One finished. One begun.

Happy Saturday to you, my friends.  This has been a busy week here in Spokane.  Mandy was in Portland from Sunday night until Thursday when the movers finished loading the truck after 3:00 p.m.  She drove here after that and arrived late Thursday night.  It was an incredibly stressful week for her, especially since, right at the end, the movers dropped Brad's desk down the stairs and not only put 3 holes in the wall, they broke the desk.  Luckily they have a wonderful friend who repaired the holes and painted the wall Friday morning.  The movers will be responsible for either repairing or replacing the desk as it was a very nice one.

The house closed yesterday morning and as Mandy says, they are officially homeless.  Meanwhile, Grandpa and I had a great time with Piper.  We played, shopped and generally had fun during those four days.  Mandy really missed her but said it would have been much more difficult with her there.  Naptimes and mealtimes would have been interesting with a houseful of people.

I even finished Piper's new Wonderful Wallaby sweater.

She likes it a lot!

 I tried it on her Friday morning when she woke up and she didn't want to take it off!  Here she's waving hello.  :-)  But....Grandma messed up.  I thought it looked small when I was knitting it.  The brown one I made a few weeks ago I made in a size 4 so she would have room to grow.  This one I made a size 2!   That's the size she's wearing now but it won't fit her for long.  I'll be making her another one in a size 4 as soon as I finish........

....this one.  I started this today for her Mama. Would you believe this is the same exact color yarn as the one that Piper is wearing in the above picture?  The lighting is ridiculous.  The sweater is the rusty color above, NOT pink!   Mandy wanted them to have matching sweaters so I will definitely be making another one for Piper.  Dennis thinks I should make and sell these now that I have the pattern down pat.

Mandy couldn't take any of her plants with her.  The movers won't transport plants so I've inherited them.  This is a lilly of some sort that is on my patio table.

This is a "money plant"?  I've never heard of one before.  It was Brad's Father's Day gift last year.  I have it in our guest bathroom since it did so well in their bathoom.

I think this is just a plain offshoot of one of my plants.  I do really like the bowl though.

And this is the one that Mandy really wants me to keep alive.  It is the plant she got from her Grandpa's funeral about 16 years ago.  She was completely a Grandpa's girl.  She really wants to retrieve this plant someday and is pretty sentimental about it.  Please pray I don't kill it.  I don't have a great track record with plants.

She also gave me an African violet that I forgot to photograph.   I couldn't believe all of the things that the movers wouldn't move.  Lots of food.  Batteries.  Garage stuff.  Cleaning stuff among other things.  They even had to get rid of all the batteries in the flashlights, etc.  I guess if they were driving their cars cross country they could have loaded everything in them, but since the cars are being shipped they had to give away or throw away everything because all personal items had to be removed from the vehicles.

This week Mandy flies to Washington D.C. on the 4th and back here on the 14 to househunt.  Guess who gets to keep Piper?  WE DO!!!  Yippee!  She's such a sweetheart.  Here she is this afternoon playing on my ipad.  She's one smart cookie and knows how to work one of these.

We spent most of the day at the lake today.   Grandpa had another migraine so we left before dinner.  Two migraines in a week.  I'm hoping it's just the change in the weather patterns and not something more serious.  It has cooled off tremendously here this week and we're having rain sprinkles right now.

Monday, Labor Day, is our 36th anniversary!  We don't have any big plans but maybe we'll go out to dinner somewhere.  We haven't even talked about it.  Our entire life lately has been revolving around that little girl in the above picture and her Mama.  I don't want to give up one moment with them until they move away.  Dennis jokes that he will need to get me some medication for that time.  I'm trying to be realistic and upbeat about it, but I am a Mom and Grandma and I don't have to like it do I?

I hope you're all having a great holiday end of summer weekend if you're in the US and a great weekend in general if you live elsewhere.  School starts here on Tuesday and you can feel the excitement when you're in the stores with families shopping for school supplies.

Blessings always,

Betsy

Family

Saying goodbye is never easy, even when you're almost two years old.  Piper had to tell her best friend Addyson goodby Tuesday night and Mandy had to tell Addyson's Mom, her best friend goodbye too.  There were lots of tears, mainly from the adults.  It's so hard sometimes.

On Wednesday I took Polly, the 95 pound lab in my car and Mandy and Piper followed me the 362 miles from Portland to Spokane.  It was a great trip.  The inspection and appraisal on the house have gone very well.

Polly and Chloe were ecstatic to see each other.  It's rather doubtful they'll ever be together again and I'm glad neither of them know that.  They LOVE each other and play together and even sleep all cuddled together too.

Friday our son Jamie brought our other two grandchildren, Kyleigh and Caleb from Helena, MT to say goodbye to Mandy & Piper.  We had a wonderful weekend of family fun.

Here's 6 year old Caleb playing with the huge stash of Legos his dad and Uncle Alex left behind when they moved out.  We have two larges totes FULL.  Caleb built a boat, among other things, that he floated in the bathtub.  :-)

Here 8 year old Kyleigh letting Piper climb all over her while the dogs played in the yard.  Kyleigh is SO good with Piper.  So sad that they won't see each other much anymore.

Piper loves hair and played with Kyleigh's all weekend.  Usually it's Grandma's that gets all the love.  :-)

See what I mean.  She has my hair in her little fist here.  It's a big reason why I haven't been wearing my head covering.  I do need to get back to that but the little miss just takes it off my head.  I do wear it to church but have been lax in wearing it other times.

Anyway, here I am with ALL of our grandbabies.  My heart was SO HAPPY!  Aren't they cute.  And yes it was cold Friday so we were cuddled under Caleb's camoflouge blanket.

Here are the girls taking care of Grandpa who woke up with an awful migraine Saturday.  He hasn't had one in several years.  He told me he was better because we had promised to take the kids swimming at the lake and he didn't 't want to let them down.  Well, he wasn't better.  I should have known something was up when he handed me his precious truck keys and told me to drive.  I took Jamie & the kids and he rode with Mandy & Piper.  He barely made it for the drive before he lurched into the trailer and was really, truly sick.  He then slept in the bedroom for a few hours and was miraculously better.  Even well enough to go out in the boat and race around the lake with Paul and the kids.

Our son Jamie with our babies.  Jamie is our middle child and I really miss having him closer. He's 312 miles away. :-(. Of course with Alex in Japan I know that's even worse for distance.  Not sure of the mileage to a Tokyo though.

Grandpa and Grandma with our precious ones.  Grandpa taught the sermon today at church so it was extra special for him to have two of our kids there.

Alex face-timed with all of us twice this weekend so it was almost like having all three of our kids home.  Not really~but I'm tring to be positive.

And... I started Piper's new Wonderful Wallaby sweater.  I'll make a matching one for Mandy and Kyleigh and Caleb both told me their favorite colors so they'll each get one for Christmas.  Goodness, I need to get busy. :-). I can make Pipers out if this new skein of yarn that I found at Michaels.

Everyone except Miss Piper left after lunch.  They have all texted us that they're home safely.  Mandy is meeting the movers to pack and load the house and will hopefully sign the papers for the sale this week.  We're going to enjoy every single minute with Piper.  It just made sense not to have a little one needing naps, etc., around when you have a houseful of movers and who better to leave her with but a Grandpa and Grandma that adore her?  Mandy is having a tough time though, since she's never been away from her.

We have lots of fun planned.  I have to make as many memories as possible in the next few weeks.

I promised you the pattern for the dishcloth in my last post.  Here it is:

Size 6 needles

Cast on 45

Row 1-knit

Row 2-knit 4, purl 1 across

Row 3-knit 2, purl 3 across

Row 4-knit 2, purl 3 across

Row 5-knit 4, purl 1 across

Row 6-knit

Repeat these 6 rows 10 times.

Bind off.

I'm writing this from memory as the pattern is in the bedroom that a sleeping Piper is in.  I'm really hoping I have it right.  If it's incorrect would someone let me know and I'll fix it?   :-)

I hope you have had as wonderful a weekend as we have.  There was and is always an undercurrent of sadness, knowing the huge move about to take place, but we're trying to tuck away these moments in our hearts.  I'll be back soon my friends.

Blessings,

Betsy

Sunny Days

Hello my friends,

Here I am, still in Portland enjoying my time with Mandy and Piper.  This little girl is one of the great joys of my life.  Truly.  If it wasn't for the fact that I'm missing Dennis, I would never leave her.

Here we were blowing bubbles and she was "helping" me pick off the dead bloom on the flowers.  Unfortunately she had a hard time distinguishing between dead blooms and pretty ones.  :-)

A good little Mama feeding her monkey lunch.  Her high chair was Mandy's when she was a little girl, made by my brother-in-laws Dad.

Putting all the babies to bed for their naps.  They each get a pillow and blanket.

Mandy got rid of a bunch of bags and I snatched this one up for my knitting.  After all, it's purple.

A kitchen towel for myself that I'm making with the yarn Teresa gave me last week, Knit Picks Dishie.  I only brought one set of needles with me so I'm glad Mandy is a knitter too.  These are size 10.5 and just right for this project.

A new dishcloth for Mandy.  I've made 8 or 9 since I've been here.  I've had this pattern for awhile now and like the mix of knit and purl for texture.  It scrubs really well.  It's a very simple 6 row repeat.  If anyone is interested I'll print the pattern next post.

Now.  For those who have weak stomachs you might want to say goodbye at this point and I'll talk to you next post!  :-)

This is for the people that say blog posts don't "keep it real" and only show the good stuff.  The perfect things.  Well not here.  Not today.  Have I ever told you that I'm a super clumsy person?  I am.  Just ask anyone who knows me.  I fell outside yesterday.  

This is my arm.

This is my leg.

This is my hand.

Ouch.  I was glad that my R.N. daughter was here to bandage and ice me up.  All three places hurt, but especially my leg, which ironically looks the best.  :-)

Hopefully I'll be moving around better tomorrow, but I do hurt all over today.  Of course it's my right hand and arm and I'm right handed.  But I'm still knitting. :-)

The plan for now is to head home on Wednesday.  The appraiser still hasn't shown up and closing is scheduled for next week.  There is still a lot to do here, but our son Jamie and grandbabies Kyleigh and Caleb, are coming to Spokane this weekend to see Mandy and Piper before the big move.  Mandy will come back to Portland next week while the house is packed up by the movers and leave Piper with Grandpa and Grandma.  A sacrifice for us. Ha! I wish we could keep her forever.  Mandy has never been away from her for that long though prayers for her will be appreciated.

I hope you're all having a lovely day wherever you may be.  The sun is shiny here and life is good.

Blessings,

Betsy

Enjoyment

Hello from Portland, Oregon, or more accurately, Clackamas, Oregon, a Portland suburb.  We're still not sure of a closing date on Brad & Mandy's home, but things are progressing.  Meanwhile Grandma is getting lots of Piper time, we've been shopping at IKEA and I have had a lunch and a dinner out with blog friends!  It's been a good week, but I'm missing Hubby something fierce.

Here are a few pictures of dinner at Tad's "Chic Dump" with Gracie, Teresa and Taci.  This was the view from our table.  Pretty good, huh?

And this is Teresa's beloved Sandy river.  It was a VERY hot day and just look at all the people floating the river on rafts!  There were a lot of swimmers too.  Sorry for the glare.  I just have pictures from my iPhone.  Blogger doesn't like my camera photos anymore for some strange reason.

Beautiful ladies, Gracie and Taci.

A toast to Meredith, a wonderful blogging friend waaaaaay down south in Florida.

Of course I had to try Tad's namesake, the chicken and dumplings.  Oh. My. Goodness.  They were delicious.  We also had wonderful garden salads, warm bread rolls, and garden fresh green beans with bacon. Yummy.  I took quite a lot home for Mandy to take for her lunch.

Yarn from Taci and Teresa and a beautiful dishcloth from Gracie.

Taci brought this hand embroidered, (by her Mom in Brazil), cloth for Teresa for her birthday gift.  Wasn't that sweet and thoughtful?

Gracie brought Taci a basil, (I think it is basil), plant for her new house and I crocheted her a doily which I forgot to photograph.  Taci does have a picture of it on her blog though which is on my sidebar. :-)

Then on Friday I met Becky for the first time at Red Robin.  Becky has been trying to meet the rest of us but our schedules just haven't worked out yet.  It was just her and I and we had a wonderful time visiting and getting to know each other better.  

I made Becky a knitted dishcloth and she have me a beautiful coaster with a picture of Mt. Hood on it.

We had our picture take with the carousel horse in the lobby before we left.  Yes, I do have hair but it was pulled back in a French braid.  The weather has been a bit warm here but not nearly as hot as at home.  :-)

And now some Piper pictures.  You didn't really think I'd go a whole post without some now did you? This is her wild woman look before her hair was combed for the day.  I think she looks like the little one in the Jungle Book movie with her hair all crazy!

A happy girl!  Oh how I love her.

Ready for the day in the dress Grandpa bought her.

She is such a little Mama.  Always taking care of her babies, (and Monkey).

Mandy's last day of work was on Thursday and it's looking like we'll be here about another week and then all of us will go home to Spokane next Monday until a house is found in D.C.   I'm hoping to have tea with Taci and see her new house this week and maybe attend knit night at her house too.  I love the ladies here and hope I can continue to come visit with them.  Hubby promises I can.  :-). 

I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday.  Mandy, Piper and I went to the early service at church today and now Mandy is out with her girlfriends at a painting class and lunch. She is going to miss these girls. They all worked together in Spokane when they were in their late teens, moved to Portland together and have remained very good friends.  Miss Piper is having her nap and Grandma is catching up on blogs and doing some laundry.  A great day!  

Many blessings to each of you my friends.

This is the day The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I'll be back soon.

Betsy

Portland and a Storm!

First-some pictures of Piper because she is so cute this Grandma can hardly stand it!  :-). Here is the finished sweater.  The buttons on the front are from MY mothers button box.  It was one of the few things I got when she died almost 25 years ago.  I think it's nice to have buttons from Great-Grandma, don't you?

The back.

Labels I put in all three Grandbabies sweaters when I make them.

Piper laughed out loud when she saw the sweaters and had to put them on right away-even in 90+F temperatures.  I was afraid it would be too big, but it fits great!

She had to give Grandma a hug and kiss. Oh how I love those.

The Wonderful Wallaby was popular too. Look at that smile.

Not only did she love the sweater, she seemed happy to see me too.

She loved the hood!!!

This was a dress from Grandpa.  We had to take a picture for him.

I took Piper to the park this morning and of course Monkey went along.  :-)

All smiles.  I'm going to miss this neighborhood.  We walked to the park, McDonalds for an ice tea and then the grocery store this morning.  All within 3 blocks of the house.  I doubt that it will be like this in DC.

Saturday night Hubby and I were having dinner at the Olive Garden and a surprise storm hit.  The lights all went out.  Just a few emergency lights and cell phone flashlights.

We went home and found this.  My favorite  blossoming pear tree was knocked over.  Apparently we had straight line winds in excess of 60 mph.  We also lost some roofing shingles.  This was the second storm like this in two weeks and it hit in almost the exact same parts of town.  Very, very unusual as is the heat we're experiencing.   Hubby tried to stake the tree up but the roots were too exposed so he ended up cutting it down and hauling it to the dump yesterday.  Sad.  I definitely want to plant another tree but have to decide what kind.  I like the bit of privacy from the house behind us.

Lots of people lost trees, roofs and even homes from trees crushing the house.  We were very lucky. The fence wssn't damaged except for a few scratches.

Here in Portland we're waiting for the inspection & appraisal and then will have an idea of when the big move will happen.  Mandy's last week of work is this week so Piper and I are having a grand time together.

Tonight is dinner with the girls-Gracie, Teresa and Taci at Tad's.  I'm so looking forward to it.

I'll be back soon to tell you all about it!

Blessings,

Betsy