East River Storm, Part 2

East River Storm, July 17th 2010 ~ Part 1

A new series!  We were back *home* for the second weekend in a row for a wedding and we were able to see some pretty neat clouds during the storm!  I have many pictures of them and it looks to be a 3-4 part series again!  Enjoy!

*None of the pictures are edited even a little!  All 100% natural!, the way all the pictures in this series will be!

A Childhood Remembered, 4th and final part.

This is my earthly rock.  We both have a Heavenly Father that is our strong tower, but I could not imagine going through this life without my Handsome by my side.  There are times when even our earlthy rocks are weak, I believe this man is full of sorrow about his growing up years and things that have happened in the past few years, but very rarely do I get a glimpse of that.  Last Saturday I did, do you know how difficult it is to see your rock weep because he is hurting so badly?  I love this man, I will stand by him until the end of our time on this earth!  He is amazing, wonderful, and any other thing that is good!

I am blessed!

This is the view of the place from the door of the house!

A little choked up...I do not know most of the memories this place holds for him, but I can tell you one thing he has chosen to remember the good ones and being there brought back so many of the other.

We never know what is on the other side of the gate, you never know how many times you can walk through that gate, but if you know Christ as your Savior you know He holds the key to tomorrow and can have faith that He will see you through. 

I do not know if we will walk through this gate again, as I stated in Part 1 it was condemned and who knows what will happen in the weeks and months to come.  It would be great if they don't do anything until next summer then maybe shortly after the snow melts we can get in and see the play houses again!

On thing has been for sure, the walk down memory lane has been a silent one...but one that spoke in so many other ways!  Thank you, Handsome, for allowing me to walk beside you!

A Childhood Remembered ~ Part 3

Continuing down the path of memories, for Handsome, there is something majestic about an old windmill!

This little shed is where Handsome and his brother came up with some amazing ideas of how to make their own work shop!  The insulated with cardboard and old pieces of carpet.  When we were able to get in last year over Memorial Day we found an old foldable measuring tool along with buckets of their spare parts and benches they pieced together from scraps!  It was fun to see how my husbands mind worked while growing up!

Remember the electrical wires hanging off the front of the barn?  Well the reason was because they needed lights for their shop and so the cut down the yard light poll....snapping the wires off!  But they didn't get it quite right the first time, the poll landed right on the light and smashed it so they went for the second (and only other yard light) and got that one right! 

The Backside of the big old barn

Come back tomorrow for what may be the final part of the series, part 4.

A Childhood Remembered ~ Part 2

Some of these old farm places present the best places to take pictures!  I could have stayed for hours just snapping shot after shot from different angles!  And hearing the stories behind why the wires are hanging off the barn and where the old green yard light on the little shed came from!  I love hearing my husbands stories!

Handsome told me he figured this little building would have been the first to cave, but it looks just like it did almost 20 years ago!

Many a passer-by has used this grainery as a protection from hail over the years...my parents may even have done it once or twice!

Quite possible that this is my favorite shot of the day!  I didn't even edit it!

He was having a difficult time, I am not sure what all was going through his head, but with good memories there are always bad ones too...I do not believe that my husbands childhood was filled with many good memories.

The last shot for Part 2, and another favorite!  I enjoy taking pictures of old still objects...maybe because my paying job is so chaotic sometimes, I just like the still peace that come from looking at these pictures!

Part 3 tomorrow!

A Childhood Remembered ~ Pt. 1

While back 'home' for a wedding we had the chance to visit one of the places Hansdome lived while growing up.  We had taken a longer visit there last Memorial day shortly after the last residents moved out we were able to view some pretty amazing things (but didn't have the camera)...the 'houses' that Handsome and his siblings 'lived' in while they played.  It was interesting to see their personalities in each one of their playhouses!  My husbands had order and reason.  The had little paver bricks at the frong door and his last name painted across the top.  You walk inside and you see little chairs they nailed together out of scraps, empty tin containers that he got from his mother for his pantry, books, clothes, even a heat stove!  It was amazing!  Unfortunately due to tall grass and itch weed we were not able to get back that far.  But we did get some good pictures of the house, the barn, and three other out buildings.  The garage was already taken.  The date we stopped by: July 17th, 2010....the date the sticker on the door stated that the place was condemned: July 15th, 2010!  I don't know how the Lord allows things like this to happen, while our next trip 'home' is just over a month away, some or all of this place may no longer exsist!  Enjoy some of the pictures...I will be posting them in a series as I have many!

The things Handsome and his brother did inside this building was amazing...more on that in a later post!

I love taking pictures of old barns...and when they have sentimental value that is even better!

More to come in Part 2!

"That Ragged Old Flag" by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".
I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
That Ragged Old Flag


"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
writing "Say Can You See"
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
tugging at its seams.
and It almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
That Ragged Old Flag


"On Flanders Field in World War I,
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp, and low, a time or two,
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home
in her own good land here She's been abused,
She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,
And the government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,
But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
and i believe she can take a whole lot more.


"So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down slow every night,
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought
I do like to brag
Cause I'm mighty proud of
That Ragged Old Flag"

We have a tradition now, my parents come out to visit for the 4th and on the night of the 3rd we go to the Black Hills Round Up PRCA Rodeo.  We have had the same announcer all of the years we have been there and he is very good at what he does.  But the tradition comes with the fireworks after, the night of the 3rd, and since we have tickets to the rodeo we can stay sitting and still see the fireworks.  Last night as we were sitting there with my Mom, Dad, and the kiddos while looking just a little across the way and seeing some of our newfound best friends it was amazing.  Someone always puts together a patriotic melody and it usually includes "That Ragged Old Flag" by Johnny Cash and alot of times the country song that goes, "That's something to be proud of, that's a life you can hang your hat on..." anyway, you cannot help but think of how this country was founded, what it was founded on, the fact that back when our country was born the majority of the leaders were God fearing folk.  But you also think of those who sacrificed to make our country free....July 4th is always very emotional for me...first because of what it represents and the country so many worked hard to give us, and second because of the family connections and traditions we are raising our children with.  I can almost never make it through the fireworks with all the patriotic music playing. 

Last night as we were hanging out, my dad just behind me, my husband beside me, Mom sitting taking pictures of the kids in a great Grandma like fashion, and the kids leaning into us it was just plain great.  And all of a sudden they play a song I would not necessarily agree with and do not listen to but it stated, "we'll put a boot in your @#$ it's the American way" and while some thought inapropriate (I do not disagree) it also made me think of what our country is becoming.  The very imporant base of the a God fearing nation is very quickly going, and the leaders of the country are throwing away our freedom like it means nothing. 

So today as you enjoy parades, carnivals, fireworks, family picnics, please take time to be thankful for the fact that we do live in a nation that was born into a "Trust in God" belief and that we do still have the freedom to worship as we please.  Also be thankful for the many MANY men and women that sacrificed and are still doing so to keep our nation free! 

Happy 4th of July! 

A Piece of my Heart

(Please excuse the terrible looking lady in the picture...it was suppose to be a photo shoot of the twins...but Princess really wanted to take a picture...glad she did!  It is the only picture I have with myself and the twins!)

Back in my early HS years I was a big Faith.Hill fan, she is a great singer and I admire that she and hubby Tim.McGraw are still together because we all have seen how marriage lasts in the spotlight!

Anyway, she had a song that was about breaking up with someone but the courus when something like this:
"Take it, take another little piece of my heart now baby, break it, break another little piece of my heart now honey."  And so on.

Well that song comes to mind when I think of the twins, or other foster children that have been in our home.  I once counceled a young lady about being careful who she gave her heart away to because if you truly love someone, the piece of your heart you give them can never be taken back.  I believe this to be true, and sadly before my husband I had given two pieces of my heart away that I can never get back....true love doesn't go away....it can dim with time, but it doesn't go away.

Well, that goes for other people in your life as well.  The foster children in our home each get our heart as well, I will admit that because of the age of the child, their willingness to be part of the family, the length of time they are with us, and so on the amount of our heart each one has captured can vary greatly.  But these twins melted us from the beginning!  They were so little, so sick, so needy and they took me away.  It hurts to have them out of our life.  They have another little piece of my heart that will be with them always!  We love and miss you Cupcake and EskiMo!