Unexpected Treasure

I've mentioned Abundantly Blessed at St. Thomas Church in Faulkton before.  After 7 years, it is still going as strong as ever.  Thanks to many ladies who have taken it from our small Bible study group and turned it into their own project, the community and surrounding area are still benefiting from sharing their abundance of blessings with each other. 

I had a little bag of odds and ends to drop off this morning--a shelf I no longer wanted, some too-small swim trunks, the remainder of a scrapbook kit I won't use, and a few greeting cards that aren't my style.  Today was the first day of the three-day event to drop things off, so when I pulled up to the church at 10am, I was surprised to see so many cars already in the parking lot and people rummaging through several garbage bags of stuff that had been left on the wheelchair ramp outside. 

Although I love a good thrift store, I am not much of a rummager (even when it's all free), so my intention was to drop off my few things and then hit my favorite hangout in town--the grocery store.  (Well, maybe it's not my FAVORITE hangout, but it's the place in Faulkton that gets the most of my money!)

Just as I was walking into the back door of the church, I saw it--an unexpected treasure!  Among other things, a man unloaded this suitcase from his pickup.  When I came back up the stairs a few minutes later, he was just entering the church with his things. 

Not believing this good fortune, I asked him, "Are you leaving that here?" 

"Yes," he answered. 

"Is it just a suitcase?" I asked. 

(I was making sure it wasn't a case for a trumpet or an accordion or something similar--now THAT would NOT be a fun sound to add to our home!) 

"Yes," he answered again. 

"Then I'll take it!" and I whisked it out the door.  

He was just happy I saved him from carrying it down the stairs and probably thought this mom with a van full of kids waiting for her was maybe just a bit crazy.  (My kids thought I was.)

In the world of antiques, I find myself not so much drawn to pretty decorations, but to things that were actually USED at one time and show everyday life--the stools I have on my deck, the wash stand, the pop bottles and wooden crate, and although I had not yet found one, I have had a few large, flat suitcases like this in mind.  I would like to eventually stack a few and make an end table or night stand out of them.  For now, this one will find a place in our home. 

Of course, David entered the house today, saw the suitcase in the entry and immediately asked, "Is our Grandma here visiting???"  :o)

But, he's a good sport and trusts the vision I see in these treasures I find.  I looked up "vintage suitcases" on eBay tonight, and similar suitcases are selling for $30 or more.  What a deal!!

Who's up for a little antiquing??

This unexpected find has me dreaming of another treasure hunting trip!

Be Thankful

Great things have been happening.  My friend Theresa's baby daughter Ava no longer needs her apnea monitor.  My friend Lacy just had her second baby girl.  The sun is shining.  Life is good.
But, I am also aware of those families currently living on the painful side of life.  Being on the Catholic Moms prayer group is such a blessing, but also makes me aware of the pain in this world.  Last night I commented on a prayer request that I have been praying for member's cousin who was in a motorcycle accident.  This morning I realized that the one I commented on was an entirely other person!  Two young men, named Ryan and David, in hospitals on ventilators recovering slowly, not knowing the extent of the damage on their bodies . . . a baby girl who a few weeks ago suddenly passed away in her daddy's arms, a friend's son who was recently diagnosed with autism and the uncertainty such a diagnosis brings . . . prayers, prayers, prayers. 
We do not know what the next minute will hold.
I was reflecting the other day on how I have changed as a mother in the past 8 years.  I don't want to say I ever took my children for granted, but I think I did.  I thought of them as MINE, when really they were and always have been GOD'S. 
I was always a bit sad when my babies turned a year old and started walking away from my arms.
I am different with Rachel.  Maybe it is because I was 33 when I had her.  There is much to be said for being a younger and more naive mom!  Perhaps it is because she was just 6 weeks old when Luke suddenly left us.  My prayer each day is not that she will stay little, but grow bigger and stronger each day.  Yes, she will be facing a surgery in a few months, but she is not ill.  She is developing as she should.  Just as our other children, I swear I can see the gears in her little brain turning as she maneuvers her walker around the house and deck.  She doesn't miss a detail.  She is always smiling.  She is already so much like her big brother Landen.
My first born Landen.  I never knew what it was to be willing to give my life for another person until the moment we knew we were expecting him.  He can drive me nuts with his constant verbal thoughts.  But, I hope he continues that as a teenager.  I will always know what he is thinking.
Nathan is my moody one.  I am afraid if anyone has gotten the "blue genes" it is him.  He is either having the "best day ever" or the "worst day ever."  To think there were a couple weeks if I wondered if we would ever get to meet this little boy on this earth.  On his "worst days ever," I have to remember this.  :o)
Teresa is a little firecracker . . . a lady one minute and a tomboy the next.  She is always coloring, drawing, and painting . . . doing the things I always thought my boys should be doing at that age. 
So, today I am thankful.  Thankful that these children--all of our children--are GOD'S children.

They could not be in better hands.

Life is Just Peachy

Life is just peachy!  We celebrated Grandpa Kallas' 86th birthday on Sunday! 

 Swimming lessons continue and yesterday we stayed after for some fun swimming in the afternoon.  We went to the park to swing for a little while until the pool reopened.

 Teresa will get her hair and face wet when she's swimming for fun, but not during lessons!  Looks like another go-round of Level 1 will be in her future next summer. :o)

 Here comes Nater!  Not surprisingly, he and his brother are really liking their lessons this year.

I decided not to can any peaches this year, but since I am unable to pass up any fruit that is sold by the box, I bought just one lug of peaches and froze them. 

Look yummy? 

Peel 3 lemons and 8 oranges and grind them up in a food processor.  Pour the mixture into a large container (I use my stock pot) and add 8 cups sugar.  Peel and slice a lug of peaches and add to the citrus and sugar mixture. 

*Tip:  If you boil the peaches for about a minute and then transfer them to a bowl of ice water for another minute, the skins will slip right off.  I wasn't aware of this tip when I first started buying peaches by the lug.  This also works for tomatoes, but will not work for pears.  :o(

After you have mixed it all together, freeze in quart bags or the freezer container of your choice. 

Our family loves these--especially in the middle of winter when the grocery store's produce department looks pretty bleak!

Right after the boys and I got our peaches in the freezer, cousin Carter from Minnesota surprised us with a visit! 

You just never know who's going to show up next around here.

That's one peachy week . . . and it's only Tuesday!

Our Week

Whew--what a week!  We started swimming lessons, which always makes me wonder if I should rent an apartment in Faulkton for a couple of weeks each year  The kids and are at the pool for 2 1/2 hours a day Monday-Thursday (and Teresa's class had a make up lesson yesterday).  We do have our friends the Trefz family for at least an hour of that time, and a new set of spectators arrives every hour to reset and refresh our social scene. 
We also hosted David's cousin Zach, Dawn and baby Lucy (9 months) for a couple of days.  We even managed to take a quick trip to Aberdeen with the girls.  They were AWESOME shoppers.  We're training them young!
I was hoping that the culmination of this crazy busy week would be coming home with a pile of school supplies and school shoes for the boys last night.  The weather changed our plans in a hurry.  Landen requested to go to The Corner Book Shoppe and I was more than happy to fulfill that request.  We arrived in Aberdeen close to 4pm, and I wasn't sure when they closed, so we went there first.  We all three enjoyed our bookstore experience.  The boys each brought money to choose their own books.  While they browsed, I perused the novels and found a few new ones for myself.  Nathan even found a corner to read his books while he waited.  I LOVE that store.  If you love books (and bargains,) you must check it out! 
Among my finds was the book about Don Meyer, "How Lucky You Can Be," which I had not yet read.  (I realize that everyone else in the area and their dogs (literate dogs, anyway) had probably read it, but I missed the boat.  I started reading it last night and finished it this afternoon.  I'm not much of an athlete nor do I have a coach's mentality, but I did appreciate the story of his life at Northern, his recovery from the car accident that nearly took his life, and how he has dealt with the cancer that was found during the post-accident surgery on his abdomen.  The car/semi accident actually happened about 10 miles from our farm and the semi driver he crossed in front of has been a friend of my in laws for many, many years, so I wanted to see how it was portrayed as well.
But, back to the bookstore . . .
Just as we were checking out, my dad called and ask me where I was and told me of a severe thunderstorm involving a rotation and golf ball sized hail heading toward Aberdeen.  It was clear that school supplies and shoes would have to wait.  The boys and I took our newfound literary treasures and headed south.  I thought I would be able to get around the wind and hail, but then another and another system formed, blocking us from our home.  I didn't think I would be able to make it to Mellette, which is 20 miles south before it reached us either. 
Hmm. . . I started racking my brain.  Who did I know between Aberdeen and Mellette?  I called my sister-in-law's parents and the boys and I waited it out there.  After popcorn and cans of pop, it had blown over and we returned home to find over 2 inches of rain and crops shredded from hail. 
Oh, well.  It's all good.  Everyone was fine here.  My mother in law and the girls hunkered down in the basement with brownies and bananas and the boys and I had our first stormy adventure!

Thanks again to Mark and Terri for giving us food and shelter!  :o)

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