Catching Up and Some Fall Decor

I know, I have been a very bad blogger! It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about or that I've been too busy. I guess you could say I've been lazy! Well, I'm not really lazy, as you will see.

August and September went by so fast. We spent a lot of time with family and working around the house and yard. Oh, and going to the beach a few times. (I have to do that for my sanity:)

The twins had their 2nd birthday. They had a wonderful party with family and friends. I got them the cutest animal backpacks which were quite a hit. They kept putting them on and taking them off. I couldn't get very good pictures. They are always on the go and they could hardly sit still for this one!

Here is Beatrix at the party. She was 4 months old here and kept everyone entertained with her cute smiles. It's so fun to have a little girl in the family!

Justin was here almost every weekend in August. He has been going through a rough patch and just needed some love and support from his mom and dad and brothers. (The boys are all very close.) Here he is with his sweet girlfriend Kelly. We enjoyed having him and I spoiled him with some of his favorite foods:)

Tad started kindergarten this year but we still take him one afternoon a week and do something fun together. Until we closed the pool, that was all he wanted to do! We went to a pumpkin patch, an apple farm and hiking at state parks. We have so much fun with him!

I have been making gifts for Christmas, quilting, working in the yard, and decorating for fall. I decided to paint the dining chairs white after 25 years of oak and that has been a big job. I really hate painting, but you wouldn't know it as I have been painting many items around the house. If it stands still I'll paint it!

This is the hutch that got a paint job this summer and is now decked out in fall colors. I like that things show up better with the lighter background. And you can see the newest member of our family, Jesse. He is such a good kitty and very affectionate. The only thing is I can't do any knitting unless I go outside!

We finally entered the 21st century and got rid of our big, old TV and cabinet and replace it with a flat screen and electric fireplace. Another fun spot to decorate!

I'm loving these signs that are popping up everywhere!

I have also really gotten back into cross stitch. I blame it on certain people on IG (Carol, I'm talking about you. LOL:) I'm really having fun getting new ideas for how to display them and working them into my seasonal decor.

I have since added more pumpkins and a few Halloween items around. I just love this time of year!

I know this has been a photo heavy post, but I have one more of our sweet little Trixie:

Happy Fall everyone!

Busy Spring = Lazy Summer

HI! Sorry I've been absent, but May was a very busy month for us and I'm just now catching my breath. We had two anniversaries (ours - 34 years! and our son and daughter-in law -8 years), our son Andrew's 31st birthday, and  Mother's Day. We also hosted a moving-away dinner for an old friend of ours.

Of course, the gardens took a lot of time to get cleaned up and planted. I can't even count the number of times I went to various garden centers. I also started quite a few plants and had them in the greenhouse getting big and healthy. Everything is in the ground now and I will spend the rest of the summer maintaining, weeding, and harvesting fruits and veggies.

We had a really good time when our oldest son, Justin, visited for 10 days. We had several family dinners, went out to eat, and spent a day at a state park.

Tad loves being with his Uncle Justin!

Then, after Justin left, school wrapped up. I was so ready, but it was very emotional because I won't be going back to that school. The little girl I was with for 2 years is going to another school next year and I have no idea if I will be with her again. I will really miss her! She was such an affectionate thing and we got close. She was starting to talk, and read, and become much more independent. (Gotta stop, I'm tearing up:(

But I have my sweet grandsons. Jasper, the dark one, is starting to crawl, and Klaus is close behind. Tad's 4th birthday is this month. I'm getting together with my niece to go shopping at a scrapbook store in Illinois. And there is the quilting, knitting and misc. crafting. More than enough to keep me occupied!

Oh, I almost forgot. We also have this little guy to take care -

Justin went to a dinner party hosted by friends from high school and they had several kittens needing homes. He called and asked if we would take care of one until he moved in August. Of course I said yes. We love cats! But we haven't had a kitten in many years and he's so rambunctious! And I've got the scratches to prove it:) But Von Humboldt is growing on us. Yes, that's his name!

Lately we have been seeing this a lot. Our neighbor's white cat and our Loyal sitting outside the chicken house, just watching and waiting. We figure they are hoping to catch a mouse that they can hear inside.

 

 They crack me up with how intent they are. Hope they get a reward for all that vigilance!

Our Sam is too timid to venture far from the house. But sometimes she gets brave enough to go down the garden path.