This place of peace for me.

John and I have been in NC for 10 days now.  We spent time with Lindsey and Melodie in Indian Trail and Matthews.  We were TRULY blessed to be able to see many of our dear friends, no they are”family”, at Shiloh at a VBS dinner they were having.  No matter where we have lived or will live, God blessed us with these loving folks and we are so grateful.  We have been in Blowing Rock for a week.  We’ve enjoyed time with Mom, walks around Bass Park, The Maze and Boone, side trips to who knows where,  just for the fun of it.  We visited our friends Jim and Nancy Lee at their church (Calvary) in Lenoir.  We have shopped, OK, correct that, I have shopped with Lindsey at Southpark in Charlotte and King Street in Boone.  John has taken many bike rides on Highways 221 and 321 and the Parkway.  I made him promise not to tell me how fast his speedometer said he was going.  After his first ride he told me he remembered what I said, so he didn’t let himself go over 30+mph…geesh!  We took Mom to Bryson City to ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.  We really enjoyed watching people whitewater raft at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.  I will post pictures of that trip at some point.  We have made one trip to Cornerstone, the most wonderful Christian bookstore around.  We usually make several trips there.  This time we got more music than books, but we still got a few books.  John has already read 3-4 books and is reading another one right now.  He even found one about Adoniram Judson in a pile of books here.  I have read one of the 2 books I have to read for school and have been organizing photos on my computer so that digiscrapping will be much easier and faster (at least that is the plan).

I have so many memories here.  It is a place I have come and have loved for as long as I can remember.  There are memories of going to camp, of times with my Dad, of digging the water line that comes to the house by hand.  Side trips down roads that I had no idea where we’d end up.  Memories of trips with my girls, especially to the gem mine.  Memories my daughters have made here – of friendships they have made here.  This has always been a place of peace; a place where I could just relax once I walked through the door, a place where God speaks to me.  Oh how I long for God to bring us back South so that I can visit this place more often.

Lindsey and I saw a T-shirt that I just might have to buy.  I discovered that the quote was by John Muir.  I looked him up online and found this quote  as well, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul.”  This is that place for me.  The T-shirt had this quote:  “The mountains are calling, and I must go!”  I am so grateful for the peace I find here, but more grateful for the peace I have in Christ.  I hope you are enjoying peace today.

Photos – Life – Thoughts

I can’t believe how long it has been since I posted…life has just been rolling along.  Here’s a quick update since the last post…

Hilary turned 22 on 6/11…

and that is a typical “Hilary” face.  Katie (my “baby”) turned 20 on 6/21…no more teenagers in the house.

That’s my girl… (can ANY of them make a “normal” face for a picture?  Oh wait, that IS normal for them…)

I am done with school for the summer – I had a GREAT year and I do miss my kids, but am enjoying playing around the house – even if it has only been a few days.  Friday I was adding trellis net to my garden and a man stopped by to ask about the garden – even wanted to come back and take pictures! Who would have ever thought…so here is what the garden looks like now…

Sorry – the sun was in the wrong place for a good shot.  The cilantro is growing so fast I’ve attempted to make salsa twice.  The first time was so-so…last night it was so hot you’d think a rattlesnake had bit your throat…but John kept eating it. Katie’s boyfriends Mom, Bobby, makes the BEST salsa, but so far she’s not sharing the recipe…oh well, with the cilantro “crop” it appears I’m going to have I’ll get lots of practice making it…maybe one with mango or pineapple should come next…hmmm.

Lindsey had a week long visit with her cousin, Erin, from CT.  Here’s a shot of the two of them enjoying being together in uptown Charlotte.

and in the Blue Ridge Mountains…

And Lindsey alone – I like this picture…

We also went to Shara and Jake’s wedding at Geneva Point…I have “borrowed” 2 pictures from Lacy M. since I didn’t take any…thanks Lacy…

I LOVE this shot…

and love this one too.  They are special people and God has blessed them with the gift of each other.  I “borrowed” the pictures because they have to do with what has been on my heart since their wedding.

Jake’s Dad spoke at the start of the wedding so that Roger, Shara’s Dad could give her away and then perform the ceremony.  He talked about Roger not giving Shara away, but that it was a changing of the guard.  I was captivated by that thought, I guess because I have 3 daughters.  I know Shara and Jake had high standards for whomever God had for them as a mate.  I applaud them for that and for not settling for anything less than God’s best – no matter how long the wait.  I watched these two during the wedding and pictured different acts of love/kindness I had seen them do for each other.  I felt that this really was the changing of the guard and that Jake was more than up for that task.  I could sense his belief that his God given job was to care for, protect,and  “guard” Shara for the rest of his life.  I am so happy for them and believe God has great things in store for them as the “Jamesons”.

As I continued to reflect on the “changing of the guard” I thought about my girls.  I want and always pray for God’s best for their lives.  I have prayed for years for God’s perfect, godly man for them, if HE chooses for them to marry.  I will admit to being a bit unsettled as I think about there some day being a “changing of the guard”…Will “he” be ready to guard my daughter? Will he be willing to give up everything to protect and care for my daughter? Questions I probably wouldn’t typically think about at a wedding, but hey, I now have daughters ranging in age from 20-25…

THEN Proverbs 4:23 popped into my head.  “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” NIV.  I did an online search and found these translations/paraphrases.  “Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.”God’s Word translation. “Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.” TEV.  “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” NLT.  The paraphrase that really grabbed me was “Above everything else, guard the affections of your heart; the emotional attachments you make determine the course of your life.” CWR (click the link to learn about this one – I had to look it up…)  WOW!! That really brings it to life for today, doesn’t it?  I pray that my girls, nieces, nephews, “adopted college kids/graduates”, and other kids I have “adopted” over the years heed that verse.  I’ve added to my prayer for my girls and their futures…now I want to be able to sit at their weddings (whenever those may be) and through my tears (and I know they will be there) believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have followed Proverbs 4:23 and that the new “guard” has God right there with him.

And I guess that is more than enough for tonight.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!! 30 YEARS TODAY!

First, and most important…

God has blessed me…for 30 years and beyond!

I have been busy planting a garden, workshops and life in general lately.  I am using Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening method this year because everything else I have tried in our BACKyard has not worked.  Here are some shots of the work in progress in the side of our FRONTyard.

I need to take some pictures later this week because things have changed/grown.  I am amazed by the comments I get from people at school.  I live on one of the main routes to school so people see it.  It does look neat and clean and I like that.  I have spent more time planting flowers and making hanging baskets.  I will be honest, for the past few years I have not planted anything other than a few herbs.  For the past few years I thought we would be moving, so why bother to plant anything; then I would regret not having fresh veggies or flowers.  It’s taken 7 years, (guess I’m a slower learner), but I decided to plant the garden and flowers and I feel really good about it.  We have done some work on the exterior of the house, plus a friend painted on top of what we had primed.  The deck floor is finally up.  Interesting story on that one.  2 weeks ago a few men and one woman from church dug cement piers(?) for the deck base.  John had dug the interior ones and the others were to dig the exterior and fill them with cement. (Later discovered they had dug one 10″ off line of the others…oops!) The rest of the week was spent watching cement dry. The Sunday after the holes had been dug there was a man in church (first time there) and heard about the deck project.  He told John he would come help – said he was a carpenter by trade! (Thank you God!)  Saturday came and not only was this guy there, his father, a builder, came too!!!  God sent us carpenter angels!  Thanks to Pete and Emo (Emile).  When they finished the floor Saturday they asked, “So when are we finishing this?”  After 2 years of waiting for the church trustees to get the deck built, John finally started without them and God provided non-Christians with carpentry skills to fill our need.  God is good!  I’ll get pictures up after the project is finished.

A girl update:  Lindsey is done with school on Friday (I have to go through the 23rd!)  Budget cuts are meaning changes in her school district…as far as we know she still has a job. Her cousin, Erin, is flying in to visit her for a week later this month.  Hilary is working for SOULFEST.  She is Assistant Director of Artist/Public Relations.  She turns 22 on Thursday – we are going to see her Friday for supper.  Katie is busy working at Danforth Bay and taking 2 classes.  She is taking Biology Monday and Wednesday nights through White Mountain Community College in Conway and is taking a Grad Course as an Undergrad through Eastern University online (so far she has gotten a 100 on every paper she has written for that class – you go girl!).

John and I had a turkey dinner at the house with Katie tonight.  I have to go to Conway tomorrow after school, so we are going to go celebrate our anniversary then.  God is so good – He provides in ways we can’t imagine – He blesses beyond what we deserve.  How great is our God!

Planting, Building, Working…

I hope to get some photos up tomorrow…hope life is treating you well.

Stressed-BLESSED-Need some Rest!

It was a whirlwind of a weekend!  I really hate driving in Boston and am not a fan of tunnels either, so the prospect of this being my last trip through the side to the south side was exciting.  The traffic that got us to Quincy an hour later than planned was a stresser.  The fact that we did not have time to eat our picnic lunch before the 2:30 PM graduation was a bummer.  Little things that might not normally bother me were stressing me.  I finally realized that I was feeling responsible for all of John’s family.  I am so used to being able to really visit with them and that didn’t/couldn’t happen at a graduation setting.

We were blessed to have my Mom, Lindsey, John’s parents and his brothers and their families with us.  It was cool and cloudy for the outdoor ceremony, but the heavy mist held off until graduation ended.  We had reservations at the 99 to celebrate with Hilary and we did have a little time to visit with family then.  It was about 10:30 PM when we got home.

Sunday was a great day of worship and family time…including time with the Wii.  I was up at 4 AM today to get ready for work and then leave at 5:15 AM to take Mom and Lindsey back to Portland to fly to their homes in NC and FL.  I was back home by 8 AM, changed clothes and was at school by 8:45 AM.  Thank goodness for leftover lasagna – no cooking for me tonight!  I definitely plan on an early bed time, but am so thankful for the time with family and so proud of Hilary and Andrew (and all of my “adopted” children from ENC).

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Hmmm – wonder what Andrew is going to do with that?

Hilary getting her degree.

I’ve got my degree – smile!

A wide angle shot of the family.

The GRADUATES!

The ONLY picture I was able to get of all of us!

Granny and Grandpa Jack

Uncle Fud, Auntie Terry and Ryan

Wii Baseball – BATTER UP!

And the “crowd” goes wild!

John is thinking, “I can’t believe I just did that!”

My favorite Puddle Dancer!

AND you learned to Puddle Dance with Andrew – early in your Freshmen year.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

This has been a BUSY week.  Monday John and I went to Alton to hear the Eastern University Choir and see Katie and friends.  It was a nice concert and then we went to visit with the Schaeffner’s for ice cream and coffee.  Katie stayed at their house that night. Tuesday there was Cinderella rehearsal after school and then I headed to Andover, MA for another Eastern U. Concert.  Again, they did a nice job.  After the concert I whisked Katie away (the choir was continuing back to PA) and we headed home – getting back at 12:30 AM Wednesday.  Wednesday after school, rehearsal, Weight Watchers and a Quarterly Church meeting I got home and went to bed – very tired.  Thursday Katie cleaned house while I was at school.  We did the school performance of Cinderella in the afternoon and the kids were amazing.  This is the first play the school has done in MANY years.  I grabbed ice coffee for the adults (thank you The Moose is Loose) and headed back to add more finishing touches for the final performance at 6 PM.  We had a packed house and Katie and Alex came to watch.  Once again the kids did a fantastic job.  The Director was amazing – she did sets and costumes as well!  After helping with cleanup I drove to Portland to get Mom and Lindsey who arrived at 8:45 PM.  After grabbing some grub for the road (thank you Tim Horton’s) we got home about 10:30 PM.

I had taken today off so I could spend time with everyone…John had to work.  We had a leisurely morning, took Katie to the Doctor (sinus infection and bronchitis), headed to Alton Bay so Mom and Lindsey could survey the aftermath of the fire, then headed to Johnson’s Dairy Bar and Restaurant for lunch.  Mom got the seafood she wanted and we all had a lovely lunch.  The power went out as they were bringing us our food and stayed out for about 35 minutes – timed that just right  We headed back home and Lindsey taught my Mom how to Wii Bowl.  I’m sure pictures or video will show up some time.  I have a lasagna ready and in the refrig for Sunday dinner and cookies made for a picnic lunch tomorrow.  I had picked up a few ribeyes (thank you Johnson’s Meat Market) and grilled them with some squash and onions for supper.  John and Katie worked their way through some HUGE whoopie pies (thanks to Johnson’s) and they still have a LONG way to go to finish them.

Tomorrow is the culmination of many years of HARD work for Hilary – she graduates from Eastern Nazarene College.  We are SO proud of her!  Also, this week she called to say she had gotten a 4.0 for second semester!!!  John will leave early to get her stuff packed up and the rest of us will be there for a picnic lunch.  John’s family is coming from RI and CT for the ceremony and then we will all go out to eat.  It will be a long, fun, exciting day!

I am so thankful for my family and glad Mom and Lindsey can be here.  God has blessed me and John with three wonderful girls and it is always fun to have them together.  And with that I leave you with the magic of family…Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!

We interrupt this blog to bring you this video…Hilary you win the prize for sure!

Video from Hilary

Thanks Ree – I could NOT stop laughing – I laughed so hard I cried.  I LOVE YOU!

God’s Superglue…

Last week was Spring Break for my school.  I flew to PA Friday night and after a LONG detour made it to my hotel in King of Prussia and then headed to Eastern University to see Katie.  I made it to McGinnis Audi right before the choir was to go in and sing (after 9 PM!!!).  They did a great job and then I went with Katie, and some of her friends and their families to Minellas for a late supper (like 11 PM late – I can’t do these college hours anymore).

Saturday was spent piddling around Wayne, returning my rental car, taking Katie’s “gang” to lunch at the Cream and Sugar and then heading to King of Prussia Mall with Katie.  That’s the only mall I know of where you need/and receive a road map!  We went back to my hotel room and just talked and laughed and chilled.  It was great to have that time with her.  I was especially amused when she talked about how she and Jess could pick out the college kids who had parents who didn’t discipline them and how glad she and Jess were that their parents have taught them responsibility and given them disciple.  When I reminded her that she hadn’t always felt that way she said, “Mom, I’m an adult know – you see things differently…”  (Psst – Karen – there will come a day…when the kids DO get it!)

Sunday morning I drove Katie’s car to CT to meet John at his folks (long story as to why I took the car – and NO she was not in trouble…).  It was in the 90’s when I got there!!  Monday night we had John’s brothers and their families over to celebrate his parents anniversary (54 years).  It was good to visit with everyone.  I can’t believe I didn’t take ANY pictures (of course I WAS busy cooking).  We headed home Tuesday afternoon and it was still in the 90’s when we got home.

The rest of the week was spent with house and yard work, plus some shopping (clothes and groceries).  Since I have lost so much weight none of my spring/summer clothes fit right, so I was thrilled to buy $300+ of clothes for about $100 at Kohl’s (hooray for sales and 15% coupons!).  Thursday night I went to see PerformIt (Lakes Region Young People’s Theater) do “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.  They were amazing!!!  Saturday I did a Lowe’s run for John, worked in the yard and then National Day of Prayer rehearsal in Meredith.  Today we were happy to see our friend Marla and her new husband, Rick, in church.  God has blessed them both.  John took me out for lunch and then a short drive this afternoon, then he went fishing.  My plan of TWO full days of digiscrapping ended up being about two HOURS, but at least I got something done.

I was talking with a friend online tonight about how God has healed both of our lives and even our relationship with each other.  We each have things from our past that devastated our lives, but God is so good and has restored above and beyond our wildest imagination.  We were talking about how we sometimes get teary as things from the past resurface, but that it is great that when our cracked “life-jars” leak God has the best superglue.  He is truly an amazing, loving Father.  He has blessed me and my family beyond what we deserve, for that, and many other things, I praise Him.  I hope you can praise Him tonight too.

Tomorrow it is back to school.  I have missed my kids – I LOVE my job!  Here are some pictures the girls have had on Facebook this week – they are SO goofy!

Hilary was playing with a picture of Katie and Alex for an assignment for a college class.  It is almost 100% Photoshop-ed.  If the President had done the Photoshop thing for his photoshoot flyover it would have been a LOT cheaper…say, maybe there’s a job for Hilary when she graduates in a few weeks!

I guess Katie was ready to “hide” to try and escape her finals…

A picture Lindsey took of herself at Jetton Park near Lake Norman…

Back…

I’ve been to PA and CT and back since Friday night…will update sometime tomorrow.