I'm Honored To Accept...

I've been awarded a very nice award by a new blogging friend of mine called Caty. Her blog is called "From Ashes To Beauty"(I love her title) and it's located at http://www.fools-heart.blogspot.com/ Thanks so much Caty! I hope my readers will hop over and pay Caty a visit, I was impressed enough on my first visit to want to become a follower!

With this award comes a few rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award to up to at least 4 fellow bloggers who inspire you.

4. Let them know about the award. :-)

Here are my seven things:

1. I am a teacher at heart, but didn't not realize this until my children were all in school, and I became a paraprofessional. I loved my job, and rarely minded going to work. Every day was an adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed the 15 years that I spent assisting the same teacher.

2. Once I left my job as a paraprofessional, I became nanny to twin baby girls for two years. I learned a lot of things that I did not know, despite having already raised 3 children of my own. I learned that "with twins, you need an extra set of arms!"

3. The night that I held my first grandchild in my arms was one of the proudest moments of my entire life. I held her the entire night, while her parents slept!

4. I love blogging more than any other hobby that I have tried. I spend at least two hours blogging every day, except for Sundays. I have written a total of over 700 posts on my two blogs. Amazing, especially considering that ten years ago, I was afraid to even turn a computer on!

5. I am married to a very special man. He's one in a million, always sweet, kind, and considerate. He's also an excellent father and grandfather. He's never too busy...for anything.

6. I have some health issues, among them is fibromyalgia and a rheumatoid arthritis-like condition. I've taken medications for this for over 16 years, with good results. I usually do whatever I want--within reason.

7. I am an avid animal lover--especially cats. In the past, I have rescued 5 shelter dogs, and over 20 cats and kittens. I also rescued a rabbit, and a parakeet. Three of the five dogs have since passed away, and I am "down to" around 15 cats. Our pet food bill continues to be rather large!

Here is my list of bloggers that I am passing this award to:

Number one on my list is Christina @ http://www.christinascreativeside.blogspot.com Christina is my daughter-in-law and she is also very creative and talented with her decorative projects. Check out her blog and see for yourself!

Number two is Nana Diana @ http://www.thenanadianablogspot.com Diana is a grandmother who blogs about her grandchildren, and various other things. Diana loves Starbucks, and has a great sense of humor, too!

Number three is Linda @ http://www.retirementdaze.com Linda writes about her adventures with her husband since their recent retirement. Those two seem to stay pretty busy! I enjoy their fantastic photographs from their travels.

Number four is Rose @ http://somewondersoflife.blogspot.com Rose is one of my newest blogging friends. She is mom to five "dogie babies"(gotta' love my fellow animal lover) and she writes about various things in her life--sort of like I do on my other blog. I enjoy Rose's blog very much.

Congratulations, guys! You deserve this award very much!

A Busy Time...

It's a busy time in MiMi's "neck of the woods" these days. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done...

This week brings a second session of VBS for Madison. She's attending classes at night at her cousin Cade's church. (Poor Cade missed out on VBS this year because he's too young.)

Last night was interesting, Cade was with Maddie's parents, while Maddie was with Cade's mom at VBS--they did a little "switcheroo" with the children.

Maddie was so excited about going to VBS that she must have asked her mother fifteen times within 30 minutes "Is it time to go to VBS yet?" I think that Maddie is going to really enjoy those two mornings of pre-school this fall--once she gets up and gets there...

The week of VBS will be cut a little short for Maddie and for Cade's family because toward the end of the week it will be time for our "annual family vacation". We're all looking forward to some rest and relaxation in those north Georgia mountains...Fun, fun, fun!

Cade's Corner...

This little space in my living room is probably Cade's favorite place in the house. Three baskets of toys are located behind this little end table, and he absolutely loves pulling the little shelf of the end table in and out. It's a hidden shelf that pulls out to hold your drink. Sometimes Cade gets carried away pulling the little shelf in and out--then he gets into trouble.

Cade absolutely loves that framed picture that sits on the end table. It's a photograph of his daddy, along with his Uncle Brad, and Uncle Clint. None of the men smoke, but all are sharing a cigar in the photograph, in honor of Brad's newly earned college degree.

Cade constantly points to the people in the photograph, and names who they are, especially his "Daadee". Last night I asked him who was the ugly man in the photograph, and after a minute he replied "Brad" in his tiny baby voice. We all laughed! I then asked him who was the prettiest man in the photograph, and he quietly replied "Kint". Too funny!

Exploring The Great Outdoors...

In looking at this photograph of Cade, one can get a good idea that he's a busy little boy these days...the tousled hair, the dirty hand...you get the idea!

It makes me tired to watch Cade's parents chase after him! He's always moving...especially when he goes outside--but of course that's entirely normal. I guess MiMi's age is beginning to show...

Cade loves nothing better than exploring his Aunt Brandy's yard. He loves the flowers, the bird bath, the plastic birds with rotating wings that twirl when the wind blows...so much to explore!

He especially loves throwing rocks into the goldfish pond, but we usually try to detour him over to my barrel fountain. I don't care how many rocks he throws into that thing, because I can just reach in and get them out. Cleaning out the fishpond is another story...

Recently, I watched Cade have the best time simply playing in a ditch. It sure doesn't take much to amuse little boys...

The First Bath Memory...

I had a bathtime memory about Madison this morning, and decided to share it. It's been quite a while since I thought about this...

After giving birth, my daughter chose to keep Madison in the room with her the entire time. This choice meant she was totally responsible for Madison's care. Madison was born by c-section, so Brandy required some help with Madison's care for a couple of days.

Today's story took place when I gave Madison her first bath in the hospital. It was just a sponge bath, of course, but when a nurse came in and caught me bathing her, she sternly scolded me!

She informed me that newborn babies don't sweat, and therefore, they don't need a bath. She went on to drill me that newborns need to be kept very warm, and I was going to give her a chill by bathing her!

You would have thought that I had Madison stripped down, exposed and freezing, which was not the case. I reminded myself (and should have reminded the nurse) that I had successfully raised three children of my own, and was quite capable of bathing an infant without doing bodily harm.

Well, all is well that ends well...Madison survived her first bath by her MiMi with absolutely no "ill effects", but that sure is an interesting "first bath memory"!

***The picture in this post was not taken during that first bath by MiMi, but was probably her first tub bath.

What A Difference A Year Makes...

There is nothing more amazing to me than the amount of changes that occur in a child in 365 days... It's nothing short of a miracle!

For instance, last year, this is what my little grandson, Caden, looked like. Cute little fellow, bucket hat and all! By the way, my son fussed every time his wife put this particular outfit on Caden. Now fast forward an entire year and....

This is what Cade looks like today! It's hard to believe, isn't it? By next summer he won't even be wearing diapers anymore, which means that our household will be without a baby for the first time in several years! Aw, man, why do little ones have to grow up so fast?

At the rate time is passing, I'll be the next one in my household wearing diapers! Heaven forbid!!! I'll leave on that thought....

Time Marches On...

Time is marching on...the summer is quickly passing by!

Book bags and school supplies are beginning to appear in the stores.

Soon our little girl will be going to pre-school two mornings a week.

How exciting it will be for her!

A whole new world of friends and learning awaits her...

As for her mama and me...we'll be lonely while she's gone.

The house is too quiet when she's not in it!