Weekend

 What an awesome week we've just had!

Lots of cousin play time, swimming, eating, hanging out. We had a men's dinner for Kyle (he'll be 21 on August 3rd) while his out of state brother in laws were in town, and happily, my brother and sister in law are visiting as well, so my brother got to be at the dinner too! 

We did a trip on Friday to Lake Tobias to do the safari. It was so great!

On Saturday, we had Rachel's baby shower at a local-ish coffee shop.

A longtime friend has her own cookie business and she made the most darling cookies for favors. They are so cute you hate to eat them! Another friend made candles. So talented!

It was so special to spend time with all the wonderful ladies who attended, and we cannot wait for this darling to arrive!

After the shower we went to Fuddrucker's for dinner to celebrate my parents 67th wedding anniversary.

That was special, too! It was the first time in years that all my kids were together! As a mom I love to watch my adult kids interact and have such fun! My brother loved getting to see them all, too! It had been years since they'd seen all of them!

My Tennessee family headed home yesterday, and my brother and sister in law leave tomorrow.

It has been so heart filling, and I am so grateful to God for it all.

Weekend

We worked on the office on Saturday.

We had a lovely thunderstorm and we were happy for the rain and to have stuff to do indoors!

Here are a few sneak peeks of our bedroom. We still need lamps, a rug,  two comfy chairs, and we’d like an electric fireplace for coziness!

Here is a sneak peek of the office! It would make a perfect snug, but we don’t need that.

We’ve had the guest room set up but I’ve been upping to coziness factor. The gingham sheets and new lampshades add the perfect touch! Just in time for my brother and sister in laws’ visit this week!

I hope you all had a great weekend. 
 

Weekend - Primary Suite Edition

 We finally were able to work on our bedroom this weekend! Paint and wallpaper. I have to say that this is high quality wallpaper, and as such it was expensive. The guy at the store, however did the math wrong and wanted us to buy one double roll. We decided to get two because my husband was uncertain, and turns out even with two double rolls we barely had enough. The guys, Tim and our son in law Wes, had to piece a bit at the end but it worked out since it is a plaid. 

All that to say, I don't know when we'd do wallpaper again! Though I do love the look of it!

I'm going to share some photos, but know that the light was not good. I'll get better photos when the room is put together.

You can't tell from this photo but the wallpaper background is burgundy.

We've done just the one wall where our bed is. I have a print of a Scottish Loch to go on the wall over the bed.

I'm looking for bedside tables, and possibly lamps or wall sconces. 

We used to have a sitting room area in this room and we'd like to do that again, so I am looking for an electric fireplace, and a couple of comfy chairs.

Weekend

 

We had a wonderful Independence Day! A storm moved through in the late afternoon, and when it moved on we were able to get our fireworks done!

That storm was bad in areas north of us! Incredible the damage done! Tim's brothers' family lives in that area and their power is not expected to be restored until Wednesday! Thankful that the heatwave with super high temps is over now.

Sunday we took a drive to Eagles Mere, PA. You can see more about it {here}. We enjoyed driving around and getting a look at this charming town. I think we've decided that it will be a good place for a fall foliage trip, as well!

Weekend

 

The first flush of June roses is waning and I need to dead head and feed them! They've been lovely, and one is still going strong.

My Annabelle hydrangea are gorgeous, and the other hydrangea are coming on. Soon I'll have more flowers to enjoy.

I did all red, white, and blue (pale purple) in my deck pots. That's fun for summer.

Friday night I went to a co-op mom's gathering at my friend Britt's house. It was held in their lovely garden. It was good to gather with friends, and enjoy a lovely summer night in the garden. Bonus: She gave me fresh cut lettuce to bring home!

We had our last outdoor service yesterday, at church. I love these services.

Tim and I grabbed a quick lunch yesterday after church, and I rode with him to get a water sample from a customer's home. Then he brought me home, and he went on an emergency call, and then to our daughter and son in law's to help Wes with his plumbing for their pool. Our daughter is out of town with a friend to shoot a wedding so I stayed home. 

I had lots of time to listen to the last book in The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. I will be so sad when I finish this book. What a delightful character she is, and the life she is building is unique and wonderful. I highly recommend this series.

Tonight is the full moon for June, known as the Strawberry Moon. Prayers for all those who work in Law Enforcement, ER's and Labor and Delivery. I hope your evenings are not too crazy!

Summertime

 

On Saturday, Tim and I traveled down to the DC area and hung out with our daughter Sarah and son in law Dave. We went out to lunch, and sat outside in the beautiful sunshine and watched people on pedal boats on a small lake. Then we drove to Great Falls Park. The Potomac River runs through a lovely gorge and the falls are so pretty. 

This high water marker is incredible.

source

It was very crowded not like this photo! It was also very hot!

We saw houses being built in this area that must be classified as super mansions! They are enormous. Sarah and Dave do not live in this area, and so we drove back to their small, but really nice apartment! We had a rest from the heat and crowds and had great discussions! So, so fun!

Then we realized it was after 7:00 pm and went to get some dinner. After dropping them off at their apartment, we headed home. 

It was such a great day.

On Sunday, Father's Day, we had an outdoor service at church and then the church picnic. The whole day was good! Worship, baby dedications, good message, 2 baptisms. It was fun to have my parents with us, too!

We took the grands home after, and then we napped, and Tim went to help our son in law, Wes with something. Came back and he mentioned that our son Nate texted and told him they were bringing the girls to swim.

This photo was taken at 8:19 pm. It was not only Father's Day but it was the summer Solstice! The youngest girls have really gained skill in the pool this year, so that is fun to see!

It was a hard day for my daughter in law as it was the 17th anniversary of her mother's death. She was killed by a drunk driver who crashed headlong into her car as she waited at a red light. My daughter in law said she just tried to keep busy yesterday. She died two months before Nate and Kay met.

I've been enjoying summer since Memorial Day and I will continue until Labor Day. I hope you are all doing well. 

Around My Cottage Recently

 

My days have been full of sunshine, blue sky, or summer storms! We had one that set off a tornado alert last night so we spent an hour down in the basement.

The weather today is cool and breezy, with sunshine. blue skies, and big. puffy, white clouds. My favorite.

My roses are blooming in the cottage garden, I'll try to get some photos this week. The Annabelle hydrangea are beginning to bloom, too!

My oldest grand turns 16 today! I hosted a party for her on Saturday. When her friends left she said, "That was fun!" That was music to my ears!

This summer is full of fun things and I am looking forward to all of it!

What are your summer plans?

Weekend

 

Let Summer Begin! 

The weather here has been beautiful lately. Low 70's, sunshine. Tim has the pool open now, and he says with the temps going up this week, it might be warm enough to swim in this coming weekend!

I always decorate patriotically for summer starting with Memorial Day and right through Labor Day in September. I need to add some more potted flowers to the deck but otherwise we are good to go!

We ate lunch on the deck yesterday and the sheep (they belong to our Amish neighbors but live in our barn and pasture) were bleeting away. They do this when they want something. Our neighbor came over after getting home from church and he said they were complain that he'd closed them into the barn. However, when they were getting ready to head to church all the sheep had gotten out of their fencing and were in their yard!

Our neighbors are moving in a few weeks, to their farm in York county. We will miss them so much, escape artist sheep, too!

We are in the midst of another full birthday month. Rachel's was yesterday, Weston's in tomorrow, then four grand birthdays, and my sister in laws bday! 

We are making plans for family/friends visits this summer in July and August! 

Can't wait!

Memorial Day Begins The Summer Holidays

 On Sunday, Tim and I took our oldest son and our daughter in law out to lunch to celebrate our son's birthday. My mom kept their girls, so it was just the four of us! That hasn't happened for years!

You all likely remember what it was like in the midst of the parenting years. They had a great time, too! We actually spent the entire afternoon out and about and it was really good.

We took them to a favorite place to eat on the Chesapeake Bay, and walked around the waterfront after.

We found this Memorial, which was pretty appropriate on Memorial Day weekend.

Gold Star Families Memorial Monument - A Tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom.

It was very special.

Yesterday, we had family and friends here for a cookout. It was drizzling and chilly so we ate inside. We gave thanks for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. For us, so we can live in freedom.

We can never repay what we've been given but we can live gratefully.

Memorial Day begins the Summer holidays here at our home. We are finishing school this week, the pool will open soon (its just been too cold for swimming). In my mind the summer months have three holidays - Memorial Day, Independence Day, then Labor Day. All are patriotic holidays. 

I always decorate with American flags, and bunting, and this year being the Semiquincentennial of our nation Tim and I bought a bunting to hang on the deck railing at the back of the house. It can be seen and read from the road! 

I was 13 years old the year we celebrated our 200th Anniversary. It was a big deal, and I know that this 250th will be a big deal as well!

God Bless America, may we always remember that we are One Nation, Under God.

Weekend

 

We had a really good weekend.

Saturday, Tim, Rachel, and I made a Costco run. Then I puttered around the house, Tim did mowing, and went to check a customer's alarm going off on their system. All was well. I made Korean BBQ Beef for dinner, that we got at Costco, and it was so good! We definitely will be buying that again!

After church on Sunday, we took my parents and Kyle with us down to Havre de Grace for lunch at the Promenade Grille. It was crowded but didn't take too long to get our food or a table! It was lovely weather, mostly sunny, about 73 degrees.

Here is my pretty mama.

When we got home, we had a visit from our friend Denny, then later Wes and Rachel stopped in. They brought mom and I each a gift from all of my kids. Mom's gift is for her birthday this week, but we'll be away with them on a trip.

The kids all went in on an Aura frame. It's so great and they can all send pictures through the app to our frames! I have mine on the small secretary in the living room which is near the chair I mostly sit in.

You can see it a bit in this photo of the flowers I got from Tim.

Aren't my flowers lovely? He also wrote me a sweet note that filled up my Words of Affirmation love tank!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. 

Weekend

 

The light was beautiful yesterday afternoon. This window faces northwest.

A while later, I was turning on the outside lights, and thought that the view through the front door window into the garden was pretty.

Friday, in the late afternoon we went to a local paint store and bought our paint for our bedroom refresh, and ordered our wallpaper. I'm excited about this project and can't wait to share it with you.

Afterwards we went to an Amish store and cafe to grab dinner with my parents. They have a creamery, too, and the ice cream was so good!

Saturday I puttered, and learned how to reconcile checks in Quickbooks. Tim has begun to use Quickbooks for the business, and I am learning some of the office work. Its fun and not fun, but once I've learned it, it'll be fine. I'm happy to take some of that office work off of Tim's shoulders!

Sunday was good, church, lunch with friends and Kyle and Kamryn. Home for a little nap, and then just reading, talking with my mom, and hanging out with Tim.

Tomorrow is my dad's 87th birthday, and we are having a little party for him! Celebrating all the things!

What did you do this weekend? Celebrate anything?