Favorite Memories of Christmas

A week ago today we were anticipating the arrival of Melisa and John, and today we're reflecting on how wonderful it was to be together for Christmas, oh how time flies by so fast!  We do want to share some of our favorite memories of this Christmas, they're in no particular order, so here we go:

• All the baking fun on Wednesday, my kitchen looked like a war zone, even Melisa commented.
• Packing and travelling to Carin's, it was somewhat of a challenge, and five of us, plus Rascal in the truck was a bit cramped, but only for 3-1/2 hours.
• Dylan meeting Melisa and John, he was a bit shy, pretending to be a ghost; but after a few minutes he really warmed up to Melisa.
• The anticipation of Santa's arrival, a special moment was Dylan's personal call from Santa.  Carin had the phone on speaker, it was a good thing as Dylan was so quiet and shy we had to make some noise in the background so Santa would know Dylan was still on the phone.

And then, Christmas Eve, after dinner Don and I were told to sit on the couch and we were presented with a card ... Melisa and John standing near, Carin with her video camera ... we weren't certain what to expect.  As we opened the card, and began to read, then I noticed on the inside of the card was a piece of paper and on that paper were the results of Melisa's ultrasound from Monday.  I shouted and cried out, "It's a BOY", so Don and I were honored and excited to be the first to know and announce that Baby BOY W is on his way.  Melisa and John asked the technician to circle the results on the card and seal, so our family found out together, that was a most special moment!

Christmas morning, oh the packages, and Dylan's eyes about to POP!  The opening of gifts went rather quickly, but that's okay for this year as we feel certain Dylan has never experienced anything like this, he was such fun to watch!

There are so many more memories, probably too much to write in this space so I'll conclude with the thought it was wonderful for our family to be together once again.  We were supposed to have Christmas together in 2004, but the airlines reservation computer crash that year prevented Melisa and John from travelling at the very last moment.  So, it was a blessing to have our beautiful daughters, their husbands, and now Dylan together in the celebration of fun, and the celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  A very special Christmas indeed!  Until next time ....

Since last update ....

Christmas is HERE, and I'm glad to report that:

• Cards are all addressed and mailed.
• Yes Carin, tamales have been ordered.
• Presents, with the exception of stocking stuffers, are all wrapped; and stocking stuffers won't be!

All the above is good, however, the baking frenzy starts in the morning, with apple pie, chocolate pie, coffee cake; and that's after we pick up Melisa and John at the airport tonight at 10:00p.m., we should arrive back home around midnight! However, the dust bunnies will have to wait, did vacuum but there's no time for serious dusting, bathrooms are clean (not sparkly clean, but clean), the ironing that needed to be done is also done, there will be no more of that nonsense until next week!

So, even though I was sidelined for several days with the "sinus stuff" we've made up some time and we'll be ready for Santa at Dylan's house! It's going to be so exciting for all of us, to think that a year ago this time there were NO grandchildren in the family and now we are blessed to have Dylan; and Melisa and John expecting Baby W in mid-May. Life is precious ...

Speaking of Melisa and John, guess I shall post this little update and head out to the airport! Until next time ....

Another night in the recliner ...

Well, with all the medication thought I would have slept like a lamb, but guess it all didn't "kick in" until 3:00a.m., so it was another night of sleep in the recliner! However, even though the hour is very early, I can say I am feeling 100% better than yesterday at this time ... ahh, the miracles of modern chemistry!

So, that being said, I have cards to finish, presents to wrap, tamales to order and the list goes on ... but at least I'm feeling as though it will all be accomplished ... until next time ...

Sicker than I thought ...

Well, it all started last Thursday, you know with the "pressure around the eyes", it was bearable so didn't pay much attention. By Monday, according to Melisa, I sounded like Marge Simpson; Carin thought by adding my Mother's "whine", I sounded like her ... hmm, it was slightly painful to speak, but thought this would all pass.

Today, talking with Carin, she insisted that I see the Doctor or miss our first Christmas with Dylan ... well that threw me into action! Dr. Franz walks into the exam room, greets me and says, "you sound terrible" ... opps! I can actually talk today, you should have heard me on Monday. So, twenty minutes later, which included a shot, and not in the arm, a steroid pack, cough syrup, and an order for a chest X-ray off I went to the hospital. Next stop was the pharmacy to pick up the remaining prescriptions and home for dinner.

I can hardly wait to take the cough syrup (contains codeine) since for the last two nights I've slept sitting up in my recliner, located in the living room! Ahh, sleep will be sound and good tonight! Sweet dreams everyone, until next time .....

OH, more of I'm wondering ....

Okay, here's more ....

* Why is it the Red-Winged Black Birds are eating all my birdseed when they're not even supposed to like this mix?

* Where have the Roadrunners, deer and cardinals disappeared to .... think the deer are in the State Park to avoid the "hunters".

* Why are my daughters making fun of my "Marge Simpson" voice ... hmm, Santa may put them on the naughty list!

* Wonder if it's going to snow again, the clouds this morning remind me of Iowa snow clouds!

That's enough wondering for now, until next time ....

I'm wondering ....

It's one of those mornings when everything left to do before next week is running through my mind, plus, just other random wondering thoughts .... like:

* Will I ever finish my Christmas cards?

* Will I ever finish my Mother's cards as well?

* Why do men leave dresser drawers open? Isn't it just as easy to close them?

* How do 3 adults in one household create so MANY loads of laundry? No children here!

* Why do we receive so many catalogs from the same company, only the cover is different?

* Do you suppose I should cancel my Dentist appointment for Wednesday since I think I might have "Hill Country Cedar sinus crud"?

* Will I ever start wrapping presents?

* Why do I spend time on the internet when I should be addressing cards, wrapping presents, creating "to do" lists ... you know, I had a life coach several years ago, she said the above are considered "shoulda's" and "tolerations" ... hmmm,

* Well, this is my "wondering" list for now, I'm logging off and getting started ... until next time ...

The Distance Grandparents will Travel ....

well, 270 miles round trip, in less than 24 hours! Oh yes, we hit the road about Noon on Tuesday morning and we were on a mission to see our Grandson Dylan perform in his first Elementary School Christmas Program! Of course, and this is unusual, before we got a half-mile from home, had to turn around and get Rascal's bowl ... Carin would have supplied a couple of bowls I'm certain, but it's just not the same and Rascal is our 4-legged child :) Then, as I looked at the gas gauge, yup, very close to empty, so a stop at the gas station to fill up!

Okay, we're finally on the road, and according to Gertrude Garmin it's a 3 hour and 6 minute trip ... well, have you ever travelled with your 94 year old Mother?! We did have to make at least one more stop for a small lunch, and then within 20 minutes of Carin and Rusty's we're detoured due to a major wreck on the clay-based road that gets you to their house!

We arrive safely, but at least 45 minutes later than anticipated ... now, Carin and Rusty have Shetland ponies (they weren't the problem); then there's Bo, a very energetic puppy that stands about 2 feet tall (head level) and 2 cats that really want inside because of the mist and wet ground! Okay, we're finally all in the house .... and, of course, there's Remmi. Now Remmi is known as, excuse the words, "the dog from Hell" as he's a min-pin, need I say more. With some luck, he's not feeling well and is not as eager to fight us off as he might have been since Carin and Rusty are at work, and Dylan is still at the babysitter.

Being a good Mom (had to throw that in, we sometimes don't get the credit deserved), I brought one of my favorites from Schwan's Home Delivery, including corn meal muffins and a tossed salad so dinner could be served immediately when everyone came home and then it was off to the performance of "Survival Santa". OH, Christmas cookies too for desert ... well, picky-eater Grandson Dylan didn't like anything, except the cookies. Well, we're still learning his likes and dislikes, you know this Grandparenting experience is that ... a learning experience.

Off to school in the fog and mist, Carin, Dylan and I riding in one vehicle, ooohhhing the few Christmas decorations along the way ... not everyone's in the spirit just yet! Don, Rusty and Great Grammie following ever so slowly. We're now at school in the High School gym, the bleachers are only 4 rows high and fortunately we arrive in time to sit on the lowest level so 94 year old Great Grammie doesn't have to climb the stairs to the top! Dylan is now with his class, in his Christmas pjs as all 1st graders are, we're in the gym waiting. Rusty wondering how long an elementary school program could last, he's thinking 30 minutes .... sorta remembering Carin and Melisa's programs, I look at him ... in your dreams, this will go an hour! And, it did! Of course as luck would have it, Dylan was at the other end of the gym and it wasn't convenient to get up and walk in front of everyone to take pictures! Hmmm, however, one young woman with 2 young children paraded enough for everyone! We did manage to get several long-distance shots of him, and he had a good time. Carin was a little challenged in getting him to sleep since Great Grammie slept in his bed, and Dylan slept on a cot for the night ... but all went well.

Morning arrives early in the country, 5:00am I believe is what Carin said; time to feed horses, Rusty getting ready to leave, and then Mr. Dylan getting up at 6:00am. We all held our breath, he's sometimes not a morning person ... but as luck was with us, or maybe a Guardian Angel, he woke up fairly happy, ate some breakfast and then was off to the bus stop with Carin. She came back and finished feeding horses, we cleaned up the kitchen, packed the truck (dueling again with Bo and the cats), a door that wasn't cooperating and then hit the road once again arriving back home at Noon, exactly 24 hours!

So, that's the distance Grandparents will travel ... was it worth the trip, ABSOLUTELY!! Until next time ....

Thanksgiving .... and only 21 more days!!

I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone, to say nothing of what happened to Halloween, and now ONLY 21 more days until Christmas!! I really think working full-time and having two young children I seemed to stay focused more than now .... hmmm!

So, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Fredericksburg with Eli, Sharon, their daughter Erin and husband Stephan. Friends Dan and Jackie were also there! Lots of great food and conversation, the weather was nice, it was an enjoyable day!

The real fun began on Saturday when Carin, Rusty and Dylan arrived for a visit .... I'm beginning to remember why God gives children to the young, and now have huge compassion for Grandparents who find themselves raising their children's children! As Carin told the story of their journey to Grandma and PaPa's house, Dylan couldn't get here fast enough and told Rusty to drive FASTER DADDY!!! Dylan is so full of energy and curiosity! Within twenty minutes of their arrival we were on our way to the park, we found a great playground near an elementary school in Kingsland. It was a castle set, and it was huge ... when Dylan tired of the castle, it was then on to sorting the rocks and gravel looking for anything unique, he found sea shells that were, of course, collected for future use. He soon tired of the park, so it was back to the house where the adults regrouped, regained some energy and then a visit from Eli and Sharon. After some cookies it was time for a walk which lasted close to an hour, I stayed at the house with Great Grandma Holmes ... good thing as Dan and Jackie stopped by for a visit and to meet Dylan as well.

About 5:00pm it was time to head out to Tamale King for Mexican food, driving through Inks State Park we looked for deer and other creatures, not too many ... the golfers were still on the course so the deer were waiting for their chance on the greens. After dinner it was back to the house with a side trip to the grocery store ... suddenly Dylan decided he wanted marshmallows, roasted! Luckily PaPa had built a fire pit during the summer, so it was time to fire up the pit, look for something long enough to roast marshmallows and the fun began. Poor Carin, mostly smoke in her eyes, but she did a great job and I believe we all enjoyed some fun around the fire!

Sunday morning I offered to make pancakes with holes, better known as waffles, Dylan has some unique descriptions of foods; the offer was turned down by Dylan, so we adults enjoyed. Carin was looking for yard decorations, so after I made a quick trip in to church to help with altar guild, we took off seeking decorations. Success at Lowe's, in the meantime there was another trip back to the "castle park", a short bike ride, and then the Ponder family had to pack up and head back to tend the horses.

We were so excited to have them visit, and Dylan was very well behaved for his first sleep over at Grandma's and PaPa's house. We are so blessed to now have grandchildren, what joy Dylan is bringing (he's adjusting well, and his adoption will be finalized in February 2010), and Baby W will be here before we can blink an eye ... we are truly blessed! Until next time ....

WOO HOO!!

It's a "red letter day", my first social security check arrived in the bank account today! Never thought I'd be excited about being the "age" to collect ... but life is good and there is much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving ... family, friends and health! Must run ... time to bake the apple pie and make the salad for tomorrow's celebration! Until next time ....

34 Days and Counting Down

OMG! Do you realize Christmas is only 34 days away? It's going to be so magical and fun this year with Dylan, and then Melisa and John will be in Texas. This is the first year, in four that we haven't been in Michigan with them. And with Melisa expecting their first baby in May, how much fun is this going to be!!

So, I've ordered Christmas cards, done some online shopping, we've finally exchanged gift lists, time to start thinking about the tree and decorations. OH, we have to find ALL of the decorations since we really haven't done much in the past years! Better get busy, until next time ....

An Exciting Day!

It's an exciting day, our niece Megan, Carin's twin (they were born on the same day ... Carin in Houston, Megan in Lubbock) gave birth early this morning to Nate, weighing in at 6 lbs. 10 oz., 19-1/2" long! He's a beautiful baby, Meg and DJ are proud and happy parents!

Dinner With My Cuz's

Tee hee!! We had a great time since we hadn't seen one another for 3 years, oh we've emailed and talked some, but it's not the same as sitting face to face over dinner at Applebee's in Georgetown.

Now mind you, Peggy and Linda just wanted to get away from League City (suburb of Houston for those of you not familiar with Texas), so they started out yesterday mid-day ... well, when Linda's husband Tom called to see how their journey was progressing they were headed up I45North, nearing The Woodlands ... umm, talking so much they missed their exit and went a bit out of their way to Austin. The good news is they arrived safely in Austin! Their original plan was to check out Fredericksburg; well with a later than anticipated arrival, they scratched that idea ... Peggy teaches high school Spanish and brought along papers to grade ... so she graded and Linda relaxed.

We finally touched base Saturday evening about Sunday plans, well, the story is too long but decided instead of them trying to find their way on country roads (remember the missed exit earlier) to our house we'd meet in Georgetown for dinner; which we did! It was fun catching up on surgeries (see what happens when you hit your mid-60s), adult children (some divorces, some adoption, some pregnant), and just stuff in general. Anyway, we had a great time, and we're hoping they'll come visit next summer, so, until next time ....

Friends and FUN!

We had company for a few days this week, our good friends Helen and Douglas came up from Houston for a short visit; we hadn't seen them since April, so it was great to spend time with them. They arrived Thursday afternoon, we spent time catching up, King Ranch casserole for dinner, and planning of Friday's activities.

Douglas wanted to check out Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, so we called Eli and Sharon and asked them to join our adventure ... both couples made the trip to Michigan in '06 for Melisa and John's wedding. We spent some time at the Wildseed and then went on to visit the Hill Country Sculpture Ranch located 7 miles west of Johnson City. WOW, if you're ever in the area, check it out ... Texas Highway's December issue featured the ranch ... "an Italian artist tames a rugged landscape to create a gallery of art and nature", you can also check out their website at www.sculptureranch.com. After driving through only a part of the ranch (had to pick my mother up by 3:00pm) it was on to the Silver K Cafe in Johnson City for lunch. A fun time was had by all; then, of course, arrive home only to go out for Mexican food at our favorite Tamale King. Hmmm, too much food this weekend. But, we had a great time, and it's always fun to find new things to occupy our Hill Country time!

Now, today, Peggy and Linda, my cousins from League City, are in Austin for a get-away-weekend. We'll be joining them for an early dinner in Georgetown ... lots of meals out, it's back to Curves 5 days this coming week.

Hard to believe but the Holidays are here! We'll be with Eli, Sharon and family for Thanksgiving Day this year, and then Christmas will be with our new grandson Dylan, Carin and Rusty; expecting in May Melisa and John. How much fun it's going to be with a 7 year old on Christmas morning!

And, some exciting news, our niece Megan and husband DJ will deliver their baby boy on Monday!! Woo Hoo ... know Megan must be excited, and filled with some anticipation, to deliver Nate, he's going to be a big boy!

Must close for today, online Christmas shopping is calling, so until next time ...

Glen Rose and Where'd This Week Go??

I had every intention of "blogging" on Monday, am not sure what has happened to this week ... BUT ... we had a fun time in GR with Carin, Rusty and Dylan. Glen Rose is a beautiful area with lots of rolling hills, and the weather was postcard perfect, incredible blue skies, very cool in the overnight (a light frost one morning), and mid-to-low 70's during the day! Perfect!

Carin and Shetlands (13 of them I believe) did quite well, and Dylan WON his first BLUE RIBBON, how exciting is that?! WAY TO GO DYLAN!!! Since it was Halloween weekend, late Saturday afternoon there was a "class" for horses and trainers in their costumes, OMG, so much fun, the Wizard of Oz costumes, a fairy princess, a bullfighter, so much creativity and it was amazing the horses tolerated, as long as they did, their costumes. That "class" was followed by a doggy costume event, so much fun! And then the kids went trick or treating through the barn area, they had a great time! I think my favorite class, and fortunately we arrived just in time to see Carin and her horse, was the "liberty class". It's set to music, and basically the horses "dance" as only they can ... gallop might be a better word. Her horse was absolutely beautiful! So next year we know what to look for, and when not to miss a class.

This week has been a whirlwind, and I'm not certain how we got to Friday so quickly. I guess the most "fun news" is Don and I attended our Volunteer Fire Departments monthly meeting, we actually had two this month, we were present at both. Well, the Board Member of the Auxiliary resigned and one of our neighbors nominated ME as the new Auxiliary Chairman ... yikes ... I've wanted to get involved in our community, however, after I was elected they then explained some of the duties of the Auxiliary Board Member .... hmmm, it's going to be interesting. The fundraising will be a good experience, and our Fire Department is definitely in need of funds for new equipment; however, part of my responsibility is ... during large fires, if the firefighters need water, or food, the Chief will give me a call to bring the supplies ... I was assured it doesn't happen very often ... let's just hope Don is near in the event it does! Stop laughing, I can hear all of you :) OH, and not only that, beginning in January I'm President of our women's group at church, hmmm!

Well, our sweet Dylan has had a challenging week, Carin and Rusty are learning quickly and love him so much ... Dylan's going to be an awesome young man ... until next time ...

What's Happening, and I Wonder Why ....

Okay, it's beginning to really bug me, why can't I post on blogs; sometimes I can, other times, no matter how I sign in or when I sign in to post, my comment won't post! Anyway, on with the morning ...

I worked last week for my friends at Travel Ezee, three of the four travel agents were on the Heart of Texas Cruise through the Bahamas, they had a wonderful time. Me, however, well do you realize that if you haven't worked a 30 or 40 hour week in many years the toll it takes on your body! Of course since I'm only a "temp" there are many things I can't do, except greet clients to the office and answer the telephone, it was fun ... but how did I keep up with a house, kids and everything else in life when working full-time for Shell all those 30-plus years ... I was exhausted by the end of my Travel Ezee week! Glad to be back in my regular routine once again and preparing for this coming weekend!

Last Saturday we ventured over to Fredericksburg for dinner with friends Eli and Sharon. "The girls" decided to run by Wildseed Farms .... not too many plants blooming since we're getting into our fall season, but what a fabulous place to visit, with a great gift shop; the Cinnamon Honey Butter is awesome!

We've had lots of rain in the Hill Country, YES! Eight and a-half inches last Thursday, and another inch and a-half yesterday, what a welcome relief. However with the cooler temperatures and rain my beautiful hummingbirds have already started south. We haven't seen one at our feeders for almost two weeks; so I'll keep one feeder out for another week for any of the stragglers about to begin their trip across the Gulf and patiently wait for their return next March. Who would have ever thought I'd be interested in plants and birds, it's interesting how you change over the years!

Rascal, our almost 11 year old Brussels Griffon gave us a scare last week. Sick with pancreatitis, she's fully recovered but was a sick little girl for a couple of days! She's such a part of our lives, just like another child.

And, this weekend we'll be with Carin, Rusty and Dylan at a Shetland pony horseshow! We are looking forward to spending time with Dylan, getting to know him better and watch him in his second competition! Of course, there may be some "spoiling of the grandchild"; so much fun, spoil him rotten .... believe he deserves it after his journey into the lives of Carin and Rusty.

Must run for now, the second cup of coffee is calling; until next time ...

Do we miss Houston?!

NOT! We often get asked that question; however, this weekend has been absolutely beautiful, well probably in Houston as well ... but, it's cooler in the Hill Country with much less humidity, and the sky is crystal clear blue, a very deep blue! No pollution here.

What else do we love about this area: the rolling hills, there is nothing as much fun as driving Park Road 4, wish we had a sports car, the scenery is incredible and it's like riding on a roller coaster! The wildlife ... we had a young buck sneaking through our backyard Saturday morning, about 7:45am; I've seen him before in the dark morning hours, but he was late yesterday. The cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, and my favorite, hummingbirds are abundant.

I think my hummers may be gone with the cooler morning temperatures, we normally have 3 nectar feeders out, with as many as 8 ~ 10 hummers, and two weeks ago noticed the frontporch feeder was not being visited, took that one down and left the two on the backporch; haven't seen any hummers today, so I'll change their nectar and watch. The books say to keep feeders up two weeks past your last sighting, so we'll see if they've fueled up and are headed across the Gulf, as many travel, until March.

Hmm, whomever thought I'd find an interest in birds, and now yardwork. My Fall native blooming plants are beautiful, now that we've had some rain and the temps are cooler. I'm already designing what will be planted in the Spring for the Fall foilage and flowers.

Do we miss Houston, well, we miss friends and some other conveniences, but for the most part ... no! Until next time ....

It's Hot, Humid and That Was FUN!

Ahh yes, the heat and humidity is back; it almost feels like we're living in Houston! But, according to our favorite weatherman on KXAN, he says by late Thursday a new cold front will approach the area, dropping the daytime temps into the 70's ... YES!!

Our friends Eli and Sharon called around 11:00a.m. and wanted to know if we were free for lunch; so after about a minute of consideration we agreed to meet them at River City Grille in Marble Falls! We had a good time, sitting near the windows overlooking Lake Marble Falls and talking up a storm ... AND, the event was totally spontaneous :) For those of you who know me, I'm a Type A personality and PLANNER! We had a great time, and how awesome it is to have the freedom and flexibility during the middle of the week to meet for lunch!

Here's hoping for cooler weather, and appreciating great friends!

Hilltop Cafe! and Carin's Horse Show

A couple of weeks ago we spent a fun evening with dear friends Eli and Sharon at the Hilltop Cafe. It's been written up in several magazines across the country and is located about 30 miles west of Fredericksburg ... the food was fabulous and the atmosphere is quaint. If you plan to dine on the weekends you'll definitely require reservations, however, we went mid-week with no problems! So if you're ever in the area and looking for a great restaurant, check it out and come hungry!!

Carin, Rusty and Dylan are at a horse show this weekend. We're waiting to hear Dylan's results ... he was scheduled to show his Shetland pony, Crystal, in at least one class! Well before I could "post" Carin called, Dylan came in third in the "lead class", which is great for a 6 year old never having been in a show prior. He would have scored higher, however, his feet didn't fit firmly in the stirrups and the judges took off points; other than that, Carin said he smiled, and was able to handle Crystal when she was 'spooked' in the arena. GREAT JOB DYLAN!!!

Melisa and John had a quiet weekend, with much studying for Melisa. She'll graduate in December and is most anxious so she can turn her attention to Baby W who will arrive in mid-May.

Our "dinner for 8" was fun last evening, however, thinking we'd be able to sit outside ... not the case, it was too cool and no sun! More rain today, and we won't complain, our little creeks and low water crossings are starting to flow once again, even though very slowly. Until next time ....

It's Finally COOL!

YES! It finally feels like Fall!! It's a mild 53 degrees on our deck this morning, absolutely LOVE it, reminds me of Iowa! And tonight, for our dinner group from church, we'll actually be able to sit outside! Gotta get busy and finish cleaning house ... haven't done that in a while!

Seven Senses, do you remember what they are?

Well, I didn't remember them all so I 'googled' and they are sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intuition and equilibrium ... I didn't remember the last two. Why do I wonder, well many of you know my almost 94 year old mother has been living with us for almost 7 years, that's a whole other story! Anyway, she is nearly blind, and probably only has 20% of her hearing ... until today.

Today, she was fit with her first pair of hearing aids. It was not until that point I realized how totally precious hearing and sight are ... for the last 7 years I have talked way too loud, having had to repeat myself time and time again. It totally took the joy of talking to her away from me as there is no joy in repeating, and imagine when I took her shopping for greeting cards to have to read at the top of my voice so she could hear the verse (remember, she has lost most of her vision as well). I always felt bad in stores since others would look at me like, "why are you screaming at the poor, sweet woman".

Hopefully from this point on, for whatever time she has left on this earth, she'll have a better quality of life. We can't change her vision, but now she'll at least hear ... probably too well :)

So bear with me now as I must learn to lower my voice so she doesn't feel as though I'm screaming at her. God has given us some incredible gifts for living, appreciate them daily ...

THANK YOU!

Put your hands together in THANKS for niece Lori helping her Aunt CiCi with her blog wallpaper! You're appreciated!

It's Monday

and our grandson is sick, Carin takes him to the doctor in the morning; seven of his classmates are also ill today, we're hoping it's not swine flu. I remember the girls growing up and being sick, it's not much fun ... for anyone!

Well, the calendar says it's Fall, but it's warm and humid today, no rain yet. Both Don and I are eager for cooler temperatures, the Hill Country has had enough heat for the year. Being a midwestern girl I miss this season most of all, the cool crisp temperatures, trees turning their vibrant colors ... it's beautiful in Iowa this time of the year.

We are also eager for the Holidays, our first with a grandchild, and we'll all be celebrating at Carin and Rusty's. What a treat that will be to have our small family together for Christmas, it's going to be so special! We're praying for cooler weather, a Christmas tree that sparkles and we can hardly wait to see Dylan's big eyes on Christmas morning. It brings back very special memories of Carin and Melisa sitting atop the stairs waiting for Santa to finish arranging all their gifts before he leaves ... yes, we were usually finished with all of our presents well before daybreak and then we'd have to wait to call cousins Lori, Jenni and Megan until well after 9:00am.

Well, more later, waiting to hear how Dylan is feeling!

We're GRANDPARENTS

Well, here I am almost 6 months later, really haven't gotten into this "blog thing", but will see if I can now!

AWESOME news, I'm a Grammie now!! Dylan, 6 years old, joined Carin and Rusty on August 17th ... they're all adjusting and we are really excited to have him in our family. MORE AWESOME news, Melisa and John are expecting, so mid-May we'll have another precious grandchild. Our family is growing and we are so blessed and happy to have grandkids!!!

Gotta run for now, more before another six months passes!

Happy New Year!

Well, better late than never I say! I'm not certain where the time goes!

I'm so impressed with Carin, Melisa and Lori's blogs, love reading them and maybe one day I'll get more progressive and consistent with this "blog", until then, well just be patient!

Let's see, I'm working today and Sunday, so have some time on the internet ... we've got some exciting happenings in our family with Carin and Rusty beginning the adoption process of their special needs child. How much fun it's going to be when the process is complete and everyone is settled in to their new routines and activities. Don and I will be celebrating 40 years in June, really where has the time gone! Carin and Melisa with Rusty and John will host a celebration event for us in late June, we're looking forward to our family and extended family all being together.

Now Don and I have to really get busy with yard work, if this weather ever settles down (warm for a few days and then cold once again), and inside the house as well. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone!

Since I'm at work, it's very slow today, I should probably close for now. Stay tuned, maybe I'll post something else and even sooner than 3 months.