Elegante Diva!

This morning I picked Mother up from the hair salon and we walked just a few doors down to this elegant upscale resale shop -

 The Elegante Diva!

Mother was in search of a new blouse to wear on the day of her grand niece's wedding rehearsal dinner - which is coming quicker than we can turn around twice!

Suzie is the super elegant owner of this little shop and made mother feel right at home.

It wasn't long before she found THE perfect blouse -an Alfred Dunner in just her size in a white/grey animal print. SCORE!

Suzie greeted me with a Mimosa! You gotta love Fridays at the Elegante Diva!

Right behind us on the table was a lovely assortment of cookies, nuts, cheese and crackers!

Have I mentioned this is one of my favorite 'Fridays in Fort Worth' places?

I  found a couple of green 'bling' bracelets which went perfect with my green shawl.

We drove just 1 block down from the salon to Red Lobster!

Mother loves this place and so do I!

Next stop - Jo Ann's Fabric for some Black Out lining for my kitchen curtains.

I should have bought this months ago when summer was just beginning!

The heat comes in the French Doors and the sun is blinding!

Good for me the lining was 50% off! Bad for me there was a lady in front of us buying 87,000 thousand yards of floral fabric for pillow cases!! We stood in line for 40 minutes with my head pounding.

The headaches I mentioned yesterday that I seldom have anymore came back to haunt me today!

I don't think I was the best company for Mother - but she will be the first to say, "I love you anyway!"

And she did!

The thing about that lady who was in front of us in the CUTTING line was behind us in the CHECK OUT line. She was admiring Mother and it turns out she is an artist! She's taking a 10 day portrait class and wanted to take Mother's photo to use in her paintings. She said she had a TON of baby pictures but needed an older generation one. Mother smiled and consented. We exchanged info since she will send us a copy of her work. Isn't life fun and surprising?

Except I had a headache! I took Mother home and sewed a few of the torn seams on her comforter and pillow and then flew out of there like my hair was on fire!! 

I drove home, took some headache medicine, slathered my neck and shoulders in Ben Gay, turned on the sound machine and A/C and burrowed deep down in the bed!

Two hours later I woke up feeling so much better!!

Louis Dean spent the day in Quadville with the babies so I had about an hour after I woke up before he came home. 

I worked as fast as I could to get at least MOST of the den done.

What with 'Life' happening around me and September 1st is coming soon I must do WHAT I can WHEN I can!!

However, creativity is often messy leaving a wake of debris in its path!

Louis Dean gets a medal of honor for living with me and my neurotic decorating frenzies! 

As I was apologizing to him for the extremely NARROW path through the dining room and down the hall he asked me to listen to a song....

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yN1bBQycFVA

I obviously don't know how to share youtube!!

The song is titled 'Look at Us' by Allen and Foster.

It humbles me that God in his infinite mercy gave me such an awesome long suffering husband who not only puts up with my crazies but CELEBRATES them!!!

May you all be so blessed!!

September is Coming.......SOON!!

September 1st is only 2 days and a wake up away! 

I can't WAIT!!

I could not help myself! I played Neil Diamond all day long!

It's STILL playing as I write.

The CD features 23 of his best songs - but the VERY best one is NOT on it!

September Morn which I NEVER play until September 1st each and every year!

I hauled ALL of my fall decorations down this afternoon in the 101 degree heat -

which it felt every single degree up there in the attic!

Then I proceeded to clean our den!

I do more FALL cleaning than I so SPRING cleaning!

Since we were not HOME last fall I had my work cut out for me!

Who KNEW there could be so much LIGHT in my den??

I normally keep it dark in my house. Texas heat and all. Plus I suffered from terrible headaches most of my life and the light really affected me. No longer do they plague me as they once did - but I still prefer cool dark interiors to bright sunny ones. 

I put out a FEW fall things as I cleaned.

I have so much!!!

You can barely walk through the dining room, living room and down the hall.

We need to order the mirror closet doors for the hall!

So much to DO! So little TIME!

Saturday we plan to finish the trim in here.

I smiled all day long!!

Just seeing all the golden leaves and decorations made me light hearted!

Louis Dean and I bought some orange and purple lights last year at clearance prices.

The den is now clean.

Some fall is in place but nothing is permanent. 

I have so much to go through and I usually do it differently every year.

I have the house, the camper and the gazebo to decorate.

This makes me happy, Happy, HAPPY!!!

A Quad Wednesday

Wednesday is our regular day with the quads - but it was mostly a TRIO today.

A trio of GIRLS!!

We arrived late last night so we would be here first thing this morning.

You KNOW we are not 'Morning People' so it's often best to arrive the night before!

Little Harrison had a bit of surgery this morning and he and his mommy and daddy had to leave for the hospital very early. But not before Granddad told him good bye.

It was a simple surgery that would normally have been done shortly after birth had he not been so premature.

Louis Dean and I held down Quadville while they were gone.

Mike cooked up some sausage before he left for the hospital so I just toasted some waffles and added fruit for their breakfast!

Baths were next up!

Logan was first and she loved catching the water!

Kailey enjoyed her shampoo and body wash!

That's long been the 'Special' featured on bath days!

Trystan could NOT be any cuter!!!

This morning all three girls wanted to wear my earrings! 

So they did!

I mean they were all dressed up with their pretty outfits on! 

Of COURSE they needed earrings!!

I served their lunch on PLATES!

Since there were just THREE of them I could hold them down on the table.

Hold the plates down! Not the babies!!

I also added a spoon although they don't use them yet.

Kailey took Trystan's and decided to make chop sticks out of them!

That goes with her Asian looks and hair!

And her speech!

She was saying, "Oi CHOY!!" over and over!!

Trystan did the best of the three with her plate!

Granddad played the guitar for them after they got up from naps.

He has a whole repertoire of songs he's teaching them.

Froggy Went A'Courting is one.

He's still pretty good at multitasking!

Harrison came home this afternoon and he was not nearly as worn out from the ordeal as his little mama!!

Brought back TOO many memories from the NICU!

We have a happy ending! I am so grateful for that!

We are home and about to go to sleep in our own bed.

Louis Dean turned the corner on the bout with his allergy yesterday.

He's still not 100% but so much better!!

It is only THREE days and a WAKE UP away!!!

September 1st is coming and I can't wait!!!

This day one year ago......

we were just arriving down in the Westlake RV Resort in Katy, Texas where we would live for the next 7 months. Space #43 was just 5 minutes from Quadville. 

I remember taking this picture but it seems SO much longer ago than just one year!

My work bag which I packed every morning. I would take socks, water, tea and lunch things plus the A&M squishy pillow to rest my arm as I was feeding the babies. They ate every 3 hours - around the clock!

Sweet little Harrison in his little boy blue button shirt!

By the shape of the head I THINK this is Logan.

Louis Dean has been multitasking since the beginning!

He was pretty proud of that then - and NOW!

He can still get more babies in his arms at one time than most!

I remember Tummy Time!! Amber has always been a SUPER MOM!!

Trust me - this tummy time took awhile to put down and take up!

I've always loved this pic!

It seems to me I look so much older now than I did then.

You get a whole 12 months to get a year older - and then it seems to happen in 2 weeks!

Or maybe I was too busy to notice before now.

Here's a recent pic taken Saturday of the girls!

Not so little anymore.

And their looks have changed over the year.

No longer newborns, infants, or babies!

They are full fledged TODDLERS!!

I am grateful that I was at a place in my life where I could pull up stakes and go down there to be with them. I am just as grateful for the loving support of my husband. NONE of this would or could have ever happened without HIM!

It has been a joy for us to watch them grow and develop! From the very beginning they all had their very own personalities. What fun it is to watch them week by week as they continue to learn about life, the world and each other. 

In other news, Louis Dean is much better today although he has stayed in bed. He got up a few times to eat and watch the news. When I finish writing he said to call him and we would watch a little TV together.

Never EVER again will I allow us to run out of Zyrtec!!

I felt like I needed a little pick me up this afternoon so I had my hair cut!

That ALWAYS makes me feel better!.

As I was leaving a little before 2:00 my stylist said, "There they are!! Right on time!"

She feeds the birds twice a day!

For some reason this just made my heart happy!

I'm happy I was where I was a year ago  - and I am happy to be where I am TODAY!

A Saturday Party and A 'Chicken Soup' Sunday!

Saturday was a PARTY Day at our favorite Junk/Antique store - Junker-Val's!

The owner threw a Birthday Party celebrating her 60 years!

AND she invited all her customers!

My sister, Luann, met up with us there!

It was FUN like a PARTY!!

Along with the wine, she served cookies, chips and dip, nuts and - of course -

BIRTHDAY CAKE!!

Is this not PRECIOUS??

SO 'Junker-Val!'

My sister was dipping into the boxes of jewels.

I had left Louis Dean in the car eating some chicken nuggets we had picked up on our way over.

By the way, Junker-Val's in in Fort Worth on Bluebonnet Circle.

He seemed to make a good impression when he came in because everyone noticed him!

Perhaps it was because he was wearing his 'Party' overalls! 

I DO love JUNK!

Lots of things to look at!

SO much STUFF!!! Right up my alley!

I brought a bottle of red wine as a birthday gift but I have a sneaking suspicion 

Val is a white wine gal like me! 

Can you tell Louis Dean wasn't feeling well?

He has had a terrible time with his allergies and it's my fault!

We ran out of Zyrtec and I failed to remember to buy more.....so we have NOT taken our allergy meds for the last two weeks! It finally caught up with both of us but HE really has it bad!

When I offered him the option of staying home he said he could feel awful anywhere and didn't want to miss the party!

My 'treasures!'

I have been wearing the pearl earrings since we got home.

They are SO comfortable I forget I have them on.

The only place to get CLIP earrings anymore is at places like Junker-Val's!

I think I am obsolete! No pierced ears for me and now my lobes are so large I wouldn't thing of doing it.

 Did you know our noses and ears continue to grow as we get older? They just KEEP growing!

It's the cartilage actually! Add to that the gravity pull on our earlobes! The older I get the LARGER earrings I wear!

I also bought a set of eight napkin rings which I hope to polish up tomorrow!

I love JUNK!

I made a grouping of old metal things this afternoon.

These now hang in my hall.

Someday I would like to make a bird house like THIS!

It is outside Razoo's Cajun restaurant in Fort Worth.

This sturdy brass coat rack was another purchase yesterday.

Not sure where it will hang just yet. 

Perhaps here behind my bedroom door.

It was a great Saturday Party!

Happy Birthday, Junker-Val!!!

It's been a Chicken Noodle Soup Sunday!

Louis Dean has literally been in bed all day long! 

He's in here on the couch watching a little football as I write.

He'll be back in bed soon. I have pulled a 'Deanie Day' myself.

Slept late, had coffee, read, played my Scrabble games, changed sheets, napped, snacked on light things, had tea, let Lucy in and out. She has mostly been at my feet all day.

Louis Dean holed himself up in the guest room last night since he was feeling so badly!

Hopefully this day of rest will see us feeling a little more like ourselves in the morning.