AnnaMaria

Cabin

2011-07-11T15:31:00.000-06:00

Loft.

Window facing road; kitchen to left.

Main floor bathroom.

View from loft.

Main floor facing lake.

Basement nook.

Basement bath.

Pointless door to be removed. Possible bunk area, back of basement.

Bedroom closet door. Door at right is open looking into basement living space.

Basement nook, lake view.

Basement living area, lake view.

Main floor living space.

Lake side.

Road side.

Our girls are growing up.

2010-08-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

Lily, Claire and Breanna headed out for the latest Twilight movie.

AnnaMaria won't fit under the bar much longer! She is almost 40" tall.

Kate and Jess 2010

2010-08-04T07:28:00.000-06:00

Blackberries, sunflowers and corn!

Playroom Chaos!

Pond Swimming.

Fishing

AnnaMaria got tired of fishing and decided to walk home.

Fainting goats at Mr. Gene's farm. See the one on the left; he was a fainter!

Claire and Ollie have Wheels

2010-07-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

Claire and Ollie have their driving permits and will be eligible for the driver test the last few days of December. They both like to practice their driving skills, but much prefer to drive with Dad than Mom!

Claire's 16th Birthday Party

2010-07-28T21:23:00.001-06:00

Picking Blackberries

2010-07-17T12:33:00.000-06:00

A visit from Eli

2010-07-17T12:28:00.002-06:00

They thought it was fun to play bumper cars!

Sweet 16 - Claire and Ollie

2010-07-17T12:12:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa D. joined us at the lake for the afternoon. Claire is showing off her new key chain, which came with some vehicle buying cash! Ollie has the keys to Darrell's red truck!

This could be the last time they all three sit in the back seat together!

This is not Wanda's vehicle, but it should be since Kate and Jess call her Moo.

We stopped at Patti's for lunch on the way home. AnnaMaria loved the playground.

Claire and Andrew

AnnaMaria thought she was big sitting with Patrick (Andrew's brother). Ollie managed to go to the restroom at the perfect time to miss the birthday singing!

Lily's 14th Birthday Sleepover

2010-07-17T11:53:00.000-06:00

A beautiful sunset

2010-05-17T10:28:00.000-06:00

5-17-10 This rainbow reached from the barn to the railroad bed. It was so pretty!

Prom 2010

2010-05-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

These are photos of Claire and Andrew at Prom 2010. Kelly (Andrew’s mom) had a friend take these photos downtown before the dance. I think they turned out great! Claire and Andrew report that they had lots of Quilters looking at them during the photo shoot. I’m sure they were somewhat reluctant models!

After the dance, they came back to the house w/ Breanna, Christopher and Jessica (Christopher’s sis and friend of Claire and Brea). We had hoped to have a fire and scavenger hunt, but it was raining. We watched a movie and everyone went to bed (on separate floorsJ) around 4. It’s been a week and Mom is still tired.

Aventura Cove - Day Seven

2010-04-09T09:08:00.000-06:00

Ready to take the bus to Tulum (ancient walled city).

Then to Xel-Ha another resort and animal preserve.

For two sisters who have never wanted to be cheerleaders,

they sure have fun playing cheer with AnnaMaria.

Aventura Cove - Day Six

2010-04-09T07:42:00.002-06:00

Jeff and the Big 3 spent most of the day at XPlor.

Aventura Cove - Day Five

2010-04-07T08:25:00.001-06:00

This guy hangs out by the kiddie pool everyday.

He's about the length of a standard door (see background).

A couple of early morning shots at the resort.

We took a day trip to Playa del Carmen. It is about a 20 minute drive.

Claire was the only one brave enough to have her photo made with this guy.

I think he was less creepy than the guy who asked her if she wanted a Mexican boyfriend!

Our resort has a sister resort that we can use at Playa del Carmen. It has a really nice sandy beach.

What's vacation without the obligatory Dora t-shirt?

AnnaMaria has eaten her weight in fries!

Playacar Palace

The ship in the background is the ferry that goes to Cancun from Playa del Carmen.

AnnaMaria couldn't hang on the cab ride back to Aventura.

The guys were in another cab (too many of us for these small vehicles).

When we got back on the resort property we saw a monkey in a tree.

There were two adult monkeys and a baby, but they got away before I could snap a photo.

Aventura Cove - Day Four

2010-04-06T05:06:00.001-06:00

The girls loved swimming with the dolphins!

Aventura Cove - Day Three - Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T07:29:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter!

Thank you, Jesus!

Jeff's tragic volleyball injury. Ouch!

Aventura Cove - Day Two

2010-04-04T06:15:00.000-06:00

The weather is fabulous!

Someone is quite excited!

Thanks MawMaw for the super cute suit!

Jeff, Claire and Lily demonstrate how to slide in the kiddy pool. AM hasn't braved it yet.

AnnaMaria's idea of a swim up bar. Jeff is in the background playing volleyball.

Ollie is enjoy doing nothing! He's had a busy spring.

Aventura Cove Mexico - Day One

2010-04-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

Up at 4:00 am Embassy Suites Nashville...ready to go!Our gate at the airport was next to a play area!We finally made it to our resort and the beach!Ollie likes to chill on the porch.We have an "AnnaMaria pool in both rooms.Unlimited room services and a cute robe is included.Mexican Buffet next to the pool.

That was a lot for one day!

Why Three Year Olds Don't Work in Offices.

2010-02-22T04:56:00.002-06:00

Snow Day

2010-01-30T08:40:00.001-06:00

School was cancelled yesterday, but it was really pre-mature. The snow didn't start until late in the day. AnnaMaria loves it when "her" friends spend the night. Note all the coats and jacket; they think we keep the house too cold!

This is the best snow we've had in years, probably about 6 inches. We have big plans to play outside.

Winter Cuteness

2010-01-16T17:38:00.000-06:00

Joy

2009-12-13T21:25:00.000-06:00

We've been busy, but we're still here! We have already enjoyed lots of Christmas activities.

AnnaMaria likes HO-HO, but only at a distance!

Merry Christmas!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-06:00

Our church hosted a Trunk or Treat for the second year. It is a lot of fun. Our theme was 50's diner. L-R: Jeff was a nerdy dad (his costume wasn't too difficult). Ollie was our cook and he made bacon, eggs and biscuits for any of the participants who cared to join us. Sharon was a frumpy housewife (also way too easy!), AnnaMaria was a Pink Lady from Grease, Claire was a waitress, Andrew was a Thunderbird from Grease, and Lily was a 1951 Prom Queen. (She wore my 8th grade graduation dress).

Preschool

2009-10-30T06:36:00.000-06:00

AnnaMaria started preschool last Wednesday. She marched right in! She's been dropping off and picking up the big kids for the last two years, so I think she felt very BIG to have her own school. She goes in the mornings Monday-Thursday 8:00-11:30. She took Dora and Boots cupcakes for her birthday last week and this week she wore her Halloween costume for a class party. We are very impressed with the school and teachers. It's a happy place!

AnnaMaria's Third Birthday

2009-10-30T06:22:00.000-06:00

AnnaMaria had a big day on her birthday. She had an eye exam and her first visit to the dentist. She loved all the attention at Dr. Wade's office and got a good report.

Later in the day we went to the Carson Center to see Disney's Imagination Movers. AnnaMaria was NOT impressed. She really didn't understand why all those kids and parents were jumping up and down and yelling. She was much more comfortable with the adults in the doctors' offices. Ha.

So we left early and walked around the riverfront for a little bit.

The best part of the day was opening gifts at home with her family!

Grandma and Grandpa Great Celebrate 70 Years of Marriage

2009-10-30T05:27:00.000-06:00

Sharon’s grandparents celebrated their 70th anniversary earlier this month and it was such a fun family day. Several of us attended their little church in the country and we were even joined by some cousins from Nebraska. There were lots of happy stories and memories of good times. Grandma and Grandpa are in their early 90's; both still drive and are very active.We are so blessed!

So many people said great things, but this simple thing really hit me….my cousin Cassidy commented on how her friends tried to play in a kiddy pool, but it was too cold. She didn’t realize that could be a problem…..Grandma always warmed water on the stove for her kiddy pool. That’s the grandma I want to be someday!

Grandma and Grandpa Great…we love you so very much!

I wish I would have gotten more photos at lunch time, but I was too busy yakking. Here’s one of AnnaMaria with her cousins, Joseph and Eli.

Friends + Fun to look forward to this week!

2009-10-18T22:00:00.001-06:00

Varsity Girls and Boys will both be playing in the Regional Tournament this week! Go Pirates! The indoor soccer season schedule should be posted this week as well; no rest for the weary!

AnnaMaria's birthday is the 20th. I'm taking the day off with her. She'll be getting her preschool eye exam and visiting Dr. Poat (AKA...our friend, Wade) for her first dental check up. Then we'll see Imagination Movers Live and head to the Girls first regional soccer game.

Then....drum roll please...AnnaMaria will go to preschool on Wednesday. It's really hard to beleive our baby is 3!

We will finish up the week with an office hayride on Saturday! Fall can be so crisp and delightful or cold and rainy. I'm sure hoping for a pretty week!

Homecoming 2009 Claire and Andrew

2009-10-14T18:20:00.000-06:00

China Doll

2009-10-11T09:04:00.001-06:00

Our cousins are in China....follow their journey at http://www.ourgardenofeden.blogspot.com/.

We can't wait to meet our new cousin Eden Grace

Post No. 401

2009-10-11T06:37:00.000-06:00

And...our soccer player in training! Season play ended for the Big 3 yesterday. Districts start Tuesday.

Soccer Peeps

2009-09-25T12:58:00.002-06:00

Aren't they sharp! Lily plays 8th grade and JV. Ollie decided to try soccer again after not playing since he was a preschooler. He starts as JV goalie and dresses out for Varsity as a backup. Claire plays JV and Varsity. It keeps the mom taxi busy, but they love it. They have a lot of great soccer friends.

Kitty Hospice

2009-09-24T22:50:00.000-06:00

We have two family cats, Peace and Shorty. They are spayed and neutered. We also feed a wild cat we call Skeeter. Last week, after everyone else had gone to bed, I heard some noise on our patio and looked out to see Skeeter drop a tiny kitten. Our patio is above the walk-out basement and Skeeter had to walk up a spiral staircase to get there. We really didn’t know what think. We wondered if she was kicking this kitty out of the litter or maybe this was the first of several she would bring to the patio. The kitty wasn’t very old; still had its eyes closed. Since Skeeter didn’t want anything to do with the kitty, we got some kitty formula and a bottle from the vet and did our best to take care of kitty.

The next evening Skeeter returned to the patio, but still didn’t have anything to do with kitty.
We enjoyed spending a few days with kitty, but she didn’t pull though. Now I’m guessing Skeeter knew she wouldn’t make it. Hopefully we made her last few days a bit more pleasant. We kept her warm and she purred when we held her.

August 2009 with the Gates Family

2009-09-23T05:20:00.002-06:00

These three could be trouble! AnnaMaria with her cousins Eli and Joseph.Abbie and Claire have a snack after a dip in the pond.

Cruising on the Ranger.

Issie is so good to play with AnnaMaria.Grandma Janice and Alexus.

Saying good-bye!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-22T22:16:00.001-06:00

Why we don't go to the mall.

2009-09-12T20:34:00.000-06:00

No one hates to shop for clothes more than me, Sharon. But…it seems Claire has inherited the trait. Seriously, she was almost ill with the thought of going to the mall today to look for a Homecoming dress. She did find a pretty dress, which was on sale (yeah!) in about 10 minutes. Later, we visited the Clinque counter for some makeup tips. AM was milling about around the Clinque counter and playing with the tiny foot operated trash can. Life was good. Right? NO…I looked up and AM was chewing gum….where did that come from…..all possible answers are YUCKY! She bit me SO hard when I extracted the gum from her mouth. Claire was fearful that someone would call Social Services. The mall is not safe!

2009-09-12T10:45:00.001-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T01:00:00.000-06:00

Toddler Trials

2009-08-30T15:56:00.003-06:00

Since Claire and Ollie were born, I’ve been blessed to be able to work about three days a week. During the last year, however, I have worked more than ever. We’ve been short-handed at work and I needed to take some time to get reconnected after so much time off with the adoption. (Jeff and I have owned our own business for about 12 yrs).

When the big three were little our house was very bare! We moved into the first house we built when Claire and Ollie were 7 months old. We really never decorated below about 3 ft high! When Lily came along, we had three babies in diapers and we were pretty content to live in Romper Room.

When AnnaMaria was joining the family, we built another house and we just didn’t have quite the same will to baby proof. Also, with five teens-adults in the house and one baby, there is always that sense that somebody will be watching out for her. NO! Not a good theory!

Last week I had a day off and I was SO excited to spend time with AnnaMaria. We went to the grocery store and she insisted on carrying in the eggs; only a few broke. She managed to let Ellie, Lily’s dog in the house. Then, she thought she would eat one of the eggs (she must have thought it was hard boiled).

At one point I caught her in the guest bathroom washing her face and brushing her teeth with toilet water. Then she met me at the top of the wooden stairs, with one hand full of magnets and a paring knife in the other hand. I think she’s safer at the babysitters!

Citizenship Day

2009-08-30T15:20:00.004-06:00

AnnaMaria became a US Citizen on 7/31/07 when we landed in Houston from Guatemala. From there we flew to Minnesota to join the rest of the family on vacation. So on our last night of vacation, we had a little celebration with our friends. There is a slideshow below with more vacation photos.

Ludlow's is a special place for us. It was 3 years ago on August 1st that we decided to move forward with an adoption. One year later, AnnaMaria returned with us!

Ollie is such a good grillmaster.Kirby can always smell dinner from the other side of the island.

We're not supposed to feed him. Yikes!

Check out the very cute monkey cupcakes that Danielle made. Yum. Yum.

Ludlow's Resort 2009, Cook MN

2009-08-28T14:02:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-25T20:17:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T01:00:00.000-06:00

Disney

2009-07-27T19:06:00.004-06:00

Lily’s soccer team played at Disney in June! The team worked really hard with fundraising and practice to make the trip. We flew from Nashville to Orlando (Cousin Abbie, Lily, AnnaMaria, and Sharon). We stayed at the All-Star Sports Resort at Disney. We had never stayed “on-property” before, so that was a new adventure. The buses were handy, but the accommodations were only ordinary. We started the adventure at Epcot. We tried not to let the rain deter us.

Dinner in Tokyo!

AnnaMaria loved Animal Kingdom. Abbie taught her how to pet the sheep.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom at midnight after a soccer game!

Hey, I don't see Cinderella running from the castle

Outside our hotel.

Abbie with a Toy Story Soldier at Hollywood Studios.

Paducah Storm Soccer.

Abbie with the nerd from a steet performance.

Our favorite meal was at the 50's Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios.

We got to wait in the "living room" before we were seated in the "kitchen".

We spent our last day playing in the water at Typhoon Lagoon.

The kids are finally home!

2009-07-10T17:42:00.003-06:00

After Hurricane Katrina, our company did a lot of work in the gulf coast. Jeff and I made several trips to New Orleans to meet with staff and clients and EAT! During one trip we were walking through the French Quarter and went into a really neat shop that had lots of Tiffany lights and bronze sculptures. Jeff and I both stopped short when we saw a near lifesized sculpture that could have been our children…two girls and a boy sitting on a log. We both loved it, but looked at the price tag and moved on!

A few weeks or maybe months later, there was a delivery at our office. My kids were home! Jeff, who says he is lousy at surprises or gift giving, called the store in New Orleans and had the statue shipped to us. It was the BEST gift and I was COMPLETELY surprised.

The statue was in my office at work while I finished the paperwork to adopt AnnaMaria, lived in Guatemala for two months, moved into our new home and finally moved to a new office.

Today was the day! The kids came home to the farm.

Now the hunt is on for a little Hispanic toddler statue !

Reunited and it feels so good!

2009-07-10T17:22:00.002-06:00

While Lily was at the lake with friends for 4th of July, Claire and Ollie had friends over for fireworks. We noticed that Ellie (Lily’s Australian Shepherd) got out of her pen, but we didn’t think a lot about it. She has always been good to stay around and we didn’t realize she was scared by the fireworks.

Sadly, when Lily returned on Sunday we had to tell her that Ellie was gone. On Monday, Claire helped Lily make flyers with Ellie’s photo and Jeff and Lily started knocking on doors. They met a lot of very caring neighbors! Some people had seen Ellie so they felt encouraged.

Long-story-short, a sweet couple brought Ellie home after seeing the flyer. As you can see, it was a happy reunion.

Forever Family Day

2009-05-31T20:04:00.005-06:00

Two years ago today, Claire and Sharon arrived in Guatemala for the last leg of our adoption journey. This photo was taken at our apartment in Antigua when we arrived. Such great memories!

Oh how she has grown and changed! And...changed the lives of all who meet her. Today after church....

Some quick photos

2009-04-22T18:55:00.011-06:00

A few more Bahama shots. Long story short...I came home with a nasty sinus infection and I'm still digging out.

Ollie's been digging holes at the beach for many years now! He packed his real shovel in checked baggage. Looks like he has some help now. Girls on the beach. It was a little cool this day, but still fun.The "big" girls loved the straw market! Vacation can be exhausting.

Action

2009-04-13T14:57:00.009-06:00

Jeff, Lily and Ollie went fishing with Action! He is quite the local celebrity. He has his name artistically shaved into the back of his head. He is also known as the Bahama’s Limbo King. He can do the limbo under a stick propped up with flip-flops…now that is pretty low! A simple youtube.com search yields lots of Action footage if you care to look. The fish we had for dinner was quite tasty!

Backtrack - Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-05T19:34:00.004-06:00

The following are photos from the Easter Egg Hunt at church last week. The weather didn’t cooperate, but that made the perfect excuse to break out the raincoat and work boats (ignore the flowers)!

We ended up hunting indoors, but AnnaMaria had a great time. She got a terribly SURPRISED look every time she found an egg....in plain view!

Aunt Jan found this great Dora basket for her. She learned how to open wrappers and had a chocolate mustache by the time we got home!

Spring Break 2009 - Nassau Bahamas

2009-04-04T16:38:00.008-06:00

It's been a long day, but we are in Nassau. Our flight out of Nashville was delayed, so we literally ran through the Dallas airport. It worked out that the next flight was delayed also, so we had plenty of time.

The place we're staying is nice and plenty big enough for us to spread out. Jeff is out in the Jeep now getting some groceries. Driving on the left was scaring him, but I'm sure he'll have it mastered in no time.

We're relaxing this evening and look forwarding to checking out the island tomorrow!

Our diva

2009-03-28T16:02:00.004-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T06:02:00.000-06:00

March 14, 2008

2009-03-14T07:10:00.011-06:00

Lots of busy-ness here, but life is good. We are struggling to adjust to Daylight Savings Time, yet enjoying the evening sunlight. Three of 4 kids have been sick during the last two weeks with congestion, fever, drippy nose, etc. There seems to be a big outbreak at high school. So far, Lily has escaped. I can generally work from home, but it’s a bit of a pain to constantly be moving files and such. I am grateful to have the flexibility, though.

At work, we are planning to bring on some bookkeeping and administrative help this month, which should be a huge relief. We will also be moving to a different building soon to consolidate two offices into one. I’m sure moving will be a big job, but the end result should be good.

The Parent Taxi is going like crazy. Ollie has baseball for 2-3 hrs after school daily. Claire is starting a new soccer league and school tennis; Lily has school and another soccer league. We do really appreciate school sports. Practice is generally after school and the school provides transportation to away games. All three of the “big” kids really enjoy their sports and I’m glad they do. They clearly did not get the sports gene from Mom! We will have a ton of games before school is out. I hope it won’t be too cold and we can enjoy watching with AnnaMaria. She is so loved by all the teammates!

Shorty (AM’s kitty) went AWOL last week. We REALLY missed him! It was like the return of the Prodigal Son when he came home! AnnaMaria celebrated by sharing her Cheetos.

Jeff has a new (to him) toy. I think Uncle Johnny will be proud! I’ve been really overly anxious for spring and planted some tulips indoors. They have done really well and it’s the best Wal-Mart $4 ever spent. It’s amazing how a little green can lift the spirits!

We gave a few as gifts also and got the sweetest thank you notes. Look at his handmade card. How neat!
I also have my herb garden going in the kitchen window. We have thyme, basil and parsley. Love it! Aren’t the pots cute….Aunt Jan fixed us up with Southern Living at Home.

Girl Scout cookies are here. If you ordered, we will get yours to you ASAP. We have a few extras, if anyone “needs” some.

OK – that’s all we know. Thanks for checking in; I’m always amazed to learn who is reading the blog!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T07:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T01:48:00.001-06:00

It's hard to tell from the photo, but this is a lovely, vintage Valentine’s Day card that I found at my grandparent’s abandoned house a few years ago. The envelope is a bit yellowed, but the card is just beautiful. My grandma passed away suddenly just 12 days before my wedding. Yes, it was a tough time.

She would be so NUTS about my kids, it’s too bad they didn’t get to know her! Grandma’s name was Dorothy Rose and we had picked the name AnnaMaria Rose for the mysterious baby we would adopt. When we saw Maria Rosario on our agency website, we knew she was our baby! Our paperwork wasn’t ready, so the chances were slim (babies were flying off the website). But, thankfully, her first photos weren’t so great and two months later, she was still waiting for us! (God works in lots of ways) Her official name is AnnaMaria Rosario. Rosario was her birthmother’s name. We LOVE Rosario for the amazing gift she gave us and I know Grandma Dorothy would understand.
I know Grandma is in Heaven, which is great, but I’m really sad she didn’t get to meet all her great-grandkids. She would be SO proud! So…my message to you this Valentine’s Day is to love the people important to you. We never know what tomorrow brings!

FFF - Love

2009-02-13T18:34:00.000-06:00

AnnaMaria invites Shorty in for a visit, and then tries to coax him out from under the chair.

Please Shorty, I love you!

They do love each other! Shorty is truly a gift from God. He showed up here to be AnnaMaria’s kitty and he is the most patient friend ever. Hasn't he gotten big! And, AnnaMaria has lots of big friends. We joke that she is the most popular girl at the local high school. Here she is with some of the youth from church at our house this week. “Center of attention” doesn’t even do justice to the way this baby girl works a room!

Good news/bad news

2009-02-13T15:54:00.003-06:00

You might wonder what these images have in common. Long story…short…I asked Jeff to go to town to pay off the loan on the farm. It was a big milestone and we hoped to get it done before the end of the year. Well, you guessed it, he was in such a rush that he got a big $187 speeding ticket! And….the cop was being nice. Then to add insult to injury, we got this ridiculous letter from the state reminding him to drive carefully and, by the way, he had 6 pts on his license. Oh well, we eventually made the payment and had a lovely ceremonial burning of the payment book in the outdoor fireplace!

A few photos of the ice storm

2009-02-04T21:39:00.002-06:00

Still no school…the kids are out the rest of the week. We all need to return to a more normal routine soon!

I spoke with someone associated with a neighboring school district today. She said the superintendent had been driving around the county assessing the situation and saw many children sleeping in cars! He is trying to get school started as soon as possible, so the kids will at least have warmth and two meals during the day. It’s hard for many of us to even imagine how hard life can be for some.

I better understand the meaning of “the haves and the have nots”. Last week we were have nots! This week we have everything! I went to Wal-mart this afternoon. I was in a hurry and just needed a few groceries. I started getting frustrated with all the people who were just slowly moving about the store. Then, I realized how many of them don’t have power and probably feel quite bewildered!

We heard today that it could be another two weeks for power to be restored to our old neighborhood and a month or more in some areas. People are doing well with generators, but the death toll continues to rise from carbon monoxide poisoning.

I am so behind on everything! I keep realizing things that I could have worked on last week, even without power. It’s hard to think straight when you are just trying to stay warm and protect your family. I certainly hope this is just a once in a lifetime experience! Please continue to pray for those in need!

Winter Ice Storm - National Emergency 2009

2009-02-02T14:24:00.002-06:00

Friday January 30th: This is day 5, I think, of the worst ice storm we've ever imagined. I'm typing on my phone as that is the only electronic I have access to and it isn't transmitting at present. I will post photos when I can; that really tells the story. We've stayed warm with our gas log fireplaces and propane heaters. A few gas stations, Lowes etc have opened in town. The lines are long, but we are thankful to be able to get fuel.

AT+T, our cell network, was working a little last night, but is not consistent. Our home phones are all cordless and need electricity, so that was out at first. We were able to use a corded phone for a bit, but that is out now too. Fortunately, we had some cash in the house (rare for us). Stores, when open, are mostly cash or check. Thank goodness they will take checks.....that is trusting. As for trusting.....neighbor helping neighbor is what I've seen so far in my limited exposure. Kentuckians are generally very nice and caring. And, also self reliant. This is somewhat in contrast to our experience working in the gulf coast after Rita and Katrina.

Having everything, yet nothing to do is crazy. The first + second nights, Grandma Wanda and two of the kids’ friends were here. Last night AM and I slept in the basement bunk room with the two boys and slept nearly 12 hrs. 8 pm feels like midnight after 3 hours in a dark house! That room in the basement is all concrete block and stays pretty toasty. We ate lunch around 10:30 one morning, feeling like it was at least noon! The girls made home-made soap, which they haven't done in years. We are usually so occupied with facebook, internet, satellite tv, Xbox, DVDs, DS...we seriously don't know what to do w/o them.

The big kids have all "traded up". They switched houses with the friends and now have access to generators and warm showers. Grandma is in a warm hotel and we pray she doesn't have any health issues with her asthma. Grandpa is keeping their house thawed and bringing us supplies as we need them. So it’s just Jeff, AnnaMaria and me tonight. Jeff said he understood why families in the olden days had small houses or staff! The three of us have been toasty in the master bedroom after heating it up with the fireplace. I don't know how we will ever get AnnaMaria back in her bed! She was so sweet last night. She was squirming in the bunk room and I kissed her on the cheek. In total darkness, she turned and planted a big smacker right on my lips.

Now I'm up at 3 am on Friday worrying about making payroll today. This reminds me of the early days of business ownership! I can't calculate payroll because the time is recorded on the internet. I normally pay people by direct deposit, but our bank is local and all branches are closed. I attempted to hand write estimated checks yesterday, but USPS and Fed Ex are both closed. (BTW-The roads are bad, but my dad would have delivered mail in this) I have been somewhat of a proponent of a paper less society, but I'm not so sure now! I was glad to get my hands on some paper at work today.

We are fortunate not to have trees around our house. So many families have a yard full of limbs or even some through the roof. The ice is too thick and heavy for the trees to bounce back. As the weather stays cold, more branches fall daily. Our beloved tree-lined rail-bed is a mess. The tallest tree is still standing tall as a great sign of hope, but literally every other tree has been topped. It looks just like the trees in southern Illinois that were struck by a tornado a few years back. It will take a generation for them to be restored. Jeff worked so hard to clear a path for us to walk and ride the golf cart, now it is all to be done again. Even with that, there will still be potential danger of falling branches from the tops of the trees. Our safety is far more important than trees, but that loss does make us sad!

In case you don't believe in Divine intervention.....last week at church, Bro Earl mentioned that he and Berta would be out of town this week. Berta was longing to see their daughter in LA. This all transpired before the nasty weather reports. Since Berta is in a wheelchair, I think God picked a perfect time for her to insist on a trip south! Jeff was able to text w Earl and they are both well. He told us to check facebook when we can for photos. He's so hip w the kids (smile).

Update – February 2nd. Jeff was able to hook up a generator that preserved most of our food when the temperature got warmer last week. I was able to estimate most of the payroll checks and mailed them on Saturday. We also had several tax payments due on January 31st. Fortunately those were already figured, so I got those in the mail also. Hopefully I can get everything lined out and back to normal soon. Our internet and email at the office is still down, but we have power thanks to a generator.

The kids and I went north for the weekend to stay with my parents. We got to meet Alexus and play with all the cousins, so that was a nice break.

We got back today to find the mess of downed trees remaining in most areas, but power starting to return. Our power came on yesterday and everything except our home phone seems to be working. It rang and caller id worked earlier today, but there was no sound when we picked up the receiver. Cell phone coverage is still sketchy. The ice and snow have nearly all melted and it’s not nearly as muddy as I thought it would be. We heard on the news that the school will try to re-open on Wednesday. Grandma and Grandpa D are back home with power also.

Come back soon...we have lots of photos....just need the time to post them. Thanks for the prayers and concern. We are well, but many are still struggling, so please keep the region in your prayers.

Alexus

2009-01-27T08:54:00.005-06:00

The REALLY big news is our new cousin/niece…..Alexus Ann. We can’t wait to meet her. In one of her newborn photos, she was sticking her tongue out! We think she might have the appropriate level of spunk to make it with the other eight grandkids!
January 21, 2009, 7 lbs 1 oz, 20”

Last week was something! Jeff was in OH working in the cold the entire work week, which left me at home alone to deal with both the business and the busy-ness of four kids. I love my husband, but I sure do remember to appreciate him more when he’s not here! Thankfully, Grandma and Grandpa D are a big help with taxi service and pretty much anything else I ask!

AnnaMaria’s toddler bed arrived last week and Ollie handily put it together. She’s not enjoying it too much! I ended up spending most of three nights sleeping on the floor next to her and I’m quite certain I’m too old for that!

Last night the big girls helped me put her to bed. We played a Dora music CD, which we thought would help. She still wasn’t happy. She cried for a while and after she got quiet, realized I left my Blackberry (phone) in her room. When I tried to sneak in to get it, she was sitting on her bed “texting”.

We had a couple of really nice days last week. It’s crazy how warm 55o can seem! AnnaMaria and Lily had fun playing soccer together. AM might really be a Latino natural at Futball! She aimlessly walks along with the ball moving in front of her. AnnaMaria doesn’t understand that it’s really cold again now. She begs to ride in the golf cart, when she sees it in the garage.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

Claire and Lily Christmas 2008

2009-01-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Claire and Lily have a longstanding tradition of Lily attempting to get Claire something she will like, Claire says she likes it, then we never see the gift again! Lily decided on a different approach this year! It takes a bit to load, but turn on the sound and enjoy the video below!

Make a Smilebox greeting

2008 Christmas Memories

2009-01-07T22:29:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T01:24:00.000-06:00

A few December Pictures

2009-01-06T22:32:00.003-06:00

Katie and Jess enjoyed playing with Shorty during their visit; they even gave him a stroller ride.

Ollie has always wanted bagpipes, so Claire bought him a bagpipe training reed. Pretty thoughtful. If he starts wearing a skirt, we might be concerned! AnnaMaria was "helping" Jeff and Ollie in the garage one day. When I realized what she was wearing I thought it was not very practical.

Lily enjoyed the Middle School Snowball Dance.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T01:00:00.003-06:00

Ranger

2008-12-08T06:18:00.002-06:00

We bought a Polaris Ranger for work and have enjoyed riding it around the farm. When Jeff was taking care of AnnaMaria the other day he strapped her in and off they went; she almost fell asleep. (note: AM’s hair do, yikes!) The Ranger is out on a job now, but it will be fun to have it back in the spring.

Enjoying the Sunday paper

2008-12-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

I promise this photo was not staged. One Sunday morning I actually had time to sit down with the newspaper. AnnaMaria just had to have a piece of the paper to read also. Oh, I need to be careful! She mimics everything I do.

Hope you get to enjoy the paper today!

Kitchen

2008-12-06T18:00:00.003-06:00

AnnaMaria really enjoys her kitchen that she got for her birthday. She has started playing make believe and feeds her babies and even tries to feed Shorty. Shorty really doesn’t appreciate the tea parties. She also likes to put diapers on her Curious George stuffed monkey and her baby doll.

Our Brown Bean in a Brownie Beanie

2008-12-06T12:43:00.006-06:00

AnnaMaria's nickname is Bean (or Beanie, Beanie Baby, Guatemalan Bean). This started with someone commenting that she was as brown as a coffee bean.

She usually hates hats, but she found this Girl Scout Brownie Beanie when we were cleaning out an old cedar chest. She really took to it and we all thought it was pretty funny.

Speaking of Girl Scouts....Claire and Lily are still in a troop and we will be raising money for a big trip. Stay tuned for cookie sale info in the near future.

Vogue

2008-12-06T12:01:00.002-06:00

OK – I admit it, it’s fun to have a baby to dress up. Ten years ago life was so crazy and expensive with three toddlers at once, that I was just glad they had clothes! I love to catch the retail clearance racks and consignment sales to find “different” clothes. I’ve been looking at some boutique clothing websites and my eye always goes to the altered clothing.

I’m not much of a seamstress (this is fact; I’m not being humble;-), but I’ve always enjoyed crafting. I cleaned out AnnaMaria’s closet recently with the change of the seasons. She usually wears about 2T now, but she had some 18 month jeans that still fit in the waist. Since they were too short, I thought they would be fun to use for a sewing experiment. This top still fit also, but the matching pants had gotten too short.

So, for a few bucks worth of fabric we have a new outfit! I feel like I never catch up at work, so it was very rewarding to actually finish something. Yea, it’s the goofy little stuff in life that gives us pleasure. And….can you tell she enjoys the runway?

2008-12-06T11:55:00.001-06:00

I believe we’ve designated the timeout chair. For the other kids, it was the “fish chair”. The fish chair is probably 40 yrs old by now. I think Jeff’s aunt gave it to us when we got married. It was originally 70’s green, but eventually we had it covered in fishy cabin material. It is the most comfy chair ever! However, it’s in the basement, so not the most practical timeout chair these days. So, we’ve landed on AnnaMaria’s cute little leather chair in the library. I wonder if she’ll hate that chair when she grows up?

Shorty Update

2008-12-06T11:37:00.002-06:00

Shorty is still being a very good kitty. He is getting BIG! Skeeter is still around, but won't let us touch him/her.

I wondered where I left my gum....

2008-11-16T12:00:00.004-06:00

In case you've never parented a 14 year old boy, let me tell you....the attention span and level of responsibility is quite similar to a 2 yr old. Although, Jeff will admit that he generally has his "head up his booty" about as often as Ollie.

Sometime recently, Jeff was wondering how I could understand Ollie's behavior and I quickly explained that I'd been married to "him" for 21 years! That apple sure didn't fall far from the tree.

You can imagine how thrilled I was to pull this out of the dryer...

And find this inside.... Laundry at our house is a joke. We are blessed to have two sets of really nice washers and dryers. The plan was for Jeff and me to use the ones in the master bedroom and the kids would use the ones on the main floor. Well, that plan never even got off the ground! Not long ago, I heard Ollie tell someone that he did his own laundry. What he meant was that he throws the dirties down the shoot every couple of days and after repeated nagging by mom, puts the clean folded and hung clothes in his closet.

Upon questioning about the gum, Ollie's response was, "Well, I wondered where I left my gum." Ughhhhhh! At least he's honest!

I assigned him the cleanup duty and suggested he could use lighter fluid. Mr. Safety was quite alarmed and took all precautions.

Mom, I'm really not sure about this....

Why does this look like a military attack? It's a clothes dryer....

Finally he dives in and completes the assignment without injury!

Jeff's dream come true.

2008-11-15T14:40:00.003-06:00

Jeff came home for lunch on Thursday. He was short on time because he had to be at a mandatory meeting at 12:30. He saw three deer on his way up the driveway and couldn’t miss the opportunity to bag a buck. He called me to let me know why his vehicle was in the driveway and he wasn’t in the house. He threw on some orange and took off for the woods with his gun. After just a few minutes I heard him come in the house and I asked him if they got away. Nope, he got a 9 pt buck. He loaded him up in the golf cart and brought him up to the house. He had just enough time to wash his hands, make a sandwich and get to the meeting. Who says you guys need all that expensive camouflage gear? Work clothes seemed just fine. AnnaMaria still wasn’t feeling well, but she enjoyed the trip in the big truck when we went to the processing station.

You always meet an interesting assortment of people at a place like that! It must have been one of the bigger deer of the day, because he drew quite a crowd. We donated the meat to the hungry and AnnaMaria and I went inside the meat market and bought some of their yummy sausage stuffed pork chops! Everyone left happy.

Sick baby

2008-11-15T14:26:00.005-06:00

We’ve had a rough few days here. AnnaMaria has felt pretty lousy and has been VERY clingy. She still talks very little, but she can say “NO!” quite clearly. It’s not pretty!
This is where I found her one day when she was watching TV in the playroom.She did feel well enough to have Shorty come in to visit a few times. He is getting so big. Skeeter still won’t let us touch him/her, but is a constant fixture on the deck with Shorty.

Our little pick pocket usually finds Lily’s purse, but today it was Claire’s….

FOCUS.....WHAT'S THAT?

2008-11-13T17:05:00.000-06:00

I just can’t seem to prioritize today. I have about 20 things on my list and don’t know where to start. None of these “to do’s” are mission critical, but it’s all stuff I’d like to accomplish this week. So, here I am….blogging…maybe that will clear my head.

AnnaMaria went to the doctor this morning. She has a bad sore throat and fever, but her ears are clear, thank goodness. She started an antibiotic and already seems a bit better today. Yesterday was a total washout, if she wasn’t held or sleeping, she was screaming. I even reverted to the Ergo carrier and strapped her to my chest so I could move a bit.

This afternoon she has been playing with Ollie’s Brio train set and watching Barney. That takes me back 10 years. I’m glad Lily and Ollie have some fun stuff for her to play with. Claire was really never into toys or dolls very much.

Here are a couple of stories that might give you a laugh….

A few weeks ago Ollie and Jeff were watching AnnaMaria in the basement. I might have been at work, but I really don’t remember. The first incident happened when Jeff came upstairs and told AM not to follow him. Well, as you might imagine, he walked through the kitchen just in time to see her climbing off the top step! The top-hardwood-would-really-hurt-a-falling-two-year-old-steps!

Apparently, that didn’t heighten the sense of responsibility….AnnaMaria likes to chew on wipes when we change her diaper. Yes, I know that is not the best practice, but I’m sure they are non-toxic. My best Mommy-Mentor with four kids told me long ago that it’s important to pick your battles. These are words I live by. So, Jeff changed a diaper (it surely was smelly or it wouldn’t have occurred to him) and AM played with wipes. She sucked on the wipe, cleaned the furniture, etc. When she went AWOL for a bit, Jeff checked the bathroom. There she was, dipping her wipe in the urinal, ringing it out, wiping her face with it….Ahhhhhhhh! In case you are wondering why we have a urinal in our home that was the one thing Ollie wanted when we built the house. I sure hope they remember to flush!

A friend shared a funny story with me recently too. He just retired this fall and has taken up bike riding. He’s the kind of guy who always has to have the latest gadget and enjoys shopping. Well, he was biking with a couple of neighbors and one of the neighbors commented that he always seemed to be part of the latest trend and he wondered why he didn’t bike in one of those skin-tight biking suits. Our friend, quickly replied, “I tried that, but when I tooted it blew my tennis shoe off”. (OK, he didn’t really say tooted, but I didn’t want to offend Grandma (smile).

A great little story

2008-11-10T21:46:00.003-06:00

My parents went to Alaska this past summer. They bought our big girls bracelets from a vendor they met along the way. We never find personalized things that are spelled exactly like Lily and Claire, but they found bracelets for both of them that were ready made. There were some that were similar to AnnaMaria's name, but none were just right. Also, she was so little they didn't know if she would even care. When they got home Grandma Janice decided AnnaMaria really needed a bracelet too (she does love her jewels), so she contacted the couple who make the bracelets. This is the response she received......click on the letter to enlarge if needed.

Maybe it's coincidence or perhaps its one of those God-incidences that keep our faith strong. Wherever the truth lies, it's a precious story!

And here is the sweet little bracelet, just meant for AnnaMaria....

FFF - Blast from the past

2008-11-07T18:20:00.006-06:00

The theme this week is "family photo". I couldn't resist this one. 40 years ago this is what my family looked like. It's a little amazing that this family of three now numbers sixteen, soon to be seventeen.

My parents are working their tails off in the fields this fall. I'm glad they still have the energy, but I know they are getting tired!

And...by the way....Claire's friends think Grandpa Richard was a hotty.

Ladder

2008-11-06T22:59:00.004-06:00

Yes, AnnaMaria, you are SO worth it! (Cute gift from Eli)We've been in our house over a year now and we finally got our library ladder installed in the kitchen. We have cabinets to the ceiling, so it is very helpful, but also in the way a bit. Well, guess who found it and thought it was her play thing!?!Yes, I am rotten!!!!My sisters say I look like a koala bear!

Autumn Sunset

2008-11-06T22:53:00.003-06:00

Photos never quite do justice to the real thing, but we have had some amazing sunsets here recently. I love, love, love where we live! It's great to feel at home.

Claire's Spanish project

2008-11-06T22:49:00.002-06:00

Claire had to do a special project in Spanish class and was lucky enough to choose Guatemala. She and some friends did a paper mache of some ruins, made a poster and took native dress to show the class. This evening she finished a travel brochure. I'm sold and ready to go back!

Here she is revisiting the Mayan wrap that AnnaMaria spent untold hours in during our stay in Guatemala. I think she still likes it! That piece of fabric is one of the most precious possessions to me!

Keep out

2008-11-06T22:41:00.002-06:00

This garage is on the drive off the main road to our house. Hmmmm.....do you think the keep out sign is necessary?

The Fall Foliage is amazing this year!

Trunk or Treat 2008

2008-11-02T16:51:00.017-06:00

Our first ever trunk or treat at church was big fun. Everyone decorates their trunk and gives out candy to trick-or-treaters as they walk through the parking lot. Our entry was thrown together at the last minute, but it turned out pretty cute and we won first place! $20 movie bucks!

Claire's friend Jessica was Little Red Riding hood, Jessica's brother Christopher was Lumber Jack and Claire was the Granny. We took the twin sized air mattress to make Granny a bed and Jeff's coyote hide for the wolf. Sadly, I don't think a lot of little kids know that story.

I'm short on time, so I didn't do a great job of cropping these photos....but here goes:

Granny's night stand w/ Milk and cookies (the remaining cookies from the batch were a hit too).

Lumber Jack, Granny & Little Red.

Claire is wearing a dress that was my Grandma Dorothy's. She wasn't sure it would be big enough for her when she first looked at it. For those of you who remember my Grandma, that's something. (She was a big lady). I wonder how old that dress is; probably 50 yrs old or more.

Granny and Little Red Riding Hood.

Gone Fishing won second place. Very cute!

Birthday Theme. It was Bro. Earl's 50th birthday! He said the best part was seeing all the little kids and having he teens wish him a happy birthday, like he was part of their crowd. (He is)

Berta & EarlAnnaMaria the cat and Lily the hippy/gypsie/?

Ollie hurt his toe at baseball and sat in the van with ice!

Lily and AnnaMaria on the blowup slide. AnnaMaria later did it by herself!

Splish Splash

Spooky.
Egyptian Princess

Would you trust these people for medical advice? Sponge BobStar WarsEvery kid knows a Grandma when they see one!A pumpkin and a pumpkin farmer
A bunch of Pirates.

Hippy Momma Brainiac?

A day at the beach.

Mason & the Mickey Fans

Yakkity-Yak

2008-11-02T14:01:00.006-06:00

In case you care about the details.......

This month has been action packed! And…I’m sure November and December will be just as busy. We have had the most beautiful fall I can remember. I was outside last night with no shoes after dark and it was so pleasant. You gotta love that in November. The trees are really great too. I just wish we had a little more time to take it all in.

Our youth group at church has a fund raiser on Election Day, 4-8 at Pizza Inn. They will be serving and busing tables. If you are local, please come to eat! They get all the tips and 10% of the profits.

AnnaMaria did pretty well for her photo shoot on Friday. One prop she used was a small wooden chair. We have a big portrait of Ollie with that same chair when he was about 3. Our photographer has a 7 yr old son from Guatemala.

AnnaMaria is randomly saying more words, but frequently it’s just once and then you don’t hear it again for months. Looking at a photo, she said Aunt Sandra (Ahh Saunda); she has said Ollie a couple of times (he beams) and tonight she said milk. She is becoming much more interactive. She likes to look at family photos and play make believe. Tonight I set up a tea party with a stuffed animal; it occupied her for a long time. Claire is finished with her HS soccer season and Lily finishes her outdoor season next weekend, just in time for both of them to start an indoor season. BUT…we have a new indoor facility about 10 miles from our house which will be wonderful!!!! Ollie is conditioning with the new baseball coach and will tryout in the spring. He seems to like that.

Claire likes having her braces off and Ollie should have his off by the end of the year or early next year. Likely, this will be just in time for Lily to start!

Work is getting BUSY. We have lots of new faces and we are so very grateful that things are picking up. We will have more transition and change in the coming months and we covet your prayers. After 10 yrs in business, some things become routine, but unfortunately it never gets easy.

AM has a new potty chair. This thing is UPTOWN! It looks like a real toilet, talks, praises and reminds to get toilet paper. Believe it or not….she actually whizzed on the second seating! But, I’m an experienced mom and I realize there is no real need for excitement. I’ve actually forgotten how potty training works. I think if she’d talk to us, it might not be too hard, but…

We're back.....

We are overrun with thousands of ladybugs! Apparently they are trying to get in the house to hibernate for the winter. Sorry, girlfriends! We don't need any more pets!

Mr. Gene's Goat Farm

2008-11-01T19:48:00.004-06:00

We have the neatest "backdoor" neighbors. Actually, they are probably over a half mile through the field, but we can get there on the golf cart or scooter. Gene and Cindy raise fainting goats. Ollie actually made one faint once. It was so funny; he just made a slight sudden moment and over went the goat! He popped right up though.

The collage of photos was taken last week when we went to visit some baby goats. They were only 2-3 days old and SO cute! You can click on the photos to enlarge them. I love the old barn; so much history! On the right center of the collage is the rear end of a goat, then Lily hugging the same goat. She thought this one looked like a dually pickup truck so we gave him the nickname Dually. They are all very tame. I wasn't so sure, because I remember that some of the rams on our sheep farm could get mean.

I didn't even think about it at the time, but it's pretty funny to see what AM was wearing at the farm. So glam! At least she was sporting her rubber boots.

The next photo is kind of silly, but so typical. It's just a boot that has been left in the pasture forever. I wonder if this is how my house would look if I didn't put things away (smile).

My favorite story from the goat farm is about a lady who bought a fainting goat there. One day, she was walking her goat on the road with a leash. A truck driver passed them and honked and the goat fainted. The trucker turned around and came back to check on them as he was sure he had somehow caused the goat to die!

Tonight we stopped to put some horses back in the pen at another neighbor's house. Life in the country hasn't changed much since I was a kid, thankfully!

Kentucky Homes & Gardens Magazine

2008-10-31T21:28:00.001-06:00

This ad with photos of our library, great room and bedroom ran in Kentucky Homes & Gardens Magazine.

Church Hayride 2008

2008-10-31T21:09:00.001-06:00

What great fun! We had a wonderful turn out with 70 or 80 friends here for a church hot dog roast and hay ride. Jeff was very proud of making most of the hayride on the old railroad bed. That is something he's looked forward to since we bought the farm.

Robe

2008-10-30T11:36:00.003-06:00

Just taking a moment out of my busy schedule to model after my bath.

AnnaMaria's 2nd Birthday

2008-10-29T05:56:00.004-06:00

Sweeping with Eli Joseph is so helpful.
I didn't know what to think about the cake and candle.
Kim and Charley (Ollie in the background)
Making some coffee.

Sweet Joseph.

Doesn't Grandpa Richard look excited?!?

Grandpa Great, Aunt Carrie and Grandma Great. My Great Grandparents

are 90 and drove to 100 miles to my party. Aren't they fun?!?

Eli checking out the coffee pot.

My sisters gave me Curious George.

Abbie and Issie had fun playing Nerf Guns with Ollie.

Eli playing my puzzle book.

Claire and Eli. Claire's last day with braces!

Charley and Eli...so fun to have toddlers around!

Uncle Brad and Aunt Carrie.

Later....

Eli's Hayride

2008-10-19T19:32:00.001-06:00

Click on the arrows on the right to move through the book.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Eli's 2nd Birthday Party

2008-10-19T18:51:00.002-06:00

AnnaMaria wasn't so sure about the party hat! Look at all those happy cousins.

Eli entertaining his adoring fans!

A great fall Saturday

2008-10-19T07:37:00.001-06:00

We’re still here….post-vacation life is just entirely too busy!

This weekend the big girls went to St. Louis for a Youth event and we had the boys from church come to our house for a lock-in. They played ping pong, went on a GPS treasure hunt and ATE. They ate an incredible number of pancakes for breakfast! They are REALLY good boys; we are blessed!

Today has been a wonderful catch up day for me. I’ve waded through mountains of paperwork and laundry! AnnaMaria took a 2 ½ hr nap WOOHOO! The guys are hunting deer. We have plans to eat Japanese Steak House before we pick the big girls up tonight at church. Yum!

For better or worse, we seem to have another new pet. Like six pets weren’t enough! As you might recall, Shorty, AnnaMaria’s kitty, just showed up on our property. When we were on vacation last week, Grandpa thought Shorty was going through way too much food. Well, as it turns out, Shorty has a friend, who we suspect is his sibling. He is wild and for now we are calling him Skeeter. Shorty and Skeeter have been fighting and it didn’t seem like a very good relationship. Jeff and I agreed that Skeeter had to find a new home away from here. But….this morning when I came down stairs, I looked out the window to find Shorty and Skeeter snuggling on a deck pillow asleep. They were so cute! I put the one pancake left from breakfast on the deck and Skeeter gobbled it up. Shorty didn’t want anything to do with it. He is already a cat food kitty! I’m beginning to feel a bit like a zoo keeper!

AnnaMaria’s birthday is the 20th! It is really hard to believe she is 2. We were watching her photo on the adoption agency website just a week or so after she was born. That seems like yesterday! Her birthday makes me wonder about her birth mother. I hope she is at peace and I hope she trusts that AnnaMaria is loved as much as she is. Somehow, I feel like she knows all is well. I love her; she gave us the most amazing gift!

We will go to Eli’s birthday party tomorrow. His first birthday in the US is sure to be big fun! AnnaMaria’s party is next weekend so stay tuned for photos.

Fall Break 2008

2008-10-12T16:47:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

2008-10-12T15:59:00.007-06:00

A little cuteness!

2008-10-09T13:22:00.003-06:00

This photo showcases AnnaMaria with the classic phone book booster seat. We are having a fab time, but it has been rainy the last two days. Vacation goes way too fast!!!!! Check back for more beach photos soon.

Sandestin Bungalow Fall 2008

2008-10-07T02:45:00.002-06:00

This is our cute bungalow! You can click on a photo to enlarge.

Catch up

2008-10-06T15:13:00.008-06:00

Shorty had the first Vet appt. last week. We learned Shorty is a boy and is healthy. He purred through the whole appointment. We are on vacation this week and Grandpa reports that Shorty misses us! Claire thinks some time away from AnnaMaria might be good for Shorty. Claire also recently quipped that God knew what he was doing by not giving Shorty a tail. It would be too handy of a handle for AnnaMaria!
Lily (center) spent the night in Lexington with her soccer team and got to be a ball girl at a Women’s UK Soccer Game. She had a big time.

Claire has a new hobby. She has taught herself several cords on the guitar, which I took lessons with as a kid. Jeff loves spending time playing with her. Ollie hates the “noise”. AnnaMaria had another playdate with her buddy, Joshua. This time we met at Ya Ya’s Island a new play place in town. It’s a cute place and they mostly had fun! AnnaMaria can be a bit of a bully!

FFF - Shorty Love

2008-09-12T01:01:00.000-06:00

What a cooperative kitty!

Weekend at the River

2008-09-11T20:47:00.005-06:00

We spent part of Labor Day weekend at Jack's Fork River in Missouri. The girls and I spent my birthday floating in inner tubes. It's not for everybody, but we loved it. They guys took a short canoe trip and fished

!