Simplicity in a complicated world

The perfect view from a house around the corner
and here we are trespassing in our PJ's with not a care in the world!!!

Matthew customized his old guitar

Michael has learned how to kyack

yard...

the girls with the new diva blanket

Li swinging

and poor Mom with the fractured arm!!!!

But what I am really thinking about tonight, and so many many of my days, is that I love love to live simply. I strive to live simply everyday, however, technology often wins out.I find great peace in simplicity and I know that children do as well. Li and all the children that come head straight for the homemade rope swing and do not take any notice of the wood and plastic swing set in the yard. There is something about a rope swing daggling from an oak tree that just beckons you to enjoy. So I am making a concerted effort to blog about the small simple things that I enjoy.

Matthew caught the first and only fish from our little creek last weekend. I was just getting ready to get in the shower, when I glanced outside and saw him reeling in a fish. I screamed like a crazy person and ran out in my PJ's to get a glimpse at it. I was so excited. Then came the kyack trip. Michael & Bruce took Jerry with Li then Kevin from the back yard to the harbor. Michael has gained enough confidence to go in his own kyack. It is so beautiful out there. And my last simple blessing came when me, Micheal, Jeannie and Jerry got into the golf cart around 7 or 8-pm and drove over to a house that is being built around the corner. I wanted them to experience the amazing view from the yard. we grabbed blankets and crept around to the back of the house and sat star gazing. Jerry took the pictures and captured it so well with the bridge against the dark sky.....

Simply

Joanne

Giving Thanks

Left is all the kids on the joggling board, they loved playing on that!

Flag football.....(above) our neighbor let them play basketball and football in THEIR yard!!

I woke up so excited on Thanksgiving day. We were having our FIRST big holiday in our new home and I was thrilled to be hosting. I don't have a formal dining room, we are not formal people anyway, however I did have to put some thought into fitting 24 people in to eat......

Well, I opened up the french doors(below) and put a table on the patio and it was amazing. It felt like we were bringing the outside in and the inside out!! I rushed and got a camera to take a picture b/c I was so hapy. Then I put a table in the great room a (left) and we were all comfy.... Praying, Eating, cooking, playing basketball, football, swinging, fishing, running, climbing trees, all of the simple things that kids love to do- all of this was going on all day long. Lots of dirty hands and feet, pluff mud tracked in, dogs running loose, the things that make a house a home, happened to my home on Thursday. Bruce and I sat back and watched and talked about how this has been our dream for so long. We love having an OLD home, it has weathered children, storms, many holidays. We love having a creek and old oaks for the children to play in and climb and fish.... Thank you to everyone who came, who cooked, who smiled and hugged, for the love and the laughter.

The house was full, our stomaches were full, and most importantly, our hearts were full....

Blessings,

Joanne

k
Michelle, my niece came over to help decorate on a dime. She went in the yard and we found the gorgeous Savannah holly with the red berries, camelias which were arranged in vases and some palms. It came out gorgeous with tealight candles and the beautiful sunny weather. God really sent the perfect weather, sunny, breezy and in the mid seventies.... after eating the kids played outside for hours.

Family.....

In the span of 5 days so many Thanksgiving blessings were showered on me and my family, it will take days of posting to do it justice. I hope anyone reading this has had a wonderful weekend and that anyone reading this will remember what a blessing family truly is. I spent some time praying for those who were alone or lonely during the weekend. I am still trying my best to pray more often and seek out simple blessings.
So I must start with my

family that I grew up with.

Jeannie and her family come every year and spend the holiday with us. Cathy and family either travel to Chas or offer to host, of course mom is here and still looking great, Chris and Dell(who is just like another sister) either come or host. We all miss our sister Julie at this time. She loved all holidays and was so much fun. I am going to brag- my family has this down to a science. Really, we all know what to bring every year, we laugh, eat, have the kids all running around, drink wine and take hundreds of pictures. It is my FAVORITE holiday because we are ALL together with ALL the kids!!! Losing our sister/friend, Julie, taught me to never ever take one another for granted. It taught me to relax about the small stuff and concentrate on relationships.

Happily,

Joanne

Fall, well not really we ARE in the south you know...

I have enjoyed the "fall" even though obviously it is warm. No jackets needed here. The seawall is almost complete and we should have the yard back for Thanksgiving. Me and my sister in law took the kids to the fair. Michael got to bring a school friend for the first time; he is the one in the picture that is sound asleep with his turkey leg on the seat beside him. He is a wonderful little boy who had never been to the fair, and I feel sure he usually goes to bed early.... Now it is time to get ready for the holiday madness. I am sooo looking forward to having all my family in town and a full house.