Chores and Ball

I have not blogged for awhile, sorry. It's been a little crazy and to be quite honest I haven't felt like tending to the task by the time I get done with everything else.

I actually have a question I need one of my blogging friends to answer. How do you post and put pictures in other places in the post instead of always having them first?

Having said that I wanted to share some pictures of the girls doing chores and "playing" baseball with their new ball and mitts Grandpa Gary sent. They love them. I only wish the weather had help up so that we could play with them outside. Madeline is developing a nice little throw and I am starting to fear for my house. I thought I was safe by sending her downstairs but at this rate I'm not so sure. Yes, that is her with the veil throwing the ball. You can take the girls to the ball diamond but she's still a princess!! And the ball made it to the target... a door. We are going to have to figure out a more appropriate practice field. Madeline has also been quite intersted in helping with house work. Trust me I'm encouraging this as much as possible:). One night I came home and found her putting all her and Lillian's clothes away!! Yes!! She's also very good at making their beds, taking the recycables to the garage and a variety of miscellaneous duties. On this occasion she actually asked to vacuum. I of course said YES and hope that this will continue knowing that it won't!! It's not long before she'll decide her room is hers to own and we won't ever see the floor again and she'll pretend the vacuum is something dinosaurs use. Anyways here are the pictures, enjoy. TTFN Delanie

Tag!!

Oh boy, why do I feel like I'm about to tell some of my deep dark secrets? Actually, maybe some of you know me so well that you already know these things!! I've been tagged by two friends for a game where you have to list 7 little known secrets or facts about myself. Then I have to tag 7 friends so they can join the fun. The problem is that everyone I blog with has already been tagged!!! Hmmm. Ok, so here goes.......
1. I count letters in words as people talk... there's more to it but you don't want to know.
2. I count stairs as I travel up and down them. Sorry, I know a little weird.
3. I took piano lessons for 10 years, played flute in band, and sang in so many different choirs I lost track.
4. One day I want to have a third babe and the next I really don't!!
5. I've been known to make the crust for a cheese cake just to eat it!!
6. Sewed two of my prom dresses.
7. I love Bon Jovi....still... Yes I'm that old!!

There that wasn't too bad was it? I tag Kelsey and Trisha. I really need some of my friends to start blogging!! Shelly, Whitney, Mandy... come on.
Don't you wish you could know the secrets I'll never tell?
TTFN
Delanie

Memory Loss Meme

I have been tagged for a blog game by Rachelle at "joeyswalk". Check them out in my blog list. The rules are that I have to open the 6th file I have of pictures and post the 6th picture in that file hoping I remember what it is. As it happens, I do!!

This was a trip to the zoo with my hubby, mom, brother Coyde, nephew Austin, and of course Madeline. I was pregnant 3 mos. pregnant with Lillian. We had recently moved into our first house, where I plan on staying for a long time, and life was good. Note: the kids and adults around and behind mom are the sextuplets from Iowa that have been on T.V. etc. This was before John and Kate Plus 8. We thought re recognized the dad and figured it was someone we knew from Scottsbluff. Eric finally asked if we knew them when they told us they were the McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) sextuplets. Here are a couple other pictures from that day. It was rainy outside but it was a perfect day to travel through all the inside exhibits. As long as they kept the pregnant woman fed!!

For some reason I can't seem to figure out how to put the pictures in the right order. So for clarification the picture on the bottom was the 6th picture in the 6th file. Oh, and I tag Amy.

TTFN

Busy Blogger

Ok, I know I've given alot of reading material in the last 12 hours but I really needed to catch up and had a lot to say!! As always!

The latest is that we received our first blog award. This is from a friend that I have gotten to know from work. She's a parent of a child I work with. You can check out her blog as it's listed on the side of our blog.

One of the rules for receiving this award is that I nominate others so here are the results!!

Amy, Rachelle, Brenda, Natalie, Cris, Trisha. Congrats ladies. You are my blog friends forever. I really hope some of my other friends and frequent readers will catch the bug so that I can nominate them sometime!!

TTFN, Delanie

A great afternoon with G. and G. Fickel

Meet Bucket Where's Lillian? There she is!! The grass is taller than she is!
Worth a millian words.
That tickles!!

While we were in Chadron for the funeral we had a chance to spend some time with Grandpa and Grandma. It was one of the best times I've had with mom and dad in a long time. The girls loved every minute and in Madeline's words, "This was the best day with Grandpa and Grandma ever!".

Madeline was very excited about "riding the horse" but Lilly was a little less enthusiastic. Especially, when Bucket shivered to get rid of a fly. That did it she wanted OFF!

Reflections, hopes, and worries

By now you know that I traveled with my brother Coyde, Madeline, and Lillian to Chadron/Crawford for my uncles funeral. We left Saturday and returned late Monday night after the funeral. This was different than any other funeral I have attended due to long time circumstances surrounding family. For a long time my father and his brother Monty were not very close. I have never understood the grounds completely and have always been a little baffled and saddened about the wedge this drove between our families. In some strange sense this was Monty's opportunity to heal some of these gorges that had been dug. My dad had been reaching out to Monty in the recent years and it seemed like we were on our way to being able to fill in some of those gorges unfortunately while I am grateful that it seemed like dad and Monty were patching things up they were cheated out of time to say everything and do everything they wated to do together. My dad is a proud, stubborn man who in the recent years has had alot of pride to swallow. This has not always been done gracefully. It seemed without all of us knowing that he was on his way to accepting and mending bridges that were damaged by his difficulty in this area. I know he is saddened that he did not get to fulfill some of these and give complete closure before Monty passed. It tears me up inside to know that he was on his way to see his brother, offereing a piece of what they both needed to move forward in their relationship so that their families could be families again, the very morning Monty died. Although dad did not get to directly give this gift to Monty his actions and love for Aunt Gerry, and his nieces and nephew this week have more than made up for anthing in the past. Dad, I love you and hope we can have the same oppotunities to say and do the things we need to do before out time is cut too short.
To my cousins, I hope we can keep in touch and be the family we once were or the family I remember through childrens eyes.
Your loving daughter, Delanie

Plan

OK, the toe is sore, swollen and purple. I'm actually not sure it's broken but it doesn't like to move with the other toes and it hurts. The plan is that I'll drive to Chadron tomorrow with the girls and by brother. Eric will go the game as planned. I'll be back with the girls and hopefully by Wednesday morning things will calm down. I appreciate everyone keeping track of us. I'm looking forward to seeing family and mom and dad even though the circumstances aren't good ones.
Delanie