New Painting and Family Fun!

Ahhhh.... Now that was what a weekend is supposed to feel like!
Ok, so "maybe" it would have felt a "little" better if the Patriots would have won ;) But it was still great. It was a rare weekend with no obligations. (Or at least none I remembered... LOL). We spent a lot of time just being together. The kids played games, watched movies, practiced their instruments, etc. I got some work accomplished. We all enjoyed going to church together. We had a blast watching the superbowl and munching on yummy snacks. And we did a lot of painting!

It was Jacob's first experience enjoying the exploration of "wet colors" and he sure loved it! One of his little abstracts will surely be framed and join the other kids' work on our wall. I was amazed at how controlled he was. I thought I'd have a huge mess on my hands, but he was actually quite serious about the work he was doing. Here's a shot of him concentrating:

Too cute, if I do say so myself ;)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I even managed to finish up a painting, and I just got it listed!

~LOVE~

"Love is not blind. It chooses to see with new eyes."

(click the photo for details!)

I haven't painted over fabric in long time. I really enjoyed it and love the textures it creates. Makes me want to get back to work on some dollie ideas that have been dancing around in my head.

Hopefully I'll have some more work finished up soon. I've got about 6 canvases prepped and started. But I've got about 6 people all pulling on my apron strings at the same time, so it's still slow going :)

"Love" and Peace to you all, my friends...

 

New Paintings and an "artsy doo"...

 

~3 New Paintings Listed Today~
Check them out in our Hallowed Hill Shop.

  Oh...And while I was busy photographing and listing
My girls were busy too...

giving the little one a new doo.
I've got my own "Whoo Girl" now!
:)

  

Life with Jake

Yep. And I put it on facebook too.... LOL

This expression makes me giggle every time.

My Girl

My Girl.
Just spending time with her makes the little girl in me bubble over.
We've been enjoying our creative time together and got some exciting news this morning!
I can't wait to share it with all of our friends :)

In the meantime, keep a lookout for some wonderfully whimsical pieces!!!

 

A Beautiful Day...

Today was our 27th anniversary. It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed a delightful breakfast at our favorite country breakfast place... cottage windows overlooking a little pond... perfect. Then we drove the New England backroads and took picture after picture... after picture of the landscape with a thousand stories.

I took this picture of "us" to remember the day. It's a self-portrait of sorts. Makes me think of it as a portrait "through his eyes", which I am most sure is "my best side". For over 30 years he has not only tolerated my many faults, but has claimed they add to my charm. And he is my biggest fan. Always believing in my every artistic dream and endeavor. I must say... the feeling is mutual. I think that's the secret of true love, don't you? No one is perfect. But the secret is to find the one who is perfect for you...
 

Our favorite part of the day was spending it with our 25th Anniversary "present", our Jacob. He made it all new, wonderous, and so spectacularly joyfilled. Every moment was filled with a precious memory I will cherish forever.

 

Of course, the afternoon and evening were full of the usual homework, school open-houses, middle school dances, and all the other events that take over a life. But those few wonderous hours were beautiful.

 "Happy Anniversary Michael" 



Letting go...

From my oldest son... to my youngest, little Jake. We took the four youngest kiddos to an amusement park yesterday. Hannah and Caleb went with dad and our friends to the "thrill rides" section, while my friend and I took all of our youngest to "kiddie land". Our three girls enjoyed the wonderful mini rides, but Jake was quite depressed just sitting in his stroller watching the slightly older kids have such colorful adventures. When they all boarded the mini merry-go-round, he started chanting "PWEAZ... PWEAZ" (which of course is "please, please" in toddler language).

Because it was later at night, kiddie land was all but abandoned, and the ride attendants could give special attention to the little ones in their temporary care. The girl operating the merry-go-round assured me that the little ones are seatbelted very tight, and that Jake couldn't wriggle his way out. HHHhhmmm... (she had never met Jake) Ok. We tried the little sleigh. It had a flat seat, sides, and didn't move on it's own. Jacob was beyond delighted. He rode around and around with the biggest smile on his face. But then his riding partner (3+ years his senior) decided she was brave enough to try a horse. Ugh... That meant Jake too, had decided he was too big for this "baby" sleigh.

The girl again assured me that the children were strapped onto the horses so securely that they couldn't possibly fall off. Me... being me... had to evaluate the worst possible scenario. "What if" the plastic buckle did come undone... "what if"? I suppose the worst scenario would be that he would be thrown from the horse as the merry-go-round spun, fall into the inner circle, slide down under the platform, and perhaps get caught up in mechanisms, or in the least get dragged between the platform and the dirt below.... death was possible, if not probable in such a case.

So, of course... I let him ride.

My husband says that makes me a good mommy. I'm still trying to work that out.

All I know is Jake had the time of his life. He rode that merry-go-round about a dozen times. He also rode the bouncy cars, the fire truck, and the boats. But that merry-go-round with the "horshes" was his favorite. I feel like I "let go" of my baby a little bit last night. You'd think I'd be an ol' pro considering I've done this 5 times before. But somehow it feels like I'm treading new waters every time. Still, my heart bubbles over thinking of watching my "baby" transform into a "cowboy" right in front of my eyes...

Now, the fact that my 11 year old daughter rode the new "untamed" rollercoaster is something I'm still trying to work through. I like that our kids are mostly fearless. It's just hard to keep my eyes open sometimes :)

My son...

I just stole this pic from my son's facebook photos. (I know, I know...) No, I can't give you a link to it. I haven't "friended" him, and quite frankly, I wouldn't recommend it. There are just some things a mother and son don't need to know about each other... LOL 

But, I digress...

I saw this photo, and it tugged at my heart. I have one taken when he was 7 years old that almost matches it perfectly. We were visiting a friend on Cape Cod. Mike and I took the kids to the beach. It wasn't summertime, so there was hardly anyone there. We walked for miles. Josh had on highwater sweatpants, if I remember correctly. Almost everything ended up being a highwater at one point or another, as he grew like a weed. Now... he's 6'3".  He's a hard worker, devoted boyfriend, loving brother, and caring son.

But when I look at this photo, I still see the 7 year old boy, way up ahead of me on the edge of the water, in awe of the vastness of the ocean, and carelessly chasing seagulls in the wind.

He's my first born, and I love him more than he knows...

Swing-spiration!

(Source)

When I found the photograph above on pinterest.com, I knew I wanted to make Rebekah a similar one for her birthday. The kids had just been chatting about how the ol' tire swing broke, and they wanted to replace it with a swing because the tire was more difficult to control. I asked my dad to cut a couple of boards. One would be all "girlied-up" for Bekah's birthday, and the other could stay "old school" style for Hannah. I think Caleb wants another tire strung up for him :)

My dad did a great job cutting, drilling, and sanding it just right for a princess "bottom". Mike strung it all up with strong and attractived knotting. And I did the hard work of spray painting it pink and adding the ribbons. I know. I know. Don't feel too bad for me ;)

I think it came out pretty darn tootin' cute! (Yes, the grass has all died from the nine million kids who play in that area of the yard every day.) That'll be a project for another post ;)

What do ya' think?

She likes it!!!
It has a much longer swing distance than

the ones on the kids' swingset!

If you're interested... It's a piece of 9"x21"x1.5" board. Dad softened the corners, and sanded it well. Then he drilled 1/2" holes, one inch from the edge. Mike bought a 1/2" cotton/poly blend rope. We needed 40' for the branch we chose. (Important to choose a very strong branch, of course) We spray painted it with a satin finish, ballet slipper pink, indoor/outoor paint. We measured Rebekah's leg "reach" to decide the height from the ground. Then we strung it up with non slipping knots and adorned it with coordinating ribbons.

Vacation

Funny how life brings about all kinds of little surprises... One month ago, Mike and I had no plans for this summer vacation. We love our down time with the kids. Mike's schedule allows for him to have extra time with them during the week when they're not at school, which feels so amazing compared to the school year when they miss out on each other because of his weekend schedule. We love just enjoying the back yard, cooking out, and going on little daytrip excursions to some of our favorite New England destinations. We haven't been on a "real" vacation in 9 years. (and let's just say that one goes more into the "learned lessons" category then the fun and relaxation one!)

About a month ago, Mike came home from picking up the kids at school. He said, "Jen wants to know if we want to go away with them the first week of summer vacation."

One of my best friends in the whole world, her husband, and their 3 youngest children (who happen to be our kids' best friends) were all planning on vacationing in The Berkshires. Jen's mother-in-law owns some time shares and wasn't able to get away to enjoy them this time around, so she welcomed them to invite some friends along. Wow. My favorite people, in one of my favorite destinations?

Now, let me tell you... I love these people so much, that I'd have said yes even if we were sleeping in tents. I knew that rain or shine the kids would have a blast together. And truth be told... after the stressful last couple of years, we all needed a vacation together.

To top everything off, my grandaughter (whom I care for during the work week) was  very happy to spend some extra time with her daddy who came home from college the week before our trip. Everything fell into place just lovely. But then.....

OUCH!!! WT? I ended up in the hospital and had to have an emergency procedure done on the common duct which was blocked up with gall stones. :(  Miraculously... And I mean MIRACULOUSLY we were angelically wisped into the care of a surgeon who pulled some strings and got me into the OR in just enough time to get the procedure done, and still allow me to go away. :)  But then...

We were scheduled to leave Monday at 2:00 pm. During the weekend, we noticed Jacob developing spots all over his body. We didn't want to expose our hosts' children or anyone else to anything questionable, so we called the pediatrician. We were hoping to hear "Oh, that's nothing." but instead, the nurse wanted Jake to be seen because it sounded like scarlet fever, which meant accompanying strep throat and very contageous. Great. Well, thankfully... after 23+ years with this pediatrician, and the charm Mike is able to pull out of his hat, they were willing to squeeze us in immediately.  I stayed home while Mike took Jake. I tried to gently break it to the other kids that if Jacob did have scarlet fever, there was no way we could go to a resort, and take the chance of infecting anyone else. But then...

My cell phone rang. It was Mike. The doctors all concurred that it was NOT scarlet fever, or 5ths disease or anything else that would cause any possible harm to anyone. Just "one of those childhood rashes"!!! YAY! So... we finished packing, and OFF WE WENT!!!

We were amazed at the lovely resort and accomodations. Our hosts were beyond generous in sharing this perfect week with us. I don't know what my favorite part was...



Mike making us coffee and breakfast

in the lovely kitchen every morning...

Enjoying meals together out on the balcony...

The totally relaxing bubble baths in the jacuzzi...

The total "child-friendly" atmosphere of the resort

which featured a playground, arcade, movie theater...

mini golf...

 swimming pools...

OR...
The pristine nature trails along the river...

Where the kids were enchanted by these HUGE vines...

... and where we had an encounter with a beautiful Black Bear!!!

umm... I'll stick with the bubble bath, thank you...

Then, of course... there was the abundant quaint New England scenery...

and the historic side trips like Arrowhead Farm, where

Herman Melville wrote "Moby Dick"...

inspired by his visions of Mt. Greylock from his study window...

Right down to the swell folks at the Tire Center in Sturbridge MA

who so kindly and graciously assisted us after our close call on the

Mass Turnpike...



Thanks to our dear friends, we had the BEST VACATION EVER! It was so chuck full of wonderful moments, and thanks to that bear encounter, I'm sure our kids will never... EVER forget our special time in The Berkshires.  I am very thankful we live in Black Bear territory, as they are predominantly gentle and used to human companionship on the trails. As you can imagine, I was immediately terrified. We were three adults and six young children on the trail. My first emotions were an inner panic about protecting the kids. Mike was calm and gently, but firmly directed us to head back, while he posed as bear chow. The bear hardly took notice of us, and continued on it's way across the path and into the woods. The panic melted away into awe and excitement. Hannah was on cloud nine to have had such an experience. Rebekah? She may never go for a walk around the block again, never mind a hike in the woods... LOL! As I was unpacking our bags, I said "Oh, look Bekah... that's the dress you had on when we saw the bear." She replied, "Ya. That needs to be washed. It still has bear fear on it."

I love my family. I love my friends. And I love New England!

I have so much to be thankful for...

 

A Father's Day Reflection...

In this past week, my husband has chaperoned two field trips and a school dance, has made sure to purchase flowers for his girls graduating kindergarten and 5th grade, has volunteered to teach music to two kindergarten classes, which otherwise would not have had it, has checked in on his mom every day, has cleared out part of the yard for a pool, has done all of the family grocery shopping, brought the kids back and forth to school, dealt with a family emergency for our older daughter, read "Lord of the Rings" to the kids at bedtime, even though he was way too tired. This, on top of kissing all the boo-boos, grilling lunches and suppers, cuddling, playing, and walking the dog... Oh! and of course, this was all when he wasn't driving the hour to or from work throughout the week!!! And besides all that, he still finds a way to make me blush with his affection, make me laugh to my toes with his humor, and encourage me by complimenting my work.

I knew when I was 15 years old, that this guy would be an amazing father some day. But even I couldn't have imagined... My husband is the most generous man I know... totally selfless.... and giving every last drop of his time and energy for others. For 23 + years, he has been inspiring me through his fathering of our children. He is tough when he needs to be, and tender in the next heartbeat. It's no wonder we are all so crazy about him. I'm so glad it's a gorgeous day outside today, because there's no greater gift we could have wrapped for him. Can't wait for him to get home from work, so we can share his favorite meal, and smother him with affection :) 



Sharing a "Funny"...

I was just sitting at the kitchen table, sharing a quiet moment with Jake, my 20 month old, when I looked over his shoulder and discovered the messages left behind by Caleb, my 9 year old. "Do Not Touch" clearly marking the newest additions to his rock collection. I guess that explains why he was asking me how to spell "touch" last night. LOL. (and I thought he was working on his story writing homework...)

With all these kids, one never knows what will be left behind in their daily wake. But this is one that put a smile on my face, and a giggle in my heart. Just had to share.



 

Lilacs and Memories...

~Hannah, Caleb & Rebekah gathering Mother's Day Lilacs~

(yes... in their pajamas)

Twenty-three years ago, this day, I sat... waiting... impatiently... uncomfortably. I was almost 8 months pregnant with my twins. I was on medicines to stop that labor which had already started twice, prematurely. It caused me to be jittery and retain water. The next day was Mother's Day, and we were planning a little cookout at our house. Little did I know it was the eve of the day my actual labor would begin with no turning back.

I'll spare you the dreaded blow, by blow details. But in a nutshell, after 36 hours of hard labor, my son, Joshua and daughter, Sarah were born by c-section. Things had gone rough, and I had to fight to leave the hospital by the end of the week. Mike's grandfather had died, and we wanted to be home in the embrace of our family.

I was fine, at first. But then it snuck in... the "baby blues".  I was so excited about my babies, but I guess the exhaustion, the hormonal readjustment, the problems with nursing, and the whole "how could I bring such precious beings into such a sick world, all came crashing in.

When I had left for the hospital, the trees were all still hardly budding. But within two weeks, they were in full bloom. The world seemed fresh and new, but my body and spirit were having trouble catching up.

Then... one day... Mike came into the house with what seemed like miles of lilacs. Billowing handfuls, and vases, and pitchers of them.... Dark purple/pink, light purple, and white. The property line was overflowing with antique lilac hedges planted by his grandparents, and they blossomed profusely.

Those lilacs awakened such a joy in me. They reminded me of how much my husband loved me. They reminded me of all the goodness and beauty brimming in my life. The sight and scent of them just flowed through me, and uplifted me completely.

And just like that... the "baby blues" were gone.

Since that early motherhood experience, lilacs have held such a special place in my heart. And every year Mike makes sure that he and/or the kids gather billowing handfuls for mama on or about Mother's Day.

As our family grew, and we moved from that earlier home, we dug up some of the antique lilac sprouts, and brought them with us to our new home. Almost before we did anything else, we planted them along the property line of our new yard. That first spring... the very first time we revved up the ol' lawnmower, our son, Joshua, who was 13, plowed right over the lilacs with the mower, thinking that they were tall weeds.

LOL... One of the funniest memories EVER!!!

But, sure enough, they grew back even more full. It took a few years for them to fill in with blooms... quite a few years. But now, they overflow with gorgeous purple blossoms. And after all these years, no gift, no fancy dinner, no breakfast in bed compares to the joy I get from chubby little hands grasping onto the stems of lilac clusters, accompanied by a heartfelt "Happy Mother's Day"...

I hope all of the Mothers out there in "Blog Land" have a beautiful day tomorrow.

 

Note: I do want to make the point that in no way am I comparing my experience to the more drastic post partum depression. I know that no lilacs or other token of love can just take those serious symptoms away.



Snapshot Saturday/ "Stinker & Doodle"

This is my life right now...In a nutshell.
And I'm a very happy nut :)

(I could look at that expression on my grandaughter's face a thousand times, and still crack up! I can't tell if she's looking guilty, or if she's thinking "don't make it obvious goober, maybe she won't notice")

Caution... Pathetic Mom Bragging Ahead...

When I downloaded this picture, and saw it up close and personal, I knew I just had to post this one for all of Rebekah's NEPG Aunties :)

Figured since you all shared with me in sending my sweet pea off to her first day of kindergarten, I'd share an update on how she's doing...

She's been doing fantastic, and loves every aspect of school. She was absent for a couple of days with that virus going through our house, but when she went back today... She found out she was "Student Of The Month" for September!!!

Guess any hopes that she'd hate it all and want to stay home with me forever are sliding further and further back into my fantasies vault.

I know this photo tells a different tale... LOL! This was her first day of school; later in the afternoon. She didn't have homework, so she was "pretending" to do some. I took about a hundred pictures and we got pretty silly... This was one of her academy award winning attempts at homework misery. Yes. That is dirt all over her face. A girls got to play in the dirt a little before snacktime, doesn't she???

 

Blog-spiration!

I was visiting the wonderful Miss Mustard Seeds blog last night, when I came across the comment of another blogger, regarding the use of vintage sheet music. She commented that she is going to try re-doing a ceiling using Miss Mustard Seeds technique.

(source)

It hit me...

My  quaint, turn of the century (last one... not this one... LOL) house has some wonderful features. The moment I walked through the kitchen door 9 years ago, the old pressed tin ceilings won me over. But, those ceilings are only in the kitchen and the dining room. I love the character and interest they provide. But... my dining room and "future" family room are open to each other, and the ceiling in the family room is... well... right now, it's just old peeling paint begging to be transformed.

Upon reading that bloggers comment... I knew that the sheet music technique would turn the adjoining ceiling into something special, which wouldn't compete with the tin ceiling of the neighboring dining room, but compliment it.

I've got a stash of antique music books in the basement. But I also have access to tons of old hymnals. I think that's the way I want to go. Music is such a big part of our family's life together. I think this is going to be great! Rather than going with the straight lines and "neatness" of Miss Mustard Seeds technique, I will go more the Mixed Media Art method of torn edges and overlapping with a rubbed antique finish, etc.  I think I'll forego any glitter this time... LOL. But I'm sure there will be some related artwork for the walls, and all glitter bets are off :-D

I've got some ideas swirling in my head, and can't wait to actually "get to it". I'd love to have that room finished before the holidays, so wish me luck!!!

I love that when I tell hubby I want to adhere music to the ceiling, he doesn't even bat an eye... LOL! 26 years sure has a way of easing a fellow into things ;)

Thank you Miss Mustard Seed, and the wonderful commentors who share their inspirations as well!!!

"Adleigh and Jake" / Snapshot Saturday

This Snapshot Saturday photo is one straight out of the cell phone camera!  You know I have a "thing" for black and white and/or effects, but this photo really is a "snapshot" into my every day life, bright colors and all :)

As you can see, a few months makes a big difference, and the two months that seperate my son, Jacob and my grandaughter, Adleigh have begun to get less and less obvious. We've grown tired of correcting folks who bless us on our twins, and just smile at each other. Funny thing is... they  look almost exactly like our twins, Joshua and Sarah (Adleigh's mom), did 22 years ago...

What I really love about this picture is that it is "so them". No posing... just two sweeties enjoying a late summer afternoon, side by side. Adleigh's sweet smiling eyes, and Jacob's extreme joy just bursting out in his wide open expression.

As I sit to type this, Adleigh is napping, and Jacob is nudging her... trying to wake her. They love each other, and it's getting really fun to watch them interact. They crack each other, and themselves up with the simplest little things. I could watch them all day, and it's a good thing, because that's pretty much what I do all day!

Fortunately, today I also have my new Prims Magazine to peruse while they crawl, toddle, and climb all over the playroom. (I dragged my 3 daughters and my grandaughter out in a tropical rainstorm to get it last night... LOL!) I love seeing so many of my friends' work in this edition!!! Sooooooo prim perfect!!!