Babies No More

Well my friends it has happened~our youngest granddaughter turned one last week. We no longer have any babies to snuggle with, toddlers yes, but no babies. Where did the year go? Could it be major life changes happening-such as two moves and another one on the horizon(no we are not moving). Our sweet little E, such a mirror image of her mama, is embarking on being a walking toddler. We celebrated on Saturday and unfortunately Kim's family were all sick so couldn't join us. It was such a wonderful evening! All of Carrie's kiddos have resembled her, but E has the same facial mannerisms and expressions that her mom had as a little one. It is like stepping back in time. She is such a sweet girl and she already loves dogs. Her laughter is contagious and she is adored by her family and the whole clan. Sister and brother are trying to teach her to rip open the wrapping paper; I think she has a handle on it.

Nana made sure to buy at least one present that was a dog.  She loved this little purse and it almost looks like Lily.

It brings back so many memories to watch her; the years pass so quickly. 

We had a great time together.  Today is going to be really warm here, so I'm hoping that we will be going to the pool.  We are still searching for a home for Kim and her family; waiting upon our Lord  to lead us to one. 
Hubby is off golfing today, so I'm thinking I may iron some fabric and start cutting for my Alaska quilt, I bought last August.  I am anxious to begin sewing again; but next week we have my brother & sister of my heart coming for a visit.  Best take advantage of sewing time while I can. 
I hope you have a splendid day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Our Nest Part 2

Good Morning Friends~I hope you had a fantastic weekend. We had such fun at the Beach Boys concert Friday night, singing and moving to the music. It made us feel like we were in our 20's again; Mike Love was the only original band member but the rest of the group sounded just like the group we used to know. So I wanted to share with you the rest of our home. We will start in the master bedroom.

You may see Hunter on his bed, but don't let it fool you-he doesn't sleep there.  He does sleep on the leather chair though before he joins hubby and I on our bed. 

You can tell how dated our furniture is by the wood. Oak is one of our favorite woods; this set is about 24 yrs old. Hubby is hoping that we will get a new set sometime in the future.

Our master bath.

Our downstairs family room, here is the children's play area.

I still hope to get two chairs for in front of the fireplace and also a game table.  Hubby made a backgammon board as well as a cribbage board; we felt this was the perfect place for some games.

Our media area.  Initially I had planned to get two recliners for this area, but we are still deciding whether we need them or not.

Our kitchen area; the only thing missing is a stove.  I love having a second fridge.

The sunroom; I got this love seat at our neighborhood garage sale.  I haven't yet just sat out there, reading.

I'm surprised that Hunter doesn't just crash here; generally if we aren't home, he is on the ottoman watching out the front window for us to come home. There you have it. I hope you've enjoyed the tour. I can't believe it rained yesterday; it felt more like autumn in northern California than summer in Colorado.
Have a great Monday!
Noreen

Good Vibrations

Happy Friday to you! I hope you are having a great day.   I am, started out going to our town's annual garage sale, but didn't find too much. However, tonight hubby and I are going to a concert for one of our all time favorite groups-the Beach Boys. Hubby gave this to me as a Christmas present and the concert is right around the corner. We are so excited! Even though we are all grandparents now, it will take us back to our younger(much younger)years.

I hope you have a fantastic day and weekend. Joy to you~
Noreen

End Of The School Year

Several weeks ago our family gathered together for a year end presentation. It was a wonderful time of seeing what our grands worked on throughout the year. I am always so impressed by how much work each child puts into the presentation, which covers academics as well as art and cooking. Here is a group photo after they all got up and shared.

You may notice that our granddaughter, second in from the right, looks like she is going to cry.  You'd be correct; she was exhausted and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  After all she is just six, so it is understandable.

Here is our "little man"; isn't he just adorable!!!! Love his blue eyes, hard to believe he is already 20 mos. old. 
Today has been a day of finishing projects, doing yard work and running errands.  WE have a all-town  BBQ tonight as well as concert and are hoping it doesn't rain.  I will take more photos of our home for tomorrow.  I hope you have had a good day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Fluffing Our Nest

Happy Wednesday to you! So many of you have asked to see more of our new home, now that we are settling in. It is still a work in progress, mostly trying to figure out where to put our art. I hope you enjoy-these aren't super close-up, but it will give you an idea.   Our entry way with dining room on the right.

The stairs next to the dining room, leading to the basement. 

Our dining room.

Our antique table and lamp in the dining room.

Living room; we just got the new area rug and I love it.  The smaller one went into our master bedroom; photos of that will come another day.

Our upper deck, overlooking the golf course.

My sewing room; hubby made the small white table for our granddaughter's and we got them a new beginner sewing machine.  Although these are also out of sequence, you will get the idea-first my new cutting table. 

This is where I hope to have two granddaughters sewing at the same time. My machine faces the window and the girls face our design wall.

My treadle machine and Amish figurines.

Our kitchen, one of my favorite spaces; who am I kidding I love everything about this home! I am especially happy at how much my hubby loves this house.

Our eating area; we are so blessed!

We are also so happy to have one daughter's family five minutes from us and we are praying that we will find the right house for our other daughter's family. 
Thank you for taking the tour; I will post more as I finish up with some decorating. 
Hope you have a fantastic day!
Noreen

We Are Family

Happy Tuesday to you! We had Lily here with us for about 6 days, while our daughter's family went back to California for a wedding. It is truly such a blessing to be so close and have the availability to take care of each others pups. Last night we were relaxing and watching one of the summer shows on t.v., both dogs were between us and ended up with their legs entwined. Today, Lily goes home; I know she'll be so excited, but I am thinking Hunter won't be as happy. This photo looks staged, but it wasn't.  In fact, I was afraid that when I jumped up to get the camera the dogs might move; Hunter is on the right and Lily is on the left against hubby.

It is going to get up to the 90's today, so the girls, grands and I will be at the pool for part of the day. One thing I love about our new home is that we can leave the windows open at night and it is so peaceful. I've heard Coyotes a couple of times, but generally all you hear is crickets. However, if the temp rises too high, we might just have to turn on the air. I am so happy to have warmer days, but it also increases the risk of more flooding.
I hope you have a blessed day,  rejoice in this day!
Noreen & Hunter

My Husband Rocks!

Happy June to you! This weekend was quite busy for us, but productive. On Saturday, hubby and I had been downtown and were coming home when we spotted a very large turtle trying to cross our main road. I'm assuming it was a male and he had been living in a local wetlands near a lake, that is now flooding and I think he was trying to get to dryer ground. As we passed by, hubby said he couldn't believe how big it was and that it would be hit. Now, for those who live in the eastern US, turtles are very common I know. Here however, we see them in the rivers but not on the roads. So what does a good hubby do, but swing a u-turn and we head back so he can rescue the turtle. We pulled off into the bike lane(thankfully no one was riding in it), put on our emergency flashers and he jumped out of the car. He carefully picked up the turtle, who tried to bite him and climbed over the guard rail, putting the turtle back in the tall grasses. My daughter asked if I took photos to which I said no; I was too busy watching traffic to make sure the cars were giving my hubby the room he needed. Hubby knows what an animal lover I am(except for mice, rats, cockroaches) and once again he is my hero.

This is the fist year we've ever had Peonies in our yard; I have looked at the plants before but found they were too pricey. At our new home, we have several plants and here is my first cutting.

They are such a beautiful plant and I can't wait to see what other colors we have. 
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, with time outside enjoying the beauty of creation.
Blessings to you~
Noreen