Thankful Thursday

My husband and I find ourselves at the stage of life where we have aging parents who need help and extra care.  I'm thankful that one of my sisters is close enough to my parents to help them out.  Michael lives closest to his dad but is still 450 miles away.  He goes to his dad's for a week at a time once a month.  I'm so thankful that he is able to do that.  I'm thankful that Michael is willing to go, that his job allows him to work from there, and that he is a patient man.  I've learned a lot about aging these last few months and I'm not looking forward to getting to the point where I need help and someone else to make decisions for me.  I won't dwell on the future though.  I'm thankful for the here and now!

I'm also thankful for:
     ~ a brand new sharp kitchen knife that actually cuts
     ~ the rare morning that Shylee comes in the bedroom and gets in bed and snuggles
     ~ being safe at Panera during a tornado warning
     ~ the quiet stillness early in the morning
     ~ my mom is going home from rehab today

     

What are you thankful for today?

A Belated Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  I hope you were able to spend the holidays with those you love and that 2015 brings you lots of joy, happiness, laughter, and love.

We decided to go to Arkansas to spend Christmas with my family.  My mother asks me every year if we're coming and I felt like I needed to say yes this time.  One sister lives there and one sister lives in North Dakota and she was going to fly in.  I really wanted to give my mother a Christmas with all of us together since the last time was 1986!  It would have been great, but most everyone was sick and we never had the whole family together at once.  My sisters and I managed to be together long enough to take pictures the day after Christmas.

We still haven't had Christmas with Erin and Shylee.  But the tree and presents will be here when they are able to come.  It was just the strangest Christmas, but so glad to see my family!

Happy New Year!

xo Annette xo

I've been away from my little blog but it was for a good reason.  I went and stayed with Erin and Shylee for a few weeks while Dan was away at school.  Erin's new job wasn't very accommodating with her schedule, so it was Grandma to the rescue!  It was also a time of unplugging and paying attention to those around me.

Shylee is in first grade and I got to be a part of her school life for the first time.  Helping her with her homework was such a treat (for me at least!).  Watching her struggle to understand and then seeing her face light up when she finally 'got it' was priceless.  What a privilege it is to be a grandma!

It's been a beautiful fall this year.  I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago and should go out again with the camera because everywhere you look is glorious fall color.  It might not be my favorite season but it certainly is beautiful.

I hope you've all been well and hope you have a great week!

xo Annette xo

174.  cool crisp days of fall

175.  reconnecting with an old friend

176.  high tea at the tea room

177.  chocolate strawberry tea

178.  spending 4 weeks with Erin and Shylee

179.  helping with first grade homework

Focus On Life Week 21 ~ Fill in the Blanks

This week, Sally told us to take a moment and pay attention to patterns of our day or the unexpected.  Then we were to fill in the blanks:
At or in (the time of day) I (what are you doing or what's happening in a photo).

At least once a day, I wish we could move closer to my granddaughter.

To see how others have filled in the blanks, click on the links below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Annette xo

131.  being a grandma

132.  cake and ice cream

133.  ordering shoes on the internet and they fit

134.  fresh cut grass

An InLinkz Link-up

Fairies, Gnomes, and Family

This past weekend was one I had been looking forward to for quite some time.  My son came from Denver, my sister was here and of course my daughter and granddaughter all came to celebrate Mother's day and my birthday which fell on the same day this year.  It was the first time both kids were here at the same time in almost two years!

We spent a day at AnnMarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center where they were having their 5th annual Fairies in the Garden.  It was so much fun to see all the fairy houses, gnome homes, birdhouses, and sculptures.  They even had dress up clothes for the kids.  Shylee chose a tutu skirt, purple fairy wings and a crown.  The weather was perfect.  Not too hot, not too cool, just the right about of sun and clouds and no humidity.  My only complaint about the weekend is that it ended way too soon!

Have a fabulous day!

xo Annette xo

127.  family

128.  squeals of delight from a 6 year old

129.  hugs from my son

130.  sister time

Tea Party

I was so happy to have Erin and Shylee spend last week with us.  It's always fun to have them visit.  We shopped, fixed new recipes, watched movies, ate dinner out, and ended the week with a tea party.  We were working on Shylee's good manners so we can take her to Tea By Two now that she is old enough. (the tea room only allows children six and older)  She was enthralled with that for all of three minutes!  In spite of that, we had a fun time and I wish they could have stayed longer.

Have a great week!

xo Annette xo

109.  tea parties

110.  Easter

111.  forgiveness and redemption

Focus On Life Week 16 ~ A Moment Best Captured in Black and White

Sometimes, when there is no distraction of color, the image is no longer just a photo but a clean, honest, deeper look at life.

I wasn't sure what I was going to photograph after reading the prompt, but then my girls came to spend the week and I wanted to capture a moment between them.  The two of them adore each other and there is always a lot of laughing going on.  Trying to get a shot without one of them moving proved to be quite difficult.

But then I got this shot and I couldn't have been happier!

Click on the links below to see more moments captured in black and white.

Have a happy and blessed Easter weekend!

xo Annette xo

105.  a week with my girls

106.  listening to Shylee read stories

107.  seeing more signs of spring each day

108.  using my phone for discounts at stores

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus On Life Week 7 ~ Capture A Collage Of L♥ve

Sally says one of the best ways to beat the feeling of cabin fever is to feel the love.  It may be as simple as that warm and oh so inviting cup of coffee, the cold nose of your four legged family member, or the smell of a certain flower.  This week love is everywhere and it's your job to capture it.  No bow and arrow needed, just a camera!

I love a lot of things.  Vintage lace, chocolate, Bon Jovi, the color pink, tea parties.  I love a lot of people too.  My family has been on my mind more than usual lately.  My daughter is the closest family member and she is three hours away.  Everyone else is scattered across the country.  I chose to make a collage of them.  My parents, sisters, children, granddaughter and of course Annie dog.  Since none of them are close, I had to use photos I had already taken.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Annette xo

61.  love

62.  family

63.  hugs and kisses

64.  chocolate

An InLinkz Link-up

Wordless Wednesday ~ Spinning

Happy Wednesday!

xo Annette xo

43.  Shylee's joyfulness

44.  warm clothes

45.  the electric blanket

I Got Two

Remember this gorgeous lady?

Last fall I came across this napkin lady on Pinterest.  I fell in love and wanted one of my own.  Less than a week after my blog post about it, I went to my favorite antique mall with Erin and actually found this one.

I may have embarrassed Erin with my squeal and OMG's, but I was just so darn excited!  She wasn't as colorful or detailed as the one on Pinterest, but I snatched her up anyway.  I brought her home intending to show her when I did my sewing room reveal, but then the knee thing happened and everything came to a standstill.

Before I knew it, it was Christmas and look what Erin gave me.

I got a little teary.  Not so much because it was a napkin lady, but because Erin was thoughtful enough to find one for me.  I love that girl!  Anyway, I was filling her dress with vintage hankies and I was surprised it wasn't as easy to do as I thought it would be.  I played around and poked and pulled those hankies until I was blurry eyed.  So I'll have to show you in her 'ball gown' another day.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

xo Annette xo

32.  aha moments

33.  light under the kitchen cabinet

34.  Erin's thoughtfulness

Christmas 2013

I hope you had a most wonderful Christmas with the ones you love.  The only thing that would have made my celebration better, is if Sean had been here.  But we had a good time with a tree to decorate,

A note to read

A stocking to pick through

Presents to open

Bubble wrap to pop

A new keyboard to play (the only thing she asked for from Santa was a piano)

A helicopter to fly

Birthday wishes to make

And lots of hugs

And it all went by way too fast.  And they went home before I was ready for them to leave.  And another Christmas is done.  

I'm looking forward to the new year.  Are you?

xo Annette xo