Lots going on in the world

Lots of attention grabbing headlines on the news the past few days. Obviously the biggest story is the horror going on in Iran. Just terrible! The deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson also caught my attention. I really liked all three of them in my younger days. Michael obviously had many problems in adulthood but his music was nothing but remarkable. On a more personal note, the shooting of HS FB coach Ed Thomas in Iowa was totally shocking. A very tragic situation. Matt told me he went with Brad Meester (Jaguars center who went to HS there) to that weight room with Brad to workout during a summer and met coach Thomas. Matt felt he was an awesome guy and from what I am hearing, many people felt the same. So very, very sad.

In other news, Sharon and Arne made it to their new home in The Villages in Florida. Hope the humidity isn't too bad. Mark said Iowa is unbearable right now so would assume it is humid in Florida, too. It has been warm here in AZ but of course, it is a "dry heat". :-)

A quick video for the grandpa's to catch up on their two grandchildren:

It is now officially hot here!!

This was the first afternoon that Drew and I were uncomfortable outdoors if we were in the sun. The shade was still quite tolerable but that sun was boiling everything to the touch if it sat in its path. Can't complain as we have had a gorgeous June and I recall last June being very hot. So, we have actually been quite lucky.

Andy came home today at 2:00 to take Kayley to the doctor. She has been vomiting off and on for four days and running a low grade temp so they wanted to get her checked out and hopefully find out what is causing this. She has a bruise on each cheek from falls so hope they don't eye Andy suspiciously over them! She is a real dare devil and won't sit still in a ladylike position and play with her doll. :-) She'd climb that rock wall outside if we let her!

Some various snaps of the past few days.

How to stay cool

Back in Phoenix

After a wonderful three days with Matt and Mark I am back in AZ and babysitting Drew and Kayley. Drew is on medication for a sinus infection but he is definitely on the mend and going strong. Kayley appears to be healthy as a horse and happy all the time.

Sharon and Arne depart Scottsdale and Terravita late this afternoon on their way to their new home in Forida. The moving truck was coming this morning but am sure it will take most of the day to load 30 years of stuff!! Sharon and Arne are driving to Tucson tonight since their bed will be on that semi. They are taking a leisurely journey to their new home with stops overnight in San Antonio, New Orleans and I am sure a city or two along the way. Drive safely!

Below is a short video of how Drew and I pass some of the day when Kayley is sleeping. Naturally it involves Thomas the train. :-)

Our project

Matt and I worked our butts off landscaping this area in front of his house. It was a little area by his step that slanted down and would have been hard to mow. We decided on bricking it in and hauling in dirt to fill it up. Quite a job. There is new construction going up everywhere here so last night during the cover of dark we shoveled dirt into Mark's pickup from the numerous excavations in the area. It is a lot of work to steal mud let me tell ya! (Heavy rain here the day before). I think it looks great and Matt is very happy with the result.

Week-end in Omaha

I "finally" arrived in Omaha last night after a weather delayed departure in Phoenix and a mechanical problem delay in Denver. Got to bed around 2 a.m. as I had a late night tour of Matt's new home. I really love his place and the neighborhood is very nice. It will be a great development when the homes have been landscaped, etc. New homes are going up all around him as I type this! No housing bust here it seems...

Mark is busy in Matt's basement making a small "theater" room for him and his new huge television. I have a feeling this will be his parking spot during the NFL season. :-)

The College World Series is going on right now in Omaha and I am sure Matt will attend some games as he loves to go to them. I do believe half my plane last night was full of BB fans on their way to the games. This must be quite good for Omaha's economy!

Some pics of his home and the neighborhood.

My future rock climber and hiking partner

Vegan cupcakes a big hit at the birthday party!!

Megan's friend sent a recipe for vegan cupcakes for Kayley's birthday "cake". Kayley cannot have any dairy products so a regular cake was out of the question. As I baked them today I was "surprised" at how good they smelled...no egg, no butter, no oil, etc. The big test was going to come at the birthday party. Would Kayley even like them? Kayley is not the best eater in the world so I was betting NO. Surprise. She loved them. I kept trying to shorten the video but I was so happy to see Kayley actually excited to be putting food into her mouth that I had a hard time editing it. Kayley put the sugar pounds on today! :-) Vegan isn't so bad! Will Mark and I stop grilling steak and chops and go vegan? uh.....no. :-)

Kayley's First Birthday!!!!

Tomorrow, June 9th, is Kayley's first birthday. It has been quite a year for all of us. Megan's water broke on the Wednesday after Memorial Day last year at 25 weeks. She spent the next two weeks in the hospital and finally on June 9th Kayley could wait no longer to see the world. She weighed three pounds which was good since she was only 27 weeks gestation. We spent the entire summer visiting the NICU daily until she was finally big and healthy enough to come home in early September. Andy started a beautiful blog of her entire NICU experience and her time since she has been home. He has done a wonderful job! Andy's blog

Happy Birthday Kayley. We love you!

Waking the dead

Kayley was quite busy and loud in this video. She is one very active little baby that keeps grandma on her toes every second. Fortunately for grandma, Kayley is a great morning and afternoon napper so I get to rest up a bit before the next round of action!

Drew is still fighting the remnants of a bad cold and is not himself. I hope he gets over it soon and starts feeling better. I hate to see little ones under the weather!

I am finally going to see Matt's new home in Omaha. Mark is going out there to work on his basement so I am flying in next Friday and returning late Monday night. I cannot wait to see them both and the new house!

Sharon and Arne are leaving for their new life in Florida this month. I cannot believe how quickly that new home has been built. See the house photos in her blog on the right, My Third Act. It looks beautiful but I still think they should stay in Terravita. :-)

New swing for Kayley

The play set that Andy is assembling didn't come with a swing for infants so he purchased one for Kayley. She likes it. Kayley seems to like just about anything that involves movement! Email me

Quick pic

This isn't so great of grandma but I thought Kayley looked rather adorable in this shot! Daddy and Kayley are looking good, though!