Theme Thursday - bicycle

When I checked to see what our theme was this week, the FIRST thing that popped into my head was QUEEN! I am SURE I will NOT be the only one to think of this song! One of my ALL TIME favorite rock bands! I have CRAZY memories of singing this song at the TOP of my lungs with my brother in his tricked out Cutlass Supreme with burgundy PLUSH seats.
We were OH SO cool huh?



Go to Theme Thursday to see some other happenin' bikes.

A couple of weeks ago Theme Thursday was all about lunch. It was fun to read favorite childhood lunch memories. The typical week day lunch around The Glen is often pretty boring! This week I (Sam too minus the mustard) have indulged in another yummy lunch but it will not get rave reviews from the healthy diet committee. (Hot dogs and white bread? Are they even made with real food products?) Kraut IS a veggie!!


Have I mentioned that I am stalking new cameras? I need one that takes fantastic action photos/night photos and decent close up abilities. Do you have one that you like? Would it pass the test of this Mom in Motion???

Guard CAT??

Clarice adopted us when we moved to The Glen. She lived here first. I have been amazed to watch her have this protective watch on Sam whenever he is out and about on our property. She stays close and simply watches. She does expect a belly rub here and there but is usually content to just be close by and watch him play.

Settling in to oversee the Star Wars play.


Hey Sam, you may pet me NOW.


All is well here...time for a bath. (Please note that Sam is in full combat mode.)


Pleased to be included in the Clone War.


Drafted to be an impromptu At At Walker.

The days go by...

The weather has been amazing and I find it hard to sit at the computer and work or blog these days. We have been SO busy and we all LONG to be OUTSIDE and blow off the work, homework, the meetings that force us to be INSIDE. Nothing brings me more pleasure than to work in the gardens around The Glen. Hubbie loves it too and it is wonderful to stand up and see Nate driving golf balls in the front yard, Mitchell shooting baskets in the drive, Emma and Madeleine acting out their latest fairy adventure down at the creek and Sam, always with a construction vehicle in hand digging in sand or dirt.


Livin' at The Glen brings out the "Inner Farmer," I think Hubbie was wishing for one of those BIG RIGS to till our new tree nursery.


The land at Killeny Glen is highly UNcultivated so the entire family got to pick out rocks. Sam loves those rocks...they go great around our fire pit. He makes dozens of trips to the fire pit to arrange them.


Hubbie and I planted 82 trees over the course of the week. We had weather that cooperated fully. Fresh air and exercise...GOOD FOR THE SOUL!


The 200 plus naturalizing daffodils I planted in the Enchanted Forest are blooming and they are lovely! Thank you, Norma, for the gift of those bulbs! PURE PLEASURE!


What is your therapy to escape the pressures of daily life?

Theme Thursday - Lunch!

The PERFECT lunch of my child hood holds a PRIZED place in my memory.
Eating lunch outside, IN my bathing suit was TIP TOP. We had a swimming pool and most often cousins over and my mother would bring us lunch at the pool picnic table. WHAT A LIFE!

My perfect lunch:
A bologna (Kahns NOT Oscar Mayer) sandwich on WHITE bread with yellow American cheese and mustard. An apple. A carrot...NOT the little pre-washed/pre-peeled ones we buy today...a WHOLE carrot (Bugs Bunny style) and potato chips...MIKE SELLS brand of course! AND...the creme de la resistance?? My mom's home made cookies...didn't matter WHAT kind...she pulled them ALL off...chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, sugar, oatmeal raisin...they ALL were "the bomb!" OH! And, one more thing....Kool-Aid to drink!!!

I say ignorance is bliss!! Today bologna, white bread, chips, cookies and Kool-aid will get me the "Bad Momma of the year" award. I'll tell you one thing my kiddos sure enjoy Gram's cookies...and they are as good or better than EVER!!!!

What's YOUR favorite childhood lunch??

To meet a WHOLE bunch of good folks who are OUT TO LUNCH go to Theme Thursday.

(PSSSSST MOM!!! Don't think for a moment that we didn't know you wanted to watch the Bob Braun lunch show with a little peace and quiet!!!!! You STILL win the best mom prize!)

Keep 'em safe.

Our little ones ALWAYS want to be bigger/older...they want and look forward to the next milestone, the next big kid thing that they are "old enough" to do...TO BE BIG ENOUGH. It was a great day when Madeleine graduated from her booster seat in our family vehicle. She was VERY pleased to be BIG ENOUGH. But, our law has changed and now requires children to be 4 foot nine inches tall before sitting in a regular seat belt. It is for their safety...an adult seat belt does not lay safely across a smaller child's chest and adult seat belts are known to actually worsen a child's injuries in a crash causing neck injuries and even death. So, we pulled out the booster seat again...we washed it up fresh and put it in the limo. As much as I want Madeleine to feel like a big girl I really need her to be SAFE and ALIVE. She climbed into that booster seat without complaint...she is a smart girl. God gave us this precious gift and we need to do everything we can to protect her.

I lost my brother in a car accident. He did not have a seat belt on...Check out this brief commercial about seat belts. Make sure you wear yours.

DAZE...in pictures

Technically Sunday is the FIRST day of the week but it really is the day that I have TIME to reflect on the past week(s) and look to what is to be done in the upcoming week. With spring in FULL throttle the days are going by fast. With a ten day spring break it has been a blur. Thought I would share our week(s) in photos.
We said a sad farewell to Uncle Karl. (photo with two of his great grand-gals Claire and Anna.) Heaven is a brighter place with him in residence!

Some of my first cousins at our family celebration of Uncle Karl...the ones that LOOK PRIM and PROPER?? Are NOT!!!! Trust me they are all ORNERY!!!

Pap and Nana came to visit...always a treat. Can you believe I didn't take photos? BAD MOMMY!

I murdered a deer (I was so sad....please...no cracks about deer steaks...I love deer but NOT for dinner!) Crashed up my van...NOT DRIVABLE...more on that in another post.

Went hiking, wading, climbing and mucking about in one of our amazing local parks.

Started a major construction project...everyone is helping. WHO is more excited?? I don't know...Sam, Daddy or Gramps!??

Mitchell had nine thirteen year old boys over for an ALL-NIGHTER!! I feel as if these boys were just EIGHT. He has some GREAT friends...ALL of them polite and good fun.

And, finally...Gramps has a birthday TODAY! We celebrated on Sunday and we DO SO LOVE a party...AND Gram's Butterscotch Cream Pie!!! OH BOY! Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Theme Thursday ~ MY BOX

I knew what was suppose to be in my box. I knew with great confidence what it looked like and what it had within its tidy walls. I had planned the box and its contents my entire life. My box was square...you know, square as in equal in all sides. My box was clean...without graffiti, dents, scratches or anything that would mar its acceptable and practical existence. My box was uniform in color...a tasteful, slightly stylish color. My box met all standards that boxes should, standing strong, closing tightly and providing shelter to all its contents. The contents were well chosen, life long and safe.

Except my box and its contents weren't real.

My box was not reality.

The box I have?
It is dented on one side, and mashed up a bit on others,
it has crayon and stains all over it,
there is dust and bits of rubbish at the bottom,
the lid never closed on it,
I don't remember what color it was when it was new...

but I'll keep it and be glad that it's mine.


More about boxes at Theme Thursday.

One more time...

Off to the hospital again this a.m. Don't you hate it when you have to be to the hospital at OH-DARK-THIRTY or have to catch a plane in wee morning hours and you spend the night NOT sleeping cause you MIGHT miss your alarm? Sleep might as well just LAUGH IN MY FACE!! Nate is having surgery to remove the hardware from his arm/shoulder. He has announced he is officially tired of being in a sling and being restricted in his activities. He has been looking forward to this surgery! Guess what? WE ARE TOO! We are hoping the surgeon will set him free VERY soon.

Pure joy!

My dear friend, Ame, just shared the most wonderful news...she is going to be a Mommy again!!! Ame and her sweet hubbie have four lovely children and quite a LONG time ago they stepped out in faith to adopt. It has not been easy...in fact, it has been hard and painful and has stretched them till they could almost break. Many obstacles appeared but they persisted. BUT GOD...in his amazing ability to provide has brought their daughter to them. I am filled with this amazing and incredible joy that sweet Ruby will soon be HOME. This child has NO IDEA the love she is about to experience...she was intended for them...to be a part of THAT family LONG before she was born. Ame...thank you for letting me be a part of this amazing process...I have learned so much from you...and I look forward to the next leg of the journey!
And, I will close this post as my sweet friend, Holly, oftentimes closes her posts:
Until they ALL have homes...

13 --- thirteen---THIRTEEN!!!!

Our sweet, chubby baby is thirteen today. As everyone has told us, it happened over night. Mitchell is a precious gift. He is quiet, and almost painfully shy in public...but when he is with those he knows and loves he tells stories, sings songs and LOVES to dance.

On the way home from his birthday dinner he told stories till the little kids cried with laughter.

He is thoughtful and caring and VERY stubborn. He loves sports and knows names and statistics that he gleefully spouts off just to annoy others. After all...he IS thirteen right?

He plays the tenor saxophone and constantly listens to music singing along having memorized all the lyrics.

He can eat...oh how he can eat...

He loves his siblings so very much and they enjoy his company.

He brings us laughter daily and a very wise perspective to life even at his young age.

Happy Birthday Mitchell.