Posted in Family

A few weeks ago the freebie at currclick.com was the e-book:  "Poetry Forms to Use at Home."  We were just beginnning our new year of lessons, so I printed it out and began it right away with the boys. They really like writing poetry, so this was a good fit for us.

 

Today's poem is a sense-poem.  The boys each had a form to complete that guided them through a poem writing about the five-senses and a particular place or thing.  As I was reading through their instructions, I was inspired to write a sense poem about Minnesota.

 

My husband grew up in Northern Minnesota and we visited his home for almost two weeks at the end of May.  I fell in love.  We've visited before, but this time was different.  My love for his family grew immensely.  I could envision myself living in this place.  We have been praying for a year about God's plan for our future.  We have been feeling Him calling us to return to The Big Dog's home and be part of his family in a more real way.  As I looked through my pictures deciding which one to put on this blog, I was, once again, in tears.  I am homesick for a place that was never my home.

 

Below is a picture of Big Dog's dad, Grandpa, while we were fishing on Fish Hook Lake, and my poem follows.

 

 

Minnesota

 

I would like to see the lakes as we drive North.

I would like to hear the loons call while we’re fishing.

I would like to touch the velvety water as the boat drifts lazily along.

I would like to taste my mother-in-love’s cooking in her cozy kitchen.

I would like to smell the crisp cold morning air.

I wish I were there right now.

Posted in Family

A few weeks ago, my mother's side of the family got together for a big summer picnic.  It wasn't just my mother's immediate family, which would include her sister, and three brothers, but it was the extended family.  Invitations went out to all the children of my mother's gradparents.  The picnic was large with almost 60 people in attendance.  Some families were not represented at all, they didn't respond to any efforts to contact them.  But my aunt came from Florida with one of her daughters.  There were family members from other neighboring states as well.

 

In my immediate family, there are 23 of us when we're all together.  Now, my sister has two older children that are dating, so more often than not, we are 25.  When we're together, we're loud.  We laugh a lot.  And we laugh loudly.  One of my mother's many wonderful traits is her loud and boisterous laugh.  I've inherited it and have had more than one friend comment on my willingness to laugh out loud in any place.

 

Although the gathering was a ton of fun, it was not the loud raucous event that is usually our immediate family gathering.  There were still many funny moments.  At one point, my Uncle, his cousin, and my mother were standing before the entire group listing the family geneology.  When they would get to someone who was present, they would ask him or her to stand and introduce their children and grandchildren.  When the list got to my mother, my Uncle George piped up, "We don't have enough time!"  Meaning that Mom's family was just too large to introduce!  We all laughed at that.  But Mom forged ahead and introduced all of us, including our oldest son who is named with the family name, Mom's maiden name.

 

Finally, we were asked to take one large family picture.  Benches were hauled out into the sunlight from under the pavillion and all the cousins were arranged on the benches with their families surrounding them as much as possible.  Our family was placed at the far left of the picture.

 

 

We were lauging and joking the entire time a bank of family friends and dates were taking our picture.  My neice kept leaning over to me and saying, "Aunt Lu, we're the loudest.  Just listen.  We're the loudest family in this group!"  And we were.  Here's the picture to prove it.  This is what we were doing while everyone else was trying to take a respectable picture:

 

 

That's me in the orange, laughing, beside my neice, lauging, beside another neice, laughing.  My mother is sitting in front of my neice in the dark tank top.  Yes, she's laughing.  You can't see it, but my husband is to our left (your right) holding rabbit ears with his fingers behind my brother's head.  Behind me to your left you can see my brother holding his youngest child.  I think he's talking.  My nephew in the front of the group has his eyes closed and is eatting something.  It's never a dull moment when we're all together.  Want to see more?

 

I'm still laughing, but so is my mom.  Seated in the front are my sons...giggling.  And now you can see my husband with the rabbit ears to my brother.  Seated beside my mother is my Uncle, smiling broadly, probably at our antics.

 

It was a great day.  A great time for our boys to see their heritage right before their eyes.  With such a large family, Mom had every single child and grandchild at this picnic.  It was a great way to honor her.  When the party broke-up most people suggested that we have another reunion soon.  I don't know when that will be, but I hope we are all happy and healthy and able to attend.

Posted in Family

…a torn Achilles’ tendon, and all its complications.  A little over a month ago, my husband tore his Achilles tendon playing softball for the church.  We spent that evening in the ER.  Then we spent a week going back and forth to Dr.s and MRIs before he had surgery to repair the tear.  After a week at home on the couch, he returned to work.  Two days later we were in the ER again with symptoms of a heart attack.  It was not a heart attack, but just as serious.  Two large clots were found in his lungs and he spent 2 days in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.  After three days, we brought him home for another week on the couch.  Since then, he has returned to work.  Other than a little extra doctoring and blood work for the next six months to ensure that the clots disappear and no new ones develop we are returning to our more regular schedule. 

 

It has been a trying month.  He tore his right Achilles, so I have had to do all the driving.  The night we spent in the ER that ended in his admittance to Intensive Care was the most scary thing that has happened in our 16+ years of marriage.  I spent a long time sitting in the van crying more deeply than I’ve cried in years. 

 

All this to say, I’ve been absent from my blogs for this past month, but I’ve had a pretty good excuse.  Now, things are beginning to settle down. 

 

It seems trite to say, “God has been so faithful.”  He is God and that’s what He does.  He’s faithful.  But, although His faithfulness is shown in His healing and protection, He has been speaking to me and showing me so many things as we traveled this journey.  We have so much for which to be grateful.  I want to post a special gratitude list on my other blog as a result of the happenings of this last month.

 

So, stay tuned.  I have some great reviews, read a wonderful book or two, and other family adventures to share with you.  And thanks for understanding this hiatus. God is good.

Posted in Family

Yesterday we celebrated my father's 76th birthday.  I'm so gratefule for how active and healthy my parents are.  My mom still walks 4-5 miles a day.  My dad still works as an EMT!  We joined two of my siblings on my parents sun-porch to have an ice cream cake in Dad's honor.  Enjoy the pictures!

 

Three of Poppy's THIRTEEN grandchildren joined him for his party.  That's Big Mac on the left, T-bone is standing above Poppy and the boys' cousin (my neice) Little Fish is on the right.  No, we didn't put 76 candles on the cake!

 

Seventy-six looks pretty good!  This is a close-up picture that Big Mac took with our camera.  He's getting to be a good little photographer!  When he finished taking the picture, Poppy said, "Did you really take my picture?"  And he showed it to him on the screen.  He was standing so close, Poppy didn't believe that he was really taking it!

 

It was a great day.  A great celebration!

Posted in Family

The Big Dog was planning a turkey hunting excursion last week and he announced that we would all take a walk in the woods to set up his hunting area, called the blind.  So on a Thursday evening after supper we all marched across the field behind our house and into the woods.

 

I love a walk in the woods.  I took the camera and practiced my close-up shots.  This is the best one:

 

While walking we saw what changes were made in the woods over the Winter months. This tree didn't fare so well:

 

We walked up to where The Big Dog wanted to hunt and the boys helped him to set up his blind.  Then we headed back to the edge of the woods.  When we reached a clearing I just had to get a picture of my three guys.  Here's Big Mac, the Big Dog and T-bone after an exhilarating walk in the woods!

 

Posted in Family

Tonight I tried a new recipe called Cheater's Potato Soup.  (It was bangin'!)  So what game did we play while we ate supper?  Why Liar's Dice of course!

 

What else would you play when you eat "Cheater's Potato Soup" but "Liar's Dice?"

Posted in Family

Today was "Kite Day" at church.  After a ROCKIN' worhip and sermon, we all headed outside.  We munched on hotdogs and french fries in the gorgeous sunshine and then we hit the fields.  There were a lot of kites available.  Of course, our boys gravitated to the stunt kites.

 

Here's Big Mac flying a stunt kite that was cylinder-shaped.  It spun as it flew and it was SO COOL!

 

 

 

And here's T-bone flying a traditional kite.  It was so powerful it almost pulled you off the ground!

 

 

And, finally, look how the Big Dog flew his kite!

 

Although it was unseasonably warm, we saw 90 degree temps in April, it was a beautiful-beautiful day.  God gave us quite a gift to be outdoors and together flying kites after worship.

Posted in Family

Last night was the home opener of our AAA baseball team.  It's been sort of a tradition in our little family to go to the first home game of the season each year.  We missed last year because we were all sick.  But this year, we made our annual trip!  I packed a picnic lunch.  Big Dog bought the tickets in our favorite spot.  Take me out to the ballgame!

 

The weather was gorgeous!  Temperature was in the high 60's until the sun went down.  The ballpark has undergone some rennovations since last season, so everything was sparkling!  For this game, the Harrisburg Senators (our team) played the Reading Phillies.

 

Here's the Big Dog all ready for the game!

 

As you can see, our seats give us a really great view of the field and home plate!  This is the pitcher bunting.  But, he did have a nice base hit later in the game.  The Senators won 8-2!  We missed the end of the game, however, because we had an almost 1-hour drive home and the Big Dog gets up at 4:30 AM for work.

 

 

And here are our boys.  They loved the game.  We've been taking them to these games since our oldest, Big Mac, was 2 years-old.  This was the first year (they are 12 and 10) that they REALLY were into the baseball part of the game.  Going to these games is a blast because there's some sort of entertainment, game, or contest between every inning.  That has always kept the boys interest while the Big Dog and I are there for the baseball.  But this year, our two boys were very "into" the baseball game.  It was a lot of fun for all of us.

Posted in Family

If you've followed this blog for the past few months you know that we broke our digital camera several months ago.  We can still take pictures, but you can't see what you've taken.  So we take bunches and bunches of pictures, download them to the PC and get surprised to see what we've taken!  For Big Dog's birthday we have pictures that cut his head off, but have all of the cake; pictures with all of his head but cut off the cake; but NONE of the Big Dog AND the cake!  It's fun.

 

Well, on Monday, OfficeMax sent out a notice for a great deal on a Kodak digital camera, and we bought it!  I was so amazed, but it arrived yesterday.  And this time, I actually read the manual.  So I'm hoping to take some fabulous pictures.  I'm in the process of crocheting and felting a case for it.  Watch my other blog for more info on that!

 

Here's the second picture I took.  I have to admit I'm pretty proud of it.

Posted in Family

In just under an hour, we are off the The Farm Show in Central PA for the state indoor archery shooting competition.  But before I go, I wanted to share some pictures of our birthday boy from yesterday.  Yesterday was my husband's, the Big Dog, 45th birthday.  We showered him with presents, one first thing in the morning, one a few hours later, one after lunch and the final present just before supper.  We had his favorites for breakfast lunch and supper.  AND there was pineapple upside down cake (again, his favorite) for dessert with a 4 and a 5 candle lit in it.  Enjoy the pics!

 

 

Big Mac brought him his cake as we sang, "Happy Birthday!"

 

We have to laugh because we can't see the picture we're taking in our camera.  So we take lots of pictures and hope for a few good ones!

 

We call this the blow-fish picture.

 

How cute is the birthday boy?  Don't answer that!

Posted in Family

My dog thinks he's a cat!

 

 

This is our Favor, laying on the back of the love seat just like a kitty!  I think he likes it there because he can see when Daddy and the boys coming through the door from archery.  But, let me tell you, it looks funny to see a full-grown beagle stretched out on the top of the back of the love seat!

Posted in Family

As part of our new resolve for 2009, we are making a goal to get more exercise.  Here is a video of our oldest son doing just that.

 

 

Posted in Family

This was one of the better Christmases in memory.  We don't do Christmas "big."  Each of the boys get three presents.  Jesus got three gifts from the wise men, so do the boys.  This Christmas, we bought the boys bikes.  These are their first-ever "new" bikes.  Their bikes were always hand-me-downs.  When they came down the steps...at 5:20 AM...their reaction was priceless.  I'm grateful for two grateful boys.

 

Posted in Family

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas with my brothers, sister and parents.  T-bone got a book he has wanted for a year, "The Dangerous Book for Boys." 

 

As the boys were pouring over the pages of this book and making plans for their summer, Big Mac was telling T-Bone about the treehouse they would build.  The new book shows a picture and plans for the tree house they want to make.  Big Mac told Walker T. that once the tree house is built they will live there for the rest of the summer.  He told T-bone of their plans for several minutes.  "We will need to lay into some supplies for our meals."  Big Mac concluded.

 

Suddenly my little justice-boy, T-Bone, found his voice once again, "Oh no!  Mommy is going to make us breakfast-lunch-and-supper just like always!"

 

It's good to know that I'm needed for SOMETHING!

Posted in Family

My husband has a plan.  When the boys are old enough to be out with friends or *gasp* on a date, we will give them a curfew.  When The Big Dog gives them a curfew, he's going to show them a picture them as a baby in the bath tub.  He wil tell them that if they are not home by the appointed time, this picture is going on the internet with emails to all their friends. 

 

Some call it creative parenting...I call it humorous parenting.

 

Now, here's the rest of the story.  Although at work, Big Dog is the go to guy.  He helps his staff and others with computer problems all the time.  At home, he needs help to turn on our PC.  This morning, his likeness, Big Mac, said, "Mommy, you know how Daddy says he's going to put our bath tub picture on the internet if we come home late when we're teenagers?  Well, I'm not too worried about it because Daddy doesn't even know how to get on the internet!"

 

My reply, "Yes, but Mommy will be helping him!"

 

That silenced him immediately.  Threat resolved...

Posted in Family

Today was our first snow fall that laid down on the ground.  The boys were outside within 30 minutes of their waking.  Big Mac found this leaf frozen in the ice and took a picture.  It's quite beautiful.  Good job, God!

 

Posted in Family

This afternoon my sons and I were hanging out by the fireplace in the living room and our youngest son, T-Bone, who is 10 years old said, "You know what they should make?  Bubble wrap clothing.  Because then when you fall off of something it wouldn't hurt!"