A Week's Worth of Journaling - Second Time!

I woke up Monday morning knowing it was going to be one busy week - and it was!

Still, I lingered long enough in the girl bunk to have some quiet prayer time before I even had my coffee. Louis Dean and I did our cleaning and loading and closing up the camper routine before we headed home.

Fresh linens on the bed. Floors all vacuumed. Bathrooms cleaned. 

Fridge things packed up. Deck cleared and things stowed away. 

Louis Dean even managed to put large cans around his rose bushes - compliments of Dean and Sherry. 

It was Sherry's idea and now it is obvious where the bushes are so they won't be likely to get tilled up.

It was nearly 4:00 when we left the ranch, remembering to double check the lock on the gate!

Lone Star Cafe in Hillsboro is the half way point in our trip home and a good place to have dinner.

I'm a salad lady and should be skinny - but I'm not!

It was dark by the time we got home but we didn't have any problems.

Louis Dean sees better at night than I do and it wasn't even 8:00 when we pulled up in the driveway!

Look who came to spend the night with us??

Savoring every last minute we can get with Rayne before she goes back home to Puerto Rico.

Rayne is a Country Girl so, of course, we played Horse-Opoly!!

I love waking up in the morning to children and grandchildren in my house!

I peeked into the guest room and Summer was awake. I couldn't see Rayne but she was snuggled under the covers and she was just waking up while I was whispering to Summer.

 

She and I have a fondness for animal crackers so I brought in a tray with three small bowls of the crackers and a large cup of coffee for me. They don't drink coffee so I filled a glass with milk for Rayne. It was nice to sit together all piled up in the bed and make our plans for the day.

An errand to the post office and then it was Goodwill Hunting!

My favorite thing to get was that pair of stretchy denim jeans!

And this sign! I love it!

We hit up two stores and before picking up Taco Casa for a late lunch.

It's Rayne's favorite and they do not have this in Puerto Rico. Or Kane's Chicken either!

Perfect weather for al fresco dining!

Just a girl and her taco!

They left to go back to Rowlett and Rayne told her Mummers, "I have some really good grandparents!"

We have so enjoyed out time with her!

She is NOT taller than I but was pretending to be by standing on the stone edging.

By the next time I see her, she very well may BE taller though.

Voted!

Summer gave me my very first Christmas gift for 2022!

A complete set of the Twelve Days of Christmas dinner napkins from Williams-Sonoma.

They cost a pretty penny if you buy them new but Summer got them for $3 for all 12!

That's just FORTY CENTS each and a replacement napkin is $15.99!

Summer knew I would enjoy these more knowing what she paid for them.

We do love a good bargain!

I fed my possum before going to bed......

a face only a possum lover could love!

Monday night I soaked a big bag of pinto beans all night and cooked them up - two big crock pots full - on Tuesday.

Wednesday I was up early baking cornbread!

So all my food was ready to deliver later that evening before I went to a dental appointment - which took well over two hours! I put together a peach cobbler and waited for it to bake. It was dark when we left to drop food off for a friend who is recovering from back surgery.

I may hve tied up traffic on Story Road for a few minutes when I turned at what I thought was the street but it wasn't. It was awkward being stuck out over two lanes like that. 

Our next stop was Kimmy and June's and Kimmy was so worried about me being out late that she was standing on her porch with the light on watching for us.

Just look at that sweet doggie face! I think she likes Louis Dean!

They have the best little dogs!

Every night I thoughtI would do my journal entry and every night I was so tired I just went to bed.

It was Thursday before I even opened up my laptop and that was to do some bills.

It was such a beautiful day that Louis Dean got out there and dug up all the old roses.

He's taking them to a bed in the back yard along the fence line and we will be planting all the new roses we bought in the front flower beds.

While he was playing in the dirt......

I continued to clean our bedroom!

All the red is gone and I've decided to do white for next Christmas after using red for two years straight in here. My words for March......

All clean!!

I went ahead and changed out my closet to spring and summer while I was at it.

That was a big job!!

My first Easter decoration!

Kimmy gave me the chocolate bunny and I love him.

It's a good thing to really clean a room and deal with all the bits and pieces that seem to pile up.

Two bags full of 'stuff' will go back to the Goodwill!

The bathroom is all clean now too!

This is where I decided to hang my new sign.

All is neat and tidy - for now.

Rayne got a big kick out of something in my bathroom!

Can you guess what it is?

Friday was a 'Stay at Home' day - my favorite kind!

I worked in Louis Dean's bathroom cleaning and touching up the paint.

By Saturday I was ready to clean and dress the dining room up for Spring and Easter.

I was sitting in the den taking a break and watching a Midsomer Murder episode when Logan Face Timed me.....she said they (the kids) had no plans for the day and I said I could use some help cleaning, decorating and doing yard work.......

No sooner said than done!!

Amber brought them all over and we had the best Saturday afternoon and evening!

The freezing weather had damaged the top layer of leaves on these bushes. One day we were sitting out there and Louis Dean thought the 'flowers' across the top looked pretty! It's all in the eyes of the beholder! Harrison took care of that for us and then pruned a cedar tree/bush all by himself!

Before coming over here, he had mowed their lawn for the first time - all by himself!

Reminds me of my son Benjamin! He was 9-years-old when he started doing the yard work here and made a pretty good neighborhood business while he was growing up that continued as a side business while he was going to college. He's always been an entrepreneur and I have a feeling Harrsion will be too!

I had promised him that Granddad would show him his worm farm.....or buskets of slimy wriggly worms.....and he did - right off the bat! He has been keeping them in his room so they won't freeze.

They are smelly and dirty and we all know how much Louis Dean loves playing in the dirt!!

I told Trystan I would hold a worm if she did.......

.....and so I did.......

.....and so did she!

Logan too! We ALL did!

I love it when the kids come over.

They know where everything is (except Harrsion can never remember where we keepthe silverware!) and the first thing they do when they come in is make themselves a glass of tea.....and I ALWAYS have a big pitcher of tea! Ever since they were little, I've allowed them to use real glassware and not plastic. The only plastic glasses we have are the big yellow Dickies cups! They especially love the small stemmed glasses - they can refill them over and over. I had someof the pastry treats from Aldi so they were happy!

We did all sorts of things!

Logan shelled some walnuts. They all played hide and seek and chase. Trystan helped me decorate in the dining room. Logan and Kailey helped make dinner.

I had lots of Trader Joe's Chinese food so we cooked up a bunch of it!

Orange chicken, some shrimp, vegetable fried rice, and spicy hot wings.

We filled our bowls (the kids like to serve themselves) and carried them out to the big table on the driveway! After dinner they played until the parents arrived.

Granddad worked on a sign I bought at Goodwill earlier in the week and attached it to the porch bench.

Funny Pose!!!

Summer arrived in time to eat with us and then suggested we take a photo before the kidswent home.

I love this one!

As always, they roll down the car windows and yell "GoodBYEEEEEE" as they drive away!

A glass of wine to close out a wonderful Saturday!

Sunday morning I woke up so tired that I stayed in bed to watch church online and pretty much rested off and on all day long.

I did manage to finish up the dining room.

Logan fashioned all the dinner napkins into roses!

I went with a Roses and Tea themefor the springand Easter using this wreath I made years ago.

I love looking at all my pretty things.

This tiny tea set is fromCracker Barrel years ago.

My neighbor around the corner, Tamara, gave me this sprig of rosemary with a ribbon at Christmas and it stills smells so good!

I would love to hear what they would say, wouldn't you?

Yes it IS!!!

Next week is Spring Break and we will go back down to the ranch in time tohost the Bells.

They tent camp and we have the front all fenced in now with a lawn area kept with themin mind.

We plan to go down a day or two before they arrive so we can set up the deck furnitures and make things ready.

Look who arrived recently!!!!

The freezing weather took four babies this winter but this one was born on a warm day and we hope it thrives! Sherry does love her 'goaties!'

I don't think I have ever gone an entire week and one day without doing my journal postings.

A new laptop is definitely in my future.

That would be our Sherry!!