She also taught me that having a little fire in my tongue is downright ladylike (right again).

When I was in high school she told me that someday my skinny friends would be envious of my curves (nice try, Mom, but I’m still not convinced).

From her I learned that drama will get you nowhere (young lady). Always cheer for the underdog, notice the less fortunate, see a need and quietly meet it, bleach my dish towels every week whether I think they need it or not, and above all, always, always, stand up for what’s right.

Life has thrown her a few curveballs, it’s true. But she has rebuilt her life from the ground up. And she’s done it well. I’m proud of her. I’m proud to be her daughter.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom.

Mom with her grandkids!

Our buddy Joel helped us out.  He has impressive equipment:

Right about here is where I had to stop watching.  I couldn’t handle seeing them put that sweet playhouse on the skid loader. . .I was so afraid something would go wrong and that playhouse would never be the same again.

I ran a few errands, and when I got back this is what I found:

Our new backyard is starting to feel like home!  This yellow playhouse is one of my favorite earthly possessions.  My dad built it for my girls when the twins were just 2.  I had one just like it when I was a little girl.  I can’t tell you the hours I spent playing in that little yellow house.  A few people tried to talk us out of moving her, but I couldn’t bear it. Even if we move to China, I’ll figure out a way to take her with us. Isn’t she darling?

As soon as Ellie got off the bus, she headed to the backyard:

I love the Dutch doors.  Pretty sure I have a picture of myself as a little girl that looks a whole lot like this:

Just for fun, we added a little landscaping.

I hate to think that my older girls are growing out of it. They came to me with an idea though: Do you think Papa could build a second story? Just wondering.

Here’s what you need (official recipe at end of post):

While I work on chopping the veggies, I make my own chips.  Super easy:  Take a pile of corn tortillas and cut them into quarters.  Place on a cookie sheet, spray with a little canola oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place in a 350 degree oven until nicely browned and crispy (maybe 20 minutes).  YUM!

Place chopped vegetables in a bowl, add feta, olives, Italian dressing (olive oil and balsamic vinegar is great too!), zest and juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir it all up and dig in!

I am happily growing my own herbs right now.  My cilantro is growing like crazy so I’m hoping to start using it soon!

And finally, The Idiot:

Here’s the official recipe:

Greek Salsa

3 Roma Tomatoes

3 Peppers

3 Avocados

1/2 Red Onion

1 Bunch Cilantro

5 oz. Feta Cheese

1 small can chopped black olives

zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Chop the vegetables, toss together with remaining ingredients.  Dig in!

My nephews came to hang out. This little guy didn’t want to take a nap, so I set him down next to Uncle Conrad. Two minutes later I found this:

Conrad and I had a meeting. Ha! Do you ever have to do that with your spouse? We had so many items to discuss, we actually formed an agenda and had an official meeting.

Every meeting goes a little more smoothly with the help of coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls. I make great cinnamon rolls. Yes, yes I do.

Sunday was gorgeous. We took a bike ride to the fairgrounds and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

We took Hudson off the leash and let him run freely.

He loved it. Dumb dog.

We ended the weekend with a trip to our favorite ice cream shop where I had a scoop of peanut butter pie ice cream. Yum!

That’s it! Hope you’re weekend was a good one!

I hate him.

He stinks. He chews. He barks terribly loudly. And don’t even get me started on his digestive habits. Let’s just say, I’m happy to have hardwood floors.

But every afternoon at 2:45, this happens:

All 3 of the girls are crazy about Hudson. But Ellie has a special fondness for him. They play and play and play. Tonight, I looked out my kitchen window and saw this:

Almost makes me glad we took the plunge and got a dog. Almost.

Living Room:

A close up of Hudson. You’re welcome.

Other half of the living room:

And a close up of my little snowy village on top of the piano:

Dining Room:

Christmas Mittens on the Stairs:

This corner cabinet used to be white. How boring. I painted it “Summer Marigold” because I couldn’t think of a good reason not to!

The kitchen! Please notice Lydia’s new telescope. She got if for Christmas from my dad last weekend. To say she is thrilled is an understatement. She wanted to know if she could point it at the neighbor’s house. Um, no, dear. So we moved it to the kitchen for a clear look at the sky!

And a closeup of my new favorite household item. Isn’t she beautiful?

And here is my favorite room. This little nook has become my favorite spot to work on my computer, drink my coffee, play scrabble, have conversations. I just love it. I feel like I have a coffee shop right in my house!

And just in case you think my house is perfect, let me leave you with a reality check:

That’s right. We’ve still got some work to do. Now that Conrad is on Christmas break, we have plenty of projects to tackle, and this room (the study/storage/closet/catch-all) is at the top of the list.

I don’t plan to do a tour of the other half of the house, including all the bedrooms and bathrooms. . .something about that creeps me out a little. We are enjoying our new space and it feels good to be settled in. Now I’m off to enjoy a little quiet time with my book!

Friday afternoon, about 4:30, the first truck and trailer showed up at the old house. A bunch of friends came over, then a few more trucks, and a few more trailers.

Our friends were amazing! Everyone worked so hard and by 8:30 that evening everything we own was in the new house. The next morning, the real work began. We were overwhelmed with the task before us, but we decided to celebrate our first morning in the new house with a special breakfast: pumpkin pancakes!

We’ve been working hard over the last few weeks to make this new house our home. We love being here and we feel like it’s been a good move for our family. If we could sell our other house, I would be able to relax a bit more. In the meantime, I have enjoyed decorating the new house for the holidays. Here’s a sneak peek:

More pictures coming soon!

If you are interested in reading (or re-reading) about my life-altering experiences on that trip, here are the posts:

Safe in Bangkok

Update from Cambodia

Update Number 2

Update from Thailand

Final Update

A Few Pictures

Hello Jet Lag! Nice to See You Again!

Second Slum Village

Pattaya

Scenic Photos

A Breath of Fresh Air

What Kept Me Going

My Response

Kimmie and I left on Thursday evening intending to drive as far as we could that night. We made it almost to Nashville before stopping for the night. That made the next day’s travels pretty light, and we timed the trip perfectly to be driving through Memphis at lunch time!

Memphis+ 2 Foodies+ BBQ= This dive in the ghetto:

According to Urban Spoon (Do you have that app on your phone? LOVE it!), this was the best BBQ in Memphis. We threw all common sense out the window and followed our trusty GPS to The BBQ Shop. So, so glad we did. We each ordered a meal and shared with each other. At one point, Kimmie looked at me and said, “Vic, you have bbq sauce on your chin.” That’s the sign of good food.

We got back on the road and headed another 3 hours south to the city of Greenville, Mississippi. I have never traveled that far south in the fall. I loved seeing the cotton fields in full bloom. I stopped along the road to take some pictures.

Aren’t cotton fields cool? I just loved seeing them. I had a wonderful time with family. We laughed and laughed as we recalled stories of childhood antics. We cried together over the loss of Aunt Betty. We embraced each other as we said good-bye again. All too soon, Kimmie and I were back on the road.

As we headed north, we were in contact with our brother who was on his way to Indiana. Turns out, we were within a few minutes of each other so we made plans to stop again in Memphis. How often do I get to spend time with just my siblings. . .no kids to interrupt our conversations, no distractions. What a gift! That impromptu stop was a highlight of the weekend. We walked around Beale Street and enjoyed dinner and live music at The Rum Boogie Cafe.

My brother walks so fast I end up looking at his hind end anytime we go anywhere. I took this picture of my view. Haha!

Of course, Elvis paraphernalia is everywhere. I totally want one of these:

We arrived back home on Sunday afternoon and life picked up its pace from that moment on! That week was spent packing and organizing in preparation for moving. We moved Friday night and it’s all been a little crazy! More on that in the next post!

Later Friday afternoon, I got another phone call. This time the news took me by surprise. Merlin Yoder, a man of utmost character, who loved his wife and kids, who farmed the land with passion, who rode miles upon miles on his bike just for the sheer joy of it, was badly injured in a farming accident. His injuries were extensive and the prognosis was grim. He passed away early Monday morning.

My heart broke as I got the news of his passing. I knew that his death would rock the community of Pigeon, Michigan, my home. Those of us who grew up around Merlin and his wife, Pat, began sharing memories on Facebook. Several times throughout the day, I found myself wiping away the tears as I recalled my own memories.

In this, I saw demonstrated what I love most about my hometown: We are a community. We support each other. We love each other. We belong to one another. And even for those of us who have moved onto other places around the globe, we still belong.

In the case of my aunt Betty, we are related. Our blood lines flow from the same source. My mother’s sister. I loved her sassiness. I feared her sassiness. And despite the miles between us, we belonged to each other.

As I reflect on this concept of belonging, I am struck by this: If we did not belong, we would have less grief, it’s true. But, we would also experience less joy. For it is in the belonging to others that we share our lives, both the triumphs and the sorrows.

So today, I’m thankful for my people. My clan. My homies. My tribe. My peeps. My family, whether we are connected by bloodlines or not. They are part of who I have become.

To the Yoder Family: I share in your grief. Merlin influenced my life and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to know him. If I could find a way to transcend time and geography, I would be in Pigeon on Thursday to celebrate his life with you. Instead, I will be heading south to stand by my mom as we celebrate my aunt Betty. But, no matter, we belong to one another, and for that I thank God.