Monday's Musings

I'm posting from our daughter's this morning.  I came out yesterday and we'll go to Dallas in just a few minutes for her Doctors appointment.  And, of course, we will definitely sneak in a little "retail therapy" while there.  I mean, who can go to Dallas and not!!  Meanwhile, on to Monday's Musings......

This past week Hubby and I came out to Texas for Clancy's Kindergartner graduation on Tuesday evening.  It's so nice that they are a mere 3 1/2 hours up the road and we can share in events such as this.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting it to be such a grand affair.  My goodness, they pulled out all the stops for it.  There were beautiful decorations, food and the program was so well planned and it was over in ONE hour.  And, one of the hi-lites of the evening was that Clancy gave the invocation.  He prayed the sweetest prayer and never missed a beat and it didn't seem to bother him one bit that there were about 300 folks in attendance.

Our happy little graduate!
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Isn't Bridget's "baby bump" the cutest?  She is so proud of that bump and is still doing so well and we're expecting another good report today.
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 Things are getting down to the "nitty gritty" at the new house.  We now have heat and air and the security system is almost finished.  Now, hopefully we can learn how to operate both.  Goodness, I've never seen such a fancy screen on a heating/ac control.  It is in color and even gives the weather and as you can see, it even has our name on it.  Really!!!  Guess that could help should we forget who we are and that's liable to happen with all that we have going on at this time.

Three fourths of the plumbing is done and, we now have running water.  As you can tell by the above pictures we opted for one handled faucets.  For me, it's the only option.  Who wants to have to turn two handles to get warm water?  Apparently a whole lot of folks, but not us.  I think somewhere I heard that two handles look nicer than than one handle but, my decorator assured me that it is merely a personal preference, no right or wrong way.  I'm so glad because I really wouldn't want to be doing it the "wrong" way. ~too many more important things to think about~

The painters continue on, but they are about to finish up the inside work.  The above picture is of the garage, decided to go with a little color in there, white was just  too stark for me.  They should be starting on the little bit of outside work in a week or two and there's very little outside work.  Of course, once the flooring goes down they will come back inside to do the baseboards.  Their job never ends.

Okay, I'm off for a fun day and hope that you are too!

Lea's Daybook - Friday. May 29th

It's Friday and time I did a Daybook entry.  It's always fun to reflect upon my day and on my thoughts.  Thanks to Peggy for always being our monthly hostess.  She had a great idea when she came up with this for the blogging community.

For Today... Friday, May 29th

Outside my window...do I need to even say it is overcast and cloudy and more rain predicted.  I'm not sure I've ever known of a time when there has been so much rain. But, rain was predicted yesterday and we missed it, so perhaps we will miss it again today. 

I am thinking...eventually the rain HAS to stop and we will get the rest of the driveway poured.  Yes, surely!!! In all honesty, it is just a aggravating inconvenience for us but the non-stop rain has far reaching effects on a whole lot of folks.  When it affects your pocket book it is serious business, not just aggravating. 

I am creating...all kinds of ideas for our new house in my head.  Now, as I walk thru I'm constantly thinking of furniture placement, wall hangings and where I will place decorative decor.  Of course, until we get in, I won't know for sure, but it's fun to imagine.

I am going...to take my Dad to the eye Dr. this morning and praying for a good report.  I will never, ever take my eye sight for granted after watching the limitations that near blindness has put on him.  ~very sad~

I am looking forward to.......making a quick trip to my daughter's on Sunday and going with her to her Doctor's appointment in Dallas on Monday.  She will see her Perintologist for what will likely be the last time if all is still well, and we have every reason to believe that it will be.  She has now made it to the half way mark and our little fella seems to be thriving.

I am reading... "Flash" by Rachel Ridge.  Rachel is the author of the blog, Home Sanctuary and if you have never stopped by, then I urge you to do so.  You will not be disappointed in her blog or her newest book.  Rachel is all that and a bag of chips!  I have been privileged  to meet Rachel and have even had her in my home to spend the night.  She spoke at our annual Women's Event at our church two years ago and again, she did not disappoint.  I could not recommend her enough, she is truly a woman after God's own heart, with a donkey named Flash that has taught her more about life than she would have ever imagined. 

I am hoping...that we will be able to move by at least the middle of July.  Lots of work is going on daily but there is still a whole lot of details to finish.  And, while we are not actually in any hurry, both Hubby and I are growing weary with the process. ~it's the nature of the beast I suppose~

I am learning...that God is so full of surprises and He never ceases to amaze me in the way He works things out and opens doors that we never even dreamed about.  Why we as Christians even fret is beyond me, but guess we think that if we fret we are helping Him out in some way.

In my garden...well, if you know me at all, you know that I DO not have a garden, but Hubby does.  He has more fun each year growing tomatoes and might I say, does a stellar job.  And, he does love to eat them, but he also loves to plant them, nuture them and then enjoy the fruits of his labor. ~like a BLT sandwich~

In my kitchen...there is not a whole lot that goes on in there these days.  I'm keeping it about as simple as simple can be.  Last evening we enjoyed "gourmet" hotdogs.  Now, I do make the chili and it's some of the best ~even if I do say so~ and has little to no grease.  Did I mention that I simple cannot stand grease and cannot stand to see it floating in food.  I'm just really looking forward to doing some "real" cooking in my new kitchen.

A favorite quote for today...I absolutely love this quote by Mae West..."You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

Now, I'm trying to do it right so once will be enough. How about you"?

A peek into one of my days...most of my days include housework of some kind, 2 -3 trips out to the new house to check on things and see the progress,doing preparations for the move and going to visit my Dad.

One of my favorite things...is the ability of my children to share any cute thing the kids do with me.  I get frequent videos from their Moms that make me smile through and through.  I so wish that we had had today's technology when we lived 1000 miles away from my parents.  About all we had were hard copy photos that we had to send by snail mail.  My, how times have changed!

From the board room...better known as Pinterest....what on earth did we do before Pinterest?  One can actually spend hours scanning all the fabulous ideas and recipes on there.  I have more recipes pinned than I can possible fix in a lifetime, but at least I have them, should I want to give them a try.  I would love to meet the person(s) that dreamed up Pinterest. What a novel idea!!! And, Hubby and I have used it countless times in the building of our new house.

Post Script....while building our new house I have come across some really great websites that you might enjoy too, if you don't already know about them.  Wayfair , Bellacor, and Joss and Main. All of these have home decor, home furnishings and everything inbetween at really good prices.

A picture worth sharing.........

This was taken just before we left for Clancy's kindergartner graduation Tuesday evening.  I'll be sharing more details about that in my blog post on Monday.  It was a very special evening!

Happy Weekend!!!!

Monday's Musings...........

It's another Monday, another opportunity, another new week and I'm so thankful that God has given me this day.  I've lived long enough to know how quickly our lives can change and I try not to take any day He gives me for granted.  Now, off to the news from my corner............

A week ago tonight I had the privilege of attending this young lady's high school graduation.  An, is the daughter of the couple that own the nail salon that I have gone to the past 14 years.  An, was 4 years old when I claimed her as one of mine.  I truly know few, if any, young ladies that can compare to her.  She is so humble, has the most unbelievable work ethic, is talented in so many areas, loves the Lord and, as you can tell from the above picture, is stunningly beautiful.

And, not only did I claim An 14 years ago, I claimed her entire family as mine.  They call me their "American Mom" and I'm honored that they do.  Le, An's Dad, brought tears to my eyes when he told me about his journey from Vietnam to the US.  There's not a soul any prouder to be an American than Le.

 An had several family members attend her graduation and even had relatives fly in from California.  They were such a sweet bunch of folks.  This summer An will be a counselor at a local Christian camp and then she will leave for Louisiana Tech University.  She will begin as a Sophomore ~did I mention how very smart the gal is~ and will be majoring in Architecture.  I have no doubt the Lord has great and mighty plans for An and I cannot wait to watch it all unfold. And, I continue to pray that I will be instrumental in leading Amy and Le to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Lord.
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Need I mention that the painting continued this past week at the new house.  I am quite sure that they will be needing a change of scenery by the time they finish at our house.

Most of the lighting was done and I am so pleased with the way it all looks. The Dining Room light will not be hung until after we move in and the table has been placed where it will be.  That way we can be certain that the light will be centered over the table.

 There are so many switches that it will take us time to ever get them figured out.  In one area there are 2 rows of 5 switches.  I'm thinking labeling may be the only answer. ~but, pretty tacky~ 

More of the door knobs were installed and we remain hopeful that the rest of the drive may be poured this week.  And, the final tile work will take place and faucets and commodes installed.

And, one of the most important and most used items at the construction site is this........... 

Now, just so you know and in case you are wondering, I have NEVER used it.  But, I can assure you that our workers have been more than a little grateful to have it.  And, when I write that $82 check every month for the rental I have to remind myself that it was a necessity.  We've been paying rent on it for 12 months and that comes to $984, but Hubby assures me that it is money well spent. Hummm.............when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Questions and Answers...........

This is a real random post today.  I tried to think of some questions that you might ask me if you could.  Hopefully you will enjoy and guess I should do as I've seen several other bloggers do, if you have any question you would like to ask me, do so in the comment section and I'll answer in a future post.  Here ya go!

  Are you a leader?

Well, I do believe I am, in fact, I love to be in charge. ~smile~  Well, guess I should say I love to be in charge of some things and some things I wouldn't be in charge of if someone paid me.  I guess I was born with that "first child" leadership gene.  I've often thought that if my life had led me down a career path that I might possibly have ended up in a supervisory capacity. ~just sayin'~

  What are you really good at?

I am really good at being organized and I love organizing things. Both of my parents were highly organized so I got a double dose of it.  I've always felt like an organized life was a productive life, but I'm sure there would be those that would disagree.  But, for me, that's the way it is.  I'm happiest with my "ducks in a row." And, with the busyness of my life right now, nearing the completion of our new house, living in a transition sort of state, my ducks are really not in a very straight row. ~grin~

 What is your favorite makeup?

I love lipstick and blush because they are what add the color to my face.  I wear it all but when the blush and lipstick go on it seems that my face lights up and comes alive. It's really funny that I love makeup like I do because my Mom was very much a minimalist when it came to makeup. AND, I have given my Hubby and children strict orders that when I die they had better make sure that I have both blush and lipstick on. ~I'm not joking~

What is your favorite article of clothing?

I have two favorite pieces of clothing, skirts and longer jackets (and not necessarily together).  I think they are both very feminine. And, while they are a favorite of mine, I really do not wear skirts all that much.

 If you could live your life over, what would you change?

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about this but I would most definitely get a college degree.  I don't know that my life would have been any different if I had a degree, but that doesn't matter.  I've always wished that I had finished college.  And, I do know that it's not too late but at this point in my life, I don't want it badly enough to give what it would take to accomplish it.  And, I think we all have things in our lives that we would change, but, the fact is, we cannot go back.  ~so we keep trudging forth~

What are some of your favorite childhood summer memories?

A part of several of my summers as a child were spent at church camp and it was the hi-lite of my summer.  And, we stayed in cabins that were NOT air conditioned and were known to have mice, rats and snakes in them.  Yep! that's right, but at that point in my life, all I thought about was the fun I would have. 

Another hi-lite of my summers was getting to see my long distance family.  We did not live near family and the summer was about the only time we got to see them. 

  

What were some outside  games you played as a child?

Ring Around the Roses, Red Rover, Red Rover, Annie Over, London Bridges and Hop Scotch.  Do kids today even had a clue what these are? ~guess this really tells my age~ I'm afraid the age of electronics is causing children today to miss out on a whole lot of physical activity fun. ~what a shame~

What is something that aggravates you? 
I have absolutely spend hours since my Dad's illness 4 years ago taking him back and forth to various Drs.  I simply do not tolerate a l-o-n-g wait very well.  We have waited over 2 hours at times to see a Dr. and to me (unless it is an emergency) that is unacceptable.  And, I know that they were not tied up with an emergency.  I had a nurse tell me once that the Dr. my Dad was seeing saw between 40-50 patients from 8:00 - Noon, 4 days a week.  I thought she meant a day (and that's still a boatload) and I asked her if a morning is what she said and she said yes, every morning.  Well, that is more than ridiculous and someone needs to inform him that his patients time is just as valuable as his.  I think it is rude and unthoughtful, but what does one do?  I have to pray extra hard for patience and a good attitude.  Yep! it aggravates the daylites out of me. 

What kind of blogs do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy blogs that share a part of the writer's life, her family, her travels, her activities, her likes, her dislikes, and are inspiring.  I find this type of blog to be the most interesting and it's the type of blog that I try to achieve.  I do not enjoy blogs that are centered around one subject such as: food, exercise, spiritual topics, crafts, etc.as much.   I like a smattering of all of it. But, everyone blogs for a different purpose and we all have a different focus for our blogs. That's what makes blogging such fun. I blog for my own enjoyment and to have a type of journal of my life.  One day my kids might enjoy re-reading what I've written after I've gone to my "mansion in the sky." 

And, one last question.........Where will I be next Tuesday?

 I will be in Texas attending the graduation ceremonies of this little fella.  Do you see those cute freckles across his nose?  Could he be any cuter and the best part is that he is such a sweet little boy.  And, he's growing up..........~I feel a tear coming on~ 

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Wishing you a happy weekend and again, if there is any question that you would like to ask me, ask away.  I'll be glad to answer it in an upcoming post. 

Monday's Musings

Monday's Musings, yes, it's the new name for my Monday post.  I've tired of HELLO Monday and came up with this cute name and design over the weekend.  It will still be much the same as my regular Monday post, just with a new twist.  It's always good to change up a bit, it helps to keep my readers interest. Right?  Yes, I thought so! ~big smile~

Our little sweetheart was 3 months old this past week.  That is so hard to believe.  She is so precious and so engaging now.  She's getting those sweet fat rolls in her thighs and don't you just love her head accessory.  Oh, my goodness,what fun I would have had with those if they had been around when Bridget was a baby.  

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And, our Princess had her dance recital this past Friday evening.  Bless her heart, she came down with a vicious stomach bug on Wednesday afternoon and until Friday noon we didn't know if she was going to even be able to participate.  It really knocked her for a loop and caused her to miss her end of school party as well.  But, she wasn't quite up to par for her dance recital but she was glad she was able to participate after all the hard work she had put into it.  Her costume was just gorgeous and such a great color for her.  But, there are few colors that are not gorgeous on her beautiful olive skin. 

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 Every day the new house is looking more and more like home.  The painters continue with their endless task.  Bless their hearts, they have been so faithful but I know they have got to be more than ready to move on to their next project.

This past week they worked on the shelves for all the cabinets.  They set up shop out in the garage where they could spray them.  I'm doing clear coat on all my shelves rather than paint.  I think it is a much cleaner look  and will most likely stay nicer looking in the long run. 

The door knobs were installed and I'm so happy with the look, I especially like the back plate.  The electricians are there and began putting on outlet and switch plate covers. The light fixtures will go up this week.

The corbels finally arrived for the mantel above the stove top.  They add so much to the look and there is still a wooden applique to go between them to complete the look.  Of course, they will be painted. ~just in case you were wondering~ And, the open space above the mantel will be covered and another wooden applique will be on it. ~pictures to come~ And, the corbels for the bar are just gorgeous and once stained and installed will give it such a nice look.

 They began installing the bathroom mirrors and talk about a precise job.  Goodness, they measured and measured and measured some more and they came out perfect.  They will finish with those this next week.

The electricians also began installing the mounted lights in the ceiling.  We have lots and lots of these little fellas through the house.  We will not be short on lights for sure!  All of our lighting is LED and we understand that they are good for about 20 years.  So, guess what, that means that we will not ever have to worry with changing a light in the years we live there.  Hooray!  See, you have to find  the "silver lining" to aging.   

The plumbers will install all the faucets and commodes this next week.  It sounds like we are almost finished but there is still quite a bit more to do.  The biggest thing is the wood floors and that will be the very last thing done.  Well, I guess the last thing will be the painters coming in and painting the base moulding around the floors.  Then it will be time for the installers to come and hang the plantation shutters and shades.  See, the list doesn't seem to end.  And, we still need the ends of the driveway poured.  It's pretty worthless without those and the rains have started back up and it isn't looking hopeful that will be done this next week.  But, little by little it is coming together. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday, it's Hodgepodge and it's all because Joyce shows up week in and week out with questions that make us think and pick our brain. Thanks Joyce, you are TOPS!

1. When is your next big deadline? What's it for?
Hum.....well, my deadline for moving into our new home is July 1st but mind you, that's just my deadline. ~chuckle~  I am not at all sure that will happen but I do think it will be close.  It will be one year on June 12th that construction began and I must say that I'm more than ready to be moved and most of all, settled.  The settled part, well, just not sure when we'll be able to say we are settled.  But, if we can just get moved in then we can worry about the settling part. ~smile~

2. May is National Barbecue Month. Do you prefer cooking indoors or out? What's the best thing about a barbecue? What's the last thing you cooked on an outdoor grill?
Hubby and I both enjoy grilled foods, and it doesn't have to necessarily be barbecued.  Hubby grilled us some chicken this past Saturday that would make you "slap your Momma."  It was delicious!

3. What is one thing on your "never again" list?
To go to the Christmas ICE exhibit at any of the Gaylord properties.  We took our kids and their families to the Gaylord Texan this past December to do the whole gamute of holiday offerings there.  We waited and waited and waited some more in line to see the ICE exhibit and we were sorely disappointed.  So, once was enough for us. ~not enough bang for the buck~ But, thankfully, everything things else was tops and a most wonderful time for our family.

4. What's something that annoys you about people your own age? Something you love about your generation?
I can't think of anything in my own generation in particular but in general it annoys me when people are so,so negative about every little thing.  True enough, there is a lot of negative in our world but we don't have to dwell on it or talk about it every chance we get. I try real hard to keep a positive attitude but I do fail every once in a while and I don't like myself when I do.
And, not sure about what I love about my generation, pretty much everything perhaps. ~grin~

5. Lilac, iris, hyacinth, pansy...your favorite purple flower?
Oh, the purple iris! We have some beautiful iris' that Hubby has planted over the years but I don't think we have a purple one but they are gorgeous!

6. Whats a song that always calms you down?
The Anchor Holds sung by Ray Boltz.  Oh my goodness, if you have not heard it then you need to click here and listen.  Such a beautiful reminder of the anchor we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ no matter how rough the sailing gets.

7. What's the last thing you donated?
Oh, my, I've been donating lots these past months as I prepare for our big move.  But, the last thing was a car load of Hubby's clothes.  He had a major closet cleaning out and I'm sure it made some men very happy when they went to the Thrift Store after I delivered them.

8. Insert your own random thought here

Do you know what this is?  I wouldn't have either if Hubby had not told me.  It is a swallow nest near one of the eaves of our new house.  It looks just like a dirt-daubers nest to me.  It's our understanding that the swallows are quite a nuisance where we have built, so I'm sure that Hubby will be researching a remedy for that shortly.  Thankfully one can find a remedy and probably a You Tube video for almost anything these days.

HELLO Monday..........

It's another Monday and that means it time to say Hello to another new week and then some HELLO's from me.......by the way, this is my 750th blog post. That's a lot of writing folks and I've enjoyed every minute it.  Here's to 750 more...............

 HELLO special Mother's Day.....yesterday was not only Mother's Day but it was also the day that our precious Andi Kate was dedicated to the Lord as a part of their church's worship service.  It was so special to share in this occasion and to top it off, she was the only one dedicated at that particular service.  So, she got all the attention! ~smile~

After church we all went to lunch and then they gave me the plaque pictured above.  Is that not the cutest???  I don't know where my DIL found it but I sort of think it might have been on Etsy.  Yes, it will have a special place in our new home.
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HELLO to dear, dear friends........this past week gave me the privilege of seeing several dear friends that I haven't seen in quite some time.  Above is my dear friend Diane.  Diane is a true Southern Belle that has the gift of making everyone she meets feel so very special.  She is a Stage 4 breast cancer survivor and a real testimony to God's faithfulness.  What a dear!!! 

Then last Friday a group of us met at a friends house to catch up.  This group has not been together in years and years.  We were all chatting on Facebook about a month ago and decided that we should make the effort to get together face to face.  Dottie (middle in top left and right picture) has been dealing with some tough health issues so we all met at her home.  

Dottie fixed a ham and the rest of us brought the side items and dessert to go with it and   we had the best "hen party" and so enjoyed getting caught up with each other. There's nothing like a girlfriend gathering, that's for sure!

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HELLO new house progress.....Yes, siree! the forms went up on Monday and Tuesday and the driveway and patio were poured this past Wednesday.  Glorious day!!!  Now, the ends of the circle driveway have yet to be poured because the culverts had not been put in when the rest of the driveway was poured.  But, those should be poured next week and then we can actually drive on the driveway.

  The wall colors went on this past week and I thought I'd share some of the colors with you.  Of course, it's hard to get a real accurate color through pictures but you can get the "jest" of them. 

This color is Macadamia and it is being used in the living areas of the house and the hallways  All paint is by Sherwin Williams.  As you can see, I went with all neutral colors. 

Here's wishing you a wonderful new week!

Momisms

Since my Mom's death 5 1/2 years ago, Mother Day has not been the same and I am not sure it ever will be.  She is still so much a part of my life and I think of her daily and it just seems so strange that she is not here for me to celebrate.

The first photo taken of my Mom and me.  I was about 4 months old.

 This week I've thought about so many things she would say to me, which reminded me of "Momisms."  You know those things that only a Mom can say, such as:

Because I said so, that's why! (one of my Mom's favorites)

If you make that face for too long, it will stay like that.(I always hoped that would never happen because I could make some ugly faces.)

I'll give you something to cry about. (heard that more than a few times)

Go ask your Dad. (not what I wanted to hear)

If you roll your eyes at me one more time, I'm going to slap you. (I did but thankfully she never, ever slapped me)

I hope you have a little girl just like you. (and, I did)

Don't make me pull this car over. (thinking she did do this a time or two because of my brother and I having some issues to resolve)

I'm not asking you, I'm TELLING you. (heard that more than once)

I don't care what other kids' parents said, I said no! (and she meant it)

If you don't quit whining you can just go to your room. (and I did more than once for sure)

Life isn't fair. (not exactly what I wanted to hear but sure was and is true)

When I was your age.......(no kid wants to hear that)

When you have kids of your own you'll understand (and she was right on that one for sure)

Clean your plate, there are starving children in Africa that would die to have that plate of food. (didn't work, I could stare food down with the best of them)

Go to your room and think about what you did. (well, I did go to my room but usually didn't think about what I had done, I just got madder)

And, the list goes on and on but I bet many of you reading this could identify with some of these.  And, I'm sure my kids could make up their own list of Momisms.  Perhaps they will look back on them with fond memories as I do those said by my Mom.

This was the last photo taken of me and my Mom, in Oct. 2008, just 6 weeks before her death.

 And, I leave you with this...............