last day of september

 Here we have two aunts entertaining an unruly toddler:

 My grandpa's tractor in the destroyed hoop shed:

 Beginning construction on a new hoop shed:

 Julia, in a very fine school jacket of Kirsten's from back in the day:

 Frog hunting:

 The little girls and the mama:

 They brought this pipe from the field to the back yard to play with and it truly was a hit.

 The fire tonight--which was a pathetic fire because the child had a toasted marshmallow on a skewer and then it was discovered that we had no #1 graham crackers, OR #2 chocolate.

How is this even possible?  It has never happened before.

But it did tonight. She threw the lovely marshmallow away in disgust.

 I asked her to smile for picture and she gave a fine, proper smile. But I wanted a real smile so I teased her with a line from a hilarious YouTube video we've cracked up at over and over, "Don't be lazy, Sheila. Don't be blazey."

She laughed a genuine laugh, right out loud

 Oh yes, indeed.  Don't be blazey.

Okay good night Saturday. Thanks for being amazing.  Love, Val

baptism

Baptism went well.  Their pastor is quite lovely.  Her sermon was riveting and insightful, and full of that very important challenge to stop keeping score on each other, to simply go ahead and freely love.

This baptism of a confused two year old and her baby sister was accomplished with little drama and a lot of kindness.

Here's a gem of a photo, one Heidi told me she very much wanted.  All the girls have middle names after their Great-Grandmas.  Each kid is situated with the Great-Grandma she shares a name with.

These pictures were taken at the end of the day right before the fancy dresses came off.  The bigger one was digging in the garden with her bare hands in that ivory lace dress, burying a small plastic horse.

After a bit, I dragged her from there, her hollering and flailing away.  I clutched her around the ribs, and when I had her to the grass pinched her between my ankles while she yelled, getting most of the dirt off into the grass.

This was yesterday as the preparations for the party went on.  I was in charge of her. You can see she was quite the tough customer.

 This one would not wear any clothing beyond a diaper, but she was otherwise quite agreeable.

 Joe's pet spider, kind of freaky, mostly awesome.

 Here they are preparing the meal

 The children under supervision.

 Today, the celebration:

 Jay's sweet mother with the new baby:

 Trying to get pictures of these wild cousins is not easy:

 Opening gifts:

It was a hot, wild, beautiful baptism.

Wonderful in every way.

Love you kids so darn much,   Grandma and Grandpa

friday, first day of fall

I bought this guy that fastens to the outside door lights for $3.99.  I only bought one, not sure how it would work.  Well, it was simple and fun, and I might need two more.

She's here for a sleepover, beautiful child with her dearly beloved tablet.

 When we first painted this room this shade of pink Dan told the girls, "And then if you feel sick to your stomach you can just lick the walls."

Yes, Pepto Bismol (or Pepto Gizmo, as Kirsten used to call it) pink walls are all done.  Kari wanted mint green and embarked on the touching up of the walls, the placing of painter's tape and the work.

It was slow going and frustrating.

Yeah, true. That's why we don't paint all that often and consider colors carefully.

Here's her, chased to bed, Julia so tired she's out cold.

 And this picture of the office--today all at once while I was working,

(I telecommute at a fine nursing job so that we can have health insurance.  Real estate is great in so many ways, but provides zero benefits.)

Anyway, all at once, NO INTERNET.  I fumbled for a few seconds while I dug like a terrier in the file looking for the paper copy of the interview I was conducting.  I found it and carried on.

But when it was over, I had to call a supervisor and then the internet provider, and then wait for him.

So ugh.

He arrived after a couple hours, but not that bad for a Friday afternoon, and I escorted him through the house to here, the office.

He was so kind and helpful, figured everything out, had it all dealt with in under an hour.

He asked how long we'd lived here, as he glanced around the basement.

Twenty-nine years.

Yup, indeed, decades.

Thanks for reviving our internet, and a very hot, windy Friday ends with a beautiful child upstairs in bed with her aunt in a room her mother and aunt also used to share, and there's a baptism this weekend, and Dannell's poor little foot has been fastened back together.

That's the x-ray after surgery. She did this tripping on a loose bit of carpeting in the stairway.

I ran out to the kitchen a couple days ago with a laundry hamper of towels in my arms, and as I stepped over Elin, she stood up.  Sprawling, I went across the kitchen, impact on the left knee.

As I writhed there on the kitchen floor, the dog threw herself down on me and kissed my face without mercy.  I asked her to please get off me and finally had to push her off.

No harm. Just a bruise.

But Dannell snags a carpet and ends up in surgery.

Unfair.

One day at a time.

Nothing but love, Val