Thursday, July 29, 2021

Thursday Thoughts // More Pictures & a Patio

We tore down our deck way back in May (which you can read about in this post), and last week we filled the empty space in our backyard with a beautiful patio. My whole family (including Juniper) gathered at the windows to watch the workmen pour the concrete and smooth it out. They did a great job! We're all very excited to be able to play/eat/read out there again.

These flowers popped up quite unexpectedly in the dirt patch where our deck used to be/our patio is now. 

Before . . . 

. . . after 😁

We celebrated my sister, Marah's, birthday the following weekend. So thankful for her. 🥰 Of course, I insisted she and I do a photo shoot together. 😄

Timber-r-r!
(Yep, our relationship, which this pic essentially managed to capture, is pretty awesome.)


Love this one 💗


I really like both of these, even if my arm pose isn't exactly what I'd envisioned. It's a hot summer's day, but I appear to be trying to keep warm against a bitter wind or something. 😂

We're attempting to make the most of the time we have remaining before Connor leaves for college and we resume school. There was a reception for the graduates at our church, which was nice. And yesterday Mom loaded us all up in the van and took us on a field trip to the river to walk around, feed the ducks, and admire the jellyfish from a safe distance away, and then to a restaurant to pick up burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets for the drive home. 
I am so, so blessed. 💜
Ruby and me 😃

Do you have a deck or patio? What's something you enjoy doing with your sibling(s)? Comment below!

Blessings,
Ellen S.

10 comments:

  1. Awww love all those photos! 🥰
    Happy birthday to your sis 💙

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  2. So neat! Happy B-day to your sis! I love those non-posed-totally-sibling pictures that are the actual sibling relationship! My dad tore down and remade our front deck and then did the same to our back deck! One of the things i L.O.V.E to do with my 9 siblings is baseball! I also play a lot of frisbi when we have family gatherings. I love going on road trips with them and also swimming and hiking! One of my favorite things to do is watch my brothers talk about airsoft and snowmobiles �� something my youngest older brother and four of my sisters really enjoy is playing homeschool baseball every Tuesday! It's amazing!well i could ramble on for hours about what else I enjoy doing but i'd better end this thread. Thank You so m6ch for having this encouraging blog Ellen!
    -Kearra-

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    1. Hi Kearra! Welcome to my blog!!
      Wow, 9 siblings! That's awesome! I have 8 and love them all a lot. :D How many boys and girls are there in your family? In our family, the girls outnumber the boys 6 to 3. :-) How cool that you have so many activities you enjoy doing together!
      Aw, I'm glad you find my blog to be encouraging to you! I pray you'll continue to be blessed by whatever you may read on this little corner of the web. :D

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    2. So fun Kearra 😍 Have have 10 sibs - big families are so fun!!

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    3. yes they are!
      ~Kearra

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    4. @Ellen haha! we have 4 boys 6 girls XD Brenden is 24 Reuben is 22 Taylor is 21 Maria is 19 Trevor is 18 Kiersten is 16 Andrea is 14 I'm 12 (13 Oct. 31st) Bethany is 11 and Eva is 8! i have so much fun with all of them! my brother Brenden is married and has one 7 month old adorable son, Joseph!
      ~Kearra

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  3. This photo shoot is so fun!! How many years older are you then Marah?

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    1. Thanks, Autumn! Marah and I have a five-year age difference between us, although she acts so mature at times I forget it. (*ahem* Please don't tell her I said that.) 😊

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