Spending A Week With The Grands

Last week Andrew and Nikki went on a cruise to New Mexico. I went to their house and stayed with Haley and Mason all week. Although I have probably never worked so hard in my life, I still had a blast. I hope I never forget how Mason sang with me as I rocked him, or Haley putting her little face right in front of mine to say, "you are the best!" as I read her books. And no, everything wasn't happy all the time. I dealt with meltdowns, naughtiness, and frustration at times. But, the love that spilled over in my heart was undescribable. 

I gave them lots of baths.

They both love taking a bath, and I am so glad. They never once complained about it. Haley loves letting the water run over her head.

 I told her to let all of her hair go over her face and I would show her what a hairy monster looked like. I took her pic to show her.

Haha!
Mason was happy and content to pour water from one container to another.

When it was time to wash him, he would get really mad, especially if I had to wash his hair. He was usually ready for bed as soon as he got out. Taking a bath made him sleepy.

Several days I took them outside to play.

I made Haley a flower headband.

She loved it, and the next time we played outside, she started picking flowers for me to make her another one.

Usually Haley rode the tricycle and Mason sat on the bicycle while I guided him holding the handlebar. I just had to stand on one side of him and hold the handlebar. It rode so smoothly and didn't hurt my back.

I didn't get a pic, but Mason loved pulling and pushig the wagon around the garage. 

Some evenings I let them ride on the front porch while I sat on the steps and relaxed (NOT!) Hahaha. I had to make sure Mason wasn't getting the rocks out of the planter or trying to jump off the steps. I also had to make sure Haley didn't ride her tricycle down the steps. Really tho, I enjoyed watching them play. Haley kept saying, "thank you for bring us out to play." She is so sweet and thoughtful.

There were priceless moments that thrilled my heart.

We also played with the playdough, and Mason didn't put it in his mouth. (yay!)  Haley made a mermaid.

I thought it was an amazing job for a three year old.

Nikki had left a note and surprise for Haley when she was a good girl. It was paint and suncatchers. In the evening after supper (when I remembered) she painted. Nikki drew Haley a picture of them because Haley loves drawings.

Haley was thrilled with it and hugged it to her.

Isn't that just the sweetest thing!?

One day I decided to steam mop the floors. Haley helped too.

The day I cleaned her room, she kept me entertained by dancing on her desk to the music on her CD player.

At night time, after getting them to sleep, I would fall into bed exhausted. I usually slept wonderful and even better than I slept at home. Andrew and Nikki just bought a new mattress and it is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. 

In the early morning hours, Haley would usually come to my (their) bed and go back to sleep. Most of the time I hardly roused. I got up before they did because Ryan would call me before he went to school and  I didn't want to wake them. It was so sweet to see them sleeping.

If only Ryan had been able to stay too, everything would have been so much better. It was really hard being away from him, and he didn't like it either. I was so anxious to get back home at the end of the week. He really missed me, and it made me feel good. Maybe I am doing some things right as a mom. :) Ryan doesn't show a lot of affection, so I was surprised that he missed me. I love him more than words can say!! He is still my baby boy. ;) (don't tell him, tho)  

This week Ryan had two end of the course tests on Monday and Tuesday. He asked if he could stay out of school since he didn't have anything important. I told him if he would help me work. So, today we borrowed Papaw Sha's truck and got mulch for the landscaping. We worked and worked and were so tired. I weeded and he mulched. I am so happy with all we accomplished but there is still a lot I want to do. Mark came home from work and said it looked so good. :)

Ok, I am off here to wash the dishes. I have been consistant in getting my dishes washed every night. Yay! It feels so good to get up to a clean kitchen in the morning. I hope you all have a safe, wonderful night, and a blessed day tomorrow.

Snow Day

I thought I would be sleeping later this morning, but I didn't. I woke before Mark left at 7 and was wide awake. I went ahead and washed my hair, dried/fixed it, and put on my makeup. I finished around 8 and was just ready to sit down with a cup of coffee when Ryan got up. I started to fix breakfast for him, but he wanted me to wait. He wasn't hungry yet. So, I sat down with a cup of coffee to watch tv and read the Bible. I think it was around 10 AM when I fixed breakfast for him.

I ate banana with peanut butter for my breakfast, and I fried balogna with baked fries for his breakfast (I am trying to get him to gain weight). He ate all the fries but not the balogna. Guess who ate the balogna.?? Me Grrrrrrr Why can't I ever turn down food? sigh After we ate I decided to take a nap before I got started working. I felt so tired. I probably napped for an hour and a half to two hours. I didn't time it. I felt so good when I woke. By this time I was getting really lazy, so I didn't accomplish too much. I just relaxed and enjoyed seeing the snow. It actually didn't snow that much during the day. The grass was covered but the road was clear. It was so nice seeing this beautiful scene as I fixed supper.

I love the snow. It makes everything beautiful!

This afternoon I hated that I hadn't gotten anything done, so I folded/hung up/put away three loads of clothes. I had Ryan put the sheets in the wash earlier, so the beds have clean sheets. He also put a load of towels in the washer and then the dryer (they are still in the dryer).  I took a bath and then started supper. 

For supper I fixed skillet rice, home canned green beans, and gluten free toast (for Mark and Me). I still plan to wash the dishes before I go to bed.

Around 8:30PM I looked out the back door and it was snowing again. 

It is probably two inches deep now.

And as you can see, it is continuing to snow. Yay!! I love the snow.

We have had more snow this year than last year. Although it hasn't been a lot. I think a couple of times it was just a dusting, and one time we got two to three inches. That snow was really pretty. 

We always have a problem gettting out of our driveway. Those of you that know us, know that our driveway goes down a hill to a sharp curve right before the dropoff to the woods.

Mark had a hard time getting up our driveway in his straight shift because he couldn't get enough speed to make it up the hill. I didn't have any problems in my corolla. One morning he tried and tried to get up the road (we live at the bottom of the hill) and couldn't make it. So, he parked his car on the street and got in my car in the basement. My car drove right out of our driveway and right up our street. 

Ryan went out later that day and moved Mark's car back to the driveway so no one would accidently hit it.

The sky was beautiful the day after it snowed.

Ryan and I have had to shovel our driveway several times this year. Even if we get very little snow and it is icy, we can't take the chance of sliding into the woods.

One time it was so cold when we were shoveling, that Ryan couldn't stand the wind on his face. We were laughing because he was guessing where he needed to shovel.

One time when we had shoveled the driveway it froze over again. We came back home after being out, and I told Ryan he needed to scrape me a path to go around the curve (no worries going out, but sliding down the hill coming back in is a worry). He said no, he would just watch me. I cracked up because how was him watching me going to keep me from going in the woods?? It really did help because he told me when to turn so I wouldn't slide.

I made it fine. The rest of the roads were clear, but that part of our driveway does not get much sun. It takes forever to clear. I hate parking outside on the street because it seems like we have to buy a new battery when we do. Mark had to get a new one the other day.

Nikki and Andrew got snow this year too. She took the kids outside to play.

Haley loved the snow, but Mason didn't like it. Nikki said his little eyebrows were down looking at it. He didn't know what it was. And he kept pulling his hood down so the snow wouldn't fall on him (he hates wearing a hood). He decided he liked it more on the porch.

Look at that cute litte red nose. :) Then, he decided he wanted to go back in the house.

That baby boy does NOT like cold. Nikki tried giving him ice cream the other day.

He is smiling, but he didn't like it. He doesn't care for cold. He likes warm. :)

Haley loves ice cream.

Ahhhhhh, I look at these pictures and it makes me want to hold them. It looks like the snow is going to keep me from seeing them this week, tho'. 

 Ok, I just took a break and went out on the back deck to check the snow.

I am soooo excited!!!! I pray everyone is safe and protected in the snow. I pray none of my family or friends loose power. Hopefully, I will be posting tomorrow evening about all this snow. See ya next time.

Tuesday

This morning I woke early. Mark gets up usually between five and five thirty. Sometimes I never wake, sometimes I wake and go back to sleep, and sometimes I wake and can't go back to sleep. This morning I couldn't go back to sleep. After laying there awhile, I decided to get up. I usually wash my hair and hop in the bath but this morning I couldn't. After I washed my hair, Mark was taking his shower. I had to wait til he finished so I wouldn't run out the hot water. I went ahead and dried my hair, and when I finished, he was done. By the time I woke Ryan, I was ready to go. I read the Bible while he got ready.

Today we got to school early too. WooHoo! We are on a roll. I love when we get there early. I came back and fed/watered Zoe. Then I went upstairs to fix my breakfast. I have been trying to get Ryan to eat more, so this morning I fixed him a few fries with his bacon. Yum, yum! He wouldn't eat them, so I ate them with an egg and two slices of bacon he had left. He hardly eats anything anymore. :(

This morning I scrubbed all the spots, etc. on the white clothes and washed them. I had washed sheets last night, so I dried them when I put the whites in the wash. Today I washed two loads and with that load last night, I still have three loads to fold. I was going to do it earlier, but I was just tired and lazy. I have already washed the dishes for tonight tho', so I won't have to worry about it tomorrow morning. 

I also cleaned both bathrooms today and mopped. I actually cleaned the front bathroom on hands and knees. Since Ryan and I have been sick, I cleaned the whole floor and a lot of the walls with sterilizing wipes. This makes several times I have cleaned/sterilized that bathroom, but now I really feel like it is clean of sick germs. 

Guess who followed me around as I worked.

Sometimes I feel sorry for him and try to get him to go lay down. But, he won't. I think we were both tired by the time I finished.

I snoozed a little before I went to get Ryan. I set the timer on the stove, so I would have to get up to turn it off. I did not want to take a chance of not waking to go get Ryan. 

Tonight for supper I fixed Sesame Chicken without the sesame seeds. Ha! I did extra sauce and just put the rice, chicken and stir fry veggies all together. Ryan and I really liked it but Mark wasn't crazy about it. I am not sure if I will ever fix it again. 

I got to talk to Haley a few minutes tonight. She was eating supper. I think she told me she was eating apples and chicken. I just love talking to her and Mason. Oh, and Nikki told Mason to tell me hello, but he said something else. He is a little rebel. :D  I just love them both so, so much!!!

Sunday Nikki sent me a couple of pictures of the babies out to eat.

I love these pictures!! They both look so happy. 

They have already called off Ryan's school for tomorrow, so maybe I will get to sleep later. They are expecting snow, and I really hope we get one more big snow. I don't wish anyone to have any problems tho'. I pray everyone will be safe and protected. Maybe I will have snow pictures to blog tomorrow. See you next time.

Monday

Last night I didn't get a lot of sleep. It seems like most Sunday nights I don't sleep well. Maybe it is because I usually take a nap Sunday afternoon. Most of the time I have a lot on my mind that night from everything that happened during the day. 

My Sunday School lesson yesterday was on love. I had to hurry thru the lesson because we made each family a valentine from our class. 

I ordered the valentines from Oriental Trading and put them together at home. I attached two magnets to the back so they could stick on the fridge. Then I printed out small name tags, had my class sign them, and glued them to the back. Little Brysen couldn't sign his name so we used each of his thumbprints to make a heart. Samantha signed his name beside it. Samantha handed them out with a bag of a few chocolate kisses. Everyone loved them. It thrilled my heart. I also did a handprint heart of Brysen's hands and a footprint on a page that read "From the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes..I Love You!"  We had a very busy class that morning.  When one class is finished, I have to start thinking about what I can do for the next class...a lot on my mind sometimes.

I was afraid I would have a hard time waking this morning, but I didn't. Thank God! I got Ryan to school early today which was another blessing. 

When I got back from taking Ryan to school, I put Zoe out and fed her. Then I started a load of clothes. I felt determined to get a lot accomplished today. I read the Bible as I ate my breakfast. I always try to start my day reading the Word and talking to God. I talk to God all day long, not just in the morning. He is my best friend and knows my heart like no one else. He also loves me like no one else and I really need that. When I get up in the morning, I usually slide right off the bed onto my knees to talk to God.  I want to start my day being thankful to be alive, well, and strong. I remember hearing Mom or Dad pray in the morning as I grew up so many times "Thank you God for the strength to arise to the light of this day." Those words mean so much more to me now. 

As I drive Ryan to school, I pray aloud. I pray for his schooling, protection, friends, wisdom, etc....so many things. I also pray for my family and others. Martha got me started doing this when she told me about praying with her kids before school. She told me how important it is for your kids to hear you pray and talk to God. I agree. Mom and Dad taught me about praying and talking to God, and I didn't even realize they were. Now I pray prayers that I heard them pray so many years ago. I have heard Ryan pray prayers he has heard me pray. They say kids learn more from our example than all the words we tell them, and I believe it. I wish I had been a better example to Andrew as he was growing up. I have been a much better mom to Ryan (sad to say, but true). Not that I am perfect, by any means!

Right after I finished breakfast (two eggs and two slices of bacon), I started washing dishes. I had been doing so well washing the dishes and not leaving them overnight, but not last night. I blogged instead of washing dishes. :)  I couldn't finish all the dishes because the hot water ran out from me washing the comforter. So, I folded clothes till the water heated again.

As I was folding the clothes, I looked down to see my little shadow.

He usually waits until I sit down and get comfortable, then he starts begging to go outside. Rarely does he let me know he wants to go outside when I am up and about. He was staring intently at me which is another thing he does when he wants to go outside. When he sees me looking at him, he starts wagging his tail. I try to nonchalantly ignore him until I have to get up. 

Today I washed, folded, and hung up two loads of clothes. I washed dishes, washed the ceiling fan in the kitchen and changed the light bulb. I also put a new lightbulb in the hall ceiling light. This afternoon I went to the library to pick up a book on hold and then helped Ryan take down the outside icicle lights (he did the hard work). I know it is really awful that we are just now getting them down. Ryan said we are just celebrating Christmas every day. Hahaha (riiiiight!) We have never left our lights up like that. I know this sounds crazy, but ever since we lost Mom, I feel more unorganized than ever. I am trying to remedy that. "sigh"  

Tonight for supper I fixed a new (to us) recipe. Mark and I loved it and Ryan said it was ok (which is good coming from him). I got this recipe from lynnskitchenadventures(dot)com. Martha and I get a lot of recipes from her and they are delicious.

Southwest Beef Stew

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 16 ounces of frozen corn
• 1-15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 cup salsa (You can use mild, medium, or hot depending on how spicy you like it.)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese for serving

1. In a large pan brown ground beef and drain off any fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese, and stir well. Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.
3. Serve in bowls garnished with cheese.

I fixed gluten free cornbread to go with it and put some dallops of sour cream on Mark's.  I used mild salsa in it. I always use mild everything. Ryan has reflux, and Mark and I have it too (just not as bad). I really like mild stuff better because I feel like I can taste the flavors of the food better. This recipe will go in the "meals" notebook for sure.

I am thankful for a good day....for family, good food, and strength to work. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted, but hopefully, tomorrow I will accomplish more. As long as I am striving to do better and not giving up, I am satisfied. Maybe I will surprise myself and blog again tomorrow too. See you next time.

Sickness

The awful, yucky, stomach bug has been thru our house and Andrew and Nikki's house. Mark is the only one spared, and I am thankful he hasn't gotten it. Ryan got it first. He texted me one afternoon during his last period, saying he was sick. He toughed it out until school was over, but was getting sick on the way home. (He can't throw up because he has had fundoplacation surgery).  When we got home he went straight to bed. I gave him some advil (I can't remember why), and he started feeling a lot better. I thought maybe he had the flu because his nausea was gone. So, I gave him chicken strips for supper. It was the worst thing in the world because it wasn't the flu. It really was a stomach bug, and it upset his tummy terribly. Even tho' he has had that surgery and has not been able to throw up for years, he actually threw up. That is how sick he was. It was awful. He was in bed all the next day, but the following day, was able to be up and down on the couch. I knew he was getting better when he was able to play his guitar.

He was blessed that it snowed the day he went back to school so he only had to spend a few hours there. Then it was the weekend.

The following week Nikki texted me during the night that Haley had just thrown up and wanted to talk to me. It broke my heart. Before I got off the phone with her, she was starting to get sick again. I lay there praying and praying for them. Little did I know that later Mason started crying and had thrown up in his bed. And, before the night was over, Nikki would be throwing up as well.  

The next day Andrew had to leave and go to work because his boss was coming in from Nashville to give him a review. Nikki did not know how she was going to make it. It turned out that his boss didn't show up so he was able to come back home. By the afternoon, the babies were better, but by that night, Andrew was sick. 

That night as I told Mark about Andrew now being sick, he said, "are you going down?"  I asked if he thought I should and he did.  I was really worried about getting sick, but not only that, it had just snowed and that area had been in the news for people parking on the interstate overnight because they couldn't make it in the snow. I talked to Nikki and she thought the interstate was clear. 

The next day I headed down to Andrew and Nikki's. It really worked out well because Ryan's school had been called off because of the snow. I didn't have to worry about how he was going to get home from school. I also fixed supper for him and Mark before I left, in addition to fixing potato soup to take to Andrew and Nikki.

I didn't have any problems getting there, but the back roads to Andrew and Nikki's were snow packed.

I spent the day with them, and by the time I left, Nikki and the kids were better.They were able to eat the potato soup and do fine. Yay!!  Andrew had to go to work, bless his heart, because since his boss hadn't come the day before, he was supposed to come back. He was able to get off early, but he went straight to bed when he got home. I barely got to see him at all.  It took Andrew several days to get over his, and I think it was because he kept having to go to work and couldn't just stay in bed and recover. 

They finally all got better, and the following Saturday, Nikki came up for the weekend.  I met Nikki at the hair salon where Haley got her first haircut. She looked like a beautiful little darling sitting there getting her first haircut. :) The hair stylist talked about how well she did. 

When I left the salon, I took Mason and Haley with me.  I dropped by Nikki's Mom and Dad's to pick up a diaper. Mason was needing one and I didn't have one. Mason cried for his Nana when we left. I really love the bond he has with her. Haley told me Mason only loves Nana and nobody else. lol Kids say the cutest things.

We then went to Martha and Kevin's for awhile. They gave Haley and Mason their Christmas gifts. With so much sickness (Martha has had the flu), this was the first chance we had had to get together. They got Haley a Hungry Hippos game and Mason a big school bus that played music and had little people to take in and out. The babies loved being at Martha's. 

After we left their house, I took Mason to his Nana's to spend the night. He loves his Nana, and I just don't have a good place for him to sleep when I have Haley. I can only keep one of them at a time, and since Mason loves his Nana so much, we usually do it this way. 

Haley and I went home to relax for a while. She loved seeing Papaw and teasing with him.

I also gave her a bath and fed her. Then we went to get Ryan who had spent the afternoon with Nana and Papaw. I had actually taken Haley and Mason to see them earlier in the day. We had had a very busy day.

I decided to go thru the car wash on our way home from picking up Ryan. My car was covered in salt grime from the snow. I didn't want to drive the chruch the next day with it so dirty. Ryan unlatched Haley's carseat and she crawled in the front with us while we went thru the car wash. I loved all the expressions on her face. I took pictures on my phone to try and capture some of them.

By the time we got home, it was after 9PM. It was past time for Haley to be in bed. Even though it was later than her regular bedtime (I think), it still took her a while to go to sleep. I read a few books to her on my Kindle before I tried to settle her down. She finally decided she wanted to be rocked (Yay!), and that is how she went to sleep. I love rocking babies. 

I think it was around 3AM she woke. I tried rubbing her back to help her go back to sleep. Finally she told me she was hungry. I fixed her a piece of toast with peanut butter. She took one bite and didn't want any more. I ended up rocking her back to sleep again after being awake over an hour. She slept the rest of the night. I was worried that maybe I had woke her somehow, so I didn't sleep with her after that. 

The next morning I got up early so I could be ready when it was time for me to wake Haley. I knew she would be sleeping late since she had gotten to sleep later and was awake in the night. She woke up earlier than I expected. I thought I was going to have to wake her. And, although she wasn't in a bad mood or anything, she wasn't like her cheerful self. I found out why in just a little bit. She came to the bathroom as I was finishing gettting ready. I thought she was going to use the potty, so I started to help her unzip her footed pj's. She said, "no," and turn around and threw up in the potty. Oh my goodness, it surprised and worried me. I didn't know if it was the tail end of her sickness or if she had somehow gotten sick here from where Ryan had been sick before?? 

She said she was better after she threw up, but I knew I couldn't take her to church. She sat on Papaw's lap while Ryan got up and got ready and I finished. She wouldn't let Papaw touch her tummy because it made it upset. By the time we left, she was feeling better and wanting to go to church. I hated that I couldn't take her, but I was glad she was feeling better. I stopped at the store and ran in to get soup, crackers, etc. in case she had anymore problems. Then I took her to Nikki's mom where Mason was. It was sad to leave both of the babies. Ryan and I didn't make it to Sunday School, but we made it to the church service.

That afternoon I took a long nap. I was so tired from being awake the night before. I texted with Andrew and Haley was fine the rest of the day. Thank God. She said some brownies she had eaten had bothered her tummy. That night Ryan and I went to church. Later, around bedtime I started feeling bad and my stomach didn't feel right. I thought, oh no! I am getting sick! I hurried and cleaned the kitchen, fixed Mark's lunch and anything else I needed to do in case I got sick. 

I couldn't get to sleep. The more I lay there the more upset my stomach was. Sure enough, I ended up with the virus. It was awful!!!! I was so very sick!!! I was in bed all the next day and the next night. I was sick of being in bed. Everytime I went to the bathroom I would try to sterilize it after I finished. By the time I got back in bed, I was usually feeling bad again. Monday night Mark gave me some ibuprophen and I was able to keep it down. It was the turn around that made me start feeling better.

Oh, and Monday Ryan had stomach problems again too. He didn't have it as bad as the first time, but it made him very weak. He was out of school Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday morning I decided I was going to get up and get ready. I was so determined not to spend another day in bed. After washing my hair and taking a bath, I felt better. I was up the rest of the day working on changing the bed and washing clothes. I was even able to fix supper Tuesday night. 

Wednesday I was better but still not back to normal. After I took Ryan to school, I colored my hair. I also gave myself a haircut. It took for.ev.er!!! I am so thankful for how it turned out. Martha says she really loves it, and she is always honest with me. Anyway, when I finished and took a shower, it was after 12PM. Mark called before I had even dried my hair saying his car would not start. I had to finish getting ready and drive to the next town to jump start his car. He drove straight to the repair shop and had to get a new battery. I went straight to pick up Ryan after school.

The rest of the week we were all fine. Thank God!! I had to get groceries Thursday and Friday, so I still am not caught up on my washing. I am so thankful to feel better. I think the last time I was sick with a stomach bug, I was pregnant with Ryan. That is a looong time ago. I had forgotten how bad it felt. I hope we never have the stomach bug again. It is no fun!

In other news, Haley started ballet Monday. She looked like a precious little angel in her little tutu.

Oh my goodness! She looks like such a "big girl". (sigh) Life passes quickly. I was too sick to talk to her Monday when she had her first class, but Tuesday she told me all about it over the phone. I love talking to her. It is just wonderful being a gigi!!

Ok, I gotta get to bed! I pray you guys have a wonderful week. Hopefully things will be quieter and I can post more this week. I need to do several catch up posts too.  So, maybe I will be here tomorrow. :) See ya next time.