..remembering..

today marks two years since my dad's passing from colon cancer. time has gone so fast and most days it feels like he has been gone for what feels like forever, while other days he still feels "here". I have his photograph in our home and i pause often just to think of him and wonder what piece of advice he could give me on my pathway thru this life.. lord knows I have wanted his advice many, many times since he's been gone..

i celebrate his life eagerly today, and every day. he wasn't a man who would have wanted any less. each day was a gift to him and he was sure to pass on that belief to everyone he'd meet. he was joyful..he loved life..and even in his last days he said he wouldn't have changed a thing. how many of us could say the same?! lately i have been thinking of what i have taken from his death because, well, losing someone like that so early has to mean something, no? and no, I don't have it all figured out..some days i'm merely scrambling to pick up the pieces of the day but what i do know for sure is that life is short..way too short. it's too short to hold on to things from the past and its definitely too short to waste your time worrying about what might happen someday in the future. 

what i do know is that last night, i stood watch over his grandson while he slept in his crib, as I do every night..and i worried that hudson wouldn't know his maternal grandpa and what i shame that was but then I realized that no.. my dad does know him and, through me, hudson will know who he was as well...a person of strength, love and light..

today I raise my glass to you daddio and i thank you for allowing me the privilege to have been your daughter. you were taken far too soon, although I truly believe no length of time would have ever been enough..

..forever and ever..my daddy you'll be..

Project Life 2014 - Week 51 (December 15th - December 21st)

I am blogging a Project Life spread, can you believe it?!? Its a Christmas miracle!! Haha

I have been terrible about sharing my weekly spreads on the blog and I promise I will try harder with my 2015 album to share (that starts next week already, isn't that crazy?!) Anyways..we have been looking thru the album lately and, even though I am pretty far behind in my spreads, it brings us so much joy to sit down as a family and look through our year!

Today I am sharing last weeks (Week 51) spread that I just completed (and absolutely LOVE!) its festive and full of my little man..so to me, perfection ;) Enjoy!!

Here is the 2 page spread with both inserts:

this week we split our time between the farm and my hometown as we spent the long weekend with my family, celebrating our christmas together..

here is the 2 page spread with the inserts removed:

a closer look at the left hand side page:

and the right hand side page:

for my first insert, I cut a page protector in half and just used the 3 - 3x4 slots to put in each of our first christmas photos with Santa! I love this so much, seeing all three of us together. I think I will still put a small label on each photo to identify us and our years but, for now I just wrote it on the photo for the blog!

for the second insert, I used a 5x7 of Hudson after his nap that I just loved and had to include

and the back of the insert is a photo of Hudson and my nieces, after they exchanged their Christmas presents to each other on Sunday..I so, so SO love seeing these three together!!

I have many weeks to catch up on for our 2014 album but I am so motivated now that I have been able to keep caught up throughout November and December! This album starts with our first week on January, waiting on baby..and ends with him celebrating his first Christmas..such a special year to capture in one place.

Now today, my mom is on her way to the farm and Santa will be on his way tonight to deliver goodies to all the good boys and girls..Merry Christmas everyone..

Remembering...

Its been 2 months since I lost my Daddio. I think about him daily..I miss him hourly.. and I wish he was here every second that goes by. His loss has hit hard, our family has a void in it that will never be filled. But every day, I know he's there..listening, watching...waiting.

I think about his voice, his laugh..our conversations that we had. I think about how he was always joking, always smiling..always loving. I think about how proud he would be when I do something very "farm girl-like" .. {it was a joke of his when I was 16 and wanting a Jeep that I wasn't "outdoorsy" enough and now look at me}

I thank him when little things in life work out for me. I wish I could share in celebrations and victories and, although I know he is there, sharing with me, I would give anything to actually see him.

I don't think about what happened to him often. It still hurts far too much. Although I know he's gone, I don't concentrate on that. When I start thinking about it, I get anxious, nervous, stressed and its just far easier to switch my thinking to something else, like when I came home one day {a fully grown adult} to find my mom and dad had bought me ribbon strings and a Barbie basket for my bicycle and then made me ride it around our neighborhood while laughing at me and, I must admit, while I laughed at myself. Its those times I want to remember..its those memories I hold so close. I don't want to think about sitting next to his hospital bed while he was in a coma, his final hours with us, and me thinking to myself, "I know I'm being selfish but please don't leave me daddy". I wasn't ready..I'm still not ready. I lied to my daddy and told him it was okay to go because I knew he was suffering..but I lied, it wasn't okay. I didn't want him to go. And I only wish that was just a really bad dream. Last month I dreamt that my dad came out of his surgery in December and was okay and I felt so thankful that he was alive and healthy, I felt relieved. And then I woke up, and reality hit me..and it hit me hard.

I know with time things will get easier. Favorite songs of his won't hurt so much to listen to. TV shows, holidays, outings...everything will unfold as it should and I'll know we'll be okay. We will miss him and we will cry and it will hurt..but we'll be okay.

And the main reason we'll be okay? Is because he gave us a very full life. A life filled with love and laughter and a life filled with memories like these. Enjoy!

 

I love you Daddio...and I miss you more than ever

I can't think today..

I've been sitting at my desk today, trying to create something - anything, really. And the gumption to pull off such a feat appears to be seriously lacking. I fear the willingness to "do" isn't here right now. Some days are great and I get so much accomplished. Other days are more like today where I can honestly tell you I'm proud I fed my boys, my husband and my chickens. I'm proud because then at least that means I did something..

Sunday was a whopper day for me. My Daddio's 1 month anniversary seriously rocked my boat in a way I did not expect. The afternoon got better but I didn't sleep a wink that night. Yesterday was a much better day, I actually accomplished quite a bit! I felt tired at the end of the day and proud of all I had struck off my to do list..and I slept like a baby. But today? I'm merely existing. And I hate when I just...exist. My mind wanders - to my dad mostly, and then it really just goes down hill from there. I feel sad, down...and downright mopey. And I hate mopey. My dad would hate it too. But its how I feel and lately, I really am trying to open myself up to however I need to feel. I don't know how to deal with such a loss, but, I'm trying. And you guys? Its so hard!!

I went for a walk today because the fresh air feels so good and the sun warmed my face perfectly and I just enjoyed being out there in the country, alone with my boys. Its my time to just be, to just think and talk out loud with my Dad, (because I always know he's with me). And it hurts because my dad loved nothing more than being out in the countryside and going for walks with me and the dogs. Its like everything is a reminder of how similar we were and it reminds me of who I am, where I came from and where I'm going. Now, more than ever, I realize why dad and I butted heads while growing up..its because he "got" me and he just wanted to be a part of my life, even when I fought him on it. But he never gave up..not once. Nope, my daddy??..he loved me thru it.

My Daddio and I on a country walk in 2010

 





The point of todays' post? Nothing really..I just couldn't focus or think today about anything except this guy and I felt it important to just sit down and write about him.

And with that, I'll leave you with a walk down memory lane...

My Dad was a huge jokester. In fact it got so bad that I no longer believed a word he said, unless of course it was serious, {but thats another matter}. No - I'd ask my dad a question and he, quick as ever would say something so witty that, if you didn't know better, would've thought it must be true. But, from experience..it rarely was ;) So my response would always be..."..Mom?" haha..every.single.time

*sigh* I miss that man..

One Month

A photo I took of my dad this past Summer at our cabin

 

I can't believe today marks the first month our family has gone on since my dad died.

 

{For all my readers, I'm so sorry if all I've been talking about lately is my sweet Daddio..this blog and writing in general has become a form of therapy for me lately and I promise, although I will never stop talking about my dad..I will start talking about other things again soon}

 

This morning has been harder on me than I think I thought it would be. I cry most days for a few minutes at a time, usually in the shower, but then I am able to go on with my day. I plan things, I remember, I enjoy the small things, I create, I laugh..I live exactly how he'd want me to. But today, it feels like a milestone. A month that he hasn't been here..I hate it. I hate the aching hole its created that will never go away. I hate the questions I have that will never be answered. I hate the hurt its caused my poor momma and brother.. I find myself questioning why..why him? Why now? Why not someone else? {horrible, I know}

 

I find myself talking to my dad every day. Asking him questions that, although I know he can't answer, I know he's listening. I see a flickering lightbulb and I smile, thinking its him letting me know he's here. I think about his voice every day..think about how I'd give anything to pick up the phone and hear his happy voice say, "Hey! Hey! Sweetpea! How ya doin'?" it was always so full of joy and love. Or when he would answer and say, "hellooooo..what are you doing?"..it made me laugh every time. I think about how every time I would come for a visit, even when I lived in the city..he would walk me out to my car and stand on the porch, waving goodbye to me. Its these things I miss. I miss the constant love, the support. I miss how out of everyone in my family, he "got" me. He understood me. Maybe he didn't always get the things I would do..but he let me be me. He let me make my mistakes and he never judged me..never to my face. He made me believe anything was possible. He dreamed with me..sometimes he would dream bigger than I ever imagined. He kept me going. He read my blog every day and when I didn't post something..he'd ask what I was doing and what I would write about next.

I miss him. I miss him more than I ever thought was possible. I think about the future and I want him there..I want him to share in my life. I want to hear his stories. I want to take him places with me. I want him to hold my babies and give them things that only he could. These feelings I'm feeling..they're so raw..they're the most powerful emotions I've ever felt. They hurt and they also push me to keep moving forward..keep making him proud.

I remember while dad was in the hospital and it was still early on. Dad had a little chat with me that I kind of brushed off because a) it was typical of my dad so I didn't realize at the time how valuable each word he spoke was and; b) it felt like one of those talks that parents give to their children before they pass and I had no idea that would actually happen to us and so, I didn't want to go "there". But dad told me how proud he was of me. How talented he thought I was with my publications, my photography and "everything you do". He joked that I got it from him and then said, no..thats all you..you do that". And I knew it then and I know it now..I have the most amazing parents in the world. My mom and dad love me so much. They are so proud of me and that truly is a blessing that, growing up..I didn't realize how special it was. So, every day..I want to live with purpose. I want to be that person that would make my mom and dad proud. I want to continue to make dad be proud of me..because I know he is watching, listening, caring...I just can't hear him or see him.

I saw this on the internet today and, although it made me bawl..the reality cuts way too close..I loved it. Its so true..

 

The main reason I love the above photo? It brings to mind a memory of my childhood that I hold on to dearly. My dad and I were big in to taking morning walks together. It would be our time for just him and I. I loved it. There was one morning in particular, it was Summer and we walked and walked and walked around our neighborhood..I think it was the longest walk we had taken together yet and I would not shut up! I kept talking and talking and talking..I have no idea what I talked about but I do remember that day..I remember it clearly. And I remember dad always talking about that day and how much he loved it..and here I see a dad with his daughter, walking...and its he and I, perfectly.

 

So here's to one month of my Daddio being the most protective guardian angel I could have ever asked for. Here's to the man who created an amazing world for our family. Here's to the first love of my life...my Daddio. I love you, I miss you....I wish you were here

My Daddio

Hi friends,

There are so many words, so many thoughts and so many memories I would like to sit down and write about - but its only going to come with time. For now, I just wanted to pop in to this sad, abandoned blog and let you all know that on last Sunday - February 3, 2013 - my sweet Daddio passed away. I haven't wrapped my head around it all and it definitely hasn't sunk in and hit me..but he is in peace now, in heaven, watching over us.

He went fast - it was a blessing to no longer suffer - but for those left behind, it left us heartbroken. We are doing alright, we are a close family and we will get through it..its just going to take time. My mom and dad have been married for 34 years and my dad was just 55 years old..its a hard pill to swallow. There is now a huge hole in our hearts and in our family & It will never be fixed, it will never go away...

I'd like to thank all of you for your thoughts, comments and emails these past few months. Your support has been so very appreciated. I will be back soon once I can process things a little bit better, I have an urge to write everything down lately and I'm hoping my blog will benefit from it here in the next few weeks. I am looking forward to some sort of normalcy again..I know it will come, it's just going to take time..

My Daddio and I a long time ago..

My Daddio and I this past Christmas..

Project Life 2013 - Week 1

I can't believe it. I have currently begun week 3 of Project Life...and I've stuck with it! Its a miracle, y'all! If you've stuck with me since last years meager attempt, you'll know that I posted oh..1, maybe 2 spreads of my Project Life? Sure I put more photos in to the page protectors..but its a sad, sad state of affairs my friends. Just plain, sad. So, you can imagine my surprise at how excited I was for 2013 to begin so I could start off fresh! Maybe it was my excitement for the Seafoam Edition {ordered and currently on its way to me} but whatever it was, I'm glad I decided to go for it.

Once everything happened in December with my family, I had a moment where I seriously doubted wanting to record 2013. It looked pretty dark and scary to me and I just wasn't sure if I wanted a year like that to be documented. But then I snapped out of it and I realized that, you know what? Its part of my life story. Whatever happens this year is going to happen, but I would always regret not taking the hour or 2 a week it takes to just print off my photos and record our daily happenings. So I made a deal with myself that I would give it a try. and I don't know why, but I feel the urge to document more than ever this year. I believe my dads illness has woken me up to how precious time is and to make the most out of every day, no matter what comes our way. And, although its only 4 pages at the moment, this album already makes me happy. Its fully of memories, stories, heartbreak, joy....life! I've made a point to journal every thought, every emotion and I know that, years from now, this album, this year..is going to be one of my most valuable treasures.

Week 1 was kind of dark for our family. It began with hope that a new year would automatically cure all the pains of 2012 but that hope was blown away by Jan 3rd when a family meeting kicked us in the stomach, leaving us gasping for air. But we survived it. We made it thru...and we even did so with a few smiles on our faces

{click on the photos to see a larger version of each photo}

On the left hand side I documented dads first hair cut since his surgery - it had been driving him nuts and that's all he wanted to do when he got home, was get a hair cut! I also included a photo of Adam & I when he came back thru town on his way to help his brother. The bottom photo is the first day my Daddio got to eat yogurt..man, you should've seen his face! He was thrilled at the taste of it

  

The 3x4 cards (above) this week are a mix of photos and random fillers. The little photo on the left is the view from dads hospital room, I shot that New Years Day when we came to bring him home for the day {so grateful for Day Passes!}, the calendar is a new must have for me in my PL album, it highlights the days I'm focusing on that week and just gives my pages that little added something. The bathing suit was an image from the internet. I've wanted one of these vintage style suits for such a long time and this one finally came on sale! And the weather shot - I've seen this done in many albums and wanted it as well for mine. So far its already pretty interesting to look back and see how much the weather differs week to week!

Look at my Daddio eating his yogurt, makes me smile

 

The right hand side of the page...full of emotions, good and bad! The top portion of the page speaks volumes to me. The left hand photo was taken the night of Jan 3rd, after our family meeting with the doctors. I was devastated. I was crying. I felt utterly hopeless. Then, we started Friday as a brand new day. Dad came home for the day and my best friend brought my beautiful nieces over to visit and cheer us up. I love this photo of my niece Makiya & I, she made me feel happy again and I reveled in every moment of it!

 

The 3x4 card for this side's spread are full of hope and beautiful things that happened. On the left was my dads beautiful piece of artwork that my friends 1 yr old daughter finger painted for him. Isn't it gorgeous? I took a photo of the artwork and put it in a 4x6 slot below as well because I really wanted to remember this thoughtful gift. The Week in Review card is also a new must have for my weekly spreads. I created it in Photoshop using Studio Calico brushes and just jotted down the most important things I wanted to remember from this week. The next 2 cards are quotes that hold a lot meaning for me. The colorful one was from Pinterest and the blk/white one is Elise Blaha Cripes. I love them both so much!

and finally, I added a small 5x7 insert for this week. My beautiful niece, when she came for a visit on Friday, brought this coloring for my dad to cheer him up. She has been working so hard on staying within the lines and I am pretty sure this is her best work yet! She gave it to my dad with a huge beam on her face, letting him know she made she to make it look like a rainbow, just for him. The original is hanging in his hospital room so I scanned the page in to my computer and made sure it went in to my album. I knew this was yet another piece of art I didn't want to forget!

and that, my friends, is week 1 of Project Life 2013! I have Week 2 already photographed and in the album, I plan to upload that post in a few days. Tomorrow I am off to the city, I have finally kicked this cold enough that I can rejoin my family and be with my mom and dad. Hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying a beautiful week!

A Little Christmas Magic..

I couldn't sleep last night. I got a good 4.5 hours in before Jakey woke me up having to go to the bathroom, {he's a very good dog and never wakes me up unless its an emergency}, so I got up and let him out then came back to bed when he was finished and laid there, staring out the window at a pitch black starry sky and let my mind wander...

And, although I knew my body needed rest, my mind was awake so I dragged myself out of bed, enjoyed a nice hot shower, made coffee and sat in our living room staring at our Christmas tree. It was a moment of pure bliss for me. The soft lights, twinkling in the dark and the quiet that surrounded me was needed and it was so very welcomed.

The beautiful trees in our yard

 



To me, the Christmas tree has always been magical. From the moment its dragged out of its hiding spot to the first time the lights are flicked on right up until its taken down for another year..it holds so much power that sometimes I can't help but sit and stare at it. And thats exactly what I did this morning. My family is going thru a hard time this year with my dads illness and his still being in the hospital so close to the holidays has taken away quite a bit of the sparkle of the season for us - but its still a beloved holiday, and for that, I'm thankful.

And, while sitting under the tree, staring at it for a few hours enjoying the peace I felt..my mind got to wandering again. This time, I thought about the experience of Christmas as a child. Yes, in many ways I haven't changed much since then..I still "believe" in Santa, I still get excited to see the first Christmas commercial of the year, Christmas carols are played often {and thru out the year!} and I'm always so giddy at the thought of Christmas Eve and the magic that occurs thru out the world. But, Christmas is different as a child. It holds so many wonderful memories for me and I love how little things bring back those feelings..

For instance, often times my farmer will ask me to tell him a story about my childhood {we have so many conversations like this} and I delve in to my memory bank and conjure up some of the best stories. Recently, I told him about a particular Christmas when my brother and I fell asleep, anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival, and we awoke to a noise. We were so excited as we quickly yet quietly snuck upstairs to see if Santa had been to our house yet. When we looked in our living room, the lights were off but we saw Santa bent over, surely he was emptying his sack?! We raced back down to our bedroom and tried so hard to fall asleep before Santa knew we were awake. And in the morning, our stockings were stuffed and the cookies and milk were gone..
To this day, both Curtis & I maintain our stories of what we "saw" while mom laughs, saying it must have been dad checking on something...but its the little moments like those that make Christmas so special as a child.

My first Christmas - 10 months old

And so while Christmas this year has lost some of its luster..I will hold on to these memories and to the knowledge that next year, when Christmas comes around, I'll be ready for it. But, for now? I'll keep sitting and staring at the tree. I'll keep walking thru the yard and enjoying the exterior lights we put up that are now covered in snow and I'll keep watching favorite Christmas movies that make me feel all warm n cozy inside. Tonights movie? A classic from my childhood - one that I loved from the age of 5... its One Magic Christmas. And if you have yet to see this movie - please do so this holiday season!!

 

Thoughts/Prayers Please

Hi Friends

The roads are still icy as ever from yesterday's freezing rainfall, but I'm hoping to make it to Calgary if the sun shines. On The Weather Network this morning they showed videos of children on ice skates skating on the roads!! I couldn't believe it! Fingers crossed we can:
A) Make the journey today; and
B) Make it safely

Now, why do we have to go to Calgary? Well, back in September we were hit with some major news that affected my family and today is the day that, that news back then becomes a reality. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm speaking in code but here's the history for you.

Four years ago, after a normal check up with his doctor, my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. We were shocked/terrified and determined to beat it. And, after months of chemo/radiation and a major surgery..my dad was cancer free. And after 4 years of regular blood tests, and physicals, the doctors found more cancer cells when his gall bladder needed to be taken out this past September. We were shocked to say the least. My dad has passed all tests/exams with flying colours, there was no hint of cancer at all.

So now we've spent the fall waiting for a surgery date and we found out in October that today, December 3rd, is the day. My dad went in to the OR at 7:45 this morning and is booked in til 4:45 this afternoon. Its a major, major surgery. They are going thru his entire body to find any/all cancer cells and removing them. After he recovers today he will be moved to the ICU for one on one care and could be in the hospital for a few weeks.

So far thats all I can say for now. I need to get to Calgary to be with my mom and care for her while she waits to hear about my dad. I'll do weekly updates on the blog to let you know how my daddio is doing. Until then, your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated!!

Wienie Roast in November

Most Novembers that I remember have never been as warm as this one we are currently in. The snow is expected to return again today {ugh} but this week we enjoyed some beautiful weather {I'm talking t-shirt outside kinda weather} and yesterday, we were determined to soak it all in! Adam & I got up in the morning and started a bonfire with all the extra pieces of wood laying around from the construction..the fire kept going all morning and so my father in law suggested a wienie roast and my gosh, was it ever delicious!

getting things nice 'n hot!!

 

The dogs were especially excited for the wienie roast..apparently they misunderstood the memo and thought all the food was for them!

 

 

I love this next photo..its almost giving you a view from the perspective of Jakey..

 

 

Then it was time to roast the wienie's!

 

 

YUM!!

 

 

Adam was thrilled to have lunch outdoors with the bonfire. In so many ways he's just a really big kid! And his enthusiasm was catching!! I will admit, I quite enjoyed not having to a) make lunch, and b) do dishes! Not only that, a roasted hot dog in November just seems to taste better {I think because its such a rarity!!}

 

 

I'm really excited to print these photos off and get them in to my PL album..its a nice memory to look back on and say, "remember that November when it was actually warm out?"

 

We have a crazy fun weekend ahead of us that I'm 100% giddy for {will write more about this in my weekly recap post} until then, I hope you have an amazing rest of your week/weekend everyone!!

Shhh..

Hi Friends!!

This past weekend we all went out of town to attend a wedding for my farmers cousin, Kristi Lee. But what my dear hubby didn't know was that, since his 30th Birthday is this Wednesday (October 17th), I planned a big surprise for him! As of yesterday afternoon he found out we were spending the next 4 days down in Los Angeles to spend his birthday week at his most favorite place in the world..

Thats right folks..

 

I've surprised my hubby with a trip to Disneyland!!

 

I've been planning this for quite some time now and let me tell you, it ain't easy to keep such a big secret from your hubs! I booked everything, hid all the required documents in my suitcase, packed extra for him {and here he thought I just needed lots of goodies for the wedding!} and prayed that those in the know would keep the secret to themselves. And my gosh, it was worth it!!

 

I have some posts scheduled for this week and we will be back home by Friday..can't wait to share with y'all our photos of this fabulous & fun trip!!

Fishing, Part II

So sorry its been a week since my last post, I'm really sucking at blogging lately hey? I don't know what it is, it just seems like the computer starts to become my last priority lately with all the happenings around the farm. But I will try to become more constant again, I promise!!

As I left off on my last post, today I am taking you on a little tour of our actual fishing expeditions! In total, between the 5 of us, we caught approximately 600 fishies (25 of which we actually kept to bring home - its the legal limit) It was such a fun experience to have a rod & reel in my hands again, its been years and years, but the minute I started casting..it all came back to me!! My paternal grandfather would take all of us grandchildren out fishing at the lake when we were kiddos and I remember I used to love it and I loved spending long days out by the water so it was only natural that I would enjoy my days up North, fishing alongside my hubby.

My first fish was a 6lb jack fish

 

Cool eh?

 

My Father in Law would fish off the dock every morning while waiting for everyone else to get ready and, without a doubt, every morning he would catch a fish! He made it look easy ;)

 

 

The 5 full days were a blur of different kinds of fish, I kept taking photos, thinking I'd remember which ones were which (I do remember a few!!) but, for the most part, they could've all been the same fish and I couldn't tell you any different! With that in mind, heres a quick peek of our best catches..

 

 

and I know what you're thinking..no, fashion was not a factor while up North ;)

 

One of my favorite memories from the trip was our shoreline lunch that happened on Day 2 of fishing. Adam & I caught and kept 2 trout and then we all met up at a designated spot for a lunch that included trout fillets cooked over an open flame..let me tell you, it was SO tasty!!

 

 

Our chefs! (my hubs on the right and my 1 brother in law on the left)

 

 

aaand, our lunch. YUM!!

 

And that, folks, is Part II!!! I hope you have enjoyed my little peek inside our family fishing trip! I plan to share another post of odds & ends photos sometime later this week, I hope you come back to enjoy those as well :) Have a great Monday everyone!!

 

 

P.S!! On a side note - did you notice my new blog banner for the month of October {at the top} SO excited for October to be here!! 

 

How fast can 60 years go??

Today my maternal grandparents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, an amazing feat to be sure! Especially in this day and age of 72 day marriages and a divorce rate hovering around 50%, having an anniversary such as theirs is scarily rare! But they have done it and I am so honored to have been able to witness their celebration yesterday!

I grew up in an ideal situation. My family lived in a city brimming with family from one end of town to the other. Both sets of grandparents lived there, aunts, uncles, cousins..you name it! I got to grow up surrounded by family {yet another reason it means so much to me!} and the time I spent with my grandparents meant the world to me. My grandma and grandpa Petrick passed away many years ago, when I was a teenager, so my maternal grandparents have been my elderly role models ever since. They are old school, down to earth people. They have come a long way in their lives, living in a farmhouse when they first were married with no insulation and an outhouse to today - a warm, inviting house full of laughter, love, curling and soap operas on tv {hehe}

My first job was working with my grandparents at their lawn cutting business, it was a great summer job for my brother and I and we learned a lot about keeping money, cutting grass, why you should never get mower blades too close to underground sprinkler heads {sorry grandpa} and spending time with your family. I remember having hours of conversations with my grandparents about everything under the sun. They taught me what it meant to be a green thumb and I appreciate having them with me all these years.

hehe..that cute little girl up front? Thats my mom! Hi mom!!

Of course, time and age are starting to set in. My grandpa turns 84 this year and my grandma has been battling joint aches and her health has slowly started to deteriorate. Its hard to see them in this stage of their lives but they are still happy and are always trying to defy their age..proving it really is just a number!

Today is truly a reminder of what is important in life and what isn't. Not everything will be perfect. Marriage is hard & thats okay..its worth the fight! As for me, I have recently celebrated my 8 month wedding anniversary..I far cry from 60 years but let me tell you..we're gonna make it to that number, God willing..just like granny & gramps did! Happy 60th Anniversary grandma & grandpa!! Love you lots!!