Daryl's Vacation

What's a vacation without books?

We don't know!

Ready, set....

Read!

Three Sunsets

I am amazed at how different the sunset can look each night!

We're Off!

Daryl and I are on vacation!

Our traditional airplane shot

I think we have arrived in paradise...

The view from our balcony

Besides the resting I'll be doing this week, I plan to learn about this new camera I have so I should have more pictures to share.

I feel very blessed.

Small Things

A couple of years ago I painted a spot on the dining room wall with chalkboard paint and got Daryl to put a frame around it.  My idea was to keep inspirational, meaningful, or funny phrases on the wall - just because.  After I put it up, I realized that the grandkids would probably love to write on the "chalkboard", also, so I keep chalk in the ledge of the frame.  They pull up a chair and draw whatever they want to, whenever they want to.  Any words I might have written can be written again.

About a week ago, David asked me if it was okay for Jonathan to be drawing on the chalkboard, and I told him yes.  When I went in there the next day I saw that Jonathan had moved aside a stickery plant, pulled up a chair, and had "drawn" this:

It must be a grandmother thing, but it makes me so happy to think about the process that J went through to draw this.  He knew it was okay to move the furniture around, he felt fine about adding to what I had written, and he knew that he didn't have to ask.  Lily does it, too.  And it makes me smile.

Things I learned from a blanket

Sarah brought a piece of fabric to me that had a map of the world printed on it.  She wondered if I could make it into a little blanket.  So I did.  After a little encouragement from Jonathan.  I had the fabric for about a month and then we had this conversation:

Jonathan:  Minnie, when are you going to make my map blanket?

Me:  I don't know.  When do you want me to make it?

Jonathan:  I think tomorrow would be good.

So I made the blanket.

Here it is when it was just a piece of fabric.

Finished!

Now, on to what I learned:

1.  No wonder there have been World Wars in Europe!

Just look at that picture - there are a lot of people trying to divide up a not so big piece of the world!  You can look back at the big blanket, I mean map, and see that Canada is much larger, but not divided up.  And not one World War there.

2.  "Why is Shiloh able to swim in the river in January?"

Take a close look at the lower middle part of this picture.  It says LABRADOR SEA.  Right beside Greenland and not too far from Iceland.  Shiloh is a Labrador Retriever.  The Labrador Sea must be cold.  Labrador Retrievers can swim in cold water.  AhhHaa!!

That doesn't answer the question, "Why does Shiloh cry when she gets one raindrop on her head?"  The answer to that must be on another map.

Sapper!

Sometimes there is a word that can be used in so many circumstances that the word becomes legendary and is passed down through the generations.

Surely your family has such a word.

Daryl's word is "sapper".   Dictionary.com defines 'sapper' as a soldier who digs trenches.  What?  That's not even close!

Sap' per
 (sap-er)
   - interjection
        an exclamatory word.  As in, "Daryl, the horses are out."  His response, "Sapper!"

   - noun
        As in, "Lily, you are really getting big!"  Her response, "I am a big ole' sapper.  Minnie is a big sapper, too."

   - adjective
        As in, "Jonathan, do you want a big yard or a small yard?"  His response, "A big yard so I can have a  big ole' sapper garden!"

Needless to say, Daryl is very proud.

Winter in Alabama

I have seen pictures this week of winter scenes in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.  It seemed only fair that I share the extremes we are going through here, as well.   I'm not sure we will be able to dig out.  

Icicles on the bird feeder

Thankful Thursday

Every year, on my birthday, my mom and dad call to tell me Happy Birthday.  Dad always tells me that he remembers the day I was born.  And I get to hear the story again.  It was on an October day in upstate New York and Dad was pulling his first alert....

I try to remember to do the same for our children and grandchildren.

Ben, I remember the day you were born.  It was a Sunday evening, Pappy and JoJo stayed at the hospital to see you even though he was supposed to preach at church that night.....

David, I remember the day you were born.  It was a Thursday.  At home I thought I was just feeling a little sick, but decided to go to the hospital anyway.  You were so small......

Jackie, I remember the day you were born.  It was a Friday.  I don't think I have ever been happier than the minute I was told we had a daughter....

Jonathan, I remember the day you were born.  We drove 22 hours to Colorado to meet you and when we got out of the van at the hospital Uncle Ben and Aunt Jackie had a snowball fight.....

Lily, I remember the day you were born.  We were so happy to finally meet you and just knew you were going to have the prettiest brown hair and brown eyes....

Daniel, I remember the day you were born.   When you were only a few minutes old, you laid under the light in the nursery and very peacefully looked around....

Bella, I remember the day you were born.  When you were only a few minutes old, you laid under the light in the nursery and started letting everyone know that you were here....

Next week our family will increase by one little boy.  One little wonderful, loved, prayed-for, crazy-haired boy.   Bennett's adoption into Ben and Abbie's family is next week in Texas and we couldn't be happier.

I also remember the day Bennett was born.  It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving last year.   And just like everyone else in the family, Bennett has his own story.

Bennett's story includes another family, Shelly and C.V.  And for this family I will always be thankful.  They have loved Bennett.  Their home has been his home.  He has had aunts, uncles, grandparents, and all the love that brings.  What else can a little boy need but a family who loves him?  Shelly and C.V. talk to Bennett every day now about his mommy, daddy, and big sister.  They are doing what would be so difficult for most of us - they are loving and letting go.   Mama Shelly is a part of Bennett's story.

And for that, I am thankful.

MY NAME IS MINNIE!!!!

Before our grandchildren were born we chose the names they would call us.  Daryl wanted to be called PawPaw, just like his granddad.  I wanted to be called Minnie.  Mine is a family name, too.  My mom's grandmother was called Minnie.  Jonathan calls me Minnie.  Lily calls me Minnie.

And Bella used to call me Minnie.  Until Daniel started calling me MiMi.  And now Bella calls me MiMi.  They are very sweetly calling me MiMi.  But.  That.  Is.  Not.  My.  Name.

What if Jonathan gives in to peer pressure?  What if he stops calling me Minnie?  Will Lily be next?

I really think it is some kind of twin thing.  I have heard that they can sometimes have their own language that they use only with each other.  Daniel and Bella may have some sort of name-changing pact.  PawPaw had better watch out.  He may soon be Pop.  Or Grandfather.

As cute and sweet as they are, though, I may give up my strong stance on this.  Maybe.

"Chickens make me happy!"

This is so funny to me because I didn't have to hurry to catch this picture.  He stayed like this for a long time! 

Put the corn just out of reach of the chickens!

Promise of Warmth

I love a woodpile!  For a lot of reasons, I guess.  I like how it fits together, I like the neatness of it, I like that someone took a mess of logs and gave them order, and I like the promise of warmth in the winter.  Corey likes a woodpile, too.  I'm not sure what his favorite part is, but I do know that he seems to enjoy the work of cutting and splitting the wood.  And for that I am grateful.

Both of these woodpiles are thanks to Corey.