One of My Most Favorite Places on Earth!

First of all, I want to say Happy Memorial Day.

I am so very grateful to all of those who have given their lives for the freedoms we enjoy each day.  And I am so grateful to their families.  It is because of their great sacrifices that I am able to enjoy special days like the one I had this past Saturday.

God bless you.

 

This  past Saturday, I went to one of my all-time, most favorite places in all the world.

My Uncle Tommy’s and Aunt Tassie’s house.

 

This is a picture of their beautiful back yard.

Aunt Tassie and Uncle Tommy have lived in this house every since I can remember.  My childhood summers were spent on these beautiful 5 acres with my cousins, Whitney and Chad.  We would play in the rows of tobacco, feed the chickens, sleep in the barn loft, and play outside till our cheeks were sunburned.  It’s the kind of “feel good in your heart” kind of memories that I wish every child could have.

My Aunt Tassie is my mom’s younger sister.  She is full of love and smiles and hugs and love and joy and goodness and love…

Can you see the resemblance to my mom?

mom

That’s why being with Aunt Tassie is one of the closest things to being with Mom.  And truthfully, it makes me miss my Mom so much.

My Uncle Tommy is full of strength and goodness and love and wisdom and stories and smiles and love and character and hugs.   I love my Uncle Tommy!

 

 

For the past 20 years, Aunt Tassie and Uncle Tommy have had  U-Pick Strawberry fields on their property.

It’s one of my favorite things to do, and this is the last year they are doing it, so I wanted to make sure to get out there and pick some strawberries!

So I loaded up the car with my four boys and my best friend’s daughter, Katy, and headed to the strawberry patch!

The kids were so excited to start hunting for strawberries.

 

Katy and Eli kind of stayed together while they hunted.

Eli was worried that Katy wasn’t finding enough strawberries, so he kept sharing his with her.  (Such a gentlemen.) Smile

 

Jonathan was my best picker.  He does it like his mama…on his knees…

We like to really get down their and find the good ones!

In the back ground, you can see the beautiful barn than I grew up playing in.

It was really hot that day, but the boys did a great job finding a lot of delicious strawberries.

 

Uncle Tommy got out into the strawberries with my boys to show them how to pick’em.

 

Jonathan loved soaking up all of Uncle Tommy’s wisdom.  And I love that all my boys got to be around another man, like their daddy, that has such a hard work ethic.  (Something that is lacking in many children these days…okay…jumping of my soap box!)

I laughed at Katy and Eli because they ate most of their strawberries as they picked them.

 

Once our baskets were full, it was time to weigh them.

 

 

 

 

 

They have a great old scale to weight them on.

 

 

Of course, Uncle Tommy didn’t make us pay. Smile

 

 

I love the way Aunt Tassie decorates her property too.  Red geraniums are my favorite!!!

 

 

Behind the barn, they have some chickens.  Eli loved checking them out!

 

 

As a child, I remember Whitney and I going out to the hen house to get eggs for our breakfast.

 

Adam enjoyed the tire swing.  I wanna get a tire swing for our property.

 

And Luke and Katy cooled off on the swing under the shade tree.

 

Down in their back yard is the same play house that I played in as a little child.  Of course, it has been updated a little, and Aunt Tassie’s grandchildren play in it nowadays.  Katy loved the playhouse!!!

Can you see why this is one of my most favorite places on earth?!  I have been blessed beyond measure with family that is beyond compare.  I love them more than words can say!

 

 

Thank you, Uncle Tommy and Aunt Tassie, for the delicious strawberries, the loads of love, and the priceless memories!

xoxo

19 Comments

  1. What a sweet post and yes, I can totally see the resemblance between her and your mom. I think that you and Cyndi look a lot alike too.

    I think you are right on target for instilling a work ethic in your kids. Both my boys have been working since they were 16 (well, they did outside yard work at age14 and were paid for it too) and worked/are working their way through college. I think they have a pretty good work ethic and they are both blessed to have jobs in this economy.

    I once did a couple of posts on how to teach your children a work ethic (in MY humble opinion, lol!) and we did it through chores, music lessons, helping the grandparents and through opportunities like what you just did! My kids loved picking blueberries and I think they ate a lot too, haha!

  2. What a wonderful way to spend a summer day! You’re so lucky to have such a wonderful family!

  3. This post reminds me of when I was a little girl and went to my grandparents house (many, many, years ago), but instead of the play house was an outhouse. There was grape vines all along the path. My grandmother was always baking something. If she had cookies that weren’t eaten she would crumb them and start her new batch with the crumbs. My parents and grandparents are gone but their memories will linger on. Love your blog. This trip for you is planting memories in your boys for years to come.

  4. This post is just full of sweet country goodness. Thanks for bringing back my own sweet childhood memories. Such a gift!

  5. Looks like you all had a great time! So happy for all of you! Sometimes I forget just how special and beautiful their place is! Love the pictures that you took! Nancy and Tommy are just the best and our family is blessed to be so close. Thanks for sharing your special day – You all are beautiful!!!!!
    Love, Aunt Pat

  6. Tracy~
    Such a special,..
    delightful in every way post!!
    that’s the way i grew up..
    was taught the work ethic..
    also a time to play..
    loved from beginning to end..
    beautifully presented!!
    i could even TASTE those sweet berries!
    thanks for sharing..
    i could just “feel”‘ the love shared by all!
    and Auntie looks remarkably like your mom!
    hugs,,
    Loui♥

  7. Amen, Amen, and Amen to everything you said on this post! Good people like your Aunt and Uncle are a rare commodity these days. Hard work ethics are all but lost. I look forward to every one of your posts, but this one “made my heart happy”! Thanks so much for sharing such a lovely family with the rest of us. God Bless all of you!

  8. What a gorgeous property!
    My favorite memories were picking fruit with my family like this, even though we pretended to hate it. ; )
    Good work ethic is right! Soooo valuable.
    And you are just the most beautiful woman Tracy!

  9. Precious Memories! Even more precious memories made while you were there visiting again with your children. Good positive thoughts to start my week out with Traci – Thank you!!!

    Marilyn C.

  10. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. I bet those fresh strawberries were amazing! I’ve always wanted to go picking but never have done it. Now this makes me want to give it a try! (Maybe when it’s not 90* outside!) What a wonderful family and memories. I spent the weekend with my extended family and had so many fun childhood memories. I wish my husband (and others) had such wonderful memories growing up!

  11. How fun! Our strawberry picking place has a cute sign that says please weigh children before and after berry picking. They aren’t serious but it makes me laugh every time!

  12. I loved this post Traci!!!! Those are truly priceless memories… I grew up on a farm too, and remember drinking milk from the cows, chomping on rhubarb right from the patch, eating cucumbers and carrots right from the ground, etc. Your post brought back many memories. Thx so much for sharing!!! And yes, I really do see the resemblance between your Auntie and dear Mom! Blessings, Traci… lots of love!

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