Tuesday, August 4, 2015

In Spite Of.......

Good Evening and Welcome Friends,
Come on in and help yourself to a comfy chair, I'll bring in the coffee and the snacks. It is so good to have you here for a  visit.  This Nanny has had an interesting last few weeks. Im here with a smile on my face and ready to share with you all something Ive learned....In Spite Of.  To live is a grand adventure.  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.  We ALL deal with hardships in our lives.. Period.  It is just part and parcel of this life.  I have a particularly rough time these last 7 months.  As most of you know I share my life with five Auto Immune Diseases. Lupus is the "big cheese" on my particular team.  Very debilitating, extremely painful, weak muscles, yada,yada.. the list goes on, but, I choose to live, laugh, love my life with Lupus.... In Spite Of. 
Let me start with my sweet hubs went on a week long fishing trip with his "high school crew" in Alaska. I will say I was somewhat nervous about being alone at the homestead while sweet hubs was gone.  I have  balance issues. But, I motored on... In Spite Of.   My sweet helper, daughter and  her little family moved to another town to a sweet little place. However, I was nervous without her being right across the way if I needed help. I kept moving forward though...In Spite Of.  I'm busily working on some simple changes to our prim home decor, when the  air condtioning decided to go into "Hibernation mode" , especially nice  when its 106 degrees out!  Because we rent an adorable little Bungalow in our little town, I called the Landlady.  Well, Lets just say... she was LESS than friendly.  She yelled and ranted and  was  terribly unpleasant, just because I asked to have our air  condtioning fixed.  She knows that I have Lupus and because of that I am extremely heat sensitive. Apparently, this mattered very little to her.  YIKES!! Really needed THAT!! But, I moved on.... In Spite Of. So, my sweet daughter comes all the way to my house and  picks me up with our two Boston Terrier kids.  I stay for four days at sweet daughters house, she hadnt even finished unpacking..poor little thing.  Keeping in mind she has two kitties and  an Irish Wolfhound.  We all played the "walk the doggie relay" .. YEEESSHHH! .... But, even with all of that my daughter made  me feel welcomed and treated me like a queen. And, I moved on... In Spite Of.  These particular last 7 months Ive learned a valuble lesson.  Ive been fighting with Adrenal Fatigue because of too many years on Prednisone  and countless other meds including chemo meds. All very hard on this old Nannys body.  Fast forward to my 2nd Endrocrinologist appointment.  They tell me there is no way my Adrenals are going to  "wake up". Ever.  So, all the physical  things that have been way worse since the Adrenal thing became an issue, Im going to have to learn to live with. So, the anxiety attacks, red rashes, bruising, even worse fatigue than what Ive already been living with from the Lupus.  So, I put my best foot forward, put on a smile.... In Spite Of.  My point of this post today is to say that Ive been through more in my life than I care tto mention.  And, yet, I found love. There are more things in this life that bring us joy than we ever realize, unless we go through the  hard times. There cant be  good without the bad.  Bad things happen to good people..Period.  The life choices we make are sometimes the  cause, other  times it just is something out of our control.  And, then, Sometimes life just gets in the way of, well....Living.  I have been blessed abundtly more than I could have ever imagined. I am so thankful for my family.  Feel love like I never knew because of three adorable loves of my life..my Grandlittles. My wonderful daughters who love and care for their mom, help me when I need it.  Im so grateful to have been afforded the healthcare I have to help with all the medical issues I have.  Life is an adventure, the Good, the Bad and  the Ugly.  So... I choose to love with the Good, live with the Bad, and laugh with the Ugly.  Im moving through this life with eyes looking upward, feet moving forward, and heart full of  love for those in my life and a smile for anyone who needs one.  I count you all among my blessings  dear friends.  Im so grateful that you stopped in and joined me for a visit.   My life is full.... In Spite Of.  :0)  Until next time,  ~ Nanny ~ 


Saturday, June 13, 2015

Welcome Starshine the Earth Says Hello!!

Good Saturday Morning Dear Friends...
Well, its overcast and humid here in beautiful Oklahoma, more rain in our forecast for the next 6 days..
I have coffee this morning tho, my Tart warmers are burning with a new scent.. Farmhouse Apple! The house smells amazing, the lamps are glowing, and I have something awesome to share with you all today.... so, please come on in grab a coffee cup and pick a comfy place to sit and Ill tell you all about my great news!  Please join us in welcoming our newest Grandlittle to the world! Yep!!  This Nanny is just overjoyed at the arrival of beautiful Ainsley Evelyn Baker.  Our lovely youngest daughter and her sweet husband welcomed their second little girlie into the world.  There is no greater joy for this Nanny than my Grandlittles.  Ive been back and forth to OKC for a month helping here and there where I could.  Our daughter and her newest daughter are doing wonderfully .. as is our 4 y/o Grandlittle AnnaSophia Grace.  She has been so excited about her new little sister coming!  She has been such a huge help to her momma.  She is overjoyed at being the "big sister!!  

Our family has been so abundtly blessed with our lovely girlies and their sweet hubbys and now with our three amazing Grandlittles.  My heart is so full.  How is it that someone so small can take up such a huge space in your heart?  Our littles are such a huge part of my life, cant imagine what I did before they came along.  We live a house away from our oldest daughter/hubby and our 4 y/o grandson Finnegan.  He comes to visit me everyday... I cant tell you what a blessing that is to me! Our youngest daughter/hubby and our granddaughters AnnaSophia and Ainsley live 3 hours away.. But, we are there to visit with them every eight weeks when we make the trip to my Rheumatologist.  For me there is nothing better than being with my family, thats what my life has always been about, serving my family with love, spoiling them compassion and care. I have always been at home since our children were born. Ive worn many hats in the 28 years Ive been at home.  Wife, mom, taxi, teacher, homemaker, decorator, chef, etc... But, my newest hat is my favorite... being Nanny.  
So, welcome Ainsley Evelyn!  Youve brought yet another ray of sunshine into this Nannys life.  I was honored that your momma and daddy let me help pick your beautiful name, and that your middle name honors my own wonderful Nanny.  Who I miss everyday.  She was an amazing lady who was the biggest impact on my life, a woman I loved more than anything and who is responsible for the woman I am today.  I hope in some small way that my role as Nanny to my Grandlittles will have the same impact on our littles lives,  and that the kind of momma I was /am to my sweet daughters will continue to mold the wonderful way they now mother their own children. Nanny is looking forward to many fun times with you and your big sister Ainsley.  Sidewalk chalk, blowing bubbles, trips to the zoo...  So, heres to many nights of bedtime stories, Eskimo nosies, and Butterfly kisses.  Be blessed my littlest girlie.  Until next time...  Nanny  :0)  

Monday, April 27, 2015

Sis, Sophie, and Sitka...

Hello sweet friends.. I know it has been awhile since Ive posted. I would iinvite you in to sit and share some coffee, but, Ive been at my sweet daughters beautiful country home in OKC. Im helping out some since Sis is expecting their second little blessing and her due date is nearing. Were so ovejoyed waiting for the arrival of our third Grandlittle!  For this Nanny theres nothing better than when babies come! This Nanny is pooped! But, its a happy time for me and the family and I so enjoy being here and spending time with two of my best girls soon to be three!  Chrissis sweet husband works in the Oil Industry and has been out in the oil fields for a few days now, and wont be back for 10 more days.. so Im staying to keep her company and just help out when and where I can. They also raise ornamental type chickens here on their little hobby farm and there have been ten hatching in the incubator in the last two days, its been very exciting! Theyre just too cute and quite comical!  Our darling Grandlittle Sophie Grace has been a doll.. I can hardly get enough of her!  I usually only get to see them for a few days every two months when I come down to OKC for my Rheumatologist appointments.. so this has been a real treat for me.  Chrissi also has another new baby... except this baby is 15 weeks old and weighs 90 lbs!  Her name is Sitka (for a town in Alaska) and she is a bumbling, bouncing, beautiful Great Pyrenees!  She is such a clown and drives Nanny bonkers with her huge tail! It has been fun here and this Nanny is enjoying herself immensley. Its been nice to be with my sweet girls. The weather has been rainy and stormy last few days which has put me into a bit of a Lupus flare.. so yesterday was a   take it easy days for we three girly girls.  Sophie Grace and Nanny baked some cookies late yesterday aftenoon.. made some Pasta Salad for Chrissis sweet father in law. Sophie and I shared a spaghetti lunch while momma took a nap and then did "Nanny Manis"!  Its a Sophie and Nanny "thing" we do everytime I visit.. Nanny gives Sophie mani/pedis!  its a fun tradtion I started with her couple years back! Missing my sweet hubs at home and my four legged Boston kids.. but feel so blessed to have this opportunity to spend such a special time with my my sweet girls. Be blessed today all my sweet friends.  Until next time...  Nanny 
P.S. Lets not forget to pray for all the people in Napal.. such a tragedy they are dealing with with there with the earthquake.  

Friday, February 13, 2015

L❤️VE.. Is in the air

Salutations friends! 
Good Morning and please.. Come in!  It's a cold February morning here, but the house is warm and toasty and I've been looking forward to your visit! Just sit anywhere you like and make yourself at home. Feel free to grab a quilt in the big basket by the pantry armoire it'll help you warm up!  I just love a cozy lap quilt, don't you? Tomorrow is February 14th.. VALENTINES DAY ❤️   I was thinking back to when I was a little girl and we had Valentines Day parties at school.  It was so exciting to give and receive those cute little boxed Valentine Cards.  Do you remember your school Valentines Day parties? L O V E .... Such a powerful meaning from such a small four letter word.  Think of all the words we use everyday, none of them with such an emotional heartfelt meaning as this one word.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary  defines the word Love as: a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.  I myself use it daily, from leaving a heartfelt note that I tuck inside my sweet hubs lunch for work   ( yes, I still do this after 31 years), to texting my grown daughters every morning wishing them a good day and telling them I love them, to scattering heart shaped decorations throughout our home. This one word, not only has a strong emotion tied to it but, it's own icon.. In the shape of a heart❤️! I feel like there's a reason for this, because the heart holds all the people, thoughts, loves of our lives inside. A place we keep all those we hold most dear.  I don't know about you, but I celebrate Valentines Day everyday!  Why wait for a date on a calendar to show someone you love them?  Let your life exude that special feeling daily.  Show it with a kind word, a smile, a kiss on the cheek as someone heads off for a day at work, or a hug as they come through the front door letting them know you're glad they're  back home and that they were missed.  I for one LOVE to shower my family with their fave meal, or making them a homemade/heartfelt gift for their birthday, or my favorite.. Showering my Grandlittles with "Nanny Smooches".  I've been blessed abundantly in my 31 years of marriage, and as I get older Im seeing the impact my deep love for my family has impacted the lives of my hubs and our girls. Our girls are now moms too.. And I see or hear them do/say things I did with them as little girlies. Makes my heart so full to see how they love their familes.. Bigger and better than any bank account full of money, is the home full of LOVE. ❤️   Happy Valentine's Day dear friends hope you enjoyed our visit as much as I did.  Until next time... ~ Nanny ~ 

Friday, February 6, 2015

These are a few of my favorite things...❤️

Happy Friday morning all! 
Welcome and come inside for a visit.. It's a beautiful sunshiny morning here, it is supposed to be 70 degrees today!  Geez..... Make up your mind Mother Nature!  Is it Winter or Spring here in Oklahoma! Well, be that as it may... It's a beautiful day here and I for one plan on getting out for a bit and enjoy it!  For now, come on in and let's visit for awhile.  I was thinking since my blog is new and some of you know me from my Instagram and Pinterest, some of you don't. I figure we should get acquainted. Thought I would share a little bit about myself .. Sharing with you my dear friends, a few of my favorite things!  My love for my family is paramount.. My sweet hubs (the Man of My Dreams), my two amazing daughters and my sons in law, and my most treasured sweethearts.. My Grandlittles. Last but not least our four on the floor kids.. Our two Boston Terriers.  As I've "matured"  (ahem.. 51 last year.. Yipes when did that happen)? From a young wife of a handsome Air Force Staff Sargeant, to a mother of two adorable little blonde girlies, to mother in law to two amazing men , to Nanny of two of the cutest blessings anyone could ask for.  Now 31 years later my sweet hubs and I are empty nesters. And, speaking of nests.. I love to "feather" our little nest with Primitve decor... Ooo.. I just LOVE anything old!  Except my wrinkles! Hee.. Hee..!  I'm a crazed coffee drinker, love my frozen coffee concoction!  Thank you very much Starbucks!!  I also  was diagnosed with Lupus and four other auto immune diseases three years ago.  Lupus has definitely slowed me down, but it hasn't stopped me.  I just don't have as much energy or muscle strength to complete every project my hyperactive decorating brain thinks up.  I have had to learn to prioritize!  Not easy for a "can't sit still" kinda girl! Some days are good, some days not so good... But, like I always tell my daughters.... I try not to take it personal! As long as I can sit on floor and build with blocks with my Grandlittle Finnegan or sit on the deck at my youngest daughters beautiful country home and draw with sidewalk chalk with my Grandlittle AnnaSophia... I'm a happy girl!  However, if I can up off the floor or deck when I'm done playing...  THAT really makes me happy!!  Cooking is a huge part of my life, love to create and cook wonderful meals for my family.  I'm a Kitchen Aide "snob" my girls tell me! They're the hardest working appliances in our home! And, they certainly make my life easier!  I absolutely love Pinterest! On there every morning..I tell my hubs I think sometimes I need my family to do a "Pintervention"!! I'm a "craft fairaholic" my wonderful hubs carts me around to each and every one! What a trooper!!  Funny thing, I think I've rubbed off on my hubs after 31 years of marriage .. He now loves to peruse craft shows, antique shops, thrift stores and the like. Sometimes he finds things for our tiny prim home that I don't even see!!  Well, I've babbled on long enough during our visit today, hardly let you get a word in edgewise!  I'm so glad you stopped in to chat this morning. I love having visitors and our door is always open to family, friends, and strangers alike. "Enter as Strangers.. Leave as Friends" ,  love that saying.  Until next time...  ~ Nanny ~ ❤️
 Teaching Sophie to make her first pie
 Nanny and Finnie at the zoo 
 Papa and FINN
  Papa and Sophie