Recycled Club House

The kids and Matt are building a club house with the wood and various supplies they have scavenged from the construction sites on the cul-de-sac. The foreman said we could have what ever was in the trash piles--you wouldn't believe how much waste there is in house building!

We were told that the contractor won't pay to have the waste transported to new sites, so they just toss usable stuff. It's a waste of resources, and part of what makes building so expensive, I think. the club house is much further along now, and I'll have to get some recent pictures posted for you to see.

Part of the "lumber yard" that was Matt's side of the garage.
The frame. The houses behind are up and sided now; the sheet rock is in, too. Today it looked like cabinets were being delivered.

ps -- those are my green beans climbing over the fence this side of the club house

First Day of School

Amy is in 5th grade
Sarah is in 5th grade

Theo is in 3rd grade

Marty is in 2nd grade


Sunnie and Timmy are our mascots!

More catching up....

The kids made this back to school cake by themselves from a library book.

(You can see the new paint int eh living room in the background)

This is a cape I made for Lucie's 6th birthday.
Homemade drumsticks.....

Yummy!

Introducing..........

the newest member of our family!

Timothy John Deluhery came to us on August 8th, at the age of 4 months.
He's a miniature poodle, and because he has some "unusual" markings, he was not show or breeding quality.

Sunnie the cat is bigger than the interloper, and has claimed himself as king and leader.

Timothy has added a lot of fun to our house, and we
love him a lot!

The Marty-boy turns 8!

He woke up with a smile
and partied with his friends

and ate pumpkin bars (not cake)


and looked like a star in his new cape with his new bike.

Here he is opening his presents from the adoring siblings.

Where have the years gone? Just yesterday wasn't he the tiny, shy boy coming down the escalator at DSM Intl. holding his papa's hand? The one I fell in love with many months before that wonderful homecoming?

Marty-man is growing up, and he's quite a sweetie pie.

The night before his birthday I told him goodnight and said it was the last time I'd have a 7 year old. I teased him about being my baby and growing up so fast. He answered,

"That's okay, Mama. I'm going to live with you forever,

but when you die, I get your house."

Is that not the funniest thing ever?!?

Happy Golden Birthday to my baby.

Progress in the neighborhood

Here is my garden in July. It doesn't look like this now, but it did then (when I had the "seriously wrong-I don't-know-how-to-fix-it" picture problem). When I went out to work in the garden I was watching the house building progress next door. It was interesting, and baffling because...

they trucked in loads of sand and filled the foundations with it. Then they worked hard to pack it down and make it veeeerrrryyyyy smooth. The next day, they came and........

dug it up to put in plumbing. "Hmmmmmmm," says I; "won't that make it difficult to fix a plumbing problem someday?" The next day, I was totally baffled when they came and ............

poured concrete over all of it. I'm thinking my new neighbors will be glad to have my photos someday to find that crazy, leaking pipe.

Which reminds me---before they covered the sand with concrete I buried a St. Anthony medal under the front door threshhold and prayed--"St. Anthony, St. Anthony, come around. A good new neighbor must be found." Why not?

I. am. so. DUMB.

I cannot believe what I've done. I cannot believe how easily Matt fixed the DUMB thing I had done. Suffice it to say that I will be posting more on my blog again because the "seriously wrong-I-can't-figure-it-out" picture problem has been fixed. Just one of the many reasons I love my husband.

Me and My Grama

While on vacation we were able to stop and see my Grama Pluma, whom we hadn't seen in over 2 years. When we left Iowa in '07 I knew that it might be the last time we saw Grama in this world, and I am grateful that we got to see her again. I don't know if she really knew us (she's failed a lot in the last 2 years) but I still loved seeing her. I just realized after seeing this photo, that we have the same hair color--how can that be when she's 96 and I'm 45?!? Anyway, I sure am glad to have this photo of us together, both smiling. She will turn 97 in September.