Lovely days

There is something about the beach that just makes me happy.  I love listening to the waves lap on the shore.  I love the blinding sun in the morning when I walk out onto my deck.  The breeze all day is refreshing and renews the mind.  The beach just screams, "You must relax if you are staying".

This week we have brought Jake, Scovia, Juliana, Aaron, Henry, Ethan, Christian & Patrick with us.  We all piled into the great room on Sunday Night to watch the Ravens beat the Patriots.  It was intense but a great time.  Only Henry had to go to bed early.  Of course he is two so I guess it really wasn't early for him.  Monday we spent the morning sitting by the water, walking up and down the beach, playing in the sand with Henry, playing football with the guys and watching Ethan on his skim board.  It was a glorious morning followed by a late lunch in Buxton and buying some groceries.  We find that 10 people eat a whole lot of food.

Henry loving the water.  

When you write it down it sounds as if we were busy but we weren't.  All these things took place over several hours.  The in between times we just relaxed or slept.  I of course always go into photo overload.  Taking pictures of everything and everybody.

Sunset…no editing here.  This photo is all God's work, not mine.

I am so thankful for this week in our home away from home.  I love that my sister & her family could join us.  I'm amazed at the goodness of the LORD.  He knows what we need when we need it.

Tookin Tookies with Grammy

Yesterday I decided it was time that Henry & I made cookies together for the first time.  I mean he has been around when I made cookies but this time he gets to wear an apron and hold a spoon.  We got Scovia to help us and boy did we have a good time.

At first Henry refused to wear an apron until he noticed that his Aunt Stove (Scovia) and Grammy had one on.  He helped hold on to the hand mixer and put in the sugar and other dry ingredients. When his mother walked in Henry said, "Mommy, Dammy (Grammy) tookin (cooking) tookies (cookies).  I tookin, I tookin".  It was super cute.

We had a great time.  Baking is something I did with all three of my children and now with my grandson.  Now my children can all do some cooking and one day Henry will too.

Henry wearing Autumns apron

He is saying "Cheeeeesssseeee"

first batch out of the oven…so good

The apron Henry is wearing is the one my niece Autumn made for her Uncle Bo many years ago when she was a Dora fan.  Her handprints are on the apron with the name Dora because that is what Bo called her.  So I sent her the picture of Henry wearing her apron.

Kelcie & Autumn…miss my girls

Uncle Bo, Kelcie & Autumn last Christmas

Making memories with my grandson and daughter in law and including memories of my niece made the day special.

Play With Your Toys

What is it that you like to do?  I mean really like to do.  Not just a passing thing but something that becomes a part of who you are or what you are known for.  The kind of thing that if you haven't been able to do it, you miss it.

For me it is photography.  About 4 years ago I discovered that I really like the art of photography.  I love the creativity of framing a photo with the camera so you do not need to crop anything because you did the work when taking it.  I love the lenses and what you can do with a macro.  When you use the macro lens you can almost feel part of the subject.

I never thought I would enjoy taking photos of nature but I have found that nature is one of my favorite subjects.  God provided all the colors, light, shadows that you need.

I am only a beginner in photography.  I have so much to learn.  I would love to learn how to process real film in a dark room.  I need to learn more about the craft that is photography.  That is one of the things I love the most…so much to learn.  It continues to amaze me and challenge me.

In the past month I haven't had the chance to work much with my camera.  I am leaving Saturday for the beach and I am planning on taking as many shots as I can.  Now my most favorite of all subjects is my family and they are coming along (except for Kelcie…:-( sad face).  I am looking forward to just being able to play with my camera and lenses.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Bo & Henry...Hatteras 2012

Tropical Storm Beryl…Hatteras 2012

Henry in a puddle…Mothers Day 2012

Bo & Kimi…Hatteras 2009

Henry…Day at the Park
I love the way the light is interacting
with the camera causing spots

Macro lens & flower…I like to think that this is the view
a bee has when going from flower to flower.

Today, do something that makes you feel creative and happy.  Play isn't only for children.  Get out your big girl or big boy toys and just enjoy your day.  Even if it is for just a 1/2 hour…this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad.  It will only add to your BLESSED LIFE.

Wonder Woman or Crazy Lady??

This weekend I had all my kids in the house at the same time.  It has been over a year since that has happened so I breathed it all in very deeply.  Kelcie was so excited to come home for the weekend.  She hadn't seen her brother since she left for college in August 2011 and she hadn't ever met his bride, Scovia.

The years have flown by.  At times when my children were all little, finding a quiet place seemed like only a dream.  Then before I knew it, they were all grown.  Now, Bo & I look forward to having everyone home, sitting around the table or just watching a movie in the same room.  So this weekend was a great treat for us.

When I look at Henry, I see all three of my kids.  His looks are so much like his Uncle Jake but he can make faces that bring his mommy or Aunt KaKa (what he calls Kelcie) to the surface.  I babysit Henry three days a week and I am impressed with myself 20 years ago.  Twenty years ago I had a two year old, a one year old and one on the way.  Today I wonder, how did I even get a shower much less make dinner, do the laundry, go anywhere.  I was a wonder woman or was I a dirty, hungry, stay at home all the time person?  I do remember days of getting a shower at night when Bo was home because there wasn't a moment during the day.  Good times were had by all.

Henry helping Pop make Potato Leek soup
He loves to cook and he loves to help

Jake, Juliana and Kelcie are now 22, 21 & 19.  Jake is married, Juliana is a mommy and getting married in January and Kelcie is a Junior in college.  Life has taken many turns and has brought many surprises but I am so thankful for the blessings of all my children.  Our family has expanded and will continue to expand.  I cannot wait to see what the future holds for The VanDyke's.  Marriages, babies, love, togetherness…It's all part of My BLESSED LIFE!

Happy 21st Birthday Juliana Kimberly

Today my Juliana Kimberly turned 21!  At 12:56 am 21 years ago, they laid this 9lb 2oz baby girl on my chest.  She was so big and so little at the same time.  She had dark hair, olive skin and the fattest cheeks I had ever seen on a newborn.  Her cheeks were so big they made her eyes squish so I looked at the midwife and asked, "How did I have a Chinese baby?".  She laughed at me and said, "You didn't".

I was 9 months pregnant here with Juliana

I had this perfect little girl who was hungry.  She stayed hungry too. All through her toddler years, she counted her meals…"I have only ate one time today.  I have to eat two more times."  That was sit down meals, it didn't include snacks.  I had never seen a child do this.

Juliana was my biggest baby but became my smallest child.  She would sleep in her crib totally folded in half, head on bed but between her legs.  Her daddy would say, "Move her.  She can't be comfortable".  My reaction, "You don't move a sleeping baby".  She climbed everywhere.  She could scale the back of the couch like she was spider girl.  She was my little cuddle bug.  She is still my little cuddle bug.

Juliana 2 days old

Now she is a mommy herself and in January she will be a wife.  I love to watch her play with her baby boy and see the love between them.  I am so very proud of the young lady she has become.  It is a great gift when you are given the privilege of seeing your children grow up.  I know she will be a good wife to Aaron and will excel at anything she puts her mind to.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIANA.

Jake & Juliana 2012 the day Jake came home from
Africa

Jake & Juliana Easter Sunday 1993

Juliana & Kelcie at the Beach 2011

Kelcie, Me and Juliana Christmas PJ's

Kelcie, Henry & Juliana at lunch…Henry is cheesing
Love this pic

The Smell of Fall

I love the smell of fall.  I love the crisp air in the morning and then again in the evening.  Even though it's a time when the leaves start leaving the trees and flowers start to die, I feel revived.  I love living in a state that has all four seasons.  Don't get me wrong, I love going to the beach in the summer and there are times when I wish that I lived there all year long.  But I would miss the changing leaves and all the smells of fall.

Smells can bring back memories from childhood.  The smell of fall always takes me to 410 Webb Lane, Havre de Grace, MD in the late 70's/early 80's.  I was a little girl, playing with my sisters and brother.  Our church was in the process of building an addition and it just so happened that we lived in the apartment over the church.  Ronald, Christian, Cheryl and I would play house or war or whatever we could think of.  What is now the Bishop's office was our "house".  We took 2x4's and made a pretend fireplace with a mantle.  We used whatever we could find and made a house.  I remember playing out there until Mom said it was time for dinner and going right back out after dinner (if Mom was OK with it).  It would be cold as the sun went down but we didn't care.

I love how we used our imaginations and when Christian became too bossy and tried to make me the husband or son, I would just move down the hall to one of the now Sunday School rooms.  I would make my own house and have my own rules…Good times.  But what would start out as a fight would lend itself to more imagination and we would become neighbors who could visit each other, like real women…lol.



Yes, the smell of fall makes me want to be a kid again.  I had a great childhood full of imaginings, fairy tales, laughter and love.  We didn't have a TV for many years and we made up our own plays and acted them out for our parents.  We had popcorn night listening to records or telling stories.  It was a 2 1/2 bedroom apartment with a small living room and kitchen and one bathroom.  But there was always room for one more.  Not a problem in the Estep home.

FALL…Smells…Childhood…Memories…LOVE.  I would have to say that fall is my favorite time of the year.  I just realized why, it's all in the smells or should I say, Memories.

Henry last fall, walking through the leaves
He loved the way they crunched under his feet.

To Purge or Not To Purge…

I have over 15,000 pictures on my computer.  15,000!!!!!  So I am now in the process of going through all my photos.  My son purchased me an external hard drive so I could put just my pics on it.  In the process, I have found that I keep a bunch of pics that I don't need or want.  I have now purged 5,000 pictures off my computer onto my hard drive.  This is all part of my MEMORY HOARDING!

It is not easy going through pics and deciding whether or not you want to keep them but it is necessary. My computer was running so slow and it was eating up so much space.  I would be working on something and I couldn't continue because my computer would say "start up disk is full".  It drives me crazy to get interrupted.  It interferes with my thought process.  But it forced me to start the purge.

I guess we have a ton of stuff in our lives that we need to purge.  We hold onto things that eat up our space and slow us down.  I look at my house and how much stuff I have that I really don't need.  It slows me down when I am trying to get things done.  Looking deeper, what about my spiritual life?  What keeps me from reading scripture, praying, doing for others?  Could it be that I clutter up my life with business and "stuff" that I am too distracted to even remember that I haven't had my spiritual encounter today…if that is the case, it's time to purge.

My friend, Pearl Sanborn told me that her mother always told her to write things down and it frees the mind for other things.  So I am doing a version of that with my external hard drive and computer.  I am writing/downloading the pics on the hard drive to free up my computer for other things.  It forces me to see what is necessary and what is not.  Kind of like writing down thoughts or lists, it helps to prioritize what needs to be done.

So my main list for the day is:
1. Workout
2. Write my blog
3. Dishes
4. Play with Henry
5. Work on Friday Night Light
6. Church
7. Continue the photo purge

I know that things will not get done in this order but it gives me a goal and reminder that these things must be done.  Thanks Pearl for that piece of advice…it works.  Adding to MY BLESSED LIFE!!

ONE TO PURGE

ONE TO KEEP

The Quiet Moments

In the rare quiet moments of the morning my thoughts can wander, remember, dream.  Oh how I love the quiet moments.  To be alone with my thoughts…the quiet.  It's in these times that I look outside my window and enjoy the blessings around me.

What are the blessings around you?  I see beauty in the flowers on the deck that have bloomed all summer long and are HUGE!!  I love to breath in the fragrance of the herbs growing in the containers on the table outside the kitchen the window.  The way the light bounces off the trees in the morning brings me joy.  I see the crape myrtle and its few blossoms on the ends of this very large tree because it needs more sunlight.

Bo & I
A quiet moment watching the rain
After Juliana's baby shower

It's so quiet in the house right now.  This is a rare moment in the VanDyke household.  I cherish it for what it is…a moment.  Do I want my house to be quiet like this all the time? NO!  I love life and the noise that goes with a life full of loved ones around.  But it is in the quiet when I feel that I can almost hear the heart beat of God in His creation.

My mother in law has always told me that her favorite part of the day is the early morning.  She loves to watch the sun come up.  When I was younger, I never understood why someone would want to be up before the sun but now I am gaining an appreciation for her perspective.

Cherish the quiet moments and embrace the noise.  It's all part of what makes a BLESSED LIFE!!!

One eyed Pirate

Exercised this morning with my best friend, Sarah.  She is keeping me accountable to my vow to exercise.  This morning, she was my wake up buzz…lol.  I told her it must have been God because when she got to my house, I was still asleep.  Sound asleep in my warm bed next to my hubby, all comfy cozy.  Then I hear a faint buzz from my phone.  I barely heard the buzz but it woke me up out of a sound sleep.  The message, "Are u working out".  You know when  you wake up and have to read something and only one eye works, well that was me, reading with one eye-like a pirate.  I responded yes and got up.  

Sarah and I in Fenwick for a Sisters Weekend
this summer

By the time I got downstairs, Sarah was well into her workout.  She amazes me.  She almost never misses and its not even in her basement.  I have trouble getting up and going down two flights to the basement.  She keeps me accountable.  

We all need people in our lives that keep us motivated and accountable.  Sarah helps me refocus when I start to wander away from exercising.  She knows me and knows that I really need to do this even when I don't want to.  

I find that making a vow is much easier than keeping one.  For the first 7 months, I exercised about 5 days a week, NO PROBLEM.  Then I went on vacation and the struggle began.  I got out of my routine and decided that I really like sleeping in.  When my thought process turned from, "I am feeling so much better because of exercise" to "Man, I just want to stay in bed.  I like sleeping in.  I don't have to do this all the time", I started acting on the new thoughts.  Every action starts with a thought.  Let me say that again, EVERY ACTION STARTS WITH A THOUGHT!!!  So in order to get my body back into submission, I need to get my thoughts back into submission.  That means reading material that inspires me to exercise and eat right.  Think about the good things that exercising and eating right will bring into my life.  

Sarah sent this to me…encouraging me to
keep on.  It encouraged me and it encouraged her to
keep it up.

Next I must plan. Be prepared to do the work.  Get my clothes together and make sure my socks are where I can get to them easy.  I call it giving feet to my thoughts.  Shopping for food that I should be eating instead of shopping for food to "cheat" with.  Just like marriage, Don't put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted to cheat.  

Now, this is all easy to say because I have just "reunited" with my exercise plan.  I call it the "honeymoon phase".  But when my exercise plan interferes with my sleeping and eating fun, I will see just how committed I am to this new plan.  

Day One Complete.  I have the resources I need to succeed.  My friend, Sarah, the equipment in the basement, the right mindset, the clothes, shoes, time and the food.  So here we go!!!!  Loving my BLESSED LIFE!

Memory Hoarder

This morning I was going through my not so new purses to donate and I was surprised at how difficult it is.  Evidently, I am a "Holder".  I hold onto things that I don't use anymore.  Why???  Because I am a memory hoarder.  As I pulled each purse out of my closet, there was a memory attached and a fear.  The memories of course were all pleasant ones but the fear wasn't about the past but about the future..."What if".

The "What if" fear is very real.  What if the person who bought it for me gets their feelings hurt?  What if I find that I could have used that in the future?  What if, What if, What if!!!!

I like things that have sentimental value…memories…love.  I use Kelcie's owl coffee mug (that is strange) just because I miss her and it makes me feel close to her.  Now I laughed at her when she bought the thing because it has huge eyes and is not at all what I wanted to drink my coffee out of.  But since she is away at college, I use it a lot.  I even gave my mother in law her coffee in it, but that was just to get a reaction, which I did.

This is one strange cup but it is what I am drinking my
coffee out of right now.

I succeeded in filling a big black trash bag with purses from my closet.  I didn't give away any of my favorites but some of them I am very fond of.  When Bo came out of the shower, I said to him, "Look I made some holes in our closet."  He didn't seem to be too impressed but I was.  I DID IT!!!!  I am proud of myself and the lesson I learned.  What's the lesson??  Now I have room for new ones…lol

I do like purses and shoes and clothes…stuff, but I love giving more than anything.  So I am glad I did it!  These purses will help raise money for the Cecil College Scholarship Fund on September 13th at their Little Black Dress Event.

The purses didn't hold the memory, it's in me.  I am the keeper of the memory and memories are a huge part of my BLESSED LIFE.

Little Things

The little things in life are sometimes the ones that stand out the most.

  Last night I was either in the bed or laying down on the couch...pretty much feeling horrible.  Juliana & Henry came home around 9 and Henry went right into playing with his beloved dinosaurs.  After playing for a while, his Mommy said,"OK, now time for bed."  Henry runs over to me and kisses & hugs me.  He tells me that he loves me and then he grabs his mommy's hand and turns around and says, "bye bye dinosaurs (dinotours is how he pronounces it)..bye bye...bye bye dinosaurs...bye bye."  He must  have said this 15 times and looking back like he expected them to answer.  It was the cutest thing ever.

I love these moments in time where his imagination comes to life and how he likes to include everyone.  I remember being a little girl and kissing all of my baby dolls and stuffed animals so they wouldn't get their feelings hurt.  Compassion for others is even shown in their play.  I love it.

Henry watching Dino Dan with his Dino on his lap on the coffee table

Henry sleeping with his dinosaur 

Even when you feel like shutting the world out, a child can bring you right back to life...if even for a moment.  It is part of my BLESSED LIFE.

Aunt Scobia!!!!

Yesterday, my great niece, Presley, met my daughter in law for the first time.  As soon as she saw Scovia, she knew who she was and that Scovia is family.  Presley wasn't afraid of meeting this stranger for the first time.  Why?  Because Scovia wasn't a stranger to Presley.

For the past year Jake & Scovia have been in Africa but they have been very much a part of the family in every activity, thought and speech.  Our family included Jake & Scovia in our family gatherings by using SKYPE or FaceTime so Presley, Jacob and Henry got to see them even though they were in another country.  But even more than that, we talked about them often.  We didn't allow the kids to forget their Uncle and we made sure they knew about their new Auntie.

What is important to us as parents and grandparents, we talk about.  We show how we feel about someone or something with the inflection in our voice and the look on our face.  Children notice all these things.  When they are very young, they take our feelings and words as Gospel Fact.  They usually don't even question it.  If someone says something that they are not sure of, children will look at their parents and ask, "Do we believe that?"  not "Do you believe that".  They believe what the parents believe.

So when Scovia came to the car to see Aunt Cheryl and Presley, Presley did not hesitate when she recognized Scovia.  She said, "Ahhh, Hi Aunt Scobia".  Presley and Aunt Scobia played together and now they are best friends...lol.

Scovia (Aunt Scobia) & Presley
BFF's forever

The moral of this story is that we have to be very careful what words we use around our children.  Life and death lie within the tongue.  Speak words that will add to their lives.  Such a responsibility but it is worth it.   It will add to living your BLESSED LIFE.

Happy Birthday Cheryl

Some birthdays just require you to stop and take notice.  The first birthday of a child...13th birthday-Teenagers...16th Birthday...21st Birthday and then you just kind of have birthdays until you reach the big 4-0!!  40 is a big year.  I celebrated my 40th last year and yesterday, my baby sister celebrated hers. Yes, Cheryl is FORTY!!!  So I am dedicating this post to her.  Since I didn't write yesterday on her birthday, I will take today's post and think of Cheryl.

You see 13 months and 5 days after I was born, Cheryl Annette Estep entered into this world, kicking me out of my crib...lol.  Of course I have no memories of this day or any surrounding this day.  But when my memories start, Cheryl is a part of everyone of them.  Of course, we didn't get along all the time but we love each other very much.

I am so thankful for our childhood...making mud pies for the neighbor boy when we lived in Aberdeen...putting on plays for Mom and Dad in the living room of the apartment above the church...acting like "ladies" at McDonald's by crossing our legs and holding up our pinkies when we were eating...Good times.  There are so many memories that it would take more space than I have to write them all down.

The Estep Girls
Cheryl, Christian & Me in Fenwick 1 year ago

I love my little sister very much.  I am very thankful for her and cannot imagine my life without her.  We don't live together any more but we are still very connected.  Not just connected by blood but by memories, by heart, by love.

Cheryl is a lady.  She grew up to be what we always played at.  She is proper (compared to me & Christian that is), she is delicate and strong, beautiful, kind, loving, tenderhearted, wise, funny as all get out and I wouldn't have her any other way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHERYL!!!   I love you very much.

They are home

I don't usually post on a Saturday but this is the first quiet moment I have had since Wednesday when I was thrilled to pick up my son and daughter in law from Dulles Airport, straight from Africa!!!  We have been helping them get settled in and introducing our beautiful daughter in law to all our family & friends.  I have never seen my son happier than he is now.  It's so amazing to watch the way he is with his wife.  He called her "baby doll" last night and I smiled quietly to myself, thinking, his daddy calls me that.  I am so certain that he will be/is a good husband because he has had such an amazing example at home.

Everyone in the family has been on cloud 9 since the return of The VanDyke's IV.  As soon as Kelcie can come home for a couple of days, I am taking a family picture.  One with ALL of us!!!  That is all 8 of us.  Our family is growing rapidly it seems.  First, Henry, then Scovia and now in January, Aaron.  They say good things come in 3's...I hope that is the saying.

Henry with His Uncle Jake & Aunt Scovia...at the airport

Jake & Juliana...Jake is talking to Kelcie so it's like
having all 3 kids there.

Bo and I are so blessed and thankful for the safe return of our children.  It seemed like it wouldn't happen but God moved in so many ways to make it a reality.  Now we have a full house again but that was our desire.  A full house...full of family, love, laughter...LIFE!!!