Last day of September

Just a quick check in (for you sweet folks who requested one). Let me tell you, I would love to write in detail about all that has gone on since my last post....but, I fear I'm becoming a lot more wise private in my old age. Days of wearing my heart on my sleeve may be behind me. What's that saying- burned once shame on you, burned twice shame on me? Something like that. I wasn't really "burned", but couldn't think of a saying for what it was. Greg tells me I get my sayings mixed up. Just yesterday I told him about how someone (we know) runs to the beat of their own drum. I continued on with my profound statement(and respect & awe of this person), but he got stuck on the visual of a guy running to the beat of a drum. Makes perfect sense to me--drum beats + running. Running, walking? We are still debating which it should be. Anyway.....I feel like I've learned much these past few months.

My friend, Jess, just wrote (on her blog) what have been my thoughts for some time, but words I have not figured out how to put on paper. I love that. When you read someone's {a friend's} words {thoughts}and you think ...yes, yes I totally agree. Or, simply, wow, that is just what I have been thinking, going through. Truly, it's comforting, and empowering all in one.

I would love to go into detail about the dinner with Greg's old gal pal ( a dinner where we were meeting her new fiance) and upon first handshake with her beau I realized that I had "sorta dated and definitely kissed" him (back during college days). He either did not remember me, or pretended not to...not sure...but for various reasons, I had to keep this little fact to myself until Greg & I got in the car for our ride home(5 hrs later). I felt awkward sharing that tiny bit of ancient history at this special meeting and didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.  Of all the people....regardless, the evening was fun.

So, you are welcome. I just shared a sort of detailed event.

And here are some little facts....
~Our new favorite place is the zoo....especially on one of these beautiful fall days.
~The movie Babe (about Babe Ruth) has been watched a lot lately-brings me to weepy tears every time.
~I think Greg is addicted to Lowe's. He seems to find any excuse to go there, and most always comes home with some sort of garage organizing device.
~My 79 yr old mom was scammed by a concrete contractor. He took her $1800 and ran. She's feisty and wise, and is suing him.
~I'm addicted to full fat Greek yogurt drenched in maple syrup and covered with walnuts.

That's all I've got for now. But, I feel some more blogging coming on....especially because the boys just announced yesterday was the "best day ever".

Rhino Friday

 For as long as I can remember my dad has been a big fan of soccer. He's had season tickets to the Rhino's {and the Lancer's before them} forever. He also has a brick in the new stadium with his name on it. As he grew closer to his 80's my brother started taking him to all the games. This past Friday we decided to join the.

 There were no goals.....the last several minutes were very intense(Rhino's scored in the final minutes)

 

As the sun was setting the sky turned a beautiful red. 

                                 A beautiful end to a fun evening.

Grey

Or is it...gray? The grammar experts tell me it's either.

It was while shopping for towels that I first realized I have a new obsession with the color grey. We were long overdue for some new master bath towels so I decided to stop into my favorite Homegoods store. For several minutes, I stood in the grey towel section choosing a small variety of towels...excited to get them home. As I was walking away I realized....my bathroom is not grey. It's tan and blue!

I blame it on feeling overly tired, all the time lately. That moment in Homegoods is when I realized I have a grey obsession, and I also have an obvious mental block as to which colors are actually in my home. And so I walked around our house taking a true inventory of my grey obsession.....

 The same day I towel shopped I also completed a couple of quick projects. One was purchasing {grey}scrapbook paper and putting them in white frames(no clue where we will hang them).

 I used the same {grey} paper to cover the letters above. After I applied the letters to the wall I stood back and once again realized....our kitchen is mostly tan/beige.

 The tiles sort of look grey, but in person they are all beige or tan.

 

 Most of the accents I have around are grey....bags, containers, etc.

 That same shopping day I found these {grey}rolls of wrapping paper. I had the idea that I will line the back of our china hutch with the paper. Thankfully, we had just painted our dining room grey.

Does grey match tan? It wouldn't be my first choice of colors to combine, but it's growing on me. Maybe grey is the new white?

Neighbors

 Over the weekend.....

Sometimes something happens in the course of my day and I think.....what in the world was that? {In a good way}. I just had one of those experiences and I can't stop thinking about it.

 

(a nest of baby rabbits live in here)

The details of finding and purchasing our current house....actually, the details of Greg being offered his current job.....were somewhat bizarre. And when I say bizarre I mean when I look back the details make me squint my eyes a little and say "hmmmm" to myself. On the days that I start questioning why we moved back home, or if we made the right decision I'm usually able to let those thoughts quickly go because of how it all happened. In my mind, the Lord guided us on a path and timed things in a way that I can only point back to Him.

So, with that in mind.....on one side of our home we have some lovely empty nesters. They are clearly in love, act younger than their age, and are friendly. Because Greg travels I am thankful that we are surrounded by neighbors who seem to be around a lot. Remember how I shared that our neighbors gazebo was ripped to shreds? Well, when I saw their grandkids playing on our swingset I ran out to chat with them(her) about the storm. Before I knew it, we were chatting about all sorts of things and she invited me to come look at her home.

Our conversation probably only lasted about 10 minutes....and, by the way, if your neighbor asks you to come inside and look at her house be sure to tell your family where you are going. I sort of disappeared which caused Greg and the boys to get a bit worried. Nice to know I was missed.
So, our conversation.... in the short time we chatted my dear neighbor shared things about her life, and brought up other specific random things that made my jaw drop. Why? Because they were words of encouragement about things she wouldn't have a clue I was struggling with could relate to. I don't want to say struggling because that really doesn't define it. It's too heavy of a word. Maybe heavily pondering is a better description.

 The things she shared about her life sounded so similar to some things I have been experiencing...or have experienced, or have thought about. It was like a 10 minute hug and an it's going to be ok. Definitely something I don't want to forget. It felt so intentional...as if the Lord orchestrated the whole thing.

Wow.

Just, wow. Oh, and her husband has a passion for Harley's. Just like Greg. Umm, that could mean trouble, but I'm not too worried.

Whole Lotta

 This is a post that may seem like a whole lotta nothing, but to me it's something.....

 What I've been thinking about lately.... Things I have a hard time putting into words. Ha. So why am I mentioning it? Because it's been all consuming these past few weeks and I feel like God has been showing me many things. {Does that sound like Christianese?} Anyway....He is pushing me through some hard stuff. I say pushing because I have to believe that He literally is pushing me and moving me forward. I've not shared what's been going on with anybody (but Greg) because it's been hard. Woah Nellie. Plus, I'm determined to not let it weigh me down or weaken me. That's when I realized that things feel different...I feel different. It's one of those deep and raw things.So I've been thinking about deep and raw things. :)

 What I have NOT been thinking about lately.......School stuff. For the first time ever-we have not done any schoolin' over the summer. We've just been reading fun books. I have no desire to organize our school stuff, and I don't want to research, purchase, or look at curriculum. I'm tired. I love having the boys home with me, I like homeschooling. I used to love it. I'm sort of blah about it at this moment. I'm sure I will get my mojo back...maybe. What I have realized more than ever is that I want homeschooling to be how we school...but not necessarily how we are defined. I feel like I've maybe kept myself in a homeschool box for awhile.

 Do we miss NJ?.......Yes. We miss so much about NJ....our friends, summer rugby, the things the boys were able to experience, living 17 miles from NYC....Every few days, the boys ask if we can go back to visit. Maybe what I'm missing is the adventure. Being in a fresh, new city with all it's new places, spaces, and faces. Don't get me wrong, I love our hometown and being near family & friends. I have a feeling if we still lived in NJ, I would be feeling homesick to move home. In fact, I know I would be homesick. It's just one of those things. 

(there was a quick and crazy wind storm last evening. See our neighbors gazebo in the background?....it was ripped to shreds in 5 minutes. I felt so bad for them)

What have I been reading?.....Hold Onto Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld. Such.a.good.book. I originally read it years ago. I picked it up the other day and opened it up to just the right paragraph. I'm now going to start over with highlighter in hand.
What have I been eating?.....ice cream-all kinds. Bowl next to me right now. Potato chips dipped in Greek yogurt. Pizza dipped in Blue Cheese and hot sauce. Those are all my go to yummies when Greg and the boys take off for some boy time.
What am I listening to right now?.....the neighbor mowing the lawn, the clink of a baseball bat.
What fun thing did I find this week?...Ulta's grey eye shadow and purple nail polish. I'm a mix of tom boy and girly girl. 
What was my scripture of the week?....psalm 94:18-19
   "When I said, “My foot is slipping", your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."     

Tis True

 (when I saw this on pinterest it brought back memories of a specific situation that happened when we were new to living in Canandaigua)

From experience, I find this statement so true. One thing about moving often-you are put in many "first" situations over and over. You meet a lot of new people.  Thankfully, so very thankfully....with each move we've met some wonderful people whom we've become friends with.  Ever so often there is that first impression, maybe a second, that goes wrong. You maybe tried too hard...or in various ways just were not yourself. You leave hitting yourself on the forehead thinking "why did I say that?" or act that way, or  _________(insert your own faux pax). On the flip side, sometimes you didn't say or do anything wrong. Not everyone is going to click. Regardless.....

When you meet someone new....remember that everyone has a story. Give people more than one chance. Don't judge or make up your mind about someone too quickly. You may be missing out on a really great friend.

Old Photos & Memories

My mom has a scrap book from her childhood....I just love going through it and reading all the notes, looking at the pictures, and then having her tell us stories associated with it all.

This last visit, I pulled the album out and snatched a few of my favorites.

This is a photo of my mom and her aunt Ann. Apparently, when my mom was 16 Auntie Ann took her to a dude ranch for the week (mom's dad was not happy). They had a great time. I loved how my 78 yr old mom remembered it like it was yesterday. She shared stories of the different people within the photo.

This announcement from the "new" Waring theater described it as having the only "cycloramic screne" (the spelling)

 I guess my mom suffered from severe cramps, too. She said she missed many days of school either because she had cramps or had to stay home and clean the house (such different days back then).

 

I also learned that she worked at the telephone company just so she could save up tuition to attend the University of Rochester. She managed to save a years tuition, but couldn't afford to go back after that one year. I believe she married my dad soon afterward.

 We also found this picture of my father. He was a talented basketball player, and after college continued to play while working at the RG&E. What was neat about this picture is that his teammate sitting next to him turned out to be the father of Greg's childhood best friend. Small world.

My parents, though their bodies show signs of aging, are filled with so many stories and memories that are fresh in their hearts.

Spontaneous Afternoon

There have been one too many rainy days lately. It was nice the first couple of days. We stayed home, drank hot drinks, and actually started painting the pink room. 

When a friend suggested we go to Seabreeze for the afternoon we were a bit hesitant thinking it would rain once again. I have a confession-we've never been to this popular local (15mins away) amusement park. I grew up going to Roseland, and never even went to Seabreeze as a child.

We decided to ignore the weather and head out late in the day.

 

The first ride got all the boys a bit dizzy. If you notice Ross in the 2 pictures....he's looking a bit stunned. We were a little worried, but he made it through the up and down ride. Never again.

 The boys went on this ride over and over and over......

 The Lazy Wave runner and the Big Wave were also hits. Despite the cool air, the boys spent most of their time in the water.

The boys ended the day with a quick spray race and a fluffy snake to take home. So glad our friends encouraged us to go.

Hello, Saturday

 Thankful for a grandpa that can still run around with the boys. And so thankful for a backyard. Highrise apartment living was a great experience, but being able to walk out your door to grass is so nice.

 We painted the brown dining room a silvery gray. (By this fuzzy picture it's clear I may need a new camera soon. )

 I've found a new fun place to shop....Hobby Lobby. I found the scripture above for about $10. It's Proverbs 3:5....our adoption scripture.

Also found these funky twisty plants to put on our front step.

Hello, Saturday.... and not feeling guilty about sleeping in. Hello to a day with nothing scheduled, and nothing urgent on the to do list. Actually, there is a to do list, but we are ignoring it for a while. : )

On Rainbows and Clouds

 

Can you see the rainbow? We dig rainbows around here. The dark rain cloud that's above it...not so much. 

  I made another less significant small change. We put our pheasant painting (by my Dad) above the fireplace....and moved the red flowers to the entryway. Not sure it's a permanent change, but Greg is getting tired of new nail holes...so they may remain where they are.....

The "Victoria's Secret Room" below (named by friend's daughter) is next on our project list. The pink is going....grey/blue may be coming.

Thankfully, Greg will be coming home today after being away for a few days. We are all loving summer mode...and not thinking about school stuff at all. More on that next.....because aside from feeling wonky lately, there are happy, fun things going on too ;)

Stuff

I found some stray photos from NJ. They brought back some fun memories. I'm not sure if it's the grey skies, cold weather, or what....but I have been feeling sort of gloomy. No energy, and perfectly content to lay on the couch with a bag of chocolate (yes, the whole bag). I have a million projects to be completed and don't feel like doing anything. Though, we did finally finish the dining room painting project-woo hoo.

 Problem is, I have 2 active boys who are not into the whole laying on the couch eating chocolate thing. The responsibility of motherhood seems so huge sometimes. Some days it feels effortless....other days, I think about how my direction plays into their futures. How my choices make such a difference in their lives. Oy! I've been thinking a lot about how I was raised. How life was so different when I was a girl....a super shy little girl. I didn't participate in any sports(my choice), and never took a  music lesson(again, my choice. though we had a piano and guitar, and my brother was in a 70's rock band). I don't remember reading tons of books. I do remember my mom after schooling us (but that's a whole 'nother story). We had lots of books, and I'm sure my mom read to us when we were little. I think? Yes, I'm sure. It was just all so different. More simple.

My mom never worried that she was messing us up. She never fretted that I didn't want to join a sports team or finish that art lesson....or that I was super duper shy. She really listened to and supported me. She gave me security. Even today, she still encourages me and reminds me of these things. Now, I'm not saying it was all perfect. Oh, I could tell you stories. But it was a pretty good childhood.

What I find interesting is that today... I love reading, I play sports, and I'm not as shy. I never was prepped or nurtured in those areas, yet.....I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but that makes me think. 

onto the stray photos.....

 Our homeschool gym class. Coach Brandon would take the train in from the Bronx. This same group would go to a science class held at a ladies home. I remember always having to make sure we had money for the meters.....

 The boys look excited, huh? They actually really liked gathering for our Friday group. We met in the basement of our church....the kids did science experiments, art projects, and because all the moms spoke Spanish (except me) they learned Spanish.

 One of the moms arranged for us to dissect a starfish for our last class.

                   

More Pics

Everytime I write a blog post, I think...."why am I doing this?" and then I remember that only a handful of friends and family read this, so what does it matter? Meaning-I need to either stop keeping this blog, or quit feeling so vulnerable by keeping it. Soooo, guess I will post more pictures....

 After having limited space for the past 3 years we are pretty excited to have some extra space. The bedrooms are on the small side, but thankfully there is an extra to hold our school supplies. We can shut the door and move on....

 My dear friend, Tiffanie, surprised us with the neatest house warming gift. What is extra special is that she made it herself (she makes custom wreaths and door hangings). This picture doesn't even do the monogram justice. It arrived with an awesome bow, ready to hang. I have been alternating between our front door and over the bed. So far, over the bed wins....or maybe the door? Love it!

                    I actually centered it, and really do make my bed a little neater than that. (at least the part about the monogram being centered is true).

Lastly, I give you our entry window. I love that big window....except our bedroom doors are across from it. It makes privacy as we are all getting ready for bed really crazy. We usually have to turn off the hall lights so the boys can walk from their bathroom to their bedroom. Weird design...and a pain in the neck to wash. Literally.

A little tour.....

Here we go....I'm tired, so my sentences may be choppy.
We inherited this dry sink (I think that's what it is) from Greg's grandma. My mother in law remembers it being in their house when she was little. I was going to paint it,but think we may keep it as is. We keep shuffling it around the house....looking for it's proper place.

We've been loving our kitchen area. The area gets all warm and sunny in the morning, which makes it a good spot for coffee. I'm not a morning person but this area makes me enjoy mornings. Still figuring out what chairs to use (currently using our Ikea folding chairs).

One thing that surprised me.....we have not painted one wall since we moved in. I think it's partly because we were just so tired from the move. We did spontaneously purchase a couch and chairs. I found the big flower painting at the Christmas Tree Shop for $29! Still deciding if we will keep it over the fireplace. What do you think? We are changing out the coffee table for the one I grew up with (thanks mom), and we're planning on spray painting it "hammered metal".

I tend to be impatient when it comes to decorating. When I get on a roll I don't stop. One day, Greg and I just started randomly hanging these photos(from storage). I'm not thrilled with our layout, but it works for now.

              I found this pillow at TJ Maxx for $15....love it. It's made of felt and super soft.

I have a large collection of my father's paintings. His oil paintings are hanging on the walls of Greg's parent's house. I was so happy to finally be able to hang some of his watercolors.

While searching for our sofa, we found this dining room sideboard at Raymour & Flanigan's clearance center. It now sits in Greg's office.

And this is one of the walls in Greg's office. The diamonds are painted on (by previous house owner).

The dining room is currently brown. We are on a hunt for a new color... maybe grey? So, there you have it. I hope to take more pictures. I love going back to old blog posts and looking at our previous house....it just encourages me to keep posts of this decorating process as well. I've definitely noticed how our style and color choices have changed.