Friday Family Adventure

It was a Friday family adventure.  We took the scenic route to a state park I hadn't visited since I was a teenager.  The girls had never been there.  

I do love a good vista!

We picnicked on the banks of the lake after frightening a bald eagle from his perch nearby.  

Fishing with children has its ups and down.  Rather, it has its good casts, its tangles and getting caught on mysterious underwater objects... 

It's for this reason that this was the first year that I actually got my fishing license.  I grew up fishing, with one of my earliest memories being boating on the Great Lakes and catching fish with my Grandma, Grandpa, uncles and cousins.  As a mama though, I've always just wrangled our youngest children.  Or, I spend my fishing outings untangling lines and baiting hooks.  

This time, I got to fish some.  The girls fished and relished the peace of the lake. When we tired of that location, we drove around the park, trying other fishing holes and creeks.  

The above picture could very well be captioned, 

"What do you think?  Are there fish here?  Should we try it?"  

It was like fishing hole jumping and state park exploration all rolled into one.  

 We eventually ended up at a neighboring state park, fishing in a much larger and very picturesque creek.  

The Rugged Mountain Man was thrilled that the trout were ecstatic to see his lures in this location.  

The girls and I didn't do quite as well here as we did in the lake and the other creeks.  Also, it was rainy off and on all day and Blossom4 managed to fall in.  She started to get a bit chilly so her patience for fishing finally waned.  

We did see an American Redstart there though, a small warbler that we'd never even heard of!

Nevertheless, It brought me so much happiness to see the Rugged Mountain Man having epic fishing moments.

Back to the truck we went and decided that before we left, we should pop over and see the iconic Railroad Tunnel.  It's what good Pennsylvanians do!

We always brought visiting relatives to see our Railroad Tunnel, tucked in the dense woods, beside a robust creek.

By now, Blossom3 has donned the Rugged Mountain Man's wool flannel and shared her mostly dry sweatshirt with Blossom4.  We were just doing what it took to prolong our adventurous day.  

We ventured toward home, taking the most scenic, indirect route.  We weren't lost, per my Dad's definition, because we still had a full tank of gas!  Seeing backwoods Pennsylvania for miles upon miles was good for the soul.

It was a memory for the ages!

Dominique

That Sunrise

"In the morning, when I rise, 

Give me Jesus."

"Sometimes God shows up.  Sometimes God shows off."

~The Grave Robber, by Mark Batterson

It lasted only a few moments and I reveled in His marvelous paintbrush creating this glorious beauty for the duration of a few moments and the audience of a few early-risers. 

It spoke so much of His character.  

Here are a few more exquisite creations.

Back Porch Sittin'

Hello friends,

I love a good sprucing up kind of project and lately, I've had a few little projects that make our back porch more homey and welcoming. 

I made this old board salvaged from a friend into a meaningful (to me) take on Psalm 23:5. 

The Rugged Mountain Man's neighbor throughout his childhood gifted us this rocker, which I spent a little while repainting.

I decided on "Rest in Me" for the back slat on it.  It's a good reminder and I adore the subtle play on words.

What porch is complete without a solid rocking chair?

Deep in the recesses of the basement, I had squirreled away this fabric.  I found it on a Walmart run back when Blossom2 was a baby.  Zoom in on the green awning.  You can see that it has my name on it!  It was fun to finally get around to making a new pillow out of it.

For the past few years, I've wanted to paint a rug on my porch.  

I created a stencil that fit the width of my deck boards and got down to business.

It was a fun project for a lovely spring day.

I made my own stencil for the tassels too.  They thrilled my beauty-loving soul!

There's been lots of "back porch sittin'" around here lately and that kind of quality time breathes peace into our routine.  

Dominique

This Mama's Reading Aloud... to YOU!

At our church wide yard sale ~ our last in person event before everything was cancelled for Coronavirus concerns ~ I picked up Parenting in the Pew, by Mrs. Robbie Castleman. 

Its title piqued my interest.  I'm always looking for more insight to help me lead our Blossoms on the journey of faith. 

Could there be practical tips inside for helping our girls participate more fully and grow in Christ? 

I found Parenting in the Pew to be an encouraging read, written from a mama's perspective.  I felt inspired to continue helping the girls see the connection of faith from Truth to everyday life application. 

The Rugged Mountain Man and I don't want them to just go to church!  We want them to learn to worship!!

On my next phone conversation, I gave my sister ~ a busy mama of three Sprouts, ages 5 years to 10 months ~ the summary of it.  In between little fusses and cries of "Mama, can I have a snack" and "Mama, he hit me," I talked very fast.  She was grateful and over the next few weeks, we both have discussed these tips and principles. 

We have been trying to use this unique time of participating in church services virtually from our own living room couches as an opportunity to practice helping our offspring worship - - - not just do church! 

But, I just kept thinking about the mamas in my life who might be encouraged and who have a hard time sitting down to read a book. 

Here you go ~ I'm reading it aloud, to you, one short chapter at a time!  Check it out on YouTube!

May you be blessed and equipped in your child-rearing!  



Dominique

PS - My background noise is perfectly calculated to make you feel right at home. 

Millions of Small Moments

This quarantine, I have noticed how much love and affection can be squeezed in everywhere, in all the little cracks of time in between tasks, activities, and to do lists.  

I still love good long chunks of quality time.  We've certainly had plenty of that during these last 58 days.  Time on the back porch.  Time lounging on the couch.  Time on the hiking trails.  Valuable quality time.  

We've also used these two months to tackle the homestead work and rainy day projects lists. 

Whether they are days of productivity or time in the woods, I've noticed that each day can be so much sweeter when I slide in little signs of affection here and there.  

Mamas, we put so much pressure on ourselves; 

we spread ourselves SO THIN 

and then, we worry more that we aren't doing enough.  

I find myself squeezing a Blossom's shoulder as I walk past.  

I find myself winking across the room at another Blossom who is coloring.  

I find myself bumping into another Blossom and giggling with her as she chides me.  

I find myself chucking a chin or tapping a pert Blossom nose.  

Tangibly loving our children doesn't have to be another big item on our to do list. 

Those millions of small moments in between amount to so much over the long haul.  

Take heart, mama.  

Dominique

A Moment Last Sunday

Even amongst the mundane, there is stunning beauty.  

I pause in gratitude.

Dominique

Popover Tuesdays

Thanks to Blossom3, we now have a new tradition ~ "Popover Tuesdays."  

The poultry here are doing their job and we needed something different to make.  

Mmmmmm, popovers!  

We don't always make it into tea time with fine china, but sometimes we do.  

Sometimes fine china is just that extra boost that we've needed lately.  

Add in hot cups of English Breakfast tea, melty butter and our favorite jams and syrups and these Blossoms are delighted to start the day.  

I saw Jessica Fisher's recipe here in her picture.  If that's too hard to read, check out this one.  We double it, omit any of the fussy steps, like warming the eggs, throw it all in a blender and bake til golden brown.  

We've also enjoyed them served in a savory manner, or in the traditional way, alongside beef stew.  They are deliciously versatile!

Popovers might have made it on to our gratitude heart!  

Dominique