End of the Month

Sorry I did not disappear, its just been crazy AGAIN. No, We let someone talk us into displaying & selling our creations at a local festival and we have been Busy, busy, busy for the two day event.There will be over 140 vendors exhibiting and only a few locals were accepted to join in. UGH! We were crazy or what...it is taking its tole on me. I was very tired and thought I'd turned off the woodburning rod, so I grabbed it getting ready to change the tip...oh my God, I now have a crusty white ashy burn in my left hand. I'm trying to get more rest. I still can't believe I did that. My knee is keeping me in constant pain because the ins. co. wants me to take pain treatments first, well they were right it is pain treatments I'm in more pain now. Not sleeping much but also not sewing much. Bad days and not so bad days. Lil' Orchid however is my ray of sunshine. Her mom mom and her went out to the garden and picked what seems to be the last of the tomatoes, and that afternoon the mail lady brought a hat we bought for her...it's perfect isn't it...now she's her favorite gray kitty. In my previous post I mentioned guests so I added a photo of Lil Orchid and Great Gram Jean (she did bring up some of her incredible woodburnings) also there is a photo of Lil Orchid wearing a dress from Great Aunt V , they are all so cute). Lil Orchid is also getting a little bored at times waiting for me and her Mom Mom to finish cutting, sewing, glueing, stitching, woodburning, drawing etc. .....Ohhhhhhh isn't that pitiful.

It's All A Blur...

I'm talking about the weekend, My daughter and Lil Orchid and I decided to runaway..no, not really we just needed a well deserved get away. We had enough for gas, packed a box of food, and threw some clothes in a suitcase and took off for Nashville TN. We stopped first at Centennial Park and saw the Parthanon. My sister, her daughters family and my brother all leave there or near by. My great nephew was celebrating his 3rd birthday and the party was 4:30 pm Sat night. It was a good visit, got to talk with my sister and played with my nephew who is 6 months older than Lil Orchid. Cupcakes, games, swimming and lets not forget my sister put dinosaur tatoos on everyone. After the party my sister came back to the hotel and visited til 12:30am then returned and ate breakfast with us.

We left later than expected to drive south of Nashville to my brother's place but made goodtime. It was the first time he met Lil Orchid so it was a Special Visit. It didn't take long for her to melt that fake gruff exterior he keeps for everyone else. He also is gifted in wood working as I have said about most of my talented family (my sister back in the day, did the hand sewing , you know all the glitz and sparklies, on Country Music Award Show dresses and jackets for Porter Wagner, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell) Oh sorry had to do a little bragging.

Anyway we headed back home Sunday afternoon, because Ye Ye and Great Gram (my mom and dad) was driving in and staying a few nights with us. They say its to visit us but we all know that its to see their Great Granddaughter Lil Orchid. It's okay I'm not jealous. So now it's back to building inventory for the Shop. Ye Ye and Great Great also brought up some of their woodburned creations. Don't forget to check out there Etsy Shop..I linked it to mine now. Just give me time to load it ;)

Here's some pic from the weekend....

Our Family was Blessed

It was a long stay in HCMC, a hot and muggy stay (not a great place for people with naturally curly hair), but finally on the 20th day there, we received THE PHONE CALL, be down in the lobby in 15 minutes. Amazingly we got all three of us dressed and down in 10 minutes and looking good if I have to say so myself. The taxi ride seemed long until I watched my daughter begin to sign papers, and more papers, then it seemed to be in slow motion, next we all went in a little room and I recorded the Official Giving and Receiving ceremony. It was beautiful and now in everyone's eyes that precious baby is My Granddaughter! I gave both Lil Orchid and her Mama each a Jade bracelet I had bought earlier in the week there, in honor of this Special Forever Family Day. We traveled back to the hotel in the rain but that didn't dampen the Spirit of our Celebration. We ordered pizza, laughed and took pictures ! Little did we know that at that time our trip would total 29 days before we set foot on US soil again. But I wouldn't change a thing. We are Blessed, I am Blessed !

We celebrated last year by having family pictures taken and had pizza for dinner. This year we were all together except for Uncle N (he did call on the phone) and we took pictures and had a great pizza for dinner. Check out the photos of our Forever Family Days...I can't believe its been two years!! What an incredible Journey!

Still Catching up

Everything has been busy, busy, busy and then I feel miserable at the end, middle and yes all day with my knee.

I had to submit some sample photos of our work from the shop so I sent these, of course now I wish I had picked others. I'm never satisfied. It's to hard to choose.

Check out this Happy little girl getting to talk long distance to her Uncle N.

Tues.- Moving Day, Wed- Baseball Game

Here it is Tuesday morn, The little F-10 truck is packed, I mean PACKED and so is the Mini Van. My son and daughter drove them and left early AM. (Are you questioning why not use a trailer....Don't get me started. Undoubtably, every freakin kid in the universe is moving this month and not one trailer from U Haul is available at least not in the State of Missouri or Illinois. (they even asked if I wanted to drive to Kansas to pick up a trailer ?*@$?!!!>>>>I called the 800 #, main office, and NOTHING. So now you see, that is why the truck looks as it does, it was strapped very tight I only worried for a strong wind or some fool to lean on it and it fall over on its side :( Amazingly packed in truck; A 7 ft couch, full size entertainment cabinet, over stuffed blue chair, coffee table, dining room table, 5 dining room chairs, braided rug, bean bag chair, full size heavy wooden 3-drawer desk and several rugs stuffed inbetween for padding. WHOA! Lil Orchid and I will drive up later with his girlfriend who couldn't leave til noon. So Lil Orchid and I spent three hours at some park til K was done with her interview. Only good thing, all the playing and sunshine made Lil Orchid tired and she napped almost the entire ride up to School. We had lots of fun helping unpack and watching my son decorate his apartment with his goodies..looked pretty good for a college student. We drove over to Campus and took some snapshots then had to say our good byes. And the Good byes were tough..Lil Orchid knew something was wrong when Uncle N didn't get in the van, she wouldn't say bye and kept repeating No, No, No Go, Then Lil Orchid had the biggest alligator size tears rolling down her cheeks which just broke Uncle N heart and mine. Finally it was too much for him and Uncle N. had the big tears, then so did Mom Mom and eventually me too. I new it was gonna be really hard on Lil Orchid and her Uncle. Sweet Dreams Baby Boy I'm really PROUD of YOU!!

Wednesday, Baseball Game and Kid's Autograph Night. It was a bit muggy but Lil Orchid had fun saying Please and Thank You to the ball players and handing them a baseball or her helmet, she even got two retired players to sign her Baseball Bows (they look pretty good ). The mascot, Fred Bird had lots of fun playing with her. Uncle N would be Proud!

Hi All,

This is Grandma Monica's daughter posting for her. We have been super busy trying to get my Baby Brother all packed up for Grad School. We spent this evening loading everything up and trying to fit a ton of furniture into a small F-10 pickup but we did it. Then my Baby Brother went and got us carry-out from JBuck's. Such a treat since eating out is rare for us.

Otherwise my Mom's knee is killing her and I just wish the insurance company would stop dragging there feet so she could have the much needed surgery. Hopefully after Wednesday we will be back to our regularly scheduled posting with lots of pictures and she'll even back-fill her posts.

Till then I will leave you with a picture Lil Orchid took of Kitty Cat and her toes

Lil Orchid's Mommy

Saturday & Sunday

As you all know we are helping my son get ready to move into an apartment and begin Grad School. So what started as packing turned into repacking and sorting some boxes from my move to live with my daughter (it was like combining 3 households, not pretty, who gets to keep what. ) We are getting better at reducing, and if I help Lil Orchid pick up her toys she will run and gather as many as possible scared I will pack them away. You can't turn your back on her during cleaning, she can empty things as fast as you pack them. She played very well during the cleaning chaos.

Family Fun and the Countdown

In one week my son will have moved and yet another chapter in his life will have begun. I don't worry so much, its not like some parents and they never hear from their kids. Both my children keep me updated and call me to tell me the simplest thing that might have happened in their day. I am so Blessed.

So trying to spend as much family time together, the kids drove two Counties away and visited the family farm with Lil Orchid. Then returned with their paternal Grandmother and we all went out to eat and enjoyed the evening.

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Well, Did you guess by the title...we went to the Zoo. Got up super early to make the long drive over and make sure we arrived in the early hours where you don't have to pay admission into the special exhibits (Dinosaurs) and the Children's Zoo (Petting). Everyone has been working and getting stressed so this was a well deserved Family Day before my son drives up north to attend Grad School. (Proud look on Mom's face) Lil Orchid was so excited and so was I to see the expression she would have when all the animals in books come alive. Most of the life size robotic Dinosaurs scared the beegeebees out of her. She took charge right away and handled all the map reading and directions. She loved the Children's Zoo, we saw a frisky baby leopard in the nursery, petted a snake and baby guinea pigs then petted and combed the goats. Most of them were calm but one spotted the appliqued strawberries on her dress and chewed on it not letting go (no pictures because we all ran to save her). We got to see the new tiger cubs, (all five of them) the new baby giraffe and a baby bear. We took our traditional photo of being ate by the Hippo...lots of Fun and comparing everyone's growth each year is Funny! (She really hasn't grown much but alot in our eyes...next month 2 1/2 yrs old and she is 30.5 inch tall and 19.3 lbs.) We spent alot of time by the penguins because they are so close you are constantly being splashed. We also walked inside the butterfly house. Amazing. It was such a beautiful day in more ways than one!