Cortnie's Picture

Cortnie sent this to me via email today. I'm sure that Amy sent it for her but she drew it for me. This is a Camping House. I will be in Idaho Falls until Friday. Nat needs me to babysit as Loni is on a weeks slumber party with her friend Shella. That is Lori's daughter.

Blessing of a wonderful son-in-law

Kevin has once again come over and mowed our lawn. Not only did he do that but he trimmed everything with the old weed-wacker. Our yard looks so good. He also changed the mower blade, changed the oil, replaced the spark plug etc etc. They were here close to four hours while he did all that work, in the heat no less. All the areas that a mower can't get have been trimmed. He did such a wonderful job. He has been such a great help with the yard. Thank you Kevin for being such a wonderful help to these old ladies. You are a blessing and I love you.

Cortnie and Kyle kept the rest of very entertained. Cortnie told us about all her dreams and she is another like her mother, great-grandmother and two of her great-aunts. She has very vivid and imaginitive dreams. Three doctors came to their house to steal her rock collection (she does have a rock collection) and they taped her to a table to keep her from getting in their way. She was so upset about them taking her rocks, she was able to sit up and slapped all three of them across their faces. She had to show us how hard she hit them. She used Sandy's hand to slap so we would know.

Kyle was on mom's lap and her walker was in front of them, he grabbed hold of both handles and started making the motor sounds that babies make. I did get some pictures of that. I guess I should put them here. He is definitely all boy!

Sight Blessings

1. Birth of a baby

2. My grandchildren

3. Snowfall

4. Rainstorm

5. Rainbows

6. Flowers in bloom

7. Fall colors that are so vivid

8. Mountains in all the seasons

9. The Pacific Ocean

10. Watching your children and grandchildren perform.

11. Smiles on the faces of loved ones

12. The beauty that you find in the different states.

13. Baby animals and their antics

14. Christmas trees, lights and decorations.

SMELL BLESSINGS

1. Fresh coffee and sizzling bacon when camping

2. Bread baking

3. Rain

4. Clean Babies

5. Thanksgiving dinner as it is cooking

6. Carnations

7. Buttered popcorn

8. Chocolate

9. Lilacs

10. Pine Trees

Memory Monday

We no longer have any drive-in theatres in Pocatello. The Sunset has closed. It would be too costly to update their filming equipment and not profitable in the long run. It is a shame. Many, many nights were spent out there and I always thought it was so nice that we at least still had a drive-in that operated. This is another icon from my teens that has gone by the wayside. I will miss being able to go to a movie that I can wear my pj's if I wanted and bring my own home popped popcorn with loads of butter and salt. Candy, lots and lots of candy. Stopping at a fast food place to get dinner to eat at the movies. This is a sad, sad time.

I went to the Sunset on dates, with family and Erin and I went there with Mike and Nat many times when I was pregnant with Amy. Mike and Nat would play on the swings, go down the slide and just have a good time before the movie started. We would go in and get pickles and whatever else suited our fancy at the time. The Sunset will be missed for not only the good times had there, the movies we watched but also because it is the end of an era. What a tragedy!!!

Twenty Wishes

I have become an avid fan of Debbie Macomber books and it is her writings that have caused me to think about blessings and now this. Her books are wonderful by the way, especially her Christmas stories. She has a new one each year that comes out in November I believe. I love these books and so now on to the wishes. These are not suppose to all come true, after all they are wishes. No one ever gets all they wish for and it's good we don't. It gives us something to continually strive for. Some of our wishes can't be met but it is still fun to wish for them. These are in no particular order.

1. A home of my own

2. Cruise to Alaska

3. Not having to live frugally

4. Train trip through Canada

5. Family trip to Disneyland

6. Being able to go back in time for one week. Not to change anything, just to enjoy.

7. Big kitchen with all that goes with it. Restaurant size fridge, gas stove, etc etc.

8. Knowing that my children and grandchildren will always be safe and healthy.

9. Being able to sit outside and enjoy the sun without being pestered by wasps, bees, and bugs.

10. Being able to walk and not have my feet hurt.

11. The ability to play the piano.

12. Meeting the pro's from Dancing With The Stars. Mostly Max and Edyta.

13. Going to New York for one week and have lots of money to spend.

14. Visiting the Viet Nam Memorial.

15. Walking where Jesus walked and preached.

16. Playing and swimming with the dolphins.

17. To be able to go sledding again.

18. Christmas Eve that lasts for two nights.

19. Getting snowbound in a cabin with all that we would need to survive.

20. Visiting Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway.

Yucky Yard Work

Sandy and I have taken on the mowing of the lawn now. We really can't ask Ryan to continue with it and we feel with all the other expenses mom has she doesn't need to be hiring someone else to do it. So we are going to do it. I mowed the back and East side and Sandy did the front and West side. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it but I was. I did take one break but only one. When I was totally done I needed to catch my breath but I did it. Sandy also did some clipping but we are going to get a weed eater. We can't hand clip this whole yard it is just to much.

Kevin, Amy and the kids were over and he came out and helped take a bunch of stuff out to the garbage. I didn't think it would fit but he made it fit. He raked over the garden for me and said that when he could he would come over and help us with the yard. He gets Sunday and Tuesday off but one day is for family and the other is for all the stuff that needs to be done at their place. They have a huge back yard and a garden as well. They do stop in a lot when out for family stuff and he may just go out and do stuff then, who knows.

Saturday At Amy's

Yesterday Amy & Kevin had a garage sale and they let Cortnie sell cookies. She gets to use some of the money to buy her a toy and the rest will go into her bank account. She sold all of the cookies and made $25.00. Kevin and Amy made a lot of money. It turned out to be a good day for them. Cortnie was very personable and was greeting everybody expecially those who had young children with them. She had to take me around to see all the cute little children. I think she has a love for little ones and sees herself as a little mama to all of them.

She is very protective of Kyle and I do mean very protective. He is afraid of strangers right now and Cortnie gets so upset if someone keeps going up to him to try and get him over it. He cries and she gets upset and blames that person and tells them "you're mean" and draws ugly pictures of them. She is such a sweetheart and so is Kyle.

Yesterday was Amy and Kevin's anniversary and I went back up to take care of the kids so they could go to dinner. Wasn't a movie showing that they were interested in so dinner was it. They went to the Sandpiper. It isn't as good as it use to be. Both kids were sleeping when I got there cause it had been a long day for both. Cortnie finally woke up and we started watching ET. She loves it and has seen it before. I remember when it first came out, it was our children who went to see it. Rachel cried. I don't think mine did but who knows.

Kyle finally woke up and I fed him and got his bottle ready and Amy and Kevin were home. So we all sat around the table and had Kyle on the table and he was such a hoot. He loves being on the table and their wood floors. Don't know what the attraction is about it but he just goes nuts. He talks, yells, and pounds. Drops his head on his knees and then starts rolling around the table and Cortnie loses it cause she just knows he is going to fall off. Needless to say I had a good time with them yesterday.

Cortnie has a very vivid imagination and it is so much fun to hear her stories about all her doings etc. She has imaginary animals and she brings them here when she visits. Shadow the dog, Macy the puppy, Smokey the bear, Georgianne the giraffe and a cat that I can't remember the name of. When Amy went to the store recently, Cortnie took Shadow and Amy said all she kept doing was yelling , "get over here Shadow, Shadow, get over here"! We have to pet them and tell them what good animals they are. She has even brought their cages at times and one time she had to clean one of them out because Shadow had made such a mess in it. The cages are imaginary too. She has written me letters and read them to me. The letters are real ones but right now all she knows are the letters not the words. So she writes her letters and reads them to all of us. I have two of them on my walls. One is a list of items I was to bring the next time I came up. Ice cream, green gum, crayons, pencils and coloring books. I always have green gum on hand for her. It's Extra spearmint I think and she loves it.

Mother Nature Kicks Butt

This tells it all. May 1st and we wake up and voila!