Caroline's Birthday Week

 This week is Caroline's bday 🎂 week. We spoiled Atleigh for hers and now we are spoiling Caroline. 

We combined her bday week with road trip. It was their turn to go. 

Trust me when I say, I am so glad I made those activity back packs. Whew!   They kept them entertained. 

But I will tell you what they loved the most. I made some road trip scavenger hunt binders. I printed out some game pages I found online and put them in sheet protectors.  I got dry erase markers and erasers. As we were riding,  they wanted to take them out and see how many things they could find out the windows. Atleigh enjoyed it more and it kept her more entertained.  Then we had movies, snacks and an occasional nap. Always helps. 😁

Poppie was following close behind. We stopped to get some lunch, and stretch and get the wiggles out. 

We made it to our rent house. We ate a light supper and I got them ready for bed and just relax a little. Of course they had to snuggle with Poppie. 

They are getting so good at self care. 

We got in bed early because Poppie has to get up so early.  I didn't hurt is any. We just went to bed when the girls did. 

The next morning, I got up after dear hubby went to work.  The girls were so tired they slept in. I had my coffee, and my devotions on the back porch of the rent house. It was so peaceful. 

The girls woke up and they got to see a few ducks that live here across the road. They are out here all day every day. 

We got ready and went to town. We had to pick up a few groceries for the girls to eat. I am trying to keep somewhat the same kind of routine here as we do at home. You have to when you have little ones.  New places and new things can make them a little nervous. Unfamiliar things can cause just a hint if anxiety. Plus, if you get out of your routine,  your trip can turn a little sour in a hurry. So I took them to our favorite donut 🍩 shop. They ate mine too. 😅 

Poppie and Daddy gave them some spending money and they had their lock box money from chores. So many toys, not enough time. I should have taken a chair and just sit down. 🙃

I took them to get their nails done just for fun. 

We got back and ate lunch and took a much needed nap.  

I had to bring their table and chair because the land lord had a glass table and only two chairs.  Like I said, keep it feeling as close to home as possible. 

Then they played with their toys they got the rest of the time. I made supper and before we knew it, Poppie was home from work.  Then movie and popcorn. 

It was bedtime and I'm so glad I brought their sound machine. Makes bedtime in a strange place easier. 😴

Next day:

We packed a lunch and headed to the local Lake around here. It has a little aquarium in the visitor center. That was a big hit. They got to pet some turtles. Then they played on the play ground and swam. 

The next day we went back to our favorite place to get more donuts and kolasels. Y'all love them as much as me now. 😅

Then we found a little place to go and play. It's like one giant play room. It is in a mini mall. I let yall play for two hours. 

While they were playing, there was a massage chair. I couldn't tell if I was getting a massage or violated. LOL. 

Right beside this place was an ice cream shop. 🍦 yes please. 

That evening when Poppie got off work, he came and picked us up and we went out to eat. 

The next day was time to travel home. 😌

Well, I would say we have had a good week for Caroline's bday. I am so proud of them. They traveled really good.  So thankful for busy binders,  activity back packs, traveling trays, snacks, movies,  stuffed animals and blankets. 😅😅😅

I am so proud of both of them. Bed times were easy and traveling was good. We had a great time. I love making memories with my grandchildren.  

Another Week

 Last night when we got back home, the first thing we did was check the house over to see how good Dallas did staying by himself. Needless to say, we were impressed. Did he do things exactly like we did, no, but in his own way. I will teach him some more things before we leave out again. He likes being in his castle by himself. 😅😅 He's gotta learn some way or another and now is just as good a time as any. 

The girls came early this morning.  

We had a good day. We played and did school.  

This little one can have her moments. This moment she chose to be loving. ❤

Poppie took Caroline to town for just some alone time with her. Atleigh was still asleep from nap time. She loves our sound machine. 

A few weeks ago he took Atleigh to town for some one on one time. So now it was Caroline's turn. 

When she woke up, and Poppie and Caroline were gone, she helped me clean up. 

She is going to take very good care of her family some day. 

Poppie and Caroline got back with Pizza and candy. 

They are spending the night because daddy is on call and mommy is working 12-24 hr shifts the next 5 days. 

So, it's pizza 🍕,  movie 🎥,  and popcorn  🍿.  

C y'all tomorrow. 

Much Needed Time

This has been such a busy, tiring and emotional summer for our family. You can read previous posts so I want have to go into alot of detail. 

It was finally time for some down time. 

My sweetheart had to spend his bday alone because of work and I hated it. He spent so much of his summer taking care of everyone else that I felt so awful that he spent it alone.  The time when he needed to feel special. So I did what I normally do not do. I went all willy nilly. I took some dear friends and dear hubby's advice and just let go. Let  go of my anxieties,  my fears, my unknowns and just packed and went on a much needed get away with dear hubby. 

With that being said, I did something I said I would never do and that was leave our youngest at home. We have never done this with either one of our kids as long as they loved in our home. Even though he is 18 almost 19, I still don't like it. Yes, I am a smother mother but never will be a regretful one. He did not want to join me and I needed to go badly. I needed to just run, and run fast to just escape. I had to leave all worries behind, all negative emotions. I need new focus, new visions.  I need sanity,  peace, clarity, time with God, time with dear hubby. Much needed time. 

You see,  we have poured all our time and energy into our boys all these years and now our grandchildren. Our boys are older and with that comes new anxieties and fears as they go into the world and experience things for themselves.  One is learning all about lost love and heart break. Again,  previous posts. This creates sadness in this mommas heart because I am a fixer. I want to erase all his hurt and anger. I want to make things better. However,  God, through other people, have made me see and realize I can't. I have had to fully rely on God to do this for him. It is breaking my heart but I have learned that I must let go and let him trudge these waters alone and live his life. The only thing I can focus on is the girls and just pour time and energy into making them happy. Just to have fun and make memories. They will always know and feel that Poppie and Gmaw are always here. 

As our youngest goes, leaving him at home was a MAJOR let go for me. I've never done that. But I got so tired of worrying and thinking of all the what ifs. I was so tired of missed opportunities,  waiting on everyone else to see what their schedules was so I could make plans. I just had to let go and say, It's time for me. 

I packed my bags, told youngest he could stay here (but I laid down heavy rules. Not gonna let him get off that easy), told oldest and Jossie I was headed out and I wouldn't be back for a few days.  I pulled a willy nilly. And I have to say, it feels good. Dear hubby and friends have been right all along. 

Now,  does this mean that I have given up parenting? Most certainly not. My job now is to sit back and pray. And boy have I been doing alot of that. I've stepped back from trying to fix things and let them fix things for themselves.  Again, new territory for me. Dear hubby knows I'm struggling but he's trying to keep me grounded and focused. 

Today:

I'm at the water, my sweethearts at the smoke stack. Today is focusing on me. I need self care, peace, sanity etc. I connect with nature and water and this is my therapy. This trip is about me and my sweetheart. New visions. New focus. ❤❤💋💋

It is so peaceful today. 

I met a few little friends and they brought me a shell. 

I'm waiting on dear hubby to get off work and it's dinner and a movie for us tonight. No thinking about anyone but us. ❤

Next day:

Hit some thrift stores, Hobby Lobby to look for some material, found somewhere to get a haircut, and my favorite place to get breakfast. There is a place we love that sales homemade doughnuts and these things. They are delicious.  

Great way to start my adventures for the day.  I am in Heaven. One of my favorite things here. ❤❤

Came back and took a power nap. Got up and got ready. Dear hubby came and picked me up for date night. 

Oh don't mind us youngsters.  It's date night.

Next day:

I just went and loafed around somemore. Picked up some salad stuff for supper. Just gonna relax today. 

The last day I was lazy. Hubby went into work and said he was going to get off early. He said if I wanted to go ahead and cut out driving before he got off work that was ok and he wouldn't be far behind.  I layed down and took a nap. When I woke up he said he was getting off work so we could leave together.  We finally got home around 7:30 pm. We were exhausted. 

Girls will be here bright and early in the morning.  

Good Day Yesterday

We've had so much fun yesterday. We  painted, practiced cutting and gluing, practiced hygiene,  played, did school and ate and ate. Yes they wanted 6 meals and 347 snacks but that's okay.  Feed them babies.

This big unicorn holds ALL their stuffed animals and some of them are big. It sits like a bean bag

Made the girls some new binders. Got the books, binders and sheet protectors at Walmart. They love them.

Me: trying to say something in French. 

Caroline: "Don't do dat!" 

🙄

Atleighs choice of sound today on the sound machine.....ocean waves 🏝🌊

I felt that.

From scratch chicken pot pie. 😋 I had left over filling for another pie another time. Dallas  said it was terrible but you can clearly see how much he has ate in the last pic.He hungry up in here. 😅😅

I put Hazel to work while I cooked. I cleaned the kitchen as I went to make night time clean up easier. 

This is my new read. 

I love this author. You can check out some more of her books and her husband's from a previous post. 

Today is dear hubby's birthday. 

God knew exactly what he was doing when he created this human being. His Momma, aka...Nanny always said he was special and she was right. I believe with all my heart ❤ he was created just for me. God gave him every character trait and he has excelled everyone.  Especially the ones that he knew he was gonna need to deal with me. 😁 He probably whispered in David's ear, "You're gonna need this and you will thank me for it because I'm sending you a crazy woman to live with the rest of your life!" 😅😅 Naw, he is the most dedicated,  and loyal  husband, father,  best friend, poppie, son...etc. He is excellent at every role he has had to play in life. I know this because my family has been the one to SEE and experience it first hand. If you know him you know what I mean. He takes care of what's his. He fights for and guards what's his. Trust me when I say, I have never met anyone like him. 👍He is there when you need him and never complains. I am a little envious of his kindness sometimes and he amazes me. He never short changes or does anything half way. It's go big or go home with him. He never does anything for praise and doesn't care to have any but he is so worthy in my eyes. He really doesn't get enough of  it. He's so loveable and mushy.  Well, only I would know that. 🥰 

I could go on and on but he's probably getting a big head about now. 

I hope you have a very happy birthday my love.

I don't have the girls today,  Daddy took them fishing with some friends. 

It's just a me day today. 

Have a Blessed Day everyone. 

Summer Has Flown By

 Summer has flown by and I feel like I didn't get to do anything I wanted to do with dear hubby or girls or any family. Gonna have to catch up. School has started back and things want be so crowded. So maybe I can plan some things. We had alot of plans for this summer but it has been hard for dear hubby.  He has been back and forth to the hospital and nursing home with his sister. And about that. I haven't been truly honest so I need to clarify something. You see his sister is really his birth Mother. I can't go into alot of details because it's not my story to tell. It is my husband's. His Grandmother adopted him when he was 18 mths old and changed his name. He refers to her as his Momma as it should be. She is also the one we called Nanny.  He was always taught to have respect for his birth mother. She was more less raised as his sister. He was doted on and taken very good care of when he was a baby. His brothers and sisters is really his birth aunts and Uncles but in his heart they are brothers and sisters. He does  have a half brother by his birth mother. 

 We both had rough childhoods growing up and we had to deal with our own emotions of bitterness. Like I said, it is not my story to tell. Someday maybe we will. We are older and it still never gets any easier. 

With all that being said, we lost his birth mother last week. Sorry I am just now posting this. He and his sister were called unexpectedly to the nursing home to just an hour later she passed. The next day they met at the funeral home and made all the arrangements.  I am in awe of my husband's compassion every day. ❤ He is a very special man. 

We had the visitation and funeral the next day. He saw everything to til the very end. This was a little hard on Dallas our youngest because he and Grandmother ( this is what we called her) because for the past 6 yrs they got pretty close. Atleigh is beginning to understand some things. She has said plenty of times that she just wants Nanny and Grandmother. She went to look at her in the coffin so many times and asked so many questions. I try to explain the best I can. She still says this everyday.  Bless her. I have always loved this pic of Grandmother.  It was in her younger days. 

The few days following, he took care of alot of her affairs. He was so exhausted from the past few weeks, well really few months. Add to that the fact that the passing of his momma is still fresh since we lost her in January. He just needs some emotional peace. 😢

Time came for him to go back to work.  No one was looking forward to that. 

I had a few days that I didn't have the girls so I got to run some errands and got back to scrubbing my house. I got a little lazy and lost focus for a few weeks.  

Today the girls came early this morning.  Since school has started I figured ours could too. 

Gmaws Preschool Academy:

First is self care. Nothing like putting on your makeup with your bestie. Well, one is interested in self care. The other is bouncing around on her horse in a pull up and messy bun. Can't even get her to put clothes on. 🙄

Then teaching a little paint time for Art.

They must have gotten in bed late because today they are full of tired sighs. 😫  They are a little quieter and just  barely making it through activities. I think it's just gonna be a slow play day. Sometimes you go by their lead. 

It was time for lunch. I love making healthy lunches. 

Yes my floor looks like this alot if not worse,  but they have fun here. 😄

After nap snack. 

So, I tried to make up a song while we were riding. I started out,  "Ranger riding buddies..." Atleigh corrected me real quick and said, "Ranger riding Princess buddies!" Excuse me. 😅👸👑💄

So....we love rodeos and trick riding.  The girls like to watch it on TV. So here is where we are. ❤❤❤❤

Well, Dakota (Daddy) came to pick them up. They were headed to go see the cows 🐄.  They will be back first thing in the morning.  

I fixed me and Dallas some supper.  Salmon in the air fryer. And some sauted squash and onions. 

The rest of the night is just me time. Some reading and watching some vlogs on TV that I'm behind on. 

Good night all. 😴