Apres Le Weekend

Oh, Man.  We're Tired. 

Just going to show you a few pictures. 

Keith's mom and dad stayed with us Friday and Saturday night. 

Keith's Mom made a new friend. 

Jester was enamored of her! 

Carson celebrated birthday number one! 

While Keith and his parents were at the birthday party, I readied our house for our Christmas party, and I had help decorating the cookies I had made. 

Then, in the evening... we partied. 

This nap came BEFORE the party. 

(after the birthday party) 

Then, cousins Jace and Brynn got here. 

And we had sandwiches and treats and then our gift exchange. 

Today, we celebrated sweet little Brynn's 2nd birthday.  Jace had to help her blow her candles out. 

Brynn and Carson are one year and two days apart. 

Her official birthday is tomorrow. 

You knew I had to sneak a hawk picture in...  Lilly and Jester and I went for a visit to the farm after we got home from the birthday party, even though I am WIPED OUT. 

We look for this guy every day now. 

He was WAYYYY up here. 

Yes, we had another in our line of gray days, and are expecting rain tomorrow. 

I'm ending this "family post" with a picture of Paiton, and an explanation. 

We have a nativity set that is near and dear to my heart, it belonged to my parents and is over 100 year old now. 

For the last four years at the old house, it was hiding in plain sight... we could not find it, and I was unable to put it out.  We had a backup... that's what the season is about... but when we moved we found the precious set.  I'll show it to you later this week, in fact. 

So... I looked up... and Paiton had moved the little winter scene set up alongside it on the sideboard... and moved all the trees and the figures there to the front of the stable... and all the figures, animals and men, were adoring the baby Jesus. 

I did the SAME THING as a child. 

I left it just like she arranged it... it's as precious to me as the set. 

Keith and I got through this first family weekend in pretty good shape... we have one more smaller party next weekend with my son and his family, so we are on the downhill slide to the Birthday. 

I hope you are all having a great holiday season! 

Catching Up

This is what greeted me when I got to the old place Friday with the dogs. 

Bone-dry. 

I worried about this, it was expensive.  

However, friend Jill suggested some animal may be jumping around in it. 

Because... 

Today, when we got there... 

There was still some water in it.  I had not been able to get out there yesterday, as 

we were getting ready to have four of our little grands over to make gifts for their parents this morning. 

There were a lot of hijinks!  

(Jax and Jace) 

Some serious rainbow painting 

(took over an hour to do hers... Paiton) 

Some fast dabbing of brushes... (Brynn)

And some serious "Don't Look at me, Mommie"!  from Jace. 

Littlest one Hailey was there, too, 

As was one year old Carson. 

It was a fun two hours! 

I took this of our friend on the way out to the old place with the dogs.  I stopped too long on the street though, and he took off.  He's such a beauty! 

You can see it was windy, and the cold wind was cutting.  We only stayed out for about 30 minutes. 

Lilly generally does not like Jester around her when she is investigating things in the pasture. 

He is tentative when he approaches her...

He got a little too close, and she drove on him just after this. 

But, smart dog... he waited for her to go down to the bottom of the 

pasture, and then he went to see what she was looking at. 

But he also sticks pretty close to mom 

We had a great Thanksgiving, and I was able to 

get to Liberty and help my brother eat his Thanksgiving lunch. 

My brother is slowly fading... and he is my last sibling.  74 years old, 

his dementia has progressed over the last two months, we are not sure why.  His 

hands have become palsied, and his left arm is still in a sling so the broken bone can set. 

He is not able to feed himself... but, as you see, when he takes the fork, anything can happen. 

He had almost overturned his plate into his lap... until I confiscated the fork again. 

He laughed at me, the stinker!  

The residents at the Manor had a regular Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberries, potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes.  They had a mixed fruit crumble for dessert, and 

it all looked good.  

His wife and I are going to sit down Thursday with the Assistant Director of Nursing and see if we can get some prognosis, and why they think he has regressed so far in two months.  At mid-summer, he was able to recognize me and give me a big hug, and now, I am not sure he knows who I am.  I don't play the "Who am I?" game with him, it's not fair. 

I usually say (in a silly tone)  "It is I, Mary Ann, your favorite sister!" and that will usually bring a little smile. 

Keith and I had a quiet dinner at 5:30, and a peaceful evening. 

I have discovered a pond near us where hundreds of geese are staying.  I only had the little camera with me when I went by there yesterday, but I'm purposely going to drive over and get some pictures this week. 

I think it's so neat that the people in the houses on either side of the pond are letting the geese stay there.  You see it's in a natural bowl, and they are protected from the wind. 

I'll try to get more pictures this week. 

Another short video of the crazy Jester, as we got ready to go today. 

He knew we were headed for the warm car, and he got 'cited! 

Enjoy! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you were in the States) and a great weekend, for those of you outside!  

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and 

our parish has asked us to sign up for adoration again.  Last year, the first year, I did 9 to 10 AM ... it is Mondays, only, for the next four weeks.  I can't tell you how peaceful it was to go into the empty church and just sit and talk to God for an hour... to slow down... let the spirit rest from all the running and gathering... and 

just ... be at peace.  I'm so glad we are doing it again this year, and I signed up for 9 to 10 AM again, because no one had chosen that slot. 

What a great way to start my week! 

The Birthday Boy

Today, we celebrated Jace's third birthday. 

In our family, I have six grandkids, and on Keith's side, we have four. 

His are all very small, and Jace is the oldest. 

He had a blast at his party. 

There was a lot of bouncing going on in that bouncy house... all the kids were barefoot. 

That's Jace on the right and his best friend Eli on the left. 

He had one candle to blow out, the number 3. 

First cousin Brynn, whose birthday we will celebrate in December. 

Little brother Carson, also a December baby. 

And... meet Hayley Kay, our other September baby, 

2 weeks and 2 days old.  

Here she is with her mother Andrea, Keith's oldest daughter.  She is Brynn's little sister, and the baby of our grands on Keith's side 

I JUST made it to the game for Jax, that started at 4:30, and learned 

there that grandson Jacob has broken a finger badly in his football game on Thursday. 

Jax' team this fall is called The Crushers, and he got three nice hits that were caught twice, and he 

made it to first base once,  while the guy running to second was tagged out.  It's a little harder than tee ball, but he has a good attitude and loves to get out on the diamond.  And we love to watch him! 

Son Jim, grand Paiton Raine, and Amy, my Daughter in Law.   These games are 

such a good chance to get together and visit as a family... Amy's mom, Cheryl, was 

just out of sight below her.  

What a lovely Sunday! 

Hope yours was as good!

Catching Up for the Week

I don't know where the time goes, I haven't posted since last Wednesday!

We were so busy getting ready for Keith's parents to stay the weekend, and I just couldn't find time to sit and look through pictures, or even take many!

You may laugh and wonder why I am showing you a platter of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

They were so cute with the gummy bears intertwined, and a big hit with the kids, AND some of the adults!  

They were thick and gooey, and yes, I had one!

Here's Keith with his mom and dad, Trudy and Ralph Yoder. 

I didn't realize he and his mom were color-coordinated at our get-together... but the folks came 

down Friday night, and left Saturday after the party to go home to Ames. 

Our sweet little granddaughter, Brynn Allison, will have a little sister 

to play with in September. 

Papaw Yoder did some baby-dandling on his knee with Carson. 

And Big Brother Jace was everywhere at once!

There was lots of playing with balls and bubbles....

And driving around in the yard. 

By the time everyone was gone, Keith and I were worn out ... I hurried off to church... and 

was able to sleep in yesterday morning.  We spent a very quiet day resting... and then 

went to a T Bones game at 5:05. 

We saw this contraption parked in the handicapped parking.  What a GREAT idea... a 

wheelchair sidecar!

And there goes Team Mascot Sizzle, waving to everyone from the back of the Lakeside Speedway truck... while two race cars were exhibited.  The kids in black stepping out of the way were there to sing the National Anthem. 

Skies were balmy... but it was very hot and humid. 

By fourth inning, this had started to happen.... and Keith and I kept our eyes on it. 

We were still very tired... 

So at the top of the sixth, we decided to start for home.  We drove home through pounding rain. 

(The game was called in the seventh). 

And the evening ended up overcast and wet.  

We have clouds again today, but rain chances reduced from 80% to 40%, and so far, we have had no drops. 

Keith's daughters, Amber and Andrea, and sons-in-law, Jesse and Nick, have offered to 

come and help us on the 12th at the old house, to blow out as much as we can in one day's work 

on the property, to help get it ready for renting.  We are so grateful for this, because Keith's health is still dicey, and trying to do so much was going to be hard on us.  I am going to get Chris and Haleigh, and we will get as absolutely much done in one day as we can.  What a relief it will be to Keith and me to have the house ready for a rental agent to handle it, and not have the responsibility of going out there regularly to check on things. 

I know I'm remiss in reading some of your blogs, and I apologize for that.  

I'll try to get caught up this week.