An Afternoon at the Farm

Two dear friends, Kim and Jay Humphrey, are resident caretakers for a farm about 20 minutes north of our house. Tara and I have been wanting to pay them a visit with the children for quite a while now, so when a new lamb entered the picture, we set a date! Here the Humphreys are relaxing in front of the old farm house.

When we arrived, the children headed straight for the barn. It was so special to see them peering through the fence taking it all in...the sheep, the goats, the horses, and of course, the kitty.

 

The children weren't the least bit afraid and they loved every minute of exploring the pasture and the barn, and going up to all the animals. Gigi came along as well.

Natalie and Nathan even got to help with the chore of filling the giant water buckets.

Tara and I turned around to see this...Samantha and Samuel heading out all by themselves to say hi to the sheep!

No fear!

Eventually Jay put a saddle on sweet Maya and we all got to take a little ride.

And to end our fun afternoon we got all four kiddos up on Maya for one last picture. 

Many thanks to Kim and Jay for helping us make memories we will not soon forget. We all had the most wonderful time!

Barn Quilts?

On our recent scenic drive in the Appalachian Mountains, EZ and I noticed the abundance of quilt patterns on barns. We found ourselves saying, "Look there's another one!" and off the road I would go to snap a picture in a moment's notice. If anyone knows the particular significance of these, other than tourist pleasure, I would love to know. They certianly made for a pleasureable and colorful drive, as well as a sort of a "quilt treasure hunt" trying to see which barns had one displayed for all to see. Here the ones we captured on one particular afternoon drive in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee:

Happy Fall, enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to appreciate the beauty around you, including colorful barn quilts!

Man's Best Friends

About 8 1/2 years ago we got involved with English Springer Rescue America (ESRA)  when we rescued Abby and three months later added Milo to the mix. Though they came to our home at 2 1/2 years old with some definite issues...i.e. heartworm positive, not house trained, afraid of riding in the car, not spayed or neutered, no leash training. We worked at it and thankfully got them healthy, socialized, and integrated into our family. Springers are beautiful dogs with sweet temperaments and a loyalty that never ends.

Abigail, affectionately known as Abby

Milo, affectionately known as Mr. Mi

They are now eleven and serve as constant companions to EZ (and me!). I have no doubt that after his diagnosis, radiation, and chemotherapy, and the month he spent away from them while hospitalized, they had a sense about his cancer. They don't want him out of their sight and follow him around from room to room, watching his every move. For senior dogs, except for some occasional stiffness, they still have boundless energy and love to swim, sniff, go for rides in the car, take walks, and run through the woods!

What a handsome boy

Out for a walk in the park

Someone loves his new bone

Trying to get some exercise and wear these two out

Sweet girl

Woah, look at those jowls!

Sometimes fighting cancer involves more than medicine. How about a loyal canine friend that provides unconditional love, endless companionship and a reason to get out and walk even when you hurt? Check out the rescued Springers available for adoption in your area on the ESRA website. Can't adopt right now? Provide a foster home. We think you'll be glad you did!

Almost Wordless Wednesday - The Battle of the Leaves

Fall is here and it's raining leaves!

Where's the driveway?

Ahhh, there it is!

Before

After

EZ - The Secret Weapon!

The front yard

View from the front door...momentarily leaf free!

MMRF Race for Research in Atlanta

For us, Multiple Myeloma has been a family affair. From day one we were in this together; learning, loving, helping, encouraging, praying, crying, putting one foot in front of the other, and giving thanks for blessing in the midst of hardship. Hence we are...Walking with Big EZ! 

We are so very proud of how our children have handled adversity, more specifically a cancer diagnosis for their Dad. It's something we never dreamed we would face, let alone seven months after losing my Dad (their Grandpa) to cancer. They have been there for Ernie every step of the way, supporting him and remaining hopeful and positive. So it shouldn't have come as a surprise when Leah, our daughter, and her husband Kyle, decided to run in MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation) 5K Race for Research in Atlanta last Saturday morning. Our little eight month old granddaughter, Emery, went along for the ride.

Little Em thought it was the perfect time for a nap

We love their  "Dominate" t-shirts from CancerKicker.org. This was Leah's second 5K and she bettered her time by six minutes. Talk about DOMINATING!

The beautiful Atlanta skyline after the race.

Leah expressed her thoughts this way:  It was so special for both of us to run a race that funds research for a cancer that my dad will continue to fight until there is a cure.  Until then, we feel blessed that he is in "complete response" to the chemo drugs and are diligently praying he stays that way! Dad dominated the MM, so we had no other choice than to dominate that run! Love you Daddy!

Words really can't express what this meant to EZ, but our heartfelt thanks to Leah, Kyle and Emery for going out and racing for research to find a cure for MM. Our goal...walk or run it with you next year!!

Soup's On!

The temperatures are once again dipping here in North Carolina, so why not warm up with Pasta E Fagioli soup! This is a recipe that caught my eye on the back of a box of Ronzoni Small Shells, and it did not disappoint. Filling, tasty and easy!

Here is the recipe with my modifications noted:

Pasta E Fagioli

1 cup Ronzoni Small Shells, uncooked

6 bacon slices, diced (I used two Mild Italian Sausage links, sliced and sauteed)

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

3 cups (two 14 oz cans) Great Northern Beans, drained

3 1/2 cups (two 14.5 oz. cans) chicken broth

3 1/2 cups (28 oz. can) whole plum tomatoes, undrained and chopped (I used two cans diced tomatoes)

1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce (my addition)

2 cups (19 oz. can) red kidney beans, drained

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well. Meanwhile in 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, cook bacon or Italian sausage until it starts to brown. Add onion, celery and garlic; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. meanwhile, with a fork, mash 1 can Great Northern beans. Add chicken broth, mashed beans, cooked pasta and remaining ingredients to bacon or sausage mixture, heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. (I actually put in my crock pot on low and cooked a few hours) Discard bay leaf. Makes 12 servings (1 cup each).

Have a wonderful weekend...make some soup and stay warm!