Ivy Ward Dow

By Amanda Thorn

Ivy Ward Dow is rad. I love that because of this 'assignment' I was able to call her up and chat a bit. I believe that one thing we all know about Ivy is that she L-O-V-E-S the outdoors. (How could she not with Uncle Rick as her Dad ??) She still has that love and enjoys the seasons during the year that she and her boys can be outside. The Dows are currently residing in Maine and building their own house. I would give you an update on how that is going, but by the time this post is up I am sure that they will have much more done! Ivy has really developed a love and passion for gardening (I think it's because she gets to play in dirt ;)) and this year is even doing a 'kids garden'. It sounds like so much for all involved and I am excited to get updates from her on how it goes. Now when I say she has a garden, what I mean is that she has a mini-farm with every vegetable imaginable. Just ask her. I bet she would even leave out a variety or two just to shorten the list to less than 5 min. Seriously. It's amazing. She also has taken up reading a fun book now and then as well. Once again the 'outdoor' theme continues as the books she reads generally have to do with adventures. Oh, and she is fabulous at making pies. Just ask Uncle Eric. Or anyone who has tasted them.

And how can you not talk about a Mom without talking about her kids? She has Abram, just turned 5, and her twins Zach and Logan who will be 4 this summer. And man they are just like her! Lots of energy and love to be outside. They live on a large piece of land so she is able to send the boys out often to play and explore. She also likes to have them help build their house, they will have a fantastic work ethic. And of course, she is going to have a new little one! Yay! And it's a GIRL! When I asked her if she was 'ready' she laughed and said that she was 'excited' but would be 'ready' when the little one actually came. No sooner. Amen.

I have so many memories of Ivy growing up, especially in my teenage years, and I appreciate the person that she has become and how strong of a woman she is and how she has a good attitude. I hope she knows how much she is appreciated within our family.