Quiet Mornings

About nine in the morning on Monday my newest grandson and 4  year old grand daughter were dropped off. I loved having them with me all day long. Chris and Jennifer were packing up the rest of their house during the day. That evening they went on a double date with Aaron and Lisa. They picked up baby boy sometime after 9:00. What a fun day we all had together!

Miss J spent the night with us. She is such a sweetie. We had fun both days doing things a 4 year old likes to do. Coloring, blowing bubbles outside in the snow, playing with her baby dolls, and building with blocks,  I painted her finger nails with glittery polish, and we watched the Disney movie Tangled.

We also got out the beads and made her a couple of necklaces. She chose the colors green and pink for one. I wasn’t sure about the color combo, but it turned out really cute. She chose all the beads for the 2nd necklace. I helped her lay the beads out so it was symmetrical and looked good. She strung the beads. I thought she might be too young, but with the bigger beads, it was easy for her.

  

Tuesday evening we had a little gathering of family and friends. We took a few photos, ate yummy desserts, and said good bye to my kids and grandbabies…

They left Tuesday night and got to their destination about 50 hours later. They didn’t stop to sleep. They just drove straight through, switching off drivers in the U-haul and the car.

I’m thankful we’ve had a fairly busy week. Wednesday I played games online all morning… played games and cried. It was a good thing we had a birthday party to go to in the afternoon. I got to visit with family and friends, and it really helped get my mind off of my kids. I didn’t go to church. I knew I’d sit there and be bawling and sobbing out loud. I couldn’t bring myself to go. Thursday I played games all morning online just so I couldn’t think about things. My aunt came over in the afternoon and we played sequence and visited. It was a really nice afternoon.

Today I’ve played farmville all morning/afternoon. I gotta get out of this rut. I just cannot seem to bring myself to do much. We have another birthday party this evening. My friend’s 50th birthday. I have to make myself get out of the house for awhile.

I’m missing my kids… missing my grandkids. I know I’m not the only mom to go through this. That knowledge doesn’t help even a little bit right now.  My life has changed dramatically in the past 3 weeks. Andrea, Mitch, and their little ones were here for 2 months… they left 3 weeks ago. I miss having kids around all the time. I miss waking up to 3, 4, and 5 year old giggles… My house is quiet. Mornings are the worst.

Snowstorm Wrap Up

We have survived the snowstorm of Western Washington 2012… at least I hope this is ‘the’ snowstorm of 2012!

This has been week to remember… and there is nothing like pictures to document the week.

Mom’s car isn’t going anywhere… not even with those chains.

 

The view from my front porch on Sunday, January 15, 2012 – There was a lot of snow.

The trees looming over our house… I’m just thankful none of these big boys fell during the winds following the big winter snowfall. 

The only way out in and out of our driveway… 4wheel drive or chains. Sunday we were without power, phone, and cell service. Yep. Cut off from the rest of the world. Our boys came to check on us.  

Snowball fight anyone?

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A powerful generator… it’s a GOOD thing. We have had hot food and a warm fire all week, even though the power was out for a few days. The next time we move to a home this far out in the foothills of the mountains, I won’t have a pellet stove. I will have a wood stove. A pellet stove sounds like a good idea until the power goes out.

We turned the generator off before bed and started it up each morning. The house got down into the mid 50s by 6 or 7 each morning, but at least we were warm. I know there are those out there without a generator or a wood stove.

 

Sunday the kids all came out so the littles could play in the snow. The power was out most of the time they were here. We cooked taco meat and ate haystacks by candlelight… it was a lot of fun!  

The kids came out a nearly every day throughout the week. We played card games, and spent 7 hours one day playing risk. Oh boy… it is a long tedious game. But I love it! Aaron and Lisa brought dinner one night and we played a rummy game my grandson learned at his friends house. The game includes a lunch bag, tongue depressors, and several decks of cards. Fun! Fun times!

We ate snow cones, and made iced coffee… yummmy!  Starbucks VIA instant iced coffee mix, vanilla coffee mate, and snow made for a really good iced coffee drink! Seriously… instant coffee? Yep. It was good. Yummy good!

We had a stock pile of drinking water, but water to flush the toilets… Nope. So we scooped up snow into my Nesco and heated it to melt so we could flush toilets. We had pans of snow melting on the pellet stove… one of our friends said ‘you might be a redneck…”  Ya think?

We visited and reminisced about the good old days at our old family home. We lived down a private road, in the middle of the woods… huge evergreen trees surrounded our home. Every wind storm, ice storm, snow storm, etc… our power would be out for several days on end. We’d sit around playing games, reading by oil lamp, and cooking on a big old wood stove in our living room. We all agreed those were some fun times. Oh the joys of living in the midst of a forest.

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Our driveway is a sheet of ice with snow on top, and the dirt road is not much better… it is a rutty, slushy mess! But once you get out to the paved roads, I hear they are clear. I’m good to be a homebody the next day or two…

In the midst of this storm, it has been a good week. God has kept us warm and protected us… and given us many good memories.

Family Bible

I love this song, Family Bible by Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. When I hear it I think about my childhood. It really makes me miss my Grandma... my Dad, and my uncles who have passed on.

I feel very blessed to have grown up in a Christian family. I have so many wonderful memories of my family sitting around the table discussing the faith and how we should live it. It is a way of life. A way of life we have passed on to our children... and now my grandchildren.

Okay. Feeling somewhat sentimental... I think I'll just listen to my song list as I turn in for the night.

Simple Woman’s Daybook #2

FOR TODAY – January 14, 2012

 

A Simple Woman’s Daybook

Outside my window...  Snow! Winter wonderland snow! It is snowing big beautiful flakes tonight. I took this photo earlier in the day.

I am thinking...  about having a family dinner this next week, as most of my family will be headed back to the midwest soon.

I am thankful... Our car broke down today. I’m not so thankful for that. But I feel very blessed we made it 5 miles back home… Dear hubby was praying out loud the whole way. We got all the way back home and the van died in our driveway. Not up at the house where we park, but it was close enough!  We live way out in the country… there is quite a ways where there is no cell phone service and the roads were covered with ice and 4 inches of snow, I was thankful I didn’t have to get out and walk home.  

I am creating...  with paint shop pro again. I made a new background and header image for my blog. I’m not sure how it looks on other computers, as I haven’t tested it with different browsers or different size screens. I know, risky making changes without testing it out first.

I am going... to sit here with hot chocolate and a cozy down comforter all day tomorrow. I might play in the snow for a bit… then warm up with more hot chocolate!

I am wondering... if I should put out the hummingbird feeder, and how to keep it from freezing.

I am reading...  Psalms - KJV  

Around the house... Most of the Christmas decorations are packed away. We have a few stacks of moving boxes. I figure with circumstances as they are, we should be prepared to move… just in case.

I am pondering... what I’m suppose to learn from this trial we are going through. Am I humble enough? Have I placed all my troubles and trials before the Lord’s feet… maybe I’m holding on to much more than I am suppose to. Not the physical stuff… I’m talking about emotional things. I tend to carry around a lot of baggage. I need to work on it. Maybe once I let it go, God will have mercy. 

A favorite quote for today... The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.  Psalm 28:7 KJV

One of my favorite things... is a quiet evening at home with family. No techno gear of any type. A cozy fire, fresh baked cookies, a board game and visiting around the table… and great conversation. The past couple of months we had many evenings with cookies and milk, and good conversations with Bibles open. It makes me feel very blessed to know my young adult children carry on with old family values…

A few plans for the rest of the week… spend time with my kids and grandkids before they leave. Time is flying by too quickly. So much to do. I plan to get all of the holiday decor packed away. I’m getting back on track with diet and exercise. I have goals and I need to be on track! I’d like to catch up with some of my hand written letters to friends… something I have been so negligent in doing. The rest of this week I will count my blessings… find the good in the day and not focus on the trials of life.

A peek into my day... I didn’t cry today.

Another look at the snow in our front yard…

** Note ** I started writing this on the 14th… it is late, and it posted on the 15th. I need to get to bed earlier!