Embroidery and Family

This past summer my Mom and I drove out to South Dakota to visit family. I was amazed by our  road-tripping skills, such as, sleeping at rest stops in the middle of the night for three hours, playing putt-putt, drinking milkshakes at an old school diner, and efficiently packing the cooler with sandwich fixin's and veggies (there were a few unhealthy snacks too) :) We were a fabulous team taking turns behind the wheel, while the other navigated and played DJ (aka chose which audiobook to listen to next).

The 2 1/2 day drive was well-worth the quality time spent with my Grandma, Uncle and his family. I loved being back at the farmhouse that is filled with memories from the time spent there as a child: sleeping in my mom's old bedroom, watching lightening strike the yard, be-friending the kittens (by bribing them with fresh milk and bacon fat), exploring the old barn, baking yummy goodies, taco pizza from pizza ranch...It's a little different now that I'm older, but I still enjoying fixing a fresh cup of tea or coffee and sitting down at the table to chat about whatever comes to mind. The conversations are what I value the most...especially the stories surrounding my Grandma's life....she just celebrated a birthday this past June and has so many experiences and wisdom to share from her last 90 years.

As we all get a little bit older, the roles begin to shift. My mom and I take over most of the cooking and cleaning, while Grandma sits in her chair by the table folding plastic grocery bags :) I love being able to serve her in these small ways. We also were able to put a fresh coat of paint on the kitchen and dining room walls, giving the space a fresh and bright look/feel. Another highlight was the fact that my Grandma used my Nook to read The Help...she LOVED using it! Too bad she isn't technologically savvy enough to operate her own (downloading books, etc). I've also become a crafter of sorts and enjoyed browsing the attic for treasures. I walked away with a bag of fabric for a scrap quilt and some embroidery fabric stamps, which I most recently used to make dish towels for my mom for Christmas! (Now I'm thinking about making some to sell on Etsy???)

I cherish time spent with family, especially my grandparents. It was a tremendous blessing to be able to love and serve my Grandma for those 10 days.

Enjoy the slideshow of pictures that I think capture the essence of my Grandma's farm!