Day 12- "Memory"

My grandmother, mother, aunt, me, and my sister, circa 1974, picking peas at my grandmother's. Precious memories.

Day 10- "I Spy"

3 generations of strong women who don't get to spend enough time together...I see my mother's traditions, attitudes and expectations very alive in myself as a mother, and coming out in my daughter as she turns into an adult, and couldn't be happier. So blessed.

Day 11- "Mother(hood)"

A picture says one thousand words, so a few pictures should say a whole lot!

Two-fer...Day 19- "A Sunny Spot" and Day 20- Rise

Missed yesterday with good reason, spent the entire day with family preparing for and celebrating my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary, NC style.  Was technology free most of the day...yet so glad that because of technology- basically Facebook- I "see" this family all of the time, it definitely keeps us closer and more connected.

My sunny spot was getting to spend so much time with my family, I wish we all lived closer, even the family here.  Real life and kids at different ages and stages make it hard to spend enough time together.  It rained much of the party, which really put a damper on some of the outdoor fun like picnic tables, white twinkly lights, and bales of  hay around the fire pit.  My dad worked so hard to prepare...but I think a good time was still had by all even if it meant jackets and most of the party indoors.  My dad inherited his grandmother's house and has spent a lot of time the past couple of years fixing it, updating it, making it a place for he and my mom to stay when they go down there.  They are able to go more often now, as their stream of grandchildren for daycare has slowed down.  We thought a country house party was the perfect way to celebrate, as that is where it started for them and most of the guests, out in the country outside of Grantham, N.C.  My kids got to meet my mom's best friend from high school, which was a treat.

As for "rise..."- ever spend a Sunday on I-95 N?  In particular on a holiday that is the last day of spring break for pretty much all northerners thanks to our snowy winter?  I have had the pleasure...so, we got the kids up and were on the road at 6:45, so grateful they pulled it together (I mean, all they had to do was wake, brush teeth, eat a bit and get into the car, ideally without talking much since it was so early).  We made it home in record time- 4.5 hours (we thought the 5 down was good, but home bound was one gas/bathroom stop, and no stops for the boys' car).  So happy to spend the afternoon at home doing nothing.  Would love to get a pedicure if they are open but there is no way I am putting in the effort to drive two minutes, not leaving this couch except to eat and go to bed!  Dinner is one I can hardly take credit for, but I will...leftovers of this recipe (below)- you would be surprised how well it freezes, and tastes with chips!  Comfort food!  Hint- you may need to add a little chicken broth if it is too thick after defrosting; I think mine was thick because I froze it with rice in the same bag, so freezing it alone is probably recommended.  However, we had "Scoops" chips so the thickness worked well for us.

Easiest Mexican-ish Chicken Ever

"Get Your Hands Dirty"~ Day 22 of Month 3

Go through Grantham to
Roads that travel to seemingly nowhere
And you landed at her house on a cross street
Not always our first choice of fun but in the summer she had us in the garden
Digging in the dirt for potatoes or
Making sure we picked all of the peas
Awesome memories of an awesome grandmother

XO