One more picture of Belle sitting in her...oh I forgot what you call it!!!! Isn't she a doll!!!!! She is the happiest most content baby.....Let's do it again, soon!!

A Visit With Belle....

I got to go visit Gina and Belle today....I had so much fun!!!!!!!
Belle is a mama's girl...and I mean that in a good way....it wasn't long before she realized I WAS NOT her mommy....

Downstairs...

I found some cute stars, and decided to use them as labels for the bins under the bench...
I found these cute magnetic alphabet letters.....for the chalk board...
I thought I would liven up the calkboard...
One of the star labels on the bins.....

April Showers Brings...What???

It IS April 30...
Water in the little creek in front of our house...
Looking out from the back patio....
Grama's playground is so empty....
Notice the trees and shrubs up close to the house......

Finished bench at last!!!

At long last....the bench cover....
It's perfect!
Only READERS can sit on Grama's bench!!
Don't you just love the pattern?
Close-up view...double click for even a closer look!!
This has been the day I have waited for!!! The bench cover is finished...thanks to my friends Cindy Jenkins, and Mary Margaret Scott. I am so amazed at the excellent job they did! The cover ties in the back...making it easy to take off and wash when I need to. I absolutely LOVE it!!!!! Thanks Cindy and Mary Margaret!!!

Getting It Right!

A cute flower I got and put it in the kitchen...
Doug thought the TV was too high...so we took the bottom out from underneath the entertainment center, and used it for an end table, cause Doug didn't think what I got was quite right....we also took out the oversized chair and ottoman....which really opens up the room....we moved the table and chairs and centered it under the light and ceiling fan..which made all the difference...
So, I put this new vase with flowers on the original end table I got....and set it by the TV and entertainment center....
Here is the bottom of the entertainment center next to the couch.....
The pillows I made are to the left of the TV.....
Doug came down today, and wanted to see my makeover downstairs. So we went down, and he told me what was wrong.....so changes we made!!! By the way he has been my mentor through all of this...I have really valued his opinion......

Another Change Downstairs.....

REMEMBER THE RED CHAIR???????????
IT'S BEEN TRANSFORMED.......i THOUGHT THIS LOOKED BETTER WITH THE NEW DECOR DOWNSTAIRS!!!!!! AND......GRAMPA GLENN PUT IT TOGETHER.......

Miracles never cease!!

So, after 30 years of not touching a sewing machine....I made pillows for my "Makeover" downstairs....I used the material that I used to re-upholster the chairs....
These were two body pillows I have had for years.....
I was quite excited with how they turned out! Perfect? I didn't say that, of course not, but I sewed them, and I hope they will get used for a long time. They may not have been made with expertise....but they were surely made with love, and with Rebecca's sewing machine..... thanks Rebecca for letting me borrow your sewing machine.....
I had little of this material left, so I used a solid brown for the back, and had to piece the print and sew it together, so I had no room for matching the print.....Oh the love....My friend is making the cover for the bench...I should be posting that this week!!! Then all I need our my curtains.....

Happy Easter To...Annie, Leah, Ryan, Noah, Enoch, Hannah, Joseph, Hannah T., Conner, Sam, Emma, Lucy, Luke and Belle!!! We love you all!!!

We miss all of you.........we hope to see you all soon!!!
Including Rebecca, this is our guests for Easter....
Rebecca, quit taking pictures and start looking for Easter Eggs.....Rebecca had found one egg.....and someone found the one she thought she had....but she had a hole in her sack.....but in the end.....she did quite well!!!! With a little help from dad!!!!

Grampa and Gramas Happy Easter Day!!

Mike looking for eggs...
Mike and Doug looking together......brotherly love....
Wow! That's some Easter Egg you found, Troy!!
Rebecca and Mike racing up Grama's Playground.....

HAPPY EASTER!!

Maple Sugar Pound Cake with Browned Butter-Maple Glaze......
"Best-Ever Coconut Cake(Coconut-Lime Cake.....I decided to try some new recipes for dessert for Easter dinner. Glenn and I were at the store the other day.....and I saw, and bought, Cooking With Paula Deen....She is holding this cake. It looked good, so I bought the magazine and made both cakes today.....Of course Glenn and I had to taste them, cause we wouldn't think of letting our dinner guests try them, if they weren't any good.....Oh my, they are both to die for..... The frosting for the coconut cake has lime zest and fresh lime juice in the icing......Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

MY MOST FAVORITE THING!!

My very most favorite thing is our family tree that Doug drew and painted!!!
I found this at Home Goods......is this not adorable?
I found this Pottery Barn bookcase on KSL.....I paid $40 for it. I looked on line, and it sells for $299. Mercy!!!! I painted it white....

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Look close.....I am always saying this to my grandbabies....
My table and 4 chairs......
The bench with the cubbies.....the cover is not finished yet....
This adorable lamp I got at Home Goods.....
This end table I got at Home Goods....it was a natural finish and I painted it white....
I just wanted to show you some of my favorite things about my makeover downstairs. It's not 100% finished....but getting close.....

Front View of Our New Project...

I thought I better get a few pictures looking towards the house...Compare this picture with the one above with Glenn standing in front of the house.....
Did you notice our new sidewalk....
Stay tuned for the finished look!!

Beginning of Some Beautiful Projects

By our bedroom window to the patio...
Front of the house to the garage...
front of the house to the east...
back by the patio to the west...
Glenn's garden......he plans on starting to plant tomorrow.....April 18...We had a main water line break by the front porch.....it got fixed, and because of some landscaping that would need to be done, we decided to put in some flower beds.......