GOOD TIMES

Our flight left Thursday afternoon at 4:00 pm, and we arrived in Salt Lake about 7:00 p.m. The night was cold but it felt good to me. Our flight was bumpy (not good) and it felt hot on the plane. Frankly by the time we landed in SLC, I was glad to be off the plane and on solid ground again!

Here is a peek at what everything looked like the next day. Beautiful!

We were so happy to spend some cuddle time with Gracie.

On Friday, the sun peeked in and out of the clouds. Bruce and I went with A and ran errands (at Baby stores, of course) and we even went to Park City to the outlet mall to shop at Carters and Osh Kosh!

We took a break in the afternoon to catch a bite to eat at "The Pie Pizzeria". Grace was absolutely mesmerized by the ceiling fans. She could not stop watching them. We were cracking up at her little expression! We had just come from Babies R Us and bought her a colorful, musical mobile for her crib and were sure that she would love it, given her reaction to the ceiling fans! She sure looks deep in thought doesn't she?
And when her mobile got set up, we were right! She loves her new mobile. Every time she's under it, she becomes very animated and excited--cooing, smiling, laughing and waving her arms and kicking her little legs nonstop. It is just too cute to watch her. Here is a short video of her reaction under her mobile.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and dry and it was a unanimous decision that we take the dogs and head out to the dog park (Tanner Park) which is the BEST dog park ever! It's in a nice canyon with trails and trees and a stream the dogs can swim in. It was also a nice hike for all us human types, too. Lots of room to toss a ball and let your dogs be dogs!

Here's Grace in her Snugli with her mama setting out on the trail down the hill for some fresh air and exercise! Isn't her little sweater cute? She stayed snug and warm next to mama.

The Sheppies, Kayla and Briggs loved running around the park and they loved the water too...it was definitely way too cold for me, but they jumped right in, time after time!

It was a beautiful day and we all had such a good time together enjoying the beautiful weather. It actually warmed up enough to take off our sweatshirts! Gorgeous day! Gracie chilled out in her swing when we got home.
Sunday morning, I woke early and quietly crept upstairs to make a pot of coffee and saw that it was snowing. Here is a picture of the back yard, before it REALLY began to snow! By the time we got back from breakfast, at least a good 4 inches had fallen and what had shown signs of spring now was completely covered with a thick blanket of snow

Grace has been sick with a cold and ear infections in both of her ears and mama gave her a dose of amoxicillin before we headed out to breakfast.

Here she is, ready to go out to breakfast in her little hat. Both days she surprised all of us by tolerating her hats! She used to hate them and scream bloody murder when you put them on her...until she was in the truck cruising along--then she was fine.
You can clearly see she is a happy baby. And a happy baby makes for a very good day! Needless to say, we had a VERY GOOD WEEKEND!

S'POSE TO SNOW

Not here.

Now that would really be some news.

Snow in San Diego. Imagine that.

Actually, I think some flakes HAVE fallen here--a long time ago. Of course, they melted right away and those of you who do get snow, REAL snow would argue that San Diego never got "snow". And you're absolutely right, of course.

None of that has anything to do with my post. I admit that I can get off-track pretty easily....

It is supposed to snow in Utah tonight and tomorrow. Which is where we are going for our long weekend visit with A & K and Grace. We are flying out late tomorrow afternoon and will have three glorious days in beautiful snowy Utah.

I am looking forward to enjoying some more of the white stuff. A change of pace for me, the girl that likes the change in seasons.

And we could get snowed in for all I care...I will be enjoying visiting with A & K and having lots of cuddle time with Grace and taking lots and lots of pictures!

PRAYING FOR STELLAN

Since early this morning, I have been consumed today with thoughts and prayers for baby Stellan after reading Mckmama's post from the wee hours of the morning and her update several hours later. Stellan is more stable than he was earlier in the day, but he is not well and needs all of our prayers.

GOOD MORNING! AND IT IS

Here is the "good morning" text greeting Bruce and I received as we were getting ready for work at 6:20 a.m. (7:30 a.m. Utah time).

Good Morning! I love you!

Good morning back to you, Miss Grace. Memaw and Pepaw love you so much sweetheart!

And do you know what is even better? This time next Friday we will be getting and giving our good morning greetings in person!

SUNSHINE

My grand-daughter, Grace, is a ray of sunshine in my world. Her sweet little smile makes my day! See what I mean?
It is hard to believe that she is already 2 months old. I sure miss her and her mama. I'm counting the days (9 more days!) until we fly up to see them for the weekend!

IT'S ALMOST HERE

Spring. Flowers. Foliage. Longer days and warm sunshine is on the way.

Can you feel it? Are you ready?

LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE

From the time Kona was a wee pup in the whelping box with her siblings...she has enjoyed her naps. I can relate. Naps are a thing of the past for me, but I need my eight hours or I am just not worth a darn.

Gosh I sure wish I could fall asleep as easy as this. Just plop down and off to sleepy-land. Any time I wanted to.

And anwhere.

Can you say relaxed?

So, is anyone else ready for a nap? Or is it just me?

DOG DAYS GONE BY

Sometimes it's hard for me to remember back to the time that our eighty pound golden retriever mix dog, Kona

was EVER this little.

And sometimes, it's just hard for me to remember.

But, that is exactly why I take B-12.

And it works really well.

Which reminds me, I need to take mine this morning.

NOW WHY DON'T HE (THEY) WRITE??

Remember that line from "Dancing with Wolves"? Dreamy Kevin Costner (John Dunbar) is traveling with Timmons, his guide and they come across a long deceased traveler. Timmons shakes his head and says "I'll bet someone back east is going, "Now why don't he write?"

That line cracks me up every time.

But that brings me to ask you all the same thing... why don't you write?

Hey, where is the love? I have a great comment section at the end of each of my posts...with lots of room to scribble to your heart's content...so go ahead, express yourself. Or...just say hi.

Pretty please?

With sugar on top?

A BIT OF THIS AND THAT

This past weekend, I did not make it back out into the garage to do sorting of any kind. I was stuck on the couch, laying low because I was dealing with shoulder pain and was on heat and large doses of Aleve all day Friday. Saturday I felt a bit better and we made a trip to Costco and then back home to rest and relax on our patio in some welcome warm sunshine.

On Sunday, I did manage to sort through a cabinet in our house of papers, notes, recipes, articles, etc. You know the kind of junk that accumulates over time...you set it aside, saying, 'I will go through this later'.

I also took a stack of magazines out on the patio with me and went through those, pulling out decorating and gardening ideas for my "Nashville Home Notebook". Remind me to show ya'll that in a another blog. My notebook is full of lots of goodies -- furniture arrangements, color swatches, dreamy kitchens and cozy living rooms, fun color ideas for throw pillows and all sorts of other ideas that get my creative juices perking right along. I can't wait to decorate a home in Tennessee.

If I did not do this, I would be lugging about 7 tons of magazines across country with me...it's bad enough I have bunch of guitar mags to decide what to do with.

Anyway, it felt good to have done that! I found some more things to add to our donation bag as I went, too. So, though I did not feel up to digging into boxes, I still accomplished quite a bit.

I also polished some silver pieces and put them away. I have two pieces that I use in my bathroom. I use my silver baby cup for cotton swabs and a pretty silver pitcher to hold my assorted hairbrushes. I love using these pieces that would not ordinarily be used very often at all in unique places around my home. Why save them for fancy occasions? That was another idea I got from a magazine and implemented into my home and just love.

Oh no, I just remembered where I have another stash of magazines. I suppose that is what I will be doing tomorrow night while we watch tonight's episode of "24" that we DVR'd. We were just too tired to stay up late to watch it.

We started back exercising today.

Wow, are we are feeling it.

And not in a good way. Yet.

But, that is a another whole blog...for another day.

BABIES DON'T KEEP

I have four precious children. They are all grown now. But they are still little children in my heart. They will always be. It is always that way with mama's.

This poem was posted on MckMama's blog today. It was written by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton. It certainly spoke to my heart and brought back all those memories of holding my four children, rocking them. Loving them.

I wanted to share it with all of you.


SONG FOR A FIFTH CHILD

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

After reading this poem, I was moved to tears. Happy, lovely tears of memories of sweet time spent with my babies, my children, in my arms. Time well spent.