Sunday, June 17, 2012

My Greatest Gifts

 "A father is neither an anchor to hold us back,
 nor a sail to take us there, 
but a guiding light whose love shows us the way." 
~author unknown~

To you, Brian...from your girls. We love you so very much...


 
Happy Father's Day Brian! from Karen on Vimeo.

And for you Dad,
thank you
 for all your love
 and guidance
over all these years. 
I am richly blessed.  
I love you. 

Since I am not there with you in person,
a virtual hug will have to do...


"The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him."
 Proverbs 20:7

Monday, June 11, 2012

Enough

Aunt Bridget getting ready to take Lucy to gymnastics class.


“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.” 
Walt Whitman


Hopefully this is a lesson Lucy will learn;  spending time with those who are special and important in our lives...is simply enough.  This was certainly true on a recent visit from Aunt Bridget.  We enjoyed hanging out, and just being.  And we had an evening of cool weather, perfect for "beer night, fire night," (as we like to call it)  and for Lucy, "special fizzy drink night".   



The weather warmed up during the day, so ice cream at West Chester's iconic " The Cone,"  was a must.  And yes...Lucy pretty much ate that entire cone!  (And that was a small!)  



Our garden is growing and changing daily.  Just like last year, Lucy loves to go water and explore, see how things are growing and blooming, and what our chipmunks and rabbits have eaten lately.  We recently found some new friends in the garden:  5 caterpillars!  Lucy was fascinated!  (And now has a reference point, since she loves Eric Carle's book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar.") 



Getting the house ready for sale has begun.  And just one of the (many) things on the "to do" list:  
Project Demolition Deck


(The back story:  this house came with an above ground pool.  We got rid of that within the first year, leaving us with a lower part to our deck, which I will affectionately call "the deck to no where."  Rather than sanding, washing, staining and painting the darn thing...down she came!)



Lucy took a front row seat, and loved the show (although the noise of the chain saw...not so much.)





 All done!  
(onto the next project...stay tuned!)


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend



"We want something else which can hardly be put into words--
to be united with beauty we see, to pass into it,
 to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it."
C.S. Lewis


Memorial day weekend was spent mostly outside.  Even though it was incredibly hot, we took advantage of our mornings and late afternoons, to bathe in all the beauty the outdoors had to offer.


Of course I am not even sure Lucy recognized how hot it was.  Oh, to be young and  carefree!










We decided to make a trip back into the woods, to show Daddy the "scene of the crime" (ie, our friend the German Shepherd, referred to in the last post). 





Lucy deciding to entertain herself (and us) singing at the outdoor amphitheater at Kehner Park:



Taking an (unprompted-by-her-parents)-bow...


Lucy's first attempt to take a picture....(not too bad!)....


Heading back into the woods....


And, yes, Brian is really wearing socks with his sandals.   I thought this fashion statement was reserved for those over 55?


And coming out....Such a hike! Our little girl was a real trooper!


The Memorial Day Parade, downtown West Chester:



God bless America, and all those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.


How have you been staying cool lately?