Flowers At Our Feet

Oriah Mountain Dreamer.

There may be tears, but there is never a shrinking back! "It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.  It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.  It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.  It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.  I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.  I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”  It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.  It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.  It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.  I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments."  — Oriah Mountain Dreamer

 

Alcohol Test

Grandkids Make Life A Whole Lot Sweeter!

If you have kids or grandkids, your days will always be filled with lots of love. Taylor, who is in the first grade this year, handed me a note last week. "Gram, this is for you. I hope you keep it forever." Well, of course I will keep it forever! :-) 

Ashtyn's Third Birthday!

Ashtyn wanted a Merliah cake for her third birthday. As always, Monica had the house decorated beautifully! I am so proud of this special little granddaughter! Grammie loves you, Ashtyn! 

 

Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace, beautifully done! 

Amazing Grace

First Birthday!

Jake and Presley are now one-year old! They are the sweetest kids ever! (Like all the other grandkids!) I am not a professional cake decorator, but happy to have the honor of making their first cake! After seeing a double dragon cake on the internet, I thought it was fitting for Jake and Presley. Though it was much more work than I anticipated, I thought it turned out pretty cute! They seemed thrilled with their cake and even happier about it when we tore into it! Happy Birthday, Jake and Presley. Gram loves you soooo much! 

Kindergarten Is Over! Thomas Graduates! Yay! :-)

 

Easter Bunnies

Talk about making a paintbrush smoke! The Grand-girls (Taylor, Mazie and Ashtyn) wanted to look like an Easter bunny this past Easter, but didn't want to sit still long enough to accomplish the task. I painted faces very quickly and then off they went--hopping all over the place!  

Fun, fun! Gram loves her sweet baby girls! (I am sure Presley will be in the middle of things next year!)

Loving This Sweet Baby!

Ashtyn is thrilled spring/summer has finally arrived. This is one kiddo who LOVES to be outside! She will be three around the end of August, but she talks like a 10-year old! No mistaking what she says either! Oh my. That can be good and that can be bad....hee hee. 

Caleb and Thomas.

Gram painted some wild faces recently at a birthday party. Caleb wanted his face to be camouflage, but I didn't have brown and no time to mix colors! :-( He decided he didn't care, he still wanted a camo face, so he chose blue for the additional color. Thomas wanted batman, which I quite enjoyed doing! 

 

Another Princess Room Makeover!

 
Melissa wanted to change Mazie's baby nook into a little princess area, as the "baby" is no longer a little baby! Oh boy! One more opportunity to come up with ideas for a fantastic little girl retreat! Melissa knew she wanted a princess bed for Mazie, but the ones we found were not what she had in mind. So, it was time to grovel at the feet of her brother and husband and get them to build what she wanted. After all, it was cold and dreary outside, so they might as well get busy on an indoor project! Right? Well, as you can see: groveling worked! First, they tore out the closet:
Next, it was time to measure, draw plans for the bed and start building:

Gee, they look like professionals! ;-)

Looking good! Almost time for paint!

Next, came carpet in bubble gum pink! :-) And then, the best part: mom and Gram got to start the decorating process! Melissa knew she wanted Mazie to have polka dots and poodles...so, ta-da! We got busy painting polka dots & poodles! After about two weeks of painting, fabric, window covers and personalization, we were almost finished! The final touches were a gorgeous little chandelier and the installations of televisions in the bed areas so she can watch her favorite movie! (Yes, there's an extra bed in the top!) Too cool, huh? Some people say these kids are spoiled rotten, but every prince and princess deserve to be a little spoiled!!:-) After all--You are only little once!
The area to the right is a cute little hideout that Mazie loves to run in and out of!

Guard dog to the castle. 

 

Window treatments

Mazie dancing in her new room! She loves it! Perfect room for a special little girl!