An Overnight Guest

Before bedtime story with Gramps

Hugging Daisy goodnight

Enjoying after-bath pretzels with Gramps

Still chewing on pretzels

Ready for a goodnight kiss

Goodnight, Sunny!

Look Who's At My House Today!

Katie and Gabe went to a movie this morning so I got to babysit. Both kids. Alone. All by myself. Man, am I out of practice!

I could only get photos of them as they were sleeping. And Sunny's is blurry. You can still see how sweet and precious they are. I'm also including a picture of part of the tornado that has hit my house. I can't blame it all on Sunny though. The projects you see lining the back of the couch are all my fault!

Autumn Decor

Last year I had to retire a lot of my Fall decor. It was old and worn. I was tired of it. I was ready for a new look. I'm just not sure what that new look is.

I found the lighted grape vine pumpkin at Hobby Lobby. It is so not like something I would normally purchase. That made it perfect for me. I decided I wanted to build my autumn decor around it. So I bought it. I've purchased a couple of candles, and a candle holder that is also not like me. I will fill in the rest with items that I already have.

I wonder who I'm becoming if I'm purchasing decor that is not like me?!

(By the way, I'm not decorating for Fall yet... I usually do that Labor Day weekend)

An Update

After posting about "His Eye is on the Sparrow" earlier today, I found a version of the song and added it to my play list. It's not Ethel Waters, but it's still powerful...

His Eye Is On Me

I awoke this morning with the following refrain running through my brain:

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free,

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

This is the refrain from "His Eye is on the Sparrow" a song sung by Ethel Waters that I grew up with. It has always struck a chord in my heart. The lyrics are filled with the assurance that no matter what is going on in my life, God is there. He cares for me. I can draw close to Him, talk to Him, have a relationship with Him. The words of this song have proven true in my life. I have lived several circumstances where I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was with me, guiding me, loving me, forgiving me, holding me.

The lyrics are printed below. If you've never heard the song, I recommend the Ethel Waters version although I know many artists have covered it. My prayer for today is that if you're hurting, fearful, overwhelmed, worried, anxious, or doubtful, this song will give you hope.

Why should I feel discouraged,

Why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart feel lonely

And long for Heav'n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?

A constant Friend is He;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me. (Refrain)

"Let not your heart be troubled,"

His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness,

I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth

But one step I may see:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me (Refrain)

Whenever I am tempted,

Whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing,

When hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him,

From care He sets me free:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He cares for me (Refrain)

Marvelous Monday

Sunny came over to play for several hours today giving Katie and Thunder a chance to spend some much needed rest-time. When we took her home late this afternoon we got to hold Thunder for a few minutes. That's why it was such a marvelous Monday!

started the morning off with banana bread with

Woody & Buzz(es)...

...while watching Toy Story, of course!

she's at this stage where she won't look at me for a photo

eating lunch with her buddy Buzz

Duke & Daisy napping while Sunny naps

Grammy & Thunder

he gets cuter every time I see him!

I was trying to get a pic of him with his eyes open,

but my camera is not fast enough

Have I Mentioned My Grandkids Lately?

Friday night we took dinner over to Katie & Gabe's. We stayed to eat with them and then I got to hold Thunder and play with Sunny.

Is there anything as wonderful as grandkids? I don't think so.

Yesterday we headed over to Zach & Ashley's to help them pack. I got to hold and play with Skye. However I was so busy packing I only got one photo.

Sunny was hugging me from behind

(you can tell I had just been trying to burp Thunder

by the wet spot on my shoulder!)

Grammy's sweet boy

Skye

She has got the sweetest little smile! And she "talks" a lot now. She is so alert, and when I hold her she scans my face as if she's trying to figure out what makes me tick. She is such a joy!

It's Cooler Here...

After watching the weather news the past few days I've come to the conclusion that it's cooler here than it is in the majority of the US and some of Canada. Who ever would have thought that Phoenix would be the place to be in July?!

At times like this, I really appreciate the reality of living in a "dry heat".

The monsoon has been hit and miss so far this year. We have several monsoon days when the humidity rises to about 26%, the dew point climbs to the 60s and the temps drop to the low 100s.

I'll admit, it can feel oppressive. But, the afternoon sky fills up with towering white clouds that slowly darken as they come off the Mogollon Rim (prounouned muggyon). It's more beautiful than I can describe. And, if we're lucky, we might get rain from those clouds.

This year we haven't been too lucky. I heard the weather person say the other day that we've received less than 2 inches so far this year. We are behind on rainfall. Typical.

But in between the monsoon days we have the dry days. Yes, the temps can climb into the 110-115 degree range. But, it's a dry heat. That means the heat index is lower than the actual temperature. It may be 107, but it feels like 101. I'll take that any day over having a temperature of 90 that feels like 105. That sounds miserable to me.

So. I am sympathizing with those of you sweltering in the Midwest and East. I can't imagine how horrible it is if you don't have air conditioning. Please, take care of yourselves. Check on your elderly neighbors. Drink water to stay hydrated.

And if you want a cool vacation... come to Phoenix.

Good News/Bad News

Is anyone else confused about just how we are supposed to be living our lives these days? We are bombarded by dos and don'ts delivered in somber tones by the beautiful people reading the news. Yeah, right. Like they ever have any health issues or weight issues or financial issues.

Is it ok to eat eggs or should they be avoided? Is it better to eat sugar that is chemically manufactured or the raw, natural product? Am I gonna keel over dead if I drink Vitamin D Whole Milk instead of 1% or skim watered down milk? Red meat? White meat? Fish? No meat?

Some days I think it's better to just go on a Peanut M&M diet and call it good.

Here are some good news/bad news situations I've come across this week:

Dan's health - actually there is no bad news in this item. Dan got the results from all of his heart tests yesterday and it turns out that he has hypertension. Yippee! As I said to him on the way home, if you would have told me 30 years ago that I'd be happy one day to hear his blood pressure is high I never would have believed you. So, he'll go on a very low dose blood pressure med and we'll go from there.

Body shape - for years we've heard the dire consequences of having an apple shape vs. a pear shape body. You'll be glad to know that debate has now been resolved. I read in a magazine that it doesn't matter at all to your heart-health what shape your body is. That's the good news. The bad news is that no matter your shape, being overweight is gonna kill you.

Eating soy - Since the 70s (and maybe before then) I've heard about the benefits of eating soy. I even fed my kids soy-based formula because of dairy allergies in my family history. I must confess, I've never been a fan of soy products. As far as I know I've never consumed soy (unless I was served it without knowing it). In my mind soy is associated with making plastic. Anyway, Dan came home the other day and told me that soy is now considered not beneficial to your health (the good news) and downright dangerous to your health by some (the bad news). I googled the health benefits of soy and found several articles on the danger of eating it. Of course there are just as many articles touting its benefits. I guess you're on your own on this one.

Breast feeding - When I had my babies I chose to not breastfeed. I had many reasons for doing so and don't wish to engage in a debate about my decision. It was right for me. My kids were (and are) very healthy. They are not fat. Back in those days, if you were not going to breastfeed, they gave you a shot or pills to dry your milk up. Fast forward to today. Katie is not breastfeeding Thunder. She asked the nurses in the hospital about the shot or pill to dry up the milk. They told her there isn't one. She is suffering mightily right now since her milk came in and her pediatrician gave her a tip to help with that problem that involves cabbage. She called me to say she looked on the Internet and found that the reason they don't give the shot or pill anymore is that it's associated with higher incidents of cancer. Great. The good news is that I didn't have to suffer through as much breast discomfort as she is. The bad news is I guess I'm at higher risk for cancer. I decided not to worry about it though. As Katie said to me "everything today gives you cancer".

Sharing my faith - I have a 101 in 1001 list (see tab at the top of this blog).One of the items on my list is to share my faith with a Jehovah's Witness who knocks on my door. On Sunday morning, I was visited by two female JWs. I opened my door to find the younger one standing with her Bible open. She asked me if she could share a scripture with me. I said no, thank you. Then, for some unknown reason I said "If you'd step inside I'd like to share some scriptures with you that will show you the plan of salvation". She actually backed away from me while saying no. The good news is that I was bold in offering to share my faith with her. The bad news is that I realized I may never have that opportunity. So now I'm praying that every time the JWs visit my home I will be bold in sharing my faith. And that one day someone will take me up on that offer.

Appraisals - 2011 has been an awesome year for appraisals so far. It started out slow, but from April on we have been blessed abundantly with appraisal orders. That's the good news. The bad news is that poor Dan does not have time for anything else. We are trying to figure out how to find some balance in his life amid the appraisals and Sam's Club shifts. We see the finish line in sight, but we aren't sure how long it will take us to get there. We know that with the new mortgage requirements, he can't quit Sam's until we purchase a house. We should be eligible to purchase a house in Feb. unless they change the rules on us again. Please pray for Dan's stamina and health. I'm learning more each day that can help with the appraisals. But since I'm not an appraiser, there's only so much I can do.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Family Fun

Yesterday was a full day of family fun. There will be way too many photos in this post, so I'm just warning you now.

The day started with Jessica, Sunny, and I heading off to the Hallmark shop at 7:15 am to pick up the Christmas ornaments I pre-ordered. We waited in line(s), got the ornaments, bought four copies of the recordable Nativity book (they were on sale for $7.95 each down from $29.95 each for that one day, I couldn't resist), entered a raffle, let Sunny eat cookies, and then headed to the hospital to visit Katie, Gabe, and Thunder.

That afternoon, Zach, Ashley, and Skye dropped by for a visit. After they left to go to Katie and Gabe's house, Dan, Sunny, and I bought pizzas and then headed over to welcome Thunder home. The nine of us hung out for a while. It was so much fun to see ALL the grandkids together. It gave me a glimpse into what our family events will be like for years to come. I am so blessed...

Sunny feeding Thunder at the hospital

Tia Jess with Thunder

What a handsome little man!

A Mommy/Daughter moment

Can you tell Grammy's excited?

The complete Vasquez family

Thunder being smothered with kisses

A Papi/Son moment

Mommy with her hands full

Grammy and Skye - official four month photo

Grammy with her girls!

Sunny got lots of bottle feeding experience that day

Tia Ashley fixing Sunny's hair

Cousins - playing peek-a-boo

Skye - sitting like a big girl!

Gramps and Thunder

a Mommy/Daughter moment

Gramps with his girls

A very proud Gramps and Grammy with the grandkids

Katie's co-work crocheted this blanket set for Thunder

Thunder's Here!

This morning at 6 am, Katie called to tell me they were headed to the hospital. She arrived there a little after 7 am. She was 6 cm dilated. Her water broke before they got her upstairs. They whisked her upstairs and after a little drama, Thunder was born at 9:36 am weighing 6 lb. 13 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Needless to say we are thrilled to pieces! I'll let the photos tell the story...

Katie right after the epidural. Ten minutes later he was here!

Proud Abuela and Tia Jess

First official Mother/Son photo

He resembles big sister Sunny

Proud Papi, Mommy, and Thunder

Finally, it's Grammy's turn to hold him

First official Father/Son photo

A quiet moment with Abuela

A beaming Gramps

Gigi with her third great-grandchild

Sunny showing Thunder her cow

Look at his long, black hair!

The Vasquez family

Good-bye Thunder, see you tomorrow!