Family – Page 12 – This Old House 2

Proud

This picture was in our local paper yesterday..

my kiddo volunteered with her place of employment

for Habitat for Humanity last weekend.

Proud Mom, I am.

Swinging a hammer is in the blood, don’t ya know 🙂

Today the dogs will be arriving to settle in at our event (already set up).

They’ll be checked over by the Veterinarian to make sure they are up to date

on all vaccinations and healthy. Some are traveling from 16 hours away,

others are from just a few towns over at municipal pounds.

Wish them all luck in finding homes –

(my eyes just welled up typing that line, it never fails)

GO DOG DAYS!

MOM

Truly, my most cherished roll on this earth.

I’m grateful every single day that I have been blessed

with two pretty terrific kids.

Today there is a magnolia tree planted next to This Old House.

…a Star Magnolia..

Mike and I went to the garden center yesterday

for some plants for our moms, and also for a few

more perennials for my “seaside real estate” garden.

This rock is a gift from my daughter last year…

and I love what it has to say.

It’s a clear reminder to find joy in each day we’re here.

This is a painted rock about the size of a hand spread out..

I found it yesterday on the steps of a house one of Mike’s customers just bought.

It’s going to be gutted and re-done.

The heart rock was left behind by the family who rented the house before the sale

and the house will be used by more renters.

I couldn’t leave it behind, as I knew it would end up in the dumpster.

I love that someone, probably a child, saw the heart shape in this rock

and painted it red, keeping it on the front steps for I don’t know how long.

So back to Moms…

My mother and I were like oil and water when I was a young person.

Now? I talk to her almost every day.

Don’t want to imagine life without her in it.

When I need an honest opinion, a shoulder to cry on,

a compassionate ear, She’s my – go to –.

These days, it’s more like oil and vinegar… we make a nice salad dressing 🙂

Our relationship has grown and flourished over the years..

weeds pulled and cherished things added as time rolls on,

just like my little seaside real estate garden.

Happy Mothers Day all,

and especially to my Mom. xo

The Tale of Two Tuxes

One of my son’s friends is staying with us for a few days while his parents are away.

Yesterday, at breakfast before school…

ME: Boys, put your tuxes together for me so that I can return them today.

THEM: (the obligatory head nod acknowledgement of the request)

Later in the morning I go upstairs for the tuxes…

Someone understood the instructions.

The other?… my husband would say..

he’s just like is mother.

(*ahem)

Junior Prom

aaah, Youth.

Best buddies since kindergarten…

I’d never make a good wedding photographer, (tis TRUE, Tim!)

The girls were freezing, and the boys were fidgety – like maybe all had temporary ADHD…

or something.

We did the best we could, but jeez, aren’t they all beautiful?

It’s a beautiful thing

Forgive me for this boast, ok?

I am brimming with happiness this morning

after an awesome weekend with my girl and her horse.

Our senior boy, Max, was an absolute gentleman.

and K?… did fantastic, remembered her patterns in horsemanship

and even managed a few blue ribbons at her first QH show.

And I’ll share something with you.

I don’t know if I’ll ever stop welling up with tears

every time I hear her name called over the loudspeaker for a placing.

It must look ridiculous to others.

Sometimes the tears come just because I see her smiling out there

enjoying life and riding that horse.

Still fresh in my mind is the picture of that same person hooked up to

life supporting machines with the question of whether

there would ever be life again at all.

Remember this… should God Forbid… you ever find yourself

in a horrible situation that might look like your worst nightmare…

There is always hope.. there is always the possibility of recovery,

and life will go on. Sometimes better than you can pray for or imagine

in those darkest of hours.

Proof below.

These are just some of the crew from the barn.

Truly, they are like family… so good to share the experience with

such a nice group of people.

It’s all good.

Mr. Tux

Him: Mom, you coming to help me pick out a tux?

Me: You said you were going with your friends.

Him:… yeah, they’ll be there, but I don’t want to look like a dork.

Just come and help me pick it out.

Me: (silently thanking the Gods of Teenage Aloofness for

releasing their grip on my son for this little moment in time. )

He’s ready for Prom.

Honestly.. it took me less time to find a wedding dress than it

did to put together a tux ensemble, but I think he looks sharp.

His date is wearing a deep purple gown, simple and elegant.

NOW… off to the horse show!

Have a good weekend all.

In my best Arnold voice..

“I’ll be back.”

You Go, Girl

Feels like I’m being a bit of a braggart here,

I hope it’s not coming across that way,

just want you to know it’s not my intention.

I’m particularly proud of my girl right here,

because she’s had some real hard knocks in life..

the kind that hit you broadside and change life as you knew it

in an instant. She works hard every day to overcome them.

So, forgive me the bragging, won’t you?

I am so proud of the dedication she shows to this horse she

took on, how she cares for him better than some folks care for their kids..

and how she works with her horse almost every day after putting in time at her day job

to accomplish their goals.

I’m just giving her a shout out in this little space of mine,

because I want her to truly believe that she’s doing more than OK.

Can I brag just once more?

I told you about the cost of showing in a previous post,

and how some of the show clothes cost more than a downpayment on a car.

In outfitting K and Max for the show season, we’ve been trying to find deals

with used tack and even gently used show clothes.

This shirt was made for the designers daughter, but she wanted

something different. She and K are about the same size!

Sooo… we got a great deal.

I love when that happens.

It all started with Goldie, the homeless Goldfish. Story Here. Goldie lived for a while quite happily in a five gallon tank with a buddy and an algae eater in my sons bedroom. Then one evening there was some sneaky activity involving a couple of teenage boys and some slithering up and down the back stairs while we ‘rents were otherwise occupied. Suddenly there was a 55 gallon aquarium on the desk once used for homework (*ahem) and Goldie and friends got a slightly bigger tank.

Last night there was once again the pitter patter of sneaky feet up the back stairway while we were busy in the kitchen. All were called down for dinner and there was definitely an air of smirkitude amongst the boyz.

DAD: What are you doing upstairs, I hear the backstairs footsteps, you’re not fooling me.
SON: What? OH. It’s just your birthday present, really! DON’T GO UPSTAIRS AND LOOK!!!

yeah, ok. I’ve got a bridge to sell you too….

Apparently, while visiting the local pet store to get more aquarium supplies, he happened to admire the turtles. The ever-helpful sales associate said “you want one of those? I’ve got one in the back that just got dumped here, the owner didn’t want him anymore. I can’t legally sell him or his tank and equipment… you can have the whole thing for $10.!!”

You know what he did, right? Because he’s MY SON, right?

The newly adopted Turtle is a red-eared Slider. They are the most common of pet turtles and are fairly easy to care for. This one has been neglected. He had very long nails which I had to trim with a nail clipper (yes, I did). He is the size of a small dinner plate and has outgrown his tank. Probably why the owner was done with him. Today I am going to find smaller rock formations out under the frozen tundra and give him more swimming room. Someday he will have to move from this tank, but we’re not going there right now!

Turtles are more observant than you might think. He follows us around the room with his

eyes and begs for food too. My son is thrilled, and so far he is taking very good care of

all his tanks.

Yes, I said ALL his tanks. Because he now has a mini aquarium upstairs…

Sharing the Love

Normally on Valentines Day I make a big chocolate cake or big fluffy cupcakes for the family. Heart shaped cookies and chocolate hearts too…. This year, slowly but surely, I’m making changes. We’ve all been more conscious of healthy eating recently, even my almost 17 year old son. SO.. there will be no chocolate cake after dinner tomorrow night. I do have heart shaped cookies on the counter and there’s also a smattering of dark chocolate hearts (good for you in moderation, don’t ya know.)

Dinner this week will also be more health conscious recipes… these two links below are on the menu, as long as I can find the ingredients at the grocery store. (Still no school today due to snow removal efforts!)

Buffalo Chicken Salad
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/buffalo_chicken_salad.html

Italian Wedding Soup
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/italian_wedding_soup.html

Two of my dear blog friends are in need of prayer and encouraging words. If you’re so enclined, visit their blogs and leave a comment – share some love, some light, some encouragement …

Vicky

Ms. A

Do you plan anything special for Valentines Day?

I’m not big on the grand displays of romance,

not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But I do take the opportunity to do just a little decorating

and show my husband and kids in little ways that I love them.

On display at the breakfast table on V-day morning, I have always gotten the kids

each a new bathing suit and a big box of chocolates.

The bathing suit was a reminder that these grey New England winter days

would soon morph into Spring and then Summer.

Now that they are older, they want to pick out their own bathing suits,

and so I find fun T-shirts instead.

The husband loves chocolate dipped oreos and that chocolate cake! ,

but this year he’s getting a T-shirt too 🙂

I’m showing myself the love by eating better and exercising more.

The best gifts a girl can receive? … good health …and self acceptance.

Self appreciation, self love.

and I don’t mean that in a narcissistic way.

That’s been a work in progress for me.

I have decided to stick with love.

Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let us always meet each other with smile,

for the smile is the beginning of love.

Mother Teresa

Can miles truly separate you from friends…

If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?

Richard Bach

A whole lotta white

The good news is.. the winds weren’t horrible

and while there were many power outages, we and most of our

friends and neighbors still have power. That’s HUGE in this area lately.

The bad news is… HOLY CROW, we’ve got snow.

Last night, after we had already shoveled twice…

This morning on the front porch… There are three steps to get up there.

There are actually stairs to get up to the little side porch with those sliders too.

Four foot drifts up the sides of the house…

Took 20 minutes just to get OUT the DOOR this morning…

Then another 20 to get to the garage for snow blower…

He’s not having fun yet….

He’s not either.

…working on path to get to the barn to feed horses….
and up to the back equipment barn to get the bulldozer…
because that’s what it’s gonna take.

Tag: Family