A Happy Weekend Post

Here is Ralph, Keith's dad, at the Hereford House yesterday with little Brynn, 

who was born the day of our family lunch last year!

The Hereford House is a Kansas City landmark, western-themed of course, and famous for 

it's steaks. 

This is the second year we have gone there, and the food was great as usual, and we had very good wait staff. 

As I waited for everyone, I was looking at the chandeliers... aren't they amazing?  They are all hand-tooled leather... as if they were made from saddle leather.  

Andrea, Keith's oldest daughter, and her husband Nick were our guests, because Keith's other daughter, Amber... was busy giving us THIS: 

Meet Carson Joel Sheets, and his big brother Jace... with their proud 

Papaw!  

Last year Andrea and Nick missed the lunch because Brynn had just been born, and 

this year, Jesse and Amber were missing.  Don't think that there weren't some jokes going around about next year's lunch!

So today, we celebrated! 

And here is the birthday girl herself, enjoying her cake! 

Keith's mom and dad drove down from Ames, Iowa, for the weekend, and we were so glad to see them. 

(notice the change of clothes after the cake!) 

And cousins Brynn and Jace loved the little schoolbus slide given to Brynn by another set of grandparents. 

As Keith said... these children are very loved. 

And then it was home to do chores after the Chiefs took a lead in their game this afternoon. How wonderful it was to be outside, scores of geese were going back and forth above me, as we are surrounded by beanfields on all sides.  I heard hundreds of them honking, but couldn't get the camera in my hand fast enough to get good pictures. 

And it got up to 40 again, and, as you can see, Icelandia is slowly turning back into Swamplandia. 

Wait... is that a goat in the pasture through the fence? 

Maaa Maaaa ... you forgot to let us in the yard!!!!

There are always chores waiting, and Soon-to-be-Skinny Minny was coming along with me.  I encourage her to get as much exercise as possible. 

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, and in all the beautiful home tours and 

gorgeous house dressing I have seen on the net this month, 

I have seen very little of the Reason for the Season....

The third Sunday of Advent invites us like this: 

"Gaudete"... which means

"REJOICE" as in the command to rejoice! 

Keith and I are doing that tonight, after a weekend of 

loving family... a new baby... seeing the older folks... celebrating a first birthday... and joying in the simple chores it takes to keep things going around here. 

Those are the things that are priceless, and that make us truly joyous. 

Being Thankful

There are so many things I have to be thankful for, I don't even know where to start. 

These human ones that we have just gotten to know in the last few years. 

For our continued health

(great photobomb, Abs) 

For the opportunity to bring a new animal into our lives that has given us so much happiness and cheer in this sad year.... thank you, Michaele, Rickee and Riley... we appreciated your kindness so much...

For all the animals here who keep me in such good health by caring for them daily... my thanks....

For good friends, you know who you are.... Deb, Georgie, Jill....all the others unnamed... for cousins.... who keep me going daily....

For those who won't be around the Thanksgiving table to celebrate with us this year.... Brandon in happier times with Grandma Trudy... we miss you from our hearts and you will be with us in our prayers today. 

And those whose faces around our feet will be missing today, we will think of you in happier times and know you are running free again. 

Keith and I love all of your comments and we appreciate all of you so much....

blogging has brought great joy into our lives, and you are part of our human families, and your pets part of our fur families.... we hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, (and a blessed Hanukkah, if you are celebrating it) and a good start to the coming holiday season. 

Third Sunday of Advent

Gaudete.... Rejoice!  Not just "Rejoice" but an exhortation to rejoice!

 

Despite the terrible loss on Friday, and the ensuing sadness, we had so many reasons to be grateful this weekend.

 

Andrea, Brynn and Nick, the Lamb Family

 

 

Great-grandma Trudy, Brynn and Nick

 

This little girl joins Jace as Keith's first grandkids, and she is such a welcome addition.

 

Meanwhile, on the home front... there was a Miracle

 

 

The very Chatterbox, the bird I thought had been taken by the owl! 

 

We have NO idea where she is hanging out daily, as we do not see her anywhere, and we have found no green eggs for at least two weeks.

 

Yep, this is a mess.  Two of them have been fighting.  A lot.

 

Here is the other combatant. 

He must have been on the losing end, as he was the last bird to go in tonight.

Keith is going to have to do the dirty deed this week, we expect. 

 

You know I love my roosters, but frankly, we have WAY too many.  Little by little, I have been reducing numbers in the little red henhouse.  Right now there are the roosters from this year's hatch... 3 porcelains, 1 purebred mille fleur who is a VERY good bird, and these two mixes.  There is also Fluffernut, the last little hen in there... and the three non-producing Welsummers and one Wyandotte.  However, I did find two larger eggs in there today, so someone has started laying again.

 

Fluffer is moving to the henspa as soon as I can catch her, and she is like Quicksilver.

 

We are beat tonight, but had such a lovely weekend.  I'll take Monday "off" and get some rest, and then start baking again for Round Two, my side of the family.  Friday I'll run down to get Nathan, and when I take him back on Sunday, I'll take the goodies and gifts for our family in Garnett.

 

Here we are last night at the Chestnut Fine Arts Theater in Olathe, Kansas... we took Keith's mom and dad to see "The Cardigans" and boy, did we ever enjoy the performance!

 

 

 

I just read back over this post, and it is humble-jumble.... sometimes life is like that!

 

I'm going to go read some of your blogs, I am enjoying all your stories so much!

 

 

 

I am Amazed

I am so very amazed at you, my fellow bloggers.... I have never read such heartfelt tributes, and wonderful dedications to the children lost yesterday, and the adults who were lost with them.   I hope we can find it in our hearts to be like parent Robbie Parker, who made such a loving tribute to his beautiful daughter, and asked us to find in our hearts the power to forgive the man who brought such sadness into everyone's lives.

 

Our day was blessed to spend with these from our own family:

 

Amber and Jace

 

 

 

Amber, Jace, Lauren and Grandma Trudy 

 

Your bloggers

 

Granpa Ralph and Jace's daddy Jesse were there, too.  We ate lunch at The Hereford House in Shawnee, Kansas... and let me tell you, we were treated like royalty, with a private room and lots of room for our gift exchange.  We had wonderful lunches and very good desserts.

 

But here, folks, is the best Christmas gift we could have received this year, and is, truly, proof of the Circle of Life:

 

 

Welcome Brynn Allison Lamb,

12/15/12,

7:10 AM, 7 lbs 4 oz

 

Keith's first granddaughter, our first Christmas present.

 

 

 

 



First Birthday

More family stuff today, it was that kind of weekend!

 

Looking natty, isn't he?  Bubba, Baby Jace, I mean.

 

 

He had about a bazillion cousins there from the other side.

 

 

Great Grandparents Trudy and Ralph got in some baby time, too.

 

 

The kids, despite temps in the SIXTIES, played on this device in the back yard, they ran warm water into the swimming pool part (at the front) that holds it down.  Day, the retriever looking at the camera, had jumped in with the kids.   He had just gotten out, he's twelve but wanted to swim with his friends!

 

Came home to do chores, water the flowers, tidy things up, and get ready for our vacation week.  We leave Tuesday for the Chateau on the Lake, at Branson, Missouri.