Baa the way........

My friend, Fran, has a small farm on a street not far from our house where I walk Millie every day. She has pet sheep who love bread, so I make special trips to the Mrs. Baird's bread store in Lewisville to buy big bags of expired and/or crushed bread to feed them. They are so sweet and tame, and they eat the bread right out of my hand. The original six, shown in the picture with Zoey from December, are named Ramago, Chocolate, Half n Half, Ewenice, Ewehaul, and Ewenique. All the females have "ewe" in their names--so cute! This week, Fran got 3 more of the "black bottom" variety, a mother and 2 babies: Sheba, Mark, and Rachel. They're still a little shy, but I'm plying them with bread, so it probably won't take them long to join the hungry throng at the fence. Some of the older ones have become so bold as to jump up on the fence if the bread isn't coming quickly enough. I know, I really need to get a life. Zoey loves them, and every time she stays with us, we make a trip to see the sheep, cows, horses, chickens, and turkey that reside on this particular street. It's country in the city, and we're very glad to live so close to this peaceful agrarian oasis.

A baby shower for Erika

Last Saturday, May 3, 2008, we had Erika's first baby shower. Jenni wanted to be able to give her sister a shower before she left for Kanakuk for the summer, since Baby Boy Wiese is due right around the time the Cribbs family returns from Kamp in August. The shower brunch was hosted by Jenni and Erika's friends Amy Cheatham (at her house), Sarah Valor, Charla Dixon, Shannon Flanagan, and me. Sarah, Charla, and Shannon are treasured college friends of Erika, and they were her bridesmaids. Amy lives behind Erika and Josh, and her husband Dennis works with Josh at Irving Bible Church. We had a great time of fellowship and wonderful food, and Erika received a ton of gifts for the Wieselet. She now has many of the important items she will need when she and Josh bring their son home for the first time. Thanks to everyone who participated in the shower and honored Erika in such a kind and generous fashion. Enjoy the pictures posted on Flickr.

Adieu, Big Blue!

On April 30, 2008, Tony became an IBM retiree after 34 1/2 years with the company. It was a bittersweet farewell. He wasn't really ready to retire, but he felt led in that direction. He's still in the "I'm on vacation" phase of his first week of retirement, and so far he hasn't bugged me too much :) . Seriously, he's been helping me with chores and honey-do's around the house. I'm nowhere near ready to quit working, and it's nice having him home with me, knowing he's just in the next room, playing with Millie. Our kids recently gave us a nice barbecue at Erika's and Josh's in celebration of Tony's retirement, my birthday, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. We had to combine the events because Jenni, Dave, and Zoey will be leaving for Kanakuk in a couple of weeks, and we were running out of time. Here are some pictures from the party--the rest of the pictures are on Flickr.

A week with Zoey

Tony and I had the greatest privilege a few weeks ago when we took care of Zoey for a whole week while our kids took a Caribbean cruise together. It was a wonderful experience, and Zoey made it fun and easy. She's such a good baby, and she loves to entertain us with her antics. She soaks up new experiences like a sponge. We didn't do a whole lot, but I made sure we got out somewhere every day, just for a change of scenery. She ate well, slept well, and never gave us any indication that she was lonely for her parents. I'm sure she was, but she didn't act it. I documented the entire week for Jenni and Dave in pictures, so click on the Flickr link to see the chronology. There are 6 full pages of photos. Yes, I got carried away, but she's so darn cute and photogenic! I warned you I was going to be an obnoxious grandmother. It was so good to be able to help our kids take a well deserved vacation. They had always wanted to cruise together, and with Erika's and Josh's baby due in 3 1/2 months, this was a good opportunity for them to get away before their lives change in August. They all had a great time and came back tanned and relaxed. Check Jenni's blog, The Cribbies, for lots of pictures and narrative of their cruise.

An exciting time!

Erika and Josh had their 20-week prenatal ultrasound this past Monday, and they were sweet to invite both Josh's mom, Kit, and me to join them. It was such a thrill to meet our new grandchild before his birth. Yes, I said HIS!!! It's a boy!!! At the halfway point of his gestation, the baby is perfectly whole and beautiful, even though at his present size of about 6", he would fit in the palm of an adult hand. God is SO GOOD!! It was amazing to see such evidence of His perfect handiwork. We are all very excited at the prospect of having a precious little boy in the family. It will be a new experience, as until now we have basically been a family of girls. My friend Terry says little boys are born making truck noises! I can't wait to be a part of the world of little boys. Here are two pictures of happy Erika and Josh with their ultrasound pictures shortly after the exam.

Easter 2008

I thought I'd show a little comparison between Zoey last Easter and Zoey this Easter, nearly a year later. At nearly 15 months, she's so aware of everything, and she really enjoyed her first Easter egg hunt yesterday afternoon. Whenever we get together, Zoey agreeably provides all the entertainment. There's a little video clip to watch (click "play" twice), and I've posted some more pictures on Flickr. Enjoy!!

global warming debunked

I took this from our front porch at about 3:00 p.m. today. We haven't had the first snowflake all winter, and this week, the first week of March, we've had snow twice! Crazy Texas weather! Today's snowfall is much heavier than Monday's, and it's supposed to snow all night. The weather reports predict four to six inches before it's over. Of course, then it will warm up quickly, and everything will be melted in a day or so. Still, it's so much fun to have such pretty, pristine, fluffy white snow. We're enjoying it! (You'll probably have to click on the PLAY button twice to activate the video.) You can also check out Jenni's blog for more pictures. They had 9 inches!!