Rather British

This is indeed December and we are but a few days shy of Christmas celebrations but our weather has things looking like Autumn and yet feeling rather like Spring is in the air. I imagine this is very similar to what some parts of England experience during their winter months. 

Honestly, there are no complaints here as we have been able to be out of doors far more often than usual this time of year. The other day the kids and I went to the coast and had a great picnic followed by a leisurely walk. The breeze was just right, the lighting perfect and I was counting my blessings as I followed five of them around the trails that afternoon. 

There is always something for us to find a complaint about in life and yet the other side of that thought is that there is ALWAYS something for us to be very thankful for as well. At times I have been reminded to listen to myself speak and use that as an opportunity to "take every thought captive" and notice those beautiful subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) details which focus our attitude on gratitude. The stark winter landscape is full of treasures that have been hidden by foliage throughout most of the year but with the lack of snow there is a whole new angle with which to see. Just as in life, as we walk with the Lord, He is so faithful to create new eyes (His eyes) so that we are able to appreciate a new angle to His work.

Have a wonderful season celebrating Christmas with your families and friends.

The close of summer

What a change of pace occurs with the seasons in New England. The spontaneity of summer soaking up the outdoors for in less then 5 months we will all be donning hats and other gear to protects from the cold. Now we are opening the text books and spend good portions of out day with pencil and paper in hand. Yet I am thankful for the change (though I do wish summer had hung on a wee bit longer) as it is impossible to keep up the crazy pace of the warmer months. So to the books it is and many fond memories made to keep us through the cold season soon to come. 

NewCastle on the coast

Who even knew that this little piece of the state existed, not me until now. A day at the coast with my hubby's side of the family took us so some new territory. The low tide explorations were great for the kids as they found rock crabs, hermit crabs and other treasure the coast has to offer. 

Being on the mouth of the ocean, there was plenty of  ship traffic which the little one loved.

I can still hear the squeals of the kids as their toes squelched and squeaked in the mud.

The cousins has the best of times. Can't we all remember just how blissful the long, warm days of summer can be. Perhaps living in the north gives us a treasured place for the few fleeting warm months. The cherry on top of our day was in stopping together for that classic cold confection, a rapidly melting ice cream cone from Mrs & Me.

Ft. Foster Time

The few fleeting days of summer are upon us but we have been able to grab some of those days before they are gone. There have been the annual trips to the seaside, lots of tide pool exploration, sand creations made, and sunscreen applied.

I did not pick just the great pictures for this post we truly had a great day with the Jackson side of the family. The weather was wonderful and the family interactions even better.

 The Atlantic coast is picturesque and freezing but there is so much unique bits of creation to explore that trips to the coast are anticipated throughout the year. 

Uncle Scott and the kids have had a quite a bit of fun this year trying out various toy planes. The one that he picked to bring in July was thankfully very buoyant. 

Though we all enjoy some sand when at the beach, the shades of grey that coat the Maine coast line are something that I have come to look forward to seeing. With plenty of bucket the kids spend hours looking for crabs and other natural treasure hidden among the rocks with the receding tide. 

Cousins are among some of the best friends. What a treat it is to watch the kids grow up together and love on each other. The list of memories they share continues to grow along with them.   

Life through the lens of a camera can seem practically perfect in every way, yet even more so as we take the opportunities we are presented with and walk in truth. I remember looking at pictures of other families and thinking what a wonderful life they led yet as time passed that family crumbled. Only lives that are built on truth withstand the many storms that the Creator allows to come! 

Musterfield Farm

  

Located in the not so well known town of Sutton, NH is a lovely historic farm that is more of vegetable garden that was quite inspiring! Musterfield Farm is now a collection of older outbuildings a one-room schoolhouse, corn-cribs, a few classic fairground ticket booths, a couple of blacksmith shops, several other interesting pieces of architectural history including the original farm buildings.

The annual New Hampshire BeeKeepers Association Picnic is held at this location and that is the means by which we came to spend the day on this farm. Beekeepers from all over the state (and even some from out of state) gathered for the day to learn more about establishing Nucleus Colonies with their honeybees. By the way the insect in the photo above is a bumblebee NOT a honey bee but they are some of the wonderful pollinators of creation as well. 

 During most of the hands on demonstration the kids and I took a self guided tour of the grounds. I had read that there were cows on the premise so that was initially the item we were looking for as we started out. On our search we found an adorable playhouse that was built in the 1930's and enjoyed some time there sweeping the porch, checking the mail and other activities that happen in a miniature house. The kids got a kick out of the one room schoolhouse and thought that we should have one for our school activities. Though that would be a fun thought, I am very content having a room devoted to our school hours. 

 The weather was perfect, food 'delish', good interaction with the beekeepers, and even some opportunities to share a bit of the truth of creation. It was really a delightful day!