Young men

 

I'm going to have to quit calling Jack and Joey, 'the boys'. 

They are half grown. 

Adolescents.

Young men. 

13 and 15 years. 

Striplings.

 







 

 

 

 

Owen will be 7 in October.  He'll be pre-teen too, before we know it! 

 

 

 

And all three are smart, athletic and darn good looking! 

 



  

Birthdays

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These beautiful girls keep having birthdays. I want it to stop!  I want to hold these girls still. For now . . . and mostly forever.

What unique looks and personalities!  What minds, imagination and creativity.  They just never fail to amaze me.  And so much more to come!


 

 

Our growing Family

Our Vega grows and learns something new every day She is sweet and happy . . . And steals hearts as babies do.  She is learning to adore her big Sister just as Audri dotes on her. Our two new little Hof's are settling in and doing fine in Craig and Traci's loving, consistent, safe care. We are making Vivienne and Owen's acquaintance.  Owen and Bella are great buddies. They play and plan and plot !! and are busy almost every moment. Vivienne is eating well,  growing and sleeps well at night. She will out grow her early evening fussy time soon. She smiles and coos. We will love these two well, as long as we are able.

Baby

 

Oh my it has been too long. It has been 6 years! 6 years since we have had a baby  in this family. A baby for Nana. Lee had a class reunion this evening  so PaPa and I have little miss. We might be a little rusty . . . But we are enjoying brushing up on baby care skills and loving us some sweet Vega!

Vega Adaire Easterlie, April 30, 2015

I sent this photo from my email on the desk top direct to Blogger.

 

I am exploring new ground; having to learn.

 

Meanwhile, I nave a brand new two-week old granddaughter that I must learn to know. 

 

I already love her.

 

Thanks be to God that I have a new grandbaby, that Miss Vega Adaire got the care and attention she needed and is now a hale and hearty beautiful girl and that I can still learn new tricks!  Love, Nana

 

 

6-19-15 Happy Birthday to Isabella Noel!

 

 

Dr. Bolinger tried inducing Johanna about the day ahead of her due date but after two days of Pitosin, she was sent home to wait it out.  And wait they did!  Until April 30 when Miss Vega Adaire would not be denied! 

 

The water broke and little missie came hard and fast.  I believe Johanna said they were at the hospital for about 90 minutes before our girl was born.  Her little face was bruised and swollen from the birth canal but she is still just beautiful. 

 

Little Miss had what was called 'wet lungs' and she turned blue.  Turned as blue as the gloves in the pic above.  I wasn't there to see that but arrived shortly after as the nurses were still working on baby and tension hung in the air. By the time I arrived (maybe 30 minutes after the birth), Vega was breathing and getting her color back. 

 

Because of Baby's condition, Johanna was left dangling (so to speak : ) with after birth and cord still on the table awaiting identification and disposal.  And of course, love and fear in her heart.   

 

Blank Children's Hospital was sending an ambulance to get Miss Vega and take her back to Des Moines so she could be expertly checked over.  It was a L O N G  wait, for the ambulance. 

 

Erica and I drove Lee to Des Moines.  He was assigned the baby duty while Johanna was left behind to be stitched and checked and coddled a bit.  Lee stepped right up.  We hadn't been at Blank more than a couple of hours and saw that Lee would do just fine.  The nurse had explained to Lee that he could do all he could for the babe, or nothing.  If he chose to help, the nurses were there to provide moral support and advice.  If he needed to sleep, the babe would be taken care of.  Erica and I said, 'you are doing great, Lee.  We are off.'  And he was fine with that. 

 

 

Aunt Erica, who's goal had been to be in the delivery room with Johanna and Babe, stood in for me.  PaPa and I were at the cabin.  Johanna had shoo'ed us off.  Go, Go, she said.  We went.  Kristy texted about 6 pm and said "Johanna said we didn't need to let you know but her water has broke; better come."  I jumped in the car leaving PaPa to close up and put away. 

 

Isn't she darling?

Aren't babies miracles?

 

Miss Audri has had some adjusting to do but that is just natural. Especially being the 'only' for almost 8 years.   

 

I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that it is getting easier for Audri to love and admire her baby "Sissy". 

 

I praise God for the births of all my eight grandchildren.  Johanna has had two eventful deliveries. She says, two healthy babies are enough.  I am sort of hoping that there might be one more grandbaby in my future.  After all, Vega needs a special cousin or younger sibling!  just dreaming . . .  

 

First published 5-14-15.  Addendum, 6/19/15

 

 

Granddaughters

16 years down to 3 weeks.  6 beautiful granddaughters.  All shapes, sizes and varieties. 

I love all these unique personalities.  <3 nbsp="" p="">

PS:  I am testing my email addresses to see if these will be sent to Erica and Kristy.  Let me know if you don't get notification.  lol  JK : )
 

Letter from home - January 11, 2015

Dear ones, not too much to write about this week. The January temperatures were bitter with some below zero readings and we stayed close to home. I’d had a cough with some hoarseness so didn’t think I should work at the school this week. We stayed home and I slept in almost every morning.

I am subject to sleeping in although I haven’t for years as the alarm was always set at 5:30 to get me up and around for work. This week, I slept in half the week because I stayed up until 2 or 3 am to feed the fire while it was so cold outside. We do have electric back up heat but after the last two winters when the heat pump wouldn’t work right and your dad would stay up to baby sit it, he is reluctant to let the heat switch over to the electric. Now he hasn’t asked me to stay up and nurse the fire but after a week of Himself not getting enough sleep and not being able to nap, I said “it is easy for me to stay up late and I can sleep during the day so I will take the first shift”. After some arguing and arm wrestling, he let me. That way, he could go to bed at 10 pm and sleep until 2 or 3 am and at least get 4 or 5 hours of sleep instead of Zero. Oh, the trials and tribulations of an old married couple! Lol

Friday, Lanny and I went to Johanna’s and Lee’s on Mills Street to help them clean. I really like their house. It has a good, comfy feel and is bright and cheery. Here is a pic of the living room which is really big but you are seeing only about half of it here. Lanny cleaned carpets with our little, spiffy carpet cleaner. If anyone ever wants to borrow it, just ask. It seems to do a pretty good job.

　
Yesterday, Saturday, I took Aunt Alice out for a ride. She is never one to ask me to do something or go somewhere but she did let me take her to Walmart to pick up her prescription this time. It was too cold for her to get out in the car last week. She’s a little timid about going and that’s okay. I don’t mind helping her out. We drove up Cherry Street to Hwy 92, then to Greenfield. There’s a little consignment shop on the west side of town that I like to browse every three months or so. Or six! From there, we came down Hwy 25 through Orient, to Creston and to Walmart. So we had a nice little jaunt and it was sunny and good to get out. We talk every minute of our drives (always, every drive) and Alice comes prepared with a list -- and I should have my own list because I forget what I want to say and ask! 

The photos, of Gabrielle, Maddie, Audri and Bella were taken January 1, 2015. The girls got along very well with my old, sturdy sewing machine. I am going to get a new bobbin for Maddie’s machine and if that doesn’t fix her Singer Touch and Sew, then it is going to the repair shop. Then, I will will get the tension set on Johanna’s Sears machine so that it can go home to Audri (maybe secretly for awhile ? Lol) and this summer, I will watch auctions and garage sales for a sturdy machine for Gabrielle. I have a plan! And I am determined!  I have four sewing machines in this house right now and that is three too many! 

I think Maddie is pretending to yawn.  She made a nice pillow.

Bella knows her Kindle! 

Gabrielle at the 'wheel'.



Audri's turn! 

My schedule for work this coming week: 
        
           Monday - 10 am to 2 pm at the EMS kitchen 
           Tues - Friday - crossing guard at Rainbow Park, 2 times a day

The rest of the days will be spent cooking, cleaning and trying to finish projects. One project is about 25 years unfinished! I will do it! In fact, I have two projects that old that will be done before 2016! There. How’s that for a New Year’s Resolution?

Last week, I puttered and sorted and gathered up. I dug out sewing and craft projects from three or four different rooms and now have them all in one room. They are not all put away but I feel better about the situation already.   

Hannah’s Birthday is January 21
Family Dinner is January 18, weather permitting.

Sounds as though we might have a January thaw in the next week! Keep your fingers crossed!

                                                   You all take care! ‘til next week, Love Ma

Letter from home - January 4, 2015

Dear ones, The New Year is off to a good start! I have had me some grandchildren time and took a trip, even if only a short one, all in four days time!   

The grandchildren have been on Christmas break. Wednesday, Traci brought Gabrielle and Isabella to Creston and took Jack back home with her. The children stayed until Saturday. Bella stayed with Audri and Nana and PaPa’s and Gabrielle went to Aunt Erica’s.

The children all did very well. Bella and Audri slept all night the first night on the couch. The second night, Gabrielle and Maddie joined us and all four girls slept in the ‘corner room’. They started out all four in the bed but soon, two were on the floor. We didn’t hear a peep out of them this night either so our little ones are growing up!

They requested pancakes both mornings and I think Bella ate three each time (they weren’t large but still!). Otherwise, they ate good (altho each has a varied diet) and didn’t snack much. And they were busy the whole time!

Friday, we sewed. Gabrielle declares she prefers hand sewing but did work some on the machine. Audri declared that she will wait a few years to use the foot pedal on the sewing machine so she was satisfied to turn the needle by hand. Maddie uses the machine and practiced sewing a few buttons and bells. Mainly, new beds and spreads were made for the new Barbie hospital but there were a few other things too, a little bear, for one. The girls came up with all the ideas and my role was just to help them figure out how to make it happen. Don’t you think they did a great job?  And they left all the Barbies dressed and presentable and the house and hospital neat and orderly!  Yay!   

This is a bear -- and amazing in that the children had no pattern or example to work from!

 

This really isn't a sample of their sewing skills but of their creative planning and organizational skills.  A Barbie hospital!  How creative is that! 

Bella went to Audri’s Friday evening to spend the night. I think none of us except Bella knew that she would stay. I was prepared for a call about 9:30 saying Bella was ready to come back but the call never came and she stayed the night! Gabby and Maddie went back to the country.

Lanny had been wanting a major snow storm and a storm was expected to come in Saturday, predicted to clobber southeast Iowa and to miss Creston. Since the storm wouldn’t come to Lanny, I took Lanny to the storm! We had a reservation at Le Claire on the Mississippi River. We had visions of watching a raging blizzard out our hotel window. I had visions of getting snowed in for two or three days, walking on the river bank in the snow while more snow fell heavily around us. I had visions of us having to eat only free breakfast items (three times a day) in the hotel breakfast area because we wouldn't be able to get out to the grocery store or restaurant.

Errrtttt! Brakes on!  Whoa Nancy! Didn’t happen.

It snowed about an 1-½ in the night, while we were sleeping! So much for the best laid plans (hopes and dreams!). The laugh was on us.

We did get to see Eagles tho. Eagles over winter around open water. The Mississippi is not frozen now. We had heard that the Eagle watching will be good through January around Davenport which is why we came to Le Claire. We were rewarded with numerous eagle sightings. I counted seven eagles in the tree, looking through the binoculars. It is not a great photo but as we were across the river from these birds, I feel lucky that my camera had the zoom power to get a photo, at all!

The second photo is taken from Iowa looking into Illinois. It was taken this morning, after the snow. It really was a winter wonderland and made me to cold to look! 

Sunday morning about 8 am I see on the news that there is still a chance of snow for LeClaire, Iowa.  I am determined to try and hold off our departure and try to get Himself to stay for a second night on the river. Because! Because there is a chance for more snow on Monday too! Snow in the Sunday early morning hours, more snow coming today and big snow expected Monday!  

We weighed our options and counted our toes, played paper, rock and scissors --  and then Himself thought we should make a break for home. We ate our free hot breakfast, loaded up and headed west. And this is where the irony sets in.

For the first leg of our trip home, we drove on slick, snow packed roads thru heavy snow flurries and city traffic. From Le Clair to Iowa City and beyond.  We are on I-80 as we figure the interstate will be cleared better than smaller state roads. Himself is driving. It is a long hour, hour and a half, plowing through the snow, clearing our windshield and watching 18-wheelers buzz by. 

He isn’t so happy about it but he cannot complain.
I had said “stay”.
We “went”.

We are home safe and sound.
 

Letter from home - December 22, 2014

Dear ones: it has been a good week but dreary. Lanny and I don’t remember so many days in a row where the sun won’t shine! Seriously, I remember about two hours of sunshine in the last 7 days. The snow we got for our white Christmas has melted so now you “White Christmas” people will be wishing for snow again!

I worked Tuesday and Wednesday this past week, in the kitchen. Thursday, we drove to Bondurant to care for little Miss Bella who ran a fever all week. The doctor said “viral” so no antibiotics. It had to run it’s course -- and it didn’t run very fast! She still had a low grade fever on Saturday but Sunday, so far, no fever.

Friday, we kept Audri Lu who had strep, the doctor said. She was on antibiotics and wasn’t feeling too bad but she did agree to a little rest after lunch. Saturday, I guess she was going strong again.

Today, I slipped out to Erica’s after all the hard work was done at the Christmas cookie fest. Erica and Maddie had all kinds of cookies baked and all colors of frosting. I got there just in time to decorate a few cookies. There were some creative cookies produced today.

 

This guy supports his teams!

 

Here's Maddie and Audrianna; how did I miss Casen?



Too pretty to eat! 

Dad and I, this past week, wrote our Christmas card letters. I am cutting way back on Christmas cards as I didn’t send them out to any of the nieces or nephews. I will send out to my friends, your dad’s brothers, my siblings, etc. If I get electronic cards, I will respond with a Christmas letter via email. I think it is a good plan.

We also baked 2 nice big loaves of the chocolate chip banana bread and a bunch of cinnamon rolls. There will be a pan for each of you to take home for Christmas morning. Aren’t they pretty?

I have not ordered the usual Grandchildren Christmas card. At our Christmas Eve get together, I will try to get one good photo. If I can, great, I’ll have prints made up for us all. If not, I’ll wait and have professional photos taken next spring or summer for PaPa and Nana’s 45^th wedding anniversary. It has been 20 years since our last professional photos.

Also, I have not ordered the Hofmeister Annual Calendar yet.  I don't know what I'm waiting for -- except that it makes me a little anxious that I will forget someone or something!  It will happen!   

Audri wanted to make gifts for her cousins so this is what we came up with. It is a secret! But you probably won’t see this before Christmas. If you do see it, don’t say anything! These are dough ornaments (1 cup salt, 1 cup flour and ½ cup water. Knead as tho for cookie dough, roll out and shape. You have to bake them, or let them dry out). We improvised our stencils by using refrigerator magnets. We painted, decorated and glittered! Then tied a little ribbon on. We think they turned out pretty good.
 

We love Our Morghan Grace, all teenager now : )

until next week, love Mama

 

Letter from home - December 17, 2014

Dear ones: The good news is I have had a great week! The bad news is that it wore me out and I spent all day Monday resting up! Seriously, I enjoyed every minute of the weekend.

I worked Monday and Tuesday, last week, then put my foot down and took Wednesday and Thursday off. When I went back to work on Friday, all day long I thought it was Monday! It was just so very strange.

Friday, we drove to Stuart and met Craig and Traci’s  for supper at Burger King. We gathered up the Three Hof children and brought them home for the weekend. They were all eager to jump in the car and come along with us.  Erica and Dana had plans that evening and Jack had a friend to stay, so Maddie came along with us too. Audri had been sick on Friday and didn’t go to school so she had to wait to come over until Saturday morning. Her mama said she was up and had her suitcase packed about 6 am Saturday!

Peekers!  the rascals.
 

Saturday, we had a whole lot of playing going on. Bella, Audri, Maddie and Gabby. Joey, of course, found his way to cousin Jack’s.

Saturday afternoon, I got the cookie dough out and we girls went at it. We cut and baked about six dozen cookies. After a tea party and more play, we mixed up about 6 different colors of frosting and iced those cookies. I am still wiping frosting off the floor today! But it was fun, the girls were good and creative and we had a great time.

Sunday morning, we got up, dolled up and along with Erica and Kristy, we headed to Des Moines to the Hoyt Sherman Place to see the Nutcracker. We also met up with Traci and Johanna and Lee and so it was, twelve of us sat up in the balcony, Section C, to watch the classic Christmas ballet.

The Nutcracker Suite
 

Afterwards we adjourned to the Zombie Burger restaurant where we all had various forms of the ‘in’ hamburger. The hamburgers were good but the sauces and appetizers were better yet! I'm going to try to make that garlic mayonnaise. 

Our beautiful models!

Joey was brave and joined us.  He and Lee, 2 men amongst 10 women.
 

I didn’t have to work Monday which was a very good thing. I slept late, lazed around in the morning but by afternoon, Lanny and I got in the baking mode. Lanny cooked up the hamburger and cabbage for Runzas and I stirred up the dough. Always, with Runzas there is extra sweet bread dough so we ended up baking a pan of caramel rolls and a pan and a half of cinnamon rolls. We sampled the cinnamon rolls and they were delicious!

Kristy’s birthday is Thursday. Where have the years gone? Seems like just yesterday I was anxiously (and nervously) awaiting the birth of my first baby. Those days and the following years of three more babies and all the  years of childhood, school, sports, sleepovers, holidays et al, were the best of times! (You really don’t remember me grumping, complaining, yelling, do you? I hope all that has faded over the years!)  Wish we could all go back and do it again.  With what I know now, I would do it all better! 

                                                                                       Love you all!  Ma