Catching Up

The whirlwind of leaves tumbling to the ground today aptly represents life in the past few months.

A few days before school started in early August, we welcomed another daughter for the school year.

The first day of school our senior drove away for her final year accompanied by her brother, now a sophomore, and new sister, a junior.

Then I walked down to the bus stop with our 5th grader~her last year at elementary school.

The enthusiastic dash to the bus will ebb in the years ahead, I know.

A few weeks later college started, but our oldest daughter will be immortalized in her senior picture...only mom will keep you young forever!

Friday evenings were spent relaxing on the deck, including marshmallows roasted to golden perfection.

A new tastebud experience! She loves smores!

Partners in crime!

Friday night lights in the Reitz Bowl...

supported by the community.

And backyard sunsets.

The beginning of busy days with more adventures to come!

A Little Girl's Dream

The heart of this country girl fluttered nervously...unbelievably...

as this little lady took the stage at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

As a young girl, I spent hours listening to the stories she told through her music. I would entertain the idea of one day meeting the woman whose voice was like a familiar friend, but I knew it was only a dream.

But sometimes dreams do come true, as Ron and I landed coveted tickets to a historic concert that sold out in 30 minutes (thank you, Kiahra).

And we sat in awe throughout the entire concert, as Dolly may be a little lady, but she has a big personality and even bigger voice! The Ryman Auditorium is acoustically a perfect showcase for her stunning vocals.

As a kid with limited exposure to Hollywood and the rich and famous, I am not enamored with celebrities. Dolly is an exception. She is talented beyond belief as a songwriter and vocalist, but she exudes a genuine humility with a deep pride in her roots. And just as reminder of how she takes care of her family and community, it was a benefit concert for the Dustin J Wells Foundation. The proceeds support the W.O. Smith Music School which share the gift of music with underprivileged students in the region. A few of the students performed during the opening act...and what an opportunity...and what talent.

Dolly performed a second concert the following evening to support her fellow musicians and the Ryman Auditorium. It wasn't planned, but after recognizing the demand for  concert tickets I suspect she felt she could fill a need for everyone...

her generosity is inspiring!

This evening will stay close to my heart forever.

Now, if only I could take my children to a concert...

Summer Days

The sultry summer evenings are disappearing, and a crispness in the air is emerging~autumn is coming.

I look back with nostalgia at what this summer looked like...

Swim team

Fishing in the backyard

Hockey Camp (and a serious growth spurt)

Pittsburgh revisited...old friends...familiar streets...

...infamous sandwiches and fancy nails.

 A favorite city scape with old friends after a late night run on the incline car!

Road trip with friends

Badlands ballerina~Dances in Sky (bestowed upon her by her brother)

Laugher...

The Black Hills of home...

with one of my girls.

Did I happen to mention fishing?

With an uncle?

And more laughter?

Historic Deadwood~Days of '76

 Two Top juts out of the South Dakota prairie marking the region my great-grandparents homesteaded...

And generations later the love of family!

Quiet country roads

I may have forgotten, but bow fishing...

Friends pondering the meaning of life...

or perhaps more likely~ why summer days are so fleeting?

Christmas Road Trip

Christmas vacation continued with a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. 

Our first stop was lunch~Tennessee BBQ!

The dry rub ribs were amazing! My grandpa and grandma loved them, as did we!

Then we were off to tour the Ryman Auditorium where early country legends oft performed. 

Afterwards, we walked the streets of Nashville past the honky tonks and bars. Music blared into the streets. 

Later we returned to the Ryman again for a performance of the Grand Ol' Opry.

The next morning we ventured down to the Belle Meade Plantation. 

Crazy girl!

Pausing along the train will my big girls!

The cozy cabin was a stark contrast to the opulence of the mansion.

Afterwards, we headed south to Franklin, Tennessee. Clouds were gathering when we arrived and purchased our tickets to tour the Carnton Plantation. Then the story of how the bloodiest battle of the Civil War unfolded, resulting in the mansion becoming a makeshift hospital. 

Afterwards we walked over to the Confederate Cemetery in the drizzle. We saw the rows and rows of headstones~proof of the carnage of battle. As we embraced the somber reality the rain came pouring down.

Then we settled in for the ride home in the rain.

Christmas in July

Sometimes when the kids were younger I would torment them by humming Christmas carols in July...or even break out in song in the kitchen.

"Mom! It's July!" they would admonish me.

So now sultry, hot July has arrived, and my mind drifts back to Christmas.

The first Christmas in our new home in Indiana made special by a visit from with my parents. 

The kids shopped (aka schemed) carefully for each other. Kiahra cleverly boxed Kade's present in a Victoria's Secret box much to her delight and Kade's surprise captured in this photo!

Kade found the perfect book for his little sister...

And he knew that his big sister (well she was taller than he was at Christmastime anyway) loved snow globes.

Our annual Christmas puzzle was unwrapped by grandparents!

Photo bomb.

And special framed photos with daddy brought lots of smiles!

Boots. I soon would discover these are the most comfortable boots ever! I didn't take them off for the entire winter. Seriously.

Hubby's smile is my favorite. He wore it all night watching his delighted kiddos.

And the biggest surprise of the night~a carefully wrapped scarf and hat concealed the "real" present.  The utter delight on her face will not be forgotten. This little bug is hard to surprise...and did I mention she is snoopy??

It was Christmas Eve filled with laughter and smiles wrapped in the comfort of our living room where the fire crackled and my heart danced.

I cannot explain why it was so special to me...was it because it was our first Indiana Christmas? Or that we shared it with grandparents? Or that I managed to surprise the kids? Or all of those things? And more?

Always I will recall Christmas 2014 with fondness~and treasure these photos of unabated emotion.