Drought Stricken

We finally had some rain last night. I don't know exactly how much we got here, but it was a nice, steady, gentle rain for about 45 minutes. Hopefully it will rain again sometime today.

See that window? That's the room I sit in while on the computer!

This is what my backyard looks like,even after the rain last night. You can see the hoses there that I have been dragging around just to keep my flowers watered. These bushes by the house are usually green with little yellow flowers on them and the grass next to the lilies is usually thick and green!

We live in the country and don't have to pay for our water, but still we have to pay for the electricity to run the pump that pumps the water through the faucets. I don't think that cost is terribly significant, but because of the pump running so much and since it is older, we do need to be careful that it doesn't burn up. It would be quite costly to purchase a new one at this point, not to mention how terribly inconvenient it would be to have to go without water, even temporarily while a new one could be located and installed! And then, with hubby on overtime, it would be hard to find the time for him to run around searching for one to purchase and finding the time to install it wouldn't be easy either. The man needs to sleep sometime, right? He does have Sundays off, but that day is usually spent sitting in his recliner in front of the television, with his eyes closed.....checking his eyelids for leaks (his words, not mine). I can't tell you how many NASCAR races that man has claimed to watch while checking those eyelids! But it is hard to keep up with sprinkling to keep the grass green. And hubby broke our best sprinkler last week.....the one that looks like a tractor and runs along the hose so you don't have to go out and move it every ½ hour or so. He thinks he can fix it, but then we have the same problem of finding the right part to do so and the time it takes to repair it.

See why I want it to rain more? If any of you in Texas or Canada or anywhere else are getting way too much rain.....feel free to send it this way! Thanks!

Time Flies!

I have no idea where the time has gone. It has just flown by...I have been busy, but it still has flown by faster than I realized. My cousin was here from Oklahoma and that had me busy but only for a day or so. Yet, I cannot account for where it has gone. It's almost as if I've been sleeping or in a coma or something!

I know that I have still been busy taking care of grand children and enjoying every minute of it, but it certainly hasn't taken up all my time. Perhaps I have been busier than I thought just catching up with housework and laundry. Unless I am behind because it is taking me longer to get everything done since I injured my foot! I don't really know how I did it for sure. I think I fell off a backless shoe and landed on the hard edge of the shoe with my heel...the doctor says it's plantar fascitis. He took x-rays and said there are no bone spurs which surprised him. He also said it is terribly painful.....that much I already knew and didn't need to fork over a $20 co-pay for that piece of information. He says he has it too and he prescribed 800mg Motrin for me with one refill. I must remember that this med is a pain reliever not a 'pain killer'! It does help some, but I guess I must be a baby, because I am tired of it huring all the time!

On a sad note, my little Amber has moved to Pentwater, MI. It is over 80 miles one way from where I live. I know we won't be able to see each other as much as we are use to and she cried quite hard the last time I spoke with her on the phone the night before they made the move. I'm sure she'll adjust fine......me, not so much! :(

A Day at the Zoo!

The zoo we took them to is in Grand Rapids. It is called "John Ball Park Zoo". It was a very hot and humid day to go, but we were working within a time frame before the Kentucky Bunch had to head back so it was Thursday July 5th or not at all!


This picture is the two adult bald eagles they have there. The kids were impressed with such a large bird and huge nest!


The zoo has an aquarium that you can go in. That is where we found the penguins....lots of them!



Here we are, under a small waterfall. I think this must have been the coldest spot in the entire zoo that day! Sure felt nice.


One of the many varieties of fish in the aquarium.


And this Siberian Tiger was lying very quietly until we showed up to bother him. When he looked at the kids with us is when he decided to lick his lips. Do ya think he was trying to tell us that any one of those kids would have made a great SNACK!!!! LOL

Before I forget, today is Darian's 7th Birthday....Happy Birthday Darian!!!!

Empty Nest ~ Almost

It's Saturday, July 7, and everyone has left but Amber. Doug is taking his little ones back to their mother, and Rachel and her family are on the way back to Kentucky. The house is quiet now with just Amber and us here. After 6 little ones and five adults in the house for the last week the silence seems almost eerie!

We had such a good time with everyone here though. Brian decided not to camp out in the back yard with his two boys and they only came for the one day.....July 4th. The parade was long and the weather was great. Not too hot but sunny just the same. No rain either! Not any that day, so the fireworks went off without a hitch!
Waiting for the parade to begin! Most of the people on the left are kids and grandkids!
Family friends driving their old car in the parade.
Our family portrait! Only Brian's wife and 1 ½ year old daughter are missing.Left to right, Steve(holding Drew),Michelle, Glenn, Emily,Jeremy(holding Ty), Heidi, Trenten,Doug,Amber,Hunter,Harley,Mema & Bumpa, KeAira, Rachel(holding Cayden),Trenton,Darian,Brian,Elijah and David. Missing are Brian's wife,Vanessa and his 18 month old daughter, Rebecca.
Our oldest son, Brian, pushing several grandchildren on the swings to entertain them until the food is ready!
And one of the many fireworks that we could see right from our backyard. All the kids and grand kids that stayed for the fireworks walked to the local park to watch the fireworks. Bumpa and I thought we would just stay home and see if we could see them from the back yard. Boy am I glad we did! We had awesome seats on our lawn furniture and didn't have to walk anywhere! I hope they shoot the fireworks off from this same place every year!!!

On Thursday Bumpa and I and Amber, Hunter, Harley, Rachel, Trenton, Darian, KeAira and Cayden all went to the zoo in Grand Rapids. I'll get those photos up soon. Maybe tomorrow or Monday.....I desperately need to catch up on some rest and housework!

An Early Arrival!

Okay, it's Sunday at 12:49 PM and my son, Doug's two youngest children, ages 5 and 3 ½ have arrived for the holiday festivities. The only thing is, the festivities don't really begin until Wednesday, the 4th. In order for Doug to be able to have them for the 4th of July and the big family get together, he had to get them today and keep them through this coming week. We had originally planned on picking them up Tuesday evening around 6 PM and keeping them until Friday evening or Saturday morning. So I guess I will just be a little busier than I had anticipated Monday and Tuesday, while I make preparations for the arrival of the Kentucky bunch and prepare what food I can in advance of Wednesday.

I will be dragging 3 kids with me to the grocery store instead of just Amber who is 12 and not much work anymore at all. And I will have to plan around the schedules of small children's hunger pangs and needing attention while trying to pull everything else together. Daddy and Bumpa both have to work Monday and Tuesday so I hope Amber is up for a challenge and will be willing to pitch in just a little more than she usually does and help, at least with her little brother and sister.

Wish me luck!!!!