Bathing:

How do your dolls take a bath? Mine-the bathtub, of course. lol
Mom had given April a crocheted doll that was my Grandma's a few years. She didn't look very pretty anymore, layers of dirt and dust through the years. Last week, I decided to squirt some Woolite in the tub and let her take a bath. She relaxed and soaked in the bubbles for an hour or two and wow, was she refreshed after that!! I swished her around a little bit and poured water over her hair to wash it. I tilted her head back just the same as I did my babies (real ones) years ago.
There is a small pillow hidden inside the crocheted skirt and I was wondering how on earth I would get it to dry. Ding-Ding: A plastic colander. Worked perfectly. She sat on the colander overnight in the tub and then a day or two over the heat register.
She now looks pretty again and the dirty, dingy looking dress is once again a nice shade of pink.

I am grateful for the love of my Grandma Feeler and the legacy of love she left each one of us.

Elrod Christmas Dinner:

We celebrated Christmas on the 26th of December with Dwayne's brother, David and family. I used to try to make most of the dishes Grandma Dodie made each year for Christmas. The past couple years I have eliminated a few of them. I felt guilty at first as I thought I should keep it the same each year. Although, the cranberry salad and her punch will have to continue to be a keeper each year. I attempted her rolls again this year, but no can do! Grandma Dodie's rolls were the best.
David brought the meat this year, smoked pork loin. Very good!! He does an excellent job of barbecuing. I think we chose him to do the same again next year.
We had a great day of visiting, just like old times.

The guys enjoyed the Foosball table I bought from a friend:


Grandma Dodie tradition of playing cards when together:


Trevor's Dip n Dots I got him for Christmas:
turned out to be quite a mess, certainly glad it went home with them.........

Cheyenne and Xander:


I am grateful to be able to keep most of my mother-in-law's Christmas traditions alive.

Kate and Wayne's Birthday:

Zach, Katie and Wayne:


Last week we went to Mom and Dad's for my youngest sister and my oldest brother's birthday. Wayne was 64 on January 8th and our baby of the family, Kate was 42 on the 9th. (Zach just happended on be in on the picture, too.)
It was just a good old-fashioned day of visiting and reflecting on our growing up years.
Katie loves to remind us she wanted her own birthday. Wayne was in Vietnam when Katie was born and Mom so hoped to have the baby on Wayne's 21st birthday. Nope, Kate held out and was born around 12:30 a.m. the next day. As a little girl, she didn't even like Wayne when he came home. I think it was because she hadn't been around him and it was kind of scarey meeting a grown up that everyone said was your brother.
I think now she likes them almost sharing a birthday but I'm sure she won't admit it. lol

I'm grateful for another year of celebrating their birthdays.

Memories:

What looks like a mess on the counter is actually memories.
I found an old box in one of the upstairs closets and had saved it out to look through. I knew it had old cards in it but was in for a real surprise with all of the miscellaneous items inside. Our photo id cards from the Rolla pool in 1989, the kid's teeth in envelopes for the tooth fairy, etc. I didn't remember Todd writing on his envelopes so much but I should have as he has always been creative and had a big imagination. His would say, "please leave me $1.00 or $2.00 if you want", "please leave me $1.00 or a motorcyle", "please leave me $1.00 or $10.00". To my knowledge, the tooth fairy only left him a $1.00 each time.
April had a letter to Santa Claus and imagine her surprise a little later in the search to find a written letter from Santa Claus mailed to her that same year and told her what he would try to bring-just matched her letter!! The phone book in the picture, April had wrote, what a nice book with names on phone numbers someone made. Uhmmm, it is a phone book!! lol She even had design and organizing on her mind when she was young.
There were cards the kids had made Dwayne and I through the years, cards I've received from friends and family and a host of small notes. Some were written to each other during church service when the kids were younger.
I always think I should quit saving so much stuff, but an evening of these memories are so worth the extra box or two in the closet. I have many more to look through in the future.

I am so grateful for keeping this stuff around for years. Brings back a lot of memories.

The many antics of Kaden...................

We kept my great-nephew, Kaden overnight Friday night. What an adventure!! lo
Kaden is very and I mean VERY active three year old. He is like a spin toy, constantly going, or maybe I should say he is the energized bunny.
He kept us entertained constantly. One of the funniest episodes of the evening was when we went to bed. Dwayne wears a sleep apnea mask every night. This can be quite scarey to a child apparently.
Dwayne had gone on to bed and I was turning the lights off in the kitchen. That is when I first heard Kaden. Dwayne was in bed with the mask on and Kaden was sitting a straddle of Dwayne with his hands on each side of Dwayne's head. He's saying, "Uncle Dwayne, Uncle Dwayne, are you okay? Uncle Dwayne, do I need to take you to the hospital? Uncle Dwayne, Uncle Dwayne, do you need to go to hospital?" It was so funny but yet not for poor Kaden. I thought we had really traumitized the little boy but after we explained it, he was okay. After Kaden was calmed down, Dwayne and couldn't quit laughing. Dwayne had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. Kaden is a very dramatic little boy and his voice and hand actions while he was trying to save Uncle Dwayne were so cute. After this drama, he settled down and started to go to sleep. BUT, he is related to his Aunt Connie as he's like, Uncle Dwayne, I have one more thing to tell you........a little later he had to tell us something else. We now know how Mom and Dad felt when April spent the night with them when she was little as she also always (in her words) has alot to say!
The next morning we went with Dwayne to feed the cows and then to Vienna. Dwayne had quite the experience with Kaden at MFA and if you know Tommy, I'm sure he could relate the adventure of our little Dennis the Menace being there!! lol Sorry, Tommy, they just don't make kids like they used to.......
I decided to sit out the loading of more hay so Kaden and I went to Aunt Judy's for awhile. Man, it was like letting someone out of a cage, he was here, he was there, turning knobs, opening cabinets...... Geesh, Aunt Connie was worn out and he did have to sit in time out for quite awile. Aunt Connie is the disciplinairn with the kids we watch and I try my best to make them mind. Judy is more laid back. She would say, "Oh, precious, you shouldn't be doing that" or "Kaden, you are so precious, Aunt Judy loves you". lol Which is good, he needs praise, but Aunt Connie had just about had it!!
Luckily, the kids (Ashlyne, Zach, Nathan and Lizzy) got there before Dwayne picked us up and kept him entertained.
Then, back to Vichy we go to unload a trailer of hay bales. He got to run off some of that energy then by climbing hay bales and running races. I told Dwayne that if I had him all the time, I'd be skinny in time for the wedding next fall. lol
It sounds like we didn't enjoy our visit, but we did tremendously. We watched silly TV shows, put puzzles together, acted like loony tunes as we laughed more than we had in a long time. What a blessing my sibings grandkids bring to our lives.

One way to keep an eye on a child that wants to help, have them hold the gate as you back up:

The highlight of the day, getting to drive the tractor with Uncle Dwayne:

New baby calf:

What a climb to the top:

Yay!! He's sitting still and I can keep an eye on him! lol:


We had a wonderful time and what a beautiful weekend to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. I am grateful for close family we have.

Grandpa Andy:

Hard to believe five years have gone by already.

So grateful for the blessings Grandpa Andy brought to our lives.