Blooming Families

Just a few photos of my grandchildren.....could they be any cuter!

Little Blessings

Life has been been pretty busy lately - with the blessings of two beautiful granddaughters and the opportunities to be there for both of their arrivals. Precious Raina Abigail arrived March 2 and sweet Selah Ruth arrived March 16! They are both healthy and doing well. Of course each mama would love for them to sleep more -especially in their own cradles - but I feel they both know a great mom when they see one and plan to take full advantage of being sweet and soft and smelling wonderfully brand new! Being Nana now to 5 little ones is simply put - amazing. Each of these munchkins can melt my heart at a moments notice. Watching my daughters and their husbands nurture and guide their little ones floods my heart with memories and thankfulness for who they have become as adults.


Selah Ruth


Raina Abigail

So, I have been wonderfully pre-occupied with grandchildren and have neglected to create anything new with flowers for a while (except at work, of course) until my sister, Cathy sent me a treasure for my birthday. A treasure she found in a thrift store, I think she said. Anyway, I promised her I would make an arrangement in my stately new pitcher! The scene on the pitcher is all flowers - what I believe to be dahlias, asters or gerbera daisies. I chose to include gerbera daisies, pink lily, alstomeria and a ti leaf and bear grass for accent. Next time I may choose to have some of the flowers and greenery fall gently over the sides - we'll see. But I do love my pitcher and thank you, Cathy for your sweet gift.

Let the Games Begin!

Well ok, not the Olympic games but the games in my gardens! We have had days and days of rain but today it actually stopped and I had the opportunity to spend a few hours outside pruning and cleaning up after winter. Three wheelbarrows later numerous thorn pricks and one blister, I only had one part of the front gardens done. Either I am really getting slower or the task is bigger than I imagine. It did feel good to be outside and doing something in the gardens - even if it was cleaning up. I love the smell of dirt!

As I traveled down the hill of our property to empty the wheelbarrows, I was again amazed at the hundreds and hundreds of daffodils already blooming. It is a river of yellow and white cascading down the hills in the front yard and the back. I know it is much earlier this year but it is glorious and I am again thankful that the previous owners worked so hard to plant all these bulbs.

Last summer Michelle and I dug up hundreds of bulbs to make room for the stairs that were to be put in (another story). Well, we obviously missed a lot as the entire spot we thought we had gleaned is covered in a sea of yellow! Things could be worse :)

Here is to Spring and the games in my gardens - today - Weeds 0, me 1 !!!!!

Roses, Roses and More Roses!

So many roses! Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year (well it runs close with Mother's Day) in a floral shop. I have been told several times how the floral business has really suffered with the economy - arranged flowers are really a luxury for many, but I lost track of how many rose arrangements I made over a three day period. As Valentine's was on a Sunday, the holiday stretched out over several days for us at the flower shoppe. I enjoyed the different personalities of the guys that came in .... some you knew felt so out of place and thought if they just stared into our cooler of fresh flowers and arrangements, the right one or idea would come to them! One fellow called and as we visited he asked "so what do they want, anyway?" I thought, oh brother, this poor guy maybe should have discovered a little about his girlfriend before this. I suggested tulips and lilies and of course roses and he really just wanted to do what was "right," which I guess meant an arrangement of a dozen long stemmed roses! Did he realize how much that was going to be?

But then there was the elderly gentleman, who's hands trembled from Parkinson's who truly did want a bouquet of long stemmed red roses for his sweet wife of 60+ years, professing his love for his beloved with simply loving her now and always. The true sweetness and portrayal of his love was so apparent,yet even while his wife suffers from Alzheimer's and has not recognized him for quite some time, how important it was for both of them that she have flowers. His demonstration of love and faithfulness filled my heart and my eyes with tears.

There were the little ones who came in with their dads to surprise Mom. Eyes glittering with the anticipation of doing something special for mom. They would share all the secrets they had planned - it was going to be hard to wait until Sunday for these munchkins.

I have often felt that guys really got stuck doing something that Hallmark and society told them they should do but as I watched and listened to countless stories of love and hopeful love I may have changed my mind ... isn't it good for us to stop and really say I love you; for us to think ahead and plan on how to shower one with either a single flower or 60 roses; to chose to do something for someone we care about even if we think the holiday is contrived. It didn't have to be flowers or candy - but something done or said that illustrated we really do love them and are putting our loved ones before ourselves.

Recognizing we should be doing this everyday, yet still setting apart one day to show our love for each other maybe isn't such a bad thing after all. It may be just what is needed for the one giving or the one receiving.

Acknowledging God's love for me and that it freely given everyday - is a gentle reminder of how I am to love Him and others everyday, too.

My Blessings

The last two weeks have been busy. Hosting bon voyage parties for Emily and Ryan, seeing Amy's volleyball team be inducted into George Fox's Hall of Fame ( I am sure Al was grinning his big smile) and traveling to Forrest and Amy's to help prepare Ephraim's and the new baby's rooms for their new arrival. It is good to be busy.

I titled my blog Blossoms and Blessings because I was starting a new adventure with flowers and because I really wanted to be aware of the blessings God provides me daily. Being busy is a blessing - especially when I am able to serve others. I am thankful that my daughter requested some help readying their little ones rooms - it was good to be with them and work along side each other and thoroughly enjoy the wonder of Ephraim as he "helped" us. God certainly has covered my life with blessings with each of my children.

As I read Colleen's message on her blog, regarding Erik's trip to Kenya, I am in awe of their faithfulness to God's direction in their lives. I have so much to learn from them as I venture on my path. Learning and leaning on the faithfulness of my Father.

Michelle continues to warm my heart with her unselfish desire to reach out to young people and opening her heart to the young girls in the youth group that they too may be filled with Christ's love to truly know and follow Him. Listening to her tender voice sing God's praises is soothing to my soul and fills me with His contentment.

Ryan, even though thousands of miles away, I feel his love for his family through his voice during our phone calls. I miss him very much and yet how wonderful to hear his voice and know of his adventures and when I figure out Skype - to see his smiling face! The blessing of technology!

Each continues to bless me and shows me through their lives how I should be a blessing to them and to others.

The past few weeks at work have been filled with the opportunity to create a lot of floral bouquets...all with different reasons.
Twin bouquets for a new brother and sister duet, lots of corsages and boutonnieres for young, excited teens heading to their first dances, graceful roses for birthdays and just because, but also for so many families who have lost a loved one - some who have lived a long life - yet still so hard to say good-bye and some so very young and so unexpected. Each time I am asked to make a floral arrangement for these families, I am reminded of all the love that was bestowed on us when Alvis died so suddenly. I am trying to be so careful and thoughtful to these families, and my desire is to offer each of them a prayer for comfort as they travel this unknowing road. I pray that I will be a blessing to them.

Letting go

In a few days, Ryan will be heading off to Germany for his new job and new adventures - 13 months. I am trying hard to be uplifting and excited for he and Emily. There is a part of me that is excited for them -remembering all the trips Al and I made together and the wonderful history you felt you were almost stepping back into. It is hard to really believe that there can be cities as old as they are, buildings in their magnificent architectural splendor mixed with families simply living every day as we do. I know they will do well exploring and soaking in the culture yet I would be in denial if I didn't acknowledge how much I already miss them and the opportunities to interact with them daily.

There has never been a job I enjoyed more than being a wife and mother and even though we raised our children to be confident adults, letting go is never easy for me. Auf Wiedersehen!

Christmas Wonder

So I have been a little preoccupied with flowers at the flower shop this holiday season. But I was determined to have some fresh flowers in the house before my family arrived - well at least before Christmas dinner! Our home was filled with the voices and song of all our children and grandchildren, my father and my sister, Peg and her family. Wow! It was wonderful. So much wrapping paper and Poteca (our traditional Christmas morning bread - my daughters actually made three while I was at work on Christmas eve!) and hot chocolate!

Watching little ones open gifts and simply being together was perfect for me. My dad said several times how it was a little like heaven to be surrounded by family. I look forward to the time when we will be together in Heaven as family.

There were a few special memories made - Ryan arranging a guided tour of antique cars owned by the Austins (owners of the Allison Inn) for his Grandpa. We would catch my Dad reminiscing during the next few days about the experience. Amy getting bonked by her son and his new plastic bat as soon as it was out of the wrapper (totally an accident) - he has quite a swing for a 19 month old, little girls twirling in their delightful tutus made by Alie and of course the second swan dives into the Willamette by members of my family. Ryan pulled a fast one - leading them to believe he had acquiesced but he fooled us all!

Another first - not having roast turkey for dinner - instead we had a pork loin roast stuffed with apricots and prunes along with some of our family's favorite traditions: Broccoli Puff and Sweet Potato casserole. We turned into the stuffed pigs.

We did have flowers for the table though - simple cubes with a few roses and Christmas greens and ribbon - a Christmas gift, sort of.






Enough about flowers - my family is the most important part of my life. Thank you all for being here. I love you.