some cool sunshine...

 Some random weekend pics...Emily holding Rhys, with Ruth and her sister Maeve

Mariel holding Ellis, Benjamin with Blythe and Jamie

With Sonja too

(Mariel is taking care of Achilles, Rhys, Jamie, and Ellis while Kathryn and Darius visit friends in Mexico)

Adrian got this for me, said he saw it and it reminded him of me:)

Jamie loves his baby cousin Kaia

Jonathan with his baby Emila

Wulf and Grant too...

Kaia

Charlotte Claire, Emily, Maeve, Grant, Wulf...we sang happy birthday to Miss Char...she's twenty tomorrow!

Grandkids galore!  Grant, Wulf Tenny, then Rhys, Ruth, Blythe, Jamie, Tennyson...and Margaret

Margaret...and Sunny

Paul with Jamie, he had just put Blythe down...

Aunt Suzanne with baby Samantha

Mariel with cousins Ellis and Kaia

Char with Ruth, Jamie, Rhys...

My son Joseph, and Suzanne's husband Zech

With their dog Winston, who looks like Suri..

It's been quite a weekend!  We had a quiet afternoon on the deck today, quiet after yesterday's overflow of fun and happiness!  Today Oscar and Sonja and Baby Kaia joined Char, Cam, and I, along with Paul...for dinner of airfried chicken wings, homemade chicken tenders, roasted brussel sprouts, and sweet potato fries.  

So yesterday ten of the kids and spouses and grandkids came over and oh my goodness!  The siding on the house where the grill melted it years ago:  all fixed and replaced!  The house powerwashed, the trampoline taken down, the yard all raked up!  Even the grandkids were out there working!  Not all day of course, they finished up and there was plenty of time to play on the pogo sticks they found in our play stuff, and in the little cars, and running around the yard.  

I grilled hot dogs and sausages for lunch, and dinner was homemade mac and cheese, ham, bbq chicken, rolls.  Margaret made two ice cream pies, and there were chocolate chip cookies and molasses cookies.  We went through lots of seltzers and Coke Zero and the little low sugar drink pouches for the kids.  It was supposed to rain, but it never did, it was a very pleasant day.

Ah well.  I'm tired enough.  Paul leaves for Cincinnati tomorrow for work, and Grace is coming over with the kids for a bit.  We have afternoon plans for Charlotte Claire's birthday.  

I thought I'd update here, in case anyone's new...if you already know all this or if it's boooooooorning, that's fine too, just skip on by.  

We have 16 kids, 12 are married.  

1.Emily (Nurse practitioner)

2.Abigail (accountant) (Derek)..they are expecting baby #1

3.Benjamin (hvac journeyman) (Ashley)kids Anya, Elise, Declan

4.Mariel (she just got her Master's in medical education(? ) works in management in outpatient Oncology)

5.Joseph  (Artist) (Bethany)

6.Aaron (RN, at Mayo Clinic working on Master's) (Riley)

7.Molly (RN, travel nursing) (Josh) Lydia, Ophelia, Denzel

8.Samuel( HVAC) (Grace) Grant, Ruth, Maeve, Samantha

9.Margaret (Pharmecutical something or other :)) (Adrian) Wulf, Tennyson, Blythe

10 Kathryn (Darius) Achille, Rhys, Jamison, Ellis

11 Evelyn  (Pharmeceutical something or other:))(Nate)...they are expecting baby #1

12 Suzanne (Pharmeceutical something or other:))(Zech)

13 Sonja  (RN in Pediatrics at children's hospital)(Oscar) baby Kaia

14 Jonathan  (HVAC)(Rosi) baby Emilia

15 Charlotte Claire. college, nursing school in fall

16 Camille. College, nursing school next spring or fall

Anyway...I just realized I never emptied my swim backpack on Friday, eeks.  I have it all in the wash now...pool in the morning!  I'm glad I found it tonight!  You have a good night!

so today...

 I went to the pool.  The guy who runs our class lost his wife to cancer last year.  Joan used to conduct the class, he picked it up when she passed away.  She was really into crafts.  She knit and quilted and sewed, they used to got to craft shows and set up a booth, sell things.  He was left with the task of clearing out her supplies.  Most of it he donated to a sewing group.  He asked me if I wanted some hula hoops, sure I did!  He brought them today, I think there are ten of them.  I think the grandkids will have fun with them.  

It started raining while I was in the pool, so it was damp and chilly.  I still went to the Mennonite store/greenhouse. I bought a few jars of local honey for birthday gifts, and some pink begonias and alyssum, and planted them together in some cute little pots I had gotten at Target.  I didn't realize the pots would be so small, but oh well.  

Home....I got my soil and pots and plants and set up on the deck with a nice after-pool coffee, and dang it, it started to rain again!

So, I did what anyone would do:  I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Camille made a big bowl of buttercream frosting for her cake decorating activity tonight.  

I made it back out to the deck and got those flowers potted, it's sunny again.  

We didn't eat our rotisserie chicken yet, and there are some leftovers from last night's amazing Asian salad bowls, so I won't be cooking dinner.  I had some pepperoni and rosemary crackers a bit ago, so I'm not very hungry anyway.  

We stayed up late and watched an episode of Downton Abbey, now it's Saturday.  Some of the kids and grandkids are coming over today, and I'm feeling blessed.  They are so good to me.  I didn't realize until yesterday that they would be coming for lunch and dinner, so I wasn't prepared for lunch.  Some are bringing things, but I had to fight the urge to take an extra trip to the store.  We live out a bit, and gas is getting pricier, so I didn't go.  I have a new loaf of bread and lots of kinds of peanut butter and jam, as well as a few packages of turkey lunch meat that isn't opened yet, and pepperoni, cheese, crackers.  We'll survive.  I would have gotten chips and maybe a watermelon, but oh well.  

Camillle backed some of the most beautiful molasses cookies, I tasted one bite of one, and oh dear, bakery goodness.  Then I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday, some with the bigger cookie scoop so they're nice and big...well, I packaged up four of the best of each cookies for Nate for his birthday, and put them aside, well, within reach of one Sunny Sunshine, who pigged them all down.  She's lying here with her had on her paws all innocent.  Her kibble is sitting there uneaten in her bowl, she's just not hungry this morning.  (She did this this morning, Paul left to go do some work before I got out of the shower....)

Anyway.  It's frustrating because cookies are so bad for her, but also they were big cookies and not so many of them, dang it.  I underestimated her, didn't think she would go nosing around in that bag.  

So we got the brakes done on my car, then the red car that Charlotte drives, then Paul's truck...ca-ching.  Well, after the brakes were done on the truck, the mechanic was doing an inspection, and lo and behold, the frame has a hole in it.  His opinion:  not fixable.  So the NY state temporary inspection runs out in another nine days, and we can't drive it anymore.  Just like that.  It's probably not worth anything to trade in, either.  The other truck he was going to buy a few months ago was sold, and trucks are un-goshly expensive right now.  

It's always something, isn't it?  For everyone, not just us.  I'm not complaining, it's just how it is.  We get to choose if we're going to let it all wear us down and make us miserable, or if we're going to acknowledge that God weighs and measures everything for our very best, therefore why not be thankful?  Each one everyone of us will stand before Him someday, and we won't be taking any of this stuff with us.  There's an illusion of earthly comfort that clouds our judgement, fools us into thinking that having things is the most important thing.  I do like my camper and my comfy chair, and am thankful for them, ha.  I enjoy life immensely.  :). 

Anyway.  You have a good day!

big fat liar!

 My phone is a big fat liar.  It says I only took 868 steps today, when I obviously took thousands!  I went to Costco today, for the first time in like seven months.  It was...underwhelming.  I guess I thought I would go there and find some fun things, some bargains, but meh.  I'm glad, in a way, because I didn't overspend, but.  Shh, I got an industrial sized vat of Reeses' Pieces, actually like 56 ounces.  Some Oreos for the girls, they love the sleeves so they don't go stale.  I got a rotisserie chicken, of course, for $4.99, and yes we stopped at the front and got a snack, pizza for the girls, a hot dog for me (I ate it without the bun), and a Coke Zero with a tiny splash of lemonade in it.  I also got a pair of Land's End swim shorts for $12.99.  

(My phone is NOT a big fat liar.  Ha.  I am a big fat idiot, minus the big and fat part, of course.  My phone was in my purse in the front of the cart, having a little ride, not counting all those hundreds of steps I was taking!)

Home...ahh, home.  Sonja came over with baby Kaia, and we caught some sunshine on the deck.  It was chilly when the clouds sailed past the sun, but a good day.  

Miss Char and Miss Cam are making dinner, Asian salad with rice noodles, chicken...jalapenos, carrots, cucumber., cilantro...cabbage.  Cam is also making a batch of molasses cookies because Nate likes them and his birthday is next week.  

Oh how lucky we were to have had this beautiful Labrador, Miss Suri, aka Tubby Tubster.  I miss her so.

Camille and Orange Guy...

He is so furry!

Today Sonja left her lovely Silver Cross on the deck, and Orange Guy thought it was for him.  

The girls are making a sheet cake, their friends are coming over tomorrow to do some fun cake frosting and decorating.  The house is smelling good, and I'm enjoying having them around.  They're almost done with college for the year!  

I just ordered more deck stain from Home Depot, they deliver next day.  Paul stained the deck recently, but ran out before he was done.  I want to sand the railings and give them a coat.  

Ah well.  You have a good evening!

back to Mac?

 Well, so I know I am rather technologically illiterate, but jeepers.  That new Samsung is great, but I couldn't open my blog on it anymore.  I couldn't get pictures on it, so here I am, back to Mac.  

With baby Kaia...

Newton, he's Evelyn and Nate's little guy.

That birthday cake...

A blast from the past, my dear sister Cheryl with Evelyn, being their silly selves, and Suzanne in the background.  :)

My favorite camping blanket...

So I went into the camper when I got home from the pool today, to see about those drops of water on the counter.  I was more sleuth-y this time, turned on my phone flashlight, and dang, there was a little tiny stream of water running down the wall...then I moved the wood cutting board resting behind the sink, and dang, there was a puddle under it.  I reached for a paper towel, and the paper towels are all wet.  So, we have a leak on our hands.  The good news is that the camper was covered all winter, only uncovered like a month ago, so there probably isn't a ton of damage, fingers crossed.  Paul says we can figure it out...he's very optimistic.  I'm trying not to jump right to OH NO WE CAN'T GO CAMPING!

So time flies, and not long ago we went to Florida with the five younger kids.  Look at that cuteness...Suzanne is married to Zech now, Sonja is married to Oscar with baby Kaia, Jonathan is married to Rosi with baby Emilia...and those two little girls are in college...how can this possibly be?  

Here's another picture of my sister Cheryl.  I miss her way too much.  

This fine morning, I went to the pool, then to breakfast at the diner in town, with all of my pool friends.  One gentleman was a farmer years ago, and a bus driver who knew all of my kids, my sister's and brother's kids, a really nice guy...he hasn't been swimming lately because of chemo.  Another guy hasn't been in the water lately because he had a lung infection, got sick on a cruise.  Another guy had his knee replaced two months ago and is doing fantastic.  We were all happy to see each other, and to be in a warm cozy diner with hot coffee on a chilly  rainy morning.   

I got home, checked the camper, then Joseph came over with his new little puppy who isn't so little.  She's half St.Bernard, 1/4 Mastiff, and 1/4 greyhound.  She is adorable!  She romped around and wagged her tail and we love her.  

Joseph had to get back to work, then we left to go to Target.  I did something I haven't done in months:  I tried on some clothes.  I loved a few of the dresses, but those plunging necklines!  I'm not willing to pay all that money, then have to sew on a little panel or wear a cami, then have to yank it down all day.  So no new clothes for me.  I did walk around okay though, and got Char a blouse she really liked, for her birthday next week.   There were spiral sliced hams for 89 cents a pound, so I got one, as our Easter ham from Target was really really good, and we ate the whole thing in one day.  So it rang up wrong, and I told the cashier to just never mind, I didn't want it, so she said no worries, she would give me my deal.  She rang it up for $1.49.  For the whole ten pound ham.  

 We then went to Hobby Lobby, and it was wonderful.  The girls are having a cake frosting/decorating evening with their friends on Friday, so they needed a few things.  I got some fabric for a very special project!

Then...to Aldi.  The girls got flatbread and made pesto flatbread pizza, while Paul and  I had a cauliflower crust  one.  I got some heavy cream and popsicles and Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.  I got the makings for macaroni and cheese, as I'll make it for Saturday to go with the ham, when the kids and grandkids are coming over.  

We made our pizzas and watched an episode of Downton Abbey.  I think I'll get the sewing machine out...it's been a while.  A hot minute, do we still say that?  

You all have a really good evening!

very nice!

 We had such a nice day yesterday!  I went to the pool, got there extra early, lots of time in the water, ahh.  Home, didn't even pull in the driveway, had to meet Paul down the road at the mechanic shop, as he was dropping off Little Red.  She's the grandma car that Charlotte Claire drives to college, the 2011 Buick sedan.  She's a good little car, was Paul's mother's, so very well taken care of.  New brakes for her.  I drove the truck to the pool, so Char could take my car to class...the truck is next for new brakes.

Grace was here with Ruth, Maeve, and baby Samantha, Grant was at a homeschooling co-op farm, not to far from here, learning all about all sorts of farm stuff.  We spent time on the deck in the sunshine, the little girls driving around in the Little Tikes cars.  

We decided not to get fresh meat this week, and to use what we have in the freezer.  Miss Cam made dinner last night, a chicken curry and a pan of basmati rice.  I stir fried some cauliflower rice with shredded cabbage and carrots, and a chopped orange pepper, with the Indian spices that Riley gave us.  It was such a good dinner.  

This fine day, Miss Char and Miss Cam are going to Rochester to see the Olympic ice skaters perform.  Remember Ilia Malinin, who did a backflip in every routine?  Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu...they bought their tickets back in the winter, right after the Olympics, when May seemed very far away.  Time just flies by.

It was a long winter.  It was a hard winter.  But, there was a certain sweetness about it, a coziness, and also a laziness.  I worked hard, so hard, on mobility.  I got on the bike and did my workouts and went to PT, but as for everything else, well, I didn't do much.  I realized yesterday, when Paul asked me if I had done something or other yet, that  it's over...that time when nothing is expected of me, ha.  Of course I would MUCH rather be able to do things, but I'll be honest:  it was kind of nice.  :)  

I did go into my camper today!  There's no obvious evidence of visitors, you know, the little whiskered mousies.  Everything seemed dry, but there were a few drops of water on the counter, which is very strange.  It hasn't rained here in a few days...and there was no sign of water coming in anywhere...?  I hope it's nothing because I just love my little camper, and no leaks, please!

Being able to hobble down the deck steps and into the camper was almost easier than it was before the surgery, when up and down the stairs was killer.  (my "old" knee doesn't love it, but we won't talk about that.  yet.)  I brought in a few blankets that spent the winter in there, they're in the wash.  One is a camping print fleecy blanket I got at Target, just love it.  

So I find myself blogging in bits and pieces.  The girls have left for their skating show, and Paul is mowing the lawn.  I'm such a good wife, I don't even know what we're having for dinner yet.  It's only five o'clock, what's the hurry?  I was going to the store today when Miss Char got home with my car, but it was too late in the day, rainy, and I didn't feel like it.  I'll go tomorrow.

I did vacuum, then I mopped the floors.  I washed walls, and I filled a bag of stuff to donate to the thrift store.  That sounds like I was busy, but I also finished a book that Emily loaned me, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier.  I certainly enjoyed the book!  It got dark and rainy this afternoon, and I had a hot coffee, how could it be better than that?

This new computer is very touchy.  It wants to open everything the mouse arrow happens to go over or near.  The keyboard is wonky, everything is over to the left more, so I type gibberish, then try to backspace and hit the dash key.  ---  NO, backspace, please!  Yes, I talk to it.  

Uploading pictures is a mystery, I figured it out the other day, but this fine day, couldn't.  ?  

I don't have any earthshattering pictures anyway.  I don't have anything earthshattering to say, either.  But, there is something I am really excited about!  This coming Saturday, some of the kids are coming over to help us do some yard work!  They will be disassembling the trampoline, which I'm glad about.  Camille, when she was younger, broke her ankle and her leg on that thing, in different accidents.  The netting is falling from around the sides, and I just want to get rid of it before the grandkids get hurt.  They LOVE it, but they go on there basically unsupervised, and there are so many little ones, most too little to be careful.  

I am going to grill hot dogs, and maybe burgers...

Ah well...I should mosey out to the kitchen.  Maybe I'll take some burgers from the freezer and grill them...or make up some taco meat, we have olives and fresh peppers...and a few tomatoes.  That sounds good.  You all have a good evening! 

brand spanking new!

 My first blog post with this Samsung laptop!  I have an iPhone, a Macbook which I've used for years.  It's convenient, as I can just drop photos easily to the blog.  This is a different story, and you can't teach me new tricks. 

The keyboard is weird, and everything is different, but I am not going to give up yet.  It's quicker, a touchscreen, and I'll see if I can adapt.   I haven't figured out the pictures yet, thankfully I have a few girls here with much more tech savvy than I ever had.  

This fine day, Sunday, is sunny and pleasant.  I plan to get outside.  Yesterday, our glorious winery day, was a bit cloudy and chilly, but so lovely nonetheless.  I have a few pictures, but we'll see when they make it on here!  I went with three of my girls and my niece.

Yay!  I got one picture on!  Evelyn with Newton, me, Emily, Abigail, and my sister's daughter Susan.

I actually tried one flight of wine, but didn't drain the glasses, just enjoyed the tastes, oh Finger Lake wine is so good.  We went to a second place, on Seneca Lake, and it was so beautiful.  I had a few little sips, but the best part was being with the girls.  We had not much "air in the conversation", no awkward pauses.  Too many laughs, and Mr. Newton was a perfect gentleman.  The first winery had a dog park, of course he loved that.  

We picked up the cake, and headed back here.  We sang Happy birthday to Sonja, after we had our lasagna and Tuscan Garlic Italian bread (Wegmans!).  Some of the girls had some wine I brought home, I did not.  :)

This fine day was a stay home day.  I enjoyed some sunshine on the deck, then Margaret came to visit with her kids.  They got out bubbles, and played on the swings and on the trampoline.  The boys took turns on the Hoverboard, and I read three books to Blythe.  They had some lunch, and some cake, then freeze pops before they went home.  

There is a lot going on here right now...the girls are here and all happy and silly.  We're thinking we have to replace our pool instead of repair it...so there is research into that.  It's so much money, but I love having a pool...

Anyway.  You all have a good day, and maybe I won't be so distracted tomorrow!  

it's like a landslide!

 When you haven't been able to do anything for a while, then you start to inch towards being more functional, well, you can maybe overdo things.  I like to sit in my comfy chair, but only for a bit, I also like to be busy.  Being busy this last six months has been difficult and...painful.  The last month or so, much less.  So.  I want to DO things!

This fine day, I went on my exercise bike, turned up the tension a bit to make it challenging.  I did some exercises, stretches, washed some dishes.  

Then I went off to Target with Miss Camille.  She drove, and did a fine job.  I only told her Slow down!!!!  Slow down!!! a few times.  There was one good parking spot in front, she pulled in right next to another car without hitting the curb on the driver's side.  It was in a huge puddle, so I had her inch forward a bit so I could actually get out without getting a soaker.  I was hesitant she was going to really step on the gas and smash into the car facing us, but she didn't.  :)

I had a few Target Circle offers, one was for $15 off of a $75 purchase, and one for $20 off of $100 or more.  Well.  I spent $150, and somehow got both offers, in gift card form.  How did I spend so much, you ask?  Well, one birthday gift, one big package of chicken breast (little known fact:  Target chicken breast is the best, it's reasonably priced, under $3 per pound, and it's so well trimmed!). (I always check their meat section, sometimes there is good stuff half off).  I did get three one pound packages of stew beef for $5 each, then some flossers for Cam, conditioner for me, some bagged popcorn, lots of spices, a bag of coffee, one heavy cream, Coke Zero, some seltzer water...

Home, ahh home.  I put some towels in the dryer, and a load of bedding in the wash.  I put things away, and made my way back to my favorite spot, the comfy chair.  

Today is Jonathan Robert's 22nd birthday.  If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that Jonny was born 10 and 1/2 months after baby Robert was born sleeping.   I'm not sure I let myself believe that I would have an actual live, breathing baby, and when Jon was born, I was almost in shock, delighted, happy, excited.  I guess I don't always have to mention Robert, but if you could understand just how immensely special Jon has been, all his life, so treasured!  

Anyway.  Today Jonathan is 22, all married, with a sweet baby daughter Emilia.  He's a good boy, and I somehow can't believe his whole childhood whizzed by, and he's grown up.  Why, just yesterday he was playing dolls with his sisters (he has eleven, but five in a row right before him, then Robert, then him, then two more sisters....so he was pretty surrounded!). He was also driving everywhere we went with anything round as a steering wheel.  He was obsessed with driving.   He loved riding his bike and going barefoot and then airsoft and four wheelers.  He can fix anything.  He had an old car, put a new clutch in, just from watching you-tube videos.  He had an old truck but sold it when he had to spend his money on grown up things, like his new wife, ha.   It's gone by so fast.   

These two, Camille Anaya and Charlotte Claire, and Orange Guy...time needs to slow down, they're the only ones still at home!

Kathryn visits though, with baby Kaia and her little Ellis

(She's eight months, he's almost 14 months). 

Ah well.  Time to get moving again.  The girls are making a pizza for dinner, and I have a cauliflower crust pizza for Paul and I.  There is laundry to switch over, and things to putter around and do...you all have a good afternoon!