Chaperones for a Day . . .

Jim and I volunteered to be chaperones for Megan's class trip to go to a local farm yesterday.  All of the kindergarten classes boarded buses and headed out to Secor Farm for a tractor ride and pumpkin picking.  It was like Christmas Eve the night before to get her to go to sleep.  She was so excited to be going on a school bus for her very first time and this was also her very first school field trip.  : )

Lunch before the hay ride.

Pure joy!!!!!

Our crew for the day ~ Brianna, Reynaldo and Megan.  They were absolutely adorable!!!

All aboard for the tractor ride!!!!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.  The sky was bright blue and it was close to 70 degrees which is pretty warm for New York this time of year.

The kids got to pick their own pumpkin, go thru a corn maze and run around and just enjoy the beautiful day we were blessed with.

I did get my crew to sit still long enough for a group photo!!  : )

This was in the pond we drove past for the tractor ride.  The kids were laughing and screaming.  Lol!!!

Girl power!!!!!!!!

It was such a wonderful day filled with laughter and happy faces.  I hope Megan makes friends as easily when we move.  I was telling my husband the other day that we are so blessed to have such happy children.  Our house is always filled with laughter.  I'm the first person to admit I need my alone time and I'm lucky to be able to have it on a pretty regular basis but I think I'm happiest when everyone is home at dinner time and the neighborhood kids are flitting in and out.  I made all the neighborhood kids promise that they will come to our new house as often as possible.  There is going to be more room for them to stay over and our door is always open to them.  I've given up on the thought of ever having an empty nest.  I just don't know if I could stand all that quiet.  : )


Happy Wednesday!! ~ Wendy

Slim Pickins . . .

By the time we got to the pumpkin farm, this is all that was left.

It certainly makes it a lot easier to choose.

This happy girl didn't seem to mind.

A son's new found passion . . .

and a beautiful sunset.

All in all . . .   A very good night.  : )


I hope you're having a very happy Saturday!! ~ Wendy

This Moment . . .

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Many blessings for a happy and safe Halloween ~ Wendy

A Season of Change . . .

This weekend we moved my mother into her new little cottage in the woods.  When I first saw where it was located, I felt a little nervous that she and her two dogs would be too isolated from other people compared to where she was moving from.   She does have neighbors but they're all spread out on a dirt road except for the ones that are across and down a little hill from her.  I made her promise that she'd carry her phone with her at all times in case she ever fell or had a medical emergency.  She's only in her 60's but has had several serious medical issues this last year.  She's fine now but you just never know.

 On Sunday, Megan, Brendan, Jakhai (our "adopted" Fresh Air Fund son who stayed the long weekend with us) and two of Brendan's friends all piled into the car and took a road trip with me back to Nana's new house.  While the kids explored the more than 30 acres that my mother's cottage is situated on, my sister and I helped her start to get some sense of organization out of the ton of stuff we had all moved the day before.  Just a little side note here . . .  please don't leave a legacy of clutter for your children to have to deal with when you are gone.  This really lit a fire under my butt to start to purge!!!  : )

 By the time we left late Sunday afternoon I, too, had fallen in love with her new home and everything about it.  The kids were able to take photos of a family of deer and even a video of a small coyote that was running around.  I didn't see a coyote in the wild until I was in my 30's!!!  : )  The thought of sitting in her living room on a snowy day, hunkering down with a fire in the fireplace makes me smile.  It's the perfect escape from all of the craziness in this world.  But I still made her promise to keep her phone with her at all times!!  : )

 Many blessings for a peaceful and beautiful Tuesday ~ Wendy




*All of the photos were taken during our recent pumpkin picking adventure in Warwick NY with the exception of the little scarecrow.  He's sitting happily on my mother's front porch in a mum plant!!  : )