Does he look bigger????

Okay.. so Chase is not walking yet.  In fact, I don't think there are a lot of things he can do today that he couldn't do yesterday, but he's a great yawner and he seems to have gotten the hang of eating.  For now, that's pretty good!

Michael and I went to the hospital yesterday to visit Julie and Chase.  Julie loves being a mom and it surely shows.

Not much to write today, but I did want to share a couple of new pictures that Michael took yesterday of Julie and Chase...

Enjoy your day!

 Life is good!!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Happy birthday, Chase!

Chase Richard

7 lbs. 15 oz.

19.5" long

Born at 9:04 this morning

What a dear, sweet baby - the third for Richard and Julie.   Kate is now 5 (as of a couple weeks ago), and Brynn is 19 months.

I told Julie that she should be the poster child for pregnancy and childbirth.  She was one of those glowy pregnant ladies who just looked beautiful all the time.  (I, on the other hand was one of those pukey pregnant ladies who should have  been locked in the basement for 9 months.)

When I held Chase this morning, I cried.  He is so sweet - so precious!  God is incredibly gracious!

Amazing!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Friday Favorites * Bluebird of Happiness

Okay... so I know this isn't THE Bluebird of Happiness, but she is my bluebird of happiness (my life is kind of lower case, if you know that I mean).  Her name is Bonnie (Scottish for beautiful? Get it?).

I found this little bird a couple of years ago on Etsy in a shop called TrashBirdMakes - made by a woman named Nicah and I fell in love with it!.

Bonnie is not fancy.  She's not finished with great detail - but she's very special. (Duh!  Obviously!)

Since Bonnie came to live with me, I've been back to Nicah for several more bluebirds to give as gifts.  Everyone I've given one to seems to love it as much as I do (or they lie well).

It's just one of those things that makes me smile.  Who wouldn't want a Bonnie Bluebird?  Really!

At the moment, Bonnie lives in my guest room - on the nightstand beside the bed next to a green glass lamp.  I keep a guitar in that room (Thank you, Michael) and so I stop by to visit Bonnie a couple of times a week and play for her (She never never complains!  Oh! The joy of inanimate objects!). 

SO!  if you like to sing and everyone leaves the room when you do - or if, like me, you play an instrument but you suck at it, you need a friend like Bonnie to be your captive audience.  OR... if you just need something to make you smile... a bird like this would be just perfect!

 
I've sent a convo to Nicah (that's what we Etsians call it - a convo) to see how she is and if she's still making birds.  Her shop is pretty bare, but I'm hoping to find that she's still making the beautiful birds that filled her shop when I bought Bonnie and...  (Oh yes!  I have another bird... but we'll save that for another Friday/)

Do you have something that makes you smile when you look at it?  Do you suck at something and want a non-critical audience?  Tell me, please!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Friday Favorites - This is where it all started. 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Friday Favorites * Open Wide and Say "Aaaaaaaah"!

Friday Favorites - Every Friday I'm posting a "favorite" thing.  Follow the Friday Favorites link to find out more about what and why.
 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Michael and I recycle.  We had this big, brown, ugly, round thing in our kitchen where we put our recyclables before they went out to the Big Receptacle in the Garage.  It was ugly. REALLY ugly.  Plus, it looked like we kept a pile of trash in the middle of the kitchen.  Not attractive!

SO... I wanted a stainless steel trash can with a lid  - for the recyclables.  I mean... it's still a trash can but it's not so gross looking.  But... they are so doggone expensive!!

I am an online shopper for the most part.  The mall gets a visit from me a couple times a year, but mainly the UPS man and I are best buds. There are a lot of benefits to online shopping, some of which I previously overlooked (O, but not any more!).

Looking around online a couple of weeks ago, I got a wonderful surprise.  I have had "Cash Back" rewards at Overstock (one of my other favorites - maybe we'll visit there some Friday).  I knew I got 5% cash back at Overstock, but I was in such a shopping frenzy before Christmas that I just shopped... cash back be damned.  That was NOT in my view finder. Silly me!  Lesson learned!

ANYWAY... on one hand there was my Cash Back reward - on the other, a shiny stainless steel (and black plastic) trash can on sale... calling my name.  I mean it!  I could hear it.

I had no choice!  I bought the trash can with my Cash Back credit.  I didn't read a lot about it.  It looked big enough. It had a lid.  It was mostly stainless steel.  I was pumped!   Color it "sold"!

The trash can arrived and Michael promptly put the thing together using 2 sets of blue prints, 3 schematic diagrams, a tool box and a couple of batteries (everything needs a couple of batteries).  That may be a slight exaggeration but not by much.  (I mean it even has an activated charcoal filter!)

Looks normal enough....

BUT....  if you get anywhere near the thing...

Say "Ahhhhhhh"

... the lid flies open - FLIES open, I tell you!

I swear it laughs at me (almost as much as it makes me laugh).

Reach for something on the table... the lid flies open.

Turn the light on coming into the kitchen... the lid flies open.

Pick something up on the floor next to the dear thing... the lid flies open.

And then I laugh.

And laugh.

I swear it seems to have a life of its own.  

The UPS man had better watch out.  I'm in love with this trash can!!

Have you ever had a relationship (or a run in) with a trash can???

Happy Friday!!!

Friday Favorites - This is where it all started.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Friday Favorites

Oprah has her favorite things. I have mine.  Hers are probably a lot cuter than mine - definitely more expensive than mine.  But the best thing about mine are... well...they're mine.   :-)

Some of my favorite things are not "things" at all.  They might be websites, people, quotations, song lyrics, movies, etc. You just never know.

When I'm having a bad day (like that ever happens. right?), this is a great place to visit - to make me smile - to remind myself of all the things in my life (a Friday favorite or not)... for which I am sooooo grateful! 

Fridays will be "Favorites" day.  If you have some things that are YOUR favorites, let me know.  I'd love to hear (or see).

Happy Friday!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Happy Birthday, Kate - Party Time!

Happy 5th birthday, Kate!

Julie and Richard invited us to their house to celebrate Kate today.   Kate was beyond excited to see us all arrive.

Opening gifts is serious work!

Kate loves bracelets (and I love making them for her).  The problem with bracelets is that they tend to accumulate and fill up a jewelry box. SO!  I had this great idea to buy a mug tree (you know... one of those wooden things that you can hang mugs or coffee cups on) - paint it white - make it girly and pretty and call it a "bracelet tree" - and give it to Kate for her birthday.  The look on her face below says a lot.  But the best was what she said....

As Kate opened the bracelet tree, she said quietly... 

"It has my name on it...

and it's all decorated...

but I don't know what it is."

She's pretty cute!!

 

With a little explanation, Kate thought it was a great idea!!!

Aunt Crystal, Uncle Scott and Bryce provided a new PINK softball bat!

(we all felt a li'l safer with Richard's hand on the bat)

A cute, cute T-shirt (among other things) from Aunt Amy, Uncle Greg,

Gregory, Alex and Matthew

 

Brynn enjoyed being the first to share Kate's new umbrella.

 Brynn made the rounds today, beginning with Uncle Scott

(It almost looks like a game of "Pass the baby")

A look at Uncle Greg's camera

A visit with Alex

A determined walk.

(We did let her walk a little.  Not much, but a little.)

Kate generously shared ALL of her presents with Brynn.

Scott and Bryce sharing a moment.

Amy and Matthew doing the same.

 Matthew and Julie

(Julie just has a few weeks left before the new baby comes)

I told Greg that I don't have any pictures of Matthew that aren't blurry.  He is ALWAYS on the move.  FINALLY!   Two pictures of Matthew that aren't blurry!  I think we discovered the secret to non-blurry pictures of Matthew - someone has to hold him!!  :-)

Grandkids!  All 6 of them:

Gregory-13, Kate-5!, Bryce-6, Matthew (in the back)-7,
Alex-11, Brynn 19+ months

(And that's Crystal in the way back)

Gregory, the teenager!  How can it be???

It seems like just yesterday that he was Kate's age.

(Yes... I am getting old)

Bryce, having a thoughtful moment.

Ok... so it was a quiet celebration... not a loud "party-on" kind of atmosphere

(two new babies on the way this year)

In the end... it was a great party for a great girl!

and a special day for a special family

Happy 5th birthday, Kate!!!

* * * * * * * * * * *

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Kate is no longer 4 1/2 (as she was careful to tell me a few months ago).

Kate is 5 today!!!

I remember the excitement when dear, sweet Kate was born.  The first baby girl in our family!  And what an amazing little girl she is!

   Kate celebrated her birthday with family and friends at Sweet Lucy's.

(Another party for Kate tomorrow!)