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

Newsy News...

Last week Lem had an appointment back at the University of Michigan Hospital with his neurologist for a follow-up appointment.  He was given a clean bill of health, and was told the pathology came back negative, the tumor was benign, as expected.  


It was a big relief to hear, even though we were told it was most likely benign at the time they removed it.  There is always that little thought at the back of your mind...


The neurologist pulled the MRI pictures up on his computer and showed us that big bad boy...and said that it was quite a large tumor for its type.  We are so thankful that the optometrist found it and sent Lem to a specialist right away.  The doc said his vision should continue to improve, he's seen a big difference already.  The problem the tumor caused is that it pressed on the optic nerves.


He left the hospital after surgery with five or six medications, and is now down to one, which is a thyroid med he will most likely always have to take.  But all other levels they were watching in his blood are normal again!


We felt like we were walking on air when we left and are blessed to have a new beginning.  

Thanks be to God for his grace and his goodness to us, and thanks to all who prayed, it is very appreciated.  Very.

Baby Blues & Some News

I found a cute little blue gingham number in Audrey's closet...and so we had a little session with that dress, too.  I bought this at a thrift store last fall.  I have a belief;  and that is that gingham belongs in a baby's closet, and it's too bad that you have to go to a thrift store to find it...babies should look like babies!  

Buttons, bows, and little girl toes are a treat and so I'm sharing another special one with you...

And...in other news, my husband had his pituitary tumor removed on Wednesday.  We got home from Alabama visiting the grand babies on Monday night and Tuesday we had to be at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor for the pre-op testing.  Wednesday morning we were there early for the surgery which lasted about three hours, and then recovery and a few days in the hospital.  

Now we are home and there will be several weeks here of recuperation and restrictions ... and a few more trips to Ann Arbor for follow-up procedures.  The good news is the tumor was removed successfully and they told him it was a large one.  We are so thankful for that, the good doctors and the Lord's care.  We are very thankful for the good optometrist that found this during a routine check-up when he had trouble with his peripheral vision test.  The doctors were amazed that no symptoms had displayed themselves to Lem and that he wasn't sick with it in other ways.  They kept remarking how healthy he was otherwise.  (I say it's livin' right and good country-livin'!)

Walking the hallways of that huge hospital makes one realize how fortunate we are when we have our health.   

A Pink Easter Nod To Peter Rabbit...

Ninnie spent some time with Audrey and the camera a couple days ago.  Inspired by the rabbit and wheelbarrow embroidered on the collar of her little pink gingham frock, I went with the theme and did some Easter pictures for mommy.  


I use props when little ones need photos, I'm not a pro and I have to have some help. So off her little bookshelf came some of her adorable little Beatrix Potter books, and she was a happy camper.


And so was I.


Her little rolls of fat that look like they were formed by rubber bands, dimples where knuckles will soon be...all of this pink perfection must be preserved for the memory and I thought it only appropriate to share some of the goodness with you.

Enjoy, and Audrey and I want to wish you a 

VERY HAPPY, BLESSED EASTER!