taking on a hefty tuition bill. In faith, we went to an open house at the catholic high school spoke to some people, one of which was the business manager. We were very impressed by the school and went home and dismissed the idea as impossible. We got a phone call in August from that same business manager saying our son kept coming to her mind, and she would like to see if we could make it possible for him to attend. She did, and he began just weeks later.

(caution; these next sentences could be construed as bragging, but actually are intended to give God his due praise)

He thrived at this school in every way.

These past few days, starting with the awards ceremony he received 3 awards, one of which was an unexpected scholarship for character and service. The following evening at the baccalaureate Mass he sang the responsorial psalm, you know I cried. Music can be difficult for a hearing impaired person because they simply cannot hear at some frequencies. It has become a strength for him. Last night he received a diploma from a school which we could not afford. But God inspired people to help us along the way.

The college process has been a new and interesting experience. For the last couple of months he has been settled on attending a local state university and live at home while working to pay his way through, which seemed like the most sensible and economical option.

Last week we got a call from the college of his dreams, which happens to be a really wonderful Catholic university, the one he began researching in eighth grade. Once again, an admissions officer remembered him. She called with additional scholarship hoping that would enable him to attend. It has, and he will, and we couldn't be more happy or grateful.

A couple of weeks ago our pastor mentioned in his homily that old adage, if we reach for the stars we might reach the mountaintop but if we reach for the mountaintop we might never leave the village. God shows me again and again to reach for the stars.

My son is a good student, but not the best in his class by any means. What made the business manager at the high school or the admissions officer at the college of his dreams remember him? I believe it was a Holy Spirit nudge, God's favor. I think it had much less to do with my son's abilities than it had to do with God's grace and goodness.

"For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26

a daisy a day...

a seamstress is born...

Oh, the concentration...

The sense of personal satisfaction.

The blissful solitude...

It's written all over her face.

I can relate

catching up...

I have been a part of Virtual quilting bee since January. I think we have 16 participants from all over the country. Each month one of the ladies sends out a bit of fabric and a few suggestions of what they would like for their quilt and we create blocks and send them back.

Somehow I got a little behind...

Here is one where the lovely lady sent me this Celtic print and requested a cross theme.

And then there is the birthday club which is part of our virtual quilting bee project. We send a fat quarter, a piece of fabric that is 18"x22" to each birthday girl. These are fabrics from my stash that I thought these ladies would enjoy. At least I hope they like them!

Have a great Monday!