Saturday, June 30, 2012

Random Pics From The Week....

Sometimes I feel just like the screen from my camera....


Last Sunday at the NICU - holding Kailey!

It took two to change Trystan's diaper!
I am certain they will have this chore down pat in no time!
And I won't even GO there with 'How many Aggies does it take to change a diaper?'
Amber is a Texas State Bobcat!

Summer held Logan last weekend.


Louis Dean and Lucy were happy to see me when I got in late Sunday night!
Lucy - who had NEVER ever gets up on the furniture - decided to curl up there beside Louis Dean - nuzzle her head up under his arm - and then remain MOTIONLESS for the next half hour! She thought if she didn't MOVE then we didn't really SEE her!!



Maggies missed having her wine glasses filled with fresh water oftentimes during the day. I found her sitting on the bedroom floor gazing up at where her glass SHOULD be! As soon as I brought one and set it down she gracefully jumped up there and took a nice long drink! Never mind there was water in both the dog and cat bowls!

It's triple digits in Texas so the big fan is back on duty to keep us comfortable in the gazebo on these summer mornings!'


After eating lunch at the Cotton Patch yesterday and enjoying a dish of their fried apples - I decided to cook up a pot of our own! Delicious!


Speaking of the Cotton Patch - Louis Dean, Mother, I  and two of LD's grandchildren ate there Friday and spend part of the afternoon together. It had been TOO long since he had seen them and we all talked and laughed and had fun!


Robert and Mary Ellen!


I think this picture shows they enjoyed seeing each other!


A random pic......fresh produce from Louis Dean's son.
Fresh vegetables, good bread and cheese and a bottle of wine makes a perfect meal for a summer evening around here.


Louis Dean needs a little more protein so Salmon Croquettes finish off the menu.


We have our work cut out for us in the camper - literally!


I have faith he can do it!! There's never been anything YET he couldn't fix!


I've been busy covering the cushions today.


Adding a little interest to the corners of the cushion with some vintage Angel pins.


I made tubes of fabric for the back cushion and then folded the ends as I would if I were wrapping a package. Then I added the pins.



I have lots to choose from so I can change them out from time to time.

 

I made a 'halter top' for the bottom cushion.
I washed the cover - and the foam cushion itself - and put the cover back on.
The backing is vinyl so I measured the denim and sewed four  elastic bands from from edge to back edges. This worked perfectly! Louis Dean's idea!

One set down - one to go!
But now that the sun has gone down I am heading out to do some yard work.
I came in and took a nap earlier and LD soaked in the tub and rested.
Now we are both back to work - and getting dirty all over again!!


Lucy is already out there waiting for me!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Quad's One Month Birthday!



It is amazing how QUICKLY the last 4 weeks have flown by!
The Bell Quad Squad is now celebrating their one month birthday with a photo shoot straight from the NICU unit!!

Amber arranged the babies in every pic by their order of birth!

Trystan, Kailey, Harrison and Logan.
The nurses at the NICU made these pictures possible.
They all definitely go the extra mile! And THEN some!
At birth they weighed:
Trystan - 2 lb 13 oz
Kailey - 2 lb 12 oz
Harrison - 3 lb 6 oz
Logan - 2 lb 6 oz
At one month they now weigh:
Trystan - 3 lb 13 oz
Kailey - 3 lb 14 oz
Harrison - 4 lb 9 oz
Logan - 3 lb 10 oz

My sweet Amber has her ARMS full!!!
To read and SEE all the photos visit -


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A RUGGED Recycled Denim Quilt!


At long last I finished the rugged manly quilt for my step son.
(I used to call him my son in law and he finally said, "I think I would be correct in saying I am your STEP SON!) And a awesome one he IS! He lives in the country and has a remarkable life and an equally remarkable WIFE!


I used old denim jeans and a bedsheet for backing.


I 'quilted' it together by sewing the blue jean pockets on top.


I made a FULL size quilt and let me tell you - it is HEAVY!!
You will stay warm under this in the coldest winter Texas has to offer.


It is washed, dried, folded and ready to give!

I love recycling things! We hope to do a lot of that in our camper.


Louis Dean has been hard at work for a portion of every day out there!
He is having to replace the flooring in this area and it will be sturdier than the day it was built!


We took some time off yesterday to eat at Saltgrass Steakhouse!
If you don't know this - Louis Dean gets VERY excited about FOOD!!!


I liked the Texas Tea!
Yesterday we ate......



today we went to the movies!
Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith!
How could we go wrong with THAT combination??

Now we are back at work in the camper. I am deciding how to recover the cushions.
Amber tells me we don't have much time!
The babies are growing and 3 of the 4 have moved from the isolettes to cribs!

Harrison in his big boy crib and cute clothes!

He is so cute! They ALL are!
I think Harrison and Kailey look very much alike!

Don't YOU???? She was second to be moved to a crib.

Cute little Trystan was third!

I love how she arches that eyebrow at her mom!
Amber used to do that to me! As a matter of fact - she still DOES!!!

Only Baby Logan is in the isolette now.

Born at just 2 lb 6 oz. she has now reached 3 lb but remains the smallest.
Hard for these tiny babies to keep their body temperature regulated on their own.

These pictures are real incentives to get this camper repaired and fixed up to travel!
So that's where you will find us most days........out in there working!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Seven Amazing Years! THANK you, e Harmony!!


Louis Dean and I are celebrating seven amazing years of marriage today!


He could hardly wait til I got up this morning to wish me a happy anniversary!
(I nearly always sleep 2 hours later than he he does.)


We have both enjoyed our marriage so much!
I was 56 years old and he was 68 when we married.
Who KNEW we would still be having such FUN together??


We 'met' on eHarmony in April 2005 and were married in June!
A whirlwind courtship!
Our match was created April 16, 2005.


He was described as:
Affectionate
Dependable
Romantic
Physically Fit

Yes......he was and is all those things!
His main goal?
"Need a partner who will play music - guitar, fiddle or other."
OOPS!!


I was described as:
Creative
Loyal
Genuine
Spiritual

I kept copies of all our correspondences during our 'courtship.'
LD and I will read over the emails we sent each other later on this afternoon.

I guess you could say our match was made in heaven!

He was married 41 years - happily!
His beloved Ellen passed away in 2000.

I was married 41 years - not so happy!
Divorced in 2004.

We thank God for bringing us together through eHarmony!

Louis Dean and Ellen seldom had a cross word with each other.
Neither do we.

So! How are we going to celebrate today?
LD is working in the camper getting it repaired so we can take it to south Texas when the grand quads start coming home from the NICU.
I am going to do art and homemaking chores.
We were married at 3:00 in the afternoon and had our wedding night dinner at Saltgrass Steak House so of course that's where we have gone on our every anniversary!
Oftentimes it was in Galveston but today will be here in Irving where we started!
Perhaps they will seat us at 'our' table!!

I just can't seem to do a post without mentioning the latest on the Bell Quad Squad!


Kailey Lee is the second of the quads to be moved to a crib!
She has been off the caffeine for a few days now and only has a feeding tube.
Did you KNOW that preemie babies are given caffeine to help them be responsive and breathe? There are so many things about preemies I never knew!
They are also being given a bottle feeding once a day.
They have 30 minutes to take whatever part of the feeding they can and the rest is given through the feeding tube.


Last night Trystan Lee took her ENTIRE feeding of 33 cc's in FIFTEEN minutes flat!!

They will start coming home in no time and we have a LOT to do to get that camper in shape!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!
We have had some great adventures together in our seven years -
and are about to have even MORE!!