Gathering the Moments | June 2026

Here we are, halfway through July, and I am gathering our JUNE moments . . . some big moments, some small, but all a part of our story. 

We eat lots of salads in the summer. Do you?

Car shopping in the 21st century

Reluctantly receiving a hug. The foot says it all, I think.

Rosemary and yarrow from the garden

A small-ish project: an outdoor outlet for . . .

. . . string lights on the patio! 

Bekah's new car!

More summer food: Cream of Crab Soup 🦀

Also in June, we had a sweet visit with Kati, Andrew, and the children!

We played games, visited coffee shops, ate shrimp,
did puzzles, made homemade ice cream, 
had brunch at an out-of-town coffee shop, went to an antique store,
visited Gammy, blew bubbles,
and celebrated Ellie's 5th and Andrew's 40th birthday! 

At the end of the week, Ryan, Sarah, and family came to visit, 

and the local family joined us to CELEBRATE our graduates, Bekah and Ben!
(You can read more about it in ~ this ~ post.)

Before everyone left on Sunday, we had pizza and a little Father's Day celebration.

We hated to see everyone leave, but it had been a good visit!

(Well . . . there was one who was not so sad to see everyone leave. 🐈)

At the end of the month, I lost a precious friend. 

She had not had an easy life, but now her struggles are over and, because she knew Him, she is forever with the Lord! 

I am grateful that I knew her, that her final months were safe and secure, and that she was well-loved. I am also grateful that I had time to say good-bye.

I will close with these words of promise to all who are His, these words that I read to my friend in her last hours:

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Psalm 121:18

Congratulations, Bekah and Ben!

We recently celebrated TWO graduations in our family:

Our daughter Bekah graduated from university,

and our grandson Ben graduated from high school! 

 :: Time to celebrate! ::

So we gathered family and a few friends

and had a casual celebration honoring their accomplishments.

The menu was simple: 

Chick-fil-A strips, rolls, fruit, veggies and dip, and an assortment of chips.

We had a fun photo scavenger hunt 

 . . . and cornhole was set up outside.

At one point, the seven youngest grandchildren played cornhole:

Judah (almost 8) versus all the others! 

(Judah won!)

Bekah wanted to have a dirty soda bar at the party, and it was a big hit!

There were some suggested recipes on the menu board,

but there were plenty of personal creations too.

Our grandson Peter (15) made and decorated the cake!
So creative and delicious!

At this point, I must say that I missed so many photo opportunities. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

No photos with friends. Not many candids. No pics with Gammy. No photos with Ron and me. No pics of Ben with his parents or siblings. 
Good grief. 

But here are the ones that I took: 

Bekah with all of her nieces and nephews 

(minus one who had left before the photo),

Bekah with her sister Kristin,

with her sister Kati,

with her brother-in-law Brian,

and with her brother Ryan.
As an aside, this brother and sister graduated from the same university with bachelor's degrees in English Literature . . . but 21 years apart!

Bekah with her sister-in-law Sarah,

and with her brother-in-law Andrew.

Wait a minute!

What just happened?!

Let's try this again!

We rejoice with you, Bekah and Ben, 

and pray God's richest blessings on the next chapters of your lives! 

Gathering the Moments | May 2026

May was a month of beauty, celebration, and accomplishment! 

Bekah's college chorale presented its spring concert. 

It was a delightful evening of beautiful and moving music. 
Bek was a little sad that, as a college senior, this would be her last one.

Friends and family fans!

Why wait for summer? 

We fit in a little sleepover with these local grands, Macie (10) and Judah (7).

Our ladies' Bible study continued its way through the book of Hebrews.

This particular May morning was made a little sweeter by Cindy's luscious homemade caramel bread.

Barbara and I took a day trip through a few local towns: enjoying the scenery, antiquing, sipping coffee, sharing hearts, investing in friendship. 

A cluster of roses, a gift from a dear friend's garden.

The welcome gift of a quiet afternoon.

Mother's Day . . . minus the people. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Here are my pretty flowers from Ryan and his family, and the strawberry pie we had for dessert, but no photos of the beautiful faces around the table.

We spent several May evenings on the new patio, relaxing, enjoying our coffee, and listening to the birds. The Merlin app helps us to identify what we're hearing. On a recent evening, we heard the American Robin, House Finch, Northern Mockingbird, House Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, and Fish Crow, all from our small urban backyard. 

 🎊🎊 HIGLIGHT OF MAY 🎊🎊
Bekah graduated summa cum laude

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature

and a minor in Music!

May projects included reworking some landscaping 

and building new rails for the back steps (work still in progress).

Bekah was the pianist and an honorary bridesmaid for her friends' wedding, a very happy occasion!

May was indeed a month of beauty, celebration and accomplishment! 

It was also full of hard things.
(And while I generally dislike cryptic posts, I must remain silent for now about the things that have made life hard.)
Yes, life has been hard lately. But there were also moments like this, seemingly small, but actually a gift from God to my aching heart. One morning while Ron was vacuuming (bless him), I heard him singing "This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made' (the old Scott Wesley Brown version) and my heart was lifted up above my troubles. 

I am thankful for the LORD's faithfulness, 

through the joys and through the hard things!