Family Fun

I am a little behind on posting, so this will be mostly pictures...but not many words are needed to see the love.  :)

We celebrated Labor Day out at Kay's this year.  This was my best shot of Kay and all of her grandkids.  They are a crazy crew...

Earlier in the summer, we had ventured out to the good ole' Mebane area for Cole's 2nd birthday.  We had a blast...and don't you just want to squeeze these two?

Lindsay Jane loves her cousin Lillie too.  Lillie is so so good with Lindsay Jane.  It's always nice for LJ to have other little girls around, especially in the family!!  So may boys, which she fondly calls, "crazy boys".

Sweet Patti and our hostess for the party, Anna.  It was so much fun to celebrate Cole.  He is a little firecracker, sweet as they come and just all out fun...and BOY!  Anna and Brandon just love him so much.  It is just a joy to watch.

Lindsay Jane donned a party hat for me.  Momentarily...

Patti and Alan, Stan's aunt and uncle (mine too now!) who we absolutely adore.  Strong, faith-filled, fun, loving and precious.  We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Little girls can be crazy too!!!

Uncle B and Landon.  These two are so sweet together.  Uncle B has quite a fondness of baseball and you ALL know how Landon feels about that!

Talk about a sweet bond.  Cole and Connor are just two peas in a pod.  Cole really looks up to my Connor and Connor is just so so sweet with him.  Does a mama's heart good.  Cole is constantly asking for Connor and because our two boys look so much alike, he has been known to exclaim excitedly, "TWO Connors!!!!" when they both arrived at the house.  ;)

Ladder ball!

Sweet Cole and Nanny to start our Labor Day pictures.  :)

Nanny borrowed aunt Teresa's sea saw for the Labor Day festivities.  Lillie and Lindsay Jane were at it again, showing us all that little girls can hang with the big boys!!

Connor and Cole bonding in the little pool. :)  Look at those precious faces.  They just love each other so much!

And, Patti!  She was quite the trooper pitching balls to our Landon!

Um, is there anything more fun than a slip n slide?  Well, maybe a slip n slide with cousins!!!

Stan and Alan had a chance for some bonding.  We are so thankful to have Alan so close and so involved in our kids' lives.  He is as close as they come to LD.  Gotta keep scrolling, starting to tear up.  Thanks Alan, for being you!

John and Allison brought there sweet crew!  Sarah and David showed us how to do the rope swing...

More Lillie and Lindsay Jane fun.

Allison and I got a chance to catch up which is always so wonderful.  She is a breath of fresh air in so many ways to me.  I am so so thankful God placed her in my life.  He always knows what we need.

Crazy Connor, not wanting his picture taken...

Sarah taking care of the baby while Lillie and Lindsay Jane admire her...

Crazy Connor and aunt Teresa.  We love her so much!!!

Uncle B and Landon bonding over baseball...told ya!

More seesaw fun!

Crazy Lindsay Jane...

Ross, Shannon, Ryan and Michelle.  This is one table full of goofballs.  Goofballs, I just adore!

The boys camped out that night...and Stan was geared and ready for a delicious breakfast Sunday morning...he told us that he would only cheat for coffee...going inside to get that out of the Keurig, but maintaining proper camping etiquette and cooking on the camping grill...

LJ and Cole were ready to eat!

See...what a crazy crew.  I really tried to get a good one!

Next activity...fishin' in the pond...don't let LJ's sweet appearance fool you.  All she did was whack the water with the pole.  Beware folks, this girls does not mess around...

Connor actually did quite well!

Not sure who was more proud of this catch!!

Landon caught many fish...

...but I did not get to take any pictures because I was desperately trying to avoid Cole and Lindsay Jane's fishing poles...it wasn't long before Anna and I decided to bail...two 2 year olds, 2 fishing poles, a large body of water...no thanks.

We left this scene and gave them the serenity needed to actually catch fish.  Anna and I headed to the creek on the golf cart with LJ, Cole and we picked up a Nanny too.

After the fun we had over the weekend...we managed to squeeze in a trip to the Iron Gate Vineyard with Ross and Shannon on Monday.  We had such an amazing time, just hanging out, listening to bluegrass music and sipping on wine.  It was a delightful afternoon, one I hope to repeat!!!

What a great time with the Cole family!  I love writing these Blogs, mostly because it helps me to count my many many blessings.  What a gift a great family is!!!  Hope you enjoyed.

Quiet and Waiting

Being quiet is not one of my strong suits.  And...it is not easily found within my sweet abode at this point in raising three active little joys.

Waiting is also not one of my strong suits.  And...I am surrounded by impatient little blessings who challenge my patience on a daily basis.  And patience is directly related to waiting.  Nope, not good at either.

It is amazing to me how often God brings me back to these two words: "Quiet and Waiting".

Quiet as adjective- "carried out discreetly, secretly, or with moderation"
Quiet as noun- "absence of noise or bustle; silence; calm
Quiet as verb- "make or become silent, calm or still"

Waiting- "the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens."

Let me tell you a little story.  Stan and I live in a home that was originally an empty lot in our neighborhood, covered with lovely old trees.  As with many lots of land that fit that description, time came for it to be sold and developed.  So, the crew that cleared out a space for our sweet little home, did just that, they cleared it.  So sad for all of those trees and I am certain the neighbors were not exactly thrilled about the loss of their forest view in favor of large trucks pushing away the earth and its lush vegetation.

When they cleared the lot, the pushed all of that lovely North Carolina red clay into a bit of a mound in the back yard, that they then covered with some random bushes, a magnolia tree and mulch.

If you know anything about North Carolina clay, you know that it is much less than desirable as a soil for growing plants.

Get the picture?

Needless to say, none of the original plants that the builder planted survived, except for the azaleas I transplanted and the extremely hardy and clay loving cyprus trees.

My dear gardening friend, Janise, has been telling me about her transporting in of good soil by the truck load to combat this issue...and man, her yard would make anyone think that planting in NC was easy...but she is not your typical gardener.  :)  I joke with her that she is a pioneer woman- certainly having many of the necessary skills to have survived way back int he day, off the land.  I stand in awe sometimes.  :)  That ain't me.

So, since transplanting a truck load of soil has never been a real option for me (cue the hubs here), I have had quite a journey in figuring out what to plant and where to plant it, to assure that each plant in it's uniqueness, has the best chance for survival - and then there is the flourishing and fruit bearing part.

So, you may remember this post from a long time ago: Grateful for My Gardener.  In re-reading it, it is amazing what I have to update you on...

You see, it says that I pruned this particular Magnolia Tree that I referenced as one of the original trees planted in our mound of red clay.  I was trying my best to wait and to care for this tree in the best way that I could.  I got lime, I fertilized, I watered, I read up on the care of Magnolias.

I also referenced the fact that it took 10 years for a Magnolia to become established.  Well, friends, that was this year...

I dug it up.  And this is what I found. A circular ball of roots, choked out by the inability to permeate the red clay, thus stunting its growth in a way it could not possibly flourish and bear fruit.

I also referenced that I had dreamed of planting a Crepe Myrtle tree there...4 years ago.  Well, look what I replaced that Magnolia with...

Waiting- "the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens."

After 4 years more of waiting, totaling 10 years for the magnolia tree, I decided it was time to uproot and time for the good soil, the more native and hardy tree for NC clay and more potential for flourishing in beauty in my backyard.

Guess what happened on the way home from the nursery, with the beloved tree, the 4 year old dream coming to reality?  An entire trunk (note I did not say "branch") snapped off.  This, after I convinced Stan to help me dig out the Magnolia, went to pick out the Crepe Myrtle and could not get it to fit in the van, so I had to wait longer and have Stan go pick it up in his truck for me...yes, Stan transported it home...which on it's way, it snapped.  And, I have never payed 120.00 for a tree. And. And. And.

I took a deep breath.  I saw the hurt in Stan's eyes for me and he offered to buy me another tree.  I did call my gardening expert, Janise, and she helped me with sympathy (great friend) and pruning possibilities to prepare for best outcome for the tree.

I then went on a run.  I knew I needed to set my mind in a better place and needed to pray.  You see, this past year has been a really hard year that I have referenced many times. Stan and I hit 13 years of marriage this year and it was a one of our hardest years to date.  It was hard because we tackled a challenge that we were not prepared for- anyone relate?  We both dealt with the challenge differently. It was hard because we were in new territory.  We both felt as if our roots were like that of the magnolia tree...bound in a soil that was not giving or forgiving, was stuck and was hard, gave no place to go except for around in a circle.  Chasing our tails is a mild way to describe this past year.

So, to have this new tree that I have been waiting for and I have been QUIET about, snap before even getting it into that great soil and prepared place... hurt!

As I ran, I prayed.  God directed me to an established Crepe Myrtle tree, one that had at least 15 years on my new little babe.  It looked as though it had a similar break early on.  That break had been nurtured.  That break had been pruned, with the advice of an expert gardener (thanks Janise) and had sprouted off a "V" shape, which was beautiful, and gave way to two trunks instead of one.  The tree was exquisite.  It was established now, but had weathered who knows how many storms.

I thought about the way God works and specifically, how he has worked in my marriage and my challenge this year.  It has been so hard to wait for His timing.  It has been hard to be quiet and also to know when I really don't need to be quiet.  This year Stan and I hit a crossroad.  It was not a break, because we will not be broken.  But, it was a place where we had to hit something head on, in our faces, that we were not prepared for.  For better or for worse, in sickness and in health...and in sickness and in health of those you hold dearest.

I thought about Stan and I sitting on our back deck in 20 years and looking out at that Crepe Myrtle tree and remembering this year.  And seeing the quiet and waiting that IS watching a tree grow- and seeing the fruits of good soil, good pruning and good light from the sun - as the tree has been placed with such care.  Just like the Lord placed Stan and I together.  He is our good soil.  He is our SON. He prunes us the way only he can.  And His pruning is the best.  His pruning allows for a different type of growth, one that may not be what we expect, but in the end, is for our good and His glory. Praise be to God that he is my gardener.  He wants to be yours too.

"...in quietness and trust is your strength..." Isaiah 30: 15

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18

Durham Charm Take Two

Stan and I had the lovely opportunity to take my parents for their Christmas gift this past Saturday. We got the tickets to the downtown Durham walking food tour.  It was an extra special gift, my favorite kind, the kind that includes quality time with those I love.

First stop.  Fishmongers.  Stan and I have talked about going here but hadn't made it until Saturday. We got to sample the grilled Salmon (my fave), catfish bites and another tasty treat I can't remember. The owner came out and told us all about how he is able to secure the freshest of the fresh fish and shellfish for his restaurant.  We also got to hear about the history of how Fishmongers started out as a seafood market.

My dad curbsided the owner after his schpeel and talked cooking, "just between us chefs".  Yes, we will be going back to Fishmongers, dad.  :)

Next stop was a little peak into Parker and Otis.  Stan found an interesting book about Charcuterie and had to send a picture to our dear friends who first introduced this country boy to such a phenomenon.

Next stop.  Lilly's Pizza.  My dad was excited and perusing the menu here...finding a lovely unique list of one of a kind pizza and toppings.  We still aren't quite sure what "atomic tofu" might taste like on pizza...We had a delicious basil, tomato and white cheese pizza instead with a glass of delicious chardonnay.  Yum.

The coolest thing about Lilly's?  The people.  The food was great and made even better by a very friendly staff who all greeted us and made us feel very welcomed.  We will go back.

Just a little piece of our 3.2 walked miles that day...

Next stop, The Little Dipper.  Think, Melting Pot, but cooler and more original.  I found it so neat that it was started by a teacher.  He and his wife own it and have made it into such a charming little destination.  We shared a dill cheese dip with broccoli, fresh bread, tomatoes and apples.  Yum, yum, yum.

Cool highlight here was the sand art.  There were pictures of sand hung on the wall.  The idea is to spin the frame and watch the different pictures unfold before your eyes.  Very cool.  When the kids get a little older, this will be a great place to take them...at this point, I fear the sand art might return to its original destination...the ground.

Very cool.  While leaving our next destination, Basan, a new Sushi restaurant which was the best food in Pop's opinion, there was a ball hit over the Bull at the ballpark and it rolled into our walking tour.  So Durham.  So fun.

We enjoyed a delicious sushi roll, shrimp and bok choy with a pear wine to complement.  It was very tasty and a great treat before heading to a show at the DPAC.  I am hoping to make this my first return destination after the tour since I already have DPAC tickets for the end of the month.  :)

Heading pack towards the Cupcake Bar...just passing up American Tobacco on the left.

And, a photo opportunity at the iconic steel bull downtown...

We did get to see an ELF too.  Here, dad was learning about the ELF from this fella who was traveling around the country in one.  Deemed as a bicycle, it also has an electric motor than can give you extra power when needed.  It is completely solar powered and manufactured at Organic Transit, right downtown Durham.

And then...the cupcake bar...

Dad said it was disgusting.  So so yummy.  We sampled the cinnamon with cream cheese icing and the mocha almond.  The unique thing about the cupcake bar is that there were many different liquours used in several of the cupcakes.  The staff gave us wonderful descriptions of the little tasty treats, leaving us hungry for more!  :)

We ended our tour at the Old Havana Sandwich shop with their classic Cuban sandwich and fried plantains.  Yummy.

Then, we headed to one of my all time favorite things about Durham, the ballpark.  My parents, being the avid baseball fans, were overjoyed when they remembered that the Bulls were a triple A team. The newly renovated stadium also captured their attention and it was a grand slam home run for our sweet Durham city tour for my parents.

What a beautiful park!

Happy Mommom and Pop!

Connor eeking out a smile for mama.

 Landon, in his element.

Our crew, with a grumpy Connor...

Snowcone?

There's that smile I love!

LJ was way into the snow cone and I was super glad she was on Stan's lap. ;)

She did "lap hop" during the game, but was outstanding as far as 2 year olds go.  Here mom was teaching her all the players' names. Note, puppy got to come to his first ever Bulls game.  :)

And, this here, may be why my Connor was so grumpy.  What a week for my new Kindergartner.

We had such a magical time on the tour.  It wasn't just Durham, it was the company.  The best kind of gift ever is that of an experience with those you love most.  What a treasured day for us all. Thanks Durham!