Goodbye, Old Friend

Written soon after he died nearly five years ago...shared now because we miss him...

And with a final wag, we bid goodbye to our precious Buster Brown, our first family pooch of nearly 16 years.

I am reminded of the story told through Marley and Me. The author, being a journalist, chronicled his dog's life through a column he wrote for the newspaper.

A dog's life.

Many live fewer years than our sweet dog. We were blessed. We know that and accept that gift with a huge amount of gratitude.

Often, after the loss of a pet, my husband expresses his sadness by saying he doesn't want any more pets...he wished he didn't have to feel such pain. But I always counter him with the fact that if we didn't have the pet we wouldn't have had the joy they brought.

Yes, it's hard. VERY hard. Sometimes it feels as if our hearts might break. But it's also beautiful.

A sweet friend reminded me that Buster lived "a long, loved life."

And he did. Always smiling. Always happy. Always grateful. (He wouldn't start eating without us patting him and saying, "You're welcome!")

I like to remember him that way.

Loved for a long time.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

My kids are always asking me if I loved them more when they were little.

I love looking at their photos and talking about how sweet they were and sharing memories of funny or poignant moments with them.

I remember first teeth and them learning to walk and the way they marveled at just about anything new and exciting. They loved being outside and had a cute way of pronouncing things. I loved watching them learn to read and write and draw. I loved making things with them and celebrating countless birthdays, half-birthdays, and holidays with them. Easter eggs and Christmas visits to New York to see the Macy's Santa with the deli breath. "Picnics in the Park" on the Eve of Christmas Eve. Early morning trips to Chincoteague in the summer and the fall and the beginning of a brand new year. Singing children's songs and then '80s songs at the tops of our lungs. Knowing all the words to the Veggie Tales, especially the end theme song from QWERTY.

Career goals: Fashion designer, hotel designer/owner, architect, marine biologist, inventor.

I remember how earnest they were about certain things and how they tried very hard to understand a complex grown-up world with the simple mind of a child. How they tried to share their thoughts on politics or movie stars or books they read.

It's as though now they see that child as someone else instead of a younger and smaller version of themselves.

How could I love that child any more than I love the grown (or growing) version I see at present?

Perhaps the past really is a foreign country...and those little people in the photos and memories are merely the residents, long gone as the years progress.

No, dear children, I couldn't possibly love that little-person version of you more than I love you now...for you are that little person now a bit bigger. And I love that bigger person even more today than I did yesterday.

New Year, Old Reflections -- 2017

My favorite thing to buy at the beginning of each year was the Life magazine "Year in Pictures." My parents had a few from over the years, and I loved looking through them at the moments in time that were captured through the photojournalist's lens.

Here's to looking back at 2017 through our pictures. So many photos (whittled down from 1,000s to a mere 400 or so)...and so many smiles -- many, many more than the last few years.

God is good to us! He has carried us through quite a lot in the past few years, especially. And being able to recap the year through photos is always a joy. Seeing memories forgotten already...truly priceless.

In an age of constantly changing technology, what are your favorite ways to keep memories alive year to year?

View on Flipagram

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!

and surely I'll buy mine!

And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine;

But we've wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine^†;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there's a hand my trusty friend!

And give me a hand o' thine!

And we'll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

CITIZENSHIP DAY!!!!

Today was a HUGE day for our family -- for Stuart, specifically.

Today is the day that Stuart became an American!

It was something I had said I would never force him to do when we first married. It had to be something he wanted. I didn't mind paying for a Green Card every 10 years.

But Stuart said he wanted to do it, to "belong." And he wanted to vote, to have a voice behind the taxes he pays. He said he would only do it when he could say the Oath and mean it.

And that day had come.

It was a beautiful -- if cold -- day! And we were all so excited and nervous as we headed into Philadelphia. And we were SO proud of him!

Happy New Year!!

Happiest of Happy New Years! We are SO glad that it's 2017!

To say that 2016 was not our family's favorite-most year does not adequately cover it. But to say that God carried us and strengthened us and kept us going through it is an absolute blessing and truth!

Between Emily's extended illness and emergency appendectomy and my breast cancer and Stuart starting back to college and still traveling...and the boys being hungry ALL the time...and medical bills that are drowning us...

But through it all, God was there...and still is. We know that He who controls the universe hasn't forgotten us.

A recap in photos of 2016...and see? We were even smiling.



2016: Year in Pictures

A Year in Review: 2015

In past years, I've gone through my photos and posted a photo or two from each month to try to remember what went on throughout the year. This year, I decided to choose photos and do a Flipagram with them.

Here for your viewing pleasure:

View on Flipagram

We Are Family

Saturday, we spent the day with Emily at Albright College for Family Day, ie. Feast Day...er, I mean, spending two hours in the cafeteria...uh, no...spending time with our student.

 

It was fun having a more in-depth tour and seeing into Emily's classrooms and where she's been hanging out while at college. I loved seeing all the families who came in to shower love on their students. One family even brought homemade food for their son. He looked thrilled to devour it all.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A Labor of Love

Looking back, I can see that it's been awhile...a LOOOONG while.

So long, in fact, that the last thing I posted was about Edward's 14th birthday in....February.

Gulp.

SO much has happened. Good, bad, easy, fun, hard. My brain has nearly popped with it all.

I'm good at giving out advice about savoring the moments, slowing down, yadda, yadda.... But it's hard to take your own advice, huh?

So here's a quick recap. I'll post more with photos after this. I think I just need to unload my brain.

Since February...

Edward had his first Keystone Exam. Emily was accepted to Albright College and won a Shirk Scholarship. We coached Ethan's Spring U8 soccer team. Both older kids went with friends to the prom. Emily graduated from high school. Edward finished 9th grade. Emily got her first good job (after a failed first bad job complete with an office full of e-cigarettes). We renewed her permit, and Emily started learning to drive in earnest. We switched Edward to 21st Century Cyber School. He started 10th grade. Emily developed a type of seizure similar to epilepsy. (We're still investigating.) Edward started school and his second year of high school soccer. We moved Emily into....college! (Eeek!) Ethan finished 2nd grade. And Stuart was accepted into the continuing education program at Albright College to finish his bachelor's of science degree.

Now, everyone is completely and utterly....overwhelmed!

It's amazing. We did manage to squeeze in a trip to Knoebel's with my parents, an overnight trip to Chincoteague/Assateague Islands, and our annual day of Camp Woohoohaha! But it was a tight squeeze. (And despite the millions of bites we all sustained while visiting the islands, all three kids were trying to figure out how to move down there. *wink-grin*)

So there you have it. A recap of months and months of events in one or two paragraphs.

And there it is....my brain unloaded...I think.

Until I remember that a week from today our youngest turns 7!!!

Birthday Boy!

Every birthday brings with it a chance to reflect. ...on the speed of time, the size of our children, and how important it is to love these kids -- each and every day -- with our entire beings.

This is our little Valentine boy...

This is him today.

 

 

14!

Wow!

And, best of all, he is 14 on the 14th, his star birthday. And he is definitely our star today!!

Happiest Birthday, Budboy! We love you more and more everyday!!

2014: A Year in Pictures

A new year. It's always difficult to remember everything that happens in a year, but I love how photos can tell that story. I'm a bit, okay, a huge lover of photos. I love taking them and looking at them and collecting them. I really enjoy how they freeze a moment in time so perfectly. Even the photo mistakes have meaning to me. 

So digesting our last year to just 12 photos? I used to be able to do it...in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. But, if you indulge my photobuggedness (is that even a word?), I'll keep it to a few each month....

Here goes:

JANUARY

 

We started the new year with a few of us getting ill and a LOT of snow, especially, of course, during the Pennsylvania Farm Show, which, sadly, we weren't able to go to. The doggies got new sweatshirts. We finished the first semester of school. January sped by, leading us to...

FEBRUARY

This was the month that Edward became a teen, turning 13 on Valentine's Day and got his first iPad mini, with money from everyone in the family. We had to reschedule his birthday party to the weekend after his birthday due to snow...and nearly had to reschedule it again due to snow. Edward chose to have a Build-a-Bear party at the store in Lancaster. While Stuart was on a trip, we used some of Stuart's hotel points to go overnight to a local Hampton Inn. Always a fun time for us...so fun that some of us were extremely sad when it was over. And Emily and I went to the PaSRBA Convention where we found a new furkid named Lovebug, who joined our family and lives with Ethan.

Next came...

MARCH

The month continued the "snow" theme. Emily, Edward, and I went to a local rabbit/cavy show where we showed three of the Himalayan dwarfs and one of Edward's piggies. We enjoyed a fun St. Patrick's Day with "Taco the Mornin'" and the more traditional (American) corned beef and cabbage. Emily took her SATs, and Ethan enjoyed his half birthday (5.5). I took Emily and her friend Lucy to a Skillet concert where we got in for free by volunteering to help with Food for the Hungry. Emily started the newspaper at school, thus The Agora Times officially went into production with the first issue happening in...

APRIL

 

Easter came in April. The kids looked dapper. We had fun doing Easter eggs and having our traditional egg hunt. We missed one and found it later in the month...after a squirrel had eaten all the goodies inside. Emily celebrated her half birthday (16.5). The trees and flowers were beautiful and led into a wonderfully plush and flowery...

MAY

A beautiful start to the month, and I had a lovely Mother's Day. But the 22nd brought "The Hailstorm of the Century" to our area and wiped out all the flowers and leafy trees and our car, house and porch roofs, and outside furniture and toys. God provided us with the insurance money to replace everything -- with even nicer things. We celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Emily went to the prom and took her first AP test, which she passed with flying colors and got a 4. 

JUNE

This month brought a fun trip to Knoebel's Amusement Park with school and the END of school. Edward (a.k.a. the "Blur") took another session of one-on-one soccer at Body Zone. We celebrated Father's Day. The month flew by into...

JULY

We went to our borough's annual July 4th parade. Ethan and I went to the Crayola Experience with our friend Beth and her granddaughter Madison. Gigi got a new summer dress that she loved. And Emily and I started on the "2014 Official College Tour," which included Albright College, Kutztown University, Reading Area Community College, and Arcadia University.

AUGUST

This month brought the open forum for politicians that Emily created and organized with seven other cyberschooled students, including her brother. Edward started high school soccer. We got school materials for the new school year, and we had our annual "Camp Woohoohaha!" family day camp. Edward had a fun half-birthday (13.5).

SEPTEMBER

Edward started at Voices. School started after Labor Day, Emily's last year of school. Now, we officially had a senior, freshman, and 2nd grader. Stuart had his birthday, turning a palindrome, 44. Ethan had his birthday and turned 6. Edward had his first soccer game of the season. Ethan started his Fall U8 soccer season with us as his coaches.

OCTOBER

Our birthday month. Emily turned 17 and I turned 44. We celebrated with My Little Pony shirts and all of us going to a local hotel to swim all day in their pool and have a night away. We did our school photos in the park. Halloween was fun with trick-or-treating in the cold. 

NOVEMBER

We had a chilly month with Thanksgiving bringing a bit of snow. My lovely aunt and uncle hosted a beautiful dinner as usual. We went shopping in the little shops on Penn Ave. with our friends, Dawn and Katrina, on Small Business Saturday. Ethan got glasses.

DECEMBER

Christmas Eve with candles. Christmas Day with family and presents. My mom and dad made a lovely and yummy dinner as usual. Boxing Day was a success. Pagoda Day on top of Mt. Penn. We started the month with Breakfast with Santa. We went to NYC on the Eve of Christmas Eve. And played games and watched movies between the holidays. New Year's Eve was spent with our friends, the Stumps, and games and lots of goodies. And then it was...

2015!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!