untitled because TIRED

So I'm pleased to report that all of Kari's kitchen shelves are properly dressed with pretty green paper and I can sleep the sleep of knowing it was a job well done.

WHATever.


In spite of my stellar shelf-covering skills, my great-with-child daughter still has TOO MUCH to do before baby arrives, and you just know I have every intention of helping her further, but today my plans are simple. 

Let's just say they include a bit of wall-staring and laundry. 


It's going to be a wonderful time of rest, relaxation, and dare I say, recuperation.



ps - Just look how Norah has grown!

Happy Wednesday :)

fortunately the m&ms help

Well.

Kari & Drew are moving into their new house tomorrow & I think it's one of the sweetest little houses ever.

Unfortunately, moving into even sweet little houses requires a good bit of unpleasantness.
You know, like putting things in boxes and putting boxes in cars and taking things out of boxes.

To top off the big fun there's also washing and cleaning and scrubbing and sweeping, and if we're lucky perhaps a little whistling while we work.


Thank goodness for Swiffers and Windex and, yes, I'm just going to put it out there, Clorox.  I know bleach is now an evil, toxic agent, but when moving into a new space nothing is more comforting than that clear-your-sinuses-scent of stranger-germ eradication.  We prefer our very own dirt, thankyouverymuch.


After spending the day on the aforementioned miscellany I had one more super-important task before going to work, and it required a quick visit to Target to pick up (SIGH) some stupid contact paper.

That's right, I said it.
Stupid...as in stupid contact paper.

And because of that momentary lapse in judgment I imagine my tomorrow will consist mostly
of cutting and arranging and rearranging said paper.

It is a pretty green pattern, so there is that.


I also predict a great deal of lifting and carrying of all the things, but Kari and I will be avoiding those shenanigans altogether unless it involves the one-year-old pictured above. 

We'll pick him up and put him down...and pick him up and put him down...as often as requested
because did you see those sweet blue eyes?



XOXO
 

 

let's just call it a recipe, shall we?

So here's what I did.


I mixed up some brownies the old-fashioned way, via Betty Crocker Pillsbury Duncan Hines (with a little help from the Peanut gallery) and proceeded to lick the spoon and desperately scrape what precious little Kari left in the bowl.


After baking them to just the right level of gooey goodness I put them aside to cool for a bit...but not for too long!  When we couldn't stand it any more we cut those suckers up and threw one or three on a plate, piled some fresh strawberries alongside, and gleefully plopped exactly two or three or six dollops of Cool Whip over the whole shebang.  


Best strawberry shortcake in the history of, well, strawberry shortcake.


I just thought you should know...



Happy Monday :)

interstate moving, naynay-style

Well.

I'm slowly getting settled in.  And by slowly I mean I finally replaced my shower head and currently know where both my toothbrush and phone charger are. 

Progress may be slow, but don't judge.  My help and I have been BUSY!
 

There was breakfast in bed with multiple episodes of "Super Readers,"

and a fair amount of organizing and, well, mess-making,

as well as some obligatory cousin-ly bickering (with THIS face NO WAY!!)

(Apparently they needed a little more practice on being rotten)

AND THEN!  On Saturday Peyton helped us help Mommy & Daddy get moved in while enjoying a tasty treat

Doesn't Kari look pretty in her new kitchen?

True story, productivity is EXHAUSTING!  Zzzzzzzz...

 
Y'all have a good day!

msm: timhntty part two

Another little something I might have neglected to tell you?

My baby is packing up all of her worldly possessions and moving away from home.


(For seriously.)

(I'm not even kidding at all.)


Not only that, but she's packing up her husband and her baby and taking them with her.

sigh.


In a nutshell, Drew got a wonderful new job, at a wonderful new church, in a wonderful little town.  So it only seemed right for her to go with.


And of course as The Mom it certainly only seems right that I spent my Monday helping her sort through her life & put it all into boxes and/or the trash can.  (There could have been a bit of junk-tossing taking place as well.)


I'm happy for them really and truly, but there has been a fair amount of Wow! Life is changing all around and where did the time go and my baby went and grew up 
and did I mention WOW?


(Not that I'm feeling melodramatic or anything.)



Later gators!

p.s.  I'm joining in with Flower Patch Farmgirl for Money Shot Monday :)

the other birthday girl

Today she's 25.

To say that I love that girl is an absurd understatement.

Just the sight of her sweet face fills my heart to overflowing...and I commence smiling.

(Even without the mustache.)

Happiest of Happy Birthdays, sweet Kari.

Your mama loves you :)

p.s.  Thanks for the sweet pics Mary!

 

My Daughter and Her Son

Happy LEAP Day!

(Insert Swoon Here)

Have a wonderful Lord's Day!

See? I TOLD You I'd Keep Ya Posted

So here's the thing.  


I am now somewhat less than pretty sure that today will be Peyton's birthday.  Kari had a busy night full of contractions and what-have-you, and everyone was terribly impressed with the quality of her contraction-y work.  So pleased, in fact, that they delayed the Pitocin and decided to give her a little time to do her thang. 


This went pretty well for a while but then eventually those self-same contractions that were receiving the heaps and piles of praise petered out, got tired, and in general took a nap.  So after some conferring and delaying and all around letting time go by, the decision was made to go forth with the Pitocin...and a while after that she proceeded with the epidural, and Doc M (the very same doctor who delivered Kari Beth all those 24 years ago!) broke the bag, and can I just say in my opinion that sounds kind've yucko.  I don't know for sure because I didn't look because I had taken myself to The Chick-Fil-A.


What?  A girl and a new dad has gotta eat.


Anyway, that's where we are.  One sleepless night down and don't tell Kari but I suspect we have another one looming before us.  


Overall she's stable and has been a trooper, but I might as well just go ahead and tell you that the epidural is definitely not covering her pain and she has now entered the nauseous, somewhat grody, and overall miserable stage of birthing a baby.


And yet we're still just tickled pink - or actually BLUE, ha!


If you'd like to pray for her that would be great.  I'm praying for strength, & energy, and better coverage of her pain...and God's perfect protection of her and our precious baby boy!

BIG DOIN'S is What I'm Saying

Well.  Seeing as how it's two o'clock in the dark of night and I'm sitting upright in a delightful chair listening to both my grandson's strong heartbeat and my daughter's "ooh ooh...ow"s, I would say there is approximately a really strong chance that today
just might be Peyton's birthday.


You can be certain that I will indeed keep you posted.


Oh yes I will :)

Baby Dreams and Looming Busy

It won't be long now.


Peyton should join us most any time, and to say we're excited would be quite the understatement.


His sweet little room is all cozy and happy and full of his things.

His daddy is psyched up and his mama is rested up...and ready to get this show on the road.


His auntie and cousins are coming to be with us later today, which only seems right and good and as things should be.
  
The fridge is stocked with Audrey's chocolate milk and Owen's sad little rice milk.  I made some of PW's cinnamon rolls so home smells appropriately warm & home-y.

I sorted out the toys...again. 

Audrey's beloved Backyardigans and Kipper are on standby on the Netflix.  There's an unopened package of bubble bath, and Owen has shiny, new, manly sippy cups awaiting his arrival.


I'm just gonna say it.  Naynay is basically beside herself.

After all, she is fully aware of the goodness just around the corner.



No doubt about it, we're ready.  All we need now is for our guest of honor to join the party!


I don't think he'll mind if we go ahead and start with The Happy.





(A Thousand Gifts #901-914)


hope

tidy toys

baby dreams 

looming busy

birthday dinners

warm, fuzzy socks 

chocolate milk in my fridge

we will dance by Travis Cottrell

yeasty cinnamon rolls rising in the oven 

the quiet before the loud, and enjoying both 

snuggling under and feeling warm all the way deep 

sippy cups covered with cars and trucks and little boy goodness

 


waiting...

...and sweet Jesus always keeping us company :)




Happy Monday!

In Summary, I'm Going to the Grocery Store and Soon We're Having a Baby

Well folks, today is going to be a busy one.  I'm at that place where you know you have to go to the store but you don't want to because it has been too long and will therefore wear you out and render you penniless.  Yup.  That place.

I've been out of milk & assorted basic foodstuffs for at least a week, and I'm not sure I can put it off any longer.  I've actually begun craving things like lettuce and blackberries.  and granola.  and PW's new cheeseburger salad.  It's time is what I'm saying.

After a bit of thinking back it has become apparent to me that I haven't shopped for basic groceries since before I came down with the Plague.  A month ago.  Therefore, I'm thinking at a minimum there will be a stop at The Kroger, and The Target, and probably Marshall's because I have a credit and would like to find something new to wear because I'm a girl and something new to wear always makes us feel good.  I might also perhaps drop in at the mall because I don't know if you've heard, but the holidays are over and evidently there is stuff on the cheap right now.  Couldn't hurt, could it?  


If there's time I might run by Kari Beth's to deliver some window mistreatments for Peyton's room...some lunch might be in order...and frankly I could use some stamps.  And of course there is That Job that always seems to get in the way of the gallivanting.  All in all I'm thinking it's shaping up to be one of those days, albeit one of those productive-in-a-way-other-people-can't-see sort of way.


Enough of that, let's move on to what's filling up my mind these days.

Yeah.  Them.


I've been trying to get all organized and cleaned up from my time with the plague and the holidays and what-have-you because I don't know if I've mentioned it lately but my baby girl is HAVING A BABY.

At this point his arrival is practically imminent and I've said not a lot here on the old blog. 
Can you even believe how restrained I've been?

To tell you the truth, I've really only been restrained on the worldwideweb.  Around these parts I've been planting my hand on her tummy pretty much every time I see her.  Peyton has been reasonably cooperative in moving around, I suspect sometimes attempting to get away from my annoyingly enthusiastic HOLLERING QUIETLY at my daughter's midsection. 

I can just imagine him thinking what on earth is going on out there and who in the world is that loud woman with all the I-love-you talk.  In my opinion it's never too early to start filling a baby up with love.

Anyway, Kari's doing pretty well.  She's had a few little complications with gestational diabetes & what-not, but the doctor seems content and pleased, and now that they have her sugar under control I think she's feeling a bit better.  I'll keep you posted (like you ever doubted it, ha!) as things progress. 


Katie, Jeremy and I can hardly wait to meet him!  Audrey?  Not so much.  She's not particularly into Peyton except where his toys are concerned.  I suspect she may be a little ticked off when her Wiwi is all busy with this tiny little Bundle-O-Joy and not at her constant bidding. 

Things are going to be fun all around :)




My Mary took pictures of Kari & Drew back before the holidays, and she said I could post some here. 

Because she loves me. 

I think they're beautiful, Mary.  And I love you too ;)

(Oh how I love this face!)



Happy Tuesday :)

Meet The Granddog

Kari and Drew had yet another plumbing catastrophe at their (wonderful!) home and found themselves waterless for a few days, so they came to stay with me while the City dug up their front lawn and made a big mess.  I was sorry for their suffering but thrilled as usual to spend some time with them in a low-key, hanging-in-the-jammies sort of way.


I have to say, though, that the best part of all was my nice visit with my granddog, Hiro.  

I've long mourned my somewhat fractured and distant relationship with him because, as y'all know, I'm all about family, and we kinda got off on the wrong foot last year when I was granddog-sitting 
and I thought he was trying to eat me.  


But that's all behind us now.  


We were pretty much joined at the hip during his visit, and now I'm pretending we're best buds.  

Unfortunately it may be temporary as he tends to get a bit cranky and territorial and all GRRRR when in his own backyard, but we'll see.  


Either way, how could you not love this sweet boy?

I'm also pleased to report that Kari and Drew again have water at the turn of a faucet and are also able to flush willy nilly.  


And all is once again right with the fam.  


Thanks Hiro for not giving up on us!

When This Shot Was Snapped...

 

...the mere child on the right was unmarried and living with her mama, and the whippersnapper on the left was also unhitched and very excited about nursing school. 

Now that one on the right has a hubby and is increasingly great with child.

(and no longer lives with her mama) 

And the cutie on the left is GETTING MARRIED Saturday.

(Sadly she also will no longer live with her mama.)

But still.  GETTING MARRIED!

I love 'em both loads and bunches.

Happy Wednesday!

Watching Them Grow and Knowing She'll Laugh

Well, the BIG DOINS have definitely commenced.   Kari's baby showers were this weekend, and Bethany's wedding is next Saturday.   The hugs are flying around here right now.  FLYING, I tell ya.

This weekend, over the course of about 25 hours, I watched as nearly 60 different women showered my girl with love and gifts and hugs.

There was also cake.

I sat across from Lauren and her little cutie-patootie of a little girl eating said cake, and reminisced about the time when I had to retrieve her from the top of a tree.  A large tree.  An evergreen growing straight up into the sky.   Suffice it to say I was thisclose to calling the proverbial fireman to rescue us both.

Lauren's little cutie-patootie of a little girl is now four years old.  The same age Lauren was when she had her very first play date with my little girl.  If anyone is counting...that's about 21 years ago.  

As I sat in that charming bakery, chowing down on pizza & cake, I did what I always do when we all get together.  I marvel at how all our girls have grown up, and I whisper a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the delightful women they all have become.

Not all mamas have loved on some of the same little friends of their babies from preschool to full-blown womanhood, but if you have the chance, there is perhaps nothing more delightful.

...Although finding yourself sitting around chatting with the very same mamas of those little girls all these many years later, and knowing you love them about a million times more than way back when, is also an experience full to the brim of delight.

Blessed is what I am.

A Thousand Gifts #802-824)

watching them grow...grow in kindness, grow in focus, grow in patience... grow their families, grow their ministries, grow their hearts

cozying up on her couch in my sweats with my tea & blanket

standing at the counter eating leftovers and trying to imagine how many times we've stood at the counter eating the leftovers

gathering to review the pictures taken earlier in the day and thinking about how many times we've gathered to review the pictures taken earlier in the day

watching the fashion show as wardrobe choices are discussed, and remembering all the other times we've tried on the dresses and tested out the shoes

looking through her "baby book" and remembering when she was so tiny and how very excited we were when she arrived...and feeling shocked that there have been seven birthdays since

that sweet, sweet smile as she came down the stairs to model her flower girl ensemble as we all tell her how beautiful she looked.  and she did.  

loving how she believes us when we tell her.

all my sweet, sweet girls and the way they fill my heart every time I look at them

sitting in the half dark going over the to-do list for the wedding fast approaching and discussing the game plan

just knowing she's in the same town

kari's delight at the unexpected

homemade gifts in frames, and homemade gifts straight from the oven, and homemade gifts covered with multi-colored frosting, and homemade gifts created by 90-year-old grandmothers....all love offerings of the loveliest kind

promised lunch dates, and random phone calls just to vent, and knowing she'll laugh with me instead of at me

all nearly 60 of them and the unique ways they have brought color and joy to my daughter's life 

fresh reminders of answered prayer and God's faithfulness to those who prayed them

Happy Monday!

My Favorite Part of Today?

that one on the right

Nite!

31 Days: I Love Being Their Mom

   



Have a great evening!

 **To read more of the 31 Days of Things I Love just click right here