Summer and Rayne's Visit!

I spent Tuesday preparing for Summer and Rayne's return visit to Texas.

The biggest accomplishment of the day was removing the RUG!!!!

We took the bottom bed and all furniture sitting on said rug OUT!

Then Louis Dean worked his magic and between his genius and the help of a weak old lady - we did it! Once again, he used PVC pipes, his strength and blocks of wood.

I've never been so relieved to have a brand new rug GONE!

At least gone from the guest room.

It will live on somewhere else.

Somewhere it can lay flat!

I washed the sheets and fluffed up  the room.

I call this my 'Old Lady Room' because it holds treasures of my heart and some from long ago.

One special treasure - the box of tea dishes.

The box came from Ruth Ann - I love boxes and she knows that!

The dishes are from my Niece Leah's grandmothers - both maternal and paternal.

An antique lamp, painted wooden hearts, painted rock, sweet books all atop the bedside table I refinished several different ways while awaiting Kailey's very successful open heart surgery two years ago.

This is my problem!

In 2004 I was one of the very first customers for FIOS high speed Internet.

My youngest son, Benjamin, was a big gamer and I was divorcing his father after a 41 year marriage.

Ben was 16. I was working at a State Farm agency - my first job in over 30 years - which God miraculously provided through the grace and kindness of Larry D.

It was important to me to be able to provide Ben with the wherewithal to play his games at home.

We were grandfathered into the program for many years and then in 2012 we left our home to live in Katy to be near Amber and the quads. We cancelled the Internet. 

Upon our return home in 2013, we shopped around and found the best deal was still with that provider and they came out and installed new equipment.

With the current furniture placement......THIS was exposed!

While not perfect, I AM the Queen of Cover Up!

A hat box lid will fill the bill until I can come up with a better idea!

I was preparing dinner when Summer sent me a text that they had landed!

Off I went to the airport!

My daughter and granddaughter!!!

All smiles at the new guest room changes.

Happy Times!!!

We had a good dinner in the dining room and then it was off to bed for the travel weary mother/daughter duo!

Louis Dean and I weren't far behind.

It had been a long hot day in Texas and we were tired.

Louis Dean got up at 9:00 and went out to the den to see the news.

 Old men and the news!

 Deliver me!

I slept until 10:00 and when I opened up the bedroom door I saw my little Rayne!

She had been up since 8:00 and totally entertained herself with craft projects and exploring.

Granddad wasn't even aware that she was awake - that's how quiet she was.

Mummers slept on and I was grateful she was getting some good solid sleep.

Rayne and I went outside to see her Secret Garden and water plus do a bit of weeding.

 As in cutting down baby trees that sprout up in an amazingly short period of time!

If I didn't cut them down as often as I do, we would have a forest of what I call 'Trash Trees.'

Let them grow long enough - and you have a problem that must be dug up by super strong someones!

We have a few of these that have been incorporated into the landscape.

Then we watered. Rayne was good at this. Her Grammy had taught her well.

She said she learned not to 'dig a hole' with the high pressure water hose but to spray it softly back and forth. Smart girl and even smarter Grammy!

 Rayne had mentioned all the many tea sets in the guest room and I thought a morning tea party would be perfect. We gathered the dishes and Rayne helped me prepare the tea party food.

We learned through the Tea Party Game all the things required for a true Tea Party!

Tea, of course, both hot and cold - we do live in Texas in triple digit summer heat!

Sugar and creamer - which we do not really use the creamer - but we have sugar cubes complete with silver sugar tongs gifted to us by our friend, Lynn B.

Napkins, utensils, tea cups and saucers - and now the food!

Fruit! I serve it with an extra special ingredient of raw sugar. Strawberries dipped in a tiny touch of raw sugar - yum! They melt in your mouth!

Then the tea sandwiches.

 Sometimes they are cucumber with cream cheese.

Sometimes chicken salad. Or meat and cheese.

Or....as in today.....bread and butter with a sprinkle of raw sugar. Just a tiny bit!

Then there are tea cakes, tea cookies and tea pastries....all artfully arranged by Rayne.

Mummers was up by this time and when Rayne told Granddad we were having a tea party -

well, he decided to join us!

He's a sucker for a pretty face - or a super special granddaughter!

After the tea party, Rayne and I played a rousing few games of Connect Four!

I accidentally won the first round even though I got confused and thought I was playing it Bingo style.

Then we got ready to go to the swimming pool.

We were meeting Amber and the kids there!

I was shocked to see my Texas Sage blooming as we went out to the car.

Usually, this means a change in weather.....as in rain.

However, Texas is an oven of triple digit temps right now.

No rain in sight. And yet here it is all abloom.

I looked it up and research says that rain usually comes within seven days of it blooming.

I pray that is true!

Five little swimmers!!!

We had a ball today - even if it did hit 107 degrees!

Summer and Rayne are excited to be 'home' and we are just as excited to have them back!!!

We spent a good 5 hours at the pool today and it truly didn't seem that hot while we were there.

Amber brought a huge assortment of food from watermelon, strawberries, sandwiches, pasta salad, snacks, water and juices with a Diet Coke for Summer and me.

I contributed a big tin of Texas Trash, some Sour Cream and Chive potato chips, Peanut Butter sugar wafers, and Ritz crackers with cheese dip.

It was a great afternoon of fun and sun and water!

We drove home - we were in Summer's car - the AC is out in mine - *sigh* - and when she opened her trunk to take out the beach bag.....

the cans of ginger ale were exploding!

It is WAY too hot in Texas!!!

We came in and it was shower time for Mummers and Rayne while I prepared a spaghetti dinner and Louis Dean provided the evening entertainment.

He had recorded an episode of Daniel Boone that featured Roger Miller as Johnny Appleseed.

As tired as Rayne was - and she has had weeks of high activity and is totally worn out - she wanted to see this program to the end before she went off to bed.

I don't think it took her two minutes to go to sleep.

I was gone for much of the day and Louis Dean was in charge of errands.

My friend, Nicki, recommended we contact the water department concerning our leak to see if they could help with the bill. Water consumption is tied in to the more expensive sewage portion of the bill. Sure enough, Louis Dean went down there - after getting lost and calling me to ask where he should go even though he couldn't even tell me where he WAS - and they gave him the info and the form to fill out when we get the bill. Thank you, Nicki!!!

Now everyone is in bed and sound asleep.

I gave Louis Dean a hair cut before he took a hot bath and went to bed.

I love the little 'alone' time I get and use that time to journal about my day.

Now I am ready to shower and get in bed.

Tomorrow we go back to the ranch.

We came home early because Summer and Rayne were flying in and that was a good thing.

Who knows what damage that water break would have wrought had we waited another five days?

We will go to Fort Worth and visit Mother on our way down to Mart.

Nita visited her this evening taking a malt and another picture album.

She looks good.

I am hoping and praying for a good visit tomorrow.

Then I am going to kick back and enjoy the country and the critters for a few days.

Arrangements have been made for the goats so Louis Dean will only help me with the other animals.

I do not want him to get too hot!

Texas has had worse summers.

However, I am NOT happy with this heat!

Still, we make the most of what we've got!

And the least of what we've not.

I'm trying. But right now I am yearning for September.....

43 days and counting.......