I am constantly amazed at how wonderful my sisters are. I have one sister God gave me when I was three and then three more I gained through marriage. All of them are great mothers, working out of the home to provide for their families while balancing the needs of husband and children. In fact they all work in a service-type profession, helping or teaching others. But each of them also has unique gifts and I wonder if they realize it? I thought I would take some time to honor each of them, in no particular order, and recognize their gifts.
My sister has the ability to help all feel completely comfortable in her home. She is always inviting others over and no matter who is there we all feel like family. She has the gift of hospitality and showers it abundantly on anyone who comes within reach of her.
One of my sisters-in-law is absolutely hilarious! When she gets going, we will be crying from laughing so hard. I always know I will have fun when she is around. Helping others laugh, but not at the expense of someone else, is a gift we all need to experience on a regular basis.
Whenever we have family get-togethers, we eat. (of course - why else get together?) Another of my SIL's is always there asking "what can I do to help?" To a person who feels incompetent at social gatherings (me) she seems so amazing - calm, confident, and always knowing what to do.
Sis-in-law #3 has an incredible talent in photography. I realize this one doesn't have to do with relationships like the previous gifts I mentioned. While this sis-in-law can do those things also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention her ability behind the camera. She can capture the moment in a 3x5 setting like no one I've seen. While I can look at a situation and see an opportunity for a beautiful photo, she actually executes it - perfectly. We have memories now of our family that will last because she was there to take the picture.
Each one of them is an incredible woman. We don't always get along, nor do we get to spend a lot of time together just having fun. I hope, though, that we can always see the beauty in each other and the irreplaceable value we each have. Our family would be less without any one of these ladies. My life is more because of them.
Love you each, sisters! Thank you for being a part of my life. I am blessed by God to have you as family.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Johnson's Shut-Ins
Okay, I realize it has been awhile since I last posted to this blog but I have been recovering from our vacation. Why recover, you might ask? Well, we headed to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park for a wonderful time. Every morning we would do a hike and every afternoon we swam in the river. I might want to mention the temps were in the 100's all but one day. Lest you pity us, however, we were in a very nice camper with air conditioning!
Anyway, we played very very hard. I spent the week face-to-face with the incredible beauty of God's creation, constantly amazed at the diversity and uniqueness of what He has done. Let me show you...
This is the East Fork of the Black River. It winds it's way down the Ozark Mts. to be squeezed through this little valley over some incredibly hard rock called dolomite.
The river has scooped out the rock over the centuries and created little natural water slides, which people slither down with the help of the river's current. Kids loved it, a little too much current action for me. I preferred the quiet pools further upstream. . .
Here is a shot from one of our hikes. This was a two-handed walk at times, holding on to trees and rocks, that lifted us up over the knobs of the mountain and then back down in the valley. I'm proud of my kids. They really hung in there. This is a quiet little waterfall in the midst of the trees and rocks.
This is part of Elephant Rocks State Park, just down the road from where we were. Amazing, isn't it! These huge rocks, sitting on top of the mountain. It looked like Mars up there, with boulders the size of spaceships tossed around.
This was the funniest part of the trip. After Elephant Rocks, we headed to the top of Taum Sauk Mt, the highest point in the state of Missouri. I know, you people in Colorado are thinking we are crazy to even call the Ozarks mountains, but they are ours and that's what we call 'em! So anyway, we're taking this very nicely paved trail through timber waiting impatiently for the trees to open up and present us with a breathtaking vista of the peaks all around. After all, we just left the Elephant Rocks (which were incredible and breathtaking all on their own), so this will be better. . . right?
Um, no. This picture is my family standing on a little rock poking out of the ground beside an unremarkable tree set in the usual Missouri timber. The rock does have a granite plaque, though, that some thoughtful Missourian placed there.
Well, this is enough inflicting my vacation on you poor unsuspecting readers. Thanks for waiting. I have nothing pithy to close with, except that I truly enjoyed laughing with my husband and children this week. I can't wait until we can go again.
Anyway, we played very very hard. I spent the week face-to-face with the incredible beauty of God's creation, constantly amazed at the diversity and uniqueness of what He has done. Let me show you...
This is the East Fork of the Black River. It winds it's way down the Ozark Mts. to be squeezed through this little valley over some incredibly hard rock called dolomite.
The river has scooped out the rock over the centuries and created little natural water slides, which people slither down with the help of the river's current. Kids loved it, a little too much current action for me. I preferred the quiet pools further upstream. . .
Here are the kids (well, two of them) swimming in the clearest water I have ever seen in a natural setting. They are watching the fish and tadpoles swim up to nibble on them.
Here is a shot from one of our hikes. This was a two-handed walk at times, holding on to trees and rocks, that lifted us up over the knobs of the mountain and then back down in the valley. I'm proud of my kids. They really hung in there. This is a quiet little waterfall in the midst of the trees and rocks.
We didn't just stay at the Shut-Ins, though. Take a look at these!
This is part of Elephant Rocks State Park, just down the road from where we were. Amazing, isn't it! These huge rocks, sitting on top of the mountain. It looked like Mars up there, with boulders the size of spaceships tossed around.
This was the funniest part of the trip. After Elephant Rocks, we headed to the top of Taum Sauk Mt, the highest point in the state of Missouri. I know, you people in Colorado are thinking we are crazy to even call the Ozarks mountains, but they are ours and that's what we call 'em! So anyway, we're taking this very nicely paved trail through timber waiting impatiently for the trees to open up and present us with a breathtaking vista of the peaks all around. After all, we just left the Elephant Rocks (which were incredible and breathtaking all on their own), so this will be better. . . right?
Um, no. This picture is my family standing on a little rock poking out of the ground beside an unremarkable tree set in the usual Missouri timber. The rock does have a granite plaque, though, that some thoughtful Missourian placed there.
Yep, this is the highest elevation point in Missouri. I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't take the picture.
Well, this is enough inflicting my vacation on you poor unsuspecting readers. Thanks for waiting. I have nothing pithy to close with, except that I truly enjoyed laughing with my husband and children this week. I can't wait until we can go again.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Outside my back door
Fun doesn't have to be complicated. Fun can be simple & cheap, lying just ouside your back door. Let me show you.
Just outside my back door are five bicycles. Those bicycles provided hours of fun this past week for my family. We visited my parents, my sister and her family in Rochester, Minnesota, for the 4th of July and took our bikes with us.
My kids rode their bikes over to their aunt's house to play. They rode to the pool every day. The guys took off one afternoon while us ladies sat and gossiped -- oops, I mean visited :-) One day we loaded up and went in to Rochester and rode the trails there. Three generations of family tooling around beautiful paths, checking out the nature sanctuary and having a great visit. In fact, we were able to get in to see the Rochester Honkers play baseball for free because we rode our bikes to the game.
Now, if we hadn't taken the bikes we still would have enjoyed our time together. However, adding the bikes to the trip was a sprinkle of cinnamon on the latte. We didn't need to spend more money to do it - we just used what was available and had fun with it.
My question for you is what have you done this summer to have fun? Have you listened to your children laugh? Read a book by a new author? Read a book considered an old friend? It's too easy to define fun as shopping, eating at restaurants, or watching movies. All of these activities are fun, but they cost money and calories and you just sit and get. Fun can also be planting a garden, even if that garden is one tomato plant in a bucket. Fun can be bringing the neighbor across the street some of the cookies your kids just baked. (I hate baking cookies. All cookie baking is done by husband or children in our house.)
Go look outside your back door. What do you see? A patch of lawn that could grow a flower or tomato plant? A sidewalk to explore? Neighbors to meet? Maybe you see a bicycle. . . take it for a spin. You will have fun!
Just outside my back door are five bicycles. Those bicycles provided hours of fun this past week for my family. We visited my parents, my sister and her family in Rochester, Minnesota, for the 4th of July and took our bikes with us.
My kids rode their bikes over to their aunt's house to play. They rode to the pool every day. The guys took off one afternoon while us ladies sat and gossiped -- oops, I mean visited :-) One day we loaded up and went in to Rochester and rode the trails there. Three generations of family tooling around beautiful paths, checking out the nature sanctuary and having a great visit. In fact, we were able to get in to see the Rochester Honkers play baseball for free because we rode our bikes to the game.
Now, if we hadn't taken the bikes we still would have enjoyed our time together. However, adding the bikes to the trip was a sprinkle of cinnamon on the latte. We didn't need to spend more money to do it - we just used what was available and had fun with it.
My question for you is what have you done this summer to have fun? Have you listened to your children laugh? Read a book by a new author? Read a book considered an old friend? It's too easy to define fun as shopping, eating at restaurants, or watching movies. All of these activities are fun, but they cost money and calories and you just sit and get. Fun can also be planting a garden, even if that garden is one tomato plant in a bucket. Fun can be bringing the neighbor across the street some of the cookies your kids just baked. (I hate baking cookies. All cookie baking is done by husband or children in our house.)
Go look outside your back door. What do you see? A patch of lawn that could grow a flower or tomato plant? A sidewalk to explore? Neighbors to meet? Maybe you see a bicycle. . . take it for a spin. You will have fun!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sit and listen
You never know everything about family. There is always a reason to sit and visit, ask questions and listen to the answers. Just last Saturday, we of the Montgomery clan gathered to celebrate Grandpa William's 85th birthday. Aunt Grace took the opportunity to phone family far and wide and turned the shindig into a family reunion. It was wonderful! I met some family members for the first time and renewed acquaintances with others.
For those of you who don't know me, you have no idea how ironic it is to hear me say "I had a great time" regarding a gathering of people. I avoid gatherings of people whenever I can. I like people one-on-one but in large groups I am overwhelmed. This gathering had a benefit, however, in that it took place at a state park near our home. So, after lunch and a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" (not kidding here, we sing it in four part harmony), I took myself outside to a picnic table to enjoy the sun and avoid the crowd.
To my surprise and delight, family began to trickle after me. I found myself surrounded to cousins and truly enjoying myself. In fact, this blog is in part due to that conversation. One of the cousins has a blog on this site, 1000BlessingKisses, and I encourage you to check it out. Her whimsical and thoughtful posts remind me that life is worth infusing with love and beauty.
Anyway, we were chatting about growing up and someone mentioned the skating rink. This led to reminiscing about the iconic dessert from said rink - the Dusty Miller. Oh, be still my beating heart, Dusty Millers were the only reason we ever wanted to go to the rink. It certainly wasn't to skate, at least for me (I couldn't skate). Because I had a chance to sit and listen, I learned that on her blog this cousin has a recipe for Dusty Millers. How, you might ask, does she know how to create this simple yet memorable treat? Because her husband's family owned the rink!!!!!! Can you believe it? All this time they have been married and I had no idea.
So, I am glad I was able to sit and listen. I'm thankful my family finds me and surrounds me even when I pull back. I'm very thankful I now have the recipe for Dusty Millers!!! Thanks, Jeny, for your comments and your blog. Check it out at www.1000BlessingKisses.blogspot.com
For those of you who don't know me, you have no idea how ironic it is to hear me say "I had a great time" regarding a gathering of people. I avoid gatherings of people whenever I can. I like people one-on-one but in large groups I am overwhelmed. This gathering had a benefit, however, in that it took place at a state park near our home. So, after lunch and a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday" (not kidding here, we sing it in four part harmony), I took myself outside to a picnic table to enjoy the sun and avoid the crowd.
To my surprise and delight, family began to trickle after me. I found myself surrounded to cousins and truly enjoying myself. In fact, this blog is in part due to that conversation. One of the cousins has a blog on this site, 1000BlessingKisses, and I encourage you to check it out. Her whimsical and thoughtful posts remind me that life is worth infusing with love and beauty.
Anyway, we were chatting about growing up and someone mentioned the skating rink. This led to reminiscing about the iconic dessert from said rink - the Dusty Miller. Oh, be still my beating heart, Dusty Millers were the only reason we ever wanted to go to the rink. It certainly wasn't to skate, at least for me (I couldn't skate). Because I had a chance to sit and listen, I learned that on her blog this cousin has a recipe for Dusty Millers. How, you might ask, does she know how to create this simple yet memorable treat? Because her husband's family owned the rink!!!!!! Can you believe it? All this time they have been married and I had no idea.
So, I am glad I was able to sit and listen. I'm thankful my family finds me and surrounds me even when I pull back. I'm very thankful I now have the recipe for Dusty Millers!!! Thanks, Jeny, for your comments and your blog. Check it out at www.1000BlessingKisses.blogspot.com
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Use it or lose it!
Good morning! I welcome you to my blog Midwest Meaderings. This will not be a focused blog, aimed at sharing recipes or design topics. Rather, this is a slow mosey through the day - a chance at peaking in on bits of my life.
Why would I share bits of me? Well, at the risk of sounding like I'm currying sympathy, I suffer from chronic fatigue and muscle pain with a hefty dose of brain fog. It would be easy for me to sit back and watch life slip away while trying to avoid pain and tiredness. But life is worth more than that!! God gave me this incredible gift and I need to do my best with this gift. These days are my "2 talents" (see Matthew 25:14-30 for this parable from Jesus) that I need to invest and increase.
Hence, this blog. . . a chance for me to work my mind and a venue for counting my blessings. I refuse to sit back and float through life. I refuse to allow my mind to rot from inactivity and wallow in self-pity. I'm going to feel bad physically. This is an unavoidable reality for me. I might as well feel bad because I've done something fun and useful.
What can you expect? Brief forays into my mind, glimpses of my family, and thoughts on how wonderful life really is. No, this will not be a Bible study or devotion. Be prepared, however, for Jesus to pop up unexpectedly. (He does that, you know.)
Welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy your walk through Midwest Meanderings.
Why would I share bits of me? Well, at the risk of sounding like I'm currying sympathy, I suffer from chronic fatigue and muscle pain with a hefty dose of brain fog. It would be easy for me to sit back and watch life slip away while trying to avoid pain and tiredness. But life is worth more than that!! God gave me this incredible gift and I need to do my best with this gift. These days are my "2 talents" (see Matthew 25:14-30 for this parable from Jesus) that I need to invest and increase.
Hence, this blog. . . a chance for me to work my mind and a venue for counting my blessings. I refuse to sit back and float through life. I refuse to allow my mind to rot from inactivity and wallow in self-pity. I'm going to feel bad physically. This is an unavoidable reality for me. I might as well feel bad because I've done something fun and useful.
What can you expect? Brief forays into my mind, glimpses of my family, and thoughts on how wonderful life really is. No, this will not be a Bible study or devotion. Be prepared, however, for Jesus to pop up unexpectedly. (He does that, you know.)
Welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy your walk through Midwest Meanderings.
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