Good THURSDAY Morning! - 7/14/11

Good Morning, Dear Friends!

What a beautiful morning it is! Hot, yes! But beautiful nonetheless!

I've got so many things...have had so many things...to share over the past few weeks and have gotten around to next to none of them...including the latest edition of HEARTH AND HOME. I keep hoping that opportunity will arise and I will do so soon, but, thus far, it hasn't happened. So, I just decided to pop in here and share what I can in the few minutes that I have while I drink my morning cup of hot tea and enjoy an English muffin spread peanut butter. Yum!

So...how are you? Are you enjoying your summer?

Here we're in the midst of a six-week break before the new school year begins and there's a lot that I hope to accomplish within it. Of course, things don't normally go as planned and, for that, we must make allowances, but, thus far, things are going well. So far, I have managed to start my deep cleaning (something that rarely happens) and I've managed to make lists of what I want to do, what I hope to do, things we need, things I hope to look for at yard sales and thrift stores, etc. I've even managed to mark a few things off of some of those lists! YEAH! 

I've had several people write and ask me how our holiday (Independence Day) weekend was. It was good! We were waiting on the baby, so we didn't actually buy our fireworks until the morning of the 4th, because we didn't know for sure that we'd even be able to shoot them off. Our daughter technically started into labor on Saturday the 2nd, but the baby didn't arrive until Tuesday the 5th. We spent Sunday afternoon and evening in Springfield with them, but by the time the baby was born, our daughter and our son-in-law had spent most of the weekend at the hospital in Springfield (although she wasn't admitted and given any relief at all until...like...three hours before he was born!!!), but Grandpa and I just ended up just keeping the children up here with us over the 4th.


Anyway, we didn't buy our fireworks and holiday foods until the morning of the 4th. I cooked a small holiday meal for us here, then we went over to our son and daughter-in-law's that evening. They had invited us and the children over to their house to shoot off fireworks and share ice cream and cake with them. Audrey and Silas had a great time, but they were exhausted by the time we got them home and in bed. The next morning we took them down to be with their mom and dad and meet their new little brother (we were actually on the road headed to Springfield when we got the call that he had arrived). We spent the night with them in Springfield.

Over this past weekend the family gathered at our daughter and son-in-law's house to celebrate our granddaughter's birthday and, as much as anything, to see the baby, I think. It was wonderful to have all of our grandchildren together under one roof. I don't think that that's happened since our family Christmas get-together back in December.

The garden is producing, but not like it should be. The weather has been extremely hot and most days lately have been hovering around the 100 degree mark or above and it's wreaking havoc for plants and animals alike. Our chickens have slowed their egg production, the cucumbers and green beans have about played out, and the onions and potatoes are rotting in the ground. We've been getting a few tomatoes along and a couple of zucchini here and there, but for the most part, things aren't going as well as my husband would have liked. He is hoping for a better garden in the fall.

Well, I've rambled on long enough for one sitting and I need to get to work. You all have a great day and I'll talk to you all again soon. God bless all here!

All My Love,
~Rebecca