Old News Made New

Family resemblances aren't everything. 

Families are made in a multitude of ways and a multitude of looks, but when resemblances do happen, it's very interesting.

Top: Lynette, Bottom: Calla

Uncle Lowell

Lynette and Calla as babies look very much alike.

I always thought Uncle Lowell's head shape is like both of theirs.

Resemblances change as babies change into toddlers, then little kids, then big kids.

I have a photo of Zane at 3 where he looks just like Lorene at that age. 

 

Shower The Bride

June 3, 2017 11:00 AM

Some people really know how to throw a party.  

Thank you Rosella and Alisha. 

Windy Days

I didn't walk today, it was cold.

  I didn't sit down much the first part of today except in the doctor's office where Jim had his first punch biopsy to see if that funny changing spot on his arm is cancerous.  We have been expecting this, Jim has all the risk factors.  Next week we will know if it is to be  frozen off (pre-cancerous) or cut out (the real deal).

We had company last week. So, did Lynette. Here are part of her loyal clan, the kind of friends that were friends before they were born.  

It was ridiculously windy Monday and Tuesday of this week.  We have been extremely spoiled these last few years.  When the kids were young and I hung clothes out on the line all summer I would have to keep track of the time.  Left out too long and underwear might end up over at the neighbors.  I like a good stiff wind to dry clothes.  They get dry and wrinkle free in a hurry.  We haven't had much of that kind of wind in those years.  I used to tell people from other places that we didn't think a wind was very much until 25 mph.  Anything else was normal.  

Monday we were having winds of 30 mph with gusts of 50.  Any loose twigs and branches came down, trash containers went to visit the neighbors, and I dried three loads of clothes on the clothesline.  

Monday was also one of those days to get a boatload of office work done, and a whole bunch of other things that I can't remember now because even though I decided if I took notes to remember what I did each day this week, I only wrote down that we had wind and I hung out clothes.

For Tuesday, I wrote down that the boys played with purple playdough that I made, oh, I guess I did THAT on Monday!  

I didn't write down any notes for the rest of the week, but I don't have any trouble remembering what I did on Wednesday.  It was 'parents eat lunch with your kid' day at school and since Lorene was at school herself, it was 'gramma eat with ALL the grandkids at school', because Jim was working and forgot to think about taking the time off.  

Zane wanting to be exceedingly helpful took Christian with him and Barry having done this a couple weeks ago, felt perfectly capable on his own.  That was a good thing because while I was smart enough to leave my purse behind, I had Barry's backpack and winter coat to look after as well as Christian's tray when Zane got busy.  This time I remembered to pay in the line.  The last time I had to go chase the lunch lady down after we were ready to go home.  

All was well at first at the table.  Zane told everyone how to eat, punched the straws in their bags of milk and all three proceeded to spend more time looking at everyone else in the room instead of eating.  Barry drank his milk. Christian drank most of his. Then everyone decided they needed to go to the bathroom. I ate lunch and tried to get the others to eat theirs.  Zane gobbled a few bites, but spent most of his time getting up and down off his chair and talking to his classmate.  Suddenly, the room was emptying, another class was coming in, and not much food was gone.  Zane grabbed two trays and off he went leaving me to stagger after him with two trays, and the backpack.  By this time Zane had whisked Christian off to the playground and Barry and I followed. They played there until recess was over and we all went home, the boys reluctantly, me thankfully, ready to corral the boys I had left in four walls.  

They did go outside later, but they saw a bee and came back in.  

I remember another thing that happened on Tuesday.  I spilled a mug of water on this laptop.  I turned it over quickly to pour as much out as I could while Jim took out the battery.  Then I let it sit on the heat register for 24 hours and fearfully put the battery back in on Thursday and I was back in business.  Of course, I spent a good share of time before that thinking about a plan in case it didn't start up again.  

So, here we are to today.  Errands are done, I had a glimpse of the boys when Lorene stopped in, (no school today), there are clothes in the dryer, photos of the day are organized, and supper is planned.  

I need to go get started on it. 

Paislee--6 mos

by Lynette 

View of a foggy day.   

More Paislee

Today is not Tuesday.  It isn't even close.  

It's Friday.  

I've been busy this week.  The garden is overproducing, and I need to quit even if the garden doesn't.  My jars are full and my freezer is full.  

This looking after boys on Tuesdays really tires me out.

I've been to a special 4 day event, I've had impromptu overnight company and I have company again.

I'm not tired of the company even if I'm tired of the garden.  

Here are a few photos from the last two weeks.  

Christian--all by himself in the morning while the boys are at school

Paislee

Lynette is starting clinicals.  One very cold day the group spent it doing blood pressure and skin checks on passers by at Husker Harvest Days. 

Paislee again

Three rambunctious grandsons don't like to sit still for a picture. We took too many for their taste as they were required to take one with Papa and with great-grandparents and by themselves.  

Poor kids. 

August 26th, 27th, and 28th

I forgot to blog Tuesday.  I didn't even think about it on Wednesday.  

I was busy.  

Tuesday isn't going to be a good day to blog since I spend time and energy looking after little boys.  

Wednesday, I made pickles, and zucchini bread.  

A lot of zucchini bread (8 loaves) and 11 quarts of pickles.  

Tuesday isn't going to work as a blogging day.  And it is very unlikely I will blog next week at all since Tuesday is full and Wednesday starts a very special trip out of town.  

Last week was a special week.  

Lynette participated in the 'white-coat' ceremony which introduces new nursing students into their nursing program.  I did a minimal amount of research and it is a common ceremony among other health science students.  

I am guessing it replaces the white cap ceremony because caps became annoying and obsolete as more male students became nurses.  

That was Friday, August 26th.

August 27th was Barry's birthday.  We had a party the week before and all those photos are still on the camera that in order to get those photos on to the computer I would have to get up and go get the cord. 

This was taken by his folks, on the day, in his favorite restaurant.   

August 28th, a visit to see Paislee, 

And from last week....

An Engaging Day

I have friends who post beautiful heart warming words in important events in their lives, or their daughter's lives.  

I don't seem to have any heart warming words to write today, but they are in my heart.

My daughter went to Ireland with her boyfriend and his sisters.

When she came back, she was engaged.

My dear girl, we are very happy for her. 

No Teenagers Here

There comes a time in every family.  

The last child turns 20.

There are no more teenagers at home.

A barrier had been crossed. 

A torch has been passed.

Or something like that.  

There are new little kids coming up, (none teenagers yet, thank goodness).

It feels a lot like an empty nest these days.

Birthdays bring family home and Lynette's birthday party filled up some of those empty spaces. 

Lynette tried out her photography skills on her sister's family, and it looks like they got one of her and the newest family member.  

For the Millers, not us.

While I was decorating birthday cake and helping Mom make the chili enchiladas that are her specialty for supper.  We had a little boy visit us.  He decided to stay even though I told him he would have to play by himself, I would be too busy.  

He got a better afternoon than he expected since Papa came home, set up his loader bucket, gave him a pile of sand to play in and then took him back of the shop where he spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the dirt pile Jim made while clearing a spot for a concrete pad. 

He gets a special photo since in the one above with Lynette and the two boys, he was behind the couch. 

The Ides of August

August 15, 2015

However,  the Ides of August are the 13th, only March, May, July and October have Ides on the 15th, all the rest of the months it's the 13th, and has something to do with the full moon, and if you want to know why on earth this mattered to the Romans, look it up.

The 15th is a very important day since it is the day my daughter came flying back home to us from a very long way away.  It's not so bad to have your daughter 4000 miles away in Spain, when you can talk to her often through facebook.  Who knew phone calls can be made through facebook?

 Everyone except me, apparently.

The hardest part for me were the days she wasn't happy. Then I worried.  I didn't have to worry where she was because I talked to her. I saw her photos on facebook.  

She emailed me about her weekend experiences.  

So, here we are at another half month blog post.  Some really exciting things happened this month. 

Lynette came home safe and sound from Spain and Zane started first grade, not necessarily in that order.  School starts so ridiculously early in our part of the world, that Zane went to school before Lynette got back from her study abroad in Spain.

August 13th

The first day of first grade for Zane.

The other boys thought they should be part of the party. 

Zane was in Litchfield last year, but Pleasanton will  be more convenient for everyone.  

August 15th

It's fun to be able to watch the plane come in and know my daughter is on it.

She landed late in the afternoon.

And here she is.  Too bad I was in a hurry to get her smile that the photo is quite horrible.

But, the smile is priceless.

One of the funniest things that happened this month, is when I cut my debit card up to throw away, it landed just like this photo shows into an egg shell. 

I eat wheat cereal nearly every day for breakfast.  

It looks so pretty with the blueberries and yogurt.