Wednesday, May 31, 2017

A Day Date!

We didn't make it on opening day but we DID see a movie we have been looking forward to today!!


Louis Dean loves to go to the Movie Tavern in Bedford!
We splurged and ate lunch there as well as drinks!


I chose the Rum Punch in honor of.......


Jack Sparrow!!!!


I took it!!!!

We had a wonderful and relaxing day!
After the movie, we both came home and took naps.
I had planned on doing some errands but on the way into the theater, I felt the soles of my sandals drag and when I looked at them - they were literally falling apart. They were some my mother gave me and no telling how old they were! I chose them because the colors went with what I was wearing. Note to self - LOOK at the soles of the shoes before you wear them!!
I left pieces of shoe all over the place. I actually had a piece come off as I went to the ladies room and when I came out, I saw one of the employees pick it up and look at it - trying to figure out what it was! I was practically barefoot by the time I got home. Not enough sole to even go into a shop and buy another pair!


We went out this evening to check the garden.
What's he doing?
Picking up gravel.
He dumped a whole bunch out  some time back.......and now he is retrieving it.
Bet he doesn't do that again.

Louis Dean and I spent a lovely evening in the gazebo.
I brought out my foot bath and we both soaked our feet and I gave myself a pedicure and gave him a mini one. The air had cooled and we could smell rain by the time we came in.
I'm making salads for our late supper and we will catch up on a program or two before going to bed.

I've been remembering this day 5 years ago......


Happy 5th Birthday to the Quads!
And congratulations to their brave mama for carrying them as long as she did.
And thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father and all his angels!

There was a bunch of us celebrating at Casa Maria that night!!


Leigh Ann will never forget that wild ride down to Houston with Summer!!!



Deanie and I went the next morning to pick up cupcakes for all the nursing staff the next morning.


But that night we partied!!!
Louis Dean sang along with the mariachi band and we were so happy!!!


My precious daughter survived her quad pregnancy and we all know what a happy ending we had.
I hope I remember to tell the quads - when they are older - to never forget to send their mother four dozen roses on their birthday!

Good job, Amber!!!!




Rest and Recover Mode.......

I love waking up with children in my house!
Granddad slept in the den with the quads and I had a good night's sleep all by myself in the bedroom.
While I woke up first at 9:00, the girls were up shortly after.


Harrison, on the other hand, must be having a growth spurt because he slept until 10:30 - even with Paw Patrol on TV!!!

I made breakfast while Granddad had the kids in the den.....


I loved seeing this scripture inside the egg carton from Aldi.
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!"
And so they did.....


A breakfast to remember!!
I  learned to load up a tray and take it all in one trip as opposed to countless trips traipsing back and forth. The quads love a good cup of coffee......I weaken my gourmet flavored coffee down and add as much milk as coffee.....


Breakfast was served!!!


Good Morning to Mama and Dada!

Summer and Rayne arrived after our late breakfast as did my friend, Melba.


Our next project was to choose the design for our patriotic t shirt craft project.
I've had this book of transfers since Amber was a little girl. She painted several t shirts from it back in the day.
I only have a few pages left in it now.


They picked them out and I ironed them on.


Louis Dean moved one of the benches to the upper deck which was still in enough shade to do our craft.


Then they went to work!
The creative juices were flowing!
Harrison went in the house and dug the cover that had colored photos of the shirts out of the trash so he could paint his just like it.


I think they did a great job!!!
They painted them and I added some details.....


Good work, Rayne!!!


Here they are modeling their shirts after the paint dried.

Once again, Granddad entertained the kids while Melba and I fixed a late lunch.
He did grill the hot dogs while I mixed up the potato salad and Melba peeled and sliced up the cantaloupe.


We all scrunched around the dining room table and had a good time.

No naps that day - just Rest and Reading.
Have I mentioned that Harrison is reading like a champ?
I had a terrible stomachache all day yesterday and I would go to bed for a few minutes with a heating pad on my belly - and it helped and allowed me to get up and go on for an hour or two before I would have to lie down again. During R and R, Harrison got in bed and read to me and I was amazed at how well he can read!! 
My thanks to Summer and Melba and Louis Dean for picking up the slack yesterday so I could grab these rest periods.


After Melba said her goodbyes, and Summer was resting, the kids and I played The Tea Party Game.
It's a lot of fun and the kids are well aware of all the things required for a 'real' tea party!


We had it all and, since it was a special occasion having Rayne here, we used the tea set that Uncle Dean gave us. It's the quads' favorite as it has little plates with an indention for their tea cup and we have the matching tea pot.


We had FUN!!!


Their little faces are sweeter than those strawberries they're eating!


Rayne was every one's favorite!! All the quads wanted to sit next to her!


I love this little face!
See the tea set Dean gave us? 
Makes a tea party absolutely perfect!

The Tea served as a light supper since we had such a late lunch.
By now it was time to clean up and get ready for the parents to arrive.


They all played outside with some toys Rayne was leaving behind.
I  told her I would take good care of them for her.
She's been such a trouper about selling, giving away and donating the vast majority of her toys before moving to Puerto Rico.
  

It was a wonderful way for her to spend her last day here - the quads kept her totally entertained and she kept THEM entertained!


I got one last pic of me and my daughters while I could.
Thanks, Summer, for thinking about this!


Bye!!! BYE! BYE! BYE!!!
Summer and Rayne spent the night and I set up my alarm for 4:30 this morning so I could take them to the airport. I was home and back in bed by 5:30!

Summer and Rayne had a good flight and arrived safely.
Summer said she had a dickens of a time getting through security!
She must wear a magnetic belt to help her spine heal and that caused a big commotion!
So much so, she feared she would miss her flight. In the end, she and Rayne were the first to board!

I slept until nearly 11:00 and was still too tired to do my regular Tuesday!
I called Ruth Ann and said I couldn't go out to play today.....
but I did feel like art class tonight!


 I whipped up a batch of Frozen Peach Bellini's......


unwrapped a fresh new canvas......


and laid out my paint.
We are painting a seascape and it calls for a limited palette - just 6 colors.
I love that!! That Cadmium Yellow Pale was extra.....I didn't think I had the Yellow Light - but I did!


Our goal tonight was simple......cover the canvas!


And that's just what we did!


It will be much easier to paint the water, waves, details and such next week.
This looks like a three session painting - not nearly as hard as we thought it would be!

I have a few more projects planned - 


Such as this!
It will be for Sherry - my former sister in law who lives in Paris, Texas/
This is called The Paris Texas Eiffel Tower.


 Sherry sent me this picture to paint from.
I'm gonna need a ruler!!

I'll close tonight with this sweet photo!


Logan took this selfie with my iPad.
I was smiling in surprise when I downloaded my pictures!!

Tomorrow the quads will be 5 years old.
Three of them were born at 12:55 but Logan had her own birth minute - 12:56!


This is the very last picture I took of Amber on the last full day of her Quad Pregnancy.
I can't even tell you how scared, excited and terrified I was.....
But mostly I was proud. Proud of my amazing daughter and her determination.
And thankful. For so many prayers and for the grace of God in seeing her through this.

You can read the last journal post before they were born here:   


Good night, Folks!

Monday, May 29, 2017

Celebrating Sunday!

We missed a few Sundays while we were at the ranch so it felt really good to be back in church today! We were even on time!!!

After the service, Amber and Mike went down to get the quads from their classroom and I went in the Ladies room while Louis Dean waited on the bench right outside.

Well, everyone in the bathroom - and it was packed - started laughing because we could all hear the kids screaming "GRANDDAD!!!" as soon as they saw him!! They made quite an uproar! To Kailey's credit, I did hear her say, "Where's MeeMAw?"


But we all know the big attraction is GRANDDAD!!!


Harrison took this pic!

It was an early birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse.......


The quads will be 5 on Wednesday......
and Amber's birthday is June 6th!


Louis Dean was a happy camper!
He ordered a 16 oz steak!!!
However, he brought some of it home and finished it off tonight.


We have so much to be thankful for!
 We came home and they went back to Quadville.
It came a terrible rainstorm on our way back to Irving. I had planned on going to the grocery store but decided to take a nap first.

In the late afternoon, Amber and Mike brought the kids over to spend the night!
We are getting an early start to our Quad Monday!


Kailey got a guitar with some birthday money and was anxious to show it off to her Granddad!!
I know that's Logan holding it but the kids are so fast I can't catch a scene before it changes!


Amber said they all packed their own bags!!


We had a game of croquet in the front yard.


They take the game seriously!


Trystan has been on medication for her strep throat since Friday evening.
She never did get really sick. Just a fluke that the pediatrician caught it on her checkup!


Kailey.....


Logan! They all have their own little stances!


It was time to tell Mama and Dada  goodbye!
Amber and Mike needed a little quiet time!


Bye!!!! BYE!!!!


We stayed out in the front for a few more hours.
Granddad rested, Harrison brought his Matchbox cars out and the girls had a tea party while I worked in the flower beds. The girls helped me by cutting the roses and Kailey snipped the grass around the walkway while Harrison helped me pull weeds. 


It was time to come in!
Granddad loves Paw Patrol so they watched that while I cooked dinner.


It's been a wonderful day from start to finish.
Showers followed and while the girls took theirs, Louis Dean worked with Harrison on his cursive. 
He is such a ready learner!!

I'm sitting up in bed as i write tonight and when I click Publish - I'm turning the light out an going to sleep. Louis Dean bedded all the kids down in the den where they take their naps. They are used to sleeping there and will probably sleep better than all of us crowded into two bed. LD is sleeping in his recliner.

As is our custom, I set out snacks for when the kids wake up.
Fruit snacks and packages of crackers/cookies/granola bars.
I told them if they wake up before I do, they can go in the guest room and play - but it can't be before the sun comes up!!