She Stands

NO HANDS - my baby is growing up too fast.

We had a great weekend relaxing, working in the yard, helping my brother and his family move to a new house, going to church and just having a good time.

Here are a few pics from this past week. We were busy just playing. She moves so fast she is getting harder to capture in a stationary smiling moment. She won't pose in the big chair anymore, she just wants to stand.

Hands up!

woohoo

Hands up again! (nope, she's not leaning on the table)

I can do it Mama

Looking sweet in her dress from Great Granny

Just won't sit still

Hi Mama

Ready for bed

Her pumpkin colors

Angel Eyes

Double Trouble - both wanting to get to the dog bowl...not sure who would win if I opened that door.

Lena Kate gave up, Missy did not.

Yall have a blessed week.

TMAIT - Happy 88th Birthday Granny Brown

It is that time again. Sandy over at One Day at a Time is hosting



Today's topic: Tell me something about your family.

I found it only fitting that I tell you about Granny today. Everybody in the county knows Granny Brown. She is the sweetest most loving Granny. As a child I spent lots of time at Granny's. I have so many fond memories. There are too many to list, but I'll throw out a few.

Riding my bike in figure 8's in her driveway
Corn harvest day breakfast with Granny
Stopping by her house every morning before school for a short visit...who gets to do this?!
Christmas Eve family gatherings
New Years lunch at Granny's Granny's banana pudding and carrot salad

Totinos pizza for a snack in the afternoon
Sick days on Granny's couch

Riding bikes down to the church with Granny- there is a whole other post on this-picture a Granny riding her bike down the country road by herself and then she tries to ride with no hands...she ended up with sprained wrists and aches and pains..we had to force her to tell us what happened.

Going to ranch with Granny and Papa and stopping at the Dinero store for candy
Staying with Granny when Mom and Dad had something to do or overnight trips without us
Granny's candy stash-count them, there are 4 open bags of mini-Snickers

Drinking Tang at Granny's while watching her little TV in the kitchen
Watching Days of Our Lives with Granny

I better stop there. Granny is just one-of-a-kind. Do you know another 88 yr old with natural brown hair still? She loves to play bunco..as a sub only though. She subs and wins. She likes scratch off lottery tickets...because she wins. She likes to play dominos and usually wins! She also thinks she is going to win Publisher's Clearinghouse one day...or she sure tries. We try to get her to not order stuff, but she is sneaky. I hope she does win. Granny enjoys feeding horses and baby calves when the need arrives. She is a good ol country woman who just does it herself. Don't mess with her though. She's been know to stand in her doorway and shoot night varments...coons and skunks, or anything else that might be troublesome:) She drives the 3/4 of a mile every Sunday to the Argenta Church of Christ to hear the Word of God and sing to the Lord. I wish I could show you the love in my heart for Granny because these words can never do it justice. I also wish each and every one of you knew her and what an amazing woman she is. It will be a very, very sad day when she is gone and life will never be the same...nor will the small community of Argenta, Texas. I sure hope she is here for many, many more years and my children get to know their Great Granny Brown. This year for her birthday we had a picture made of her 3 great grandchildren. Below are the pictures of her opening the package. I'm so glad I was there to witness it. She LOVED them and we hung them up on the spot. Thanks to Amy for the picture idea-it was a super one.

Happy Birthday Granny, I love you with all my heart!!!

Her birthday pictures

She's happy!

Lena Kate was helping.

Mom baked pies for Granny today and is having her friends over for pie and tea and coffee. I hope the have a giggly fun time. I wish I could be there, but I called her this morning and we had a great conversation.

One for you, one for me

She doesn't share her puffs with me..but she does share with Missy. I guess it is way more fun to have a puppy dog sniffing and try to get the puff out of your hand.

What is Lena Kate UP to?

She loves to stand at the door and look outside..sorry the lighting was bad.

She wanted to push the table around and wasn't going to let the bouncy penguin get in her way. She has great balance these days and can stand on her own for quite awhile if she doesn't realize she is not holding on.

Watchout penguin.

Hmm, how about this way.

Gotcha penguin! Working my way right over you to get to that table.

Poor, poor Missy!

New Trick

Lena Kate has a new trick...she hears music and does this....

That bouncing is her version of dancing. It looks like she got her parents' skills...or lack thereof. She also will kick her foot to the beat on the floor if she is laying on her stomach.

So, I uploaded it sideways...oops.

Happy Monday

Pray for Rain-a visual comparison for you

Folks, it is SAD. South Texas really NEEDS rain. I've mentioned this before and wanted to show you a few picture that will open your eyes to the severity of the issue. Here are a few pictures of a good year at the ranch. The clouds are really cool in these too. In this case, pictures speak a thousands words.
Full tank and green grass...nice..also notice the javelina in the road on the left.

It hasn't looked like this in nearly 2 years

Take one last look.

Now, here are two pics of Lena Kate to ease the harsh truth. This was last weekend.

Lena Kate inside watching Mimi and Charles outside. Mimi is pretty good to be able to ride that 4-wheeler!

Now-the harsh reality. Just dirt and cow poop.

This is the same view as above. This little gal is one you are praying for. NO GRASS

The water in the tank is long gone.

You can barely tell the difference between the road and what should be pasture land covered in grass.

Don't let the green yard fool you, Mimi has to water ALOT, which hurts Papa's pocket book.

Lena Kate asks if you would please absorb the reality of these painful pictures and keep the farmers, ranchers, wildlife and all those affected by the drought in your prayers. It stretches further than you think.

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

Didn't want any of you other brown-eyed folks blue because you didn't get enough of these brown eyes. My bloggy friend LeAnna described Lena Kate's eyes as milk chocolate. I think that is PERFECT. They are just delicious and I can't get enough of them just like milk chocolate! They just give you warm fuzzies when you take them in. Thanks LeAnna, I'm pretty sure I'll always think of her sweet eyes as milk chocolate. Maybe "Milk Chocolate" would've been a better title.

Can't you just imagine what she's thinking by reading her eyes?
In this case she was chasing Charles.

Focused-doesn't she look like a doll!

OH HAPPY DAY-I caught him! SMILIN EYES

Bright-eyed

This is what happens when you sleep face down on your hands...and there are those eyes again.

Beautiful even when they are closed :)

Awwww, my little puppy dog

Now, don't you feel better?

8 Months!

Dearest Lena Kate,

You are growing up before our eyes and I can't seem to do anything to stop it. You are all over the place these days. You pull up on ANYTHING you possibly can and you love walking behind your lion push toy. Before we know it you will be walking. Last night we started working on you getting to sleep on your own and you weren't as mad about it as I thought you would be. You did cry some, but when I went to check on you you were just standing in your crib leaning on the side. I think you may have been sleeping standing up! I think it breaks my heart more to see you waiting there so patiently for me. You did fall asleep when I laid you down...what a sweet girl you are.

My all time favorite thing you do is pat me on the arm when I hold you. You just pat so sweetly with your little hand. I also love how I can stare into your eyes and break into a big smile and you almost always do the same. I can just see the love and it is so rewarding to be your mother.

You LOVE to go for the dog bowl and you've been so fast a few times I've had to get a piece of dog food out of your mouth...how can you not like some baby food but thing Missy's lean dog food is tasty!..ew. Don't worry though I watch you closely so you don't get too far ahead of me. We are working hard to get the house child-proofed, although you still seem to be coming up with bumps on that pretty forehead of yours. You also love to destroy the tupperware cabinet and pull towels out of the drawers. Don't worry I'll let you play in that one still.

Chatter, chatter, chatter...this you love to do. Mostly it sounds like dadadadada....with some other new sounds each day. Yes, your Daddy is proud.

You have started to eat some big kid food and seem to really like being able to pick little bites up yourself all by yourself. Last night you had 3 green beans and peaches cut up into chewable little bites to go with your favorite apple sauce. Mimi made you a mini pancake when we were at the ranch this past weekend and you enjoyed eating it too! Speaking of chewing you now have 2 bottom teeth and left marks in Mama's finger yesterday when she was making sure you didn't have anything in your mouth (you were making a funny face).

Each day I think I can't love you more and then I wake up and realize it is possible. Your personality is shining through. You are my precious angel baby and I can't believe how time flies. I thank the Lord for you daily. As Papa said this weekend, "You are the apple of my eye." I think you must be the apple of many people's eye :)

Here you are in action. Mommy dropped her camera in the pool this weekend so the pics aren't so good-good thing we got the protection plan.

Trying to get every last one out.

Mama and her girl

MMMM-pancakes :)

I love you with all my heart baby girl!

Mama

Country living

Here is a preview of our weekend and a few pics from last month that were on Mom's camera.
Baptism Day - July 5th

She wasn't cooperating with Mama this weekend.

This was her, "I DON'T WANT TO SIT PRETTY" face

One of my new favorites

Roughing it-or it looks like it anyway!...our cute family

Swimming-sans suit!

She actually wore a suit the first day :)

Baby deer left by it's momma. My cousin named it Oscar...Osacarette.

Mimi and Papa too

Aunt Lynne and Uncle Cassie

Cousin Charles checking the cows with Papa

Wishing she could be outside...it was TOO HOT!

How bout a sideways pic ?

Another sideways one

Hope you enjoy the preview. When I get my pics off my camera I'll post a better week/weekend summary :)