Summer's End

Although fall has already unofficially started, I wanted to take some time to look back on the summer memories my family made this year.


And even though I'm not a big fan of summer, I still manage to have my moments.


I enjoy the laid-back lazy days that summer brings. The fact that I don't have to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn to get the kids ready for school. (Yeah, that's a big one for this gal!) 


I love seeing lightning bugs in the night sky. I love the sound of frogs in the pond, and the smell of freshly cut grass.

Yes, the fall lover can find some things about summer that she actually likes!

So, in pictures, here are a few summer memories of 2011.

And although we were stuck inside for much of the month of July, (Man, that humidity was bad!!) we still managed to make the most of our summer.

It was fun while it lasted, but now let's Bring on the fall!!!

Glad Thursday

Today, I'm glad I woke up and decided it was a Nickel Creek kind of day. It's been years since I've listened to their music, and I'd forgotten how much I loved them.

I would describe their music as Bluegrassy-Folksy-Celtic with a whole lot of awesome. But that's just my opinion. You'll have to form your own.

I hope they get together for another album down the road. In 2007, they had a "Farewell (For Now) Tour" so they could each branch off and explore different things musically. I'm hopeful that since the tour was named what it was, that they will put something together someday. I hope!!

Want to form your own opinion on Nickel Creek? Here are a few of my favorites.:-) Oh, and Chris Thile had Edward Cullen hair, before there even was an Edward Cullen.lol (Scroll down to the This Side video, and you'll see.;-)





I hope you're able to find something to be glad about today!

One Last Look

The other day, we drove over to my husband's parent's old house, to take one last look around before the new owners move in. They bought the house in '98, and Sam and I were only dating a few months when they moved in.

We remember thinking how old and run down it was back then. We couldn't believe they wanted to move away from their perfectly nice house in a subdivision, into this old dumpy place in the middle of nowhere.

But Sam's dad saw its potential, and began restoring it to its original beauty.

And restore it he did! It was like walking into another era, right down to the old fashioned light switches. He was able to keep most of the original hardwood floors, which I think made it extra special. Even the windows were the originals. (I didn't know until then, that there was a difference between new and old glass, but old glass makes things a little wavy as you look through them. They always made me dizzy.)

The house has a lot of history. It was built in the 1800's, and was once the home of George Fisher, an Indiana Football Hall of Fame inductee, and former coach at Warsaw High School. Our high school football field was named in his honor: Fisher Field.

In 2004, the house was part of the Historical Homes Tour, of Kosciusko County. (I had the honor of being one of the tour guides.)

There was also a suicide in the house years ago, and some of us believe that the old woman is still there. My husband and I never felt comfortable there at night. We always felt like someone was right behind us.

Sam's dad isn't convinced, but his mom has a lot of stories she could tell you. I can't believe she was never freaked out! She always acted like it was no big deal, and went on with whatever she was doing at the time. I hope the new owners like company.                                                                                    

But spookiness aside, we made a lot of great memories in that house, and on the property.

(Our 1st Christmas as a couple,1998)

We decorated our first Christmas tree together as a couple there in '98. It was only my 2nd time decorating a real Christmas tree. All of ours have always been fake, and still are. Not that I don't like real ones, but you see, I'm a Christmas nut, and always have the tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure a real one would make it that long. Can you say Charlie Brown tree?LOL

In June of 2000, Sam asked me to marry him while we were taking a walk out by the barn. I knew something was going to happen that day, because he was acting weird. Ha!

In the spring of 2001, Sam's dad converted the old summer kitchen next to their house, into a little guest house for the two of us, and on October 6th we were married.

Around Thanksgiving I found out I was pregnant for Megan. Our first Christmas as a married couple, was spent with me having the worst morning sickness. But it was a wonderful day regardless. We were warm and cozy in our little house, and blessed to have a little one on the way.

There were many cook-outs, birthdays, and holidays spent at the old house. We had Halloween party's with hay rides and hot cocoa, and chili that Sam's dad cooked out on the old stone fireplace/chimney.

My bridal shower was held there in 2001, and so was my baby shower in 2009.

It was the place we were all together, one last time, before Sam's grandma passed away.

It will forever be a house filled with the memories of our laughter, tears, joy and sorrow. All the things that make a family a family.

Now it's time to make new memories. Memories that will end up being just as important as the ones we made in the old gray house.

After all, that's all we have when it comes down to it. And I believe we take them with us when we leave this world.

(Standing in the place where Sam proposed.)

1st Grade, Round Two

This is the 3rd blog post, in a series of posts, flashing back to my school-age years. I'm going to try my best to remember as much as I can from each year. Starting now, they will be much more pleasant to read than the first two. Wow! Those were downers! :-)

It was the 1985-1986 school year. I was a first grader once again....


It was a fresh start for me, from the moment I got on the bus that first day. I was introduced to a girl named Melanie,who was also starting the first grade, and was in the same class as me. We became instant "Bus Friends" meaning, we talked and laughed together on the bus, but never really played together at school. But that was fine by me! I was just happy to have a friend.

I remember walking into Mrs. Frank's class that day, feeling a little nervous, but not sad or scared. The only part of the day I dreaded was lunch time, because I knew some of my old classmates would tease me for being held back.

And of course they did, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Plus I had my moment in the sun, when one of the two teasers were held back that same year. (I like to think of it as quiet revenge, even though I had nothing to do with it.)

So, the day started off with a room full of new faces and new possibilities. I met my first official best friend, Tara, who was fun to talk to and be around. We had a lot of goofy fun together, which was just what I needed that year!

(Tara and I, right next to each other in the yearbook, as best friends should be. At least in the mind of a first grader.lol)

I remember a classmate named Tyler, broke his crayon and started to cry. Other kids laughed at him, but I never did. After all, I knew how the poor guy felt!LOL I didn't like being made fun of, so I wasn't about to do the same thing!

My grades were good this time around too. I still have my report card, and I got all A's and B's. My confidence was up, and I was loosening up, and allowing myself to have fun and enjoy school.

I found out that not all boys were mean, and actually got along with most of them. Especially Nate, who would set me off in complete belly laughter all the time! We had fun quoting Ed Grimley to each other. Does anyone remember that show?

It was a Saturday morning cartoon that was based on Martin Short's character from SNL. It only lasted a few years, so don't feel bad if you don't remember. Here's a clip of the intro.



One of the things Ed would say all the time was, "I must say" after everything. For example, "I really hope I get more blog followers, I must say."

 Oh well, it was funny to us at least.

I asked Nate about it when we were in middle school, and it felt good to know he still remembered all of that.   We even had a little impromptu "I must say" session.

First grader Amy was also into these shows, just to name a few.





There are so many great cartoons from that era! Everything is computer animated now, and just has a cold kinda feeling to it. Does that make any sense?

(Not the best picture, but these were some of my favorite "friends" from that year. I still have  my Cabbage Patch, my Ewok, and my fox, that was also a radio. I wish I still had my Punky doll!!)    

Yep, I was having a great year. The only thing I look back and cringe at, is the day I started crying hysterically over a thunderstorm, and thought I was about to die in a tornado.Ha!

And go figure, the two boys that witnessed my breakdown, were still reminding me of it in high school. (I thought I was the only one who remembered stuff like that!;-) I would have been ok, if my Grandpa would have been there.;-)

So that, and a few spontaneous nosebleeds, (I don't know what it was about that year, but I was always getting them!) were the only weird things that happened that year. At least from what I can remember.

I just know that being held back, was the best thing that could have happened to me.

Glad Thursday

Today's Glad Thursday topic will be in true Pollyanna style. If you've seen the movie, you'll know that Pollyanna takes an unpleasant thing, and turns it into something to be glad about.

Today, I'm still not feeling well and won't be taking my son outside to play. This would usually be a bummer, but here comes the glad game.-----

It's going to be in the stinkin' 90's today and tomorrow, and I'm better off staying inside anyways!

So, I can be glad that I'm a little under the weather and stuck inside, because I absolutely hate the heat!

What are you glad about today?