More Ramblings.........

Jon and his family have gone back home to Raleigh, our little house is quiet once more and Matthew and I are trying to get back into our routine.

I dislike having only one bathroom, difficult when there are 2 families here but not impossible.

Loved having them here.....seeing them only twice a year is not nearly enough. Morrigan got to the Zoo and she had her picture taken with Matthew at Wal*Mart. The only things she really wanted to do was to have her picture taken with Lael and Alyssa and she wanted to spend time with them. Guess there is always next year. I really wanted my grandchildren to know each other but with Jon's family in Raleigh and Josh's in Canton their time together is rare at best.

We did have a family get together at Stephanie and Michael's house. Her house is only a little bigger than ours and it was packed. It was fun to see the kids (Matthew, Morrigan and Anthony ) together.

Thanks to Jackie and Danica, I now know what the plants are. I had no idea where to even look for the answer.

They're here.........

Jon, Donna and my little southern princess arrived last night. Today I had Matty, and Morrigan was big help with him. We had lunch at Dinosaur BBQ; wow, that is the best BBQ. Matthew was excellent and a hit with the waitresses.
Donna's sister and nephews joined us for lunch. After lunch I had the opportunity of touring Terry's home and giving her some decorating suggestions; something I have not had the opportunity to do for a while. Although, some people from church have asked me if they could hire me. :-)

The trip to the zoo is scheduled for tomorrow. No, I am not going. It is supposed to rain and I am not one for treking through the zoo in the rain. Susan took the day off so she and Matty can go as did Stephanie so she can take Anthony. Matthew and Morrigan are getting their picture taken together tomorrow morning.

This is a picture of Morrigan and Matty when they took their tubby this afternoon.

Three out of four ain't bad......

We went to Lael's party on Saturday. When did she get so grown up.....5 yr. old, where did the time go? It seems like yesterday we were at the hospital waiting for her arrival.

It was a very nice party....at Jonesy's Ranch in Ogdensburg. We rode on the wagon over some very rough and muddy ground. We got to see some new baby elk. The kids got to ride on a horse too. I am posting the pictures as I know everyone is waiting with bated breath to see three of my four grandchildren riding the horse (OK, Matty did not ride, but it made for a great photo op)

The grandparents from both sides were there as well as Jackie's brother and his twin boys, and Josh's sister Susan (and Tom) and our sweet little Matty. (who by the way, did quite well on the three hour trip despite not sleeping on the way up)

Over for another year........

Well, I got a lot of calls and cards today wishing me a happy birthday. That was very nice, and some were very unexpected.

We went to Kirby's tonight for dinner. Susan, Tom, Matty and Uncle Roy went with us. I chose Kirby's because you can get a free steak dinner if you eat there on your actual birthday. Don't care for steak???? You can have something else if you prefer. I had chicken parm. I love it, can never finish it but Zoe always can. She must be an Italian basset hound as she loves lasagna, spaghetti etc.

Matty was very good, eating off of everyone's plate. At one point he reached over and took his mother's entire steak. :-) No, he didn't eat any but it was good for a laugh.

We all came back here for cake, ice cream and singing, as Wm. had made a carrot cake last night.

Thanks to everyone who called, emailed or blogged their birthday greetings. It is good to feel loved.

Anyone know?

This is a part of the new bed we put in at the front of our house. Does anyone know what the plant is that is next to the rock and in front of the pink impatiens? I have three of them that were in the back yard that we transplanted to this new bed in front. I really like the way they look, just wondered what they were.

I received a birthday card from my girls this afternoon. Am looking forward to seeing them on Saturday! Just a few more days.

Baptism

Aren't we all glad I learned how to download pictures to my blog?

Yesterday Matthew Thomas Hubbard was baptized. He was such a good boy. After he was baptized, the pastor carried him around the church so everyone could meet him.......he just smiled and waved. It really was cute. (maybe it was a location thing, as in you had to be there)

Perhaps I should pack my camera now for the weekend so I do not forget it..

FANTASTIC NEWS

Fantastic news! I am going to be a gramma again. :-) Jon just called and Donna is pregnant. This is a special blessing as she "lost" a baby earlier this year. Jon, Donna and Morrigan will be here next week for Donna's nephew's high school graduation.

More later, this was just such exciting news, I wanted to get it right out!

Matthew.com.........

Where has the time gone?

Very difficult to believe that it is nearly the middle of June. Well, Jackie is not happy with being 28.......try turning 59......now that is old! My birthday is the day after Jackie and Lael's. I am so excited about going up for Lael's party next Saturday. You can not possibly realize how much I miss those girls. We saw them nearly every day when we lived in Madrid and now months go by without seeing them. I realize this was trade off and it was my choice to move here and as I said before, every time I look into Matty's little face, I know I made a good choice. I still miss the girls.

All of Lael's birthday gifts are wrapped and waiting to go. Aunt Susan and Uncle Tom are bringing Matthew up. Stephanie wants to come with Anthony but is not sure she can afford the gas her Expedition would use. I would like for them to come as I feel it is important for families to stay in touch.

Now just in case you are waiting for an update from Matthew.com........ :-)
He is very vocal now; especially screaming and squealing with delight. He has crawling down pat and is walking around holding on to things. He is happiest when Grampa holds his hands and lets him walk through the house. There were workmen out in front of our house yesterday. He was at the window most of the time they were here (when we were not on the front porch). He was hollering and waving at the workmen and they were waving back. When we came out on the porch, they came up to talk to him.

I am very impressed with the fund raiser that Jackie's mom group did at Wal* Mart today......good job, Jackie.

Another week

Well, Josh and Jackie were bringing the girls down this weekend but had to cancel :-( That is most disappointing. On the other hand, Lael's birthday is in just a little over 2 weeks and we will see the girls then. I found a really neat gift. The Christmas Tree Shop has wooden adirondak chairs for kids, the one I am getting for Lael is pink with a princess painted on the back. I will get it tomorrow after I get my hair cut. (yes, I am getting 2, that kinda goes without saying) Betsy and Kenny came down to open Betsy's sister's pool this weekend. We all went to dinner tonight at Red Lobster and tomorrow she will cut my hair. I know, I should find a hairdresser down here but hey, don't rush me, it has only been 10 mo.

Wm. came home from work early today. We took Matty to Skaneateles to see Wm's mother. She was very happy to see us, and was eager to watch Matty run through his repertoire. His sister Karen came in and Matty has only seen her once before but he crawled over to her and put up his hands, she picked him up and he hugged her and then gave her a kiss!

The weather today was much better than the forcast. It rained early on but was very warm and muggy here most of the day. We were able to get in a walk.

On June 4th, the church (Faith Chapel) is having their 17th anniversary. The service will be outside under a tent followed by barbque (pulled pork, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and desserts galore) There will be special music, games, bounce house, pony rides and here is something you may want to put into practice at CFC this summer, a dunking booth for the pastors and deacons!
This is a FRANtastic event which stands for Friends,Relatives, Associates, Neighbors, (who we invite to share it with us.) This is all provided at no charge. So if you are planning to be in Syracuse on June 4th, feel free to come! Wish the girls could be here (I know, I am whining again. I will see them in few short weeks)

I am hoping to get a chance to get some of the things I wanted to work on outside, done this weekend. I want to get the porch and deck pressure washed and painted or stained, some landscaping done etc. While Wm. hates to shop, going to Lowes and Home Depot are easily tolerated. He won't even mind going to Christmas Tree Store as we will be getting things for his girls. I did some shopping for Miss Lael last weekend with Susan and Matty.

Update: just returned from the Christmas Tree Shop; actually had to fight for the last pink princess adirondak chair. The one for Alyssa is pale green with a butterfly on the back.

a lot about nothing.........

Well, today I hit a new low. Matty and I were actually out walking at 8:30am. I am not a morning person, never have been. I was grateful that Susan brings the baby here and I that I can stay in my pajamas until a more reasonable hour. That is much too early but I knew it would be raining this afternoon and did not want to miss out on walking. It actually stayed sunny long enough for us to get 2 of our usual 3 walks in before the thunder storms came.

IMS (Immediate Mail Service) initiated an employee of the month today at their picnic lunch. In case you haven't guessed by now, Wm. was the employee of the month. He got a gift card to Tully's and the bosses from upstairs came down to tell him that his work had not gone unnoticed. Wm. told us during dinner tonight....just matter of fact. He is really not phased by this at all. I am. I think it is significant and shows that he still gives 100% in his job.

Just in case you were hoping for an update of matthew.com, here it is. Yesterday Matty learned to open the cupboard doors in the kitchen (I know, time to baby proof my house) He was in the walker and I went to change the paper in the printer so I could print out a picture and he did not follow me (very out of character for him) so by the time I got back into the kitchen( no more than 3 minutes) he was dragging a kitchen stool around the kitchen. Yes, he was in the walker, the 30" stool was tipped back and he was holding onto the ties of the seat cushion, dragging it around on the two back legs. He is still chasing poor Zoe around the house with his walker. He shreiks with delight as she runs through the house with him in hot pursuit. Susan has been trying to get him to wave and he wants no part of it. This morning when Grampa was leaving for work, he told Matty goodbye and waved to him. Matty waved back. Now, just to be sure it was not a fluke thing, Grampa waved again and so did Matty, grinning from ear to ear.

I wish the girls lived closer, I would like to take them to the zoo to see the penguin exhibit. Actually, there are a lot of places I would like to take them so I will just have to keep hoping they are able to come soon. It is hard, Syracuse and Canton are only 2 1/2 hr. apart.......so close and yet so far.

Special Mother's Day

My Mother's Day was excellent beginning with church. We are going to become members next Sunday. (we took the membership class last October) I have to tell this story here: When we arrived at church a CD was playing before the service started. Wm. went back to ask if the CD was Derek's and it was. I should not have been surprised as Faith Chapel is an Elim Church, but I was none the less.

Susan and Matty came over for dinner. Wm. cooked some steaks on the grill and we had baked potatoes, salad and strawberry shortcake. We opted for eating at home as we would have had a long wait no matter where we went for dinner as not only was it Mother's Day but SU graduation. Susan took us to Tassone's for dinner tonight instead for my Mother's Day gift. Monday night is all you can eat crab legs! Oh, I love crab legs.

Both my sons called me to wish me Happy Mother's Day. So, Morrigan, Lael and Alyssa wished me Happy Mother's Day. All three of the girls told me the four best words a grandmother can ever hear......."I love you, Gramma". 3 out of 4; and someday I will hear Matty say those words too!

Matty is crawling now and he has learned to move the walker in every direction. He spent a good part of the afternoon running up and down the hall after Zoe. Poor Zoe, it didn't take long to wear her out....after all, Bassets are not known for running (and she will be 8 in Dec.)

And the tradition continues

He started when Lael was little and he would take her for a walk around the block, stopping at the gas station where they would have ice cream. Later it was Lael, Alyssa and Grampa going for a walk everytime Grampa came over. It got so that when we came over Lael would say "Grampa, lets go for a walk".....which seemed to be a code for let's get some ice cream. :-)
Today, Grampa came home from work 15 minutes early and took Matthew for a walk. No, not to the gas station but the ice cream truck came through the neighborhood just then. I was on the back deck when I heard the music from the ice cream truck and by the time I got to the front porch, they were sitting out there having Lael's favorite: a push up. By the time his mother came to pick him up his face was covered in rainbow sherbet; with the biggest grin I ever saw.
And so the tradition continues.......

For the latest news from Matthew.com: Matty has 6 teeth now but is cutting his eye teeth and two more on the bottom, making for one cranky little boy. He was at the dr. office a week ago for his 9 mo. check up. He is 23# and 29 3/4". He weighs the same now as Anthony and is only a couple of inches shorter. Remember, Anthony is 6 mo. older than Matthew.

Got a Mother's Day card from my sweet girls today! Fantastic printing girls!!!

With all the talk of everyone working on their gardens and yards started me thinking that I would like to put in some landscaping around the yard. I have always had Jackie to tell me what to put in and to help show me which were flowers and which were weeds. No, I don't have a green thumb. I think mine is brown. Now with the weekend forcast calling for rain, I am not sure when I will be able to work on the yard. I was thinking today about how much I miss having a lilac bush when Jackie was talking about her's being overflowing with blooms; when the next door neighbor gave me a large bunch. That was an unexpected blessing.

Great Weekend

* It was a great weekend. We stopped to see the girls first and gave them their treasures. I needed to be at Betsy's so we could leave at 12:30 for the Red Hat event in Hanawa Falls. I was very pleasantly surprised at this. There were quite a few different chapters there. I think they said 114 red hatters. (including Potsdam's former mayor; and you will never beleive this: she was not wearing a hat!) It was very well organized and put together.

*I loved seeing the girls. Grampa spent the entire day with them while I went to the Red Hats. We did a little shopping when I came back and after church on Sunday we went to Ponderosa (at Lael's request). Grampa took the girls to Burger King for lunch on Saturday which was Alyssa's choice. I can not say enough how good it was to see the girls. They are growing so much and getting more adorable every time I see them.

*I was very happy to be back at CFC. You are very blessed to have Pastor Rick. It was so good seeing old friends. I have missed you all. The only trouble with coming back to the north country is there never seems to be enough time to see everyone and do everything I wanted to do. We were blessed to stay with the Ashley's; we do so miss them so.

*When I was telling a story about Matthew at dinner on Sunday, Josh told me he must have read it on Matthew.com. I did not realize I was talking so much about him. In my defense, I am with him 5 days a week from 7:30 - 5:30 and usually spend Saturdays with Susan and Matthew. (You know how Wm. hates toting me around and Susan does not seem to mind). When I told her what Josh said she laughed and said all my emails before I moved down here were about Lael and Alyssa.

*I told you I love being a grandmother!

Even more rambling.......

* I am so looking forward to seeing the "girls" on Saturday. We are staying over with Betsy and Kenny so we will be a CFC on Sunday. While I have been anticipating the red hat event since hearing about it and then deciding to come, I feel pressed for time (as always) and wonder if I made the right choice. These are extra hours I could be spending with girls.

* Matthew has new favorites.....he loves yogurt. He has yo baby (yes, Aunt Donna, it is organic) with his cheerios in the morning now. Susan got him some baby bananas and he really likes them too. Not, baby food, but little bananas (like baby carrots). He is still not crawling (for which I am grateful) but he is still on the move. He rolls over and over to get where he wants to be. He can sit up from a lying down position, then on his knees and then he will pull himself to his feet. No, it won't be long now.

* We are still taking our walks, which is good for Gramma as I am no longer using the treadmill. Matthew enjoys the outside and he really does not want to come in when we come home from our walks.

* So, because the girls are not here to check my treasure box, I am taking up a bag of treasures for them. OK, I would never go to visit without some kind of treasures for them.
I am hoping to see many of you on Sunday at CFC.

* And yes, I am bringing new pictures!

*The zoo has reopened the penguin exhibit. The swim tank has been repaired and you can watch them swim and play in the water again. There are seven pairs which have either given birth to babies or will very soon. I heard that this exhibit and the elephants are the ones drawing the biggest crowds. Hopefully the girls will be coming down this month and we can take them and Matty to the zoo.

Ramblings

* Thought I would try the color personality quiz from Deb's blog. Here are my results:

Your color personality is: Green
"It sounds like the hue you most relate to is green -- the color most evocative of nature. Adjectives such as kind, gentle, and contemplative likely describe you. You enjoy being involved with your neighbors and coworkers, but you also require plenty of time to yourself to recharge.
You are social yet introverted, and modern but not trendy. Surround yourself with your signature color to create a restful, soothing environment. From sage to hunter, green can work well in virtually every room of your house. Use it generously to create a haven you'll love coming home to."

Well, while I think this is a pretty good description for the most part, I really do not think that it could be said that I enjoy being involved with the neighbors and coworkers. I have always thought of myself as homebody who keeps pretty much to herself. I do love green and different shades do create a soothing environment in quite a few rooms in our house.

*Not much for a "newsy" blog. (not that any of my blogs are newsy) Am excited to being spending next weekend in Canton. OK, we are staying with Betsy and Kenny in Norwood for the night. Our first stop will be Canton to see the two little princesses. We used to have a tradition where I had a box that my father made and filled it with "treasures". I loved making my trips to the Dollar Store for "treasures" to load in the box. I loved watching the girls go through the box to pick out the perfect "treasure". I see my treasure box every time I go downstairs to do some wash. I feel bad that it is just sitting on a shelf, kind of like a tradition has died. Oh, yes, I can still bring it upstairs and load it with treasures when they come and eventually, Matthew will be old enough to pick through it. All this is probably silly, after all it is only a box with dollar store treasures, but the smiles on the girls faces when they found the perfect "treasure" said it all.

* The weather has been so great this week. Matty and I take a walk in the morning, and then one after lunch and a short one just before Grampa gets home. Matthew loves outside and the bouncer, I mean he really loves it. I dragged it out on the front porch so he could jump and I could rake the front yard. He is trying very hard to crawl. He gets up on his hands and knees and then he start rocking. Almost, won't be long now.

* Morrigan (along with her parents) will be here for a week at the end of June. Looking forward to that as it seems like forever since we saw her.

* I almost forgot, I finished the Mitford series. I loved them. Now what? Any suggestions?

Did I mention?......

:: Did I mention how much I love being a grandmother? I do, I love it. I miss the girls terribly but the trade off is spending every day with my sweet Matthew. I love how he cuddles and how he laughs when you even mention Grampa's name. I love to watch him try to do new things and how he giggles when he sees Grampa come in from work.

::When Susan took Matthew to the doctor for his cough and cold last week, they told her Matthew had a mouthful of teeth on top ready to come in. It looks like 4 but they have yet to break through.

::Just yesterday we had some firsts. I laid Matthew in the crib for a minute and when I came back he was sitting up in the middle of the crib with a huge smile on his face. Not sure who was more excited, Matty or Gramma. I had a bottle half full of water and I set it on the night stand and laid Matthew on my bed while I called Jackie.....he sat up, reached over and took the bottle and then laid back down and drank it. He had not taken any interest in taking his bottle on his own before this.

::He loves jello. I had made some and out of sheer desparation with him not wanting any baby food, I tried the jello. He finished the tablespoon I had put in his dish and wanted more. He wants nothing to do with jar baby food......if he can't feed himself, he wants nothing to do with it. Susan got him some veggies that look like cereal. He can't get enough. He likes his cheerios too.....but what kid doesn't. Zoe picks up any that fall around the high chair!

:: I have solidified plans for Easter dinner. Dinner will be here with Susan, Tom and Matthew and Uncle Roy. I would love to have the girls here too but that is not possible.

::Two more weeks and we will be coming north for the weekend. I am looking forward to spending time with the girls, Maxwell (the new addition to their family), friends and coming back to CFC for Sunday service. I am coming up to attend a Red Hat event in Potsdam. I do miss the Red Hat meetings and ladies. I had big plans of joining down here but the meetings are Wed. night and I just never went. I am so glad for this opportunity to fellowship with the Red Hat Society Divas; I hear they have added some new members since I left.

More Ramblings

:: My father in law did not survive the bypass surgery on Wed. Everyone seems to be handing it pretty well but I would still covet your prayers for the family and for the memorial service.
In leiu of calling hours there will be a memorial service at his church on Saturday afternoon.

::I am feeling better but I am still coughing. A loud barking cough that still startles Matthew and can wake him from a sound sleep. The doctor told my mother in law, who also has it, that the cough will last up to 2 weeks. Just what I wanted to hear.

::This is the first time since I can remember that I have made no plans for Easter. I guess we usually spent it with the "girls" and with Susan, every other year( every other Easter they eat dinner with Tom's parents). Tonight at dinner, Wm. asked me if I was cooking or we had plans. The truth is I have felt so bad that I never even gave Easter dinner a thought. Also with both Wm. parents being hospitalized and then with his father's passing, I guess that plans for Easter were not a great priority.

Update

*Figured that updating might be a good idea since it has been a while. We have been sick. I mean really sick. We went to Watertown Saturday evening March 25th to celebrate Betsy's birthday. Deb Regan called and wanted us to meet them at Applebee's for a "party". This way we all drove 1/2 way. (handy how Watertown is the same distance from Canton as it is from Syr) On the way home, Wm. got sick and things escalated from there. He took Mon. and Tues. off from work and actually stayed in bed (Wm. does not do sick days) By Tues, I had come down with it and Matty did not come the remainder of the week. We are feeling better but the cough continues; a loud barking cough that wakes Matthew from a sound sleep.

* Wm. father had been scheduled for bypass surgery last Friday. Today again, they said his sodium level was too low and it was postponed. Now, they have him on a salt free diet and are feeding him dill pickles and potato chips. (Not sure I understand the reasoning behind this, but then again, I am not a doctor. )

* On a lighter note, I found a children's clothing store, not far from where we live that carries brand name clothing at discounted prices. They were running a penny sale this weekend. If you purchased 2 items from the clearance racks, you got a third for a penny. The reason for going in the first place was that Matthew is fast outgrowing all he was given and needed new pants. We did get him a outfit and a pr. of pajamas on the clearance rack and then got a light blue zippered sweater for a penny! They carry tons of kids clothes from birth to size 16. I saw some great Laura Ashley dresses for the girls. Can't wait to take them there.

*That is about all the updating I can manage as my cough is getting to me again. I need to go to bed and pray for sleep. I seem to fall asleep only to wake right back up coughing. How long can this last??????

Update on the weekend

*Wasn't the weather on the weekend fantastic? We took advantage of it and went to Canton to see Josh, Jackie and "the girls". By we, I mean Wm. and myself of course, but we took Susan and Matthew along with us. What fun to have 3 of my 4 grandchildren together. I love it.....did I mention how much I love being a gramma? I love watching the older ones interact with Matthew. Lael was a huge help with Matthew and Alyssa helped feed him his bottle. Josh bbqed and Jackie made macaroni salad and cole slaw and deviled eggs. She had a made a variety of bagels and had them waiting for us when we arrived. She enjoys entertaining and she is very good at it. Bagels were fantastic.

* I definitely need prayer....I start watching Anthony this week. He was here this afternoon just to get used being here with Matty and me. He fell right into the big boy role, even at 13 mo. It was a riot to watch him go to Matty and hug him if he started crying or pat him and kiss his cheek. They we both sitting in the big rocker together and decided to put their arms around each other......I wished I had had a camera in the LR but of course leaving them to run and get it was not an option. My brain seems to already be fried today. I put a roast together and turned on the oven to preheat during nap time and it was not until I went to the kitchen at 5 pm to get Anthony a drink, that I realized I never put the roast in the oven.

* I was so excited that Matthew got a tooth last Thurs. but on the way home from Canton, Susan found a second one had come through.

*My life seems to get more hectic every day. I would like nothing more than to be able to come to Canton and stay long enough to see some of you and to get to go to CFC on Sunday morning. I guess are planning to come up the last weekend of April. (Mark your calendars!)