New look, Old me

I thought I would freshen up the old place. The sunflower is a picture I took last summer. I was being all artsy. My brother and father had a large garden and one of the things they planted was sunflowers. I've alway thought they were pretty. Here is another one that just makes me think Home. It's a picture of the back field and the garden itself. Ohhh summer, We are covered in snow at the moment. Which means no going outside much. I can't wait untill this summer. We now have a fenced in backyard and a side porch. We will be living outside. I'm hoping to do some more landscaping too.

We spent a week of the sickies at our house. Everyone was sick except Hannah. We all had the flu, that is hitting the whole country hard. Tommy got sick and of course was in bed, he told me later that he must have gotten a worse version than me. I laughed at him. No, I'm not very politically correct. I just explained that I couldn't stay in bed when I was sick. I still had the girls that had to have me. I tried to be gentle honestly.

We were going through some old boxes in the house the other day and found one of my senior pictures. The girls didn't recognize me. Then I began to think about it. I was seventeen when I had that picture taken. I'm now thirty-six, that was almost 20 years ago. WOW. Time sure flies.

Everytime I pick up my laptop lately I get accosted by my youngest. "Mama, I want to see bake and zoey mama, bake and zoey" Which actually is Blake and Chole Cassady. When I was fifteen I went to youth camp at Central Yearly Meeting of friends. Of all the people I met I remember this funny redheaded boy. I remember him drinking a root beer and stumbling around the swings. I couldn't help but giggle, he was so silly. I thought at the time it was Stephen, a couple of years later James confessed to me that it was him. To be honest I was a little shocked. Stephen was always the joker. James always made himself out as very serious. James was my good friend. I thought of him as a little brother, and loved him as such. Although a lot of people I think, thought it was more. James passed away in a car accident when he was twenty-one. I miss him. I'm sure a lot of other people do also. I've visited his grave a few times. Talked to him. I think of his brother Stephen and sisters Amy, and Amber as brothers and sisters too. I've always been so proud of them. I always knew Stephen would be an awesome preacher, and of course singer. His family is so beautiful. OOHh the red hair. Gorgeous I tell you. On Nicole's blog she has video of Blake and Chole saying scripture and Chole singing "Away in a Manger". They are amazing. Phoebe Jo loves the videos.

Well, I think I'll stop this marathon post for the moment. I hope you like the new look.