Thanks to Target's dollar bin, and the Fold 'N Fly box purchased there, we made 18 "cool"
airplanes, as we passed a few hours of time during the weekend.

 

Thanks to our favorite breakfast café, and the containers of crayons and paper menus
they offered upon arrival, we passed some more time.

And yes, this grandma allowed two of them to order their favorite "Lucky Charms" cereal
as their breakfast choice.  Eggs and French toast were choices of the other ones.

But, as their grandma, a favorite baked oatmeal, "mixed berry" with skim
milk, was my choice.  I can't tell you how delicious it tasted!

Saturday afternoon snack was provided by their mother.  I was told it is their favorite snack now.

She was exactly right!  They were thrilled with the snack.  You would be too,

if you tasted the combination.

 

Because of a massive ice storm a few weeks ago, and to alleviate the energy levels
within the children, we had them pick up as many sticks as they could find out
back, on Saturday morning.   I must say, they accumulated quite a huge pile.  Hence,
this "tree gift" for their parents.

We lined the kitchen table with newspaper.  We took a packet of wooden clothes pins,
some white glue, fine colored glitter, and some Q tips.  They (each one of the children),
painted the glue on the one side of the clothes pin, then sprinkled it with glitter, and
let it dry.  It did make me grateful for my trusty vacuum cleaner:)

What fun it was for me to see how much they enjoyed this simple homemade craft.

When the glue dried, they were given choices of stickers to decorate the pins.

Strategically, they placed each clothes pin onto their retrieved sticks tree.

I copied favorite pictures from their weekend stay for them to place on the tree.  Notice the
paper airplane creations they made on the above picture.

We took white tags, and asked each child what they most appreciated about their mom and
dad, and hung them on the tree.  The honesty of these little ones, still has me smiling.

  

The game of Jenga, provided suspense for the young and old alike.

 

Chocolate milk for a snack, thanks to a visit from our dairy farming friend.  They
voted it "the best" chocolate milk ever!

An afternoon reading session, kept the children spellbound:)

A memorable weekend for this set of grandparents, and definitely we were given a new
appreciation and admiration for the role of parenting.

Thanks for stopping by for the little something I had to share today.

You are uniquely special!  How do I know that?  I just read Psalm 139 and it told me so.

The verse said, "You knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13

"Think on those words.  You were knitted together.  You aren't an accident.  You weren't
mass-produced.  You aren't an assembly-line product.  You were deliberately planned,
specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman.

In a society that has little room for second fiddles, that's good news.  In a culture where
the door of opportunity opens only once and then slams shut, that is a revelation.  In
a system that ranks the value of a human by the figures of his salary or the shape of her
legs...let me tell you something;  this is reason for joy."    ~ Max Lucado

You truly are "one of a kind".  And, I am thankful for you...each one of you.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Five little ones coming for the weekend, while their parents celebrate a special anniversary!

I must run!  Don't call me...I'll call you:)


Photos...by Google and by my uncle.

Today I will share a few of my favorite pictures from the last few weeks...

After seeing pictures of our Snow Owl, my dear friend from North Carolina sent me this
picture today.  It is a Barred Owl that is often seen in the trees behind her home.  She was so
happy to get this picture, as the owl was somewhat distracted by her white dogs playing in
the lawn.  There is something majestic about both of these owls.

Speaking of majestic...my uncle sent me this breathtaking picture he captured yesterday.  I
cannot stop staring at it.

On Saturday evening, we sat down to dinner at our friend's lovely dining room table,
with a group of good friends.  The hostess served us delicious salads in mason jars. 
What a great idea!  So fresh, and most flavorful and so pretty!

A long time ago, I did a post on our indoor sandboxes.  I want you to know, that the simple,
and inexpensive idea, continues to offer hours of play time, even for the older ones who
visited on Saturday, and the three younger ones who spent the day on Tuesday.  Whether
the boxes are filled with toy cars, or plastic animals, or various kitchen utensils, it seems
to keep their attention.  Although...

 

 

When there are more than two children here at one time, I go back to relying on my
vintage looking stove timer.  Yes, most times it is even at their suggestion.  The timer
seems to be the necessary "peace maker" in our small play room happening:) 
Perhaps you are thinking, "why wouldn't two children share one box"?  I wonder that
too, but let me tell you, it just does not work, hence the timer.

The little ones are growing up faster than I can blink an eye.   I treasure the moments I can
spend with each one of them.

Thanks for the privilege of sharing my tidbits of joy in the midst of a somewhat
ordinary week.
It means so much to me, that you stop by.

Just a bit of interesting news to share with you all...

This is our small, country church.  Last week, look what was discovered perched on the roof
of our church... (the picture was taken by one of the neighbors)

A beautiful snow owl.........an uncommon site in our area, until recently.

With the white snow and the blue sky, this little guy fits in perfectly.  We feel so honored
that he chose our church to have his private prayer time.

Speaking of birds...

I recently read this in Matthew 6:26 TM;

"Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care
of God.  And you count far more to him than the birds."

"Careless in the care of God.  And why shouldn't they be?
For their food, He provides insects in the air,
seeds on the ground.
For their search for food.  He provides eyes that are keen,
wings that are swift.
For their drinking, He provides poolings of rainwater.
For their bathing, He provides puddles.
For their survival, He provides migratory instincts to take them
to warmer climates.
For their flight, He provides bones that are porous and
lightweight.
For their warmth, He provides feathers.
For their dryness, He provides a water-resistant coating.

For their rest, He provides warm updrafts so they can
glide through the air.
For their journey, He provides the company of other travelers.
For their return, He provides the companionship of a mate.
For their safety, He provides a perch in branches far
from the reach of predators.
For their nest, He provides twigs.
And for every newborn beak, He provides enough worms so
they can grow up to leave the nest and continue the cycle of life.
    It's no wonder they're so free from the cares of the world.
    The wonder is, if we count more to Him than the birds,
why aren't we?"
~Ken Gire

Thanks so much for stopping by this evening.

Beautiful and uniquely captured photos by my uncle.

Do you remember the song, "Come Saturday Morning"?

 

On the back country roads, early this morning, 7:30am early,

we passed an eager group of children headed for a morning of

sledding on a nearby hill.

I had to capture these pictures, as it looked to me to be right

out of the Norman Rockwell era.

 

Down the hill they flew, and then the trek back up the hill.  Saturday morning fun at it's finest.

From there, two of our grandchildren, my husband and I headed for one of our favorite
local restaurants for a hearty breakfast.  My breakfast choice...apple, walnut
baked oatmeal, with milk.  I highly recommend it!

After breakfast, and lots of fun conversations with other friends/patrons, we were on our
way to a thriving farmer's market in a nearby city.  Our good friend and her son
took on a new venture.  Along with a successful fresh produce stand that the son
owns and operates, he and his mother opened an additional stand, selling all freshly cut and packaged vegetables and fruits, plus delicious yogurts and salads.  

The eye candy at this stand was most impressive!  The freshness and the vivid colors of the
fruit, was so beautiful!

For me, this was better than any candy store.  Every color of the palette, was attractively
displayed.

Son and mother took a moment to pose for a picture.  Truly this family has many
entrepreneurs, and (having seen when they tackle a new enterprise) it is bound to be
successful.  Personally, I think the mother looks more like the son's sister, than his
mother:) 

A pretty bouquet of white tulips graced the side counter.

Packages of fresh stir fry vegetables, would certainly make dinner preparations much simpler.

Lush green asparagus, added to the stands color appeal.

Smiles were an attractive feature, at the new stand.

 

 

Colorful, fresh garden salads were packaged and ready to eat.

Our granddaughter was thrilled and kept asking if she could eat it as

soon as she got home.

 

 

 Healthy yogurt parfaits, were my choice, sold with delicious looking granola.  Our grandchildren
were intrigued by the personal attention they were given.

 

Oh, so good!  Lunch served in a cup...how convenient.

Their homemade fruit dip, was exceptionally good, and the plate

of fruit and dip did not last long in our household.

The sweetness of the watermelon and cantaloupe, along with the fact that the

sun is out today, almost led one to believe that Spring is actually around the corner.

 

Grapes and fruit dip, in a clear, plastic cup.

A perfect snack, or a meaningful gift for anyone.

I liked the concept of it all.

 

I wish them much success and years of blessing, in this

brand new adventure.

The four of us, were most impressed on our first visit.

 

Despite the eye candy appeal of the fresh fruits and vegetables, this

little guy was still drawn in to the bins of chocolate candy, at a nearby stand.

He was convinced that we needed to purchase chocolate to make

our market trip complete.

 

"Come Saturday morning"...here is how we spent ours.

 

Hope you are having a good one!

 

 

"Don't write your name on the sand, waves will wash it away.

 Don't write your name on the sky, winds may blow it away.

 Write your name in the hearts of people you come in contact with,

 That is where it will stay." 

 ~Unknown

 

Who was the last person who wrote their name on your heart?

For me, it was the elderly gentleman who was bagging the groceries I purchased last week.

The checkout lines were long.

A snowstorm was in the forecast.

People seemed uptight and hurried, complaining why more lanes were not opened.

Quietly, efficiently, and with a smile he filled each bag with groceries.  His sense of humor

and kind words caught my attention.  Suddenly, I refocused from the endless list of things

waiting to be done, that was running through my mind, and I found myself laughing out loud

at his witty comments.  I told him that he was the perfect person for the job, and thanked him

for brightening my day.  I was still chuckling at what he said and the way he said it, as I left

the store.  Even when I discovered that two cars were sitting waiting for my parking space,

eager to see which one would win.  Yes, there are unexpected ways and people that will

"write their names" on our hearts.

Happy Wednesday!