Update on Kaden

Kaden Shiloh Stinson is doing great! He's smiling and gaining weight and is becoming more aware of his surroundings all the time. His mom bought him this play gym and he likes looking at all the bells and whistles that came with it.

He especially likes the blinking lights and music.

Here's a better view of the contraption.

Here the flash from the camera has caught his attention.

Isn't it great to see this little fella laughing?

Look at those big eyes. I think he has his Poppy's lips (his momma has them too) and his Nana's pug nose and his daddy's dark complexion. He also looks like Mark did when he was little.

Here he was snuggling with Nana out on the porch swing. He would look up at me and smile and then lay his little head back down on my chest. He likes being held and rocked.

What's that noise disturbing my sleep?

Oh yea, it's that stupid camera flash again! Nana and her camera.

But she likes taking pictures of me cause it reminds her how special I am. She calls me her little "miracle baby".

Mama thinks I'm pretty special too.

I smile at her cause I love her so much! She must be the best momma in the world!!

"Gone Fishin"

We went down to the pond this evening for some "fishin" and my oldest son Kevin and his little boy Luke were already down there giving it a try. Kevin was catching fish as fast as he could throw out his lure. Mostly perch but still the fish were biting. Rachel said she wanted whatever Kevin had on his line put on hers too!

But she did catch a fish. Bass I think.

Poppy was helping the boys with their pole. Notice Koda wasn't hanging around too close as Poppy was trying to show him the fish.

He's not sure if he likes being this close.

And Mark wasn't having any part of it at all.

Isn't this a precious sight? Momma teaching her boy how to fish. It's the simple things in life that we remember most when we grow up. Bet Koda will remember sitting on the dock fishing with his momma!

Here's Luke. He was telling me something about being tired of not being able to catch any fish at his Grandpa Lon's pond. He wasn't happy about it at all. So his dad was demonstrating the proper way to fish to him.

Kevin is telling me this is the kind of lure to have.

This is baby Kaden's first fishing trip. What's a cell phone doing on this trip? You don't take cell phones fishing! It's not allowed!

And I noticed tonight when I opened the frig that there was a carton of fishing worms right on the top shelf. Now who do you suppose put them there?

Take a break from your hectic schedules to take the kids fishing someplace. Even if you never touch a fishing pole or a worm, you'll enjoy sitting by the pond or lake or river and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.

Enjoy your summer because it's moving along fast.

The chicken yard is finished...

The sun was shining again so after work today the boy's Poppy once again started work on the soon to be enlarged chicken pen. It is 4 cattle panels long and 1 cattle panel wide so it should be plenty big enough to hold whatever I can find to put in it. Hopefully nothing will fly over the top. I would like geese, banty chickens, maybe a turkey, swans ??? and a peacock. And maybe guineas. And I need a rooster.

After the cattle panels were up and fastened to the posts he  then added chicken wire around the whole thing so hopefully the chickens can't get out but also nothing can get in too. I lock the chickens up at night anyway after the first batch of chickens were killed by something when we forgot to shut the chicken door one night. Don't want that to happen again!

Think you can see the chicken wire along with the cattle panel. The ducks went right through the cattle panel before the chicken wire was put up.

The chickens did not like the ducks being in their space one bit. Guess they'll have to learn to get along won't they?

So tonight we locked the ducks up in the chicken house for the first time so they could get familiar with going inside the building. And tomorrow morning Poppy can let them out into the large pen. Those chickens especially will think they woke up in heaven won't they? They had their little pen down to bare soil and will love the green grass to scratch around in!

My pen is actually large enough that I could put a bottle calf in there too, but I think I'll wait on that. Too much work.

Isn't this an adorable little setup for my animals? Now, does anyone know where I can find geese, peacocks, guineas, turkeys, and maybe swans, and some kind of exotic roosters? And I keep hearing how awful peacocks sound but they are so beautiful!

And in case times really get tough, I already have a space big enough to raise chickens to put in the freezer. I now have my own eggs which taste much better than the ones you get in the store and I am sure home grown chickens taste better too.

Now my daughter keeps reminding me I couldn't eat something I raised, but she forgets I was raised on a farm and we butchered 100 chickens every year. I chopped their heads off and dressed them and froze them and ate them and didn't blink an eye while doing so. Ha. Ha.

Here's the chickens checking out their new pen the next day.
And the same for the ducks.

This is the ducks "swimming pool" aka my grandkids sled. Gotta find a different pool cause the sled must go back home without being tore up.

And they recognize their feeding bowl. Now the question is how do I keep the chickens from eating the duck food or can they all eat the same stuff?

Ah, the good life down on the farm. Can't beat it!

Children's Miracle Network Carnival Today

Today was our local Wal-Mart's carnival to benefit Children's Miracle Network. They had placed a poster up with pictures of Kaden Shiloh Stinson. Hope they made lots of money because it is a good cause. They are the ones that paid for our bill at the Ronald McDonald House after Baby Kaden was born. We are very appreciative for what they do and want to do our part to give back to that worthy organization.
And by the way Kaden went for his checkup with his pediatrician and he now weighs 10 lbs 4 oz. and is 23 inches long. And he's smiling for us too!!!

Here's Nana holding the big boy. He's our "miracle baby" and our family benefited from the Children's Miracle Network. We encourage you to support your own local CMN carnival when it comes to your town!

Kaden's dad even took his turn at the dunking stand! Unfortunately for him this was the coldest day we have had for some time and the wind was blowing adding to the cold.

Here's Koda lined up to take his turn "dunkin" his dad. He did it too!

This is dad after the dunking stand lookin professional again! He's a good man! I prayed him in to our household cause I prayed for Rachel to have a good husband all the time she was growing up. And God honored those prayers!

Learning how to use the fishing poles.

This is Judy. She's the special lady that brought the boys a present a day to be unwrapped while we were in KC at the hospital. The boys just love her!

Now Koda has the hang of it.

Mark's the fisherman too!

Koda's getting his ticket. Don't you just love the clown behind him? Yellow sock, Purple Sock.

The Peonies Are Blooming!

I drove by the house that has a driveway lined with Peonies and got some shots of them budding and blooming both! Don't you just love the beauty God surrounds us with in nature?

Peonies have been around forever. I have a graduation picture of me taken in 1971 beside the Peonies and those same Peonies still bloom every year.

Unfortunately, they don't take kindly to being moved or I would have dug them up by now. I carry a shovel around in the back of my truck all the time, just in case someone gives me permission to transplant something. Yes, I do ask before I dig!!!

Lordy, Lordy, I just love Peonies!

Red Cross Helping Those In Need...

It has been an exciting week but boy am I glad to be back home!

I have been working out of the Joplin Red Cross office this past week mainly doing casework. Especially glad to have gotten some experience in that area. I'm trying to get trained in all aspects of Red Cross work in case we have a disaster of any kind in my local area.


Sharon is working JJ's desk while JJ is working out of Springfield this week. And she's doing a great job!

Donald isn't too sure about working around all us women. He's pretty much outnumbered!

The constant question this week has been "who has the car keys?". And of course just before Donald and I had to leave for Springfield to take the rental car back no one could find the keys once again. So we all had to line up and lay everything in our pockets out on the table to find the guilty culprit. And it was Iris!

We all had some good laughs this week to offset the sadness we encountered everywhere we went. Thankfully, where we worked was only loss of possessions and no loss of life. For that we are thankful!

This large tree had fallen across this mobile home and Iris and I went out to do client services. Here Iris is trying to figure out how to leave a note as the owner was not around.

We are a determined bunch at the Red Cross and we weren't about to leave without first leaving a phone number that we could be reached at in case the owner returns. But don't worry safety is top priority with the Red Cross so we never went anywhere that would put us as workers in danger.

Notice the piece of lumber lodged in the top of the tree? This was a common sight as buildings and debris blew everywhere during the wind.

This worker way up in the tree stopped and posed so I could take his picture while he was trying to cut this tree off the mobile home. It seems to me that very large trees don't have as large of root systems as I had always thought they would have. It didn't help that this worker was cutting even as it rained.

After we returned back to our motel room one night I opened my window to look out and see what the skies looked like because we were once again under storm watches and warnings and just outside my window was this HUGE sign. Iris and I were trying to figure what the chances were that if it blew down would it land right over the top of our beds?

And unfortunately, we had put all our clothes in the laundry and they were wet. So we had to dry some of our "unmentionables" in the best way available so if we got called out we would have dry clothes. Sorry if this picture is offensive to you. Just being practical....

We had a very busy week but a very worthwhile week. Any time you can help others makes it worthwhile. The Red Cross does not help with repairing structure damage as our job is to go in and make sure you have food, clothing, linens and an immediate place to stay right after a disaster. But we could give referrals and phone numbers to others that could help with the needs we couldn't help with. And we hoped we gave encouragement as well as a hug or pat on the back to everyone we came in contact with.

And so tonight as I was driving home I couldn't help but be reminded of how much I love my family and how thankful I am for them. Things don't really matter as long as your loved ones are safe and well.

I had forgotten I worked through Mother's Day and three of my little grandsons could hardly wait to welcome me home and show what they had gotten me. Anyway, two of them couldn't. Ha. Ha.

And when I got to my house my son Kevin and his family had brought me a Mother's Day present also. A Clematis Vine which is my favorite flowering vine. And in a color I don't have to boot! How exciting! Tomorrow I must work outside!!!

Yes, it's good to be able to go out and help with the Red Cross when my help is needed , but it's really good to be back home again too!

And I am thankful to have been allowed to work with such a great group of volunteers as we have in the local Joplin office! More new friends!!