big changes

Here is what is happening 

out at the ranch .

Stage one is being applied

to the areas that will be covered in

Dryvit.

It is a stucco like substance.

It has the paint color mixed into it.

It will be lovely.

stage one is on and next they will 

apply the "brown coat"

Last night when I drove in 

from a long day of

shopping,

I could see that they had

finished the brown coat,

but it was too dark to

get a good picture.

They are supposed to

work today 

putting on the 

finish coat.

It's Saturday,

so we will see.

In the meantime,

The Lady In Waiting...

is waiting.

Stoned!

We picked up our stone on Friday.

Well,

the big machine picked up the stone...

Notice that Dad is wearing his ski jacket?

It was FREEZING COLD!

The last time we came here,

it was so blazing hot,

we couldn't stand to be out in the lot

looking at the rocks!

We had our paint sample board

and our cedar board with us this time,

so it was a lot easier to chose the right stone.

Amazingly, 

we each picked out the

same stone as our favorite one

and it was also one of the cheapest ones!

This is not normal for me.

I usually pick out the 

most expensive thing,

no matter what it is!

A pleasant change!

We ended up with three pallets,

plus some boxes ,

plus the pallet of corner pieces.

This is real natural stone,

but it is cut in thin slices,

thus the name

Thin Cut.

It's called Chopped Fieldstone

and is full of beautiful colors.

I'm all about the colors, you know.

Can't wait to see it 

up here.

You are going to love it!

The Letter

Yesterday I was digging

around in the craftroom

when I saw this letter

peeking out at me.

I think I kept it

where I might stumble upon it

from time to time.

I have a box of them stowed away somewhere

but just needed one

to look at now and then.

I love to see my Dad's 

handwriting.

He usually signed things

Love, Daddy.

He talks about his friend 

bringing him some

chicken and dumplings

and lemon pie.

And I remember how many friends 

he had, 

and how they looked after him

and 

cared for him

when I could not.

When I saw it there

yesterday

it was comforting.

This morning when I woke up

I thought of it again.

It made me think...

when was the last time

I wrote a letter?

or even a card?

Does anyone ever see my hand writing

anymore?

I type everything.

Sometimes I scribble

Love, Mom and Dad

on a card,

but that doesn't count.

We should all write 

something

to 

someone

today.

It's comforting.

A Skype Shower for Kellie and Maya

Yesterday

the sweetest thing happened.

My friend Debi 

threw a baby shower

for my daughter Kellie and her first baby,

Maya Grace.

The thing is,

Kellie lives over 1000 miles away

and we havn't seen her in

2 1/2 years.

Meet Todd, our 

computer guru.

Patient Todd who allowed us to download

Skype software onto his laptop

so that Kellie could see us and we could see her.

Todd ran the sound through the system in the fellowship hall

of our church, and projected Kellie's picture 

up on a large screen.

Everyone could see and hear her, 

and she could see us through the camera on Todd's laptop!

Thank you Todd for all your hard work and

giving up Sunday afternoon so that we could 

spend the day with Kellie!

Here she is!

What would a shower be 

without food???

Cupcakes!!!

and delicious punch

made with Cherry Limeade Sherbert and

Sprite

Oooooh ahhhhh!

Delicious!

Here are some of the ladies...

Sue and Sue

Linda

Holly and Shawnee

Debi and DeLane

Missy and Lezlie

We had to compare bellies too!

DeLane is due 11/11 and Kellie is due 12/7

Debi read a sweet devotional to us all...

Debi had prepared baggies 

complete with threaded needle, thread, 

baby socks and little 

embelishments to be sewn onto the socks,

like buttons, bows, little tiny jewels.

The ladies sewed the little pretties onto

the socks instead of playing a game.

What a great idea!

Now Maya has the biggest, cutest collection of socks

in the world!!!

It reminded me of a quilting bee,

the ladies talked and laughed

and sewed up a storm!

Debi had made these letters to decorate the table

and they are for Maya's room as well.

So cute!

and she grew an extra hand while she was at it!

A baby sleeper with a tutu!

Adorable!

A soft little headband with a big pink bow to clip into it!

Doris had a bunch of little gifts to show off

and she kept getting closer and closer to the computer...

Doris you are so cute!

Wake Up Todd!

DeLane

Cindy

Lisa made a little basket of her favorite books

and Livi loved holding them up for Kellie to see.

Such cuteness!

Words are not big enough 

to tell how much this shower blessed Kellie 

and me too.

To know that she is so loved and remembered

means so much to us both!

Such dear friends!

We will never forget it!

Kellie and Matt and Maya 

you are loved.

Fall comes to the Cedars

It has been so long

since I have shared any house news

so long.

It has been so dreary and dark and wet 

around here

that I could not even go out to the house

much less get any work done.

A few days ago,

the sun came out for a couple

of hours in the late afternoon

and I drove myself 

out there to bask 

in the loveliness.

I was so excited to be there 

I did a little

happy sunshine dance

and then took some pictures

to remember 

the day.

It was so lovely 

I didn't want it to end, 

but end it did.

The sun went down.

Since I am blog dislexic,

(and apparently can't spell either,)

I will show you some of the pictures

that I took before the sun went down...

While I was darting around

taking pictures and 

doing the happy sunshine dance,

my persistent husband

was busy at work

getting the front of the house

ready for stucco and stone.

He built the pillars out front

and let me tell you

it was not an easy task.

They turned out beautifullly

or ...

they are beautifully turned out.

anyway,

here 

they 

are.

Today I hope to start staining the

last of the cedar accent boards that will 

grace the front of the house before

stone will be applied.

Isn't she looking sweet?

Fall arrives at the rental...

Yesterday

I chose to let fall come

to my house.

I was reluctant

at first

because I love summer

and hate to see her go.

But I love fall too

and can't stop her from coming

so I thought 

I might as well

invite her into the house!

I opened the boxes 

and boxes

so lovingly packed by my two girls

last Thanksgiving.

I remembered 

decorating

the old 

new 

house.

But 

a new corner has been turned

and my in-between house

is crying out

for some fall.

so here are some 

of my old faithful 

fall friends.

 

It was kind of fun

finding new uses for theses old pretties...

I have some new pretties to show you

tomorrow!

Welcome Fall!