Keeping active children engaged during family gatherings can be challenging at times. I am grateful for the fun, uncomplicated activities found on various child-related internet sites.
Thanks to my daughter for this fun, easy activity for Thanksgiving. I apologize for not knowing to whom the credit goes. But thank you!
We cut out ‘feathers’ from colored paper, put them all about the house. The children ‘found’ them and taped them to the drawn Turkey we taped on the wall. It was fun, but did not last very long.
My daughter drew the Turkey on paper and taped to the wall.‘Feathers’ were strewn all about the house.Helping the children tape on feathers.Lots of fun finding the feathers.Our turkey was feathered quickly!It did not take long, but was fun!
Do you have special holiday activities? Please share!
I am of an age now where ‘new’ things are the ‘old’ things I used to do when I was young.
Macramé is one of those ‘new’ things. I wanted to hang my orchids outside under our tree for summer. I thought I would macramé my own like I did so many years ago. But…
Having them already made to use quickly changed my mind. At the check-out I asked the clerk (who was about my age) if she ever did macramé. She said yes, she had. She made a plant hanger for her mother that she kept until she died. Isn’t that too sweet?
These knotted hangers were fun to make when I was a kid.
You know what? Think I’ll go get some materials so my grandkids and I can make a macramé pot hanger together for their mommas!
I wanted to hang my orchids in our tree for summer.They are happy here.Think my grandkids and I’ll make some for their mommas.
Life on the farm is unique. What compares? Share your thoughts. We grow our own food, raise a bunch of critters, have a bunch of fun, love the land. Outdoors is best. I’m bias? Yes, I am… May I ask you this—Do you love the land?
How about you? What’s your ‘jam’? Tell us, please! As my mother used to say, “It takes all kinds to make this world, Midy”.
She was right.
Pond reflections of windmill.Have you ever considered the life of a pond?Good day of fishing…he is the small one….Dinner from our pond.Nothing like line-dried clothes, yeah!Our broody hen, Fifi…setting on 7 fertile eggs.Evening-tide on the farm. Coveralls are essential items out here! I love this land. I love my farm…what do YOU love?
Or should I say a little hike up the mountain. Visiting my twin sister and her family out West has always been fun and exciting. The Front Range has been home to them for around twenty years.
Hunting, hiking, and horseback riding has been their life since moving out here thirty years ago. Hunting excursions are not my thing, but the hiking and horseback riding have been terrific. We have done both in some of the prettiest wilderness areas I have seen.
All her children are now grown, and we both are grannys. As Mom used to say, “I ain’t the horse I used to be.” So now they are the ones to take the big hunts, hikes and horseback rides. Their lives have enlarged and mine have decreased. Such is life.
So this morning when my way-taller than me nephew invited me to join him on a hike, I was happy to oblige.
“You’ll just need to walk slower though and let me catch my breath. Ok?”
Virginia has lots more air than way up here in Green Mountain Falls, CO, elevation about 7,700ft. While my Winchester, VA home is around 725ft.
A bright morning sky warmed the air and made the patches of snow easier to walk on.
My nephew was a patient guide. He stopped frequently for me, which was helpful because we talked the entire little hike to the big rock. Talking between an ‘ole Aunty and a young nephew is easy and comfortable out on the trails.
A breathtaking view awaited our arrival. My thoughtful nephew guide offered to help me atop the big rock for an even better view. What a fun, special time we had on our little hike this morning. It was wonderful and spectacular.
Our little hike to this rock. Can you see it?A better view.My way-taller than me nephew-guide helped me atop the rock.The wonderful and spectacular view from the rock. Pikes Peak in background.Pikes Peak is peeping overtop the mountain range.
I grew up in the tourist industry. Memorial Day through Labor Day started and finished the busiest time of year for us. It was tourist season, summer time, school break, taking folks through the caverns, working in the campground, and best of all taking tourists on horseback trail rides through the mountains where we lived at Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. Could not get better than that for me.
I have used this reasoning to help understand my sadness at the end of summer and beginning of fall. The season is over, everyone has gone home, it will now be quiet I would think to myself. For years we rented the horses for our livery and they too had to leave. This only added to that empty feeling inside.
We sold the caverns way back in 1976. One would think I’d be over that feeling of summer being over. Guess that’s not going to happen. What I have learned is to enjoy the remnants of summer fun and family visits as I work to get things back in order after all the family visit fun.
As I was cleaning up after three weeks of great family times, I found myself taking photographs of all the evidence of the fun we enjoyed together. It made me smile and filled my heart with thankfulness.
Can you can see what I mean with these fun, silly photographs? All the evidence of family summer fun?
Loads of dirty laundry.Beds that need remaking.A little garden posy for guests.Flyers from places we visited.Little memories purchased.Left over wine.Photos of the visits.
I hope as this summer winds down you too have some remnants of family fun around your house as well. Good by summer, fare thee well and…
I was asked this question many times as a young mother with five children, dogs, cats, and a bird. I would laugh and say, “Yes! Around 2 a.m. in the morning it’s nice and quiet!”
We still have dogs, cats, a bird, horses and chickens but the children are grown and now have families of their own. So our busy, noisy home full of kids happens only when our grandchildren come for visits.
Cousins that do not often see one another get extended time together here on the farm for a couple nights. To say it is wild and crazy is rather an understatement. We aim to please, create life-long memories, and ties that bind us together as family.
Good planning ahead of visit makes these times special and smoother sailing for everyone. The groceries! How much needs to be stocked up for these ever-hungry little people! I know the meals and snacks we will have, and am all prepared!
They pile like a pack of puppies in our downstairs bedroom. Who ever said sleep-overs were about sleep?
They are all here for only a couple nights. Just enough to keep everyone wanting more, while making fun, life-long memories.
They sure seem to enjoy one anothers’ company. Watching them run, laugh, play tag, chase lightning bugs at night and eat like little piggies around the table confirm that these are the times they will hold dear one day. Glory!
They are not interested much in going out to “do things.” They simply want their free time to spend together outside. With the exception of always wanting to go get soft-serve ice cream at Packs. We visited only one place off the farm this visit.
When I watch these happy children run like little wild indians around our farm, I am reminded of the poem The Barefoot Boy, by John Greenleaf Whittier:
Blessings on thee, little man,Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!…
The joys, innocence and simplicity of childhood are taken away far too early these days. Childhood is gift every child should be given. We see to it these grandchildren have full, simple and hopefully memorable times with each other in this ephemeral time called childhood.
We hope these photos of our barefoot boys and girl bring a smile and perhaps a special memory to you.
A huge hit—the swing set!An early (5:45 a.m.!) morning quiet time.The only one still asleep? Our 13 year-oldgrandson!😂Sugar cubes were a ‘new’ thing for them. Another huge hit!Going to join fishermen cousins at the pond—our little girl and puppy.Always ready to fish!A tiny sunfish!A beautiful wildflower bouquet brought in from the field for the table!Water gun fun—shooting the photographer, me!Always have horseback riding times! High Hope is a good teacher.Riding double bareback in a halter and lead line. Oh the fun of it! High Hope agrees.Duke is always a favorite with everyone.Fireworks are always in order when their Uncle Gordon is here!Bam!A Good Morning greeting and wake up from HoneyPie.“Time to get up,” Buster says.The swing set has now fallen silent…until next time.
Another season is done for our Frederick and Clarke County fairs. Such fun when they come, sweet sorrow when over.
Do you know Scripture says something about joys coming to an end? “…and the end of joy may be grief.” Proverbs 14:13 It sometimes is hard when happy times end isn’t it? Yet God in His grace forewarns us of this. And since forewarned is forearmed, I’m somewhat ready for the end of a happy time.
One thing I noticed while walking around the empty fairgrounds in Clarke County, there is a feeling of joy and laughter lingering in the air among the trees. The few folks that are there are smiling and happy. Perhaps because it is over and it is fun helping exhibitors pick up their entries. There is much work involved to putting on a fair, and those folks do a fine job.
A pleasant feeling of community also lingers. We see neighbors, politicians, our local police, farmers, and lots of young people busy with their animals, all hoping for a ribbon or waiting in line for carnival rides or for some awful, yummy junk food. Often this is the only time during the year we see so much of our community and neighbors.
And now in the end happy crows are busy gobbling up all the leftover treats. Popcorn, French fries, funnel cake. All crumbs are being happily cleaned up by flocks of crows. Even they sound happy!
So as I walk the now quiet fair grounds I smile, for the joy of fairs past and those yet to come. Hope you enjoy this quiet little walk with me.
“Jehovah Rapha,” is the cry of my heart this sad week. We cry out to God, and He hears us. Oh Lord, heal our land, heal our people.
We are living in an upside-down world of no sense. Wrong is called right and right called wrong. Yet, we all can agree the mass murders that took place this week are wrong and devastating. If only Your people would hear Your voice, You would heal our land. Repentance belongs to us, we must repent of our sins for God to hear us. Dear God, hear those that cry out to You. Comfort our hearts, those families. Spread Your loving wings over our hurting hearts. We need You! This is my prayer this week. To God be the Glory!
That is today? I thought to myself while passing by the Shenandoah County Fair Grounds on my way to Harrisonburg, VA. How did I ever loose track of that? I promised my grandson, William, we would go see them when they came this summer! Now what was I going todo?
I had plans for the day, and it sure did not include this activity I had promised to William. Pulling off to the side of the highway, I checked out the Fair website. Sure enough, the races were today, starting at noon. I knew then I had been given this reminder, graciously by God. I must not let my grandson down. We had read together, with great joy and interest Born To Trot, by Marguerite Henry. I knew the Shenandoah County Fair had harness racing during the fair week. So earlier this year I promised William he and I would go see them. Such exciting anticipation for both of us!
My plans for the day must be re-arranged. Quickly I changed the entire plan for the day, and made a hopeful, last-minute call to my son.
“Is it possible I could pick up William and Evan (his older brother, if he’d like to come) to go to the fair to see the harness races?” I asked. Last minute is not the best time to make plans with a busy young family, but I was hoping, and praying it would work for them. He said he would call me back. Great. By then I was in Harrisonburg. I finished up in a hurry the errands I was on, counting the minutes.
The return call from Austin was a happy “Yes!”
It was a ‘day made to order’, as an old neighbor used to say to me many years ago. We arrived at the fair grounds in good time to find a seat down near the track. Being that close to those trotting horses was thrilling! William even picked the winner! In between races we found the Ruritan building for a yummy hamburger and ff’s, and ate lunch while watching more racing.
I have not ever seen harness racing in person. It is truly thrilling. Those horses are trotting the air! It seems as if they float over the track!
We ended this most grand afternoon in the only way one should when at a fair—Ice Cream Cones!
I am so grateful The Lord gave us this grand day. For left to me, it would have been missed.
And, by-the-way, Austin told me after we got home that, “William had been waiting and was sure excited to see the races.” By God’s good grace this promise was kept. How wonderful!
I owe a lot to my husband. It is because of his willingness to carry the heavy load of sole provider that enabled me to stay home, raise, home school and enjoy the fast years of childhood with our five children.
We had a grand time together (mostly). It makes my husband and me smile when we hear our grown children say, “I had a great childhood, and want my kids to have the same.”
I am grateful he was willing to carry that heavy load. We worked hard together and now we are in our older years enjoying our time together and our grandchildren. Though he has not yet retired, we are now working together towards that goal.
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