Every Day is a Gift

My mind has been all over the place today...

It's been a fairly busy day, but not my usual Tuesday because I didn't have Ethan today.

His parents had a work schedule change, so I'll be getting him Thursday instead.

I did get to see him for a few moments today though :0)

I can't believe another month is coming to an end.

Why does it seem that the older I get, the faster the days and years go by?

When I was young, I couldn't wait to grow up, 

now I wouldn't mind if things slowed down a bit.

I've been thinking about our friend who went to Heaven yesterday

and about the wife he left behind. 

He lived his life to the fullest and left a great testimony behind. 

I hope I am doing the same.

I try very hard to make the most of every moment, of every day

but sometimes I get caught up in this hurried life, 

with its struggles and frustrations, and in those moments

it's easy to forget what life is really all about. 

So Lord, teach me to count the days, teach me to make the days count...

Sad Day :0(

Today has been a sad day. 

This morning I learned that a dear friend of our family, a very sweet, older gentleman 

has gone Home to be with the Lord.

Our family has known him and his wife for more than 25 years. 

He loved the Lord and served Him well. 

He was healthy and very active until these past few days. 

He was a furniture maker, among other things...

and I have several pieces of his fine craftsmanship in my home. 

I was polishing this hutch just last month

and I decided to snap this pic and send it to him and his wife in an email

telling them how much I still cherished the pieces I had bought from him.

I am so glad I sent him that email! 

I know it made him smile :0)

Don't wait to tell people how much they mean to you. 

Tell them today - there are no guarantees of tomorrow. 

I've always loved this song.

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Today was a quiet, restful day. 

My hubby had such a crazy, busy week 

and even though we are very thankful for the work

he is wore out! 

He's been fighting something all week long and got caught in the rain a few times, too,

so I was so thankful that he was able to rest today.

Resting is hard for him, but even God knew we need regular times of rest.

It's a way of recharging before a new week begins with all of its demands.

So, with that in mind, I'll keep this short 

and leave you with this...

Wishing you blessings of peace and joy

Table-Talk, and Toodaloo

My sister went home today and that makes me sad :0(

but we had a wonderful visit as we celebrated mom's birthday. 

Her hubby came to pick her up and he brought the "Gang" with him.

Let me tell you, they were very happy to see their mommy again

even Miss Molli

We spent a few hours together, ate lunch and talked about lots of things...

I love conversations around the table. 

Then it was time for them to load up and head home

but before she left, my sister had to give Ethan just a little more lovin' 

and of course, he didn't mind at all :0)

So, until we get to see each other again -

we will be thankful for cell phones, 

and emails, and Skype.

This is a picture of me with my two sisters when I was a baby.

Nettie is holding me

Thanks so much coming to visit, Sis, it was so much fun! 

I love you :0)
Too-da-loo (see you later)

Afternoon Tea

Today Mom and I took my sister to a lovely Tea House we like to go to - 

the Sweet Magnolia. 

Hannah was able to join us, along with Ethan and his mommy. 

Maybe next time Hannah's mommy and sister Sarah will be able to join us, too. 

Hannah loves going to the tea house for lunch.

She had so much fun and we had so much fun with her. 

When we got back to the house, Hannah showed Aunt Nettie her special dollhouse 

the one that I (her Grandma Dee) had bought her when she was very, very young. 

She keeps it here and plays with it almost every time she comes over. 

Aunt Nettie loved playing along and told Hannah all about the the doll house and furniture she had as a little girl. (Btw, she still has the furniture). 

It was a fun afternoon making wonderful memories

We all love that little girl. She is sweet and full of love and kindness. 

So this is what I will remember from today, and also singing in the car on our way home.

It was wonderful hearing Hannah's beautiful voice as she sang along 

and hearing my sister's laughter as she watched Ethan giggle from the songs.

This is one of his new favorite songs, btw, and mine too 
since I've been looking for my keys all day long.

Sleepy Reflections

It's been a good day, but I'm just now getting the chance to post and I'm so sleepy...

I'm really enjoying having my sister here. Today we cleaned our mom's apartment, 

then just hung out and even got to play some cards with mama.

The house is quiet now, so I've been catching up on some paperwork for our business. 

I hate getting behind on that, and now I'm caught up again.

When the day first began, I snapped two pictures:

the first is of my jasmine plant just outside our back patio door:

It took this plant a while to get rooted, but it seems to be thriving now and that makes me very happy. This plant reminds me to be patient. 

The second picture is of a garden flag  

 It makes me happy too, and always seems to make me smile :0)

May your days be filled with love and laughter.

Momma's Birthday

Today my mother is 86 years old. She certainly doesn't look it!

My sister is here visiting from out of town and today we had a fun day with mom.

We gave her a "Happy Birthday" crown and escorted her to the nail salon 

where we all got pedicures and manicures. 

Then we took her to Olive Garden for lunch. She loves the soup and salad

AND the frozen cappuccinos

We had such a lovely day!

Family is so important. Mom taught me that. 

She showed me how to be a loving wife and mother.
I am so grateful for her guidance and love.

Thank you Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful mother :0)

Lovely Day

Today was such a lovely day. For starters, it was my day with Ethan :0)

but also because my sister came to visit for a few days.

Tomorrow is our mother's 86th birthday and my sister came so we could all spend some time together. My brother-in-law and my niece, Mindy, came by too, but just for the day. 

My brother-in-law brought with him wonderful treats...like donuts 
and this delicious Chocolate Cake

We'll be enjoying this for the next few days with great joy!

Tomorrow we plan to take our mom out for lunch and some royal treatment.

I'll post more pics then. 

Night night for now :0)

Rainy Monday Afternoon

I can't believe how anxious I've been to get at this computer and start typing!

We've been out of town the past few days and thought I would have internet service

but I actually kept losing my connection. 

The one night I did try to post it took me one and one-half hours 
to do something that should have only taken 15 minutes.

I'm not a very patient person and figured I'd wait until I got back home 
to finish my story about the weekend.

So we got back home late yesterday. Unloaded our bus and cleaned it up 

(so it will be ready for our next trip).

Then I started putting things away, and sorting clothes, 
even washed a few loads last night.

I knew today (being a Monday) would be crazy busy with our business, and it was.

On top of that, I had some errands to run. That's when I got caught in the rain.

The worst rain I think I've ever driven in. I was SO glad to get back home. 

So, it's evening now...dinner is done, the kitchen is clean 
and I can finally catch up with my writing.

We did have a wonderful time! It was great seeing family 
and it was so nice to get away for a few days.

Friday, my hubby and I went driving around the downtown area of Ft. Pierce...

I LOVE quaint downtown districts! We parked and walked around for a while.

We saw some neat Art Deco Buildings

Then we found a neat restaurant right on the water where we had lunch.

We walked around a little more and found this adorable gift shop called "Sentiment"

and I found this sweet magnet that just had to go home with me.

It's by an artist named Kelly Rae Roberts and in case you can't read what's written 
on her shirt it says, "Kissed on both cheeks" that's why her cheeks are so rosy :0)

After driving around a little more, we went back to our bus 
and waited for our kids to arrive

- our younger son with his sweet wife and their little boy, Ethan.

This would be Ethan's very first camping trip with us and his Papa was VERY happy!

That night we met with our nephew Scott & his beautiful wife Paige for dinner.

They live not too far away from where we were camping.

After dinner we went back to our bus for the night. 

Night time is so cozy when you are camping.

Ethan LOVES to camp! He was a very good boy and seemed to enjoy himself.

It was wonderful waking up to him in the morning

That day, Saturday, was the day of the Special Event: 
a Baby Shower for our niece Crystal and her husband Adam

expecting their first child a little girl...Aria Rose :0)

Here is Ethan with his mommy all dressed up for the party

and here are the Mommy and Daddy to be :0)

Ethan got to see his Great-Grandma who lives in Miami

We visited with more of our family for a while and then headed back to our bus

it was time to chill out...it had been a LONG day!

Here is Ethan with his Mommy and Daddy...winding down from the day

So, our weekend had come to an end (as all fun things do, ha ha).

Next day we headed home...thankful for the fun time we had with our family.

May we always be mindful to make the most of our time with family and friends.

Sleep (never overrated, lol)

Slept well last night...like a rock, actually, but still woke up a little tired.

The morning was uneventful and by 11:30 we were on our way...

We arrived safely and set up camp.  This RV Park is really nice!

It's amazing how much fun you can have in a camper

and it doesn't matter what kind of camper. 

We camped in tents for many, many years then eventually got a pop-up.
It's just being together and away from the hustle bustle 
that makes camping so much fun.

Manny worked at getting us set up outside and I tended to things on the inside.
It is very, very hot here, so when Manny finished he jumped in the pool to cool off.
When he returned we had lunch and chilled out with Milli and a movie. 
We even got to take a lovely afternoon nap!


We are looking forward to the rest of the weekend and especially 
seeing some of our family.
Btw, the cupcakes are delicious, I think they are pretty, too.

Tired (A woman's work is never done...)

 I am SO tired tonight...LONG DAY. 

Seems like I haven't stopped OR sat down all day

I'm sure many of you can relate. 

I've been trying to get ready to go away for a few days for a happy family event -

a baby shower for our niece and her husband.

When we get an opportunity to get away we usually take our camper 
which is actually a bus. 

It use to be a Trailways Bus but was converted into a motor home back in '88. 

It's our home-away-from-home and it's one of the few things we do to relax.

It never seems to fail that anytime we do try to get away

our business calls get extra crazy, and to add to the mix 
our van broke down this morning.

Thank the Lord, the part we needed was in-stock 

and my hubby was back on the rode.

Then, to add more to the crazy mix I've been dealing with the malfunction 
of several electronic devices around here.

So in-between laundry, and packing, and cleaning, I've been answering calls all day

 and also trying to alleviate the worries of my poor Milli girl (my Jack Russell).

She is 15 years old and deaf but still very in-tune to the fact that we are 
getting ready to leave for somewhere, 
and she wants to be absolutely sure that she's going, too. 

I've also put some cupcakes into the oven

because for some reason I always insist on taking something freshly baked with us.

We'll be spending time w/family and to me that's an expression of love.

I've also had hair dye on my hair as I'm typing this

because I refuse to show the gray that has been a part of me for longer than I care to admit.

Oh believe me, I'd love to visit the salon for this cover up process

but considering the average price is like $60 and my silly head needs coloring every 4 weeks

I simply go buy the little bottle for a few dollars and do it myself.

You won't be seeing a pic of me tonight :0)

Probably won't even get to see the frosted cupcakes.
I'll let them cool and frost them in the morning. 

Night-night all.

The days come and go...

Another day has come and practically gone...

Ethan went home with his mommy a little while ago. 

He was all smiles when she arrived. 

I'm hoping he gets a good night's rest tonight

(cause that will mean mommy and daddy will, too).

Poor guy is trying to cut teeth.

I remember those days of sleep deprivation.

I remember thinking I was going to lose my mind

especially with my first born. 

By the time my second one came around

I was older and had a lot more patience. 

In fact, that child (Ethan's daddy) 

didn't like sleeping much at ALL...

no naps and up every few hours for the first year of his life

but somehow, I treasured those times up at night rocking him

I guess I knew he would probably be my last

so I treasured every moment and looking back now

I'm so glad I did :0)

Tired little boy

Errands

Today was a day of running errands - mostly shopping for food and toiletries. 

Also delivered a wedding/shower gift for someone we know...

When I went to drop it off I was able to meet the fiancée.

I greeted her by name...that is, the name from the registry

only to find out that was not her name :0(

It seems I bought items from another couple's registry.

The groom's name was the same and the event date was the same.

This could probably only happen to me, lol. 

They graciously accepted the gift and we all laughed. 

I told them the gift receipt was attached 

and they could exchange what we got them for something else. 

I imagine the other couple (whose registry we purchased items from)

are wondering where those items are :0)

Tomorrow is my day with Ethan and just thinking about that makes me happy.

His smile can make the cares of this life seem to vanish...

so for a few hours which will pass much too quickly

I will love on him and sing to him (he doesn't even mind my voice, ha ha)

and we'll have fun together. 

Catching Up

Well, I've finally been able to launch this blog! I had been writing and writing since I got the bug to actually do this and I finally got it set up and posted this weekend.

Hopefully now my posts will be more regular. 

The past week has just flown by, but that's the norm anymore 

and I'm told that only gets worse the older I get :0(

Got to spend my "Day with Ethan"  

and even got to watch our grand"dog" Rufus.

He's a sweetheart and we love when he comes to visit. 

Didn't get to spend much time with Hannah or Sarah this week, 

and that makes me real sad :0(

but I'm thankful that they are happy and well

and I will look forward to seeing them (hopefully) soon.

I'll have to keep this post short because the day is just about gone and I've still got lots to do to get ready for the new week. 

We own our own business and it keeps me hopping!

Blessings to my family and friends...

Chicken Soup

     Sorry to say I feel rather crummy today. Didn't sleep well at ALL last night. 

Glad I'm not around the grandkids because I would hate to get them sick :0(

My sweet hubby brought home some Chicken Soup for me, 

and I decided to make today a movie day. 

I just finished watching "Field of Dreams," one of my favorite movies! 

I love that movie, even though I always end up crying. 

Sure wish my dad would pay me a visit like that. 

I'd love to introduce him to his grandsons and great-grandchildren. 

He would be so proud! He would love them so much!!! 

Sure wish real life could be more like the movies sometimes...

This movie has been around for a long time so you've probably seen it, but if not check out the trailer. (Don't be fooled into thinking this movie is just about baseball either)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlTX_ckJ4nM

Pink Airplanes

Seems I've missed posting a few days...been dealing with a silly summer cold (which is unusual for me). Manny & I enjoyed our 4th of July. We, of course, would have preferred to spend it with our kids and grandkids but they had other plans, so Manny & I decided to visit the Fantasy of Flight Museum near us. We had been given tickets some time ago and figured this would be a good day to use them. It was a WONDERFUL place! We thoroughly enjoyed it! Got to meet the owner and hear his story and vision for this park. Took some great pics. We'd love to go back with the grandkids someday. 

Btw, I found two adorable planes that I would have loved to have brought home for them :0)

I'll post more pics of that day when I get a chance...

Ethan

Well, a new month has begun and today was a pleasant beginning to the week because today was my day w/Ethan. Just the thought of him puts a smile on my face. He's such a good and happy little boy. I enjoy my time with him so very much! As challenging as it was to be a stay-at-home mom back when I was raising our two boys, it was still the thing I wanted to do most in my life. I loved the times when our boys were small...I loved them as babies, and I even loved them as teenagers (believe it or not). I would always be sad when summer or holiday break time would be over and they would have to go back to school. 

Being a grandparent lets you experience those joys all over again. It's better though because this time around I'm a lot wiser and way more relaxed, after all, the responsibility as grandparents is so much different than that of parents, at least that's the case in our situation. I realize there are many grandparents today who are raising their grandchildren. That must be hard because I have also come to realize that my energy level isn't what it use to be, ha ha. Makes me real glad we started out young. I think it helps you to be able to relate to your children better and understand what they are dealing with when you are closer to their age; and it certainly is fun being young grandparents and being able to "keep up" with the grandkids.

I think grandparents help balance out a child's life. Makes me realize that maybe I missed out since both my grandfathers died when I was very young and I didn't get to spend that much time with my grandmothers...kind of sad really. I'm just thankful for all the moments we get with our grandchildren and will always try to make the most of those moments.

Ethan's 1st time w/me on the Ft Porch Swing