I apologize

I need to start with some apologies.

First, sorry that I have been absent for a bit. My internet connection has been nearly impossible. DigitalBridge took over the company we were using and things have rapidly gone from "not great" to "really bad." There are some days I can't even log on until the afternoon and then it's hit and miss. I usually can't load more than 5 pages at a time before it's down again. Today, we've not had any trouble. We'll see how it goes.

Second, sorry that there are going to be an unfair amount of pictures. I've been saving some things up and due to actually having a life and/or no internet service, I haven't been able to share them. Now you get a bunch at once. But a picture is worth a thousand words, so this should classify as an epic tale.

Third, sorry about the comments that my brother-in-law-in-law (Chad's sister's husband) leaves for all of you to enjoy. He likes to be colorful and shocking, though he CAN be pleasant company. He was obviously on his best behavior when he was dating Chad's sister. He once taught the boys how to flip peas with a spoon at a wedding reception. It took several years for us to recover from that!

Now to get down to business. I've been handicapped, so typing is neither fun nor easy. I've had a little semi-squishy, movable bump on my left pinky at the middle knuckle for some time. I had it checked out yesterday and the doctor put in a big needle to drain it. It was a tiny lump of partially calcified blood. It may have been caused by a burn I got there many, many weeks ago. So now my pinky is throbbing and useless. And I keep bumping it on things since I can't bend it. Yes, please feel sorry for me; it may speed up the healing process.

We've recently adopted 3 cats. It was supposed to be 2, but one disappeared so we went looking for another and then the other suspiciously reappeared. So now we have 3, but only 2 are working cats. We got the first two,

Fair - 6 years and

Tabby - 2 years on Monday last week. Fair had some bad luck a couple of years ago and lost a leg. We adopted her out of kindness since she came with Tabby who is a very good mouser. Both cats are very sweet, but still getting used to being in our busy house.

We just got Trouble - 7 months, on Monday this week (because we thought Tabby had escaped and wasn't coming back). He is the odd man out as the two other cats are slow to accept a boy cat into their lives. Trouble is a very unique cat and makes very strange cat calls. Last night we thought he was saying "hello" because it sounded just like it. I'm not sure why he doesn't just meow like a normal kitty. We'll see if he does once he settles in a bit more.

Joseph turned 5 months earlier this month and we decided to try him out on the rice cereal. Here he is with his first taste of semi-solid food (if you don't count the banana he licked or the tiny drop of melted ice cream we poked his pacifier into). He didn't have any problems eating it. I'm not too sure he actually liked it.

And here is a picture of Joseph a little over a month ago. He was so cute in his seat. It will be an adorable scrapbook page some day. This shot makes me think of a gopher peeking up out of his hole.

This is shot I captured one Sunday afternoon. I walked into the room, saw this and walked back out for the camera.

Here is a promising picture. Joseph can already multi-task! Now if only I could figure out how to sleep and do something else at the same time. The world truly would be a better place.


Here is what happens when the kids get a turn with the digital camera. I've been very selective with the pictures I'm sharing. No one needs to see me from the rear - especially an upward view.

I finally finished that little quilt I was working on. Here it is with the binding. Sorry for the dark picture.

The girls recently became ladybugs, due mostly to the costume craft I got from Oriental Trading Company. I've been wondering how Leah knows to tilt her head for a picture.

And here is a little preview of my dining room curtains. (Another reason why I haven't been on the computer as much.) The actual fabric is a bit brighter than the picture shows. I'm going for a patchwork feel, if you can't tell. :)

And while I could continue to ramble on, I really need to go make lunch before the natives eat me alive!