Here is a glimpse of some of the music playing at our house…

I peeked into Abbey’s room while she was working on an assignment for her digital animation class and found it very interesting to watch her progress.  Yes, she has two black lights and a blackboard bolted to the wall, black-out coverings on her windows and only about 3-feet of empty floor space in her bedroom with way too much stuff bursting out everywhere.  

 but, she loves what she’s doing!

Jared enthusiastically shows John each step completed as he creates a computer game.

 My favorite $3.00 bench purchased from a garage sale 25 years ago and painted and repaired dozens of times got to the point that John just couldn’t fix it and keep it fixed. Mostly it was the arms that took the brunt of the abuse but even the legs were not staying together any longer.

{ha, that sounds like my body recently}

 We considered making a porch swing from the bench but I really wanted it back in the kitchen to hold all of those little grandchildren. So we sent it off to a furniture maker for a complete overhaul .

Please, please, little bench, stay strong!

We have been moving furniture, boxes and rearranging rooms as Erin and Jared return home. The nursery has become Jared’s room and the guest room is now Erin’s room. Making them feel loved and comfortable, and though sad about the circumstances, we love having them home.

The painting above Jared’s bed was something my sister gave me when she moved out of her house last fall.  I wish I had taken a photo of the before when it was in shades of bright green.  I knew when I saw it I would paint over the canvas. Wanting something masculine for this room, I went to work. Nothing artistic but it works to fill a big blank wall.

We’ve done lots of yard work and home repairs.

Weeding, planting, painting, edging, raking, digging, dividing, potting, sweeping, blowing, washing and, well, you know.  You are probably doing the same things at your house.

 Who would had thought removing 20-year old, dead boxwood bushes would be so hard! Eighteen in all.

 The last five with some much appreciated help from Jared.

Always the sentry, Raider keeps watch while we work.

Now, it hasn’t been all work.

My streptocarpus is blooming profusely in our bathroom.

Jared, the oldest grandson, and Keri, our oldest granddaughter, had a great time together. Last weekend we went to his high school spring musical, Mary Poppins. The following day, after getting those bushes out, Jared tried his best to hit Keri’s wild wiffle ball pitches (one that had to be rescued from the roof) and they had some impressive exercise challenges. As if push-ups aren’t hard enough, imagine doing hand clap push-ups! {The thought takes me back to the old broken bench feeling}

Our favorite time to visit Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery is Memorial Day weekend when all of the graves are decorated with an American flag. Both my parents are interred here. A perfect place to find a bench, remember loved ones and the Veterans that gave their service for our freedom.

Haven’t had much time with the littles through all of these changes but John snapped this pic of Chloe sleeping soundly the last time she was over. Playing it tiring work!

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 40:3