Friday, July 26, 2013

Five For Friday

I am taking this idea from several other blogs where you post about five things that you are particularly enjoying, so here goes.
I am loving this latest book by Dan Brown!  I have read all of his books and I really enjoy them.  I love that the mystery or adventure is combined with historical references, art and far away places.  Often when he references something I find myself looking up that piece of art or church or whatever.  I am just savoring this book.  Can't wait to finish it but I don't want it to end!



Oh. My.  Goodness!!  Have you tried these frozen fruit bars?  If not I highly recommend it, they are delicious!  They taste like freshly blended fruit and milk-just what the package says.  I love the banana and coconut flavors.  They also have Peach and Strawberry I think, but I haven't tried those flavors yet.  Such a nice treat on a hot summer night.



Best Flip Flops-EVER!!!
These are Fit Flops and they are oh sooooo comfortable!  They come in lots of different colors and styles and they even make shoes.  They are designed to be comfortable and they'r made with something called a multi-density Microwobbleboard midsole, whatever that is, and they feel so good!  I would get a pair in every color and style (that I liked), but they are a little pricey.  This style runs about $65.00 , but they are on sale at a lot of different places right now.  I've had mine for two years and the honeymoon is not over yet.
Fresh, ripe summer vegetables-can't get enough of them right now. 

This little guy!
Buddy.
He sure is a rascal.  He gets into everything (including our backyard water garden!), chews on anything he can, including my feet, uses the kitchen floor as a bathroom on occasion, and has to have all of his toys littering up the entire family room and kitchen!  But, he is so sweet and lovable, and that puppy smell-all I can say is he had me at that first wag of his little tail! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

It's a Girl! And a Boy!

I was reminded yesterday that it has been a long time since I have posted-June 25th to be exact.  There is no excuse other than to say that life has been getting in the way.  I have the best of intentions and really mean to update the blog, but then something happens that will distract me and once I get distracted, well let's just say sometimes it takes a long time to get back on track, though it helps a lot if someone reminds me!  My mind is just swimming with all kinds of different thoughts, concerns, worries and prayers and to be honest, I sometimes think that I can't handle it all.  Somehow though, it all gets done or taken care of and the bottom line for me is to remind myself of life's abundant blessings and to be grateful for how much has been bestowed on me.  I am grateful, truly.

So, when last we left off I announced the news that my darling daughter and son in law were expecting and making me a Grandma for the second time.  What's new on that front?  A LOT actually!  Michelle has been having a difficult pregnancy, although she might beg to differ-it has been taking its' toll on her.  I had mentioned earlier that she has been quite ill and that her doctor had recommended a cerclage.  Fast forward several weeks and the cerclage did in fact take place and went relatively smoothly.  But because of all of her 'morning' sickness she was in the hospital for much of the day instead of the few hours that they had predicted.  She needed to be able to hold down food and go to the bathroom before being discharged and true to form as soon as she began to take in food or drink, she began to send it back out again.  Eventually she was discharged and went home to take it easy as directed.  After beginning her second trimester, her stomach seems to have settled a bit and as long as she eats every 2 hours she is holding down food, but if she diverts from that schedule at all-her body revolts against her and the morning sickness begins again. 
Because of her multiple doctors' appointments though, we have gotten to see quite a few pictures of this little one and we have learned that it is a she!  We are all very excited about the prospect of another Granddaughter, but perhaps none more than Isabella.  Though she had said on numerous occasions that she was hoping for a brother, when her parents told her that she would be having a sister-she screamed with joy!  She has not come down off cloud 9 yet and has even re-named one of her dolls Carissa, the  name that Michelle and Shawn have choosen for their new daughter. 
Since we now know the sex of the baby, it is much easier to make plans and we have been doing just that!  It is such an exciting time for Michelle and Shawn and really, for all of us! 
 Our Fourth was pretty uneventful.  It was HOT!!!!  Too hot to be outside, especially with a pregnant woman who has been ordered by her doctor to stay out of the heat.  So, we stayed home.   Michelle, Shawn, Bella and Holly, our friend, came over and we had a little indoor, air-conditioned picnic.  Tim and Esther were hoping to join us, but Tim's restaurant decided to open and they were slammed!  We were all disappointed, but understand.  Bella couldn't wait until dark so that we could do the fireworks that Grandaddy and Shawn had picked up earlier in the day.

This was Bella doing the 'Sprinkler' with a sparkler!
 

I've been super busy at work and come home and collapse on the couch if Bella doesn't convince me to take her to the pool first!  Because I've been so tired, the crafting has been  pushed to the side for a while.  Sad, but sometimes I just run out of gas.
So, on to the other announcement.  Last Thursday before going to bed, our dog Chester began to have difficulty walking.  During the night he got up and then collapsed.  He didn't move for hours and as I was getting ready to go to work to get my laptop and work from home, he came over to me and as I scratched his ear he nuzzled my neck and kissed my face before dropping to the floor again.  A short while later, our dear friend and companion was gone.  My family was just devastated!  Bella asked when we were going to get a puppy and we had thought that maybe in the fall when Jim was home more.  As fate would have it, on Sunday Jim read of an 11 week old lab who needed a home.  He called the number and spoke to an elderly gentleman who had realized that a puppy was just too much for  him to handle.  We went to see the pup and, well, a short time later Buddy came home with us.  He is a sweet, adorable, feisty little guy and I am in love!
He doesn't replace my Chester, no dog ever could, but he sure makes it hurt a bit less.


Buddy had never been inside a  house before, but he sure warmed up to it fast!  He has discovered the refrigerator and loves the smells he finds there.  He has also learned to climb the stairs pretty easily, but it took a few days to master going down.  When I get up in the morning I bring him downstairs (he sleeps in his crate in our room) and the first few mornings he backed up when he saw the stairs.  I coaxed him on and he tentatively went down slowly, step by step.  Then yesterday he cracked me up when we got to the steps and he went down two steps, looked back at me and then lifted his  paws up and slid down the remaining steps on his tummy!  Funny  boy!
So, that's the news for now.  I am really hoping for a quiet, stay home weekend where I can clean the house and maybe even get to a craft or two.