More Christmas

Here Raley is looking at hot air balloon pictures with her Grandpa.

She found out that she could climb over the back of thesofa and stand on the window ledge.

Both Raley and Albie are looking for the horses that are in the field outside the window.

See, climbing is easy! Albie isn't as good up there are Tater and Winston, but he's learning.

Christmas 3

She got a dolly for Christmas. It seems to like to be naked.

Cute kid with adorning audience

I wrap presents in reusuable cloth bags. it didn't take her long to learn how to pull the strings on the bows!

We did have often breaks as Raley found other things to to. Her and Albie were looking for horses!

Christmas, take two

She started off the day just pulling little bits paper at a time. this was the stocking presents before breakfast. she was opening her socks. In out house, Santa always puts a pair of socks in your Christmas stocking.

Here she is seeing her presents for the first time.

She got a Kitty cat and the book If you give a Cat a cupcake.

Albie didn't have any problems with Christmas morning. Any port in a storm and Dan worked just fine.

First of Christmas

there are going to be quite a few post to get pictures up from Christmas.
There actually are Christmas eve and the first from opening presents.




we have a future musician.

Winston was helping his mommy make a pie. he kind of got into flour.

Dog toys squeek real nice1!

She got an inch worm that rattles!

Seeing Raley

Yes, I do exist! It's just been a while. Short update, house off market to do "Updating". Holidays coming and we didn't want it showing then so that helped the decison.
Friday and Sat., Nov. 20 and 21, we got to see Raley. The reason was a bit sad. Dan's grandfather died and we went over to Mahomet, IL for the funeral. Voyle was a World War 2 vet and ex POW. We had a pretty day for the graveyard service.

Here's a few pics of the red headed one.





Not so sure what she's thinking but she sure knows!

Again, looking right at ya!

Not spoiled, oh no. Anyone can dance on the coffee table!
Behind her are Peter, her grandfather, Ruth, her Great grandmother and Jay, grandpa.
Hiding right behind
Raley is Judy, grandmother.
(Grandma Alice is taking all the pictures!)

At the park. Once down with parental help and then it was "Katie bar the door" because she would go down any of
three slides that were there!
As you can see, Albie didn't like the idea of going down a slide!

OK, everyone, who is this??

Anyone what to guess who this is in the picture?? I'll wait till Jenna gets home to guess before I tell you all!

OK, so it's been a while.

I do hope however that the following three pictures will win me some forgivness.

anyone what a stick??? It's a nice stick. I think you should take the stick. I said TAKE THE STICK!!!

Yum. Blackberry muffins. I think I'll have two for breakfast!!

(this child can pack in a breakfast that would do justice to a member of the Tour De France!)

Wow. Look. Different sizes that fit into different pans. I can have a lot of fun here!!

And in house news. The realtor was here today. Looks like we are going to be replacing the carpeting in the dining and tv rooms. We pretty much knew we might have to, not so much because it is going to give us any return but because if we don't we aren't going to get any offers. Also, if I can ever get a phone number for the painter that he recommened we may be painting the basement. Well, having it painted. I am NOT going to do that myself. however, the paint is sitting here for in the morning. since we are going to redo the carpet, we decided we might as will give the walls in the dinning room a coat of paint and spiff that room up too!

time to catch up

OK, it's been a while.
The make over for the basement is starting to move. The only things down there now are the pool table (not going anywhere! LOL) the tv, a recliner another tv and the poker table. They are supposed to start the work on Thurs. However, they were going to come on Friday too but now I have a conflict. Haven't talked to you girls so I'll tell you then!
I have also decided that the only way I am going to get a lot done is if I have to report it. So, here is what has been done today.
Everything is off the walls. I have the shelves over the sink cleaned off but still need to work on the other set. Jay got the grill working again. I went to the grocery store and came home and make Albie Stew, slaw, and three bean salad and iced tea. Brats for supper.
Got all the 4-H plaques off the wall packed and have another box started.
Since nothing got done last week due to the muscle spasms in my back, I have some catching up to do. But I'll get there.
Wens. I think your Daddy will be driving back up here and I will meet him at the funeral home. Joe Swaynie died last week. they are having the memorial service for him Wens. It will be a lot of driving for him but he really feels that he needs to come. So I already know that that will take up part of the day.
I'll post updates on what I get done. Part of that may depend on the back.

The flood

For those of you who do not know, On Wens. the 22nd, I went down into the basement to get a cooler to pack up Albie's food so we could go south to Bloomfield and spend the end of the week down there. However, I got to the bottom of the stairs and saw this. Water. Lots and lots of water. You can see the waves coming off my boot where I stepped into the water. ( I had come back up to put on the boots and get the camera! LOL) This was at the bottom of the stairs in the finished part of the basement. the water was about an 1 or so.

Here's a pic of the cleaning brush and you can see just how deep the water is on the bristles. This was over near the sump pump hole which is where it was the deepest. The water there was up to the bottom of my ankle.

And finally a box of books was on the floor, in the 1 to 2 inches of water. They didn't get out of the basement until today, Sat. and by then they were horrible. Smelly and just plain gross. Also a total loss. Of course these where Sarah's good hardback Tolkien!

Now Jay is carring stuff up that is dry and I am packing up here since if I packed down stairs the boxes are either heavy or I can't carry them. So far about six or seven got done this afternoon but I need to stop and make the corn bread to go with the ham and beans. Those went into the crock pot this morning since I knew I would not want to do much cooking by supper time.

Also, the temps today are pushing mid 80s. I have nothing to wear for those tempatures. So, I stopped at a garage sale and now have two new tops and three new pairs (at least to me) of shorts for 75 cents. Not bad to my way of thinking. Still going to need some other tops though. I can't deal with fabric right up at my neck anymore like most tee shirts are. So I guess a trip to Goodwill or Value World is in my immediate future.

Here she comes

Just a little tidbit from my last morning in CA.

Here she is on the morning on March 20.

going to be gone for a few days

Jay starts work at Crane tomorrow. So we are going down tonight to Bloomfield. Since there is no internet, I will be offline for about three days I think. I plan to come back up here Wens. but that isn't definate yet.
We are going to Allison Porterfield's baptisim yet this afternoon before we head south. We are all packed but I'll have to pack Albie when we get back. He's in for a shock. With nothing but knitting, reading and a dog to comb while I'm at the apartment, guess who is going to get a good combing????

I'm home

Got home about 1:30 a.m. Sat. morning. had a pretty long delay in Denver that had me sitting in the airport for over four and a half hours. but I'm home, I've actually gone through the mail yesterday and today Jay and I got some work done in the back yard. Not a lot more that can be done till we are sure it's ok to put out some plants so it's back inside to work today. That is after we watch some more basketball on t.v.!

where am I again??

Just a quick check list!

Blue skies. Check.

Palm Trees. Check.

Pretty flowers. Check.

and check.

Spanish mission. Check.

Blue ocean and beach. check.

I think that means that I have been in southern California!!!

Santa Barbara to be excat.

near the end of the pictures

ok, these are in backwards order of how they were taken but since the subject is what matters I don't think our readers will care! LOL

This was taken near the end of yesterday after baby and I had spent about four and a half hours at this point wandering the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Nice museum but not for five and a half hours. We had a hour left by the time I took this picture before Sarah was going to be done with her conference. As you can see, Raley was ready NOW!!

She did get about 30 minutes of sleep on the park bench under the trees and by the creek which meant that it was nice and cool. If the bench had been softer we both would have been happier I think!

At play in the hotel room. For about two and a half days this was our world. I enjoyed it because it was her and me and a very limited space which meant that we were together. She kind of went through a personality shift while we were there. We didn't have a dare devil when we drove up to Santa Barabara. By the time we came home there was a definate attitude on her part of starting to test bounderies!!!

At our party. The last of the cupcake has just been taken!

Pretty much got all of this cake she was going to get!!

I will try to get a few more picture tonight but it will probably be late Sat. or maybe even Sunday before I get the up!

And I do have one more video I will put on once I get home and can let this thing sit for the forever that it takes for a video to load!!

pics tomorrow

I spent the last three days with Raley and Sarah up in Santa Barbara and Raley and I spent a lot of it in the hotel room. which was fine with both of us.We had a good time. and I do have a few pictures but it is late and I am tired and the buggle is yelling in the other room she is so tired so you will all have to wait a few more hours for me to get my pics down loaded. And besides. there are a few that are just pretty flowers!!

today Raley had a party

I only got a few pictures on my camera because it decided that the memory card was full! Those videos eat it up. but here are three pics to keep the masses happy!

I can pull stuff out of the bag!!!

Hi everyone. Can you tell that I am teething and drooling???

I like this box from Aunt Jenna. It's big enough to climb on!!

the evening of March 11

Sarah and I ran to the grocery store when she got home from work. Dan stayed to give Raley her supper. when Sarah and I walked through the door this is what we saw.

On very tired buggle!!

two hours later, this is what was sitting on Daddy's chest after a short nap, half a bottle of juice and time to wake up and play!

dishwasher helper

Raley's first cupcake

this was so much fun to watch. She had said she was full and didn't want the rest of her dinner but when the chocolate icing hit her mouth she seemed to find room for it with not problems! LOL

Cupcake!!

Ok, these are the stills. I have one video but Blogspot is being stinky today not taking any of my videos. However, at least you get these!

what is this??

She reached out and touched it first with her right hand. After that she never moved that hand again and did it all with her left hand!!

Hum, taste's kind of nice.

Yes, yes, I think I like it!

I really really liked it.

All that is left of one cupcake!