The grandkids are back home again.

I dropped them off at the airport at 9:30 yesterday morning and they arrived there around midnight, our time. It was really hard to say goodbye, and Zoe and I could hardly be pulled apart. I actually drove us home myself, which is amazing considering the emotional state that I was in. As soon as we got out of the jeep at our house, hubby started to pick up their yard toys and put them away, and I pleaded, "Please don't erase every sign that they were ever here the minute we get back !" I've calmed down now, but I miss them so ! This place is awfully quiet, although we did have a wonderful visit from hubby's sister and nephew and niece-in-law. I talked to Zoe on the phone this morning and she was all excited that Daddy had taken them to no less than 3 parks today, and they only got home from the airport at noon ! Kelley says they just couldn't stop hugging Daddy !

Zoe's excited because, on the day before her mommy came to get her, she taught herself to ride a bicycle without training wheels. Within a 24 hour period, she went from "I am such a loser, I can't do this", to "Wow, I'm going so fast, I should be in a race !" Here's a short clip of when she first began teaching herself........the longer video wouldn't load. I got lots of video, but no still pictures, which is a shame, because I hope to put together a scrapbook of their summer fun. I'd love for them to be able to look at it together over the years and remember that first summer away at Nana and PawPaw's. By the way, T.J. renamed us.........Nan and Pops ! Isn't that cute?

And I just discovered the coolest gift that God gave me................before the kids came, when I went places around town, I felt like such a stranger, a fish out of water, sortof. Now I discovered that when I go grocery shopping or whatever, if it's somewhere that they went with me (and most of the places I go to, I've taken them, too), I suddenly picture what they were doing with me and I feel so much more at home and less alone. I hope that makes sense, because it's such a comforting thing to me............they've permeated my new life here, just like they had my old life. That's what was missing, and my sweet LORD knew that. Praise GOD for such gifts as these !

A bittersweet week.....

........they've worn me out, they've tried my patience, and they've filled my heart with joy. The kids leave next Monday and we're trying to enjoy our last week together, despite the heat, the chiggers, and the colds.
This week we've managed to get to the ballpark to play at the playground 3 nights in a row, finding that lots of kids show up around 6 p.m., to accompany their siblings that are practicing for peewee football or some such game. The kids are having a ball climbing and flipping and sliding, and I'm storing up laughter and fun memories for the coming days ahead.
Hubby has bronchitis in one side of his lungs and had to have i.v. antibiotics, but is feeling some better now. Bless his heart, he only weighs 126 lbs. now, so things lay him low really easily and we seem to keep colds in the house now that the kids are here. I wiped snotty noses all day yesterday, and woke up with mine the same way today !
I had a nice little visit from my Oklahoma pastor and wife on Friday which really made me homesick for my little Church. They looked and sounded so good, though.......it was a real joy to have them here even for a short time.
I'm looking down now and see that T.J. has fallen asleep on the airconditioner vent at my feet while waiting for Nana to get done with this post, so I'll cut it short.
I hope to be able to catch up with you all really soon, and see what kind of summer you had ! I'll leave you all with one photo..............these are the kinds of little surprises I'll miss when the kids go back to Germany...........now why didn't I think of putting the little giraffe on top of the big giraffe's head when I decorated that bathroom?

Love to you all, for now..........................

Oh, boy ! Package day !

Remember that thrill.........when you go to the mailbox and get a package so big that the mailman had to SHOVE it in there ! That's a good feeling when you're expecting one, but EVEN BETTER when you WEREN'T !

Big THANKS to Auntie Jodie...........known around here in blogland as ANONYMOUS !

Zoe says, "keep an eye on your mailbox, too, Aunt Jodie !"

A month late............

........hey, that's not so bad, this summer ! The challenge was to make a baby quilt from the package of fabric Wanda sent me. I received it on May 20th, and was supposed to be finished in 30 days. Well that was up on June 20th and the kids arrived on June 21st. I had dedicated a little time to preparing for them, so I'm late. But I'M DONE !

I managed to squeeze in a few minutes at the sewing machine, to sew on the bindings, so I could sit and stitch while the kids played.

In fact today was pretty productive over all..........I got clothes bought at the second-hand store, for the kids, and got them washed and on the line. Then the jeep got its bath, leading to the kids playing in the wading pool. Supper's over, the binding's done, and pictures are made with the new memory card in the camera. Not a bad day at all. The place is a wreck, but I decided today that that's not that important. God willing, it'll be clean for a long time after the kids are gone back home !

Carnival Day

Today the kids, papa, and I went to garage sales and found a scooter for Zoe to be able to join the 'bicycle parade' that happens around here some evenings. She was without 'wheels' except for a wagon, and we have had no luck finding her an inexpensive bicycle......this works out well.

When we got home, we realized that today was the day of the carnival at the nursing home. They had atleast 4 of the huge inflatables, along with easy kiddy games, and lots to eat......hot dogs, icecream, chips, popcorn.....and icees ! No charge for anything, and a live band, to boot ! It was around 80 degrees, making it the perfect day for outdoor fun. My camera decided to go on hiatus, claiming "unrecognizable format" on every photo, so I got NO shots............and I had some really great ones of the kids on the inflatables ! So sad !

If anyone knows what I need to do to correct this problem, feel free to make suggestions. I've brought up the part on the menu that tells you to reformat, but it didn't correct anything. I may be without a camera for quite a while if this keeps up. The truck threw a little temper tantrum, too, so maybe I just wasn't in the right Christian frame of mind today. I was a little impatient, and mouthy, to say the least ! You who know me personally know what I can be like. I don't mean to be, but I'm kindof over-extended some days lately, if you know what I mean. I'm not too proud to ask for an extra prayer or two ! Thanks, because I know you'll do it for me !

Cooler days?

We had a little rain, and now I think we're in line for a few cooler days........like high 70's, maybe ! I actually felt a little cool earlier, like "go in the house and grab a sweater", cool !

That's awesome. The kids are playing outside, and the temperature is a blessing, since I have to sit out there sometimes and watch that the neighborhood dogs don't knock them down.

I wish I had another project ready to quilt on, something small enough to fit on my lap and not drape onto the ant-covered ground. I knew things would work out this way, but just didn't get anything else prepared. Having the TWO kids means that I can't do long sewing projects.........I squeezed in a quick Cabbage-Patch doll shirt on the sewing machine yesterday, but T.J. is into something while I keep Zoe entertained, so I can't stay at the machine for very long. The socks that I have on the needles are not capturing my attention (which means that they're boring men's socks and I'd rather do a fun women's design ), so knitting is not happening either. I do have some great Bible Study that my pastor from Oklahoma sent me, so not all of my sitting-down time is wasted.

Both kids have been bitten repeatedly by our little dog and the one next door.......they just will not stay out of the dog's faces, no matter how much the bite hurts at the time. They always forget and go back to it again.

And a good time was had by all !

These photos were taken in March of this year and don't do justice to how pretty it is down there with all the green of the trees, and the flowers and the garden.

I didn't take a camera or a movie camera, yesterday, but a family member took a couple of photos at the end of the day. I usually find myself not enjoying myself if I'm lugging the cameras, so I just let it go. Memory will have to serve us, as there was activity all day long, ending with ice cream after some of the family went into the river. I was threatened with a dunk all day long, but escaped that diversion. Zoe and T.J. braved the river, and a steep ladder to reach it..........I was so proud of the brothers for showing them such a good time. Each week, another brother goes from being "that man", to Uncle ____ , a favorite !

Reunion today.......

......if it's not rained out.

Actually, it's not a formal reunion, but hopefully, the four brothers that I'm in contact with, and some of their grown kids and their little grandkids will be joining me at the river, at my brother's camp. He has a neat little cabin on stilts, and stays down there during the summer, with his wife, who works at a school cafeteria and has the summers off. He drives into work from there, working 11 hour days at construction in the heat. They've made a beautiful place there, and he likes to cook in a big open kettle for everybody. I'm taking the watermelon, at Zoe's suggestion, and some deviled eggs.
There's a grey, cloudy sky this morning, though, and thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon. When it rains a bit, their road floods, and I don't want to try to drive my jeep out of 4 feet of water, like they had to recently. So, we'll just cook the eggs, and see what develops. In the meantime, the kids got hula hoops yesterday, and wiggling them around their hips is the LAST thing they're doing. We're chasing hoops rolling down the road, and jumping hoops and throwing them around a target ! Lots of fun here.





By the way, my flowers have finally made a grand show............and we picked and ate one red tomato !

Who's in disguise now?

Zoe found my hairpieces that I used to attach to a ponytail, years ago, and wanted to wear one to Church. I managed to talk her out of it, but not before getting a shot of her and one of T.J. with his bad "rug".

Oh, and I'm sorry if one of you out there reading this has a thing about looking at feet, but she LOVES to play in Nana's jewelry, and apparantly she has bells on her fingers because there were definitely rings on her toes..........I tried to persuade her that I had a bag of SPECIAL bag of jewelry set aside just for her, but the kid knows her stuff.