itsy-bitsy-spider.

it’s the monday giggles…

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Why does this always happens to me when I’m outside raking?!?Photo courtesy of Pinterest

(Fingers-crossed) Spring sprung this Weekend in our NW area of Pa!

And in my local neighborhood…

kids were outside playing until way past dusk,

people of ALL ages were seen bike riding,

every breed of dog could be found being walked,

and Cuppycake raked the yard!

(Yep, it’s official…the rake is out.)

I wish I’d have taken a picture of He and Helen out there together…

Cuppycake would rake a pile of fallen sticks & Helen would carry the pile, stick by stick,  back out into the yard to be scattered once again.

(As you might imagine Helen & I were the only two who thought it was adorable.)

Yard work is a serious order of business in our household.  Every member of our family owned their own personal rake while living at True North.  Most kids around the age of 3 or 4 get a red-rider wagon in the fall…ours received toddler sized rakes instead.

We had them in every size & width. Flat edged, scooped, tightly tined to loosely fitted, (which always had a nice bounce as it scraped across the ground surface I might add.) I never knew they made rakes in so many different materials either until I met Cuppycake.  Metal, plastic, willow, & bamboo to name just a few.  And every year, without fail, he’d arrive home from a hardware store visit with “the Best Rake ever invented.” Guarnateed to cut yard-work in half (for all of us…)

Things have improved, mind you, since our move to North Star…we have downsized to 3 hand-chosen rakes which remain.  But not to worry, Cuppycake makes certain the matter is still handled with authority & laser-beam focus.  You can always be assured that at the end of the day’s task there will not only be neatly raked, all in a row, perfectly-proportional in every way piles, BUT there will also be another compiled list of 3 more (until recently unthought of) NEW projects to complete this summer as a result!

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This year it looks like concrete will be involved.

I think I need to begin training Helen to carry the rake away instead….

hugs n’ blessings to all the idea makers out there!

(And those who contend with them all!)

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one year.

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Assisi, Italy

Where were you a year ago on this day?

Do you remember?

What were you doing?

Were you alone or with others?

What was the weather?

What were you wearing?

Where did you eat?

Do you remember?

(And “Only if it was the 21st night of September,” does not count as an answer!)

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It is good to remember….

“3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 1:3-11

Today is a day I could tell you

all of those details

and more.

(A lucky penny I found this morning reminded me of that.)

But to sum it all up I would simply say,

“We were thirsty…

(I promise if you click on the link above you shall discover more!)

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Just a tiny hint…

The penny reminded me I’d made a promise and today is the perfect day to make good!

May this video mark a Special Year behind you and may the glow of their love be a promissory sign of the splendid days to come, and may you remember them for a lifetime!

hugs n’ blessings to my favorite sister/video expert for walking me through the complexities of video-making!

AND

a hug n’ blessing for you, as well, if you could remember your ‘one year ago day’ too!!!

 

**the aprons were made from old dresses and costumes and pieces of such throughout my darling daughter’s childhood, stitched now together for others to have a small reminder of her in their possession.  It was a joy for me to reminisce over every one as they were deconstructed…her girl scout uniform, first party dress, favorite church dress, dorthy costume…and to watch them each find a new heart & home to be cherished in. Thank you to all who so tenderly chose one & shared such a special day with us.

bUBBLY smiles!

it’s the monday giggles….

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10

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Our youngest son celebrated a birthday recently.

And both Cuppycake & I were so very grateful he invited us to share this special day with him.

(At least we were invited to parts of it!)

Whenever we are together there are so many smiles to go around it is like a bathtub filled with bubbles!  And always one must check themselves at the end of the night to remember & take their smile off at the departure door.  I’ve caught myself, on occassion, wearing the same smile hours after we’ve left him!  (Removing a frozen smile can be a painful experience, although who can complain?)

I decided however, this time as we said our good-byes, to leave the smile in place for the  Monday giggles which were just around the corner!

So today I dedicate these special giggles to my tender-hearted-little-boy-now-turned-creative-young-adult-man and thank him for all the smiles he so generously provides to all whom he meets!

My dear son,

in honor of the bubbles you chase & those you create…

I feel so blessed God gifted you to our family!

Minions Stuart Hot Tub
Never sing in the bath!  Singing leads to dancing.  Dancing leads to slipping. Slipping leads to falling.  Falling leads to Paramedics coming and seeing you have no dance-moves. So, don’t sing in the bath!

 

The following bath bomb products were created by our son & his business partner, who recently started providing these lovely products to others through their company,

“this is BOMB!” 

(You may find these and other soothing bath products at their website!)

I promise using or gifting  them will definitely make you smile!

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hugs n’ bubbly blessings covered in smiles!

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean…and our bodies washed with pure water.”  Hebrews 10:22