Happy Father's Day!

My children's Father

My Grandchildren's Fathers
(and also Brian)

I know a good father when I see one...

Thanks to all the wonderful fathers that have and continue to make my life so wonderful. You are indeed a great blessing to all of us.

My love,

Merry, Mom, Mimi

Blessings, blessings and more blessings!

Wow, a lot has gone on this past week in this big wonderful family of ours! I don't know everything, but let me tell you what I do know and can remember.


An uplifting part first...Emily was a helper at Vacation Bible School and William was a participant. Each day, they brought home smiles and different names and meanings for our Lord, Jehovah Jireh. On closing day, this Friday, they both were examples of what God can do.




Andrew had to miss VBS this year because he had an opportunity (after auditioning) to grow his skills through a professional Drama camp at the Cobb Performing Arts Center. He has had an intense week, from 9 to 5 each day, rehearsing for a Sunday afternoon performance. Break-a-leg Andy!

Wednesday night, Mimi was honored at a delicious dinner given by daughter Kim (and husband, Tom), assisted by daughter-in-law, Mary. Everyone took part in every perfect detail, food, cake, gifts, cards, posters and the most generous gifts of love.

Calls and emails topped off my day of a Birthday of happiness. Thank you, all!!

The week ended with Joe traveling to Cooperstown NY for the Nationwide and Regional Youth Baseball Tournament.

His team name for the week is:
Dunwoody Devil Rays...
Webcast games are:
Monday-1:45 and 7:00
Tuesday-4:30

http://secure.d/reamsparktv.net//welcome.aspx
(If you remember, Ford had a great experience at Cooperstown last year.)

Good luck Joe Man!

Then today I got a phone call from a proud Mama telling me about a very happy young lady who took first place in her rock climbing competition in Richmond, VA! Way to go, Morgan!

Yeaaaa Grands!! I know the same thing is going on in California, too. We love following what you are doing and are glad to see you are participating in life's games, and you're doing it very well!


P.S. I understand that Isabelle has a perfect report card in elementary school and hopes to extend it for the rest of her elementary years!





And William landed his first, 1st Place Ribbon in his swim team's competition!

Congratulations to all!


Wow...and tomorrow Nana has a BIRTHDAY!

That's a lot of goodness in one week!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

This blog has been temporarily commandeered to wish its brilliant author a very happy birthday today!

Mom, you continue to inspire all us kids with your loving heart, industrious hands and creative spirit. May we celebrate your beautiful life for many years to come.

With joy, love and gratitude,

Your Kids

Work and Play in the Mountains

Untitled from Croft on Vimeo.

Recently I spent two weeks at Northcroft. Mostly I watched it rain, treated our Hemlock trees, supervised and worked on much needed repairs to the old shack on our property.

Molly, Shannon, Ford and Morgan joined Grandad and me for a lovely Memorial Day weekend that topped off a very meaningful time under the canopy of that special place.

The House in Patton Hollow

Late nights, while I have been refurbishing the Shack at Northcroft, I have been working on the following video for my sweet mother. It's main home will be on her blog but I wanted to feature it here too so I would have the historical record on Family Chatterbox. It has been a special journey for me to work with Mom in putting this video together.

My childhood memories of the Patton Farm are so vivid and important. This film helped me to understand why. The house, walking the hills, the fields of grain, the kitchen garden, processing vegetables under the shade trees in the front yard, Easter Egg hunts, Sunday dinners, the honey bees and apple trees, sitting in the window in the back bedroom, pumping the well handle, the milk barn, the working dogs, neighbors helping to fill the silos and breaking for a home cooked meal on the back porch, Christmas, Grandmother and Grandad, candy canes, family gatherings, hay rides and cooks outs we had when the Oakley's owned the farm...all treasures of my youth. Thanks be to God for the gift.

Enjoy the journey.

the House in Patton Hollow * from Croft on Vimeo.

Corrections: 1.) Herman Neal Patton owned the farm until his death in 1977.

2.) Geraldine (daughter of Herman and Lela) and Johnny Oakley owned the for 27 years until it was sold in 2004.
3.)  Robert William Patton, oldest of my father's siblings, ( frame 22, middle child, front row) died, September 2010 at the age of 93.  The girls, Geraldine and Phyllis, (from the children that lived upstairs) are still in life.
 
*I am so grateful to John Paule for letting us make and photograpy this oh so personal journey.  We have all enjoyed going back, remembering and seeing how the house we remember so well, is now being loved and cared for.  The house in Patton Hollow grows more lovely everyday and I pray it will continue it's rich history of gracious living.