Eleven Years Ago

 

This popped up in my Facebook memories today. 
Eleven years ago we had the most incredible first trip to Disney ever. 
I captured this moment as the girls were walking through Orlando International as we made our way to the gate to head back to Boston. 

I called this picture "In which Princess Anna and Queen Elsa head north." 
This feels like a lifetime ago and just yesterday all at the same time. xo 

Made By Grace

Grace came home from working at the farm yesterday with this goregous bouquet she made! 

The colors are turly spectacular! xo 

My Little Corner

 

I'm only at the school building two days a week but I have to admit that I just love my little corner. It has such a good vibe! xo 

With Thanks

In which Grace is working to get her thank-you notes written and sent. xo 

Yesterday at Church

 

Yesterday, Grace and August were invited to share their senior speeches from Pilgrim Lodge at church. Grace voluneteered to go first and spoke about what PL had meant to hear and how she learned the value of making friends and reconnecting with them each year. It was wonderful to hear these two young adults speak so beautifully about what Pilgrim Lodge has meant to them and how much they will miss it now that they have graduated. xo 

Twenty-Three Years

 

Twenty-three years ago, during a heatwave, these two crazy kids got married. in a church with no air conditioning There is no way we could have known what lay ahead for us (though getting arried in August in a church with no air conditioning should have given us a clue!) but isn't that true of all great adventures?! In twenty-three years we have had a lot of adventures; some good. Some not so good. All helped us to become the people we are today (with our two girls being our most incredible adventure of them all)! In the words of the Indigo Girls, "if we ever leave a legacy, it's that we loved each other well." And indeed, my love, that we have. xoxox 

Request Granted

 

In which Emma's long made request to learn to mow the lawn finally happened today! xo 

Poppy

 
Miss Poppy 
May 2020-August 2025 

We said good-bye to the second to last member of our OG flock. Miss Poppy was such a sweetheart and lived and incredible five years! We will miss her so very much. Brownie (who really should be named Goldie) is now the last OG standing. Lead the flock well, Brownie. Make Poppy proud! xo 

In Which David Goes To Pickity Place

 

Last Saturday we took David to Pickity Place for the first time. All the other times we have gone he has never been able to come, but this time we made it a point of finding a day that he could go with us. The menu was divine (as always!) and the weather was perfect. It was a lovely way to kick off our anniversary month. xo 

The Beginning of the End of an Era

 

And just like that the last homeschool letter that we will ever recive has arrived. 

Senior year for Emma is almost officially here. xo 

August Begins

 

Happy Lughnasadh/Lammas to all who celebrate!

As we arrive at the half-way point in the Wheel of the Year may we remember these words shared by The Raven and the Mystic:

" ... Lughnasadh/Lammas with its themes of harvest, abundance and gratitude, and also of hunger so poignant in the world.

May we remember to sow seeds of generosity, compassion and empathy today.

May I never hunger
May you never hunger
May we never hunger
May all be fed ."

Wheel of the Year art:@celebrateseasonalshifts

Ice Cream for Lunch

 

Some days just call for ice cream sundaes for lunch! xo 

Grace's Latest Design

 

 Grace's latest design. She never ceases to impress!  xo

Sunflowers

Sunflowers and peaches mean that August is on its way! 
And seriously, these flower share bouquets from Small Farm have brought such joy! xo 

This Morning in Freeport

 

In which the girls design a square for the art wall at Wanderlust Juicery while we wait for breakfast. xo 

Today In Maine

With Grace and August having graduated and now having finished their final week ever as campers at PL it's the end of an eara for this crew. They were the first group from Plymouth Church to go to camp eight years ago, so it's very fitting that they wrapped this adventure up together this past week at Senior High Week. 

Grace and some of her camp friends. 

Grace has long wanted to make a grace (blessing) banner and she was so excited that that wish came true this past week! 

Orignally, Grace was supposed to stay next week to serve as a youth advisor for Justice Camp, but with how perfectly Senior High Week ended (and felt like closure for her) and having already been away for two weeks she decided she wanted to come home instead. Since we already had the hotel room in Freeport (and could not get out of it) we decided to have our girls weekend anyway! 

Next stop: The (little) Lost Kitchen! 

Grace and I loved our lunch there so much the Saturday before that we had to bring Emma back to experience the deliciousness. 

We had the fried chicken for lunch and then the butter cake for dessert. Absolute perfection! 

After that it was off to The Desert of Maine. Dave and I went last year and loved it and we knew the girls would too (and they did)! 

After that it was time to head over to our home away from home (the Hilton Garden Inn-Downtown Freeport) to continue our girls weekend with pizza and ice cream and some serious relaxing at the hotel! xo

Flower Share Friday

 

Another gorgeous Small Farm bouquet! 

Each one is always even more lovely than the one before it! 

And on top of it's beauty this one has a most delicious smell!  xo

Happy Birthday, Grace!

 

On Sunday, before I brought the girls back to PL for their week as campers, we had breakfast at our favorite place in Freeport. Blueberry Ricotta toast for Emma and me and an açaí bowl for Grace. Absolute deliciousness. Highly recommend! As this is the first year that Grace is not home on her birthday we celebrated all last weekend. Since no birthday celebration is complete without a birthday treat, we brought a small container of raspberry petit fours with us (along with candles and matches) to enjoy after breakfast. Unfortunately there was a slight breeze outside where we ate and no matter what we tried the candies would not stay lit. We went in, asked the owner if we could light her birthday treat inside to which he said “Of course! And if you want we can all sing to you too!” Everyone in the restaurant agreed and then one customer asked what her name was. The rest you see here! Thank you Wanderlust Juicery for being so kind and for helping us end Grace’s ninteenth birthday weekend in such a celebratory and sweet way!