Louis Dean is a Great-GREAT-Granddad!!!

 We are SO excited!

Our sweet great granddaughter gave birth to Louis Dean's first GREAT-great-granddaughter earlier this week.

Meet Aliyah!

She is a perfect 4 pounds, 15 ounces of absolute charm!

That's to be expected since her mother is just as precious!

As is the GRANDMOTHER!!

We are so proud of Chandy and her husband, Chris and their children, Piercyn, Bella, Jaxon and Kaitlyn!

Originally they thought she was having a baby boy - so I started a real 'BOY' quilt using dark denim squares and planning to quilt it with seams on the outside and I'd already cut the blue plaid fabric for the backing. Just as I was ready to sew it all together - Chandy told me it was to be a GIRL!

Switch of plans and I flipped the quilt top over and used the wrong side of the jeans instead.

To make it more feminine, I had a backing sheet of roses.

Then I decided to do hearts and criss crosses......

and discovered some lace pieces when we cleaned out a linen closet today so now I will put putting lace behind the hearts!

It's a work in progress - but you know the BEST thing about it?

Aliyah's middle name is ROSE!

Win! WIN!!!

This evening we had the nicest phone visit with Chandy and she told us all the beautiful details of the birth event! Plus we talked about memories and good times and it was just wonderful!

Earlier today I had a nice long phone visit with Summer and yesterday I talked to Amber and caught up with her!

Son Dean posted some old photos he's recently discovered and I can't look at this one of Sherry and Louis Dean without smiling!

We are missing being down there with them - but it's still too hot in Texas!

ALL of Louis Dean's labs came back good and I am so grateful for that!

Today he was 'handier than a pocket on a shirt!'

I cleaned our window AC unit last week and it was in dire need!

We run it at night and shut our bedroom door so we don't have to keep the entire house as cool as we like to have it while we sleep.

Since the fan is usually ON when I look up from my bed - I was shocked when I finally noticed how absolutely FILTHY it was.

My Knight in Shining Overalls to the rescue!

And then there was the linen closet in the hall......

He helped me sort and fold and I even filled a sack to take to Goodwill!

These are all tablecloths and runners, and such.

I'm loving all my fall things and will make a video tour on September First.

The entire house is decorated and the front porch.

Next week I will address the gazebo - no matter what temps!

I want to be ALL done by the first - which is just 8 days away now!

I've been making only one meal a day lately and then we snack for the rest.

Tuna salad hits the spot when it's hot outside and you don't want to heat the house up by using the oven.

I've been working on a special Santa painting for our granddaughter, Faith.

It's been a fun challenge and I am just one session - maybe two - from being done!

Then I'm doing a Santa for my grandson, Levi , which is a charcoal or pencil drawing.

Next will be one for Sam - my very first grandchild! He hasn't told me what he wants yet but there's still time. I want to gift them all by Thanksgiving so they can enjoy them during the Christmas season.

Watering daily is just barely keeping things alive although we have lost quite a few plants.

Louis Dean has the patience of Job so he was out earlier this evening doing that job.

I took him a glass of wine as we sat together on the driveway.

I made myself a Jalapeno/Cucumber margarita and joined him.

It's been SUCH a good day and what better way to finish it off than a good hot soaking bath?

When he came in from watering, I had his bath all ready with fragrant oils and lit candles!

I told him if it was wintertime I would have put towels in the dryer so he could have warm ones to dry off!

I love days like this!

He's now in the den watching an old John Wayne movie and I am going to close tonight's journal entry and take my shower and go to bed to read for a few minutes.

Louis Dean likes to say, "I'll give you a head start before joining you!"

Another Win! WIN!!

Goodnight from the Chapmans!

Only 8 more days to September First!!