Watching the ball drop, hood style

After 30 years, this is what we get

Christmas break

Winter at the barn

Baby steps (at Lorna's request)

Clark facetimed in to help select a tree

Summertime sadness

If I could put time in a bottle

My sister sees the heart in everything

She lives at our house, but this is her home

He showed up unexpectedly

Windsong, after schooling

Fall's breadcrumb trail

On bat patrol at 4 a.m.

"Fun" and "disturbing" were the top sellers

Solid

The last thing he did before heading out to MSU.

We toasted her, and silently hoped our own would fare as well

Petaling the Hereafter

Summer Sundays should all be this fine

Before we knew how long the road would be

He's such a ham

Comparing notes on MSU

It felt like Iowa for a sec

Tuesday

Boyz in the 'hood

Year 11

Photo cred: Ann

Sitting on the dock of the bay

Celebrating Lynn

He beats me at everything

Elka says two more weeks

They threw him a bone at brunch, but he was having none of it

The simplest of pleasures

Working stiff at breakfast

Reading respite at Lynn's

Their highest hope is to actually leave on time-- at 4:58 a.m.

Subset + gnome

Mother, daughter, sister, friend

Happy hour

How Dad keeps things fair

Grief's shape and color

Eventide

The yin and yang of Monday

Jon kept saying "More Mike's"

Factory boy at rest

Madge chased down the wrong FedEx truck, but all's well that ends well

8 locations, 6 wardrobe changes, and 3 granola bars

On Father's Day, many true things

Father’s Day, sitting around the table after dinner. I asked everyone to complete this sentence: "If there was one thing I learned from my father, it was. . ."

My MIL said, "To be kind.” She also spoke of her father’s promise that her family would never go hungry, that he would do whatever menial labor he had to in order to keep food on the table. My FIL said that his father taught him, by example more than anything else, "Pitching in to help, whether it was dishes or yard work or whatever needed to be done.” From his dad, Brad said he learned "The importance of spending time with family."  

My mom talked about her dad's love of flowers, especially peonies, and how he taught her an appreciation for gardening. My dad said, "Love what you do." If there was one thing I learned from my father, it was that you can't be afraid to live. Bev said she learned the importance of paying attention, e.g., when hooking wagon up to tractor. (This sent us into gales of laughter when paired with mine. We somehow twisted it into, "You can't be afraid to live--or die.") 

By the time we started talking about this, both kids had left the table, so I texted them the question. Clark's text: "Sometimes you gotta take a leap of faith, even if the road ahead isn't easy or certain." Madeline's: "To always follow your dreams and work hard, because if you do you can achieve them."

I’m grateful for grandfathers. Today I was reminded of how much they influence our lives still, even if we never knew them.

May the light of God's countenance shine upon you, Crossroads

And so it begins...again

Crash landing in the lot of Third Reformed

Weird. Something between "Wizard of Oz" and "Left Behind". Photo cred to Ann.

Against the wind

Photo cred: Madge