Friday:

Not so wordless Wednesday:

Liam Paul Birdsong

 

Last night, Dwayne, Mom, Dad and I went to Crocker to visit Tyler, Andrea and most of all, Liam.

I just love him!!  He is such a cute baby.  The prettiest blue eyes, long eye lashes and overall just a sweet little guy.

We've only got to see him a couple times and Dwayne hadn't really seen him but a few brief minutes on Easter.

He crawled right over to Mom and Dad just like he knew them.  They got lots of lovin and kisses from him.

He wasn't too sure what to think of Dwayne at first.  The beard and hat kind of scared him.  He kept touching Dwayne's beard and then making a not so nice face, he just didn't know what to think of all that hair on his face.  Most kids like the hat but Liam wasn't too sure about it. 

Later, Dwayne got down on the floor and then Liam crawled all over him.

I was always close to Tyler throughout the years and have missed him so much since he lives farther away and doesn't get home very often.  And I LOVE his little boy.

That sweet face you see in the picture above; that's him all the time.

Of course, with all of the Liam visiting, we did manage to squeeze in some visiting time with Tyler and Andrea.  lol  Dad and Mom especially enjoyed visiting with Ty as he used to be at their house most days while growing up.

 

I am grateful for this newest little great nephew in our lives and I even more grateful April lives in St. Elizabeth and not Crocker!!  Such a long drive over there. 

Wonderful Weekend:

Friday:
Nathan and Liz came over for the evening.  Dwayne was in the hayfield so we decided to go for a drive.  We went down to the Gasconade River at Nagogami to see the results from the flood.  They have a lot cleaned up already but you could still see a lot of the devastation.  Especially to one cabin that is a friend of Todd's.  I think if I was him, I would call it quits this time.
Saturday:
April and I had one of our last big shopping trips before the baby is born.  We went to Manchester.  Love going there, so many shops we like all on one stretch of road.  We tried out a children's consignment shop a friend of ours had told us about.  It was overwhelming as they had so much.  But it was all organized and neatly set out.  If we knew the gender it would really be a good place to shop.  I bought one cute little shirt for a boy.
As we were leaving, we noticed a thrift shop just up the street.  We decided to try it.  When we first went it we didn't see much we needed.  Then we stumbled across a couple rows of baby clothes.  The prices were super cheap, .79 and .99.  We were so used to seeing these price when we saw something for 1.48, we thought it was too expensive.  lol  I bought several things, mainly little jeans as both can wear jeans.
When we went to checkout April noticed a sign on the door stating 50% off on Saturday.  My huge sack of clothes cost $9.80.  April was at another checkout and hers had come to $79, she said something to the lady and she said she forgot to take off the 50% and it now came to $44.60.  I said that can't be right, especially as April had bought less than I had.  She had rang some of the items as 9.99 instead of .99.  We got some really cute stuff.  Will definitely be a stop to make next time.
The store our friend told us about has specials occasionally when you can fill a bag for $5.00.  Kathy's daughter, Mindy has bought most of her kids clothes there.  The thing is, it's a closely regarded secret just which days those are.  Mindy used to work as a nurse in St. Louis and could find out the day.  Unfortunately, Mindy has now moved to Kentucky so our "leak" to the specials can't keep us informed anymore.
Another store we like is BuyBuyBaby.  Worked out good as April had a 20% coupon and was able to get Mike's car seat for his truck at a good price.
After stopping at AppleBees, we went to Target and then headed to Labodie to see Dwayne's cousin Bill and his wife Lynn.  Bill had called Thursday evening to say they were having a barbecue and a band.  I told him I already had plans with April in going to Manchester.  He said we were close to his neighborhood.  I looked up the directions on the internet and it was only one turn off Hwy 100 on T and then on to his house on Maple Lane.  Pretty country and didn't take long to get there.  We had a good time visiting with Bill, Lynn and Bill's daughter Sarah.  It was still to early for the party but worked great as we  enjoyed the visit with just them.
We then headed to Sullivan to Wal-Marts.  It's always fun to try out different Wal-Marts and you really do see a different collection of clothing and items.
Then on to Rolla to K-Mart.  Finished out the trip by stopping by Dairy Queen for milkshakes.  We got to the house around nine.  A long day and April's body showed it.  She was so swollen, not just her ankles but legs and hands.  She looked miserable.  Didn't help she fell while going down the front steps but was able to catch herself by landing on her knees.  One knee was a little banged up.
Overall a great day.
Sunday:
I went to church and when I got home Chad and Desmon were there.  Dwayne was once again in the hay field.  They were watching old Loony Tunes cartoons; didn't know you could still find them on TV.  I only find the new weird ones.  We decided to head in to Rolla and eat at Maid-Rites.  I took a different road home as that's what Dad and Mom always did when I was growing up.  Chad and I were talking and I was telling some story, don't even remember what.  Desmon goes, "Miss Connie, you're always telling stories and talking too much".  I said, well maybe I take after my dad on that.  He then says, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings but you talk too much and get kind of loud".  Wow, maybe I am getting more like Dad than I thought.  lol
Not long after we got home, Todd came by.  It was nice visiting with my boys on the front porch and Desmon playing in the background.  They both stayed quite awhile.  I invited them back that evening for supper.
After they left, I went to Mom and Dad's for a visit.  My sister-in-law, Bobbi was there.  Glad she was feeling better.  She has diabetes and sometimes has extremely highs and lows.  Saturday was a high, over 400.  She was in bad shape.  She was still kind of wiped out Sunday but glad to see she was doing so much better.
Headed home to fix supper.  Chad and Desmon had went to Vienna to Kacie's but Todd came over.  We had a nice meal of baked chicken, vegetable kabobs, creamed potatoes and green beans.  I think we all overate.

This weekend is what I think life should be about.  Lots of family, lots of visiting and just being together.  I look forward to more times like this.

I am grateful for my family and the closeness we share.

Early Monday Morning Visitors:

Darn!  I can't get the picture to stay on zoom so you can see the turkeys.  They are over by the fence.
I was drinking my coffee this morning and glanced up and there was around 13 turkeys in the yard.  We seldom see turkeys around the house, especially this many.  My camera is broke so I used the cell phone.  On the cell phone you can zoom in and see all of them, but when I send the zoomed picture on to my online account it goes back to the general picture and looses the zoom.  I wish you could see the close up view.

I am grateful for beautiful mornings to enjoy the porch and the wildlife that visited.

Thursday Evening Visitors:

It was nice to visit with our neighbor, Amy Harris last night.
Lizzy came over after school and we sat on the front porch as it was so nice out.
Then Billy, Amy's son showed up. He was out jogging and stopped by.  It is interesting listening to two young people talking.
Amy came over later to pick Billy up and stayed for awhile.  We had a good time visiting.
I like visits like this.  I wish neighbors would get together more for impromptu visits.

I am grateful for friend and neighbors

Wordless Wednesday:

Friday:

Todd:

Yeah, that's him on the left, quite the character.

Todd stopped by after work last night and stayed for supper.  Todd and Dwayne were watching TV in the basement while I was fixing supper and apparently they were having a good time.  I could hear Todd laughing so hard and for quite a while.  Must have been a funny TV show.  I told him if laughter was the best medicine, he should be well for years to come.......

Todd is such a unique person.  Has been from the beginning.  Funny, caring, very sensitive and has a temper.  I have so many funny stories from his childhood I need to share sometime.  And crying stories!  That boy could cry so much over something sad while little.

When he was around four I heard him just sobbing in his bedroom.  I went in to see what was wrong.  He's like, "I'm just so sad that Grandpa's Big Daddy died" all while sobbing to where you could barely hear him.  Where did this come from.  My grandpa died years ago on my 17th birthday, we nor anyone I know of have ever referred to grandpa as Grandpa's Big Daddy.

Todd was only three when a good friend of ours died from electrocution.  Jerry and Sally's son Cody wasn't quite two at the time.  We were coming home from Rolla one day and Todd went into his sobbing mode.  I asked what was wrong.  He said, "I'm just so sad Cody doesn't have a Daddy anymore".  Wow, talk about a sensitive caring young man aka three year old!

Todd has a big heart and even at a young age could feel other's pain.

And exaggerate!!  We went to the Smokey's when Chad was four and Todd just over two.  When we came back he told stories of sitting on a bear's lap and numerous things we didn't even do.  He talked at a young age and by two and a half memorized all our full names and birthdates.  We were in a store in Rolla around Christmas (he was two and a half) and told a person that came into the doctor's office where I worked that we were getting a brand new baby girl on April 4th.  (my Grandma's birthday, who he also knew the date of)  I was not pregnant and have no idea where he came up with this idea and to tell someone he didn't know.  This person was so excited for us and congratulated me.  I had to explain I wasn't pregnant and Todd had just came up with that.

I really need to take the time and write down some of the funny things he has came up with through the years.

He was always a Momma's boy. With Chad you could ask who's boy he was and he would change from day to day.  One day Momma's boy, the next Daddy's boy.  Not Todd!  He would always say Momma's boy.  He still is.

And to think I had plans for a daughter the second pregnancy.  God knew exactly what he was doing when he sent another son into our lives.

 

I am so grateful for this loving, funny son of ours.

 

 

(Should I mention Todd cried when April got married.  He felt like he was losing his sister.  Chad explained she only changed her last name but Todd told Chad he just didn't understand, him and April were very close.  Chad said, well she's my sister too.  Look at this way Todd, you gained another brother.  Didn't help, Todd said he just didn't like change and it wouldn't be the same ever again.  Gotta love him......)

Wordless Wednesday:

 

Surprise Visitors:

Ashlyne & Lizzy acting cool..

Ashlyne, Sidney (Lizzie's friend) ,Lizzie and me

Ashlyne and Lizzie dropped in to see me today at work.  They hadn't seen my new office yet.
Last month Alan and I changed offices.  I like it better in the middle, I have a view to outside, there is less "noise" and I decorated the office for a more personal touch.  The walls are painted, I now have carpet and pictures from home on the walls.  It's my home away from home.
It was good to see the girls.  Ashlyne is getting so grown up, I don't see her as much.  And I was surprised at how much her hair has grown since I saw her last.
They are getting so excited about the baby and are helping with the baby shower this weekend.  April has watched them since they were born so for them to be around April's baby is a big deal and much anticipation.  Especially with guessing if it's a boy or girl. 

I am grateful for these great nieces in my life.

Writer's Block:

Hope to be back soon.