Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Haircut



I was so over due for a haircut.  I finally went this week.

Let me tell you about my hair.  It's always had natural body to it, but as I had more children and aged, my hair got curly.  Really curly when I just wash it and let it dry naturally.

The other thing about my hair is that it has become fine like baby hair.  The individual shafts of hair are tiny.

I have weird cow licks in my hair, especially the two in the front on either side of my forehead.

All this works together to make hair "with a mind of its own."  So I try to work with it and not against it.  

For a year or so I was trying longer layers in my hair rather than the shorter ones I normally wear.  I like it shorter layers on top for fullness, with my fine hair if it gets too long, it just hangs and drags my face down.  So I decided to go back to more layers and I like it.

I really like the way it looks though these pictures taken yesterday in my bedroom don't look all that great.  

And weirdly - this photos make me look more silver than I am - the last photo is more accurate as to color, but they show the haircut better than the last one.





Thursday, September 26, 2013

Welcome Autumn

We are delighted that it is officially Autumn and we can officially show off our decor.


 Welcome to Creekside Cottage!










 This wreath is outside the kitchen door - which is where most guests enter our home.

These mums and pumpkin on are the kitchen door step.  Behind the mum is where I used to have a lilac bush.  It didn't flower well, and it was terribly over grown.  I removed it for those reasons and the fact that when my parents add on to our home, this space will be in their laundry room/pantry.



The weather has been delightful.  Warm days, cool nights.  Perfect.

It's fair season here in our county and our favorite local one started today.  We hope to get over to walk around and maybe watch some equine events on Friday.  This year the girls decided not to compete.

We have a local farm that sells their pumpkins for the best prices around.  Most are $1 or $2, while the more unusual ones are a bit more money.  Ours were all $1 pumpkins.


I have been spending quite a bit of time outside - I always do in the Autumn.  Saturday after we got home from our trip I cut back the dead summer flowers, and the kids helped me pull some weeds.  It truly looked like the Adams Family garden!  I finished by sweeping the walkway and steps.  The next day the walkway was covered in dirt!  The source of that mess being our lovely hens who love to scratch around in the garden!


This photo was taken today - smaller mess but with evidence of their walking
I got my hair cut!  It really needed it!  It is a bit shorter than I have been wearing it, and the layers are a bit shorter - I like it.  It works well with my natural curl, and my cowlicks, and baby fine hair, that has a mind of its own.  




In the weeks to come I hope to do some posts on embracing each season of life your in.  I'd love it if you'd tell me in the comments what season of life you're in and what you like or dislike about it.

Happy Autumn!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Cute Skirts


Remember I promised you a photo of the girls wearing their cute skirts that they made in our home economics class?


Yesterday they wore them to church.  Each one made from the same pattern.  Rachel and Quinn made the knee length, and Sarah and Brooke made the mid calf length.  

Didn't they do a great job?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Hobbit Day Party


As we were driving North on I-95 Saturday morning, we were talking about church the next day.  I mentioned that since it was the 4th Sunday of the month, it was family day and there were no activities planned.

"We could invite people to come over and then have our first official campfire of the Autumn season," I mentioned.

"Well, since tomorrow is September 22nd, and it is Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthday...we could have a Hobbit Day Party," suggested Lindsay.

"That would be fun," said I, and the party began to be planned.

Truly the only things needed for a great party is some yummy food to eat and great company, but we ended up with much more than that.

Lindsay texted her friend Joseph and he started volunteering to bring things and do stuff.  Check and check!

We discussed food - for the campfire we would do roasted hotdogs and s'mores (don't know how Hobbit like that is but when you're having young children, its a winner!)  For the rest of the party we would have Hobbit like food; we had a pumpkin dessert, flourless chocolate cake, scones with cream, lemon curd, and strawberry jam, we had baby carrots, mulled cider, lemonade, tea, coffee, water.

We brought out our old oak table and put a pretty fall table cloth on it and hung up some garlands, used candles and lanterns and tiki torches.  We had dancing, outdoor games and we had fireworks.

It was a beautiful day of gorgeous weather, great food, great friends; mostly old but a few that were new.  

The other ladies and I missed the fireworks, as we all drove our friend Katie and her boys home.  We arrived back to a delightful campfire and young men playing guitar and singing worship songs.  We joined in.

The great thing about having a 21 year old daughter who has learned well, your party planning ways?  I helped carry items back in the house, but all the clean up was done by Lindsay and her crew (siblings and friends) and I didn't have to do anything but walk our guests out to their cars and say goodnight.









These last photos are not great - taken with my iphone in the dark with just the fire glowing.  I edited them just to get what I am showing here.




The party was a great success.

I told Lindsay she is a great party planner.  She said that she knew with less than 24 hours to plan it would have to pretty basic, but it turned out really nice.  "I never thought of hanging the garlands," she said.  I smiled.  The little touches are the things I think about.  A grapevine garland on the food table, candles, garlands.  Joseph handled the sound system so they were able to listen to Hobbit Party music and dance.


It was a day well spent.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Thankful


Everyday I am in awe of the Lord's goodness to us.  Not that we have a perfect life, or that everything always goes how we want it to, but we really have so much to be thankful for.

We are thankful that we could help Tim's mom by doing some projects at her home.

We are thankful for time spent with family.

We are thankful for time spent with friends who are like family.

We are thankful for beautiful Florida skies.

We are thankful for Florida rain.

We are thankful for time.

For fresh mercy.

For God's work in our lives.

I am sure that you have a list of things you're thankful for too!  Please share them in the comments!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Work Part Of Our Working Vacation





















The photos were taken over the course of a few days - most of them by Emma.  All the kids helped out in some way, Kyle and Sarah got to try their hand and tapping the flooring into place, and Rachel, Emma and Lindsay worked with Tim several days.  Emma flew down at her own expense to help out over the days that she didn't have to be at work.  Lindsay was able to help some too, in spite of limitations due to her leg.  She made her yummy curry the other night and the kids shared dinner and a movie with Grammy and Terry, and Terry's son Gary, while Tim and I went to dinner with our friends.  Rick is in some of the photos.  We met he and Jane 24 years ago.  We were all just starting missions training and they knew Tim's sister so they made a point of reaching out to us.  We were young marrieds with a 3 month old baby, and they became our best friends.  We love them dearly, and don't see them as often now as their vacations are spent visiting their grandchildren, they are the kind of friends that you pick right back up with, as if you saw them yesterday.  We are profoundly grateful for what they have been to us in our lives!

I washed all the windows at Mom's yesterday, on the outside and Lindsay helped.  Then spent the rest of the day in the pool.  It was great.  Our nieces brought their kids to swim - Kyle was particularly delighted that their were two boys ages 7 and 4!  Prime play pals!

Thank you for your prayers for our family.  Mom is doing so well, and yet we know that with her health issues (clot on her heart valve) that she could have another stroke at any time.  For her part, she can't wait to drive again!

God is good and we are so thankful for this time He has granted for us to care for Mom and Terry.  It's not always easy or convenient  but it is a privilege.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

September Note Card Party



Joining Vee once again for her wonderful Note Card Party!

A Haven for Vee

This month it's all about the beauty of the Florida sky!





This is my favorite thing about Florida - other than the people I love who make this place their home!


Won't you join Vee and the rest of the gang at the Note Card Party?  It's a lovely way to meet wonderful friends!

Thanks for visiting me today!

Information Friday

Tim and I had a great time visiting our daughter Emma and her family. This birthday crown has seen a lot of heads this past week, but I had ...