Friday, July 31, 2015

Busy Days

I'm not blogging much right now. I'm not reading or commenting as much either. I miss it! But my days are busy doing what needs to be done, you know....laundry, cooking, dish washing, clean up, taxi service, baby holding, porch sitting too. Important stuff!!.....and I must be ok with that. 

Here's a few pictures I've taken this week ....

Sweet Noah smiling at one of Zoe's dolls :)
He's such a cutie!


Yesterday we had a storm that brought us an inch of rain in a short time. No need for watering the flowers!

I didn't think the blue pots looked so nice this year so I recently added deep pink to it. It's better. 

   
How can it be the last day of July already?? 

Happy Friday to you!


Monday, July 27, 2015

A Sweet Occasion

Last Thursday we went to a favorite place.....Hershey's Chocolate World. It wouldn't be summer without that occasion ☺


Sweet =)



They are ready for some fun!



Carson looks like....
What has my Mom gotten me into??
Noah sleeps through it all.




First time on the ride, I sat beside this sweetie.
(it's barely visible....can you see that a tooth is missing?Exciting!)




Carson is getting more comfortable =)



Guess what display we are near....

Of course, Ellen's favorite!




We relax between rides.






We eat the free Kit Kat we were given.



And we have some fun ☺



Noah sleeps through it all!

We go on the ride again........

Second ride....
Greta is in a car full of kids.
By this ride, Carson was totally comfortable and just as noisy as the rest.
Too cute!

What a fun way to spend a Summer afternoon. Sweet

*****************************************************************

Last week I purchased 6 roses for $5 at a local grocery store. I love roses!

SWEET!!



Friday, July 24, 2015

Sister Weekend 2015

Like I already said, our time together was wonderful. My sister Jean did a wonderful job writing and posting pictures on her blog here. Here's my story =)

Barb had arrived from Idaho to PA on Thursday. She stayed with Mary Ellen over night then went to our Step-Mother, Mary, to visit the next day. Mary Ellen came to my house to pick me up before lunch. We went to Mary's house to have "lunch" with Barb and Mary. That lunch was a full-blown dinner! I was not expecting that....bless our dear Mary's heart! She is a great cook and even in her 80's can set out a fabulous meal!!

After filling our bellies, Barb and I started towards State College, PA to Jeanie's house. What a wonderful time spent with Barb during the drive. Barb and I are only 13 months apart in age and have always been close. We shared a bedroom and a bed growing up. That's how you did it in a big family =)

We were the first to arrive. Jeanie made up a delicious dinner. Betty was next to arrive. She drove all day from her home in New Hampshire. Mary Ellen and our SIL Nancy picked Rose up at the Harrisburg airport before making their way to Jeanie's house. Rose lives in GA.. Jeanie kept feeding us as more sisters arrived.


Here we are, gathered in Jeanie's cute little kitchen nook. 
You can believe the conversation and the laughter was already in full force!


After filling our bellies, we relaxed in Jeanie's comfortable living room for some reading of the Sister Diaries. Jeanie has recorded past Sister Weekends on paper and we love to hear, remember, and LAUGH deep belly laughs.

 Jeanie reads. We relax and laugh ♥


We decide it's time for sleep. We old ladies seem to need that more of that than in our younger years.....most of us anyway! The night was a stormy one. Thunder and lightning and rain most of the night. 

The next morning Jeanie made wonderful pancakes, sausage, and blueberry syrup. She even made me some gluten free pancakes! They were delicious.

After cleaning up we piled into Betty van for some sightseeing. Jeanie drove since she knew where everything was =)

All aboard!


Nancy has her camera!
That's a good thing.



Our first stop was the Arboretum. Mary Ellen and I have been there two times previously when it was Springtime. It was beautiful in the summer as well, but very hot!


The flowers were very beautiful!


Nancy snaps away ☺

We tried to take a break out of the sun wherever we could. 


Barb, Jeanie, Betty, just relaxing =)


Baby sister Rose. 
Rosie, to me, forever ♥


So we came upon this big display of succulents. They all thought it was beautiful and said how they love succulents. I thought it was nice, but I'm not in love. I said so......

....that guy on the bench seems rather amused by this group of women!



Yup, he's back there just grinning!



 Does the conversation between these ladies ever stop?

NEVER!!
(and may it always be so!)



The fountain was beautiful as was the sky.



We piled into the van again, drove around the Penn State campus, then headed to a wonderful Mexican Restaurant. By then it was mid afternoon and we had this room to ourselves.



Conversation never ending.
Love these ladies, my sisters!!
















We were right across from a nice Mall and some of us desired a bit of Retail Therapy =) Some went shopping and the rest of the group relaxed at tables and, you guessed it, talked!!

From there, we drove to the beautiful wooded property belonging to Jean's son and his family. WOW, such beauty!!

And this doesn't even show the fabulous barn.
This is an amazing place to call Home.

We relaxed on the porch after touring the spacious home.

Picture me reclining on that bench. I spent considerable time there =)




We toured the barn before leaving.

The barn.
Told you it was beautiful!
(Nancy pic)


One last picture of all of us before we leave.


Was our day now finished? Not on your life! One more stop for ice cream at the famous creamery by Penn State campus. It has the best ice cream! I had Paterno Peach again. Love it!

Was it then time for bed? Not on your life!! It was time for veggies and dips and chips and junk....and a movie! We all stayed awake till it was over after 1 in the morning! Then it was time for bed.

Sunday morning was slow and wonderful. We ate, we talked, we sang! We sounded way good, if I must say so myself. Jeanie was at the piano and the rest of us gathered around her. Glorious!


All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Rose had a plane to catch. Mary Ellen took her to the airport. Nancy rode with Betty to :Lancaster County. She was staying at her house overnight after a visit to our Mary and drove back home on Monday. Barb and I drove to my house. She got to meet and hold Noah =) Then she visited with Mary again and slept at Mary Ellen's again. On Tuesday she flew back home, taking her elderly in-laws with her. They wanted one more trip to their sons farm. Who can blame them. It's an amazing place. 

So here it is, one week later. Memories have been swirling in my head all week. I'm so thankful for family. I'm so thankful for the love we share for each other. Really, we know we are blessed and don't want to take it for granted. Ever. 






Monday, July 20, 2015

It was FUN!


Finding words to describe a weekend as I just experienced is hard. It was the best! My sisters are the BEST

Hopefully sometime today I'll find time to go through the few pictures I took. Our SIL, Nancy, has a fabulous camera and took 500 pictures! I may borrow some from her, too. 

Here are two she took that I'll start with today. 

Rose, Jean, Barb, Mary Ellen, Betty, me. 


Here's one with Nancy included. 

Love my sisters!!

Friday, July 17, 2015

Sister Weekend!

Yes, it's actually happening this year! ALL my sisters are getting together at Jean's home in State College, PA. That includes Barb from Iadho, Rose from Georgia, Betty from New Hampshire, Mary Ellen, SIL Nancy, and me from Lancaster County, PA. Can't wait.....and now I really have a few things to do before I hit the road!!!

Here's a picture my sister, Jean, posted on FB from a sister time in 1992 in MA at Betty's apartment. 

L - R: me, Rose holding her baby son, Jean, Janet, Mary Ellen. Apparently Betty was taking the picture. 

We had borrowed our Dad's big car for this trip. SO many funny things happened and Jean has them all recorded in a journal. We roll with laughter every time we remember! 

We miss Janet terribly. She had been living in Heaven for 10 years. 

Let the FUN begin :)

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Baby Smiles

Baby Noah was not going to smile.....

What, you want me to smile?


No way. 


Not going to do it!!


OK, maybe a little one.....


Is that better?


Gotcha! 


Crazy Nana with her phone.....it's always in my face. Guess I'll just just have to go with it and be cute :))

Nana is CRAZY about this little fella!

Friday, July 10, 2015

This and That

Yes, it's one of those posts....a little bit of this and a little bit of that. 

1. Zoe was SO excited one evening this week. Take a guess at what she has been waiting to happen to her that has already happened multiple times to her brother.....

It's a loose tooth!! 
A sure sign that Kindergarten is just around the corner for her :)

2. Yesterday I was working in the intense heat to hang some lights around the screened porch. But, the evening brought a thunderstorm, heavy rain (brief), and wind. We didn't get to enjoy them. 
Until tonight, that is. 

It was beautiful out there tonight! I enjoyed eating dinner with Zoe on the porch. (Everyone else decided to eat indoors) Later, I relaxed in my favorite chair and enjoyed our porch some more. Love this porch!!

3. I was downstairs in our bedroom and noticed how pretty the porch looks at night. 

Nice :)

4. Grandma Fahnestock's (my MIL) things are being gone through and finding new homes. My hubby's siblings gathered one evening this week to go through some things. Here is one of the treasures we became the new owner of. 

6 peanut butter glasses in a carrier. 
Love them!!!
We have more but I'll have to show you another time. I love old stuff but we are trying to be careful in how many treasures we can actually/comfortably live with. Determined not to accumulate too much stuff ever again!! 

5. It's been a very busy week. Ellen had camp Monday through Friday and continues next week. She is enjoying it. One morning several of the moms went out for breakfast after dropping our kids at camp. It was wonderful!! We hope to do it again next week. 

6. Can you believe we are already to the 10th day of July?? Summer always goes SO fast!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!