happy birthday

September is very full of family birthdays.  Starting on the first with my mother-in-law we have eight birthdays in the month.  We were able to get together last weekend for fun and celebration.  This party was even more special because we were celebrating Sara's 90th.  What a special day of family,laughter and food.  The weather was a little chilly at the state park but we had a wonderful time together.  We missed those who couldn't come and  felt sad that they couldn't be with us.  We are all busy and some times it's not very easy, but it is important to make the time to be with your family, crazy as they might be.
I want to wish my son's Nathan and Rich a happy birthday today.  I couldn't ask for better kids, ornery as they may be!

Our guest of honor

My crew

Alan's crowd

Sara and kids

Cathy, Mike and Ty and our youngest family member Zelma

helpers

First a big HAPPY 40th  BIRTHDAY to our son Ron.  You have become such a great man, husband and father and we are so proud of you

Our yard is large and filled with flower beds.  With AH working so many hours and the weird weather we've been having, I can't keep up with all the work.  I hired these two youngsters to help me out.  Actually I hired the older boy and since he watches his younger brother while his parents work he came as part of the package. Their grandma is a good friend of mine and they go to our church. So far  they have helped plant flowers, mulch, put in the new hosta bed, weeded and last week put in a new path from the street into the yard.  They are hard working, energetic, strong, polite and fun to be around. I really appreciate how much they have accomplished this summer.  AH appreciates it even more because he doesn't have to do the work.

hard workers

almost finished

new bed

Yards and gardens change and grow throughout the years.  When we put in our front beds that line the side walks, they were in full sun.  Now the east bed has a large maple tree that makes it very shady.  Time to rethink the lilies, roses and sedum that are there.  I had AH mow around the tree and several feet out. The young man that is helping with the gardens, his brother and my grand daughter laid down card board and mulch.The two younger kids painted some yard sale chairs and we made new seats for them.  A quick lesson on how to use an impact driver and the chairs were whole again. with AH's help we dug and  transplaned several of my hosta that need divided.  We  added the two chairs, a rusty free a table, solar light and bird bath.  The kids worked hard, hopefully learned a few things and the new bed looks great.  Is it perfect, no but they had a great time and who cares if the paint isn't perfect?

before

crowded beds, it is good for hostas to be divided every few years

great helper

I could not have nearly this much garden without this guys help

bird bath won't hold water but does a great job of holding a plant

after the hostas will fill in quickly

close up of chairs and table

giving back

A while back bags of soap base came into the Restore.  Rather that try to sell it for $1 a bag I took it, with permission, and had a class I was subbing in make it into new bars of soap that we can sell at the store.  Instead of $5 for the donation we can make around $100 selling the soap.  Mrs Stewarts Culinary Occupations class has all senior boys that love to eat.  They did a great job of making the soap and as a reward they got to make and eat chocolate dipped Oreos.  Absolutely no nutritional value but very delicious.

funky coasters

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it would make a good project to do with my grand kids.  Simple 4" ceramic tiles for the base, Sharpies, rubbing alcohol, gloss spray sealer and felt pads for the bottoms are all you need.
Wipe off the coasters with a damp rag.
draw, scribble and cover most of the tile with 2-3 colors.  We found that more solid patches of color worked better than tiny dots or lines, but do what works best for you, you can't mess this up.
Pour a small amount of the alcohol in  a bowl then using an eye dropper or a teaspoon drip the alcohol over the tile in puddles.
Walk away and let this dry then do it again and again until you are satisfied.
Don't mess with it too much or you'll end up with a muddled mess, I know from experience.  You can however blot extra liquid with a paper towel and keep dripping. On the first one I messed with it too much so I wiped the tile with more alcohol to clean and started over. When they are perfect, to you, let every thing dry well then spray with sealer and add 4 felt pads to the bottom of each coaster.
Such a cute gift for parents, grand parents, teachers etc.

crafting again

More of last weeks crafting time.  This day KT and I made a Gods eye.  I cut two willow sticks and we used left over yarn to make the bands of color.  All the yarn was very textured and fuzzy which made a big mess on the table and floor.  Five minutes of clean up was worth it for the fun this 9 year old had.  She picked up the pattern quickly and couldn't wait to hang it in her room.  Cost $0 enjoyment priceless.

The circus came to town

YEP, that's what you've got to call it when AH and I plus all five grand kids invade a St Louis hotel.  We are noisy and silly and a little rowdy, but we do know how to have fun.
In an effort to shy away form the commercialism of Christmas we have opted to give our grand children memories rather than toys or money.  They are all blessed to have so many of the material things life offers that some times another toy or gift just gets lost in the chaos of the holidays.
This year we gave them a no parents allowed weekend get away.  The place we stayed had an indoor pool, hot tub, arcade and all kinds of games to play.  Add in unlimited snacks, the movie Frozen, no real bed time, nachos for lunch and soda for breakfast and you have the perfect storm for fun.  If you misbehaved you had to sleep on a pillow made of all our stinky socks.  If you didn't get up in the morning all the other kids jumped on you until you gave in.  Really bad behavior would have let Grandpa sing to you until your ears bled.  Luckily the only one who was punished was oldest grand daughter Kaylie who got jumped on by all her cousins when she didn't get out of bed fast enough.
These kids will only be children for a few more short years.  Hopefully they will carry memories of  these times they spend together forever.

reindeer

There is a reindeer ranch about 75 miles from home.  None of us had seen reindeer in person so we thought it would be a great excursion last Saturday while we celebrated our family Christmas.  The day was bright and sunny and pretty warm for December.  We started the morning at a nearby fast food place of course, everyone at our house had a big breakfast before we left, but still needed a fortifying snack.  AH drove the lead car at exactly the speed limit on the interstate which drove one of our sons crazy.  We arrived early so had to make another trip at another fast food place for another snack and let the kids play for a little while.  How many fast food restaurants are there in the US?  Off to the ranch.  Hardy's ranch just south of Rantoul, Il is colorful and charming.  The shops are cute and filled with all things Christmas.  We went out to see the reindeer and give them treats.  They are cute and gentle and will eat graham crackers or oats right out of you hand.  At the end of the season there isn't much to do outside.  I know in the fall they have a corn maze, wiener roasts and hay rides to keep you busy. On a personal note I probably would go back in the fall for some of the other activities, but wouldn't go just to see the reindeer.  We didn't eat in the cafe but every thing we saw was nice and well kept.  A great and economical way to spend a few hours with the family.

family time

All the kids and grandkids came to spend time with Great Grandma and Granpa this week.  We ate, went for a walk, ate, drank gallons of tea and juice, ate, swam, played games, ate, and took pictures.  A good time was had by all.  Much as I love having them here, they really wear me out.  I think a nap is in order.

a hot summer day

A couple of weeks ago my two youngest granddaughters 6 and 8 came to stay with us for several days.  When we were talking about what they would like to do while they were here, the first thing they mentioned was going to see the girls with the horses. Our preachers daughters had stayed with all 5 grand kids while the adults went to celebrate my birthday a few months ago.  Fancy restaurants and little kids are not a good match.  They had talked about their horses so naturally my granddaughters remembered that.  It was in the high 90's with a heat index at least 115.  These lovely young women were so welcoming and kind.  They let my girls hold and pet the rabbits, cuddle kittens, feed apples to the horses and most important took
them for a ride.  I deeply appreciated the time and care
they took to give the kids a great time.
My girls are from the big city.  They rarely have the
opportunity to see nature and farm life, so this day
was a huge thrill for them.  They talked about horses
the rest of the week.  So to Marney, Chloe and Baleigh
thank you so much you made two little girls very
happy.

Living in a rural area it is hard to remember that more and more kids are growing up without seeing animals, farms and even where their food comes from.  I find this sad because the kids miss so many opportunities to experience new things.  If you have the chance, take your kids or grand kids out into the country to see rural life first hand.

Later that evening AH took the girls for a wild ride on his Harley.  They loved it, grandma was not thrilled by the lack of a helmet.  He did go very slow and just around the block.  I didn't get a clear shot of my other grand daughter because the lens of the camera kept steaming up from all the heat and humidity.  I hate to say it but this summer has been so unrelentingly hot I'm ready for fall.