Welcome To Our City...

There is a lot of excitement going on in my hometown these days.  Look who rolled into town today...

Yes, that's right. The Extreme Home Makeover Team is here to give a very deserving family a new home. 

photo from Dayton Daily News

The neighborhood where all this is taking place is just up the street from where we live. People... this is exciting stuff! And I suppose that I am a little star struck. I'm telling you, things like this just don't happen in my neck of the woods!

I joined a couple of friends (one being my friend , Lori who took the photos) on a walk through the neighborhood to see if we could perhaps see anything or you know, maybe meet Ty and the rest of the team. Unfortunately, we didn't get very far...

This is "Shag" and although he looks pretty intimidating here, he really was a very nice man. 

I also have the opportunity along with our daughter, Jessica to work at the site next week so I am really looking forward to that. It's things like this that just put a smile on your face. People helping people and what an awesome thing to see our community coming together in support of this family. To read more about this family, go here. 

What Cooler Days Bring...

We have found ourselves inside the last couple of days due to the fact that here in Ohio we are having anything but hot summer days. The temperatures have been somewhat cooler and the sun seems to have found a home behind the clouds the past couple of days. I know that I shouldn't be complaining because these cooler, overcast days have caused me to get some things done around the house. Important stuff like cleaning out closets and desk drawers. It has also given me the opportunity to sit here at my desk this morning and write a new post. I haven't been blogging much these days, so for all of you faithful readers out there, I appreciate you still following along! So, perhaps just one more day of being inside isn't such a bad thing. I just took the dogs outside and the sun is shining and I do feel some humidity in the air once again. Maybe warmer temperatures are just around the corner and I can sit by the pool, drink iced tea, watch the boys play and enjoy my summer reading.

I am currently reading The Moment Between by Nicole Baart. This is definitely unlike any book I have ever read, but I m really enjoying it and it is one I recommend. She is a very talented and creative writer.  I love books that are unpredictable and have really strong character development. You know, where you feel this connection to the characters and you find yourself thinking about them even after you have closed the book for awhile. I have made a few orders with Amazon over the summer and let me just say that it's pretty much the highlight of my day when I see the mailbox with a brown box inside. Yes, I love my books! Because I love hearing about good books to read, I thought I would pass onto you some of the books I have recently added to list of books I want to read...

The Power of Praying For Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian. With having an 18-year old daughter who is leaving home this September, I am thinking this is exactly what I will need. Oh, the power of prayer!

The Time Traveler's Wife  by Audrey Niffenegger. Although I generally stick to Christian fiction, I thought I would give this a try. It is now a movie, and from the previews, it looks pretty good. The book is always better than the movie too, right? Have any of you read it? 

Of course, there has to be a couple of cookbooks thrown in here, so check out Coming Home With Gooseberry Patch and Ina Garten's Back To Basics. 

If there are any good books you have read this summer, I would love for you to leave me a comment. Until then, enjoy the summer days, no matter what the temperatures outside may be, and enjoy those books!

Celebrating...

Happy 13th Birthday Sam... We love you!

Camping...

I've only been camping once in my life. It really is something that I would like to again as my first experience was really was a pleasant one. That is, aside from the raccoon (that I thought was a big, hungry bear of course) that was scratching on our tent through the evening. I'm not sure why we haven't camped as a family because I sure do like the idea of sitting around a campfire, talking, and of course, making plenty of s'mores. 

My husband on the other hand has been camping numerous times. And when I say camping, I mean roughing it in the truest sense. Several years ago, my husband along with one of his best friends began making hiking trips along the Appalachian Trail. At this time, Steve and his friend have completed the entire southern portion of the trail. One day, he hopes to have completed the whole trail.  While their trips have lasted one to two weeks, it isn't uncommon for them to put in 10-15 miles per day of hiking. Come nightfall, they then make their way to a designated area and call it a night. Sometimes they do take tents, but most often they just prefer sleeping in a hammock. I'm not so sure I could do that. In fact, there is no way I could. 

I think that if I were going to rough it, my campsite would look something like this...

photo from Country Living

If you are looking for a fun website to peruse through, this is where the tent came from.

And if I decided I wanted to camp out in a little more extravagant way, I think I would perhaps choose this...

photo from Country Living

Oh, I should probably mention that this camping site is located on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii.  Can it really get any better than that?

Have a great weekend friends!

Vacation Part 2...

Our week continued with a trip to Manassas Battlefield. I know this is one battlefield that Sam has very much wanted to visit because it is where one of his favorite heros earned his name...

During the first battle of Bull Run General Thomas Jackson earned the name "Stonewall".

One of my favorite things that we did was to actually visit Stonewall Jackson's headquarters that is located in Winchester, Virginia. We were able to walk through the house, see artifacts and belongings of General Jackson and hear stories of the events that occurred there in the home. And for all of you history buffs out there, we even saw the prayer table and prayer book that belonged to Stonewall and was later used in the movie "Gods and Generals".

Our trip wasn't all history related for which Ben was very thankful. We have some very good friends that live in the D.C. area so we were able to meet up with them and spend the day in the city. Later that evening we went to their townhouse where Ben was able to meet up with some of his favorite friends. Please let me introduce you to Abby...

One day, the girls of the family headed off to the Virginia Farm Market...

I think my sister, Sarah and I had a lot more fun taking pictures than actually shopping. Although I did come home with a delicious blackberry pie... yum!

This was definitely a vacation packed full of memories. Mom and Dad, we had a wonderful time and we miss you so much already. We look forward to seeing you again real soon!

Summer Vacation...

Hello friends! What a long time it has been since my last post. Is it just me or does it seem that summer is flying by? It makes me kind of sad to think that before long the summer days are going to be coming to an end and all the back to school planning takes over once again. This summer has been one of the busiest summers our family has had. I'm sure that's one reason why the days seem to be slipping away so quickly. It's definitely been a summer packed full of memories and fun times for which I am thankful.

This last week was spent visiting my parents in their new home in Winchester, Virginia. Coming from Ohio where we are surrounded by farms and flat land, we so enjoyed the mountains and rolling hills. What a beautiful part of the country! Not only is it beautiful but there are so many historical places to see and visit. It was a great week spent with my parents as well as my sister, Sarah, her husband, and my niece, Anna Claire.

The first day trip we planned was visiting Harper's Ferry. This is where during the Civil War, General Lee moved troops in to capture the town. It was a strategic location because of the railroad that both sides frequently used through the town at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley.

Sam, Ben, and Anna Claire...

The town is now maintained as a National Historical Park and how neat it was to walk the streets and go into some of the old buildings.

Overlooking the Potamac River...

Another day trip included me riding along with my husband, my Dad, and Sam to Antietam Battlefield. What made Sam the happiest about my parents recent relocation was the fact that they are so close to one of his favorite places to visit... Civil War Battlefields.

Papa and Sam overlooking the battlefield from the 60-foot tower.

I loved being here with Sam because I know how much he enjoys it. Through him, I have learned so much about this particular time in history. He can tell story after story about the events that took place. As we walked this part of the battlefield known as "Bloody Lane", I asked him what it is that he enjoys so much about coming to the battlefields. He replied, "It's just being here." After all the books he has read, pictures he has seen, and watching "Gods and Generals" and "Gettysburg" countless times, I know in his mind he was putting himself in the shoes of a soldier.

Next stop... Manassas, Washington D.C. and a few other highlights!