Why hello, Gathering the Moments! Long time, no see!
Although it has been ages since I have Gathered the Moments, March seems like the right month to jump back in. There has been lots of activity in March, most of it undocumented unless I take a bit of time to gather and record. So here goes . . .
Don't let the appearance of forsythia and daffodils fool you. March has been cold! And rainy. And windy. And even a bit snowy. March came in like a lion . . . and it's been lion-ish most of the way!
One good thing about the cold: soup! I've been trying to make everyone's favorites before warm weather sets in. We've had taco soup (that was on a Sunday and it is Gavin's favorite), cream cheese chicken soup (Bekah's fave), sausage bean chowder (Kati's), and vegetable beef (Ron's). I love them all!
March was a month for new!
Some bargains . . .
 |
| a few treasures from an antiquing jaunt and some new luncheon plates from HomeGoods |
some free . . .
 |
| some new-to-me dishes from my aunt |
some not . . .
 |
| new primitive wall sconces (This is my third attempt at getting this wall "right.") |
and some long-considered, long-awaited. My new camera arrived this week and, although I have lots to learn, I am so excited!
Oh . . . and a new paint color in the kitchen. (At least the part of the kitchen that has been painted so far.)
March was the month for Clue!
Bekah (Miss Scarlet), Gavin (Colonel Mustard), and Maddie (Mrs. White) attended an 18th mystery-themed birthday party for one of their friends. All of the guests were in costume and we had great fun looking at all of the photos posted on Facebook.
Bekah (Miss Scarlet), Gavin (Colonel Mustard), and Maddie (Mrs. White) attended an 18th mystery-themed birthday party for one of their friends. All of the guests were in costume and we had great fun looking at all of the photos posted on Facebook.
Pineapple House was the scene for several gatherings this month.
We hosted a dinner party for the Fashionably Late Dinner Club, also known as the FLDC. (We love our name. 😉) For dinner, we had a pasta bar; one family brought a big delicious salad, and the other brought yummy homemade sourdough bread. In our group, there are six parents, four young adults, four children under the age of six, which makes for lots of action and snippets of conversation, but we always have a great time together. It had been quite a while since we last gathered, so there was much catching up.
Of course, I neglected to take any photos of my guests, but I did get a quick shot of the desserts on the sideboard.
The very next day was the retirement party for my dad.
When two different groups of people try to coordinate dates to get together, and then those dates just happen to fall on the same weekend . . . well, you just make it work! One of the ways I made it work was to have the same basic menu. I had made large batches of spaghetti sauce and Alfredo sauce, so we repeated the pasta bar. I had made a loaf of French bread earlier in the week. Everybody else pitched in with salads and rolls and mac-and-cheese for the kiddos. We had a whole pie left over from our FLDC dinner and we served that along with the cake.
I always take photos of family gatherings. They forgive me. You can see some of them ~here~.
Also this month, Kati and I also hosted a ladies' game night (the same night that the kids went to the Clue party). We often serve dinner at our game nights, but it was a busy month and so we simplified. Better to simplify than to miss the opportunity, right? We had three kinds of cookies, and coffee and tea. And lots of great conversation and laughter and rollicking fun with our games! It was such a pleasant evening!
(And again, no guest photos, even though I had left my camera in plain sight.)
Of course, I neglected to take any photos of my guests, but I did get a quick shot of the desserts on the sideboard.
The very next day was the retirement party for my dad.
When two different groups of people try to coordinate dates to get together, and then those dates just happen to fall on the same weekend . . . well, you just make it work! One of the ways I made it work was to have the same basic menu. I had made large batches of spaghetti sauce and Alfredo sauce, so we repeated the pasta bar. I had made a loaf of French bread earlier in the week. Everybody else pitched in with salads and rolls and mac-and-cheese for the kiddos. We had a whole pie left over from our FLDC dinner and we served that along with the cake.
I always take photos of family gatherings. They forgive me. You can see some of them ~here~.
Also this month, Kati and I also hosted a ladies' game night (the same night that the kids went to the Clue party). We often serve dinner at our game nights, but it was a busy month and so we simplified. Better to simplify than to miss the opportunity, right? We had three kinds of cookies, and coffee and tea. And lots of great conversation and laughter and rollicking fun with our games! It was such a pleasant evening!
(And again, no guest photos, even though I had left my camera in plain sight.)
March was also full of ordinary moments. But are they really ordinary? They are the moments that make up our days and our months and our lives . . .
 |
| Bekah found a note from the past in her math book! It's always fun to connect with a sibling across the years! |
What you don't see:
Piano lessons and choir practice.
Sweet coffee chats.
Sinus headaches.
Decisions.
Doctor's appointments.
Changes of plans.
Change. Always change.
Rides/coffee/car convos.
Singing hymns together.
New friends.
Tentative steps.
The best hugs from grandchildren.
Lunch with old friends.
All are a part of this life we've been given.
Looking back, as I gather the moments of March . . . He is there.
He is always there.
I loved this post, and I especially loved your "ordinary moments". It's in the most ordinary of things and days that God and His beauty is displayed in a special way, isn't it? I know that I often find Him in the most ordinary and simple of moments, and they are indeed my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThose soups you mentioned all sound so delicious, and I'm sure they tasted wonderful during a cold March. And how fun is a game night! Of course, tea and cookies make it even more fun! :)
Wishing you a blessed and beautiful Easter! Joyful blessings to you!
Thank you, Elizabeth! I love that you love the "ordinary" too. :) And game nights are such fun. Do you have game nights?
DeleteHappy Resurrection Day to you and yours!
Lovely! None of it is really ordinary is it? So much is to be found to enjoy and to remember in what we see as 'normal' life.
ReplyDeleteYes, Elizabethd! There is so much to love in the "ordinary" moments of our lives!
DeleteA blessed Resurrection Day to you!
Best wishes to your dad on his retirement! So fun reading your March moments and the gathering of family. You are so inspiring with your warmth and hospitality and I love getting to share some of those memories through your posts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining me in my "moments", Lorraine!
DeleteA blessed Resurrection Day to you and yours!
Loved this post! And the ordinary moments, though the events were fun to see too. Beautiful photo of the journals and sunlight on your trunk! Enjoy your new camera! Have a blessed Easter weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dotsie! (I'm glad you liked that shot because I liked it too. There is something about sunlight highlighting the things you love.)
DeleteResurrection blessings to you too!
Thank you for not showing me a sinus headache. ; > I can tell that you are enjoying the camera; I enjoyed all the yummy food shots, but I really love people shots. One can hardly be doing people shots, though, when hosting special events because people don’t usually feel that comfortable with the camera. You have your family trained. They do not always seem aware of the camera and that’s a good thing. Might have to work with Gavin a bit. < grin >
ReplyDeleteHaha! That is a yucky image, isn't it? :)
DeleteI am never comfortable taking people shots of people who are not family. A group shot where everyone knows they are being photographed would be an exception, but there aren't many occasions where that feels right either. Plus, I prefer candid shots where people are just being themselves. And, no, Gavin doesn't really love the camera, but he is accommodating. It kinda comes with the territory, I suppose. :)
Soo glad I popped by today and caught your "gathering the moments" I always enjoy those posts so much. From the ordinary moments, to the celebrations, and the events, it is always a warm, comfortable feel. Wishing you and yours a very blessed Easter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining me in my "moments", Debbie! May your celebration of the Resurrection be blessed!
DeleteLoved all the moments you shared... so many memories and heart tugs wrapped in each photo. Wishing you a blessed Easter Weekend, Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brenda! "Heart tugs" are my favorite. ♥
DeleteMay the blessings of the Resurrection be yours!
I love how you "Gather the Moments", Cheryl! Your home is certainly a wonderful place to gather and share special moments.
ReplyDeleteThe Clue crew is just adorable!
You should write a book about entertaining. It is a gift you have.
The dishes from your aunt look right at home at the Pineapple House.
I always have my camera with me as well, but it's difficult to host and take photos, but you do an excellent job of it!
Sending blessings to you and your family this Easter. ♥
Martha Ellen, thanks so much for all of your kind words! I am always happy when I have taken time to "gather."
DeleteThank you for your vote of confidence in my entertaining abilities. I certainly don't consider myself an expert, but I do love to have people over and I just kind of feel my way through.
It is hard to host and take photos! I only manage to do it when my guests are family!
Blessings of the Resurrection to you and yours!
Thankful he is always there.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your gathering of the moments in March.
Did I miss the fact that you have a cat? Or is my memory blurred.
Yippee for a new camera. Enjoy the learning stages.
So thankful.
DeleteAnd thanks to you for peeking in at my "moments." We have had our cat Pinky for nine years now. She was a stray who found us. She totally forgets that. She thinks she is Queen and she is not always nice, but we love her anyway. :)
I am hoping to find some good youtube tutorials to help me with my camera! The manual is daunting!
A great newsy post, thoroughly enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Easter weekend ~ FlowerLady
Thank you for sharing my "moments", Lorraine!
DeleteHappy Resurrection Day to you!
Lovely and beautiful moments. That row of Forsythia bushes, WOW!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa! That amazing row of forsythia came with the house and we love it!
DeleteHappy Resurrection Day to you and yours!
A wonderful collection of moments - each one a treasure. (although the sinus headache might be less so)
ReplyDeleteEaster joy to you and yours.
Thanks for peeking at my "moments." You had quite a few "moments" of your own in the month of March! I'll be over in a bit to catch up on those . . .
DeleteI'm doing a little catch-up reading on this quiet Saturday :)
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fun post! My children enjoyed a live-action role-playing game last year at church camp based on "CLUE" and a friend is planning a mystery dinner theater for them to participate in. The photos of your young people all dressed and ready CLUE-style was inspiring!
And that secret note in the math book? It's happened here. Makes me laugh. There's a long list of names in the front cover of our math texts, showing all those who've suffered and survived!
Apples to Apples - a favorite family game for all ages!
As always, your photos give us a beautiful view into the life of your blessed family - thank you for inviting us in!