The Summer Journal, part I

I check my calendar occasionally to see which day of the month we are on,

and I have been amazed that we are almost halfway through July!

That means summer is half over, ya'll. (At least by the way I figure things! ha)

Just crazy.

So I'm trying to be intentional about taking time to experience

 the sweetness and richness that is summer,

in the middle of travel, gardening and all the seasonal activities.

One way to do that is to

pick all the flowers!

There's nothing quite like a bouquet of fresh-cut florals to adorn the table.

Sometimes, the littles join in on the fun.

This is Hadassah's creation!

Ahh...fresh veggies!

Aren't summer meals delicious?! It's so rewarding to find goodies in the garden.

The children seem to think it's a game,

except when it comes to picking cucumbers, because they're "prickly"!

This little guy chose a rake for his gift from Timeless Toys,

and he sure has gotten lots of use out of it already!

His mama isn't complaining about the willing help, either 😉 

Calla lilies have long been at the top of my list of favorite flowers.

I even carried them in my wedding bouquet!

And it so happens that there is a bed full of them at the back of my house, so I make sure to pick plenty while they bloom.

I found this patio set at a yard sale this spring, and it's been perfect for summer dining!

Now that it's so hot, we opt for indoors most evenings, but it comes in handy when we're entertaining a crowd.

Not much beats sweet corn, and my son seems to think it's just as good raw!

He ate the whole ear before I even had a chance to cook it! 

Too bad those cows of ours decided to get out and have a feast in my garden. 😠

Rainbows are such a beautiful gift from God, don't you think?

Bubbles are some of the easiest and cheapest forms of entertainment for children!

I think it's time to get them out again.

Our Nicholas Edward celebrated his fourth birthday in June!

I can't get over how much of a little man he is.

This toy is a favorite, because he's "going to be a farmer when he grows up!"

He chose to have a pool party with his friends,

and they had so much fun!

Let's see how many children are actually looking at the camera!

Eddie traveled to PA to help with wheat harvest for a week, so the children and I joined him at my brother, Jim's home for the weekend!

Aren't these raised beds beautiful?

The children had fun playing in the sprinklers on a hot afternoon!

Can't let the children have all the fun!  

From Juniata, we drove north to join my parents at their campsite at Locust Lake Campground.

The children had a blast playing in the sand!

Grandpa was their hero, because he helped them build a huge fort!

Mom had their campsite all decked out for the Fourth.

Stars + stripes, baby!

The campfire is so fun for the kids, and Nicholas was happy to be roasting his own hotdogs,

while chatting it up with Grandpa!

Messy, sticky, sugary S'mores: camping isn't complete without them!

It was such a perfect evening...well, other than the loud music coming from the campers next door! 😏

Dad treated us to ice cream cones and a pedal boat ride!

Yeah, we were spoiled 😊

There's something so peaceful about being at the lake.

I think God blesses us with a sweet kind of rest when we choose to take time

to enjoy His creation.

It sure felt that way to me!

Thanks for following along on Part I of our summer adventures!
Here's to hoping the last half of summer won't fly by quite so fast as the first part did. 😉
Happy weekend, friends!

10 Favorite Christmas Traditions for Children

Christmas holds a lot of special memories for me from my childhood,

and I want to establish meaningful traditions with my littles as well.

There are so many festive activities during this season that it can actually be overwhelming,

so I decided to share a few that I have found to be worthwhile and fun!

1. Our church hosts an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Night,

and Hadassah and Nicholas love to participate in this!

I want to be intentional about teaching my children the true meaning of Christmas,

and this is a beautiful way to let them experience the joy of giving.

2. A few years ago, I bought a cheap artificial tree from Walmart.

It's actually kind of ugly (ha!), but the kids just love getting to decorate it with their own ornaments!

I let them each pick an ornament from New Creation each year

and we talk about the dear women who have created them.

3. The past two years, we assembled gingerbread houses.

It's a mess, and nearly as much candy ends up in their mouths as does on the houses,

but they have so much fun!

Those happy little faces make the mess totally worth it!

4. I was so close to buying an artificial tree this year,

but nothing beats going to a tree farm and choosing the perfect tree as a family!

They watched Papa cut it down, and chased each other through the trees.

It was an hour well spent.

5. Our annual church Christmas play is always a highlight and the children can hardly wait to go for the first showing tonight! Here's a preview clip to pique your curiosity :)
If you're local, we'd love to have you join us!

6. I took the children to the Dollar Tree so they could pick out a gift for each other.

$1 is such a small investment so they can enjoy the fun of giving!

They were so excited to wrap the presents and put them under their little tree :)

7. Go see a live nativity.

We've only done this once with the children, when Nicholas was too young to remember.

I think they would really enjoy going to see one this year!

8. Find a variety of books about Christmas at the library to read to the children.
I love this idea! I'll have to remember it for next year.

9. Bake cookies together and then fix platters to pass out to neighbors.
This is a family tradition my mom started,
and although I haven't done it every year, I think the children would love to participate in this.
Now I just need to figure out how to make cookies faster than we eat them :)

10. Take a drive to see the Christmas lights.
There's something absolutely magical about those colorful, twinkling lights!
I enjoy seeing them almost as much as my children do!

But even if I accomplish nothing else, I want to be present with my children.

 I want to sing Christmas carols, drink hot chocolate 

and experience the wonder of Christmas through their eyes!

Now I would love to hear about your favorite Christmas traditions!

Happy weekend friends!

My Fall Home

Fall is one of my favorite seasons!

I love the brilliant colors, the woodsy scent of leaves, and the crisp evening air.

I get excited about pulling out my sweaters and boots,

and wrapping up in cozy blankets.

It was so much fun bringing some of those elements into my home this year!

I don't think I've ever really decorated my porch for fall, other than setting out a mum.

But after I got these gorgeous pumpkins from Massanutten Produce, it all just came together.

This old hickory rocker was left at the house,

so I added a cozy flannel I found at the last Embellish sale!

I stopped in at the Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Store and found this darling yellow garden stool.

I love the pop of color it adds to the porch!

The galvanized bucket was a few dollars at a flea market.

I created these farmhouse banners for the Barn Sale this year,

and this one ended up in my studio!

I love the simplicity of these mini white pumpkins, and used them throughout my house.

The terrarium is a great place to display seasonal items!

I put a mini pumpkin, leaf and some acorns in mine.

This is one of the many old mantles that came out of the farmhouse that was originally on this property. 

The sign is one that I painted (and is for sale if anyone is interested!)

and the ferns were foraged in the woods behind the house. 

The succulent pumpkin was a gift; isn't it adorable?!

I used my wood round to create an autumn-themed tea bar, complete with pumpkin spice tea

and salted caramel syrup! The coffee drinkers can't have all the fun.

Oh, and let's not forget all the pumpkin desserts!

It wouldn't be fall without them.

And we're on the back porch, where Hadassah is cozied up with my Aztec blanket that I purchased 15 years ago in Mexico! It's also Sprinkle's favorite spot to take a nap.

Thanks for joining me on a tour of our home!

xoxo, Ruby