Saying goodbye to a friend~

I have only seen my oldest son Jarett cry twice. Once when our dog died about a year ago, and then again last week when he read on face book his 17yr old friend/football teammate (LeVond) died in his sleep.

My husband and I comforted our son with a long embrace as he wept in our arms. Our son seems so big, nearly a man at 17.  This event reminded us that even though our son is very independent....he needs us. We are his resting place in this rough and tumble world. This encounter we shared was raw....pure and very specical.


It was reported that:
LeVond said, he did not feel good. He complained of a stomach ache said, he was going to lay down for a bit. He never woke up! A relative found him later that evening after he slept though dinner. He had already passed!  The autopsy showed he had genetic heart disease. Plaque builds up in the arteries at a rapid rate.....he had the heart of a 60 yr old man. No body knew he had this disease :(
(Sports physicals could not detect this sort of thing....it was not a defect it was rapid progressive disease.)

The funeral was yesterday. My son has never been to one....he was filled with so many emotions!

Jaretts friend T spent the night so I could take them both up to the school early to pick up their football jerseys. The whole team was going to wear them for the service.  The team ended up setting together a well.... it was moving.... very powerful to see these young men all together.

Before the service.....the boys wanted a hair cut. So off we went!

At the service.......

The entire football team shed a few tears as they gathered around LeVond's open casket in disbelief and had to say there last goodbye.  Its just not supposed to happen is way....having to saying goodbye to a friend that was only 17 years old. Dead just like that in his sleep none the less!

He was a good kid. Well liked and a youth leader in the community.

There was no drugs or alcohol involved. No fast car ride. No really dumb mistake.

Just a quiet sleep he never woke up from due to an unknown heart condition.

This group of boys got a dose if life at this young age.

Most thought they could concur anything.....but quickly realized you can't concur death.

It will come find you when it is your time.

They have learned......for a little while at least......you can't take life for granted.

Be loving .....be kind....embrace those around you!

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Many of the team mom's (including myself) helped at the reception held at the high school in the cafeteria for the friend and family.

I made my favorite cheesy hash brown casserole. I will post the recipe soon!

I made a double batch in throw away containers so I would not have to remember to bring anything home.

So smart I know!! :)

Did I tell you that I had to carry the hot flimsy tins in on my very old beloved

( black, seasoned with many years of cooking love) cookie sheet?

Can you tell where this is going?

I forgot my cookie sheet.....I left it there! :(

I pray that someone has it and that I will get it back!

I will keep you posted as to weather I get it back,......not that any of you really care!

Just pretend to!......Thanks :) lol giggle sigh****

Have you ever left a dish or something at a potluck and never got it back?

On another note:::

Yesterday was a FULL day for me.......

Starting out at 5 am......I got up to to make lunch for hubby, my girls thought it was morning!

They thought it would be fun to play with the cat.......I never went back to sleep!

Then it was fix hot breakfast for Jarett and his sleep over friend.

Drive boys to school to get their football jerseys.

Home to start casseroles.

Pick up boys from the school and take in for hair cuts.

Come home to make lunch for kids staying home (only Jarett and I went to the funeral.)

and finish making casseroles.

Attend funeral and then stop by the house on my way to the reception to pick up hot casseroles. 

After the recepetion I head home to

pick up the 3 youngest kids and get Jarett's friend stuff so I could drive T home.

Only to find out......

 that when I was gone to the furneral Olivia held the cat ALL day and it finally pooped on her.....and 6 large blankets!!!!!!  I only had 5 minutes to "put a band-aide" on my smelly bedroom mess:(

What a mess!!!!!!

Then it was off to tin buck to......to drop of Jarett's friend T. home. I had a few seconds to drop Jarett back off at home before going to the girls VBS BBQ up at the local Baptist church were my girls are attend their 3 VBS of the summer. Hotdog and chip dinner for the kids at 5pm! Then the girls had VBS from 6-8:30 pm.

(parents needed to be there at 8:10 for the show)

While the girls were at VBS....

Noah and I drove down to the local CSA farm to get our first Veggie pick -up!

We needed to be there by 7pm! Hubby got off work and joined us!

I will share some picture soon!

I now must go and move the laundry along......this cat mess it taking a while to get cleaned up!!lol

EEEKKKK!!!!!!!

Peace and Joy,

Georgiann

Jumping Ahead To Autumn!

In my neck of the woods I can already feel a nip in the air! I close my eyes and see colorful leaves drifting to the ground. I can smell the onions cooking at the State Fair. sigh*****

I know I should be enjoying the season I'm in but without my beloved garden.......it is hard to do!

Here in the Pacific Northwest the weather this summer never got to hot. In fact for the past week, life here has been cool and overcast.  It might seem premature to some of you living in regions of really hot weather but I have been dreaming of soup, warm bread, cozy casseroles and apple deserts!

Sipping cider, smelling cinnamon and looking through cookbooks is just a few short weeks away!
In my email this morning I got a video from  Gooseberry Patch! They must have known I was in the mood for this sort of thing! (good marketing because I'm sure I'm not alone).

I have a few  Gooseberry Patch  cookbooks but not this one! I am a cookbook addict so I might have to get this one if our budget allows? (it probley won't allow because hubby's work situation had been up and down.) I do like to dream though!




Remember to silence my play list before starting the short video!


Have a wonderful day!

Peace and Joy,
Georgiann

{C is for cake} and remembering the simple life!

Everyone payed their dollar then stepped on a number. The music started and the participants walked in a counter clockwise motion around the circle. Olivia was as cute as a button.  She gracefully strolled around with her cupcake purse draped on her arm, carefully stepping on the numbered squares. 
The music abruptly stops and a number is drawn. The gal yells 13!!!
Little Miss Olivia does not even know she is a winner of the church cakewalk.  Once she is told,
 she became so excited to pick a cake from a large selection of delectable sweets, her eyes sparkled with such innocent happiness. As a mom I wanted to savor the moment forever. sigh****

 

Olivia picked the homemade strawberry cake with carrier!

This homemade cake was yummo...so moist!

It made a tasty Sunday dessert and was chased down with a spot of tea.

******************************************

Its funny how a simple cakewalk game and homemade cake can carry me back in time, to the loving innocent  memories of the of my childhood.

The gift of simple purposeful living is something that I want to pass onto my children. In this modern society we live it it can seem an uphill battle.

We live in an era where going out to eat and store bought cakes seem the norm.

Anything less than that, is viewed as a punishment or that you are "poor" and can't afford.

Lately I have felt out of touch with my living simple ways I have come to love. I think because we did not grow a big garden this year it has really changed many other ways we once lived our life.

I miss the smell of the dirt and planting seeds. I miss strolling through the tall sunflowers in my bare feet and letting the garden tell me what was for dinner.

I miss the sound of my juicer going none stop!

I miss reading through my vegetarian cookbooks for ideas on how to use up my harvest!

I did not make any jam this year :( Thankfully I have some left from last year!!

I did not put up any veggies this year. No homemade tomato soup! Nothing...Nada!

Zero, Zilch!

Not having a garden has had a negative impact on the natural ways I once lived simply.

The rhythm of my day and how I live daily was very much changed by not having a garden!

It has changed how I eat and shop for my family. 

After some talk with hubs we decided to join our local CSA farm for the remainder of the summer and early fall.

My pick-up at the farm starts next weekend and I can't wait!

I have been yearning for that connection with the earth that fresh garden veggies bring.

I can't wait to experience eating new veggies and create new recipes for my family.

Have you strayed from the simple life you really desire?

What steps to you do daily to help you live simply with purpose?

Peace and joy for a wonderful day!

Georgiann

{S is for spa}

A few weeks ago my friend Sue invited me (and her other friend Cheryl) to a womens night out that her local Chevy dealer was hosting. Free Mexican food and lots of vender's like Mary Kay, Scentsy, jewlery,purses and more. If you test drove a car you also got a FREE $40.00 spa finders gist card.

The dealership also taught us how to change a tire,check our car fluids etc...

So the 3 of us gals decided we would go redeem our cars together.

I got a pedicure, Sue a massage and Cheryl a facial!

R if for RELAX!

When we arrived at the day spa we were welcomed and lead to the RELAX room and offered tea or water.

  From the start we all felt pampered!

We all sat quietly filling out our paperwork sipping our herbal tea as soft flute music floated around the room. 

We all soaked up the atmosphere and listened to the fountain gently flow with water.

We were all on cloud 9! This day spa spared no detail!

After a few minutes in the RELAX room we were all lead back to our separate rooms for our spa treatments!

I was lead to a room with 2 elevated throne like chairs. I felt like a queen!

My pedicurist said she was going to be a grandma again any time now.

She was on standby for a call to go watch the 2 year old while her son and his wife have the baby!

After a few minutes of chit chat I had to shut it down.

I have gone enough times for massages and other spa treatments to know that is not relaxing to talk to whole time. I am not rich (well I am but not with money) sigh** so I want to sit quietly during my spa experience and get my monies worth.

As a momma of 6 kiddos I was enjoying the quiet.

I took deep breaths of the scented steam that waifed up from my medal foot soak pan.

I listened as the flute music reminded me of the times I was in labor

(I listen to that same kind while I labor)

I was sad for a few moments as this month I was to be in labor with Christian.....I was due Aug 28!

I quickly moved my thoughts to happier things.......and soaked up every ounce of pampering touch

I was experiencing.

For right now I will LIVE IN THIS MOMENT I told myself!

I  became totally relaxed!

After our evening at the SPA we went over to Sues house for chocolate martinis and food!

I will post more on that part of our girls night soon!
Peace and Love,
Georgiann

A Walk In The Park

After watching our oldest son Jarett play baseball last Sunday we decided to take a family walk!

Well minus Jarett....he rode home with a friend after a long day of 2 games.

This beautiful park is just a few miles from our house....it has a bike/walking trail, ponds, ball field of all sorts and a play ground at both ends of the long trail. So we walk 1/2 way around the loop, then stop and play for a while before finishing the loop. The whole loop is 2miles I think??? or so it seem to me!!!! lol

I'm so out of shape!

The lush green canopy of the trees provided the much need shade on our finally HOT summer days!

These bright red berries beckoned to be noticed against the differing shades of green.

I was tickled to get such an awesome photo of these lilies with my zoom lens!

I was actually pretty far away! :)

My kids were thrilled to find a nickel tucked in this squirrel hole.

We had a wonderful day together.

Just a simple inexpensive walk was full of loving memories for us all.

Being together spending quality time........is just precious to me!

My day could not have been any better! sigh***

Peace and love for a terrific day!

Georgiann :)