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Tuesday, July 4, 2023

A Day in my Life - July

 Here we are in July already!  I had a really nice first day of the month, and here's how it went.

It was Saturday so I got to sleep in a little.  I was up a little after 8, got ready for the day and started some laundry.  I made up some buns for supper on Sunday, then went out to walk around the yard.


Bob built a raised garden bed at the back of our garage, and we have tomatoes, peppers and fresh basil growing. Here's some of the basil I picked.  I love being able to go outside and just pick it!



The Spirea blooms are so pretty right now!




The oak leaf hydrangeas are blooming on one side of the house.




And here's what's happening on the other side of the house.



I stopped in Bob's barn to see what he was up to.  He said he had plans for this old board.
I also said good bye as I was leaving for a while.
My sister Cheri picked me up at 10 and we headed out for a fun adventure.


We had about a 50 minute drive, and we saw this nice barn with the flag flying in front of it along the way.




Just being out driving on these country roads is fun for me!

We had a great time on our outing, which I'm going to tell you about later.  I don't want to make this post too long!




We got home a little after 2pm.  Bob had the mail on the counter and in it was this sweet thank you.  It's from my friend Jenny's granddaughter, to thank us for a Michigan t-shirt we brought her when we visited.  I love mail like that!




Bob had to show me what he did with that old board. This isn't quite finished.  He plans to paint the word Grace on the bottom right of it.


I finished the laundry I started in the morning, and made something for Sunday lunch.  (I always get something ready, so when we get home from church about 12:30, it's not a lot of work or wait)

When I came into the living room, this baby squirrel was hanging out on the front porch by the door.


We didn't have a lot of time before it was time to leave again. We are emptying my Dad's house to get it ready to sell. We had set up a time for all the grandkids to come to see if there were things they wanted.


Here are my brother, my 2 sisters and I in front of the house.  My parents built this home about 50 years ago, so we all grew up here.  Lots of memories, so it's kind of sad, but it's time.



Bob, Laura, my brother and BIL working in the kitchen.



Cheri found this old sign in Dad's barn from when he was farming and selling seed corn.




The little girls were there too and got to pick out some things that they wanted.  One of the things Alaina picked was a picture of her and Great Grandpa.

It was really a blessed time, lots of laughs and memories, a few tears, but we said Dad would have been proud.  There were no arguments or people being greedy.  Everyone just wanted the whole family to leave with something that would be a memory of Grandpa and it was really sweet.

We didn't get home until almost 8, so we stopped at Arby's to grab something for a late supper.

Then we sat down and relaxed.  This is something I saw as I looked at Facebook which was the perfect end to the day.


Our daughter Heather posted this about what she took home, with these words:
"The most precious and meaningful thing I could have of my grandpa's. This is something that I saw next to his chair every time I visited. The only thing missing from my picture is his large print Our Daily Bread book. He used this magnifying glass to read both every day. I can only pray that my Bible looks like this when my time comes."

What a great way to start the month of July.

16 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Your Spirea is gorgeous, especially the color. I'm glad this was not overly sad for all of you, and that you had each other. They had a really nice kitchen.

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Mari. What a full day you had on Saturday! I love that last picture of your dad's well-read Bible. What a treasure! So glad your family made some good memories in choosing things to remember your dad by. Sounds like you have a wonderful family. I also love that cross that Bob made from that old board. He is so talented. I will look forward to hearing more about the outing with your sister. I hope you had a good Independence Day and that the month continues to go well for you. See you again soon!

roentare said...

I love the looks of the barn!

Donna said...

Awwww! Make me cry! What a wonderful thing for Heather to say...
Big hugs...
Donna

Connie said...

Oh that all Bibles would end in such a way, worn and tattered from being well read :)
I enjoyed tagging along through your sweet and interesting day.

carrie@northwoods scrapbook said...

What a beautiful day and beautiful post Mari. I got all choked up at the end by what Heather took and her beautiful words. I can't imagine a more perfect legacy of love for your Dad to leave. 🙏 💕
Also, your gardens are looking beautiful! And Bob's talents never cease to amaze. He should have his own etsy store! That plaque he made is absolutely beautiful.
Blessings. xoxo

happyone said...

Another busy day for you.
Wow Bob has a GREAT work space in his barn.
My husband would LOVE it.

Jeanette said...

This post reminded me so much of when we cleaned my dad's house out after he died. Everyone came and took what they wanted and there was still so much to get rid of. An Estate sale took care of most of it and the rest got donated. I only lived in that house for a year, but it was filled with a lot of great memories! Love the cute little note from Dagney and a hand drawn picture of the shirt! That is a beautiful wall hanging Bob did. I think it looks perfect the way it is! The cross needs no other words!

Terri D said...

What a blessed family time. Bittersweet but the Holy Spirit was so obviously present with you all as you made new memories of the old memories. I love the wall piece Bob made from that board. Please post a photo when he finishes it!! xo

Prims By The Water said...

You had quite the day! I have a jacket that reads the unsalted Great Lakes. At least e dont have to worry about sharks swimming. A great find for your daughter to take home and cherish. Bob did that old board a great justice. Great job! Janice

Mandy said...

Oh, my heart! That last picture…*sniff* I’m so glad you and your family could have that time together to gather their earthly memories of your dad. They are certainly treasures! I’m sure many happy memories were made in that home.

The pictures are beautiful as always! Bob has an awesome barn to work in, and what he did with that board is absolutely beautiful! What talent! And I love your little bench area tucked away in your yard! I think I could sit out there and read all day! Haha!

Kim said...

Such a bittersweet post, Mari. I’m sure it was a tough day, but it sounds like it was one filled with love and great memories, as well.

Jenny the Pirate said...

Ugh this is so precious, I almost can't. The memories that must have come flooding back for you, at every turn you took in the house! But how blessed you all are to have had the parents that you did. So many millions have missed out on that kind of heritage. And now your children and grandchildren know what it means too, to have been raised to be decent, God-fearing, patriotic Americans. It gets no better than that. xoxo

Great-Granny Grandma said...

Wow, what a huge work space Bob has, and I love what he's making out of the board.
Lots of beautiful things growing all around your house.
Precious note from your friend's granddaughter.
What a treasure--your dad's Bible.

Debi said...

Your yard and gardens are so beautiful. It's so nice that your family could get together and share memories and find something of your dad's that they could cherish. You have a wonderful family... something to treasure. Have a great week!

Catherine said...

Your garden is very nice. Emptying our parents house is not very easy especially when you don’t have brothers and sisters, I think that can help a lot when you have your family around you.