The Magic of the Ordinary

 Peek-a-boo with Papaw!

Puzzles after breakfast.

Audrey's got her game face on!  

This face CRACKS NINNIE UP!!!

Silly time!

Lots of play time!

Whenever Papaw leaves, he hides money in each of their rooms.  

This time, I was here when they got to hunt them.  Fun times!

On her little potty.

We started to work on potty training with Levi and look who started to join us!

Little Miss Priss did GREAT this week and she goes potty every time we put her on.

Good thing Mama had two potties!  :)

I had to teach Levi the proper use for training pants...haha!

This is a vintage doll bed Jamie found at an antique store while shopping for
vintage kitten decor for Audrey's 1st birthday.  

Jamie also made her little sheets, pillow, and quilt for a Christmas gift, 

using all reproduction vintage fabrics for them.

I love the little decal and the little "abc blocks" in the headboard.

Levi LOVES the bed his Papaw made for him that I brought down here in the fall.  He calls it his "Papaw bed".  He did make the transition very easily from the baby bed to his "big boy" (toddler) bed.

I have spent the last two weeks immersed in my grand baby's glow.

I just thought I'd share a few images and a few anecdotal stories to tell you what I've been up to. 

It's been pure bliss, I've enjoyed every minute, and tomorrow I head back home....the trail of tears.  Saying good-bye is the worst!

Levi told me today "Ninnie, I will miss all my PEOPLE."  He calls all of us from Michigan who visit him as "his people".  He's right, we are his and his sissie's people, too.

My husband and older son left here a week ago, and myself and my younger son got to stay another week.  After his Papaw left last week with his Uncle Mark, he asked:  "Where did my people go?"  I had to explain to him that they had to get back to Michigan and back to work.

This morning when we all got up, I explained to him:  "Tomorrow I won't be here when you wake up, Luke and I will go back to Papaw and Uncle Mark in Michigan."  He responded "Ninnie, I will miss all my people and I want my Papaw!"  

That is the truth, and we shall miss him and his family, too.  

I have learned this from living so far from my babies:  the time spent immersed in their lives 24/7 is the best part of the separation. It's the silver lining I had to look for.  

The worst part is not being here from day to day, in the small ways, but so much of the enjoyment while we are here is waking up with them and being with them until they close their eyes at night, reading them stories, putting them down for their naps...being present for their meals.  It's all so good.

I will see you next week.

 xoxoxox

Reclaimed Barn Wood: Toddler Bed

Papa made Levi his first big-boy bed.

Toddler sized, but full of awesome style!

These boards were interior ones, from the stalls for the animals. 

It's from the last barn we had on our property, that sadly had to come down a few years ago.

He started in on it about a week and a half ago, planing down the wood and cutting the pieces he would need.

The mattress sits down in, leaving a little rail then about 4" so he won't fall out of bed.

The cut outs allow for the mattress to be even with the opening so he can get out of bed without help.

We tried to copy this one.  Except we didn't do the cutout star, and made a couple other minor changes.  And that's because Audrey will use the bed next and it wouldn't fit her bedroom theme.

We think it looks plenty like a cowboy, though, all rough and ready, with the hand-sawn details of the wood showing through, even though it was planed and lightly sanded afterward.

We love every worm hole, every knot, and ever little nuance in color and texture in this 120-year-old treasure that barn left us.  

The legs were made using one old hand-hewn beam, that was ripped into four posts, then run through the planer.

Made even more special because Papa lovingly made, then signed it.  :)

The natural color variations in the wood are left as is, and then only a polyurethane finish is added, to show it off.

I think it's pretty special, beautiful, actually, and I had promised to show you, so here it is, our second project.

(Here is the first project.)

We are pretty thrilled with it and we think Levi and his mom and dad will be, too!

I will let you know how it went, I'm delivering it to him, soon!  :)

Levi Says...

Hi Everybody!

Have you seen Audrey lately?

She's getting so b.i.g.!

And I'm still taking good care of her.

I give her kisses all the time and I share with her, too.

Momma says I am a good big brother.

She's such a sweet, smiley little sister.

Momma sure is busy with two of us to take care of.  But we sure do have fun!   Momma loves dressing sissy up in pretty dresses.

And I love the Christmas tree, too!

(Hope that all of Nana's family will like seeing our pictures.)

xoxo

PS:  Nana says she cannot wait for Christmas this year, it's going to be so much FUN!

iPictures: Flowers for Mommy

Levi and I took a late afternoon walk up the lane to the mailbox.  You know the story:  the light was right and my subject was of course, adorable.  The iPhone is all I had with me.  It works just fine!  Of course, sunbeams are always welcome and add to the excellent conditions for smart phone photography!

I have a photo almost identical to these of Jamie bringing me a small handful of lilacs.  Such precious memories!

We took mommy flowers for when she woke from her afternoon nap.  It was a busy day with a pediatrician's visit first thing this morning for Audrey and then some errands.  

Levi and I had a nice day together while mommy was gone.  Jamie and I have been working to transition him from two naps a day down to one long nap.  The poor kid is cutting FOUR eyeteeth, so he has had a little trouble sleeping lately, but doing well overall with the change--each day gets a little better.

Baby Audrey will have her own post here soon.  We had a little photo session with her over the weekend.  She is a good little girl, and other than a lot of spitting up she's just the sweetest little doll.  

She has her daddy wrapped right around her finger, he just loves her to pieces and that hair of hers is the same shade as his, it's just beautiful.

Her brother also really loves her.  He kisses her tenderly whenever he has the chance and we help him "share" his toys with her.  Tonight, we had blanket time on the floor with Audrey, and Levi wanted to lay down beside her.  

Oh, my goodness he looked just huge next to her little tiny self.  It's so cute, he calls her "sista" in his little toddler talk.  

What has amazed me the most about this new little sibling, is that instinctively, Levi knows this little one is a person, not a doll or a toy.  

I wish more of our politicians "knew" this!  

I contend that we are all born with this knowledge inside of us, this instinct lays deep in our consciences, and that over time and with what some call "higher education" we are sold a lie about a "blob" or some such hooey and unfortunately, some believe the lie they are told by those who think they "know" more than God does.

In our state, I am ashamed to say that abortion is legal ALL NINE MONTHS of pregnancy.   It's terrible and I hope that before I die, I see abortion become illegal--not only in my own state but everywhere in the USA.

I don't see how it's possible for God to bless a country whose most innocent ones are allowed to be slaughtered for the convenience of another.  

Every life is precious. 

Soon to Be FOUR!

A couple weeks ago, Jamie got her tripod and camera remote out and took a few pictures so she'd have some memories of her bellly once little sister gets here.


The big day is tomorrow!

Oh. how I love this one, and like I told Jamie, there is nothing better you can do for Levi, than to LOVE your husband and for him to LOVE you!

The nursery is ready, and so are we.  What will she look like, what is her name?

These are all things that Nana can't wait to find out, and the suspense is almost over!!