Welcome to my World

One Summer I visited my Grandma Lydia Gingerich in Middlebury, IN and I remember her showing me her Friendship Quilt that she had made the year before she was married.  She would have been around 23 when the quilt was made.  I was fascinated by this quilt and all the work that was put into it, but also the memories of the sweet friends and family who so lovingly took time to embroider a square for her quilt.    When my Grandma died last year, I knew that of all of my Grandma's things, I wanted that quilt the most!  It was connected to memories of spending time with my Grandma and the creativity that was passed down from her to all her daughters(five of them!) and granddaughters(all two of us!)  On my last trip I picked up the quilt and brought it home with me...I am so happy to have a piece of my Grandma!  I miss her still!  Enjoy these snapshots of the quilt...(click on the picture to see up close)   I have thought that making a qu...

 On the last leg of our trip, we stopped in Spruce Pine, NC at a campground and stayed in the above cabin...with a very wooded scenery from the back porch (below).  We bought a new card game to keep the kids entertained...and it worked!  We explored the campground the first evening...  Office...  Swimming Pond and horse barn... Gazebo...  The next day we headed out to Grandfather Mountain.  At the top of the mountain is a swinging bridge that is a mile above sea level.  I was a LITTLE nervous about crossing this thing...but I made it! This is the view from the bridge (above and below)...It was gorgeous!  Brendan took the children to the very top two at a time...if you click on the picture below you should be able to see Brendan up at the top...  The kids loved the adventure of being way up high, but as a mommy, I was a bit nervous when we were up on the top of the mountain with no guardrails.  I would have bee...

  We reached my Aunt Ellen's house in Middlebury/Shipshewana on Monday afternoon...I always love coming here... it's such a pretty place... Joanna and I opted to spend the evening here while the guys headed out to the Elkhart Co. Fair... JoJo played with this marble board for a LONG time while I rested...I loved it too, to tell the truth...  I took the opportunity to take a bunch of pictures of Joanna since I finally got the battery to my camera...   Brendan sent me these pictures from the fair...     Tuesday morning we took my Grandpa out for breakfast and then we went all over Goshen, Middlebury and Shipshewana doing the touristy thing...   That nite we met my cousins and aunts and uncles at a park for a picnic...It was very relaxing and I decided not to take many pictures, but now I wish I would have!  Randy's came out from Illinois where they are spending the summer, so it was fun seeing them.  Avery has grown a lot!   Some litt...