The tabs across the page here at the top are separate pages.
Finland-Sweden trip is a link to my journal blog I kept during my trip there. Farm sweet Farm is pictures of the house, ect that we spent 2 1/2 years in-our first taste of "country living" during our married years. (And are just leaving) This is a work in progress for my scrapbook.
House to Home page is the picture journal of making our "new" house in the West part of the state into our home (On-going current)





Monday, November 12, 2012

Sunrise to Sunset


 Since we moved to a different part of the state I've once again been inspired to pick up my camera.
I have to say that I am totally in love with the view "out here". (Did I mention that before?)

Those of us who live here in NE and especially those B&R here who are familiar with NE off I-80 know that this state is filled with diverse scenery.
I love hills.  I love trees, I love canyons.  However I realize that I like best not being surrounded by so many trees that I can't see "out".
I love driving this end of the state and seeing everything from lush green river side on one side of the road to bare rocky sand hills on the other side. I love the canyons! Heading down from the platou of the flat prarie land to the lush green tree pasture land. Coming upon an enterence to a hidden State park I had no idea existed. ( http://www.westnebraska.com/2012/Ash-Hollow-State-Historical-Park/  that is now on my list of want to visit!)  I love being at the top of a hill and being able to see accross the country for endless miles.  A ridge of sand hill "mountains" against the horizon.  The sky, endless blue. I love seeing the sunrise, not over the trees, but thru them.  I love seeing the huge expanse of colorful sky in the evening sunset across the prairie land.

I think one of the reasons I like this spot so well, although most of my life has been spent in the "flat lands" of the state, I have roots to two other areas of NE that are more similar to this.
As painful as the process of moving was, as much as I miss some special people,
This feels good.  It feels right.
Now that I'm thru the hardest patch, I'm loving my life and once again smiling that
"It's Monday again"!


The sunrise-view from the kitchen windows (or in this case, my front porch looking east!)






 







 Looking from our house across the driveway


 A view South from the front of our house

 South from our house. The house/trees sit next to the highway


 I was loving the way the snow settled on this bush in front of our house.  It looked like balls of cotton or a "real" snowball bush






 I love sunsets, and where we lived before they were mostly hid by trees and the position of our place.  Out here it is wide open space and we can see the whole sky.
Obviously my kids are intrigued too, as they keep taking off with my camera to capture the beauty.





Had to add these also, playing with my camera at night during the evening of "our" first snow here


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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Beautiful Nebraska land


Views from our spot in Nebraska during October.
Many of these were taken as we traveled the road between former and current homes.
We have been in awe of the beautiful sunsets.

Western Nebraska Sandhill country--I love the view we have!


I wanted to do a slideshow of the photos, but what I used before has closed down and I wasn't having any luck getting something else to work. Unfortunately this doesn't show the photos so well.


Nebraska State Song

Beautiful Nebraska

*
Written by: Jim Fras

Beautiful Nebraska, peaceful prairie land,
Laced with many rivers, and the hills of sand;
Dark green valleys cradled in the earth,
Rain and sunshine bring abundant birth.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand;
Beautiful Nebraska land.

We are so proud of this state where we live,
There is no place that has so much to give.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand,
Beautiful Nebraska land.

* Jim Fras was a Russian refugee who came to Lincoln in 1952.  He composed Beautiful Nebraska in 1960.  In 1967, Beautiful Nebraska was signed into law as the official state song.
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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween evening fun


Here's our group of funnies, cuties, crazy's & weird people!  Isn't it just fun to dress up?
 The Middle bunch took the younger ones and went out trick or treating for a while.


 Our very cute little stinker baby Bethy.  I didn't get a very good photo of her.
 Mama's and their very cute little girls!


Getting together is always a good excuse to have lots of food--and really yummy food!!
(Along with some funny looking treats too!)

 The avacado dip was reported to be very good!


 Stuffed Mushrooms & stuffed bacon wrapped jalapeno's are a definite hit!


 And some yummy sausage vegetable soup to balance out all the sweets!



 Throw in some ear wax swabs & some eye balls-- heehee!!


And Alisha a beautiful bowl of Syllabub for a treat!

Now my question is, Since it's very much a kids holiday, WHY don't they put Halloween on the last Friday of the month in October so after all that "partying" and candy they didn't have to get up and go to school the next day?  Sure seems like a good idea to me!


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Monday, October 29, 2012

October evening view from home

Not in chronological order.
Just views from a beautiful October evening at our new home.
Photography compliments of Morgen.










 



















While I was inside trying to finish up my last blog post, I noticed the sky changing and had caught a glimpse of swirling clouds and sunset.
Unknown to me Morgen came in and got my camera and went out and took pictures.
I'm so glad he did.
What I saw thru the window was only a tiny view of a beautiful evening.


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New photos


 Just in case you thought I really had hibernated--
or was sitting around reading a book--
Or was playing games or chatting on Facebook--

Not that I didn't want to!
But, Thanksgiving is coming,
Babies are due soon,
and kids coming home.
Hibernation will have to be postponed.

I have new updates on my "house to home page"
You can see the new photos on the back entry, Kitchen and The Dining room sections.
Edits are dated 10/29/12




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Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Road Beckons


 If I were an eloquent writer....

(What IS the definition of that anyway?)  Smile.

I could write how the house echo's. Not just with emptiness, but with so many memories.

What it makes me feel like to wake up one last time in the upstairs room of the house we've called home for the last 2 1/2 years.

How going down the stairway, driving in the driveway, seeing the sunrise thru the east livingroom windows and watching the sunset thru the wide porch windows on the west always reminds me that this was my sister's home that we spent many hours together at, and we and our kids made so many memories at.

Brainstorming how to open up the scrapbook store, remodeling, birthday parties, family gatherings, cousin time and planning and hosting two beautiful country weddings.
Probably more than a "few" other momentous occasions I missed mentioning.

The Road beckons.
This moving thing has been a very long extended emotional roller coaster.

It started at the new year with a gut feeling that this was going to be a year of change.

Soon after, husband applied for a new job, meaning a totally new career on the other end of the state.
The weeks were agonizing not knowing if he would get it or not, knowing if he did it would mean
a huge up-heavel to our life here.
Finally the first of March we got notice.  He got the job.
Two weeks later he's gone, 250 mi. away, leaving the kids and I on this end.

The year is a blur. "weekend" trips that were way to short and to filled with necessities to accomplish much, or have hardly any family time.
Waiting for his 3 mo. probationary period to be up so we could start looking for a place out there to live.
Not finding anything and finally giving up, figuring we'd just have to continue the living across the state thing.....
and the next day he finds a house available.

A house that is exactly in the area that we were hoping for, but one that needs lots of work to make it livable.  A house that is too small for us, but that we can make do until something different comes along which makes the whole idea of moving even more difficult for me, knowing that it is only temporary and I will have to go thru the pain and work of moving again.

If I could write, I could tell how moving away from my family here;
My mom, my sister whom I've worked together with (and played) with for so many years now.
My other sister who's lived down the street or just down the road.
Our oldest son and his very special little family.  Four sweet grandkids that I loved
having pop in with their bright smiles and "HI" Grammie!
Husbands mother, his two sisters.
Our/ my friends, our church family and the community that we have spent most of our life in--
Is so difficult that I pretty much pull a "Scarlett O'hera and say:
"I'll think about that tomorrow".  Or not.


I would write of the friends that we've known "forever", spent so much time with, have made so
many memories with.  Some of the ones who moved to this community from other places and then
moved on but made a special spot in our lives.
I'm thankful beyond words that we have a stronger bond of love that binds us together than just our friendship and sweet memories.
I would write of a special friend who's health issues kept us from enjoying our last months together before moving. Of my "other" sister--but how can you put into words what the heart feels?

I would write a huge elegant THANK YOU to our friends who sent/gave a picture, a note and some special memories to be put into a memory book for us, put together by my very dearest older sister.


If I could put into words,
I could tell how much I'm looking forward to being close to four of our other children,
the joy of having five other grandchildren near-by and the joy of being near by when
the next three "soon" to be due grandchildren arrive on the scene.

I would tell you how very much your friendship means to me, how much I love the memories of the
years here, how much I enjoy seeing your comments on my blog
and how much I enjoy seeing your posts and comments on facebook.
Yes, I am a facebook adict.  I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I love the connection it brings.  The little blips of news, mostly happy and up-beat,
sometimes to share sorrow.  Sometimes just the daily grind, sometimes the weariness or cry
that makes me pray for you and share in your "weals and woes".
I love seeing how your family is growing and hearing what you are doing.

I love that we're connected in so many ways and even tho we're going to be "western Nebraskans" instead of living smack in the middle of the state we're really only as far away as our heart strings are long.

That was a lot of words.

The vehicle needs loaded.
The road beckons. 


See you later! ♥


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