aimee weaver designs

I am SO THRILLED for my sweet friend Aimee!

Her business is really taking off, so much so, that the local news channel aired a special segment about her business....

I wanted to share it with you, it was done so beautifully. 

You can click here to watch it. 

Aimee! I rejoice with you, 
and plan to keep making sure

 that you're taking care of YOURSELF 

in the midst of your busy life!  :)

She made this sign for us, 

and it my favorite in our home!

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” 

~Audrey Hepburn~

Summertime Dinner Club

Seriously, this school business is for real.  I.am.tired, (thus the lack of blogging, it's the last on my "list" to say the least). It's the adjustment to routine I guess, it's totally exhausting me. Sounds so stupid when I actually type it out, but it's the truth.  Somehow the days just fly by and before I know it, it's bedtime. Perhaps it's the half day thing, (Tyler's only at school until 11:30 everyday), or is this what I have to prepare myself for?  Is this the way it is, how life flies by?  One school year at a time? 

    This I know, it goes by one season at a time as well.  This past Summer we hosted our monthly dinner Club out in the gazebo.  Come join us and relive it all over again.....
"The Colors of Summer"

"Each day, awakening, are we asked to paint the sky blue?

Need we coax the sun to rise or flowers to bloom? Need we teach birds to sing, or children to laugh, or lovers to kiss? No, though we think the world imperfect, it surrounds us each day with its perfections. We are asked only to appreciate them, and to show appreciation by living in peaceful harmony amidst them. The Creator does not ask that we create a perfect world;

He asks that we celebrate it." 
 
~Robert Brault~

Memorial Day memories.

Hello Friends, I was just remembering some memorial days of the past. Like this one when Paisley was such a tiny baby! xoxo. Oh, my precious baby girl, she's growing up so fast.  Everything is going so fast it seems.  Is it just me or do the days seem to be FLYING BY??  Maybe I'm getting old and noticing it more.  When I was little each day seemed sooooo long, now somehow the sun rises and sets and unless I TAKE AND MAKE TIME TO NOTICE, it's tomorrow already.   

So, that's what I look forward to doing this weekend.
stopping and noticing life around me.

When everyone wakes up from naps, I'm taking them all with me to the new Home Goods store, (it's
g-l-o-r-i-o-u-s.....I was there last week and saw the sweetest, robin's egg blue bird bath. I didn't buy it and I've thought about it every day since....that's my sign that I should buy it right?! hahaha!  Here's to hoping it's still there! 

Grammie is making dinner for us tonight, (WHAT A TREAT)!!  Tomorrow morning I'm posting a guest post by Shawn Smucker. Come back if you think about it, it's a wonderful post!

Tomorrow night is Dinner Club, (with children this time around) at my cousin Dave and Orpha's home.  Sunday afternoon we're going to my sisters home with Curt and Jeane' and their crew to go fishing and sit on the front porch.  I can hardly wait for those conversations, (between keeping watch over our combined 13 children)!

Monday morning is the annual Strasburg Memorial Day Parade.
The kids are excited for the candy throwing that's for sure, (and I am too if they have starbursts)!  And then we hope to go swimming the rest of the day at my brother Chet and Sharon's home....it is going to be in the 90's in case you didn't know! 

Whatever your weekend holds I hope you can create some down time with your family, with those you love & love you!! 

"And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me."

~Lee Greenwood

a letter

Recently I sent a letter to a friend.
I wanted to share bits of it with you because even as I was writing it, I felt I understood myself just a little more.

"As far as I'm concerned one can never have too much stationery, (another weakness of mine along with aprons, dishes and various chapsticks)! I hope and say a prayer that this little package finds you fulfilled and focused. Not on all that must be done in caring for your home, husband and children~instead on the inner workings of your womanhood and spirit man.

We are so much more then wives and Mothers, (although I question that many days). I long for fulfillment through and through....in what I do AND in who I am. And I know that I, (we) are not alone in that desire. How comforting to know that we are not the first or the last to trudge, (as it were) through this life!

Motherhood is no easy task, (but I don't have to tell you that). I'm not out to pretend it is. There are days I yell and pinch too much and just generally act a fool....and then there are sunshine days that I thank God for. Yet, it's on the difficult days, (or weeks) that I want to know His nearness, care and compassion for me. I CANNOT DO THIS IN MY OWN STRENGTH. I don't want to be strong or brave or a "good Mom" because those things are really accomplished through my own doings....and quite frankly I'm tried of me!!

And so, let us fall to our knees at our kitchen sinks

and cry out for Sweet Grace, mercy and Truth to FILL US ANEW!

"Your mercy and loving-kindness , O Lord,
endure forever~forsake not the work of Your own hands,

(um, that would be me)!!
Psalm 138:8

All my love dear friend,
Janelle

The realization of my need for Jesus is increased on a daily basis. And it's not because I've been sitting in His presence with His peace and stillness rushing over me. It's in the DAILYNESS OF LIFE that I am seeing how pathetic I am IN AND OF MYSELF. And this is not something I say to put myself down or make myself feel like I am a victim of Motherhood. On the contrary, it's a TRUTH that seems to be burrowing itself deeper as the children grow and the demands, at times, SEEM greater then I can possibly handle.

I'm reminded of a hymn that I use to listen to my Mother sing as a young girl, watching tears stream down her face. Seated on the hard, oak colored pew in the little Mennonite church on a Sunday morning. Fidgety and five.

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand,

upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand,
upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand."

~How Firm a Foundation~

High Tea

Today I had the pleasure of hosting a tea party.If you know anything about me, you know I love a good party! Parties where I get to use a lot of pretty dishes are my favorite.Parties to HONOR a woman of God are my 2nd favorite! Although there was a fresh coating of snow this morning,
the tea party continued on.
MEMORIES OF SPRINGTIME
INSPIRED ME ALONG THE WAY!!And I got to use the beautiful green dishes that Jake got me for Christmas, (via my sister who saw them, purchased them and made a call to my Man~I love my sisters)!!!



I was up until midnight last night decorating, making flower arrangements, baking, cooking, waltzing about my kitchen while everyone else slept. Did you know how wonderful the midnight hour can be? (when you're doing whatever you want that is)!!




I had some old, large bread pans that I filled with pebbles as a helper in keeping the arrangement upright. Found some old hymnals and cut a few lines out, glued them on the sides, tied a ribbon around them and placed them on the table. Purchased an arrangement at Costco and the *realist* looking fake flowers from the Dollar Store.

The favors for each lady were made by my sister Yvonne and I. I love how she makes something out of nothing and this idea turned out so beautifully.....and was a blessing to the lady receiving it.
We cut out verses from an old hymnal and glued them onto a piece of stock paper. Added a few buttons at the end, tied some twine around the top and placed them on each tea cup. I never tire of reading the time-worn words.

SPRING CAME INTO MY KITCHEN THIS MORNING

on the heels of old friends....

Beautiful ladies full of love, life, liberty and longing!
An HONOR to fellowship with.

I like to follow the three "S's" when serving tea:
savory, scones, sweets.

SAVORY~strawberry, feta, roasted almond salad with poppy seed dressing.

mini sandwiches~homemade "mini" loaves of bread with:
horseradish, roast beef topped with port wine cheddar cheese
androasted red pepper cheese spread topped with avocado slices.

TEA~I steeped the teas in three different tea pots. Color coordinating them so I could remember what I was serving.....white=white tea, blue=blueberry tea, floral=chamomile tea.

Elisa, my glamorous, beautiful, talented long lost friend from Australia. She and her Mom, Miranda were visiting Pennsylvania, the purpose of this gathering.

SCONES~I followed my recipe that I've been using for years.
Along with fresh lemon curd and devonshire creme, (I may or may not eat this stuff by the spoonful when no one is watching)!

SWEETS~blueberry, walnut bread.
chocolate covered strawberries, (thank you to my friend Angie for making these for me in exchange for a massage....I like my "bartering" abilities)!

Banana-pineapple-walnut mini tortes with cream cheese pineapple filling and raspberry topping.
This was a BLAST to make, (at midnight last night).Started with a good ol' box of banana bread, added some pineapple and walnuts to it. Baked it in the largest pan I had. It baked thinly. Cooled and cut out circles of cake using a small juice glass. Placed layers of cake/filling/cake/filling/cake/filling/raspberry! So easy and so delicious!!

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make
is that they can grow separately

without growing apart."~Elisabeth Foley~

P.s. A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY SHRISH, (sister) for keeping my children so today could happen with smoothness and sanity!