My Crazy Dog

This dog drives me CRAZY!  Seriously, I don't think there is a dog in the world that whines as much as she does.

This dog has been barking at our neighbors horse for four years now.  Has she not realized she is barking at the same thing and the horse isn't going anyplace?  The poor horse has been there and will be in the same place tomorrow but Lily feels the need to bark for hours at it.

 This dog fooled our friends into thinking she couldn't hear while they took care of her while we were on vacation.  Oh, she can hear but it's called "selective" hearing.  Don't think she is going to come when called or pay attention if she doesn't want to....even if you have a treat.


This dog loves to sit behind me and put her head on my shoulder.  As much as all her little habits annoy me sometimes I sure do love my Lily.  She is such a sweetheart and is so good to Daisy.  Thank goodness she does well with Emma to.  I was a bit worried when we brought them both home within a year of each other since Lily had been my only baby for over three years.  She was my therapy.  She kept me going and still does when I have days of loneliness or home sickness or just don't feel well.  Now I have two sweet dogs and a beautiful Emma to love.  I waited a long time for all of them.  Now I'm gonna soak them up and love them to pieces....especially my Emma.  :) 

Chuckles With a Friend

Today I'm thankful for friends that God has given me.

My friends are so good to me.  They pray for me, check on me and sometimes, depending on the day, most importantly, laugh with me!  We all need a good laugh sometimes and laughing through pain is a bit nicer than crying through it. Today I woke up feeling a bit better then yesterday but still not quite myself.  I sat for a few hours wondering if I needed to go to the hospital...LOL  James says I can be quite dramatic at times.  

I decided instead of sitting around having a pity party I would meet my girlfriend at the rec center to work out.  Boy, do I feel so much better after a light workout and a shake from McDonald's.  It was a forty minute light workout on the elliptical while sharing lots of laughs with Ami.  A few times I had to stop and bend over to get the laughs out...yup, it hurts to laugh but I don't care.  After, we walked around the track once to cool down and she said to me "hurry up, we can't let anymore old people pass us."  Now I know that may not sound funny but it was.  I didn't realize what a turtle I was being.  Well, I had to step aside to let the older folks go on by while I was bending over once again laughing.  Thanks for the laughs Ami!  I'm glad I could also give you a good laugh regarding checking my pulse in the evenings...(that's a whole other story).  I feel so much better.  I'm also thankful for friends who can laugh with me over what a pain it can be to sneeze (most people don't know it can really hurt to sneeze), who take time out of their busy schedules to go to Red Lobster with me, have tea with me,  who have always encouraged me on our adoption journey and have always been sensitive towards my feelings when they have gotten pregnant knowing I couldn't.  I used to love sharing in the joys of my friends pregnancies but they always made it so much easier being so sensitive towards my feelings.

We all need good friends to laugh with and God has put some amazing people in my life.

This is one of my favorite posters of two girlfriends just walking in downtown Chicago arm in arm.  I have it hanging in my house and just love it.  We all need good friends we can walk arm in arm with through our lives.

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed.

As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over;

so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over."

...James Boswell

 

My First Week Working Out...Shedding the Pounds

Now that I'm closer to forty than thirty....shhhh...don't tell anyone...I have learned a few things about exercising the past week.

I used to love to run in my 20's but having Endometriosis made running next to impossible.  I eventually gave up running due to spotting non stop for months at a time.   Oh, but I loved running but now it just isn't even worth thinking about.  I'm so thankful I have an older sister who, after a few years, finally convinced me to go to a Reproductive Endocronologist.  After my second visit there we knew what the problem was.  

Now I take a little more care and try not to do activities that irritate my condition.  

I have spent a little over a week now exercising in the hopes of losing a little weight but mostly just keeping my heart healthy.

I was also hoping it would give me more energy.  I'm sure it's what has been proven.  After one workout last week with my friend I came home and said to James "boy, am I ever pooped."

Since it has been a few years since I have worked out here are a couple things I'm having to learn...

1) DO NOT...do not...do not..I tell ya, it is not even worth it...just do not even consider weighing yourself after the first week.   I weighed myself yesterday and I've gained.  I really have to tell myself that I am building muscle.  

2)  Don't forget that muscle weighs more then fat but fat will burn more calories...so I've been told.  It's what I hope at least.

3)Buy a membership at a gym.  It's a lot more fun to work out with a friend and also makes the time go faster.  It also gives you a little time alone from your little one if you have one.  :)

4)At this point in my life I AM NOT willing to give up sweets or chocolate.  In my 20's I was all about giving up sweets.  Not anymore.

5)  Hide the scale...again, it's not even worth checking.  I'm looking for a healthy habit, not to be a skinny cow.  (ha)  I love skinny cows!  Have you ever tried them?  It's a low calorie treat you can find in your freezer section at the store.  :)

 

Well, I'm off to walk for a half hour on my treadmill.  I don't try to overdue it otherwise it will become a chore and not something to be enjoyed.

 Perhaps I should reward myself with a Swiss Cake roll after...or maybe not.

My Favorite Author

Since I found my little baby birds today I had to pull one of my favorite author's books off my shelf to read.

I love Gene Stratton-Porter.  If you love nature and fiction you have to read one of her books.  They are absolutely wonderful.  I would start with Girl of the Limberlost and then move on to Freckles.  I love to imagine that I'm in the swamp looking for my special collection of moths.  Her books helped my love of nature grow and also helped me find loveliness in things I never thought were to lovely.

http://www.genestratton-porter.com/

Check out this web-site to learn about her and her works.

After reading Keeper of the Bees I had dreams of becoming a beekeeper.  You learn so much about the life cycles of bees and their responsibilities.  Who knew bees were so fascinating.  Along with learning about nature you will read a wonderful, wonderful story. 

Oh how happy I am to have found my four birdies today.  Not only will I cherish the time of watching them but I will dive back into these wonderful books and learn so much that I have forgotten.

  

Four New Babies

Yesterday I stumbled upon a little tiny nest in our front yard with four little eggs.
This morning I woke up and went to check on them and found the sweetest four little babies.
Oh my, they are are just the cutest!
I haven't been this smitten since we found a hummingbird nest back at our place in Michigan. I used to get Jame's ladder out of the garage and climb up to see them.
Now I'm just praying that the wild cats, roaming dogs and other critters don't find these sweet babies in the ground.
I will keep checking on Max, Ruby, Frankie and Freeda throughout the week.
Yes, I named them. It's just this weird thing I do.

The Weeks Highlights

This week was the official start of summer and we certainly kept busy.

-Some nice thunderstorms rolled through. One evening the wind blew so hard that the rain went horizontal. I was standing with Emma when I heard some serious drips hit our pergo floor in the kitchen.

-Yesterday while napping James and I woke up to a rain storm in the house. The sealing in the skylight in the kitchen gave out and down flooded the water that it was holding. I thought a pipe burst. Good thing my contractor was here to see it!

-I started working out with a friend at our rec center. I have been using their babysitting service for Emma. She seems to be enjoying it and I love using something else besides the treadmill. My girlfriend and I use the elliptical and having someone to chit chat with makes the time go by much faster. I think we're gonna love using my membership I bought today and it's only about eight miles from home.

-This afternoon we went to the city pool with my girlfriend and her two boys. Emma loved, loved, loved the water.
You'll have to excuse the pictures of me in my bathing suit....ha!

My girlfriend and one of her little boys. We had such a good time. I was smothering sunscreen on the whole time I was there. She asked if I didn't like the sun and I explained that I love the sun but it does NOT like me.

Emma and I stood under this thing. She thought it was a hoot.

She loved sticking her head in the water. I took her out into deeper water and she loved swimming around. I think she is going to be my little fish and I think she would have stayed the rest of the day but mom was hot and tired.

Emma and I Miss You....so does Daisy and Lily

This evening I walked two miles on my treadmill. While walking I was listening to some of my niece's favorite music. While we were back east she kindly let me download some of her favorites onto my ipod.
I'm loving listening to her music but it sure does make me miss her a ton.
So, to my niece....
I miss you with every beat of my heart (ha...I know, I'm so sappy)
and Emma is missing you to.
We miss, miss, miss, miss you so! Oh, I could go on but I'll stop there.

Walking

Tonight after I got Emma in bed I put on my shoes and hopped on the treadmill.
Okay, maybe not hopped...more like carefully stepped since my balance is terrible & I tend to fall. But that's another story.
I have been trying to motivate myself for a couple months to walk on my treadmill.
Most times I would decide to snack instead. Snacking helps with stress to...I'm sure but it's just not as beneficial.
Not that I'm really "stressed" but I worry. I worry about people, my dogs, the weather..you name it.
I'm gonna walk the worries away!
Tonight I finally did it.
I made it 2 miles which took me about 33 minutes.
I did some serious sweating!
I got my heart rate up.
And I'm pretty sure I walked off a little bit of the swiss cake roll I had yesterday.
We won't mention the popcorn or nutty bars I enjoyed to....among other things.
I love chocolate. I love food!
Oh, so anyways about my walking...hopefully I can keep it up so that 15 years from now I can keep up with Emma and not worry about such silly little things that my brain loves to think about.

I'm proud but I sure am tired!

For those of you who could care less about my walking tonight and just want to see pictures of Emma.....
these are for you. :)

She is a pretty happy girl. I'm pretty sure she has wanted to just walk for a couple months now.
I tell her to just take her time. No rush. :)

Dogs, Clouds and Emma

I'm very excited that this week it is suppose to be in the 80's for a couple of days. Maybe my garden will grow a little more....sad little garden.
James is getting further on my flooring. Today I took a swiffer mop and wiped the walls down. They sure were dusty.
When it gets warm out I usually crochet a bit less. But I got a lot done over the weekend.

The hat I was working on and Daisy sitting next to me.

We had some storms roll through over the weekend. The clouds here amaze me. It never seems to get pitch black like it does back east and I can see for quite a ways. No trees in the way.
I try to get pictures of the clouds but they don't really do them justice.

This was the storm last night. The whole sky was a range of pinks and purples.

Lily and Daisy in my favorite chair to hook in. They always have to sitting next to me or behind me.
I have visions for this chair. I'm gonna make it look lovely. I have ideas....now I just have to get them done!

Emma is so sweet when she is sleeping and stretching.

Emma loves her bottle.

This is her "don't mess with me" face. ha! She looks pretty tough in this photo but she is really quite sweet.

Our Week

We have had a pleasant week. The sun came out and it has warmed up so we aren't freezing. My garden is starting to come alive. It is growing very slowly but at least I'm seeing some green come up.
I've done some serious hookey this week. My pile of hats is growing.
I think I need to start a hooking club. Would anyone come? How delicious it would be to see everyone's projects and get all sorts of ideas.

This week we have had time to get out and get together with new friends for tea and yummy lemon cakes.
We've made chocolate chip muffins.

And....
last night we had this sweet, darling young lady over for the night.
She goes to our church. She is so talented.
I haven't told her parents yet that I would like to keep her...to stay....for good. ha!
I love girls her age! They are fun with their dances, singing, playing and they love to talk.
It's great!
I had a great time! Thanks for being such a doll Miss. V!

A Conversation With My Mother

Today I talked to my mother on the phone.
Oh, we talk about every other day or so. It is usually about stuff we're working on, what we've made for dinner etc. etc. Nothing unusual.

Today I called her and told her that I was taking my oldest child to the doctor and I think she has a UTI because she has been having an accident here and there.
My mother's response.. "I didn't know you had Emma out of diapers already."
um.....
let me rephrase what I said
"i'm taking Lily to the vet today because I think she has a uti."
Ha! We got a good laugh out of that one!

We've Got The Shivers

This morning I broke down and turned the heat on.
It was below fifty out. That was a cool enough excuse to turn the heat on.
Lily had the shivers.
Daisy had the shivers.
Emma's hands were cold.
I won't begin to tell you the places that had a chill on me.
So it's been running all morning.
Lily & Daisy no longer have the shivers. Emma's hands are nice and toasty and as for me...well I'm getting there.

Until it warms up I'm going to look at this picture a lot from a couple weeks ago when we were back East and we were so hot!
It was hot but look at the green grass. Look at the beautiful flowers. There were flowers everywhere. It was wonderful! I've heard people back there have their air conditioning on right now.
I was able to wear my summer clothes and put away the flannels.
What am I wearing today?
My flannel pajamas of course! :)

Not Quite Summer

Technically it is not summer yet so I really can't complain to much that the temperatures around here are only in the fifties. It is good sweatshirt weather and for a few moments today I thought it was the time of year to get my fall decor out...Yikes! Not yet I reminded myself.
Last summer it was so chilly even on the 4th of July I had to wear a jacket.
Oh where is that global warming everyone keeps talking about?
My little garden could really use some warmth.
James loves this weather to work in. He is working on a siding job this weekend. He couldn't be happier that warmer weather has held off.

Emma's hair is quite the mess when she first wakes up.
I'm loving it though.
It is so soft and silky. When it gets a bit longer it will be the perfect hair to braid.
People comment to me how much she looks like a doll.
Yup, she is my doll and I love playing with her hair just like I used to with my dolls when I was younger.

When James comes home he does not get a moment alone.
He doesn't complain though...well, maybe the other night he got a bit flustered when his water glass spilled all over the floor.
What can I say? They don't give him much of a break. ha!

I have wanted to read Betsy's Wedding for quite some time. I ordered quite a few of Maud Hart Lovelace's delightful books.

Tuesday Tuesday

James has been working on our floor this week after he gets out of work.
I try my best to keep Emma, Lily and Daisy out of his way.
Last night he was getting flustered because he was finding some of the flooring was broke.
Poor guy. They shipped it out a few weeks ago and it arrived in pieces and broken up. Home Depot had to reorder it.
Then this arrived.
We had hoped that things would go smoothly. James was opening it and found corners broken. Now we have at least one box that we'll need to take back. This puts us behind. Don't people take pride in their work anymore? I'm not sure who is as fault...the packers, the shippers etc. etc. It seems that someone is losing money though. I'm sure we aren't the only ones that this happens to.

Lily is enjoying the new floor.
She loves taking nice naps on it after running outside.

I have finished a ton of projects since being back home.

Hats...

Sweet, delicate flowers....

dish cloths galore!!

Poor Emma is just heart broken without having her cousins around.
Oh wait, that would be me.

Seriously, this was after a nap while I was getting her bottle ready.
She gets mad when she gets hungry.
Don't know where she gets that from....ha! I tend to get cranky to when I'm hungry.

Don't worry...she was fine after she got some grub.
This was her right after.