let's be real....

 I'm getting old, or why would I be so tickled to solve the Wordle so rapidly?

I was also tickled when I was looking at the strange weather forecast yesterday, and said, "Sunny, sunny, sunny!", and this sweetheart looked up at me and tilted her head.

Then I found an old picture from when Cheryl and I went camping by ourselves for a week.  I've told this before, but it's my blog, so I can tell it again, ha.  We had a week reserved, and I had either nine or ten kids, as I'm not sure if I was pregnant for Kathryn or if I already had her...(I told you I'm old).  Cheryl had her seven daughters, and we brought one of our brother's little girls "to help":). (she was about 14).   So that's about 17 kids altogether.  Cheryl had her own camper and her own campsite, but my campsite was right on the beach, so we spent most of our time there.  

One night, we had a campfire, and you can imagine all those kids gathered around the fire...my sister and I were both kind of strict about safety, we taught the kids to stay put and if they wanted to get up, they walked BEHIND the chairs, so no one fell into the fire.  anyway.  We had to sing the George of The Jungle song several times for Sam, and there was a lot of fun and silliness, which must have triggered the rangers to come see what was going on.  Cheryl had just kiddingly said We're running low on firewood, we'll have to go purloin some more..., when out of the shadows two rangers appeared, on either side of our circle.  What's going on here? , they wanted to know.  My sister stammered, Oh, my sister and I are here without our husbands.  We're just here camping with our kids...  The officer told us to keep it down a little, then they left.  Cheryl and I looked at each other and just died laughing...We're here without our husbands!  Oh my goodness.  We laughed about that for years.  It just sounded so...flirty?  oh my goodness.  

Anyway.  I'm sure that was a challenging week, but I only remember how much fun it was.  

It's the price we pay to be parents though.  We do the hard things so the kids can have fun. 

I am so thankful that I had my sister Cheryl as a partner in crime, although I say that jokingly, we would never actually steal firewood or anything else.  We liked to have fun with our kids though, and were willing to suffer to do so.   She was always up for a last minute outing.  She would pack up her girls and bring them over here, and they would play in the woods or play the screaming game downstairs or put on plays, play dollhouse with my kids...we went strawberry picking and to the beach and to playgrounds.  

Memories.  Yes, I'm getting old.  If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would.  The lack of sleep, the crazy busy mornings, the exhausted bed times...oh, the times I tucked them in with my heart not in it because I was so focused on getting them all to bed, how I would love to go back and say prayers with them and listen to all those things small children think of to say when it's tucking in time.  

Happy Halloween, to those who celebrate it.  We're going to Jon and Rosi's house this afternoon, and giving out a ton of candy.  The grandkids will go trick or treating, and some of us will stay at the house with the babies...Kaia might go trick or treating, but Emilia and Bridget and newborn Jovi won't.  We'll have pizzas and I'm bringing bbq'd meatballs.  There will be snacks and drinks and lots of fun.  

I might dress up....we'll see...what??!  I have time!  Have a good day!

it seems so summery here in new york!

This fine day, ahh, I took my time getting coffee and relaxing...because I knew I was going to be doing some sorting and organizing.  I worked on a closet downstairs.  It's mostly empty and vacuumed out now.  I threw away three pairs of old shoes, donated a pair of nice boots, a basketball, a trombone, some ice skates, some swim floaties and a small life preserver.  I threw away two large bags of egg cartons I had collected for people who had chickens, and never gave to them.  I also threw away a metal framed backpacking rucksack, probably fifty years old.  What?!  You wanted that?!  Everything I donate, I picture one of the kids wanting it.  It has happened.  I donated a five cup coffee maker, next thing I knew, Evelyn was wondering about it, as she decided to start making a pot in the morning instead of always an Americano...being a new mama busy with a baby.  oops.  Then she wondered if I could put Olaf out this year, which I painted a few years back...nope, donated.  I hesitate.  I took a pic of one of the small swim floaties, which has been hanging on a nail in the hallway for a few years...I did not buy it, so I posted the pic on the family chat.  crickets.  Into the donation bag it went.  

I saved some badminton rackets.  I've saved more than I will end up saving, but at least there is a preliminary emptying of the rooms.  The day of reckoning for the room of books is coming..ugh, books are heavy.  I have at least three big hard cover nursing books, and loads of other books.  They aren't mine, but no one wants them anymore.  Well, Em said she would take the Chronicles of Narnia books.  

I have an electric bassinette that I bought a few years ago from Marketplace for Blythe, which she liked, but Margaret doesn't want it for this baby.  I have an Uppababy bassinet and bassinet stand, an Emmaljunga pram and double stroller, a nice Baby Jogger stroller from Marketplace with a brand new tray I bought for it, a walker, booster seats, high chair, pack and plays...some I'll keep (you need a few pack and plays when you're a grandma.)  This baby stuff is not from my kids, except for the plastic Little Tikes booster seat, and the Emmaljungas.  It's stuff I got for the grandkids:)

Cleaning out a house where you raised sixteen children is an emotional ride.  The hopeful minimalist, that is trying to emerge out of the maximalism, loves some of the very things that need to be gotten rid of.  I happen to love the outcome of purging...the nothingness, the vastness, the empty drawers and roomy closets.  I like fewer choices and simplicity, but I love the toys, especially the old ones they don't make anymore.  Keep what brings you joy, they say.  What if it all brings me joy?  I also like to have a whole slew of decorations, especially Christmas stuff.  Every year I get a few new ornaments....

I will clarify:  I am not a hoarder.  I have no problem parting with most of the stuff.  It feels fantastic, actually.  I like to go through my cupboards periodically and get rid of odd mugs and travel cups.  One of these days I can downsize my glass pie dish collection...now that I only make three or four pies for thanksgiving, with everyone else making some too, I don't need that big stack.  (when all the kids were at home, making 12 or 14 pies wasn't unusual!).  

There comes a time when a mama has to come to terms that she no longer has to hang on to things "in case someone needs it someday".   I had several costume things hanging in my hall closet...a few capes, a few old dresses, a clown costume...I got rid of it all.  Santa hats and witch hats, extra mittens and hats.  

When all the kids lived here, we needed so many sheets and blankets and towels and mittens!  There were never extra to spare.  Now...we do not.  

(adjusting to four people in the house is a gradual thing.  I made only one sheet pan of meatballs the other night...it was really too many for us, but a first for me, I usually make six or more pounds of meat into meatballs, two huge trays!)

We still get together frequently, so of course I still make huge quantities of things for Sunday gatherings.  But on a day to day basis...it's a learning process.  

If it weren't for the stomping of little feet when the grandkids come over, I think it would be really hard to live in this vast, formerly overflowing house, echoing with memories of lining kids up for baths and showers and serving dinners with two high chairs and kids all around those two big tables.  

Anyway.  It's been a good day.  Camille and I headed to the small city, dropped off the donations, then she went to class and I went to BJ's, for frozen meatballs and Stubbs bbq sauce...trust me, put those in the crockpot, and yum.  They're for Saturday, our Halloween gathering.  

Home....Cam and I got busy making dinner.  I cut up the chicken breast into strips, against the grain, and put them into pickle juice, while Cam cracked eggs then made up the bread crumbs.  I trimmed and cut up the Brussel sprouts and peeled and chopped red skinned potatoes for mashies.  Cam breaded those chicken strips, and put them in the air fryer with the Brussel sprouts, and got those potatoes on to boil...she made the mashed potatoes, and we had a fantastic dinner while watching the last episode of East of Eden.  (it was really good, followed the book, but there are parts you have to fast forward through!)

Anyway.  It's quiet right now, but I have to go pick up Camille soon, from band practice.  

Sweet baby Nicole is doing better, her mama said.  She's requiring less oxygen, but is still on antibiotics.  

You can see in this pic that she has that chin....it's a family thing.  :)

She cried a bit the other night...

Stopped and opened her eyes a bit...she's so cute.    (These pics were from the Angel Eyes cam in the NICU, I check on it several times a day!)

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork."  Psalms 19

You all have a really good night....

 

randomness on a Tuesday...

 There were no grandchildren involved in today's busyness.  I got up, dawdled around, did the crossword puzzle (oh you young busy mamas, don't hate me, I know!), drank my coffee...ahh, so nice!  Then I did some sorting and cleaning, got two bags to donate.  One large bin of Barbies with a few Kens and a bunch of clothes and accessories:  I did keep a lot of it.  I found an original Fisher-Price Little People, the girl with the red dress. I kept her.  

Then it was time for another coffee, and then time to go out the door for Cam to go to class.  We stopped at the new Byrne Dairy in town to get our free Tuesday Refills, we think we're so funny...you don't even have to go to the register, just raise your official Byrne Dairy refillable mug towards the cashiers, and out the door you go.  A lady held the door for me, she had her mug too, she said, Don't you just love Tuesdays?   Now that you mention it, yes, I do.

Off to Aldi I went while Cam went to her college class.  Avocados, pears, raspberries, cheese, eggs, coconut milk, walnuts, ravioli, a pizza dough, chicken breast, a smallish chuck roast for the crock pot, crackers, a jar of marinara sauce, and a bottle of lime juice.  There must have been more, it was a hundred dollars.  After getting Cam, we stopped to drop off the donations, then got gas, then to BJ's for two bags of coffee and two bags of candy.  

We're planning to gather at Jonathan and Rosi's (and baby Emilia's) place for Halloween.  The grandkids will all go Trick or Treating from there.  Some of us will stay there with the little ones, and we will give out candy.  We will have SO much candy.   Maybe 11 of my kids, some spouses, most of the grandkids will be there.  We will order pizzas, and have snacks and way too much fun.  

Tomorrow, I'll get up earlier, go to the pool, and Kaia Jean will be here when I get home.  Cam will look after her until I get here.  Rhys is coming for a visit at some point, and we might try to go to Target...not sure.  

Here is your daily dose of sweet Nicole Elizabeth.  I cry as I write this.  This little darling has beaten the odds, but she's struggling now.  I'm not sure how things will go, but I love her so much my heart just aches.  Please pray for her mama and daddy, that they can have peace and be strong in the coming days.  I am very thankful for all the kind words and prayers from all of you friends who read this.  It might come to mind that God isn't listening, but He is.  This baby has been such a gift.  She is so loved.  

You all have a good evening, and thank you again...

pictures from normal days....

Camille aka Aunt Cam, with baby Bridget

Char...Ev...Nate..Ellis in the front, Margaret, Blythe, Achilles...

Aunt Sonja with baby Jovi

Me with baby Emilia

Cousins and best friends Jamie and Blythe (that is a doll!)

Sweet baby Nicole

Today:  Ev with Bridget, Suzanne playing Sorry! with Rhys, and Jamie, with Kaia watching

Cam on the couch, Sonja with Kaia and Ellis

Babies and more babies!  In the last year, there have been 5 grandbabies born (Samantha, Emilia, Bridget, Nicole, Jovi), with two more due in the new year.  

This fine day, after the pool, Suzanne came for a visit.  So Evelyn came over with Bridget, and Sonja with Kaia, then Kathryn had an appointment for Jovi, so she took Achilles and we watched Rhys, Jamie, and Ellis.  (They were SO good!).  We had coffee, we had tastes of the amazing cinnamon rolls Suze brought from Wegmans, the kids had pears and cheese and crackers and cookies, and shh, candy corn.  (Jamie was so sad they were all gone yesterday, he said, "I smell the candy corn...", but the bowl was empty.). So I bought a new bag in the Dollar General today after the pool, the autumn mix with the pumpkins in it.  

Sweet baby Nicole has some infections going on, don't know much more than that, but it's a really hard situation for the soul.  We love the babies, we love the children God sends us right from heaven.  They are entrusted to us, and we are so thankful for them.  I'm not sure what to say about this, it hurts my heart.  

The girls are watching East of Eden, so I am watching it with them...so you have a good night!
 

home again and posting!

 Let's try to untangle these thoughts and get things straight...

We left on Wednesday morning, and drove through the glorious mountains of Pennsylvania to Delaware.  The trees are breathtaking in their autumn colors.  

We stopped a few times, I had a horrible coffee from a rest area Starbucks, we laughed and talked, and made it safely to the hospital.  We visited with Abigail for a bit, then left to go to Trader Joe's.  We got dinner stuff to bring to the Airnb:  salad kits, some hot sausages, fresh ravioli, sauce, orange chicken, pumpkin ice cream, chocolate ice cream, ect.  

Derek and Abigail came over for dinner, for our strange buffet.  We opened a bottle of wine, and stretched out and relaxed.  Baby Nicole is holding her own, I'm not sure she's improving.  The doctors are making sure she is comfortable, and the hope is that her lungs grow and develop so she can be weaned from the heavy duty oscillator.  

We did not get to see her in person, as we are not on the four person list.  I get it that they have to be cautious, but we would really love to be able to see her in person, I only got to do that when she was one day old!  

Thursday, Derek had to go to work, so Abigail came over to our place and we spent the day together.  There were places we would have liked to go, but mostly we just wanted to spend time together, Mariel and Suzanne and Abigail and I.  We ended up taking a trip to Target, it was a really nice, big, well-stocked Target.  We got some things to have for lunch (salad kits for the win!)(with some roasted chicken).

I made us some afternoon coffees, and the day flew by.  We solved the world's problems, and had some laugh attacks.  

We went to Five Guys for dinner...it's a burger place, if you've never been.  The young guy behind the counter couldn't understand what I was ordering, I thought he got it, but when I got the printed ticket, it was all wrong.  I had to get it straitened out, as I wasn't going to eat a cheeseburger with jalapenos, ( I am just not a cheese person!).   I do wonder why they had him man the counter if he could barely speak English, and I don't mean it in a rude way.   He kept nodding and saying "cheeseburger!", and I kept saying "No cheese!".  

Anyway.  We brought out food back to the airbnb, and watched a football game on mute...

Home....ah, the trip home.  It's a five hour drive, and this time my coffee was excellent (iced blonde roast Americano with a splash of heavy cream).   I put clothes in the washer, and mop/vac ed the floors.  Then Char was going out the door to the small city to hand in nursing school paperwork, so I went along with her to run into BJ's.  She wanted some energy drinks, and I wanted the 90% burger for $3.30 a pound.  I also got a big package of buns and some dill pickles, we can grill burgers on Sunday.

Home...Cam had made curry chicken, and Suze was still visiting, until Zech came a bit later, and came in for a visit with Mr. Winston, their black Lab who looks just like old Suri did.

Ah well...time just flies by, and this fine morning Paul and I are heading up to Ottawa with Emily and Mariel for a birthday feast for a friend.   We're leaving soon, and I have to get moving!  You all have a really good day!

just a tuesday in the glorius autumn...

 

Baby cousins, #20 grandchild Bridget Suzanne, and #22 Jovi Madeline (Nicole Elizabeth is #21). (14 girls, 8 boys!)

Jovi

Newton visited with Evelyn and Bridget

Bridget

Kathryn read a story to Rhys and Achilles, Ev held baby Jovi, Jamie and Ellis were being silly

Grandpa with Ellis

Camille with Kaia, yesterday

We got outside for a bit in the sunshine.

And, a blast from the past...Camille, Char, Kathryn, Suzanne, Jonathan...

Yesterday, the rec center pool opened after being closed for a month for maintenance.  I got there an hour early, so spent two hours in that water moving.  It was beyond lovely.  I got home and did some housework, then Oscar came with Miss Kaia.  We played and had some scrambled eggs and read stories...then Cam agreed to watch her for the last half hour of Oscar's class, so I could go with Kathryn to Jovi's newborn check up, and to the store...yes, Kathryn went to the grocery store.  She carried Jovi close to her, and I pushed the cart.  

This fine morning, I vacuumed and stripped the guest room bed and washed bedding, vacuumed in there, vac/mopped the floors, then Ev arrived with Newton and Bridget...then Kathryn with her five small children.  Darius had work to do, and she likes getting the kids out of the house, they love coming here.  I made them some kid friendly charcuterie, (apples and caramel!  cheese popcorn!  and boring turkey, cheese, pepperoni, grapes, crackers).  I read How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and held some babies.  

They all went home, and Cam and I headed to bring her to her class.  I went to BJ's and got some coffee, yogurt, cheese popcorn, and SunChips.  Then to Aldi for pretzel crackers and gluten free crackers, then to get Cam...we stopped at the new Byrne Dairy.  If you bring your official Byrne D. travel mug in on Tuesday, you can fill it with coffee for free...we got a free one when they opened, I bought a second one for five bucks.  Now we can get free coffee every Tuesday:)

Home...air fryer pork chops with a melted butter/dark brown sugar poured over, with lots of seasonings too.  We had chopped roasted sweet potatoes and red skinned potatoes with onion, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil, and chopped apples baked with brown sugar.  mmmmm!  

And now it's getting dark out and I have to pack.  Suzanne Eleanor is coming to spend the night, and go with Mariel and I tomorrow to Delaware to visit Abigail and Derek.  We are staying in an Airbnb this time, so no spooky hotel...I hope the Airbnb isn't spooky....

And here is your daily dose of Nicole: 

You all have a really nice evening!  

your daily dose...

Of baby Nicole Elizabeth!  

She was crying last evening, this is a screenshot from the AngelCam.  The nurses did come in and console her, one put her hand on her head and she calmed right down...then they turned the camera off, as they do when they take care of her.  

Daddy (Derek) got to hold her today!

(yes, they are married, they have to take off rings before entering NICU.)

She is so sweet.  If you are praying for her, thank you so very much.  God has been merciful, and we love her so much.  She is a miracle, and we hope she is able to be weaned from the oscillating ventilator to a regular one soon.  Then she won't need sedation, as far as I understand, and I am guessing she has a lot of sass to show us.  Her parents have seen some of it peeking through already.  

This fine day, I am keeping busy.  I washed my hair, made a batch of gluten-free 7-layer bars (Aldi brownie mix and a stick plus a little more butter as the base instead of graham crackers). (We'll see how they turn out!).  I was going to grill the chicken I had in a marinade, but I lazed out and put it all in the crockpot with taco seasoning and cilantro/lime salsa.  I made homemade salsa with 11 tomatoes, chopped up, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and a jalapeno pepper.  

Mariel with baby Bridget

Bridget with her mama and daddy, Evelyn and Nate

Sonja with Kaia, me with Samantha

Mariel with Kaia and Sammy.     Rosi was there with Emilia too, but I didn't get a picture.  Grace was there too...:)

Emily took Charlotte Claire on a hike in the Adirondacks this weekend...yes, this is New York state.  So lovely!

Char on the mountain.  I mean, when you hear New York, do you think of views like this?  (The Adirondack forest preserve is six million acres of loveliness!)

I'm home now and it's Saturday night...it's been such a good day.  :)