Thoughts about family, children, adoption, organizing, living more simply and following my heart.
Please join me in my adventures. Have a wonderful day!
Warmly, Linda
Mary Alice wrote and directed a play this year. It was a long term, extra-curricular project for a group
called Young Playwrights, run by a beloved teacher of hers.
The Cast of "Cole Black and the Seven Dwarfs, a Parody of Snow White".
Mary Alice won two awards, including Best Director and Best Special Effects.
Matthew and his lacrosse team.
This spring I decided to plant 4 fruit trees in our yard in honor of our departed loved ones. Two sour cherry trees for Eric's parents (Marion and Bud), a pear tree for Guy and an apple tree for Marty. The pear and apple are espalier trees, meaning they grow laterally, on wires, four different varieties off a common trunk, so they fit nicely along the border of our house, near our new vegetable garden.
Fun with friends.
After the airband concert
Shanna & Gramma Iris
This is me, relaxing on our camping trip. If you look closely, you will see Whisper on my lap and a coffee cup on Whisper. It was very cold and there was NO ONE else in the campground, but we had a great time.
Shanna & Daddy
There was nothing to catch, but all had a great time with the new Barbie poles.
The Easter Bunny found us, even in the campground. Bunny left lots of eggs on the front lawn of the cabin, but the raccoons thought they were for them and they opened EVERY egg.
Rock throwing was a big hit.
Whisper just makes herself comfortable everywhere she goes.
This was a REALLY BIG tree.
And this was a REALLY BIG vine!!
The cabin was wonderful, with a full kitchen, shower, bathroom, huge living/dining area and 3 bedrooms!
We had lots of fund just hanging around.
Our cabin.
The park had a lovely beach but it was sooo windy! Not a soul on it, 360 degrees around, but us.
Endless time to play.
Mary Alice made us lots of treats.
We had our own private playground with a very large pathway around it for walking.
Eric's phone provided internet access for at least part of the week. I got some much needed shopping done for the kids!
Beautiful sunsets over the lake, painted by Grandma Marion in the sky. Shanna showed me a planet and told me it was her birth father.
Megan was so proud of this fire she built herself!
We went for lots of walks in the woods.
This one led us by the lake and we found these amazing sculptures, made of dirt and rock, weathered away by the wind.
Just to give some idea of size, that tiny dot in the middle of the water, is a boat! The path was so close to the edge in some spots that I was having panic attacks and made the kids walk closer in.
This is a good picture that shows some rocks trapped right in the soil.
Time is healing our wounds. We are all doing better. As Eric described it to our minister; we are stabilizing. That's a good word for it. Stabilizing.
Spring helps. Walking and being outside helps. Matthew is playing on the Lacrosse team and is enjoying it very much. Mary Alice is filming a play that she has written; a parody of Snow White (so there are occasional visits of 9 teenage girls pretending to be dwarfs and such). Megan & Shanna are getting outside and reconnecting with their bikes, swings and bubbles. We all feel better.
I don't have any deep insight, just gratefulness for being alive and being healthy. Appreciation for being together. I find the daily ins and outs to be challenging and fulfilling and for that I am thankful.
No, not dead, just TOTALLY relaxed.
And snoozy.
Marble
and his pal, Snookums
They don't QUITE get along in the same space. We have been trying to integrate them for months, and there is lots of kissing, and then sometimes terrible biting. So we gave in and got them a bigger tank with a removable divider (of course, made by Eric) and they are VERY happy neighbors.
Shanna's friend's very fun Fancy Nancy Birthday Soiree!
Eric and me at church.
Shanna & Megan at church
Shanna loves Daddy. Daddy loves Shanna.
Learning to ride. Megan is SO close to riding on her own without training wheels! It's wonderful to see her growth and physical development. She has come so far!! A few very short seconds of video.
We're all excited about our garden! Here Mary Alice & Shanna are planting onions.
My stepsister, Michele, and her new husband, Bob, at their wedding this weekend.
My stepbrother, Charlie, and his companion, Connie.
Michele's dear friend, and my stepsister-in-law, Janis.
The ceremony.
My stepsister, Barbara, with Eric.
My stepbrother, Billy with Janis.
Love that Janis!
Cake with Amaretto Frosting.
Stopping at our house after the wedding, so the girls can meet Aunt Barbara and Aunt Pegi. They are having a sleepover in the basement!
My stepsisters, Barbara & Pegi, with the girls. Guy had 7 children, 5 were at the wedding, but two were unable to attend. It was great to see everyone and the wedding was lovely.
