Ballerina toes

When we talk "organic"
we say as close to nature as possible.
I believe this little ballerina might have the right idea!
10 toes up, 10 toes down
diddle diddle dumpling my Cassie Grace.

Jesus loves the little children

Jesus loves the little children...
all the little children of the world
red and yellow black and white
each one is so very special in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Everyone is beautiful in their own way
Like a starry summers night
or a green sunshiny day
Let the children come to Him
Sitting on green grass
all the colors of the rainbow,
sun shine on their shoulders
love all around.

Jordie

Jordie ready for pictures, August 2013

They say a picture paints a thousand words...
today I met the Harrens in Howard Lake at the park.
JaciAnna and Conner D will be coming to our house for the week to do "soccer Bible camp"
in Glencoe.
We play for awhile and Jordie has me give her an "underdog" on the baby swing.
When she is done she needs me to lift her out of the swing...
I hold her close to me and her face rests against mine -
it seemed like along time...
I breath in the fresh scent of her baby hair, her skin so soft and new...
I said "Jesus, I love this little girl with all my heart, she is Yours, thank you for sharing her with me"
and we went to the car hand in hand...
Jesus washing His love over us all...
sending us a "good sunny day" once again.

Some uncle

Jeff and JaciAnna /motel

Jeff and Emi Jo/green house

Jeff, Nola and Jordyn/ Foley park

Jeff and Jordyn/ brick house

Jeff and Cassie/Blaine

Jeff, Cassie and Nola/Blaine

One of my favorite stories to remember...
We had some neighbors that lived in a rental house next to us on Baker Street.
They had a lot of family coming and going and no one was ever sure who was who.
One day I asked Lacey what the young mans name was that was outside with the kids...
she sweetly answered "Someuncle"

'"The Sunflower Ballet"

I lay down with her to read a story.  It happens to be a story of a mouse that is a ballerina.  There are words and many pictures of the different ballet moves.  I read to her and she reads to me, having memorized many of the names and words...
 pas de chat (pah de shah) means "cat step"
grand jete' (gron juh-tay)
arabesque (ar-uh-besk)
plie' (plee-ay)
pirouette (peer-uh-wet)
Miss Lilly tells them to point their toes and pirouette.
They follow miss Lilly as she spins gracefully around the room
stretching, bending, touching their toes...
my baby is taking in everything as we breath out words of elegance.
...and I remember being a young lady, feeling music in my soul and the movements of a graceful dancer.  I had been told I was to "big" to be a ballerina, and I never learned to read music.  It was like I felt the notes but couldn't learn them...
so I never did.
The closest I ever came to ballet was baton lessons.
I feel okay about it,
 I  find some tiny ballet slippers for my baby...
she puts them on and dances.
As I watch her dance, standing on her toes, I realize that I am a ballerina...
just like I always wanted to be!

The Clearwater reunion

It was a beautiful Sunday (July 27th, 2013). My aunt Marilyn invited all the Meyer's who were able to come to ClearWater where they have their summer home.  There are 4 children left of my dads siblings and they were all there!  Maxine, Dorothy, Marilyn and Gene.  Emily lives about 15 miles from where the family reunion was held...
she came bringing her babies.
Lindsey was going to have Cassie's pictures taken by K. Well no better place to meet then at this beautiful mobile park.  She lives about an hour from where the family met...
she came with her baby.
Lacey's K was going to be taking the pictures of Cassie.  They live about an hour from this beautiful park
they came with their baby...
putting everything together, it came to the fact that all of our grandbabies were in the same place at the same time...
K snapped this picture and I love it!
No matching outfits needed...
the natural beauty of this moment captured.
I am so thankful to Marilyn for getting everyone together...
I am so thankful for this perfect day
in a mobile park
with my family!

50 pounds of blueberries and a day off

I have today off...
take lu to the doctor for her mammograhm
pay my clinic bill
take her to work
heading past the city office on my way home I pay the electric bill and then go to the post office.
Looks like their is a bill for Thomas brothers so I stop and pay that also.
I come home and change the laundry, open the mail.
The carpenter comes to give me some estimates for updates to our house.  I think about this as he talks and wonder what we should do? Rent our house and buy O'Briens? Sell our house which isn't selling... or stick some money into ours and update the existing and add on above the garage.
He leaves and I brush my teeth
I pick up lu at work
Her and I go to the dentist for our 6 month check up.  Poking and pulling and cleaning those 53 year old teeth has never been a favorite of mine!
Done at the dentist now I drop Lu off at home and head to Hip Hop Family shop.  They have some hot rollers there and I want to pick them up, try them out in my hair.  All the ones I had from when the girls were home have had to be thrown.  Many heads of hair were set in the "Curroso" hot rollers, but they are gone now.. so I buy the set for $7.00
Time for the chiropractor.  I get adjusted, still suffering some from my air conditioner mishap.  It feels better as I head out to the car again.
I walk Chloe, we go to the baseball park, it is a "good sunny day" as Nola would say.
We get in the car and head to Mankato to pick up Jeff for the long week-end.
Stop at Holiday in St.Peter, fill the car, go to the bathroom...
heading on we stop at TJMAX to see if they have a shirt for under my garage sale vest.
On now to Victory drive, he is ready to go, we load up the car and head back to Arlington.
First we need to stop at Panara and get mom a loaf of sour dough sliced bread...
Stopping at McDonald's in St.Peter,  we must get the 8:00 snack, however, it is 8:40.
Arriving home I help get everyone ready for bed, pj's on, creams applied.
I drive mom's car back to her apartment and put it in the garage.  The door doesn't shut so I go in and ask mom what she would like me to do, go back out and futz with the opener - I finally get it to work.
Chloe and I walk back home enjoying the beautiful night and music from the Sibley County Fair.
When I arrive home,
I'll be if there isn't 50 pounds of blueberries that we ordered this spring.  30 pounds are for Tim and he is in the nursing home recouping from a new knee.
So, at 10:50 I start washing and drying blueberries to freeze until Tim gets home...
and until I have another day off.

Grandma's

Grandma holds her babies with a special part of her that know one else can begin to understand.
 God shaped us  to fit in the palm of His hand
He knew that babies wouldn't understand about Him and His Glorious ways
They would need someone here on earth to show them how to love and play
I feel the sun shining in my heart even when it dips behind a cloud
No greater love than His have I ever found
As I hold this wee one and I think about His glorious ways and His love
I know in my soul it can only come from above

Hawaii

Cassie Grace July 2013

I remember in January of 1987 we went to Hawaii.  My dad worked for a seed company at the time and had sold enough seed that he won two trips.
Linda, Robin, Carol and Marlene shared Lindey while we were gone. Emily stayed with Diane and Jerry Eversviller.  I took care of Lacey...
It was a long flight with a unknown sinus infection making it seems as though my head might pop off.
I remember thinking... what happens if you die on the plane??
We got there and the first breath of the air,
the first sight of the sky
was worth all the pain (plus, I found out to chew some gum and I would be fine).
I loved our trip.
Remembering...
snorkeling and seeing the fresh water fish, the luaus, the beach, Maui, the motel, Robbie Meyer... I remember my mom had bought me a beautiful red dress.  I felt like the prettiest pregnant person in the world... 1,000's of miles from home.  Watching pretty ladies dance the hula, candles lit on the Island, memories gathered with people we love.
And now 27 years later it looks like we have a little Hawaiian granddaughter!

The Schmidts

I remember the years dating, raising my kids, now raising grandkids... not everything always perfect, not always the way I planned...
but always love.
and here they still are, growing a garden, cutting onions at the table.  Always room for one more.
July, 2013 at the Schmidts!