Decades Of Love ! Happy Anniversary Jim ~

I have been married to the man of my dreams for almost 4 decades. I have known him that long. We were high school sweethearts, and married while we were both in college and working part time jobs to support ourselves. My beloved was still going to college and working two jobs when our first born , our daughter Autumn , joined our family. Shortly thereafter our two sons were born and we were still working part-time jobs , my husband was still attending his college classes. I am amazed when I look back on our lives to see how hard my husband worked for us ( often 2 jobs at a time), and still took time to play with our children, help me out with the children, keep up our home, and enjoy many simple yet rewarding family times, the times that count in the grand scheme of things that matter. My husband also made sure we were at church every Sunday morning, often helping out at church too.He supported our homeschooling the children in a time when home-schooling was unheard of and friends and family were not so supportive. Without the quiet strength and love of my husband, my beloved, I do not think we would have fared as well and God was so kind and gracious to me to give me my Jim. Happy anniversary Jim, I love you.~ ~" For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother , and shall cleave unto his own wife; and the two shall become one flesh..." Ephesians 5:31

Kitten Playground

Our granddaughters' kitten. 'Bubba', looks so cute playing with my weaving while it is still on the loom, but cute got out of hand quickly... This is what happened when I went to get myself a cup of coffee. I came back to a kitten wedged in the warp & heddles of my loom. I had to open the heddles and help him extricate himself. Of course I did take a moment to capture a few pictures.

This really can't be good for the warp threads, or the kitten.

He kept playing under the loom and in the weaving, climbing my legs too. OUCH !

After this picture I put him in the craft room and closed the door, somebody had to get some weaving done and it wasn't going to be him.

Summer Weaving

The warp (fiber I thread my loom with ) threads are chosen,

with help from the granddaughters' kitten.

The loom is threaded and I begin weaving rugs, using wool roving, which is long , continuous strands of carded wool from my sheep .

Weaving is for me a peaceful pursuit when I have successfully threaded the loom and am happy with the end result. I was able to produce 4 rugs from this warp and am looking forward to again threading the loom in different warp colors. Each time I weave I learn so much more about the craft, and the process causes me to think about life in general as I throw the shuttle back & forth, back & forth. " My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle." Job 7:6

July Celebration

How many kids can you fit into a kiddie pool? This is really family togetherness.

My husband and I had the privilege of hosting a 2 day Sister's Reunion with my sisters and their families. We gathered here to celebrate being family and the 4th of July. We had gunnysack races...

...water balloon toss and fights.

Children marveled at frogs,

close up,

and snakes too. Here my husband is showing the children a snake he found, and being the big kid he is, he chased my sisters around with the snake, to the great delight of the children. They loved seeing my sisters running and screaming. ( Sorry sisters )

The children made their own stick horses,

then raced them.

There were 3-legged races,

An aunt chatting with a niece...

...an uncle cuddling a nephew.

Slip n' slide,

painting bird houses,

a 4th of July parade,

a make your own ice cream sundae buffet with all the toppings and whip cream any kid ( or grown-up ) could want, as much as they wanted.Of course there was barbecue. We had boat rides, lawn games, just sit & visit time.

" Celebrate :..commemorate or rejoice over..." Funk & Wagnall Dictionary Celebrating family and our country's Independence Day with love and thankfulness, truly a blessing not to take for granted.