the sweet and the sad and the unknown....

Yesterday we celebrated Miss Charlotte Claire's 11th birthday with a hike! Char, Mirielle, Jonny there in the back, me, Samuel, Kathryn, and little Cam in the front...


Hot weather is overrated, but moderate spring temperatures around 60 degrees with sunshine peeking out: I'll take it.


These three children DID take off their shoes and walk in the water. Kathryn accompanied them.


Miss Charlotte Claire...


After our walk to the falls, we went across the road to the lake, and had a picnic. When Char sees the expanse of green grass, she sees a huge gymnastics mat.

We did stop for ice cream on the way home, the place I have been stalking, I mean, planning to visit for the last several months. Who me? Drool over an online ice cream menu? And would you believe that when I actually had my turn at the window to order, I wimped out on all those homemade scoops and got my typical chocolate/vanilla soft serve twist? It WAS good, especially to a girl who hasn't had ice cream in weeks and weeks...but it did not live up to the ice cream I had imagined it was going to be. Sam had Seneca Salted Caramel and a scoop of Chocolate Almond Coconut Fudge. In a SUNDAE, no less. I hated him for a minute there. I actually asked the nice boy at the register if I could change my order, but he was all messed up with our six orders (Mirielle being faithful to her no-sugar plan and all, it was only the six of us getting ice cream. It does put a tiny damper on things when one person is all healthy, and now I know what that's like, because it's usually me. Not that she said anything, but her polite abstinence judged me big time.)

Anyway. It did not meet my wild expectations, nor fulfill my ice cream dreams, but the kids liked it. But while I'm commenting on my lack of being thrilled, I will say this: I ordered coffee for Mare and I, which was billed as locally roasted, ect...and it was sitting in one of those airpots. Not fresh brewed. And. The pot was almost empty. I had an inch of coffee in my cup, then had to wait for another pot, which was good, it would be fresh...but I wanted to dump the remains from my cup, oh I am such a brat. But the bad thing....wait for it...was they had little containers of flavored Coffee-Mate for creamer! It was a CREAMERY! A homemade ice cream-from-fresh-cream-from-cows-down-the-road place! And no cream for the coffee? um. I asked if they had any real cream, very nicely, of course, and they produced a quart of half and half from another brand named local-ish dairy. hmm.

Oh well. The coffee was nice with the ice cream, and then we stopped at a winery. The Finger Lakes are beautiful, glacier formed lakes that make up the middle of New York state. They are long narrow lakes, surrounded by rolling hills, growing grapes, and local wineries. Mirielle was driving so she only took a tiny sip, but I had a bigger taste...of a raspberry white wine...oh yummers. We bought a bottle to save for the cabin in the woods, and two for Becky's wedding shower gift. (My sister's second oldest daughter (my sister with the seven daughters) is getting married next week).

It wasn't until I got home that I noticed that I had leaked the chocolate-y goodness from the bottom of my cone all over the tummy of my nice springy shirt.

Anyway...home, to taco salad, as per request of the birthday girl. Abigail came over, Mali and Lydia came over, and Margaret came over with her puppy Bunny (Adrian was working). We went around the table and said nice things about Charlotte Claire, and we all agree: she's a good girl. Sweet and sincere and motivated, she's really a good girl.

She got her presents, but the best part is tonight: homemade ice cream cake, which I'll venture to say will be better than yesterday's overpriced treats, not that I'll know it, I won't be imbibing. But Char is having a few girls spend the night, and yay, what fun that is!!!

Today, I am going on my own little adventure...I am going to buy a new microwave! Six months this last one lasted. It was still under warranty when it popped and sparked and burned out it's element. I have to cut off the cord and send it in to get refunded, but in the mean time, we are buying a new one. They are just not made to endure, not in our house, anyway.

It has been a crazy week, and not all craziness is craziness I can write about, but this will suffice: I cannot let my soul be weighed down by other people's trials. I can not stop believing that God has a plan, when the going gets rough.

And here's the thing too: Mother's Day makes me sad. I have sixteen children, but when I hear, "Mother's Day", I think of my own dear departed mother, who was the best mommy a little girl could have. I remember her standing behind me in my room, as I was looking in the mirror, and she said, "You are a beautiful little girl, Della Marie." That was in the olden days, before mommies were encouraged to boost self esteem. She said it from the bottom of her heart, not because she read on the internet that it was a good thing to do. She was so creative, and could make a cardboard box into a doll house, a kitchen table and a pencil would be a huge doodle pad, the table was formica, we would just wash it off...she always had time for me, no matter what.

I am thankful for Paul's mom, too. We have become increasingly close through the years, she has been so good to us. Next week, Mirielle and Evelyn are flying down to Florida, visiting her, visiting the beach, and driving her car back to New York for her, so she can fly back. She'll be just a few miles away for the whole summer:)


Kids grow up and make choices. And I do not love them any less for those choices. I love each and every one of them with all of my heart. I hurt for them, and I root for them, I pray for them, and I hate when they are hurt. I would do anything in my power to help them, but sometimes only goodness and prayer are all I can do. As a mom, I do get glimpses of what it must be like to be God...He gave His commandments, sent His son...and then we all get to choose. He sees the bad choices, the suffering in the world, yet we all still get to choose. When we choose the good, I am convinced that Jesus jumps up and down with joy, there beside God in heaven.

I have rambled for long enough, I missed out on some quiet time with Jonny, he was talking to me and I was murmuring to give me just another minute...the dogs are snoring and the girls are in their room...I need to touch base with them. Samuel has agreed to teach them this morning while I go and buy that microwave, he is an excellent teacher.