Thankful Thursday: June joy: part one

So much to be thankful this month, actually this whole year...
The year began with the hubs working 8 hrs west of home, I had decided to stay at mom's until
1.  DJ and Brittany were married in March (beautiful, beautiful wedding:)

Great people I got to enjoy in May!

2.  Taylor and Lindsey had granddarling #7 in May (beautiful, beautiful baby:)

THEN I was able to join the hubs at the work site, in our cute guest house (that HE remodeled with all the luxuries.)

Sweet guest house and 'new' pump house (on hill) that houses washer and dryer.

 After they tore down the old farm house, sweet hubs put a washer and dryer in the new pump house, just for me. 

Red-neck clothes line

 BUT the dryer wouldn't hook up, so I used chairs and PVC pipe to hang up our laundry. 

 We planned on being gone five days, so this was plenty of time to dry everything.

  {side note: the hubs got to put all this stuff up when he got back, and SOON after, a new dryer was found:)}

LadyBelle, after being BANNED from the bed, over seeing my packing:)

 Then it was time to pack, drive 8 hours to pick up mom, then drive 18 hours to Wisconsin.

Bride and Groom to be!

 For SS Aaron and Liz's wedding!!!
Day one was driving.
Day two was lunch with the couple, wedding rehearsal, and pizza dinner. 

Granny (mom) and her oldest GREATgrandchild, Audrey.

 Day three, precious grandgirl, Audrey stopped by and wowed us with her awesomeness.

FOUR generations!!!  Me, mom, Tiffany and Audrey 6/12

 Got my four generation pictures (why don't I do this with my grandboys????)
Girl power!!

Of course her mom, SD Tiffany and dad, Colyn came too.
Love these people. 

Colyn, Tiff, Audrey

 Not sure why I always seem to take pictures with TOO much sun.

 Behind our motel room was this stream and swan. 
 
 You can tell he is a pet, and used to people...

Every time he saw people, he FLUFFED up and showed his MANness. 

Audrey 5 1/2 yrs old 6/12

 

 Audrey is our oldest grandkiddo, and she is so much like her mama.
B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.
We just spent our time drooling over her...(like good grandparents do:)

Me and the hubs!!!

 Then, we dolled up for the wedding!!!

THE flower girl...

 Ms. Audrey was the flower girl, loved her green dress...

Audrey and Granny

Colyn, Audrey, Tiff

Colyn, Audrey, Tiffany

The hubs, Groom, Bride, and Smiling Step-mom:)

The hubs, Aaron, Liz, Me, Mom 6/12

 Look short don't I?  I'm not, I'm just surrounded by GIANTS.

With mom...

With hubs...

Mr. and Mrs.

Proud papa (hubs with Aaron, hubs, Tiffany)

Princess...

Tiff and Colyn

Mrs. Swan and mom

 Day four, time to leave.
We had to take pictures of the beauty behind our motel.

 MRS. Swan...Mr. Swan liked to shoo her away, she was not aggressive,  unlike MR. Swan...

 Hubs, and I (and LilDog who had to come along because my dogsitter went on vacation:)
Evergreens like these don't do well in East Texas, so we just oooooo'ed and aaaaahhhhh'ed at the trees.  Also, there is a paved walk along the stream, winding through the trees, to a gazebo and back. 

 It was spring time there, so everything was green and in bloom. 

 The motel we stayed in, our room was the bottom left room, I think we had the best view, AND a back entrance.
Well done, Super 8, well done. 

Audrey burrito!

 We popped by Tiff's motel room to say goodbye AND  love on the grandgirl.
Mom had made quilts for all the grands and hand delivering this one to Audrey was perfect.

The hubs "Poppy" aka tickle monster

Mr and Mrs the 'day after'

 Then we drove by and hugged the new couple, they had partied til 3 am, so they were SO tired.
We then headed out of town, for home...
BIG thanks to Tiffany and Aaron for making us feel so special!!!
Congratulations to the new couple!!!!!

I am so thankful we have been able to do all this.
I am thankful for the great people to do it with.
Too see ALL my children, AND all my grandbabies within a month of each other is  huge.
Thank you God for these connections.
Help me honor them.
Bless my peeps.
They are awesome.

Happy Thankful Thursday:)

Birthday Wish...pt 5

We finished our workcation with a LONG drive
1387 miles home.
We did a 'drive by' the Washington Temple...
WOW...
Seeing this from the highway was just amazing,
close up even more amazing...

The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Washington DC Temple

 Amazing...



Loretta Lynn's

Then we decided to zip by Loretta Lynn's house.

HEEHEEE
I could have burst.
We didn't do the tour.
Kind of wish we had.
SO PRETTY
She even has a RV park.
I can see us driving up there next year, staying at the RV park, doing the tours, then zipping by Dollywood. 
Yep, I'm a hilly-billy...
From there, home. 
Home Sweet Home.
3500 miles round trip.
We were super ready to be home.
The dogs were super excited too.
The cats, however, wouldn't speak to me.
I had to bribe them with food and lots of loving.

Thanks to hubby (you are one fun fella).
Thanks to DS DJ for feeding the beasts.
Thanks to SS Aaron, SD Tiffany, and DS Taylor for letting us stay with you. 
Especially SIL Colyn who helped us suprise Tiffany, and DIL Lindsey who let her new mother-in-law (me) sit on her couch for a D.A.Y.S. 
AND Grandgirls Audrey and Katherine for showering us with grandlove!!
Y'all are delightful!!

For your viewing pleasure...

Birthday Wish...pt 3

On our 'workcation' in Maryland, our son wanted us to go to Arlington Cemetery and Monuments in Washington DC. 
I had never been and was very excited...
The weather was overcast, warm, and lovely...

Arlington Cemetery, JFK's burial site

The cemetery was lovely, and so was the look out from John F. Kennedy's burial place.   We didn't see all the cemetery, or go to the grave of the unknown solider.  Everyone was so nice and reverent.
With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own   John F Kennedy

The (long) walk toward the Potomac River, was lined with huge statues of every war.

Impressive.
We happened to be there on Rolling Thunder 2011, a HUGE motorcycle rally on the Capitol in memory of all soldiers.
The web said over 40,000 and I believe it.
WOW.
Beautiful, moving, and loud.
VERY loud.
We finally found our way across the street to the monuments.

Lincoln Memorial, looking out toward Washington Memorial and US Capitol


I love Abraham Lincoln. 
So cool to see so many reading his amazing words of wisdom printed on the walls of the basement area.
Also there is a great view of more monuments.
I first thought the Capitol was the White House.

WWII Memorial

See the flags surrounding the Washington Memorial? 
Actually that is the World War II Memorial, shaped like a Roman Colosseum, it is amazing...
We decided that was as far as we could go...
So the menfolk walked the miles back to the truck and picked us girls up:). 
Nice to be a girl.
We tried to drive by the White House (sweet hubby actually drove by THREE times), it is tucked in between two HUGE buildings, off the road, and you have to walk to it.
By that time we didn't want to walk another step.
And that is ok.

Granddarling Katherine actually saying CHEESE!!

Can't get enough of this cuteness!! 

GD Katherine, DS Taylor, DIL Lindsey and puppy slept all the way home.
What a tiring, wonderful day!

to be continued...

A Walk In The Park...

Recently, hubs and I were able to visit our youngest son, Taylor, his wife Lindsey, and our year and a half grandgirl Katherine in Maryland.
Tay took us to a cool lake/park with an awesome walking/bike path. 
Maryland is right in their spring, unlike Texas that is summery, so everything was cool and green. 

Lindsey, Katherine, Taylor (and puppy that refused to walk;)

Kousa Dogwood

The apartments that bordered  one side of the lake had mature gardens, and this Kousa Dogwood knocked my socks off!!

Iris, Peonies

I have never seen Peonies in real life. 
WOW. 
Just WOW. 
If I lived up north, I would have LOTS of peonies. 

Geese family

One side of the park bordered a thicket where we saw geese parents, and their gosling babies. 

Then I saw this beauty.  What is it? 
Looks like our privets, but the blooms drape more. 

OOOOO AWWWWW...

(I liked it so much I went back and took a cutting, it graced my kids' table til we left, then it rode the 1400 mile trip back to Texas in the back door of the truck. 
No one even blinked an eye. 
Guess they are used to my plant adventures by now...
or at least they SHOULD be...)

Poppy and Grandgirl Kat..

I caught up with my peeps to see this...P.R.E.C.I.O.U.S...
{Seriously, if you know what that plant is, tell me, I'm very curious}

Fertilizer Friday