Life around here

 As you can see we have a whole lot of grandkids. Our gang has expanded since I last blogged. Life is full, loud and very blessed. 

Our oldest, Aubrie just turned 15, today! The youngest, Royal  was 4 at Thanksgiving. Everyone lives within a couple of miles. The guys all work together at the cattle farm so we see one another a lot.  

Maggie and Kylie’s girls 

Juliette(Jules) 6,Penelope(Pia) 9, and Caroline 11

Abbie and Zac’s boys 

Clifford 8, Otto 6, Clark 6,  and Royal 4

Annie and Jade’s gang 

Aubrie 15, Everett 13 

Edie 6 , and Ollie 9

 We’re deep in a construction mess at our house. A hail storm in May caused enough damage that insurance is putting on a new roof and siding. While we were doing that we decided to tear off my beloved back porch and make a sunroom so it’s all underway.  I’m super excited. I’m also wiping mud off dog paws and mopping a whole bunch. So. Much. Mud. I pray for below 30 temps! 

I guess you haven’t met the pups. The pugs have all gone to dog heaven. We now have Ricky Bobby (Boston Terrier and part brat) who is a 4 and a new German Shepherd pup, Kelly Bobby who will hopefully transition outside and be our watch dog this Spring

So that’s a quick catch up. Hopefully I haven’t bored you to death. 

Christmas is barreling towards us and we can hardly wait!  The gifts are wrapped.  The music is playing and the food is waiting to be cooked. 

Meanwhile I’ll try to get this blog thing figured out.  I’ve forgotten a lot of how it works.  I wrote this on my phone so I have no idea what it’s gonna look like! But I did it! 

We will talk soon! 

Merry Christmas friends!  God bless you xo 

. 

Anyone out there?

 Hellooooooo

Just wondering if anyone is still out there?  

I have been busy living life and posting my shenanigans over on Instagram. However, new privacy terms go into place and I’m am not on board with their overreach into my life so I thought I might stay in touch here. If anyone is still around let me know and I’ll try to give it a go.  I miss this place. 

Adventures in babysitting

I got home late this afternoon after babysitting overnight for Maggie and Kylie. I took Reta, our pug with me

because Stuart is farming and she dreaded being alone.( Code for maybe missing a feeding.)

Maggie was attending a big hair show and Kylie went along as an early anniversary get-away.

As I was unpacking my things I ran across Reta's IPad diary.

Yes, my dog has a diary. No, she doesn't have an IPad. We aren't crazy. She shares mine.

She's a good sport with the grands and I think her diary entry proves her commitment to be accommodating.

I thought I'd share it and give her a shout out. She doesn't know I read it so mum's the word if you see her.

Without further ado...

 

4:00 pm

I'm leaving the house. Are we going to the vet? God please, no!!!!

4:05 pm

Whew. No vet. I'm at Maggie's house. It's cool. I lived here after the house fire. I can handle this.

5:05 pm

What's that ... A baby? Oh...no big deal. Just like me, they like to sleep. Oh oh oh ...they drop food. This. Is. Gonna. Be. Great!!!!

5:06 pm

Zzzzzzzzzz

6:00 pm

Food. Blessed food. Down here. Drop it baby. Drop. It. Here I am. Come on girl!!

6:30 pm

Zzzzzzzz

9:30 pm

Huh? Outside?! Now?! Whhhhhhhyyyyyy?? Ok, ok I'm going. It's so cold And dark. Oh yeah. Good idea. I needed that. Now, get me to my rug.

Zzzzzzzzz

12:30am

What's that noise? Where is Janie going? Quick I must scramble and see what's up. Oh it's the baby. Oh ok. Going sit in here. She's singing. It's nice. Like a squeaky screen door and I'm being lulled.

Zzzzzzz

12:45 am

Where we going? Ok. Back to bedroom.

Zzzzzzzzz

1:30am

Huh? What? I'm up. I'm up. I'm coming with you!!!!

I love the clatter of my toe nails on these wood floors. I feel glamorous.

Zzzzzzzzzz

1:40 am

Hmmmm back to bedroom.

No? Oh, the bathroom. My toenails are beautiful. Clickety click.

Zzzzzzzz

3:30 am

Hark! I hear that baby! I'm on it. I'm hustling. Hold up.

Well! How rude. I never in my life!! Really, theres no need for name calling!! Snorie McToenail! My name is Reta. I was asleep. Forgive me if I snored. But yes, my toenails are worthy of a shout out.

Zzzzzzzz

6:00

What's that?? A wrapper. A refrigerator opening? Food! Food!! One of them is eating. Oh they all are.

I'm on it! I'm on it!

7:00 am

Well for now my work is done.

Zzzzzzz

10:00

Outside! Heeey. I need to go outside people, puhleese.

10:30

This sun feels good.

Zzzzzzzz

11:00

I'm scratching. Hellllooo. Open that door already.

11:10 am

Thank you.

Zzzzzzzz

11:30 am

Thank you Pia for shoving a toy dog against my face while I nap.

Zzzzzz

11:45 am

No kids. No. I'm not a hand holder. No thank you if you planning on touching my nails?? Don't even attempt to trim my nails. They're my glory. Just last night someone called me Toenails McGee. That's gotta be good, right?

Zzzzzzz

12:15

Refrigerator???? Oh, I'm so there.

1:00 pm

Zzzzzzzzzz

Zzzzzzzzzz

2:30

How nice of you covering me with a baby blanket. Watch the naaaails.

Zzzzzzzz

4:00 pm

The vet?! No!!! Gah. No!!!

4:05

Aww home sweet home.

Zzzzzzzz

 

 

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I'm back

Hey there! I'm still kicking. I can't believe how long it's been since I've visisted blogland!!!

Life is great. And busy, like yours is, I am sure.

I thought I would finally sit down and do a quick update.

We have had a few additions since my last post!

This was obviously at Christmas.
We added Juliette( Maggie and Kylie's) in July and twins Clark and Otto(Abbie and Zac's) in October.
That's a total of nine grands now.
It's so fun with all these little ones. Also, quite loud!
They are all growing way too fast!!
Aubrie is 9, Everett 7 and Ollie 4.

Caroline is 5, Pia is 3 and Jules is 9 mos.

Cliff is 2 and his baby bros, Clark and Otto are 6 mos.

 

Life spent with all these littles has filled my days with activities and laughter.

Also there's. been some other really fun, great things ...

Like Jackie getting remarried to a swell guy, Jim. I prayed God would send a man who would treasure her and love her well. He answered.

My mom is doing great. She turned 91 in March. She enjoys her life and still likes to have fun. She took up being a politician for Halloween this year!

Hilarious, isn't it?!
My family is healthy and I am blessed beyond measure.
So that's what's happening. I hope there's still a few of you out there who care. Haha
I'm actually working on my next post. Get the party hats ready!

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What I Know For Sure -29th Edition

1. Instagram has become my mini blog. Follow me at janiefox2.

2. I admit to loving a hashtag and constantly over using it.
#icantcare #getoverit #yourenotthebossofme

3. I was saddened but not surprised to learn of Kris and Bruce Jenner's impending divorce.
Over the last few years she has morphed into a media ho and he has morphed into an old lady.

4. I am not a Halloween fan b/c I don't like the scary part of it. However, I am a huge fan of fall pranking and dressing up.

5. When someone leaves their doors unlocked during prime pranking season, it is an invitation to enter and re-arrange their living room.

6. If we eat all your mini Butterfingers, I will make good and replace with a new bag.

7. Life-size silhouettes beg for conversation bubbles to be placed on them. #howudoin'?

8. When Annie and Jade have a Beachbody event outta town, Grandma Janie will pony up and spend the night with the kids. Pa Stuart will farm until 11p.m. then insist the need to stay in his own bed so he can rise every few hours and check his corn bin transfers.

9. I invited Caroline to spend the night with the gang because 4 spilled bowls of popcorn are better than 3.

10. I am not a fan of cats. Annie and Jade have a teenage house cat.

11. You know when a cat is a teenager because they are long and skinny. They are annoying, and want to stay up late at night and be loud.

12. Stella went to stay with Annie's family when we had a fire. She never returned home. It is better this way since she stole Everett's heart and she took her funky smell with her.

13. Letting the house cat out when you let the dogs out at bedtime is not a good idea. They head straight for the ornamental grasses.

14.Coyotes like the dark. And teenage cats.

15. Texting for instructions is key to retrieving the cat. Or waiting until it comes up on it's own.

16. Some people over react when things go off schedule at bedtime.

17. If you are the only one in the home who is allergic to cats, the cat will demand to sleep with you.

18. A cat's median body temperature is 212 degrees.

19. Moving your feet under a quilt doubles as a biting game for teenage cats.

20. When you give a 4 yr old  a homemade cookie and she lays down only to have a 2 yr old swipe it and you say..."you cannot lay food down where she can get it. She is a shark." ...your Animal Planet obsessed 7 yr. old granddaughter will add "well, actually sharks are not always aggressive. She is really more of a piranha."

Loved

Hey gang...

how are y'all?

Life is busy here with harvest and family.

Everybody is good.

I really appreciate the emails from you readers

asking me to blog again.

I want to, but I want to sit on the porch,

sit around a fire,

go to festivals and auctions with friends.

I have grands' soccer games to attend

and family to take pranking.  

There's leaves that need raked,

farmers that want fed and always chores to get after.

I haven't read blogs hardly at all.

but I did catch a few this week.
It actually inspired this post.

 I read a blog where the author was really struggling with hard stuff.

I hurt for her and prayed for her.

I thought about how blessed my life is.

I went as far as thinking...

"gee, I have such a great life.

I have hardly had any sorrows."

Then I realized uh yeah, I have.

To name  just a few...

our twins death,

my dear college friend died at age 37, from colon cancer leaving two young children.

Stu's uncle, that we adored, died in his sleep at age 51.

Maggie had a 4-wheeler wreck and had to have emergency surgery.

my mom almost died on a trip to Branson and had a heart valve replaced.

my good junking pal went into the hospital with pneumonia

and died of a heart attack while there

my beloved father-in-law showed up here at the farm same as always, bright and early,

only to fall ill, be rushed to the hospital and die by that afternoon of an aneurism.

our beautiful nephew was killed in a car wreck leaving behind a wife and two little kids.

a close friend hurt me so bad that our friendship never recovered.

a family member betrayed and cheated us.

my dad suffered from Alzheimer's

 while we watched his personality and health decline in a very ugly way.

Ollie was born with a heart defect and needed Open Heart surgery.

We had two fires this Spring.

First the house and then a few months later,

a hay field, and a truck and trailer while hauling big hay bales.

Did I forget those stressful things?

No.

The honest truth is God made it bearable.

He never left us.

He gave us strength.

He carried us on the truly hardest days.

I cannot imagine how those trials would have affected us if we were not believers.

His promises kept us strong.

Oh sure,

we have questions.

We wonder why at times.

But, I know when I walk in Heaven's gates

 those questions we will have obvious answers.

Our God has a plan.

His plan is always, always the best.

I have witnessed it time and time again.

I admit there are times I tried to do it myself,

only to realize I needed to give to God.

I'm far from being perfect.

I am the one who lays it down but then picks it back up.

Over the  years, I have learned that taking it back does not work.

I need the Lord and

his wisdom, his guidance, and his strength.

I don't want to live in this world without him.

The truth is our blessings

during/after those hard times

far, far outweighed the strife.

Our most precious blessing being the gift of his unfailing love.

With Jesus, life is good

even when it's not because,

God is good all the time.

He really, really is.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Conversations

 

 

Abbie and Zac  are getting ready to move.

Their house has been a project for months.

This weekend it is finally time to move the boxes.

There has been many hours of dry walling, painting, and cleaning.

We are in the final stretch.

I swear we would think okay, the painting is done.

We would go home and return to see someone had gone crazy

with painter's caulk and we needed to touch up once again.

The floors have been the same story.

Clean them.

Leave.

Come back to find paint splatters on the wood.

Assume the position of hands and knees, then scrub.

The work has led to many conversations.

Most are truly ridiculous.

Yesterday Abbie and I were painting the back porch.

We were discussing how people use the wrong words.

She said she cringes when she hears people say

"for all intensive purposes" instead of "intents and purposes".

I said mine is the confusion with taut and taunt and

people incorrectly using loose and lose.

Taut means tight.

Taunt means to tease.

You lose weight so your pants are loose.

Then we both admitted we do it.

We use the wrong words.

But we both said that we are dumber.

Trust me, she is not even dumb.

She is young and she is a doctor.

I am neither.

Dumber happens.

Use it or lose it?

Nah, I think it is aging that does it.

I also think it is all the texting and emailing.

When I stopped hand writing, I got sloppy.

Oh yeah, and of course I believe Dead Estrogen is the main culprit.

Abbie said that after having Cliff, she is more apt to mix up words.

She told me she read that each time a woman gives birth,

her intelligence diminishes.

I said, "Man, that  Duggar woman must be a complete idiot by now."

(FYI Michelle Duggar is on the TLC show

19 kids and Counting. They are all biological children.

I suspect her brain is not all that has suffered.)

However, the truth is

 I don't really care about your spelling, your punctuation, or your grammar.

If you say "she hasn't any shoes",

or "she doesn't have shoes";

or "she ain't got no shoes"

I can't care.

What I care about is if she is shoe-less,

that you are concerned about that fact.

I don't really worry about our use of the English language.

I care about the condition of our hearts.

You can say it any way you want.

Just say it with love.

Put down those imaginary red pens

and go help someone who needs it.

Give a smile, a hug, or a dollar or two.

Be kind.

Love one another.

It madders matters.