Beginning a New Chapter

Ron is retiring 
and yesterday was his last day at the office!  

In my last post, I shared some pictures that were taken at a family gathering and I promised to come back and tell you more about that gathering. 

It was a retirement celebration for Ron! 

Even though it was a few weeks before his official retirement, we decided to celebrate when all of the children and grandchildren would be here. Kati and family arrived on Thursday, Ryan and family arrived on Friday, and on Saturday, August 9th, we all gathered (children and grandchildren, Ron's siblings and spouses, and my mom and sister) to celebrate. 

(Some photos by me, some by my sister-in-law Pat, and some by Bekah's friend Julie who we hired to do the family photos.)

Ron told stories about his work life, sharing how God has directed his path through the years. (Proverbs 3:4, 5) 

Bekah led us in a game of "Name That Tune," using many of the songs on Ron's Spotify playlist. 🎶

Ryan, Nora, and Eve entertained us! 

We even had a chance to sing along! Click ~ here ~ if you want to sing along with us! 

Side story about the cake: 
Ron picked it up for me on the morning of the party. When he brought it home, I opened the box to take a peek and  << oh no >> the cake said "Happy Retirement R-O-N-N-Y." Oh my goodness. 

Sarah said, "I think we can fix this." So Sarah guided and Bekah did the hands-on part and some watched and gave moral support. . . and they created an "I-E" out of that "Y" and you'd never know that a mistake had been made! Great job, girls! 

Whew! 

Now, back to the party. Cake is served!

You might see a few blue smiles here! (Oops . . . before the photographer arrived to do the family photos! Teeth had to be re-brushed and a few garments had to be spot-cleaned.) 

Little girls comparing their June bugs. 🪲😊

So much cuteness! 

Earlier this week, Ron's company honored him with a lovely luncheon, gifts, funny stories, and words of appreciation. They invited local family, as well as co-workers from the present and the past. It was heart-warming!

So now Ron is retired and we begin a new chapter of life. It seemed to get here faster than either of us anticipated, but we look forward to what is ahead. 

Thank you, Ron, for being a faithful provider for our family for all of these years! God has been good to us and has always met our needs!

Forty-Seven Years

Sooo thankful for this man who has kept his promise "to love and to cherish" me for 47 years!

Has it been all sunshine and flowers? No. Because life is not always rosy. It is more than the happy pictures that we post on social media, even though those are real. Over our 47 years of marriage, we have had financial struggles, church difficulties, loss, the stillbirth of a child, serious illness, the death of three of our parents, days of pain and sorrow. But it is that THREE-fold cord that holds it all together! Because the Lord is the foundation of our marriage, He has helped us to walk in His grace! 

These are pictures of some of our greatest blessings, our children and grandchildren, taken at a recent family gathering. (I'll tell you more about that gathering soon.)

Ron and I with our four children
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3

With our fifteen grandchildren
"Children's children are the crown of old men . . . "
Proverbs 17:6

Our firstborn, daughter Kristin, and her family

(Sadly, Gavin was working and missed out on his family's photograph.
But, happily, he ran into the yard just in time to be included in the whole family group!) 

Our son Ryan and his family

Our daughter Kati and her family

Bekah, our youngest

ALL OF US! 

"One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty acts."
Psalm 145:4

It has been a busy summer! And it isn't over yet! I have been working sporadically on some Gathering the Moments posts (between visiting and gatherings and day-to-day responsibilities and house projects and helping others in our sphere), although I'm a far cry from having them ready to post. 

I hope to catch up with my blog friends soon, to see what has been keeping you busy. I pray that you have known His goodness through these summer days!  

Small Details

I have been pondering the small things today.

In a blog post, my friend Lorrie (whose slice-of-life blog is a feast for the eyes and the mind) shared something that she had recently read . . . that satisfaction is found most in the small details of life.

And that stirred my thoughts about some small things that have brought me satisfaction lately. I'll name a few. 

🌿A slow Saturday morning, beginning with Ron and me drinking our coffee in the sunroom.

🌿A drive along the water. 

🌿Putzing around the house. 

🌿A surprise message from a friend . . . just because. 

🌿Doing laundry in my new laundry closet. 

🌿The crepe myrtles in bloom.

🌿The limelight hydrangea almost in bloom. So close!

🌿Buying supplies for a new craft project. 

🌿A group of ladies around my table for Bible study. 

What about you? What small details have brought you satisfaction? 

Another Homeschool Graduate

Ron and I were so blessed to spend a recent weekend with our son's family, celebrating our granddaughter Eve who is graduating from high school! We were able to attend her Senior Gala & Violin Recital . . . SO special! 

It was a quick trip, but it was filled to the brim with the best things. We were grateful that all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together to allow us to go.

On Saturday evening, we had a yummy meal featuring Hawaiian burgers, followed by a time of singing and playing instruments. Delightful!

We had a pre-recital outing at Beans in the Belfry, a fun coffee shop that is in an old church building. There was live music, delicious coffees, and good times with our people.   

We were back home in time for everyone to get ready for the gala. Look at these beautiful sisters! Nora (left) accompanied Eve's solo piece at the recital. So special! 

Our sweet senior posed with her parents. We are so proud of their homeschooling journey! Eve is an accomplished young woman, and she is also a kind and compassionate soul. 

The gala featured a delicious dinner, a slide show of pictures of the seniors, and remarks from the seniors and their parents. Then the formal recital began. 

Eve solo piece was "Violin Concerto in Hungarian Style in A Minor, Op. 2." It was so beautiful and we were bursting with pride and joy!

We all rode back to Ryan and Sarah's house and then we had a time that was as meaningful as the recital. 

Since they do not have family nearby, and they are not a part of a homeschool group in their new home, Ryan and Sarah had chosen not to have a formal graduation service for Eve. But after the little girls had gone to bed, Sarah read aloud letters of recommendation that she had written about Eve for college applications. Beautiful! Then we all had the opportunity to talk about Eve, which was easy to do, and we applauded her accomplishments. Finally, the conversation turned to education in general.

If you're a longtime reader here at Thinking About Home, then you know that I homeschooled my children for twenty-eight years and that I loved it with all of my heart. I am passionate about the lifestyle that homeschooling allows. My youngest graduated six years ago  . . . but I still miss the homeschooling way of life. Of course, I am busy with other things, but I miss the joy of learning side by side, the feast of ideas, the discipleship, the time spent together, the purpose. 

But that night, as we sat philosophizing together, I could "see" some of the return on our investment in our children's lives as they have carried on that same investment in their own children's lives, and I felt a deep satisfaction. No, I am no longer directly guiding anyone's education, but the truth hit home that I have had some part in sowing the seed for generations that follow. 

Congratulations to Eve, our fourth grandchild to graduate from homeschool! Blessings on your next steps, sweet girl!

And these words, which I command you today
shall be in your heart. 

You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up. 

Deuteronomy 6:6, 7