Gathering the Moments | April 2025

April was a busy month for us! There were three events on three consecutive Sundays, requiring a whole lot of thinking and a whole lot of planning and lists galore. Menus . . . decorations . . . entertainment/games . . . set up . . . details, details, details. Fortunately for me, we began with the biggest event and each one got easier. 

🌷 The first Sunday, there was a family reunion for Ron's side of the family.

The week leading up to it was full of activity. Ron was off for a couple of days, and we took a day trip on one of those. I filled in as the main teacher of our ESL class, We went to two theater performances: one on Friday night to see a family friend and another on Saturday night to see our daughter Kristin and our grandchildren Owen and Maddie.

I wasn't sure I would get it all together for the reunion, but somehow we pulled it off! One of the highlights of the day was singing karaoke . . . and laughing like crazy! 

🌷 The second Sunday of April was Bekah's birthday.  

It was a joyful day of celebrating our "baby" on the 24th anniversary of her birth. I shared more party details and photos ~ here ~. 

I have told Bekah's story several times over the years, but if you're new here at Thinking About Home, you can read it ~ here ~. It is a story of hope and rejoicing! 


🌷 The third celebration was Resurrection Sunday.

As I said, each gathering was easier to plan, so Resurrection Sunday felt like a breeze! We had a wonderful day . . . from Easter breakfast to our church service to a holiday meal with Kristin and family and my Mom. (Bonus: all new Lindt lamb foil creations!) 

So if April had a theme, it could be . . . 

GATHERING

for there were many

or . . . 

RESURRECTION DAY MUSIC

because I played this playlist all. month. long. 

or . . . 

PINK

because those grocery store tulips lingered awhile and showed up in many photos 

and because the Judas tree (that was a descendent of a tree that Ron's grandmother once had) was in full bloom, 
and the bleeding heart bloomed,

as did the pretty circle of azaleas that were planted by our house's former owner.

as did the redbud tree that we planted last fall, a memorial gift in honor of my Daddy, gifted to me by a dear friend 

or could the theme be simply (and profoundly)  . . .  

GRACE

because that explains every gift and every good thing.
Grace. Free and undeserved favor. 

Gathering the Moments | March 2025

 

~ EARLY SPRING BLOOMS ~

here, there and everywhere

(They are so welcome!)

some inside, some outside

some real, some faux

~ AN AFTERNOON WITH JUDAH ~

~ CONTINUATION OF A PROJECT ~

that we started in January
(I gave you a peek in February.)

 ~ CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE ~

~ FRESH EGGS ~

gifted from a friend
(Love those colors!)

~ DISHES ~
added a few spring-y dishes to the plate rack

~ A SMALL PARTY ~

to prepare for a big party
(a family reunion for Ron's side of the family)

~ MY MONTHLY CAT PHOTO ~
We take oodles of photos of Manzy.
(Is he photogenic or is he our "baby"?)

~ A COUPLE OF DAY TRIPS ~

one with my friend Barbara

(antiquing; lunch at an old inn)

and one with Ron
(shopping and lunch in a seaside town)

~ A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ~

They celebrated by biking the 184.5-mile C&O Canal towpath!

~ AND A SWEET GIRL'S BIRTHDAY ~

   And that was our March! 

Gathering the Moments | February 2025

🎔 In February, we gave our bedroom a little love.

First, we hung a clock that Kati had found when she went antiquing on her birthday in November. She had texted me a photo, saying that she thought of me when she saw it. She did the same with a sweet pumpkin pillow. I asked her to buy both items for me and I dubbed her my personal shopper! She mailed the pillow so I'd have it in autumn, but the clock she brought at Christmas. I hemmed and hawed about where to hang it and finally settled on this spot in our bedroom. 

Then we (re)hung this picture in our bedroom with its new grain painted frame. (You can read more ~ here ~.)

🎔 Ron continued working on our first big house project of the year: the conversion of our pink half bathroom into a main floor laundry closet. 

🎔 Are you surprised that my friend Barbara and I went to a coffee shop and then antiquing?  (You're probably not.) 

🎔 February brought more snow . . . and more. 

🎔 This seems like a very "February" thing to do! 

🎔 Soup was on the menu in February. 

🎔 I don't think I told you that I did a little chair switch-a-roo.

I put the recently upholstered mustard-colored chair in the living room (yes, even though I chose that fabric specifically to coordinate with the love seat fabric!), and I brought the red-checked chair back to its former place in the library. I love the red checks against the green trim, and now I love the rug too (the rug that I had doubts about with the mustard chair). 

You can see the mustard chair in the library in ~ this post ~.  Don't you think the red-checked chair looks better against the green? 

By the way, I made the switch months ago, but it was February when I took this photo with winter morning light shining into the room. 

On the other side of the library is a real life look at Bekah's study corner. She is working hard this spring semester of her junior year. 

🎔 Also in February . . . 

At Mom's house, she and Linda and I are sorting through old (and a few new) family photos. This one captured my attention recently: Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and Daddy's house, circa 1984. But there is a mystery that no one has been able to solve. Who took the photo?! We don't remember! 

🎔 There were a few Valentine splurges in February: 

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccinos. Yum! 

I cobbled together a new recipe for a Valentine luncheon at church. 

A new heart was a small non-caloric splurge. 

🎔 Late afternoon light on a February day. 

Do you see misty light and shadows? 

I feel this as representative of life. Oh, there is light . . . the light that is from The LIGHT OF THE WORLD! I know that light! But sometimes - in the dark, in the shadows - that light appears misty. Yes, life is full of shadows and misty light. There is much that looks shadowy and misty and unclear and mysterious. And yet, the Light is always there! 

And so, when I am troubled, I need not try to understand the darkness. I need only look to The Light and understand Who He is. One day, all that is mysterious will be clear. All that is shadowy will be illuminated. All the darkness will disappear in His glorious light!