Super busy loving on my grandsons.

My how the time flies. What seems like a short time ago, just a year, I only had one grandson. He was and continues to be the apple of my eye. I can never get enough of holding him in my arms, though he wishes I wouldn't, and smothering him with kisses. I now understand how my mother and grandmother felt about their first grandchild. They just hold a special place in your heart.

Time spent with them and the circumstances about their arrivals in your lives makes them special. Cash was not planned, his parents were not ready for babies yet they welcomed him as if he was. The love that I saw in my baby girls eyes when she held her boy was overwhelming for me. It continues to make me tear up and be so proud of the mommy she has become.

So we skip forward to this year and Sarah had given me another grandson. Cash now has a little brother to torture and I have another boy to love on. Everett will be a year old on the 9th of next month.

My good fortune continued when Sarah's big sister Lisa had her first babies this year. Yes, twins and they are both boys who will be three months old on the 8th. I can't get over the fact that holding any of these boys in my arms sometimes feels like a dream. Steve had wanted desperately to be a grandpa and could hardly wait till Cash was old enough to go for rides on the tractor. I have to admit that I could hardly wait to take photos of that event when it did happen. It never occurred to me that that it never would.

The sadness that settles in at times can be unbearable. My only solace is to spend as much time as I can with them. So when I am not scrapbooking pictures of these wonderful little boys, I am spending time holding them in my arms. I am one lucky grandma.

My newest grandbabies...

They made their debut on the 9th of the month. They were roughly three weeks early and a bit tiny. Brayden Michael arrived at 3:32PM weighing 5lbs. 9oz and 18 1/2" long. Chayton Skye arrived a minute later weighing 4lbs. 7oz and 17 1/4" long. 

Lisa actually worked that day. She was with Buck at a scheduled ultrasound when they were informed that their babies were being delivered that day. The boys stayed in the NICU till the day before they were released. Being preemies they had a little trouble learning to latch on for feeding. They were never in an incubator as they were breathing on their own and maintaining their body temps. But occasionally they would forget to breathe and an alarm would go off.

They are so tiny in comparison to Sarah's boys. Even now Everett is small but looks and feels really big when I hold him and then either of the twins. I wish Steve were here to see how wonderful his family has turned out.

Everett came to visit grandma.

I am a grandma so I will brag about my grandsons occasionally...okay maybe all the time but I can't help myself. Because after all, they don't get any cuter than this...

It's boys!!!

I can't believe my good fortune. I was blessed with two girls who have and are giving me boys....all boys. Lisa got the news today. She is having boys!!! I secretly hoped for a girl when Sarah got pregnant this last time but was very okay when Everett was born. He is just the sweetest little guy, very much like his big brother. 

Sarah made the observation that when the twins are 2 years old, Everett will be three and Cash will be six. Wow! Christmas is going to be so much fun in the coming years. I think we will be moving Christmas to Sarah's house.

I just wish Steve were here to enjoy all of this. He would have been in seventh heaven over all of his grandsons.

Great news...

Sarah and Nate have bought a home!!! It is just a few blocks (1.1 miles according to Nate) from me. Could be the kids will be walking to visit grandma come next spring and summer.

The weather has turned to fall, finally. It came a lot later this year. There was little to no ease into it either. One day it was warm, sunny and now it is cool, dark and wet. I have discovered I am not that crazy about this change. The earlier sunsets have made the depression I suffer from really hard to deal with so I might have to look at getting a light box.

Haven't posted pictures in the longest time. I will have to fix that with my next blog post, I promise.

More grandbabies...

On Saturday my oldest girl Lisa announced to the world on Facebook that she was expecting and it's twins!!! Yes, my little family is growing by leaps and bounds. My house already seems too small for the size my family is now. I don't have any of the usual baby trappings up yet since Everett is still too small but that time is growing short. Looks to be a crazy and fun holiday season this year.

Today

The house closed escrow and the new owners picked up the keys. I officially became the owner of just one house, no more mortgage payments, insurance on two houses or two PGE accounts. It feels great.

Though one of the backlashes to all the stress is the severe muscle spasms in my lower back that I woke up with. My dear friend Laura came to my rescue with a wonderful massage to ease the pain. I have spent the rest of the evening with the heating pad on my back and while drinking lots of water. I hope to be feeling much better in the AM.

Done...and done.

The well was treated and the test came back good, the oil fuel tank has been installed and the paperwork has been turned into the title company and lender. I would say the countdown has begun. 

Feeling really out of sorts right now. I don't know if it is because we are in the final days of the house sale or if it is because of this nasty sinus infection that I have. I resorted to finally seeing the doctor and getting antibiotics but I feel like it is taking a long time to work. Then again it could be the stress. As soon as this sale is done I will schedule a massage and a lunch or dinner with my girlfriends that involves alcohol, lots of it.

House update...

The septic was pumped and inspected. The well pump was tested as was the water and the fuel tank has been removed and the soil tested. I have to have the well treated, the electrical stuff done and decide where to have the fuel tank placed then I will be done. We still have to wait on paperwork from the DEQ so we can get that to the lender as well. My understanding is the loan has been approved and once the paperwork is to the lender we can close this deal. I am so ready!!!

The house has sold.

The house has only been on the market for a month and it has sold. I have to admit I was worried that it would be on the market for a long time because I had a lot of traffic but everyone that saw it had the same complaint, they didn't like the floor plan. Rita reassured me that the right person/persons would come along and love it. She was right.

I have to get the septic tank pumped and inspected, the pump for the well tested, the water tested for bacterias and the oil fuel tank decommissioned. I have till the 31st of next month to do it. Shouldn't be a problem.

Second phase

I am moving into the second phase of my life. A great many of you know that since Steve's passing I have been stuck in a sort of limbo with the old house. It took me all of this time to finally let go and make things happen so that I could put it on the market. The finishing touches happened on Saturday and we listed it. It has it's first showing this evening and I am in a mixed state of feelings right now. I need to let go but it is so hard.

I don't really like change

It has been quite awhile since I have posted on my blog. So when I returned to do that this afternoon I have discovered that Google has changed things up, again. I can't find a way to look at my saved posts which leads me to think they may be lost to me entirely. Not good, because I usually write in spurts there by saving to add to the post. Saving is good but only if you can get back to it. So in the interim I am going to have to make short posts and hope I can figure this darn thing out.

I would ask my girls for help but the last time that happened I got laughed at, so it maybe awhile before I figure it out. Damn...

Oregon weather...

It seems that Mother Nature likes to mess with us in the Pacific Northwest. It has been a seriously weird year for weather this year. Since Steve passed away we have had only a bit of really nasty snow/ice conditions. Nothing at all like the mess that occurred in December of 2008. But as you can see from this picture my tree in the front yard already is in full bloom. So I seriously doubt if there will be any fruit on this tree this year.


Today I think it reached 68 degrees and there was supposed to be some rain today but now the weatherman is saying tomorrow evening. My guess is only Mother Nature knows for sure.

It's another boy!

We got the news yesterday. Sarah and Nate are having another boy. I have to admit I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a girl but it only lasted a few moments. I have to say that I am getting excited now.

Sarah has asked me to sew some crib sheets for her because the ones she had found online that she really liked were $40! So I can hardly wait till we go shopping for fabric. Bright colors are what she wants so hopefully we will find something that she will like.

As for my urge to buy or make pink things that might still get fulfilled because my niece Katy is due in June. They have decided to wait till the birth to find out what they are having so I still have hope.

This summer it will be berries and babies for the Fordyce's...

I cried...

Nonstop for literally two hours this evening. Everything I seemed to do today or wanted to do I found myself wishing I could ask Steve's opinion on. These last couple of months have been particularly hard. When I first moved into my new house I found solace in his picture that I have sitting on the fireplace. But lately it is all I can do to look at it without falling to pieces and I feel so completely alone. I know that I am struggling with depression on a different level because of the old house and the knowledge that my mom's dementia is getting worse. I should go see the doctor but I have been avoiding it for a variety of reasons that aren't really good ones. I just need Steve to put his arms around me and tell me he that he will make everything okay.

2 FEET...2 FEET...2 FEET!!!

I woke to snow on the ground and a text from Sarah saying "2 feet, 2 feet!!!". Really this girl has a big thing for snow. I, on the other hand can do without it. I am not a big fan. Steve and the girls all for the snow whenever they could get it. I was born a California girl and I don't see that changing...

New beginnings...

It was our first Christmas in my new house and we had lots of fun. It didn't have the tinge of sadness that the last two years had for me. I believe it is because it was the start of new traditions blended with old ones in my new home. Stockings were hung on the fireplace and the tree was in it's rightful place in the living room in front of the window just like at the old house. But there were new lights on the outside of the house, some new ornaments and the smell of ham in the oven to make things feel really good. If it wasn't for the stress that occurs every year I would have this holiday year around. I loved spending the day with my girls and their guys. I am so looking forward to having a new little baby in the house come next Christmas.

Happy New Year!!!

Our family has a couple of babies due this summer so we are going to be blessed with an expanding family. So I have an extra couple of wishes to add to my list this year. That being said I wish for my girl Sarah and my niece Katy to have easy and uneventful births, for my friends and family to have a better year than last and of course, peace on earth...

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

I am spending the day with my children and grandson. Hope your day is as joyous as I know mine will be.

Tis' the season...

It makes me so happy to be with my family at this time of year. While we miss Steve so much at this time we keep his memory alive by keeping his traditions alive. Sarah and Nate have taken over getting the Christmas trees for me and Grandma Norma. They have really gotten into it and have picked out some really great ones. This year is no different. I will try to get a picture of it this year. It is one of those hybrid nobles and it is pretty cute.


Kids will be here at noon Christmas morning and then we will do the Fordyce Christmas the following day. This week is going to be crazy because I still have a couple of more gifts to get and another party with friends. I definitely love this time of the year even if it is crazy stressful.