Awesome Grandsons (and their moms)

We just had the BEST visit with our grandbabies a couple of weeks ago. I don't have many pictures because Cheyenne brought her new camera and she and Pam went nuts taking all kinds of pictures. You can see their pics by checking out their blogs but I just realized that I did have a few pictures that captured the memories of having a 5 month around. It's been a long time as Travis' 31st birthday was the 27th of January!!!
Here are a few pics to showcase our 'little men'!

They were both SO cute and inquisitive, and I loved their laughs and other sweet noises. I loved Riley's cuddly expression when he woke up from his nap!



Thanks to my church friends, I had some things to put them in - a swing, the little pictured whatchamacallit, a double stroller, a highchair and a pack'n play.
Also thanks to one of my church friends, I had all the makings for a 'bath station' and a changing station so the girls didn't have to worry about diaper changes and bath supplies. It was great advice and the moms really appreciated it.

On one of our nicer days (when the girls got to ride Doc), I strolled around with the boys. Before we brought the stroller back in, the kittens (Powder and Sienna) thought they'd check it out so they could come along for a ride too!

Nature at its best (and worst)

I was scheduled to 'pink lady' yesterday morning, but I dared not wander out in a vehicle, since it was slippery walking on the grass - much less checking out the road! I am constantly amazed by the variance of temperature from day to day here in Texas! Pictures say it best.

Last week we had 2 mild days with a high up to 84 degrees. The night of the 84 degree day the temperature dropped down to 29!! This morning when Mike got up, it was 19 degrees. As I type the temperature outside is rising quite rapidly and the ice is melting off!! Yesterday held at around 25 all day with wind and ALL the animals stayed protected in the shed (equines) or in boxes (cats) and Sam spent the day either in his house or curled up in a corner of the front porch.








I feel bad for the outside animals when it's so cold and the wind is brutal, but they stay out of it as best they can. But now check out the beauty:


(left click on this to appreciate the scenic landscape...)

Note the lacey pecan tree across the driveway....
Ice on mane and forelock.... the glassy shrub across the sidewalk... the cedar tree in the back, and the glassy grass and sleet pellets...

HAPPY STINKIN' NEW YEAR!!!

What a way to start the new year!!! We had dinner with friends outside of Olney yesterday afternoon and when we returned home, we noticed our friend, Mr. Armadillo, departing via the driveway and he sauntered across the road to the cow pasture. I'd say good riddance, but he'll probably be back in the cloak of darkness! So we settled in to watch the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl and heard Sam bark from the front porch (usually he barks from a little further away), so Mike went to the door to see that we had a visitor just off the porch and a moment later, Sam was plowing, nose-down through the lawn and along the driveway like crazy! Our visitor wasn't very hospitable!! HOW DO YOU GET A SKUNK TO LEAVE???? We didn't dare go out on the porch knowing that he could swing around in an instant! So we hunted up the bebe gun and pelted him a half dozen times and he FINALLY turned and sauntered through the shrubs (we hoped he'd go exploring elsewhere and find him a new neighborhood!). HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET RID OF SKUNK PERFUME???? Why, you ask???? Because he came back at 6 am this morning!! Same spot as last night and he wasn't interested in other neighborhoods, so Mike 'took care' of him! Now the area around our porch has a moderately strong aroma! I'm curious to see how long it takes to go away!! (If you glance down at the last blog entry, you'll spot the trunk of the same tree - he picked a very popular spot!)