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| age 6 |
My youngest offspring, the lovely Rosemary, will be 14 yrs. old in just a week...This means I'll have four adult children in only about 5 more years - Whoa.
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| age 13 |
On the one hand, these years have really flown by. It seems like yesterday I was invariably changing diapers, and frequently had a baby in my arms, or a toddler climbing into my lap.....
On the other hand, those days seem long ago...so far behind me... and I am a seasoned veteran of motherhood...could write a book on the subject...quite a memoir!
(Will and Nate, 21 months, visiting Tobi Hill Farm - where Don learned the art of butchering and discovered his love of agriculture!)
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| December 2008 |
Don and I have had lots of jobs in our adult lives, but we agree: Raising children is both the toughest....and most rewarding job we've ever had. It requires commitment, fortitude, perseverance, endurance...sacrifice - it is not for the faint of heart!
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| Summer 2007 |
I want to shout out a big "Thank You!" and "God Bless" to my own parents and my in-laws....NOW, we can finally understand, appreciate, and even empathize with you, albeit many years later!
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| Longwood Gardens 2008 |
I could spout off parenting advice, warnings, do's and don'ts (like many-a-blog and book) - but in the end, YOU are the one who has to make the decision on how YOU will raise your children...how you will engage them, interact with them, teach them.
After all, you were selected, by God, as the steward of His unique creations.
My only unsolicited advice is BE INTENTIONAL. Think about your values, your goals, what you want them to know, understand and appreciate five years from now....ten...twenty years from now!
If you don't take the initiative, this world will have its way with them, and you may not appreciate the results.
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| Horse show in summer 2009 |
I am gloriously blessed to have four terrific teenagers. I say that not because of what they do....but because of who they are....
Genuine, caring, thoughtful, diligent, strong, intelligent, witty and creative individuals who love God and family.
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| Christmas 2014, with my parents |
This is the time for open, frank discussion and teaching. In our house, this, generally, is the time to seek truth through the Bible and prayer. We've had quite a few teachable moments with them the closer they come to adulthood. We don't always get it right, but that's what heavenly grace is for!
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| July 2015 |
Four babies in just five years....without Jesus, this gig would have been REALLY rough...possibly disastrous! Thankfully, we also had supportive family and close friends along the way.
By His grace, I can look back over the past 18 years with joy and fondness.
While we don't always get it right, we do often PRAY for and about our children, individually and collectively...
We have always looked for those teachable moments that present themselves in the midst of disaster and heartache, as well as success and good times.
For better or worse, it's pretty safe to say that we (Don and I) were the most influential adults in our children's lives!
Hence their love and appreciation of people, animals, nature, art, and most importantly, God...
Hence their adventurous, entrepreneurial spirits, their love of learning....and, let's not forget their ability to laugh - often and boisterously - and, make others laugh, too!
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| Summer, 2015 |
I can't wait to hear the stories they will tell and re-tell to their children, nieces, and nephews about Don and me, and their growing-up years.
I can already picture us sitting around our big country kitchen table after a holiday feast, telling the stories of our hours in a horse barn and in saddles together, hunting and skeet-shooting, riding along with Don when he was trucking, moving to New York, our many..ehem..."too exciting" trips back to PA for visits, trekking through four feet of snow to tap maple trees, and many more.... over coffee and a delicious dessert, of course! Can you picture me grinning at this moment, just imagining it?
Our current "adventure"?
Don has done a ton of research and decided that we will build our own reverse osmosis machine for the upcoming maple season...for a fraction of the cost of buying one from the "big name" maple equipment dealers.
This is a machine that concentrates the sugars in the sap by separating the water molecules from the sugar molecules via high pressure. One of these machines can reduce boiling time by nearly three-quarters!
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| Summer 2015 |
Rosemary definitely wants in on that project! Talk about hands-on science! Homeschooling at its finest, right?
As this new project progresses, I'll be sure to take photos and share.
Oh, and check out our "About" page on our website later this month- the new family photo, taken this September, will be featured there very soon!
Thanks, friends, for humoring me today, as I ponder. And, happy birthday (a few days early) to my "baby", Rosemary!
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