A Prayer Request from Lynn-The Vintage Nest

You know it is really amazing how 

people have reached out to pray for others.

I don't know how it happened but I have

been getting lots of calls from people 

asking for prayer.

Sometimes! I make the outreach and 

offer to do that, 

other times people

 (that are usually very private about most matters) 

ask me to have my followers

PRAY for them.

What an honor and 

I am so glad to be able to do this.

This is from Lynn @ The Vintage Nest

She is asking for prayers for her hubby, Gar.

Yes. Gar.  I did NOT leave a letter off his name

It is GAR-rhymes with CARE-

not GAR-rhymes with CAR 

(so you can use the right name 

if you are praying or sending healing thoughts!;>)

I gotta say -he is one handsome man!

Anyway-here is what Lynn wrote to me-

she said I could share it here.

I am asking a favor.  My husband had complete renal failure back in January.  He had not been feeling himself for a year now and something was going on that the specialists were not able to pinpoint.  To make a long story short, they finally did find that a very serious blood vessel infection along with his lifelong type 1 diabetes has caused the kidney failure.  He was in the hospital for quite some time, but home now and he/we spent the last month going to the dialysis clinic to learn how to  use dialysis  at home, which started this week.  Things are going well.  He's been such a trooper thru all of this.  We are  now going thru the process of being put on a kidney transplant list which is an ordeal in itself.  Testing they did while he was in the hospital, (we think) makes him a good candidate for a kidney transplant.  More testing has to come yet and then we wait wait wait.   Prayers would be so appreciated.  I do believe in the power of all those thoughts.  Thank You Diana so much   xox 

I have said it before, and I will repeat it here,

 that when a spouse is ill

it is a family issue and like a pebble dropping 

in a pond it causes a ripple effect on 

family and friends.

Please pray for Gar AND Lynn.

Pray for strength and endurance to get 

them through all the tough times ahead.

We want to see that handsome face

glowing with good health!

Amen!

From One Sleeping Baby To Another

I have been on a dead run since

yesterday morning.

We had a "well baby" checkup in the morning.

We came home and had lunch. 

I cleaned the whole upstairs

of my daughter's house.

We put the boys down for a nap and I 

loaded up my car to head home

for the weekend.

Mimi and boys and 

Baby Bright Eyes are following

me home on Sunday and will

stay through Easter.

Anyway-

Here is the sleeping baby I left.

Here is the one I came home to....

Thank goodness only the 

FIRST ONE 

needs to have a diaper changed

at this point in time.

I am supposed to go to a seminar today

plus I have to unpack

plus I have SweetCheeks

so I will visit as I can!

Happy Spring Saturday!

Prayer Request Updates and An Annoucement

First off-

I want to give you an update on 

Teresa's hubby (Magazine Your Home)

You can read the post about his surgery here.

Here is the only picture I could find of him

and this is when he was a young serviceman.

Anyway, here is the post surgery update from Teresa.

 Toby is doing well, the doctor said the surgeries went as expected and they are optimistic they removed all the cancer. He looks pretty banged up but that evil cancer is gone. The next step will be to set the date for the reconstruction. We are tired, drained emotionally and mentally but so happy to have this first hurdle behind us. Please let everyone know that we thank them for their prayers and support. We are overwhelmed with the kindness shown by others. 

Thank ALL of you for your prayers.

I will keep you posted as I get more updates.

I also wanted to give you an update on Ken,

the Lutheran pastor I asked you to pray for here

Please continue to pray for him and his family.

Ken has remained hospitalized for weeks.

He has had very few good days and more days

that are NOT SO GOOD.  

Please continue to pray for them.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have reached 700 followers.

I didn't realize there were that many

OTHER CRAZY PEOPLE  in blogland!

So-that means I will be having a 

GIVEAWAY.

I will announce what it is later this week...

after I figure it out!

Many of you said you did NOT want an 8x10 of

one of these poses!

I guess I will have to find a

NEW PRIZE!

source

Oh- Sorry- That's not it- but you did get a

bit excited there, didn't you?

Have a GREAT day!

Easter In The Entry Hall

You might remember that I had THIS 

here in March.

That post is here and, if you remember,

 MyHero said that it looked like a

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT.

Well, maybe so, but at least this

banner says JOYFUL!

I don't know why these pictures are so blurry.

I think I REALLY need a new camera!

Anyway....maybe the pictures are blurry

because YOU have been drinking?

In which case I will post the picture

so YOU can see it better!

That would be best viewed from a

CRAWLING POSITION!

just sayin'~

Hope you have a wonderful day-

even if you ARE crawling!

ps.  I am ONE follower away
from a giveaway.
700 is the magic number.
If you want to follow and are having 
a hard time doing that 
here is the "fix" for it.  

I feel a giveaway coming on!!!!

A Miniature Doll House For Sweet Cheeks

I received this sweet package for 

SweetCheeks a few weeks ago.

With a new baby on the horizon I had to wait

until after the birth of Bright Eyes to give this to

Sweet Cheeks.

WHERE did this delightful bit of childhood sweetness come from?

Well, I met one of the dearest, 

most incredible bloggers

and connected with her on a level beyond

"oh-how pretty is that"!

It is Kim over at Musings From Kim K.

Kim has a sweet little girl named Josie.

Josie is the same age as our SweetCheeks

and is just a dear little girl.

So, Kim, out of the goodness of her heart

gifted SweetCheeks with this 

DARLING LITTLE DOLL HOUSE!

Look At This!!!!
Thank you SOOO much, Kim!
You are such a doll and so kind.

 Is this one of the cutest things you have ever seen?

Look at the window boxes!

Here are more snippets.

I knew SweetCheeks would love it but

what amazed me was the number of  HOURS she 

spent playing with it -all by herself.

See the little bunny packaged with the doll?

She fashioned a

GARDEN CHAIR & TABLE

for the bunny to be outside in the "garden".

Wouldn't it be fun if 
Josie & SweetCheeks could 

actually play together?

Are they cute or what?

Sweet Cheeks wanted to know ALL about Josie.

We looked her up on Kim's blog 

and read the story of her adoption.

SweetCheeks went from sad to happy 

hearing her story.

Then she went back to the dollhouse.

She played  with it for hours and hours..

All of a sudden it hit her.

She had a troubled look on her face.

SC: Nana!  There's a problem here!

Me:  What's that SweetCheeks?

SC: How will Santa get down that chimney?

Me:  Santa can come in through the window 

if he needs to.

SC:  Oh!  I was worried about that!

Me:  No worries there!

Me:  You know what I am worried about, SweetCheeks?

SC:  What, Nana?

Me:  I'm worried about how I am 

ever gonna fit in that bed.

SC:  Now THASS a BIG problem, Nana, 

cuz you are WAY too big and that bed 

is WAY too small.

Me:  Well, maybe I can be magic, too.

SC:  Nana! I don't think even the BEST MAGIC will work

for THAT cuz it only works if you are young!

Me:  Don't you think I'm young?

SC:  (thinking about it)- Nana?

Me:  Yes, Sweet Cheeks?

SC:  Do you remember when Noah 

landed the ark?

Me:  Yes- I was right there with the donkeys when they were unloaded.

SC:  (seriously)  Oh!  Did all those animals smell bad when they got off?

Me: I have NO answer for that.

SC:  Well, I bet Papa knows.

Do you know which 'partment HE was in?

Me: No.

SC:  I bet they had in a special 'partment

so he wouldn't eat any of the animals

cuz there were only two of each.

Me:Well, that certainly answers some of 

MY QUESTIONS!

Leave it up to a kid.

I no longer have to wonder what 

happened to some of our "pairs".

source

And now, as Paul Harvey would say,

 you know the rest of the story!

My Christmas Cactus Is SOOOO Confused!

You all KNOW what a terrible winter

we have had this year.

Well, not only are WE confused~

My CHRISTMAS CACTUS

has decided to be an 

EASTER CACTUS.

Look at these blooms!

It sits on top of a map chest in a crock

 that came from the cellar 

of my family farm,

That sits in front of

large windows that face the bay.

No WONDER the poor thing is confused!

Here is what it sees to the RIGHT-

This is what it sees to the left-

And this is what it sees when it looks straight ahead-

I'm a little confused myself....

Here I am and all ready to put this on

because it's April!!!!

source

Okay- I mighta lied about that last part 

Imagine ME in THAT-nevermind!

Have a GREAT Monday.

I am back at my daughter's house

with baby BrightEyes so I will

visit when and as I can.

Cancer Surgery For Teresa's Hubby Tomorrow- Please Pray For Them

Teresa @ Magazine Your Home

and I have been in contact several times lately.

Her dear, wonderful husband, Toby,

has been handed a terrible diagnosis.
This is the only picture I could find 
of him on her blog.
Yes!  He was a serviceman  
that proudly served our country.
So, this is one little service 
WE can repay HIM with-
PRAYERS!

He has cancer.

Not just ONE type of cancer

but cancer of multiple origins.

They are doing surgery tomorrow and there

will be follow up surgeries when the

results of the first surgeries are 
fully evaluated.

Teresa is such a sweet, dear person
and VERY talented..

Please pray for her, too, because when your spouse
is under siege-so are you.
Pray for peace and serenity for
Toby AND Teresa.
Ask that God guides the surgeons' hands
and pray for a healing to follow.
Thank you!

I am not trying to push religion on anyone
and I don't like religious controversy
but I do believe
in the healing power of  prayer
and that is why I do this.

Blessings to all of you 
and a special blessing
for Toby tomorrow as he starts his journey 
towards recovery.

This Is What I Want In MY Easter Basket!

So-What are you hoping the

Easter Bunny brings you?

THIS?

You DO want a BABY 

in your basket, don't you?

Aww...Mama's rings are on her toes!

Maybe you would rather have 

a sleeping baby like this one?

Me?  I'll take mine with ears, please!

Couldn't you just 

EAT HER UP?

Yeah?  Well~Don't even 

THINK ABOUT IT!

Making A Powder Room In A Closet

Several years ago we owned a home in

Door County, Wisconsin

Door County is called the

Maine of the Midwest.

It is gorgeous.

If you click the link above you will

see how beautiful it is.

Anyway,

We found a house that had been sitting vacant

for several years.

The house was stone and in very good shape

but was dysfunctional in some ways.

It desperately needed a powder room

that would service the main living part of the house.

There was a closet that opened off the back hall.

The closet was 3-1/2 feet by 5 feet.

By putting in a pocket door we were able to 

install a functional bathroom.

Now this was BEFORE I knew ANYTHING about

taking pictures (like I do now) THAT was a joke-

So, the pictures were taken with the dreaded FLASH

and the decor, by today's standards, is dated,

but it was great at the time.

I used a poster, cut the hands out 

and applied it to the wall

next to the ceiling.

I then took paint and started 

highlighting and shadowing

the applied piece.

Everyone thought it was hand-painted on the wall.

The walls were lightly marbelized.

I was able to put a small sink in there.

I used a glass shelf to keep things "light".

You can work a bathroom in just about anywhere

if you can get to the plumbing from 

the basement below.

That was the bonus to having an unfinished basement in this house.

The great thing about this house was 

that the lot went down to the channel

between Lake Michigan and the Bay.

We were able to divide the lot into

three sections.

We sold the house with one acre

and sold another acre off and

still own one lot.

Why no one had figured it out before

we did is beyond me....

but that is what happens when you are 

constantly "looking".

LOL-

It's a disease!

I will show you more pictures of this

property in the future

if you are liking these rehab posts.

Let me know~

Ummm...getting close to 700 followers!
You know what THAT means!
A GIVE-AWAY.
Hmmmm...what to give you!
I was thinking of a framed
8x10 of MyHero IN BED!

I'm just having a hard time deciding 
which picture I like best!
okay-that might not be the
REAL GIVE AWAY

ROLLER SKATING-How To Get A Child To Pose For Nice Pictures.

Ha- bet you thought you were going 

to get some professional photo tips didn't you?

Did I happen to mention I can't hold a 

camera steady and that I have a
kind of crummy point and shoot?

But here you have what I know-

First-catch the child when they are coming up

towards you without them being aware that 

you are going to take their picture..

Like this one-

Notice anything missing between the lips?

I told her I was changing her name from SweetCheeks to GAPperella....

kind of like Cinderella only with missing teeth.

Once you have them framed then

 ask them nicely to give you a smile for the camera.

They will give you a look like this-

Say NEVER MIND-

You will get a look like this-

Okay- I am done screwing around here~

I am going to take a picture of your sisters.

Lulu is putting on her skates.

 Lulu-

Can I get a nice picture of you?

Seriously~

Oh- Good- Here's Ria-

 Ria- Can I take your picture?

OKAY!  That's IT!

I give up!

I am about to put my camera away when I hear it-

Nana------

The best picture of all-

SweetCheeks loving on her Papa!

You can't pose those!
(um-MyHero might need a hair cut)

The girls are skating here with MyHero 

(who happens to be an excellent skater)

They are at the roller rink where he skated 

when he was growing up.

St. Mary's Of The Angels

It is still open.

Because MyHero is such a good skater

I have tried to convince him that he 

could make a little extra money on the 

side by being a car-hop.

I am filling out applications for him today.

Now-If we can only find an outfit 
like that to fit  him

SOMEONE ATE THE BABY -OH NO! NOT OUR BRIGHT EYES!!!!!!

WHAT????

THIS is a 

SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS HERE!

This is what 

THE BROTHER 

has to say!

Someone ate the baby it's rather sad to say
Someone ate the baby so

 she won't be out to play
We'll never hear her whiney cry 

or have to feel if she is dry
We'll never hear her asking 

why why why 

someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby it's absolutely clear
Someone ate the baby 

cause the baby isn't here.
We'll give away her toys and clothes 

we'll never have to wipe her nose
Dad says that's the way it goes, 

someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby, 

what a frightful thing to eat,
Someone ate the baby, 

though she wasn't very sweet.
It was a heartless thing to do,

the policemen haven't got a clue
I simply can't imagine who would go and (burp) eat the baby.

Shel Silverstein

Oh- Yeah

APRIL FOOL!