Grandsons, Granddog and Maybe Snow...

Our oldest grandson (14) and our youngest (2) are both sleeping at Nana's and Papa's house tonight. How special is that? The middle one was here with us for a while earlier tonight. Little Man just loves his big cousins and they dote on him.

The loft bed that Ken build for our younger son, Josh, had to be rescued from the attic this week.  Josh used it about 25 years ago;  Dale and Tristan used it a few years ago.  Now is is Little Man's turn.  He loves it - all his toys can live under the bed.  Of course he can't seep in it yet - it's way too high.  What fun to have the same bed his daddy had a few years ago.

Our two donkeys, Gracie and Stormy - both female - are two of Little Man's favorite things. He loves to feed them cookies. No, Stormy was not named after my brother who shares the same name. She was actually named Stormy when we got her. Little Man loves all things outdoors - the barn, the donkeys, the tractors and especially riding the Gator.

Much too cold today. Snow and ice in the forecast for tomorrow. I'm ready for spring!

We had another visitor for part of the day. Granddog Baxter spent the afternoon. He doesn't snore as much as Bodacious - our beagle.  He does beg for food quite a bit.

Snow or no snow?  School or no school?  Dale's last words before bed were, "Don't wake me if school is closed."  I always wanted to wake up early when school was closed so I could enjoy the whole day.

A really good day.

EASTER

Easter Sunday... brings lots of memories of childhood Easters.

Church - Easter egg hunts - new clothes - family dinners - Mom and Dad - spring.

Easter doesn't seem to be celebrated as much as it used to be - or as much as it should be.

For us as Christians, this should be our most celebrated holiday. Maybe the best celebration is simply the acknowledgement in our own heart and mind that Easter marks the resurrection or our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Easter was quiet - Josh, Becky and Jeremiah came by for a while when they got home from Raleigh. Jeremiah looked so cute in his Easter outfit. Perry came while they were here. Dale and Tristan were with Amber. We'll see them in a few days.

Ken and I went to Lowe's to buy flowers for the yard. He bought three fruit trees and planted them this afternoon. Flowers and trees = new life - seems appropriate for Easter.

We checked the garden - watching the plants grow. I think we'll plant some more in a week or so. It's good to be home. Today was a very good day.

Las Vegas - a new baby in the family

Las Vegas is so beautiful.  We're on the 20th floor of the Sahara - with a spectacular view of the mountains.  The sunset behind the mountains is so beautiful.

Lester and I flew from Charlotte to Dallas then on to Las Vegas yesterday.

We had lunch with Zac and Debra and met little December Siouxsie Diane Carter!!  A big name for a beautiful little girl.  She seems so little to us because our 

babies were so much bigger.  She is such a sweet baby.

Zac is always fun - he is a born entertainer!  Seems like such a short time ago that he, Zeb, Zane and Josh were little boys.  Now Zac has two little girls and Josh has a little boy.

Jeremiah has been sick for a week - not sleeping well, runny nose, coughing.  Becky took him to the doctor Monday and they gave her an inhaler to use on him.  He is breathing too fast and they're concerned about his lungs working efficiently.  He goes back to the doctor on Monday. We're praying that it is just a temporary viral thing and he'll be all well by Monday.  Looks like he's having fun playing in the basket!

Josh called tonight - Ken ate dinner with them.  I'm sure he enjoyed that.  I talked to him earlier today - all is well at home.  He assured me that he covered up our vegetable garden last night so they didn't freeze. 

Of course, I've lost some money in the casino.  I don't lose much only because I don't risk much.  I just look at it as a form of entertainment.  I like Blackjack and wish I knew enough to play Texas Hold 'Em.  Lester is actually winning!

The economy here is hurting - maybe more than most of the country.  The rate of home foreclosures is unbelievably high.  We talked to a man today who said his house was valued at over $300,000 a year ago and now he can't get $150,000 for it.  

I think that the high percentage of people in this country who have lived above their means for the past 20 to 30 years - bought houses and cars they couldn't pay for and ran up tens of thousands of dollars on credit cards - are the major cause of the economic mess we're in.  The sad part is that many people did what they were supposed to - lived within their means, paid their debts and saved money - and unfortunately they are the ones who are suffering through no fault of their own.  My sermon for the day.  I'm afraid our country has changed to the point of being unrecognizable as the America we loved.

A Beautiful Family Day

The best days are really the simplest ones.   The weather was perfect today - feels like spring might be here.  

We cooked on the grill and ate on the patio.  Little J enjoyed the swing, the hammock and all the attention he got.

Josh, Becky and Little J, Perry, Dale and Tristan and Lester were all here.  After we ate, we just sat and talked and enjoyed the day while Jeremiah took a nap.  It's fun to see Dale and Tristan with him. 

Becky and I checked our garden.  Several of the plants are up and growing.  Ken is building a wire cover to keep the critters from eating our "square foot garden".  

We even had fresh strawberry cake!  Can't get much better than that.