Trim Painting

(Thank you for being a subject for my blog Audrey) lol



Audrey goes back to work at Great Basin NP in early Spring; so for now she's been keepin' busy painting various odds & ends. I asked her to paint some trim in two rooms of my house so here she is in action....

This is the laundry room - which just needed to be brightened up a little with a splash of yellow ;)

She wasn't too excited to have her picture taken - but like a good sister she looked at the camera :D
The other room she'll paint is in our bathroom which will have lavender trim to match the wall paper. It's amazing what a difference a little paint does.....

I told Audrey that I could create a "laundry list" of things she could do around our house (while I watch the kids)......I don't know if she's too keen on that ;)

LOL

Thank you Audrey!

XOXOXOX

Birthmarks

Ok, you're going to probably think "what kind of silly post is this?" But recently I was changing Isaac's diaper and when I went to lift his foot......I found this. I didn't notice it before. What a cute place to have a birthmark. lol

But, I had to smile because Ava has a birthmark on the same foot on her ankle. I wonder if Isaac's will darken like hers......

Aren't birthmarks also called angel kisses or something? I dunno.

Here's what I found on the internet about these marks:

Some birthmarks appear in the first few weeks of life. These marks can be red, pink, brown, or tan or blue. There is no way to prevent birthmarks and they are not inherited. Little is known about how they occur. Most are benign and fade in early childhood.

Hmmmm, interesting; sort of.

Ha ha

Grandpa Hanks

Last week (early in the morning) I looked out the sliding glass door and I see Grandpa's white pick-up truck. He had hauled over some hay ledge for my garden and was putting it in a pile. He's repeated this thoughtful trip a few times now (rain or snow). I am so grateful.

This is not uncommon of course for Grandpa to go out of his way for others. He's always looking out for other people and willing to lend a hand (or a shovel). lol

He is one of the most hard-working men on this planet - and always has been. Although he's slowed down (deservingly) just a little - he's always taking care of someone or using his excellent green thumb to take care of something.

These are a couple of my favorite pictures of him (at the Sink Hole)

Someday, when I am his age, I hope to have that same work ethic and love.

He is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G

Preschool

(Thank you Gwendy for these photos!)

Ava goes to preschool at EskDale 3 days a week. There are quite a few little munchkins that go this year. It's really comical to see them interacting with one another learning valuable life lessons. Sharing vs tearing each other apart. lol
Gwendy, or "teacher Gwendy" as Ava calls her, is one of the most kind and patient people I know. She's got quite a large ball of energy to balance with this group. Some of the kids aren't pictured in this blog.



On the warmer days they go outside to defuse some of that energy....................

I enjoy the fact that I have a couple of hours to be "toddler-free" and have some down time with Isaac..........

One day I went to pick Ava up at preschool and left Isaac with Grandma Hanks and Audrey (since it was only a ten minute drive). About 5 minutes into driving down the road she looked over and noticed his carseat was absent and exclaimed "HEY! Where's my brother?!"

LOL

:D

Extended Garden

Bryan and I added another plot for our garden. Now we can grow even more of what we want this year (I always wanted carrots). I'm excited to get started but I know that Old Man Winter is still lurking around.

We just used railroad ties and surprisingly the soil was OK - it just needs some attention. So, we've been layering it with compost (as usual), and chicken poop (mixed in with straw) from mom's coop.

We'll just continue to prepare the soil until we plant this Spring........

There is so much I'm going to do in the yard :)

It's going to be fun to get our hands dirty and Ava will be able to help out this year too! Althought she'll have more fun pickin' & eatin' instead of planting. lol

Thanks for this magnet Sarah H !!!!!! LOL
Hopefully this will be a true statement this year! I'll try to grow a green thumb.........

Hand-me Downs

There are several outfits that were handed down for Ava (thank you Grandma Hamilton!) that Bryan wore 30 years ago :) These train overalls are an example:

It's amazing! Ava has trampled through the desert & put them to the test. You know she can't sit still! All her "other" jeans have holes in the knees. This pair holds up to the abuse! lol

They don't make Levi Jeans like that anymore.......... also, notice the Lincoln Log toys? Those were Bryan's too :) We got some great vintage hand-me-down toys along with the clothes.

It will be cute to see Isaac in the near future playing with those toys with Ava and wearing those jeans. I'll try not to think about it now because that means they'd be 2 years older.........

Road to Recovery

Isaac has been feeling better the last couple of days. I've been decreasing his pain med intake and he seems to be just fine with it. We've been taking him out of the house in our normal routine. He's been smiling and cooing at me when I talk to him again. Some of his stitches have already dissolved and the redness is disappearing. Day by day the swelling is going down. I think he's somewhat getting used to the arm restraints (except at times when he wakes up and tries to stretch). As long as his belly is full, diaper is changed, and in someone's arms he's his happy jolly self. lol

His follow-up appointment (when Dr. Morales takes the metal bow off) is March 10th.