Our Headstone per Kristie's Request

 

Kristie said that no matter how large she made the first pictures,

she couldn't really see the headstone marker.  So enjoy.

My Resting Place Until the Second Coming

The monument company out to set our headstone this morning.  It took 3 guys to do the job.  Within an hour they were done.  The president of the cemetery association had planted some fescue on the grave, that's the green spot in the middle of all the brown.

I thought that I had ordered the same stone as Aaron's but this one was flat and Aaron's is beveled.  It really doesn't matter at this point.  The grave is marked and the whole thing is over and done.  They set the headstone at an angle to look similar to Aaron's. 

Here you can see  the little Yellow Rose bush planted at the foot of the grave and because of the winter weather that has been going on here in Carrollton, the rose brush has lost its leaves but some very small new stalks are just coming up.  I have added mulch around the brush to help retain any moisture that it might receive via rain or water brought in by the bucket.

The white plastic flowers were placed there sometime after the funeral.  This is Debi's husband posting this for her.  May all who view this posting be as blest by knowing her as I have been the almost 50 years.

What Happened to Me??? Explanation Post

Have you ever clicked on this blog and said, "What happened to Debi?"  Well, I am still here, living, breathing, messing things up, cooking, cleaning, and cleaning things up....

Problem is, I am also working and boy, does getting up at 5:30 a.m. every day take it out of me.

My life seems rather boring these days. It is one repetitive round after another. I get up early, shower and dress, put a load of laundry in to wash or clean something, then read my scriptures, beautify (this takes time because, as you will notice by the pictures of me....I am not getting any younger). I make my lunch for work, eat breakfast, leave for work at 7:30 a.m. sharp, put in 9 hours of my day at the college, then I drive home... arriving around 5:30 p.m. I fix dinner or we eat leftovers, water my plants, then before bedtime, Mike and I read our scriptures together.  At last, I fall into a deep sleep at an early hour. I have actually gone to bed as early as 8 p.m.!

That is unheard of for me. I am adjusting to my new schedule, although I still prefer working part-time because it gives me more time for life. Nevertheless, I now know my job, so that is less stressful, and I have proved to myself I can do something hard like get up and go to bed.....for a LONG time! It has been a whole year since I started working full time.

Sometimes I think of the phrase early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise (Ben Franklin). I'm hoping it's true. :)

But, I'm not in bed early tonight.  I have been working hard on posting some of the pictures I have taken since January 1, 2016. The reason I never blog anymore is that there are not enough hours in the day to do regular, normal things AND sleep properly. Blogging is an EXTRA, it takes time to write and also download pictures.

Tonight I am posting the pictures. I will come back to add words later.... so if you are interested, stop back another day. I posted everything backwards so it would read chronologically in order on the blog. UNTIL, that is, I post another blog. Then everything will be out of order, but I will be caught up. I made quite a few posts, so keep going.

Have a nice day! 

Love,    

Just Me -- Debi

Best Day of the Year -- January 8, 2016

In early December Steven said, "Hey Mom, remember when we went on that date

when you graduated from college?"  I said, "Yes." He continued,

"I think it's about time we did it again." So I got out my calendar and

we set a date for the second Friday night in January, which was

well over a month away.

 

The night of our date I thought to myself. "I wonder if he will remember our date."

I thought about calling him but I decided,
"No, if he forgets, calling would make him feel bad."

When I got home from work Mike said,
"Do you think you should call to remind Steven about your date?"
 I replied, "Did I ever call YOU to remind you about a date?"

He laughed. I did NOT call.

 

So, I waited and low and behold Steven remembered

 (although he said he did almost forget,

so it was good we had set the time for a little later than the usual dinner time).

 



 

We had a wonderful dinner, but the best part of it was not really the food,

 it was that we had a chance to be together, just the two of us...

we talked and laughed. It is a treasured thing to have a son all to yourself...

especially when he is grown... and you are a busy working woman...

and he is a busy husband/father/breadwinner.

I am so grateful Steven asked me out on a date.
Maybe Amanda thought of it....
if so, he has a good wife.
If not, then good for him.
Either way,
He made his mother happy today!
Thanks!

"Grandma Sunday" January 2016

Ansley took piano lessons for a year or maybe more when she was

very young. She wasn't interested in continuing, but in elementary

school she started playing the violin, which kept her up on music.

Now that she is in high school, her interest in piano has sparked

again. Every Grandma Sunday she plays for us.

This year she volunteered to

play the piano for a Young Women's musical number. 

She practiced the song at home, then on Grandma Sunday
she played to show me how she was progressing.
I am so amazed at how much she improves each week.
There are some Sundays that I have to actually look

to see if it is Ansley or Melissa playing....she is that good!
She is very excited because she is going to take piano lessons
again this summer.

 

 



It always warms my heart when I see the kids interested

in the pictures from when they were children.
They spent quite a long time looking at the photo
albums this particular Sunday.  

 



Heather and Amanda catching up.

 



 I think Melissa and Ansley were singing together here.

Liam was so sweet dancing with Camille to the music that

was being played by Emberly. Emberly is doing really well

on the piano, too.  She usually plays at least a song or two

for us each time we get together. She had perfected
several Christmas songs at this point. 

 



I think I have seen every single child in the family

jump on this bouncing ball. Claire's turn!!

Never Thought it Would Happen!.....February 2016

I NEVER thought the price of gas would get this

low again in my lifetime!

 



And I NEVER thought I would identify with Belle enough to notice
that she and I had "dressed" alike. This picture is supposed
to be showing how we are twins!

 

 



More low-gas-price documentation!

I'm still shaking my head over it.....

Our Farm Family -- February 6, 2016

Our cute little chickie grandbabies outgrew their cardboard box

chicken palace, so Austin cleverly converted this old metal storage shed

(hidden in the side-yard of their house) into a permanent

chicken apartment. Opps, I meant to say chicken coup.

Of course, you know, Austin keeps saying he's not going

to raise one finger for Melissa's chicken loving phase, but

he is regularly at work on some kind of chicken project.

This is one reason I love him so much.
He is a good man!

 



This is the inside of the apartment. He divided it into two

sides. One side for the chickens and one side for Melissa's chicken

tending/feeding equipment. Since this picture was made,
there have been a lot of improvements. Austin added a
swinging door so the family could go in and out and also
cut some holes for ventilation and covered it with chicken wire.
Notice the locks everywhere?

Austin jokingly calls this the "chicken penitentiary."

He says, "No one gets in and no one gets out."

 

Here is a sneak-peak of the chicken quarters.....

 



And a better look at the family of chickens,

all of which are called by their first names.

 



Daisy, Zig Zag, Airplane, Chipmunk, Midnight, and Goldie.

 

 



They will lay brown eggs and other colors, too.

 



Melissa calls the ones that will lay colored eggs,

"Easter Eggers." I think that is what they are called at the

feed store, too.

 



This family of chickens loves to eat leftovers, grass, bugs, etc.

They are not that fond of green beans, however.

You didn't know this was an educational blog, did you?

Shredder Strikes Again! -- February 2016

I have a life-long habit of reading my scriptures... and also leaving them open on the floor beside the couch after I finish reading them. I am trying to break my old habits, and I have pretty well stopped leaving them on the floor after this incident. Unfortunately, Belle is very fond of the feel of the thin, once-upon-a-time golden-edged pages of my Bible.

To my chagrin, Belle was feasting upon the scriptures. She tore into Job this time! Poor Job....he even has a hard time in his written after-life. I should buy new scriptures, but I hate to get new ones because all my favorite passages are marked I have written notes and thoughts as to the meaning of things in every nook and cranny. I guess if I want to read Job, next time I will have to pull it up electronically.

Valentine's Day -- February 14, 2016

Valentine's Day fell on Sunday this year.
Will you be my Valentine Hailey?

 



Camille soiled her dress and

Melissa didn't bring extra clothes, so Grandpa

loaned her one of his t-shirts. Doesn't she look

adorable?

 



We sang, "Love One Another," as our Sunday hymn.

I put pretty dishes on the table because of the special day.

I made some heart shaped finger-Jello.   It was received

very well -- there was none left!

 

 



I decorated a little bit to make it festive.

 



I made up a Valentine's Day game.

Since it was the Sabbath day, I looked up scriptures

about love. I called out the scripture reference, then someone looked it

up and read it out loud. Everyone marked their cards with jelly beans.

When they got a BINGO, they got a candy kiss.

We played BLACK OUT Bingo
so there were a lot of kisses.

 



I think everyone enjoyed the game.

I know they liked the jelly beans!

You can see we had romantic candles on the table for

Valentine's Day.

 



There were a lot of scriptures read this Sunday.

We were more reverent than usual.

 





A serious moment for my little Camillapilla.

 

Valentine's Day agreed with ALL the girls.

Hailey and Ansley seemed extra happy.
Steven, Amanda, Pierce and Liam were not with us.
They celebrated at home.
Steven and Amanda's first date was on Valentine's Day
so it is a special day for them.

 



Claire and Camille looked so cute in their matching dresses,

but Camille was having no part in my taking a

matching-girl Valentine Day picture. This was the

best I could do.

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 2016

One Friday or Saturday in February we babysit the little girls.

Claire and Camille love the massager that Michael & Heather

got me for Christmas several years ago. Claire almost always

asks me to bring the chair out while they are here.

 

Claire singing me a song before bedtime!

 



On "Grandma Sunday" (aka Sunday Dinner Night)

Hailey brought this little turtle she crafted all by herself.

Hailey is getting to be as talented at sewing as Ansley!

I am so impressed with this project!!

 



How can it be that Ansley is as tall as "Auntie M" now???

Seems like only yesterday she was a little baby and

Melissa held her in her arms!

 



This is a totally unrehearsed pose. After Michael and Heather left

Steven and Melissa were sitting on the couch talking.

This is how they were sitting.

All of my kids were the affectionate type.

They still are and I'm glad.

 



Almost every Sunday dinner night Claire wants to eat a bowl of

cereal before she goes home.

It's TRADITION!

 



Claire always makes sure I fix a bowl of cereal for Camille, too!

She is such a good big sister.

 



Spring Break Trip to Kentucky -- March 10 - 20, 2016

I went to see the Kentucky grandkids over my spring-break at work.

Before I went, I made this tie-quilt for Katelynn.

 



Katelynn will be 3 on May 28. 

She is big enough to love her new blanket.

I made a pillowcase to match, too.

 



She was very excited when I got there in the morning.

It had been so long since she'd seen me in person that

when we picked up Evan from Kindergarten she said,

"Evan, we got a NEW grandma!"
 



When I walked in the house, this is what I found waiting for me.

Evan had written an "I Love You" sign to greet me!

The sign made me so happy!

 



Here we are on the first day I arrived, waiting for Evan to come

out of his classroom. Kristie picks him up each and every day.

Most of the children ride a bus home from school.
Katelynn stuck to me like glue the first several days
I was there. 

 



Evan was excited to see me, too....

almost as excited as I was to see him.

 



Most of the times when we went places, I rode in the back

with Katelynn.

 



Evan loves Spiderman, so I took him this washrag from

Dollar Tree. It gets big when you wet it in the water.
Here is Evan making it grow big right after he got it.

 



Evan made me a bunch of snowflakes before I arrived!

They were beautiful!

 



I took Katelynn and Evan some exciting new stickers...

Here is Katelynn showing me how pretty they look on paper.

 



Weston came home from school next!

The high school gets out before the middle school.
I noticed right away how much he had grown up.
He was still very loving, though.... so he was the same
old Weston.  

 



Brian is always joking around.

He had grown so much I couldn't believe it!

 



Katelynn loves to paint. She painted all the time.

 



She does a wonderful job, especially for a 2 year old.

 



Weston knows how much I love to hear him play....

so he pleased me by playing his French horn
on the very first day I was there!

 



Little Aaron was doing homework when I snapped this picture

on the first day there.

 

Amber was all about showing me her music books.

She recently started taking piano lessons.
I know she will be a good little pianist....
just like her mother.

 



All the kids showed me their bedrooms.
I went from room to room looking at the
new things they got since the last time I was there.

 



Brian has an excellent poster collection and has all of his awards

on the walls above his bed. He had this new "stuffed" guy
that I had not seen before. I'm sure he told me what or who
he was, I just can't remember.

 



Weston wasn't at home when we were up there, but

this really warmed my heart. It is the blanket I made for him

when he was born.  He loves it and still uses it.

When I made his blanket, I was sitting in the hospital

with Aaron after the heart transplant, so I stitched around each

animal (the backside of the blanket is showing, not the animals).

It took a lot of time so I'm glad that it turned out

to be so well loved. Kristie has had to rebind the edges.  

 

Amber showing me a decorative jar she made in Activity Day girls.

The Activity Days program is for girls 8 and up. It's kind of a
girl version of cub scouts or bluebirds, but it has a spiritual base.

 



While Amber was showing me all of her stuff, Aaron came into

her room and played his recorder music for me.

He is a very excellent recorder player. I think he would make a fine

clarinetist some day.

 



Katelynn showing me her "poins." 
Poins is the name she gives to her coins!
She loves to hear them jingle.
A lot of coin collecting goes on in their house,
so I am sure she feels she is very grown up when
she shakes her "poin" jar.

 



Katelynn showing me how much she likes her new blanket!

 



Bedtime!
I love all the hugs I get when I visit.

 



Kristie took me out for ice-cream one night.

It was delicious! We had fun together, just the two of us.

This is what Kristie does with most of her "spare" time!

Having six children is a full time job.

 



Could there possibly be a cuter little boy with glasses???

Evan was supposed to be showing me his lost tooth...

 but he got to giggling.

Amber showing off her new-found skills!

She is doing GREAT.

Together, we sang the words to some of her piano pieces.

It reminded me of when I used to do that with Kristie when

she was young.  

Aaron is a champion hula-hooper.

That boy can hula for an HOUR!

 

This is a crew of game players!

They love to play games together.

Every time I turned around they had a game going. 

We were about to head off to Weston's big concert.

He was chosen as 2nd chair in the All Region Band!

As everyone knows, I love to go to band concerts.

They performed at the local college.

The music was fantastic!

After the concert, we walked around the college grounds.

I took some pictures (my favorite past time).

Kristie, Weston, and Barth.

Their "baby" is now bigger than they are!

 

Evan and Katelynn were looking at huge goldfish in the pond!

Katelynn would have squeezed under that fence if there

had been any possible way.

 

I believe Brian is standing on tiptoe to be as tall as Weston.

Good looking boys, aren't they?

Barth was the one who thought to have the other kids

join in for a group picture!

 



Six year old Evan drew this picture.

He loves to draw pictures of owls.

He is a little artist!

 



Katelynn is the little mother of the family.

Every single day I saw her caring for her baby dolls like this.

She fed them often and patted them, carrying them around

tenderly. I wanted to remember it so I took pictures.

 



While I was in Kentucky, Evan lost a tooth.

It just so happened that he made this big "tooth fairy"

at school and brought it home while I was there.
You can see his lost tooth in this picture.
 



One morning Kristie, Katelynn, and I went to the Cincinnati Zoo.

It is a beautiful zoo. Katelynn and I had fun looking at the

animals together. 

The children's petting zoo had hairbrushes for the children to pet the goats.

I can see a resemblance between Katelynn and Ansley in this picture. 

We were eating lunch. Katelynn is feeding her ever present baby doll!

 



Brian after school. He is at an age where he puts on a crazy face

for almost every picture, so this was not easy getting a "regular"

face picture.  He is so handsome.

 



This little dolly is going to put on some weight!

Weston is the best big brother!

Here he is comforting a tired Katelynn.

Amber and Aaron were heading out to school this morning....

One afternoon I opened the door and Brian jumped out at me

just like this! I jumped so high. He scared me to death!

This is a reenactment of the original act right after it happened.

I told Brian he was just like Uncle Aaron.

I wanted to remember it, so I told him to do it

again so I could take a picture.

One afternoon while the big kids were all gone to school,

Kristie and I took Aaron and Katelynn to McDonalds. We sat

by the big window looking out on the playground. It was cold

outside, but sunny.

Katelynn wanted to play, but she was afraid to go up in the play area

alone, so Kristie went with her. There was no one else outside.

The "kids" had fun going up and sliding down the slide.

This was our view from the table at McDonalds.

Kristie climbed to the top multiple times!

One afternoon when the kids were playing outside Amber was posing

for some pictures.  She is so sweet!

Her hair had grown so long. The day before she had a braid in it,

so the crinkles looked like curls.

Kristie and I went out one night for what we call our "Birthday Dinner."

We always have a birthday dinner when we get together.

It's tradition.

It doesn't even have to be near our birthday to do it!

My final day with these sweet, wonderful, Kentucky grandkids.

Amber is sad because I'm leaving.

So was I, but I'm so big that I don't usually cry.

Kristie is driving me to the airport.

I will miss her dearly.

Evan gave me a note to take home with me.

"I love you Grandma."

This is what I found at the end of my journey.

"Welcome Home Debi,"

a sign made by Mike to greet me.

It's tradition.