I've been getting my house pulled together for Easter decorating at long last (and probably a way to go!). I did get a few things up early to celebrate the advent of spring, though you wouldn't know it from our weather.
I know many of my blog friends in Canada and New England were hit by snow and ice storms over the past couple of weeks. Michigan got them too, in the north. Power was out for close to a week (and still is in some areas) and the roads were covered with ice and downed trees. We were concerned but no one we contacted could even get out of their own yards straight away, much less check ours, in hopes none of our tall, thin pines came down. Finally, one of our down-state friends, whose cottage is near ours, went north to check on things. Here's a photo. If this is the worst we have to deal with, I can work with that. (That said, as I write this, another ice storm is in the offing up there for tonight or tomorrow, so we're not out of the woods yet, no pun intended.)
While this was going on up north, Rick, Lizzie and I headed to the basement for a tornado warning. Rick and I were fine and eager to get below. Lizzie, on the other hand, pitched such a fit, it sounded like she was in the fight for her life. (Long after the warning, she huddled under the bookcase in the basement.) They are threatening more warnings in the middle of the night so I have a go-to-the-basement-bag ready -- just in case. Hope it's all much ado about nothing. (NOTE: It was.)
But all this was after a very fun long weekend with the the kids. Rick brought them up on a Thursday during their spring break. One of the first places we hit was the grocery store. Have you been shopping with a six and eight year old lately? Don't.
But the penny horse was still a penny and Cam had to have two rides. Big spender!
Rick took them to the science museum and on a hike. On a rainy Saturday we headed to see "Paddington in Peru." The kids seem to like it. Cam wouldn't admit it but he was literally on the edge of his seat for most of it!
There was cooking out -- always a hit, as they now know how to light the grill!
And eating in with some sous chef assistance.
Cam took this photo of Rick, which I loved.
The most fun came with a belated birthday party for Carson, who turned eight at the end of last month. His mom and dad came to pick them up and for dinner, which was followed by cake.
Carrot cake, Carson's favorite!
Then presents.
I'll have more from decorating the house soon. Meanwhile, I leave you with a couple of sheep. . .
And a very happy family!
And a very tired one!
Sharing with: Share Your Style / Friday Face-Off / Love Your Creativity
57 comments:
Nothing is better than time spent with grandchildren!!!
It all sounds fun, if a bit tiring! Children make me tired pretty quickly these days, I find. I am glad my grands all came when I was a young grandma with the energy to have fun with them! I admire you and Rick!
I don't do a lot of Spring decorating. Basically I change out my Early American Pattern Glass to Spring colors, lol, asd some milk glass and a rabbit or two. Lazy!
What a fun weekend! Carrot cake is my favorite too, but not so easy to find in Japan. That penny horse is great!
That is a lovely age...young enough but old enough!
Glad to hear your property seems to have weathered the worst of it (so far), and hopefully, the next storm passes without trouble
Sounds like you had a whirlwind of a week!
I can just picture Lizzie's dramatic protest about heading to the basement.
Glad you, Rick, and your cottage made it through the weather.
The weekend with the kids sounds like so much fun.
I love that the penny horse is still a penny; some things never change!
We had the tornado alarm go off on Sunday night but we had not much of a storm roll in. All of my friends in our county said the same thing...we were wondering why they sounded the alarm? Did have some nasty freezing rain yesterday morning which turned to rain and then the thunderstorms rolled in last evening and early this morning. Weird weather. The grands are such a treat to see and they are getting so big. Janice
Rick looks very happy to be squished there! In answer to your question, I have not been shopping with children in a long time, and with luck and good planning it will never happen again! As for the weather of late, yesterday we started with rain, which turned to freezing rain, which became driving snow and then changed back to rain. Just lovely!
Somewhere I came across a recent comment (or a map) showing snow and ice in Michigan, and I thought, "Oh, surely not." No fake news there! I'm glad your cabin escaped any real damage, and I sure do hope that's it for winter. I do remember an occasional Easter snow in Iowa, but a nice, well-behaved snow is fine.
I'm with Carson -- carrot cake might be my favorite, too, although a nice Italian creme cake is right up there. I had no idea there was another Paddington movie. There may have been more than this sequel, of course, but I remember really enjoying the first. I might have to watch this one!
The weather seems crazy around the country! I hope you stay safe.
Looks like you had a great fun times with the boys. Happy belated birthday to Carson. Take care, have a great day!
Aw, Jeanie! I love your collection of bunnies and sheep... and your collection of smiley people is just the best! What a lovely update on the littles!
...that horse brings back fond memories from my youth. There was one outside the grocery store and if I behaved, mom would treat me!
Those photos with the kids made me smile. It looks like busy times, but fun. I really like the one of Carson eating his cake. Isn't that typical of a kid (boy especially) :). Sorry to read you've had some bad weather, but you were lucky with that little clean up up north. Hopefully a calm spring soon arrives. Have a great end of your week. hugs-Erika
Nothing is better than grandchildren:)I remember those happy tired days.Lol had to laugh at the slippers outside..Ours even played ball is socks outside:)That's how J always lit his grill in Fl..Love the lambies..Adorbs boys Jeanie.Bet paddington was good.Im so happy for you and the boys..Bot for he trees..take care!
I forgot to mention some f my gave pics..not many..were taken by Oli..He was the last and he would click occasionally:)
Looks like a fun and exhausting weekend. I had my two great grandkids up for my birthday weekend. We had a great time and played a fun game called headbands. They are 10 and 15. Always fun to see happy faces. Your sheep are adorable.
An actual penny pony? It couldn’t work here because we don’t make pennies anymore.
Oh, ice storm 2 turned out to be mostly rain here, thank goodness.
Hello Jeanie :)
What a fun weekend you had with the boys and lovely birthday photos of Carson's birthday. I like your cute bunny and sheep decorations, I haven't done any yet. I hope you stayed safe, and no more trees came down.
All the best
Sonjia
You have more spring energy than I! My decorations all sit on a spongeware plate, and that's it. I'm glad the cottage is okay so far. As long as a tree doesn't fall on it, you'll manage.
Looks like you all had lots of fun. I hope the ice storm doesn't create havoc for you.
I forgot to tell you about a new series of books by Tess Gerritsen. She started a new series last year about a group of retired spies who moved to Maine, I think you would like it. Spy Coast and the latest one is Summer Guests. Here is the link
https://crimereads.com/tess-gerritsen-summer-guests/
Looks like a fun birthday celebration..Not too sure about the grocery store...I love carrot cake too!!
The weather is all over the place! We have had rain, then snow, then rain, then snow. I'm so ready for real spring weather! But others have had it much worse than us!
The time with the grands sounded grand! Our boys loved the first Paddington movie so we will have to check out the new one. Paul was supposed to see the Minecraft movie at his school care program tomorrow but the theater changed plans and now he'll see Dogman. He's bummed as he's already seen Dogman and was so excited for Minecraft - even though he's never played the game.
I hope your cottage doesn't sustain more damage and that the ice storm dissipates! Of all storms, an ice storm is THE WORST IMO.
Aw, it looks like you all had a wonderful time together (it hasn't been that long since I was shopping with boys in tow and I really don't recommend it either!).
Trees down, tornado basement time, and more ice and snow to come. Never dull, right? We had the ice and snow first round. Got more snow than we have gotten all winter, looks like.
The boys!! They make everything alright, don't they? Even if they exhaust us--lol! I loved all the pics. Especially Carson devouring his cake and the sweet family photo!! Oh and those cute-cute lambs!
The contrast between Easter decorating and unpredictable weather is striking, but it’s great that you found moments of joy despite the chaos. Lizzie’s reaction to the tornado warning is understandable—pets always seem to have their own way of handling stress.
The time with the kids seems full of lively moments—whether it’s penny horse rides, movie excitement, or learning how to grill. Carson’s belated birthday party with carrot cake and presents must have been a wonderful way to wrap up the visit. There’s something so satisfying about days filled with both adventure and simple comforts.
By the way, I’ve just shared a new post—you might enjoy it: www.melodyjacob.com. Hope it brings something delightful to your day. www.melodyjacob.com
Goodness that weather!
But a lovely post, and time spent with grandchildren is just the best.
Love that last photograph.
All the best Jan
Hi Jeanie. The kids are getting so big and as handsome as ever. Your hair looks so pretty. I still haven't cut mine after Covid and just keep it pinned up like an old granny! What is going on with the weather? We had a tornado warning the other day if you can believe that. I thought we only had to worry about earthquakes. Nothing came of it though. Glad your's didn't materialize. Hope you are enjoying a Happy Spring..xxoJudy
Carrot cake, YUM! One of my favs. A fun time with the little ones, who are getting so big, by the way. Love that picture of Cam by the grill. I will have to tell the kids about Paddington in Peru. Oh no, a tornado warning. Sounds like Lizzie had a rough time with it all. Your weather sounds like ours. It will be sunny most of April, but I looked at the forecast and we might get snow in May! I love all your Spring and Easter things, Jeanie, especially those cute sheep. And the blue and white pieces are gorgeous. Can't wait to see more!
~Sheri
Looks like you had a wonderful time. Carrot cake is delicious and perfect for a birthday cake.
-Soma
Sounds like a fun weekend.
Looks like you had a fun weekend.
those beautiful boys must be so much fun to have around...but i'll bet you need a good rest when they leave!! it sure looks like you had a fun weekend carrott cake is my favorite!!!
Sorry about Lizzie! Again: Happy to live in weather-wise very boring Germany...
LOL on the "don´t". Big Niece at age 3.... don´t .... Her Dad left me alone with her!
Love (and miss) sheep. When Ingo still lived in a village we had some sheepish talks!
Happy and tired is good!
Sweet family hugs
Wow, Jeanie, that's some crazy weather! Winter, false spring, spring, more winter. We even had a tornado warning early Thursday morning, within a day of the one we had last year that touched down. This one didn't, but we are situated in a valley, hugged by hills, and tornadoes are just a very odd thing here. The rain has been torrential, localized flooding now.
Your comment of taking the boys shopping....lol. I can only imagine how tired you two were after the weekend. I had J for just hours several days week before last and I was beat. Happy Birthday to Carson! Good taste in cakes, buddy! They are both such cute boys, growing up too soon!
Love your bunnies and sheep, Jeanie. I hope a good samaritan takes care of your downed trees at the lake, so Rick's work won't be so much when you two get up there.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Carson definitely loves that carrot cake! That storm must have been a scary experience. I'm amazed that the penny horse is still a penny!
Oh Jeanie, What a wonderful time:)
Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Looks as though there was plenty of fun to be found. I had not heard of this Paddington movie, I need to check it out. I love Paddington!
Everything is more fun with the little ones! They really keep you jumping though. Love all your pretty Spring decorations. I need to get a few out this weekend to enjoy! Hugs!
Oh what a wonderful post and photos ~ so filled with joy and love ~ you are blessed ~ especially with carrot cake ~ lol and a happy family ~ hugs,
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
OMGosh. The weather is just crazy everywhere. I'm glad you are ok. The kids are getting so big. Ohhhh carrot cake, how I would love some. Your bunnies are too cute. Thank you for joining FFO and have a very nice weekend.
You all have such great museum offerings. I know the kids enjoy it and being with you two. It's so nice that you all have that opportunity. Hopefully nothing major with your lake house. Love your little sheep, Jeanie. Our weather has been crazy down here too. Freezing snow for the next 2 days then 70's next week! The birds are ready to lay eggs and they're confused, too.
I enjoy the Paddington movies too and am looking forward to seeing the new one. I like how the Penny Pony is all dressed up for Easter.
Hi there! I have been a "Mimi" for two years now with another on the way, and it truly is a wonderful chapter in life. All the smiles in this post are proof! I picked up my blog again and am making the rounds of some old blog friends... glad to see all is well in your world :-)
The sheep and the kids are cute, lol...and I love the family photo at the end of the post. I'm glad your properties seemed to weather the storm quite okay and I hope the weather improves for you in all ways from here on in.
Wonderful family photos
How wonderful to celebrate together. And you are so lucky that the penny ride is still a penny - what was 20c in my memories is now $2!!
That's a beautiful photo of Rick, from child's eye height too! It looks like a wonderful weekend, isn't it nice to enter into the simpler world of kids! That penny horse looks fun! I wish we had something similar here. We have only noisy police cars, fire trucks and the like, and they cost significant amounts of money . I really hope your horrible weather passes by soon and next time you post it will be beautiful, calm and sunny! :)
I always enjoy seeing photos of Rick, you, and the kids! They are certainly growing! I notice that I am a lot more lenient in the grocery store with the grandkids than with my kids growing up. Whatever they want, I say "Why not" . ha ha...These recent storms have been terrible. Glad you didn't have to deal with a tornado hitting close by. Your Easter decorations are lovely.
Oh, goodness Jeanie, you've been a busy gal! Sorry to hear about all the storms and the downed trees. Looks like you have quite a mess to deal with, but glad to hear there was no serious damage. Scary that you had to hide out in the basement for a while with a scared kitty, too. I had to laugh at you shopping with the boys, and yes, I know what that is like! My grand-boys are the same age. Sounds like you kept them busy with lots of fun activities, though. I'm sure you had a good rest afterwards, but the photos are priceless. Love those sweet little faces. Your Easter bunnies and lambies are the cutest. Hope you are done with the bad weather now. x K
Time spent with kids is so much fun (especially when they're the grandkids and you can spoil them rotten and then let their parents correct that again...), but definitely exhausting. I remember periods of permanent exhaustion on and off raising our daughter. And a lot of joy and laughter. Totally worth it, even the shopping.
Sorry about the storm, glad your time in the basement wasn't too long. We had a big storm in Lisbon they day before I left with so many trees fallen on roads, cars, parks... basically due to the fact that the soil was super wet as it had been raining the whole month! Here in Perth we had a storm 2 or 3 days ago, when flights could not take off or land as the wind was quite severe. Too many storms, earthquakes, etc happening around the world!
The grandkids are growing up, so cute :)
Lovely to see you with your grands. Such sweet kiddo's and no it's been a very long time I went shopping with children that young, sounds exciting, lol! Sorry to hear about those storms and glad the tornado came to nought. I enjoyed seeing your Easter decorations very much. Have a great week my friend. After tomorrow I am going on a blogging break until May. I have relatives arriving from over the pond.
Love, love that last picture. What a fun, but for sure an exhausting weekend. And then carrot cake too, yummmm!
I hope you're having better weather now. Cats are so uncooperative! I was very nervous about our five when we had a chance of tornadoes last month.
I can't believe how big the boys are! It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when you wrote about being a new grandparent. It sounds like they had a great time with you and Rick.
Enjoy your time with the grands. It does change as they get older.
We had to take cover as well that night! And, my cat was also a bit of a brat about it. Lol. She was very angry that we all had to sit in Billy's office in the basement. She's a goof. :) I am glad that you were all safe!
It also looks like you had a great time with the kids! I have been wanting to watch Paddington in Peru!
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