Memories | Childhood Myths

More April Birthdays

April 10, 2013 By Diane and Chad Leave a Comment

In just one week, three very important birthdays:

You read about Scott’s birthday on the 5th…continuing on:

My dad’s birthday was April 7th…it’s amazing to me that he has been gone almost 49 years!! Wow! He was a most lovely man:))

And my beautiful mother’s birthday is April 11th!!

So here are a few photo memories for any of you who know us:

First, a long-ago picture of me with my mom and dad

Then, one of my favorite photos of my mom and dad… holding the Siamese, Ping (first name Poo)

…and finally, Mom and stepdad Carl in their younger years

Happy Birthday to Mom and Dad…I love you both:)))

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: appreciation, beauty, birthdays, family, family photos, giving thanks, love, memories, photos

A Torch Lake Baby

February 3, 2013 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

A changing of the guard:) From the Torch Lake adults to the Torch Lake ‘kids’…and now on to the Torch Lake babies!!

mama Amy as a baby

baby Amy with new 'Gramma' Margaret

and with 'Grampa' Roger

TINY Amy with part of the TLG

…and Amy and Dan 2 weeks ago…

Amy, one week ago, organizing ‘stuff’…

And yesterday…..mama Amy and Tracy with sweet little Maggie Anne…

Welcome, Maggie Anne….we know you will bring joy to the world!!!

Happy Parenting!!!!!!!

D and C

Filed Under: appreciation, beauty, birthdays, children, families, family, family fun, family photos, giving thanks, joyful, love, memories, parenting, photos, smile

The Five Steps

January 28, 2013 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

Have you heard of the five steps?? No?? that’s because one of our ‘group members’…you know who you are….came up with this plan!!

When the TLG kids were probably in junior high (ish)…one of the moms made sure every one knew about the five steps of life. Are you ready? Okay, hold up your hand and use your fingers:

Step 1: Graduate from high school

Step 2: Graduate from college

Step 3: Start a career

Step 4: Get married

Step 5: Have children

The kids heard about the 5 steps all the time, especially when they were together….uh,oh…which step are we on and where are we going?? We laughed as we subtly encouraged the actions we wanted:))))

Here are some of the kids early on:

3 of these little ones are now on step 4!

so cute!

all are now on step 3, 4 are on step 4, and 1 will be on step 5 next month

The first to be on step 5, coming on Valentine’s Day!

….and MY first to be on step 4 as of August 31 this year:)

What do you think of our ‘tongue-in-cheek’ five step plan? It was a great..yet humorous…plan for our group!!

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: appreciation, behavior, beliefs, boundaries, children, education, families, family photos, follow-through, goals, intentions, memories, methods, parenting

Joyful Thursdays #52

January 24, 2013 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

What brings you joy, makes you happy, gives you peace? Here are some photos, quotes, and thoughts that make me joyful.

Joyful Thursdays #52

Here are three things that make me happy and bring me joy:

1) knowing that I have family and friends who will support me, no matter what…

2) being able to support others in many different areas…parents and teachers, children and seniors…and any other groups you might suggest for me

Anyone in our area…Chad and I will be presenting at a MOPS meeting on Monday at 7:30, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Macomb…come visit us:))))

3) being retired, as a teacher…whew! Things are becoming completely unrealistic in the world of education…anyone want to put me on a committee for realism?!

Be happy!!! Try harder!!

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: behavior, beliefs, education, family photos, happiness, Happiness Tuesdays, helping, joyful, joyful Thursdays, love, memories, parenting, photos, special friend

Extra Holiday Stuff

January 8, 2013 By Diane and Chad Leave a Comment

Starting to take the ‘holiday’ stuff down and return it all to the basement…but I only do a little bit at a time. I really do love all the decorations, and it’s hard to go ‘cold turkey’ back to what all of a sudden seems very empty!!

still up...not quite ready to take it down

a yummy 'signature' drink

d making those cocktails

LOVE photo cards

the boys actually made these in the 5th grade!

the couples:)

love them lots!

Thanks for letting me share….

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: beauty, Christmas, Christmas memories, family photos, giving thanks, holidays, joyful holidays, joyful season, memories, ornaments, parenting, photos, traditions

Joyful Thursdays #50

January 3, 2013 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

What brings you joy, makes you happy, gives you peace? Here are some photos, quotes, and thoughts that make me joyful.

Joyful Thursdays #50

Here are three things that make me happy and bring me joy:

1) A delightful New Year’s Eve:

leaving the winter footwear at the door!

the first to 'crash'

2) being ‘Up North’

a beautiful 'winter' tree

3) watching people enjoy the photos books they received for Christmas….fun to make, fun to give!!

wink, wink..you can also see that pretty ring!

and the TLG each got their own book, so up north everyone shared a peek with the others…

Always lots of fun, sharing memories!

Are you joining in with doing random acts of kindness? It’s a great way to encourage your kids to get outside of themselves and their own issues…and instead to focus on the needs of others. Just a thought…..

Happy Parenting,

D and C

Filed Under: fun, giving presents, happiness, Happiness Tuesdays, having fun, holidays, joyful, joyful holidays, joyful season, joyful Thursdays, kindness, memories, parenting, photos

Joyful Thursdays #49

December 27, 2012 By Diane and Chad Leave a Comment

What brings you joy, makes you happy, gives you peace? Here are some photos, quotes, and thoughts that make me joyful.

Joyful Thursdays #49

Here are three things that make me happy and bring me joy:

1) Scott and Lauren’s engagement continues to make me very happy…

aren't they cute?

2) I found my own ‘elf’ on the floor downstairs one morning…. someone took it off the tree…can you guess who that might be??

3) new stockings this year….love them!!

Their pups have stockings now, too!

This is a lovely week isn’t it….between Christmas and a brand new year! Count your blessings, and share them with your kids!

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas memories, giving thanks, happiness, Happiness Tuesdays, holiday gratitude, holidays, joyful, joyful holidays, joyful season, joyful Thursdays, memories

Some News and a Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2012 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

Scott and Lauren are engaged!!! ….as of Christmas Eve morning, during a walk with the puppy in the park!

We are all so excited!!

the happy couple

My lovely, romantic son actually found the ring she had posted on pinterest….sneaky, huh?

gorgeous

We all celebrated at our traditional Christmas Eve dinner out…with Lauren’s family and ours, too

An exciting start to our Christmas!!!!

A very Merry Christmas to all of you

Happy Parenting,

D and C

Filed Under: appreciation, beauty, Christmas, Christmas memories, families, family photos, holidays, joyful, joyful holidays, joyful season, love, memories, receiving gifts, traditions

Joyful Thursdays #47

December 13, 2012 By Diane and Chad Leave a Comment

What brings you joy, makes you happy, gives you peace? Here are some photos, quotes, and thoughts that make me joyful.

Joyful Thursdays #47

Here are three things that make me happy and bring me joy:

1) some of my all-time favorite pics:

Love them!

2) a ‘just cuz’ dinner out with the guys and girls

3) my beautiful Mother’s Day orchid that lasted until September and then slowly dropped every single bloom and turned into sticks….is growing again!!! WooHoo…never throw out a ‘dead’ plant works for me:)))

Find the beauty, joy, and happiness around you during this special time of year!!

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: beauty, brothers, carpe diem, children, families, family fun, family photos, flowers, giving thanks, happiness, Happiness Tuesdays, inspiration, joyful, joyful season, joyful Thursdays, memories, parenting, photos, smile

Helping Remember

December 9, 2012 By Diane and Chad 1 Comment

C and I were checking out the ornaments on last year’s tree, and I was telling him the stories of each one…where and who it came from, how long we had had it, whatever I could remember. C said I should take a photo of each ornament and tell the story on the back so the stories wouldn’t be forgotten in the future. That sounded like a great idea until I began taking the ornaments off the tree and decided I would NEVER get finished…way too many of them:)

So here is my compromise: photos of groups of ornaments that have similar stories…here are way too many of them for you to see, but definitely not all of them!

F2's childhood ornaments

my childhood 'Horns'

some of C's

more of C's

some of S's

more of S's

lovely TLG ornaments

birds for luck and more of D's childhood

bells

love elves and angels

more angels

collected during our travels

more travel

metal...plus college

love the teacher ornaments

gifts from family and friends

Okay…I know…that’s enough, right?? I have at least twenty more photos, but you get the idea, I’m sure! I love that C thought of this plan. Looking at the photos will make it easier to tell the stories of individual ornaments and reliving the memories that make them special!

Find happiness in the season and share it with your children:)

Happy Parenting!

D and C

Filed Under: appreciation, beauty, beliefs, Christmas, Christmas memories, family photos, goals, holidays, inspiration, joyful season, love, memories, ornaments, Santa, traditions