AUTUMN Has Arrived for Us!!!

May 17, 2013.....and Autumn Newley Powell finally arrives!!!

The day started early for my daughter, Bonnie, and her husband, Matt.  They arrived at the hospital before 5:00 am, while the sky was still inky dark. 

Progress was slow, but steady.  The epidural was waning in the last hour and all the last minute scrambling to supplement pain meds were largely in vain.  But, all the struggle and effort were soooooo worth it......

Big brother and sister arrived just as the baby was born.  They were ushered in to greet her when she was about 30 minutes old.  Autumn was quiet, no crying, very alert and weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces.  So tiny!  She seemed to respond to voices around her as if she recognized them......

I love this shot of the little mother and her children!

Ansleigh and I held Autumn for the first time, together......it gets no better than that!

An abundance of personality is already apparent, as evidenced by these photos I snapped with my phone's camera as I held her.

I don't think I've ever seen a baby so alert and responsive this soon after birth.  It was as if she was "hamming it up" for the camera.  I have a feeling she is going to be a real little pistol!

I am so thankful that everything went well and both Bonnie and baby are fine!  I am thankful that Eddie Dale and I were able to be there and be a part of this exciting event!  And I am so grateful that my sweet hubby ran to pick up the kids and got them there in time so I could stay at the hospital while everything was happening so quickly there at the end!!! 

God is good and His gifts are great!!!

Day Before Mother's Day/Last Weekend Before Autumn...

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I've already gotten a terrific present from Bonnie, Trayden and Ansleigh....  You see, I got their time, love and lots of laughter today!!!

They invited me to go to lunch and along on a surprise outing, guaranteed to be tons of fun.  Bonnie wanted to do something special with the kids since this is the last weekend before their baby sister, Autumn, arrives.  (Bonnie is scheduled to be induced this Friday morning, unless something happens between now and then!)

They were all in a fine mood when they arrived on the porch with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  We headed out to Mr. Gatti's for lunch.  Now, buffet style pizza is not the best fare, but the kids can get what they want and Bonnie said she was feeling like the bottomless pit today....and we had coupons.....so, Mr. Gatti's it was.  We stuffed ourselves and skipped the "game room" so we could head out on the next leg of the adventure!

 Of course, the kids can't resist a bit of goofing around in the car on the way....

 Don't you just love the excitement on this little face?

They had never been to this old-fashioned miniature golf park, tucked away in an older section of town.  But, it's been around since I was a kid and it truly feels like it's stuck in a time warp of the 70's.....

Trayden had played Putt Putt before, but this place is totally different and makes Putt Putt feel pretty bland!  Everybody, including us moms, grabbed a club and we were off.....but, only after a stop to do silly dances in the "fun house" mirrors positioned right before the first hole.

The weather was perfect for our outing.....blue skies, a few puffy clouds and a little bit of breeze to keep us getting too hot.  Bonnie and I did tend to gravitate to any shade we could find between shots, though!

I have to admit that I pretty much suck at miniature golf.....really!  I am awful, but I had the best time!!!

After finishing the course, the kids tried their hand at hoola hoops and Trayden really had it "going on".  Who woulda thunk a 9-year old boy could hoola hoop until you finally had to tell him to stop?!?!?

This place has all sorts of unexpected little twists and turns and the kids took every chance they could find to be goofy.  They are terrible little hams when the camera comes out!

After golf, we needed something to cool us down and Bonnie was craving a snow cone.....so, guess what we had????   Perfect wind down to the outing......wedding cake with cream......delish!

I love this photo above all others from this afternoon......

I think Bonnie was secretly hoping that all the walking and activity would trigger labor.....but, I have the feeling Autumn is going to have to be forced out of that comfy womb on Friday.  We are all so excited for her to get here, but this final afternoon with just Trayden & Ansleigh, was really a very special blessing.

So, I feel like I've already celebrated Mother's Day pretty well.  Of course, I have something special to take over to Mom tomorrow.....and I sure hope the boys remember to give me a shout or text.  But, even without any fanfare tomorrow, I feel truly blessed as a Mother, Grandmother and Daughter!!!

Wishing each of a blessed day to honor your Mother or cherish wonderful memories of her tomorrow!

The First Day of May....

The first day of May......and look at that view of the sky from my front porch!!!

The mesquite trees are totally leafed out and shedding that nasty stuff they shed each Spring....all over the yard and freshly mulched flower bed.  But, the vibrancy of their green hue is worth the temporary mess....especially when viewed against a brilliant blue sky filled with puffy white clouds.   But, changes are coming.....

Seems like we've just gotten past the cold snap we had last week and another one is barreling down upon us.  It's nearly 90 degrees outside this afternoon.....hot and muggy.  We had a very brief shower about 11:00 last night.....just enough rain to turn the dust on the cars into mud.  And, now the heat feels nearly oppressive with humidity, despite the occasional breeze.  And, we are waiting, waiting, waiting......for that cold front just to the north and west of us.  They predict the possibility of some volatile weather due to the incoming cold air colliding with the superheated air mass in place......

Perhaps the hardest thing about this time of year is the wild swings we can experience with the weather here in Texas.  Some days, you just don't know what to wear!!!   

I just saw a post from a friend who flew out of DFW this morning, on her way to see family in Montana.  She is stranded in Denver, in snow, in capri pants and flip flops!  Oh, my!!!  I guess she didn't check the weather report in all her excitement about traveling to her grandbaby's second birthday celebration.  I'm sure she has warmer clothes packed in her bags, but the journey in ill-suited clothes has to be miserable.....

Oh, well, the weather should bounce back quickly here.  By the weekend, we should be back in the 70's and warmer.  And they're not calling for snow or freezing precipitation here - we should not get below the mid-30's over the next couple of nights.  It's just going to feel a little weird this evening to switch A/C back over to heat before we go to bed. 

But, through all the wacky weather on this Wednesday, I give thanks for this beautiful day....truly, a gift from God. 

"To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under the heaven...."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; 

we will rejoice and be glad in it."

~Psalms 118:24

Peace be with you.....

What's Been Going On.....

With the arrival of Spring, the busiest time of the year has started for me.  And I haven't quite yet found a way to balance work/business with creating/writing.  As a result, Janie's Porch has been sadly neglected.....

I did make my way to the garden center and fill a few pots to place out front.....

Other than that and a quick sweep through the house about once a week in an attempt to clean up a bit, there hasn't been much going on except work, work, work!  But, here's a quick run-down of what has been going on in our little part of the world this Spring.....

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new granddaughter here in the next couple of weeks.  Bonnie and Matt are all set and ready for Autumn to make her appearance.  We are all so excited to welcome her into the family!  Bonnie's friends had a baby shower for her recently and Mom and I really enjoyed this special event with her and Ansleigh.

Ed's daughter and son-in-law, Anita and Jimmy, came in from Ponca City a couple of weeks ago to spend a weekend.  If you've been with me for a while, you might recall when I wrote about their wedding HERE.   We had a great visit with them and they are welcoming their first child, Paisley, in late July.  So, our grandbaby blessings are doubled this year!  While they were here, we did some shopping and went to Frontier Texas!  And, of course, Eddie Dale cooked brisket and the works for everybody.

 

Earlier in April, I joined a group of local Realtors our annual "Hill Visit" in Austin, where we got to meet with some of our elected representatives to discuss legislation affecting the real estate industry.  It was a great experience and we got to do a little of the "tourist" thing at the Capitol.  Here I am posing in front of George W. Bush's portrait, much to the amusement (or, maybe that is dismay) of the spectator in the background.....

And now that I'm this deep into the post, the photo uploader has decided to stall out!  So, I will just have to sum it all up - 

• Add into the mix, lots and lots of work!  Business is brisk right now and I am truly feeling blessed.  
• This next month will bring my new billboard and I can't wait to share that with you soon.  
• Eddie Dale are I are trying to find a place near Abilene to take the RV out for a quick overnight trip this weekend.  
• We need to get scraping and sanding so we can paint the house before it gets too hot.  
• And our annual trip down to the Guadalupe River is coming up in less than six weeks.  I'm tired just thinking about all of it!!!  

 So, there are a few of my reasons for not having stopped by for a visit lately.  But, I am going to really work at getting back into a regular posting routine.  Stay tuned and let's see how I do......

Janie

Longing for a New Look....

Weather here turned much cooler the last couple of days, so I guess it's a good thing that I haven't gotten to the garden center to buy plants yet!  

However, I am eat up with Spring Fever!!!

Picked up the latest edition of one of my favorite magazines the other day and it has me drooling.....

I am in love with all the bright spring colors.....photos filled with beautiful sunlight......

longing to transform one of our spaces into something lovely as this.....

Have you been bitten by the Spring Bug yet?!?!? 

What inspires you when it comes to decorating your HOME?  

Glossy magazine spreads like this?  Pinterest?

Feeling the urge to make some changes.....

 

First Day of Spring???

It's the first day of Spring and I'm sitting here in my snug little home office/guest room, listening to the whir of the lawn mower outside the window.  Eddie Dale is working out in the yard a bit today, raking up dead leaves and cleaning up out there.  I snuck away from the office for a bit....but, I have to be back in a couple of hours......

Not enough time to clean up the house, which looks like a hurricane hit!

Not enough time to bathe the dogs, who stink like the dickens!

Not enough time to "purge" my closet, which needs to be done so badly!

Not enough time to really accomplish much of anything, since I would probably just get started and then have to head back up to the office!

So, what to do????

Well, I sat down and browsed Pinterest a bit.  And caught up on a little blog reading.  But, the photos of pristine cottages and perfect place settings started making me feel a little bad about the state of things in my own home.....

I long for a little perfection around here!  Sorry, but I do.  I know that striving for perfection will only lead to disappointment and unnecessary street, but honestly, I need to shoot for a bit more than I have been in order to achieve a little better result.  Right?  Because the results right now, having let it go for a while, are abysmal....

I am using the last bit of my time to make a list.  Yes, my all-time favorite activity - list-making!!!  I need to at least have a road map of a plan.  Otherwise, I will forget what all I need to get done.  And, while I list, I will dream of the satisfaction I will feel when I start checking each of those projects off, one by one.....

One of the first things I am putting on the list - get my silk tulips out, in honor of the arrival of Spring!!!  Tulips are just about my favorite flower and these purple ones have held up nicely for several years.  Oh, and I am going to put getting some fresh tulips on my list.......

Happy First Day of Spring!!!

AUTUMN Arriving in May.....

Hey, everyone, take a look at our new little princess, due to arrive in May......

Bonnie, Matt and the kids invited the family out to watch one of these new-fangled sonograms......3D....or maybe it's 4D.  I don't know, but the technology is amazing!!!

Just a couple of more months to go until Baby Autumn gets here and I can snuggle and love on her!  (Middle name is still up in the air.....Matt feels like he needs to get to pick that one since Bonnie selected Autumn.  But, if he's made a decision, he's keeping mum about it!)

Went shopping with Bonnie on Saturday for a few new clothes to get her through the rest of the pregnancy and a special dress for her baby shower.  Then, we went by and finished her selections at Kids' Village.  Her crib full of goodies to shop from should be up this week.  Man, it sure is different with baby showers these days!!! 

Hope things are going well in your neck of the woods.  Enjoying very spring-like weather here and ready to get going on dressing the porch for the season.  Can't wait to get my hands in some potting soil!  Now, just to find the time......

Hugs.....