Thursday, July 31, 2014

Quadville Days

Granddad and I arrived in Quadville Tuesday night so we could be here to help Amber for a few days.
She had physical therapy Wednesday morning and then had injections in both feet.....again.
This was her second round of shots and they are extremely painful.
She was on a magnesium sulphate IV for 2 months while she was pregnant with the quads.
This was what KEPT her pregnant and without that IV she probably would not HAVE the four precious 2 year olds she has now!
However, that took a huge toll on her body - and that toll continues!
All her muscles and ligaments are relaxed to the point she has many issues with pain in her joints and feet.
Treatment is helping but she simply cannot care for the quads by herself until she is physically stronger and not in so much pain.


That's where friends and family come in!
We try to pick up the slack - especially after these injections. She has to stay off her feet for a few days as she is recovering. That's hard for her to do.....

The kids have loved playing with this vintage Fisher Price Xylophone from their Aunt Deanie!




They all took turns!


I think she said it was from the 1950's!


They are also enjoying the big wooden kitchen set that my friend, Brenda, gave them.
She used it with her granddaughter and now the quads use it every single day!


The babies are changing in their looks.......
even from week to week I am amazed at all they are learning.
You can practically SEE them growing!!


Trystan was out of sorts for a bit yesterday afternoon so Granddad was holding her and the other three would stand by her and pat her!


After nap time yesterday we had a tea party!



I used the crusts from the lunch sandwiches for our snack.
I buttered them and then sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top and toasted them.


It made for a good tea party food.


Since we are here for a few days we brought our cat.
The quads learned to shake her treat jar so she would come out from under the bed.


Granddad has a hard time trying to sneak off and rest.
Kailey searches the house until she finds him!!


He was the key ingredient of our afternoon entertainment!


They love their Granddad!! Just about as much as their granddad loves them!!!


Ready???


All four babies are in toddler beds now.
Well, that was our Wednesday!


Since I cooked breakfast yesterday, Louis Dean stepped up to the stove this morning!


Sausage, eggs and biscuits!
We slept like logs last night and didn't wake up until 8:30 am!
That gave us enough time to get breakfast ready and the playroom cleaned up before the babies woke a little after 9:00! I LOVE it that they sleep late in the mornings!!!


Grandad read The Pout-Pout Fish books while the quads made Ocean Bottles.
Amber is constantly putting together activities to keep them challenged and makes learning so much fun!


We all enjoyed a Fish movie before lunch! I admit to sitting in there with them because I wanted to see how the story ended!

Everyone is napping as I write. Even the dogs are asleep in their kennel. The house is quiet.
I will close with this photo from 2009 - I THINK!!!


Deanie had brought Mother over for a visit as I was recovering from my right total knee replacement.
I'll be going straight to Fort Worth in the morning from here in Dallas and I just MAY be taking a very special visitor WITH me!!! No, it's NOT Lucy!!!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Tuesday - Movie, Goodwill and ART!

We rolled back into town late yesterday afternoon and slid right back into our normal routine today!


Louis Dean wasted no time in getting out there this morning and was on top of the camper spreading roofing 'stuff' with a broom! No grass grows under HIS feet!!

While HE worked I tidied up part of the house before hopping in the car and picking up my friends.



We arrived early for the movie today and found three seats together!
The LAST three seats that weren't smack dab under the screen on the first three rows so we  were happy!
It was a wonderful movie!!

From there we dropped our friend, Reaoma, off at her place and then we hit up two thrift stores.


I am always carrying a bag to Amber's and this one will work great!


A skort!


Two pair of cute Capri jeans that are NOT 'Mom Pants!'


I am loving denim these days!
I actually have a whole closet of nothing BUT denim!!


Underneath all my 'scores' from the thrift stores is a HUGE heavy denim quilt!
Ready made and for $5!!! Louis Dean has been wanting me to make him one.
Win! WIN!!!! It's HIS!


This is my finished canvas from last week. Kathy wanted a close up pic of it.
Ruth Ann worked on hers tonight but I forgot to take a picture of it!


I finished this one - just a small 9X12 but I like it a lot.


I started this one last week.
It is for my step grandson, Robert.
Last week I based in the background and tonight I added some of the distant trees and a few of the larger ones in the foreground. There will be many layers to this painting but I'm happy with what I've done so far.
I also prepared the canvas for a 16 X 20 Santa painting for my sister's (Nita) birthday.

I feel pretty good about today!
I'm grateful for friends to do things with and for my art.
We have a wonderful neighbor who cooks wonderful things. She and her hubby left town and gave us all the food in their fridge! BBQ brisket, baked beans, steak, shish kabobs, corn, cucumber salad......
We ate well tonight and have enough to take with us to Quadville......
which is where we are heading as soon as I finish tonight's journal entry and load up my computer.
Amber's getting another round of injections in her feet in the morning.
This time she knows what she's in for and that she will NOT be able to care for the quads for a day or two at least. We're ready to go and it will be fun to see them when they wake up in the morning!
They won't be expecting us so that will make it even MORE fun!


Monday, July 28, 2014

We Are HOME!

We had our last morning coffee at the ranch before starting to close the camper up.
Louis Dean did all the stuff you have to do outside while I took things off the walls and prepared the inside for travel. It took me all of 45 minutes! It took Louis Dean a bit longer.


Hard to believe the brick hard dirt road was once so muddy and mucky we could barely get the truck out!


As I looked back to our little camping spot it seemed a little sad.
Louis Dean said it reminded him of something Laura Ingalls Wilder said when they were leaving the little house on the prairie.....that looking back even the windows and shutters looked sad to see them go.


We followed Dean to Waco where he treated us to lunch!
He is so cute!! And FUNNY!!!
Note the flower 'pots' behind us!


These two guys are very special to me!


See the flower pots behind us?
They are painted tires!!
Dean said he has some of those down at the ranch! Next time we are there I'm going to paint some!

Dean gave us some good directions on getting home since we would be in the rush hour traffic.
We were to turn off of I35 and onto 67. We should have known this would be US67 but instead we turned on FM67! We meandered on a very scenic drive which then led us back to I35! Fortunately we stayed on the highway until we found the right exit.

Tonight our camper is sitting in its spot on the driveway!
Louis Dean has it already hooked up to the electricity and leveled and the truck parked beside it!
While he was doing all that I filled bird feeders and bird baths then pulled weeds and watered plants.


We put our feet up and agreed that it is always good to come HOME!

"Home is the nicest word there is!"
- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Our Last Day at the Ranch.......for awhile...

This has been a lovely lazy Sunday at the Ranch - for US!!
We slept in and leisurely had our coffee and devotion time. 
I made BLT's for lunch along with some potato salad and baked beans.
While we were relaxing - Karate testing was going on down in the meadow.
We could hear the sounds of wooden weapons meeting wooden weapons all the way to our camper.
By the time we ventured down there all the Karate students were gone.


Shihan Dean Chapman!


This was beautiful to watch! I only captured a few moments of it.


This was so pretty. Pretty may not be the best word to describe it from a Karate student but it was beautiful to watch Steve and Dean 'dance.'



Last night Louis Dean and I played the 'Old Folks' card!
We went back to our camper and watched the stars.
However, we WERE there to see the glorious fireworks display!!!
I MAY get Brownie Points for holding the flashlight as Don (a Karate student) lit the giant bonfire!
It was still smoldering this afternoon when we went down there!
No pics of the awesome stars in the sky as LD and I sat there in total enchantment!
So....basically NO pics of the huge bonfire OR fireworks OR shooting stars!
Trust me! It was ALL glorious!!!!


This was our last full day on the ranch.


We are going to miss having our camper down here! It has been a wonderful thing to have a 'place in the country' we could go and enjoy the seasons.
However, our camper is 'fragile.'
We need to address those leaks over the bed!!!
They have plagued us since our Katy days!
THAT seems like light years ago!!!
I also need to deep clean every single inch of the camper!
Ants are a recent problem and are the ONLY reason I have not been napping in my favorite spot - the Girl Bunk!!!


Louis Dean is a Master at Fly Swatting!
There is an ART to it and he can explain it eloquently!
The flies are a nuisance but not nearly as bad as earlier this month when I held MiMi Camp down here!!
EVERYONE was on 'Fly Patrol' then!!

Since this is our last night Louis Dean is about to light the campfire!
We cannot leave without the ceremony of a last fire.

I have dinner ready - a 'Clean Out The Fridge' kinda of meal!
We will eat and then sit out under the stars until we see a shooting one!

Thank you to Dean and Sherry for their hospitality!
We have enjoyed visiting down here since last October!
Hopefully we will be back soon WITH a cool refurbished camper!
AND one that DOES NOT leak on MY side of the bed!!!


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Karate Camp!

We sat up last night watching the sky but we slept through the night!
The Texas sun is harsh during the day but once it goes down - whew!
It becomes so much more pleasant!


This morning we headed down to the meadow where the Karate Camp was going on in full force!


You have to be TOUGH to train in this Texas heat but I guess if you are into Karate you ARE tough!!


My step son is a Master Karate guy! 
I know not ONE THING about Karate but I DO know that Dean must know nearly EVERYTHING!


This camp was for higher order belts and I think it was a weapons class.


I just stand around and watch and take pictures.


There are critters everywhere down here!
The class just goes on and they act like they hardly notice them.


This is my step son and his wife, Sherry.


They are the cutest couple!
I love them both dearly!


Sherry is a black belt and teacher as well.
She is stronger than anyone I know - including Louis Dean!


Isn't he cute??
I think he looks like his dad!


I could brag about Dean and Sherry all day long!!


I will never forget her love and support when Louis Dean had a heart attack some years ago.



This was the lunch break.....notice BeeBee in there?
Pulled pork on buns, fresh veggies, potato salads, nachos, and more!


Nothing is as refreshing in this heat as ice cold watermelon slices!


The smoker was smoking away all day long.....


Tents are in the meadow once again.
That in the foreground is the bon fire pile for tonight!
No burn ban this time!

Louis Dean and I came back to the camper for a rest/nap in the A/C!


Time to go back down to the meadow to help with dinner.
What a way to go!


I've been doing it all wrong!
I have been WALKING!


A sample of SOME of our evening meal.

I came back (to the camper) to rest, read and play Scrabble while I wait for the sun to go down.

Guess who I got to visit with???


The QUADS!!! I love Skype!!!
They are ALL saying MeeMaw so it is now official!
I am MeeMaw! And Bella! AND MiMi!!!


These videos may not be real clear but I wanted to record them saying MeeMaw!


Cute!!!!


We spent some time up here this evening by our camper but we're not building a fire.
Louis Dean played some on his guitar and then sang the song he always sings to end his serenade.


Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Now we are heading back down to the meadow.
They should be lighting that big bon fire pretty soon and I sure don't want to miss that!!!