Uncle Tim's Visit

It had been too long since Tim had seen his nieces so Uncle Tim requested a visit from Alyssa and Olivia. Doug and Julia just happened to be along with them! They met at our home Friday evening since we're about half way between both families. Steph was in Chicago and wasn't able to come.

A few new things Olivia and Alyssa are doing: eating cereal, babbling, squealing, and laughing, putting weight on their legs, sitting in high chairs, rolling over and over, pushing with their legs getting ready to crawl, becoming aware of each other...will be fighting over their toys soon, sleeping on their tummies and sides, holding their blankets when sleeping and feeding, and trying to hold their bottles. Both of them look like they will have strawberry blonde hair, and their eyes are darkening and will probably be brown or maybe hazel. But no blue eyes from the Ayers/Hays side. We think Alyssa looks more like Julia and altho Olivia does too she may have a little bit of Doug in her, too.

Just an update on Alyssa--looks like she will be fitted for a helmet in the next couple of weeks. Although she has improved somewhat her head is still a little bit flat on one side. The doctors left it up to Doug and Julia to decide but ultimately they decided that Alyssa should probably be fitted for one. Of course insurance decided it's cosmetic so won't be paying for it but we think Doug and Julia have made the right decision. We have seen the photos of Alyssa when the Drs were casting her head for the helmet. Altho it looks pretty spooky (photos later) Julia said that Alyssa was laughing thru most of it and didn't cry until the very end. We'll keep everyone posted.

Olivia, bonding with Uncle Timmie. Zzzzzzzzzz

(actually it's just Olivia sleeping, not Tim)

Playing with Uncle Tim

Alyssa eating cereal

Alyssa, Yummmmm!

Olivia, eating cereal

Olivia, mmmmm, good!

Both girls, napping!

Alyssa, hand over eyes, trying to nap!

Sept 11-14, New Carpet for Tim and Steph

Mike and I hadn't done much for Tim and Steph in the last year (blame the grand kids) so we took a couple of days off work thinking Mike and Tim would work on his fence that encloses his yard. Mike thought he was going to replace some posts, power wash the fence, and maybe restain it. Notice how I always just hang out while the guys are always working? Anyway, in the meantime Tim and Steph got new carpet which was going to be installed while we were there.

Because of the bad weather Mike and Tim weren't able to work outside so we spent a lot of our time moving furniture for the carpet installation. Steph was at work when the carpet layers were there and unfortunately the kitchen was so full of furniture I wasn't even able to help prepare dinners. Darn! The carpet layers didn't finish until late Friday evening and we thought for a little while that a tornado was going to come thru right where Tim and Steph live. Fortunately, the storm went a little north of Tim's home but for a while we were glued to the TV for tornado warnings.

The weather broke for a little while on Saturday long enough for Tim and Mike to replace a few posts in Tim's fence and the rest of the time was spent trying to put together their home again. Amazing, what a mess everything is when an entire house is recarpeted. There was furniture in the kitchen, the storage room, and even the garage. Here's some photos of the new carpet and Tim and Steph's home especially for those of you who've never visited him.

Taking up the old carpet

Getting ready for the new
carpet and pad

Installing the pad

Mike and Tim, taking a short break


The finished product:


The Family Room

The Front Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Stairway to the upper floor

Labor Day Weekend

Mike and I went to Doug and Julia's over Labor Day weekend. They had a to-do list for Mike and asked us to watch Alyssa and Olivia on Sunday while they went boating on the river with some friends. Of course, Mike and I were delighted. We drove down on Saturday and got there by mid morning since we were anxious to see the girls. Mike and Doug installed some lighting downstairs which took most of the day and I spent the day with Julia enjoying the girls. We barbecued that night and then relaxed with some TV watching. The girls continue to amaze us. They are supporting their heads so much more, are spending a little time in the excersaucer, and interacting with us a lot more. It's fun to see how much they can now track us. They will look towards the sound of our voices, especially Doug and Julia's. Both girls are really growing and at the last Dr's appointment weighed around 14 lbs. They are continuous motion, especially moving their legs, and are now able to grab rattlers and move them from one hand to another, and everything tends to go to their mouths. Julia thinks maybe they're teething because they are drooling so much, but no teeth yet!

Mike and I had fun with Alyssa and Olivia on Sunday while Doug and Julia were able to spend some time with friends. We were able to go out on a little walk with them in their stroller but the weekend was so hot it was hard to do much outside. Monday was a short day and Mike and Doug worked around the house but it was one of those times where everything they needed to finish the job they didn't have so we made a list for next time.

Here's some of the photos we took over the weekend of the girls. I'm probably boring you with all my photos but I can't help myself! Enjoy!

Believe it or not, this was not posed! Alyssa on

the left, Olivia on the right.

Holding their heads up, Alyssa left, Olivia right.

Alyssa, all smiles, melts my heart!

And Olivia, all giggles!

Olivia, using her exersaucer.

And Alyssa, concentrating hard.

Mike and Olivia, Sunday evening,

outside of Doug and Julia's.

Great photo of Julia and Alyssa.

Stars with their shades! Alyssa left, Olivia right.

Olivia, always on the move, I couldn't

hardly get a picture that wasn't blurred.

Doug and the girls, in their Spurs outfits, a gift

from Carol and Lisa. Alyssa left, Olivia right.

Alyssa, in her outfit given to her from Carol Chappel.

Oliva in her outfit. How cute!

Visit at Tim and Steph's

We hadn't been to Tim and Steph's for quite a while so Mike and I visited Tim and Steph over the weekend planning on helping Tim with a few jobs around the house and going to Fiddler on the Roof at the Starlight in KC which was a birthday gift to me. Of course wouldn't you know, I had to work late Friday night so we didn't get to Tim's until 10:00 pm.

Saturday was a really busy day starting with Tim and Mike installing some ceiling fans in 2 bedrooms. They really look nice and sure help to keep the bedrooms cool (greatly appreciated by Mike and I since we sleep in one of those bedrooms!). Steph made a wonderful tortilla soup for lunch and I've included the recipe here. Around 4:00 we quit working and ate at a nice bistro cafe that I can't remember the name of and had Italian. It was a really nice meal and still gave us plenty of time to get to the Starlight where we enjoyed a tour and saw a few of the actors getting ready for the musical. Wouldn't you know I had left my camera at the house thinking there would be no opportunity for photos and of course I could have taken some photos before the musical. The musical was great and the only thing I have to show for it is the program. We really enjoyed the evening--it was absolutely perfect weather and we enjoyed spending time with Tim and Steph.



Sunday was another busy day, Tim and Steph know how to entertain us--shopping, eating, and entertainment. We had a lazy morning and then went out near Nebraska Furniture Mart where we ate lunch at Stix, a Japanese Steak House. The food was great, Mike and I tasted sushi for the first time and we were surprised at how good it was. Of course the chef had all kinds of tricks to entertain us. All of us at the table caught shrimp in our mouths tossed to us by the chef except for Steph who is allergic to shellfish. After lunch, we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart where we bought a clock for the sunroom (altho we gave up on it after two returns because of damage) and we shopped with Tim and Steph for carpet for their home. Steph and I are definitely not a good influence on each other, ask the guys! Before we left for home we made another date for Mike and I to visit to try to get a few more jobs done around their house. (We never get as much done as we want.) We're always tired after our drive home and hate to think about work the next day but that's life!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (from Steph)

Ingredients: 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice, 10 oz can red enchilada sauce, 2 medium chopped onion, 4 oz can chopped and drained green chiles, 1 minced clove of garlic, 3 Tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro, 2 Cups water, 14.5 oz can chicken broth, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch black pepper, 1 bay leaf, 3/4 tsp dried oregano, 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked thoroughly in simmering water, drained and shredded, 1 10 oz can Mexican corn, drained.

Optional for serving: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips

Directions: Combine tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, water, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add shredded chicken and corn, cover, and continue to cook for another hour, discard bay leaf.

The Star!

Logan was the main attraction on Saturday night when Dana and Brian had everyone out to celebrate Logan's 1st birthday. He is such a cutee and we all had fun joining in. We had pizza at Dan and Carole's after church and cake and ice cream were served after supper with Logan opening his presents with the help of dad! We had an exciting game of Uno with Hayden and Gavin helping to explain the rules to some of us (me) and then the adults had a great game of pictionary where the star team (Brian, Rikki, Jane, and Dana) won the game leaving everyone in our dust! Honestly!

mmmm, pizza!


Hayden and Gavin, acting goofy, now that's unusual!


Here's the cake!


Logan's got the right idea.


Now what?


Oh yeah, eat cake!


Tah, dah! I'm the star!


Logan, pretty pleased with himself.


Alaina got into the act, too.


Now for the presents!


Raylee and Shelby, posed as requested,
pretending they actually get along!

Birthday Parties

Last night we were invited to Logan's 1st birthday party but the celebration also included Mark's birthday. Happy 39th birthday to Mark on the 15th, just one more year to the big 40! Doesn't seem that long ago Mike and I were getting married and Mark was a reluctant ring bearer. He did NOT want to wear those short pants!

A picture from the past. (1973-4 years old)


hmmm...which cake is Mark's???


The formal presenting of the cakes, watch
out, it won't take much for Mark's cake to
burn the house down!


Somehow Mark was able to blow
out ALL those candles.


Raylee watching her Dad open presents.

Almost time for school!

Julia's school is about to start again for the new school year. Her mom babysat the girls on Wednesday so Julia could go to some sort of in service training so I came to their home on Thursday so she could go to her classroom and start getting it organized and ready for the school year. Altho it hasn't been too long since I have seen the girls I see more changes. They are reaching up and grabbing your face, they are starting to grab and hold small toys that are held out in front of them, they are really babbling, and they have discovered their toes. It's so funny to see them trying to grab their feet while laying on their backs with their legs held above them. I took a few photos of this but not sure whether you can tell what they are doing. I enjoyed watching Alyssa and Olivia but I was worn out. Seems like it was never ending diapering, feeding, and entertaining with a few naps in between. I admire Julia more and more every time I'm with the girls. She has never complained to me about how hard it is taking care of those darlings.


Alyssa (left) and Olivia (right) working those feet!


Olivia grabbing her pinkies!


Olivia trying to grab Alyssa's foot!


Get that foot waaay up!



Alyssa and Olivia are going to be starting daycare on Monday and altho I knew this day would come I also hate that it's here. I went with Julia in April to the daycare center and it seems like a very nice center with lots of caring workers but I still hate to see our grand babies being taken care of by other people. I worked for most of our kids' growing up years--full time until they were 4 and 6, and then I had part time jobs until we moved back to Moberly. I know how hard it is to be a working mom but Julia is fortunate she is a teacher. Getting summer and holiday breaks will give her a lot more time to spend with her girls than most working moms get. As you can imagine daycare is going to cost a fortune but one of these days she might actually see some of her paycheck!

Link to Annikas website

Just thought I'd let everyone know I put a link to Annika Miller's website on my blog. Besides all of Annika's other gorgeous photos you can view the most recent photos of Alaina, Harrison, and Janet right before she had Connor. I didn't think I had any interest in doing any links but you've got to see Annika's talent!

A new Hays Baby

I just had to mention that Connor Daniel Kimmons was born on July 31st. For those of you who don't know this is Janet and Jay's 3rd child, their twins Alaina and Harrison are about 2 1/2 years old. Mike and I visited with Janet and Connor on Saturday and he is a sweetie. Lots of black hair and long toes and fingers. 7lbs, 6 ozs, and 20 inches long. I've got to get better about getting those photos, I'm sure you'd rather have photos than read my ramblings!

Conner, a week later in his car seat.


Look at those long toes!


And long fingers!