Gathering the Moments | September 2025

September was the beginning of Ron's retirement!

September was also work! At home. Unsalaried. Self-motivated. 

Ron's first project was completing the patio that he had begun this past summer. He allowed Bekah and me to lay the last two bricks . . . and then immediately began laying the brick sidewalk connecting the patio to our driveway. 

September was Labor Day, so we grilled burgers and cooked corn-on-the-cob . . . 

. . . and then had affogatos at a little gelato shop near us. (We may have started a new tradition!) 

September was the beginning of Bekah's senior year. 

September found me gathering bunches of limelight hydrangeas wearing their autumn blush and placing them here and there. To me, they are the perfect early autumn decoration, reflecting the subtle change of seasons. 

September was days spent with my mom. It was an outpatient procedure and a quick recovery. It was a huge victory for a friend who has been struggling. It was continued struggle for a family member. It was leaning on the Lord and asking for His help in it all. 

September was more projects! 

When your newly retired husband says, "Let's paint the living room before our guests arrive," you say "Yes!" So a couple of weeks was dedicated to painting the living room a color in Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection: Copley Gray. I absolutely love this color which the website describes as "a versatile grayish neutral with a soft green cast." 

More projects? Yes. We put a pad under the rug we bought on Marketplace this past summer. We restyled the bookshelves. Ron purchased and assembled a table and chairs for the patio. He created a new space for the birdbath, started a border around the patio, and mulched both spaces. He washed the northern sides of our house and garage. 

One thing always leads to another, doesn't it? 

I asked Ron if he was ready to go back to work so he could get some rest. He replied, "No. This is fun!" 

September was a day trip for me and my friend Barbara. What a happy day it was! A bakery, antique stores, book stores, coffee shops, indulgent burgers, birthday gifts, strolls through two charming towns, sunshine, and lots of catching up! 

September  was planning a luncheon at our church for the young-at-heart. 

September was also a WEDDING at our church! Our son-in-law Andrew's cousin's daughter . . . who is also our pastor's daughter . . . who is also Bekah's friend . . . married a young man who is also a member of our church. (Did you follow that?) Bekah played the piano for the wedding, and our granddaughter Ellie was the flower girl.

So . . . Kati and family came to Maryland for the wedding week. Andrew's parents also came for the wedding, and joined us for dinner one evening.

And with all of the visiting and all of the preparations and all of the festivities, guess who took very few photos? 🙋🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

But it was such a delightful week! We enjoyed getting reacquainted with Andrew's parents, Mark and Beckie. We played oodles of games of Old Maid, Go Fish, and Crazy 8's with the littles! We made coffee runs (of course we did!) and the girls got pedis (Kati polished Ellie's nails when we got home). We all went to the rehearsal dinner, such a joyful time of celebration! 

And the Big Day was glorious and Christ-honoring from beginning to end! 

Thanks to my friend Barbara (a different Barbara) for this photo!

September was saying good-bye for now, but looking ahead to Thanksgiving! 

September was lingering memories . . . 

. . . and Ron diving into another project: painting the dining room! 

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalm 25:10

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?