A Post Christmas Hello!

Yes, I am still alive. 

And we made it through Christmas. 

I hope all of my dear friends and family who read here had a wonderful Christmas!! 

We certainly did.  With our financial circumstances over the past few years, we haven't really been able to buy many gifts but last fall we sold our remaining piece of property to the neighbor who bought our former home (read about it here) and we decided to allow a little frivolity this year by having a bit of Christmas.  It was a welcome break and we did over-do a little but I'm sure we'll recover.  Daughter #2 had worked all summer at a resort as a housekeeper and she went all out on everyone since she doesn't really have financial responsibilities yet.  It was a real blessing to the younger ones since she bought them a new XBox--our old one kicked the bucket several years ago.  Son #4 kept saying, "I can't believe that you bought all of these awesome presents!".  It's been a long time since we've really indulged in much of anything and it felt heavenly. 

For our extended family I made most of the gifts.  Hopefully I can post a few pictures in the next day or two showing some of the things we made and gave away.  I always enjoy crafting and love to make practical things that I know will be enjoyed.  This year I made my customary soap and it all turned out wonderful.  I also made the ladies fingerless gloves (aka texting gloves) and I'm still working on the ones for my nephews and sons (I just ran out of time!).  The pot holders that I had made in the spring and summer were a bit hit.  As was the wild violet jelly I made in the spring. 

Previously when our business was going strong I made lots of cookies to give to the superintendants on the jobsites where DH and our sons worked.  Then when the business bit the dust I decided to start making cookies for the family.  Now I'm hooked and look forward to my cookie making sessions each year before Christmas.  So naturally the extended family got cookies this year too.

It would be almost an understatement to say that I was really BUSY from Thanksgiving until Christmas!!!

Yesterday was Son #4's birthday and there were more gifts.  I think he's in shock now since he got a few more nice gifts.  :-)

Today I have to drive Son #3 back to his place and Daughters #1 & 3 back to my sisters (or at least to Son #3's place so he can do me a favor by driving them back to my sisters.) and that will pretty much conclude the holiday celebrations. 

I've been mentally working on my New Year's Resolutions and hope to put those down on paper soon.  I'll share them soon.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Today is my birthday!!  Yippee!!  We won't be formally celebrating with cake and gifts until the last of July when Daughter #1 comes home from her visit with my youngest sister and my Daughter #2 (and it's Daughter #1's birthday--we're going to celebrate them together).  I usually don't do much for my birthday anyway.  :-) 

I don't mind confessing that I am 46 today.  Aside from a couple minor health issues, I am doing great.  I have plans for another great year--lots of fun with the kiddos left at home, expanding my knowledge of health and herbs, gaining wisdom, loving and laughing, and enjoying the challenges that each new day brings.

Last night my sweet little guy--Son #6--woke me up at a few minutes after midnight.  The dialog went like this...
     Son #6:  Happy Birthday Mommy!
     Me:  Thank you Sweetheart.
     Son #6:  It's been another year, hasn't it?
     Me:  Yep.  (Groggy smile and big hug)
     Son #6:  How old are you now?
     Me:  46
     Son #6:  (Mulling this over)  Oh.  OK.  (pause)  I love you so much Mommy. 
     Me:  I love you so much too Baby.  (More hugging)

What an excellent start to a birthday!!

Easter Reflections...

I hope that everybody had an awesome Easter Sunday...

Celebrating our Risen Lord!!

We had a great weekend!!

Son #3 came for a visit and brought along Daughter #2 and

 my sister's 2 youngest kids...

Cousins #5 and #6.

It was a blast!

Easter booty!!  Woo Hoo!!

We don't really eat a lot of candy anymore--but we do

indulge on Easter.

Son #6 was my egg coloring helper since

most of the other kids were having a good time

with their guests.  He really had a lot of fun getting

to do the eggs without his older brothers (or sisters)

taking over the project.  :-)

The birthday girls.

This year their birthdays fell just a few days before Easter.

Daughter #2 has her birthday one day before

Daughter #4.

One year, when Daughter #2 was just 3 or 4, her birthday

fell on Easter.  She was really angry to discover the next year

that it wasn't on Easter again. 

She fussed and fumed for weeks!!  ;-)

This year Son #3 took the Birthday Girls and Cousin #5

out to the movies to see The Hunger Games. 

Of course they loved it (though they said it was stressful).  :-)

Daughter #4 and Cousin #5.

Best Friends!!

They are just a few months apart in age.

The "little" boys.

Bundles of energy, always on the go.

All the kiddos present.

They're so goofy!!  Never a dull moment!!

Do you see the ball that Son #6 stuck up his shirt?

My Kombucha was a huge hit!!!

I gave Son #3 his own gallon jar to brew at his own place.

What a ham!!!

All in all a wonderful weekend!!

So many blessings to be thankful for!!!

Thank you Jesus!!!!

Playing Catch Up...

Yes, I've been playing a bit of hookie!! Shame on me, I know. With all of the warm weather it's just been pretty hectic--adding in outdoor chores to an already busy schedule. Ah, but what fun!!!

This post is picture heavy cause I'm cramming in almost 2 weeks worth of goings ons...

During the record breaking March heat wave we had here in MO, with temps up in the mid 80s for almost a week straight, it was hard to keep cool. DH was fussing about needing to get the girls RV moved so that they were in the shade until I reminded him that because it's still just March there IS no shade!!!  Thankfully the leaves are growing pretty quickly now.

Trying to stay cool and not run the air conditioner too much.

Somebody had their 8th birthday!!! Son #6 had been counting down for weeks!! He was so happy when his special day rolled around!!!

He doesn't even eat cake!!!  But we sure liked it!!

This was his favorite birthday present. 

OK, his 2 favorite presents... the bike and that Daughter #2 was here.

She helped him learn to ride it (it's been a year since

we've had a bike his size around--and he wasn't too interested then).

He said she's the best teacher ever!!  :-)

That's my boy!!

Our first snake of the year!! DH said that he was every bit of 4 feet long... and probably more.

Beautiful Black Rat Snake

We had a few storms roll through. I love storms!!

Before the storm!

Here it comes!

After the storm!

I decided to go ahead and plant my Moonshadow Hyacinth beans early.  They grow fast!!  If colder weather comes along I can just cover them up.

They will climb the string trellis I made for them.

This is just from the first day they came up.

It took about 7 or 8 days for them to germinate.

Last year you could practically watch them grow!!

Now this is the life, huh?

A nice sunny spot to nap in.

Great reading material for after the nap.

What more could a weiner dog want?

What a sweet shot of the moon and Venus (taken last night 3/26/2012).

B~E~A~U~T~I~F~U~L!!!

We've been getting in lots of yardwork time and I'm already working on having to weed the small patch of garden that we tilled.  The garlic is growing quickly.  I had to replant the spinach with some fresh seeds.  And I transplanted my 13 tiny seedlings of lettuce into the garden.  My other seedlings are all hardened off and ready to go into the ground.  I'm holding off for another week or so--at least until April!!  What a crazy spring!!

Our wild violets came early this year too.  I've been working on jelly and hope to post some pictures of that in the next few days.  Loads of fun!!  Love it!!

Happy Birthday Son #1 (and Cousin #3)

Did ya'll know that I actually have an alias name?

Yep.

Most people who know me say it suits me perfectly!! 

It's...

Pro Crasti Nation.

But I like it when everyone calls me by my first name

since it sounds so positive!! 

"Hey, Pro!"

You see?

It sound upbeat and skilled.

Ok, ok!

I hear you groaning!!  :-D

Last week Son #1 and Cousin #3 had a birthday.

Son #1 turned the BIG 3 - 0!!!

He's officially "old" now!!

Ha Ha!!

Last year I was more creative (read: had more time on my hands)

and posted lots of pictures.

You can see them here.

This year you can see what keeps him busy...

Cousin #3 turned 19

We have a few shared birthdays in our family.  I was born on my mom's birthday and my mother-in-law's is just the day before--plus my sister-in-law's is a few days before that.  Son #1 and Cousin #3 share the same birthday just 2 days after my dad's.  Son # 3 and Cousin #1 share a birthday (a day apart) several days after Christmas and is a few days after Son #4's birthday and Son #1's wife's birthday and a week and a half after Grandson #1's birthday and over 2 weeks after my oldest younger sister's birthday (put it this way... December is our all time "Birthday Month"!!).  Daughters #2 and 4 are just a day apart and 1 day after my step-dad's.  Son #6 and Cousin #2 are just a few days apart.  And my youngest sister shares a birthday with Cousin #5.   Interestingly enough, Grandson #1's birthday is 9 days before my daughter-in-law's birthday and Grandson #2's is 9 days before my son's.  :-)

In many ways it's easier to double or triple up and have a combined birthday party.  It's always lots of fun when you get to share your days anyway.  I can remember how exciting it was for due dates to be on or around someone's birthday.  The months without at least one birthday is pretty much nonexistant!!  :-)

I don't like to give out exact birthday dates--just to protect everybody. So that's why I'm usually late in posting birthday wishes. That and the need to live up to my name. :-)

Dr. DumDum and Nurse Stoopid

When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals.  I was sickly with bronchitis and then it was discovered that I had a hole in my heart (an Atrial Septal Defect).  My dad has always been pretty unconventional and often showed his affection by "insulting" me.  All in good fun, of course!  We would often sit in those boring waiting rooms whispering our "official" diagnosis of the other patients there.  Naturally we came up with names for our medical expert alter egos...  He was Dr. DumDum and I was Nurse Stoopid.  The nicknames and activities helped to pass some very long minutes--and sometimes hours.

So for my dad's birthday this year I wanted to send him something more personal than the usual card and gift.  I picked up a couple of Ty Beanie "Baby Monkey's By the Dozen" at Goodwill while Christmas shopping back in December (I had been keeping an eye out for matching monkeys for a while).  What a great find!!  I ended up buying a little bit of fabric for the outfits since most of my stuff is packed away and who knows where!  They turned out a little "rustic" but so cute!!

I loved their name tags...

Happy Birthday

Dad!!



Happy Birthday Daughter #3

Last week was Daughter #3's 17th birthday.

17???

How can this be?

Even she can't believe it!! :-)

Such a beautiful and sweet girl!!

The "balm of Gilead" of our family.

A soul soother.

She wanted Jello cake for her birthday cake.  Blueberry

Our fancy dinnerware!!  ;-)

Convenience wins over elegance at our birthday parties!

Son #3 came in his new ride.

It's his first vehicle.

It's very nice.  :-)

He brought some of the cousins along!!

And took Daughter #2 back with him to my sister's when he left.

She doesn't really want to leave.

But she doesn't want to stay with all of our cramped "togetherness".  :-)

It was a great weekend!!

Happy Birthday Dear Daughter #3

Happy Birthday Uno

Last week marked Uno's first birthday.  He is the first puppy that we've ever raised from birth.  What fun it's been!!  So I thought I'd post some pictures chronicling his first year...

Just hours after birth.

He was the only puppy and he was huge!

I had to help her get him out.

Napping with Daughter #2 while his momma was receiving

a much needed break.  Olivia was a very

devoted momma!!

Learning to eat solid food.

Playing with the little boys stuffed Luigi (Super Mario Bros.).

He was up and about in no time.

Since he was the only puppy we had to work hard

to give him lots to do.  With no sisters or brothers

to play with, we wanted to make sure that he wasn't too

hard on his momma!

Puppies do a lot of sleeping!!

And they do love to snuggle!!

So do the children!!

Playing!!

Daughter #4 was his "real" mommy.

Olivia nursed him but Daughter #4 took care of him full time.

Playing with me.  He's still pretty tiny in this picture--but very feisty!

If he wasn't sleeping or eating he was playing!!

Still good friends with Luigi.

We have to keep Luigi put up because he's still Uno's

favorite toy!  Amazingly he remains in decent shape for

the abuse he's taken.

Trying to figure out the sit and spin.

"But I'm not sleepy!!!"

Getting pretty big!!  Isn't he so cute?

Chewing on me again!!

Playtime with his momma outside.

He gets pretty rough.

Such a big boy now!! 

His most recent picture taken just after Christmas.

This is what all wiener dogs do in the winter if they can...

spend as much time in front of the space heater as possible!!

Happy Birthday

Uno!!!