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!  

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

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!