Dinner Guest

Ten years ago this Fall, I had just moved back home to Mom and Dad's after spending the summer in Dallas with my aunt & uncle.  One cold morning my dad brought in two orphaned kittens.  I quickly took to the runty little boy, the fuzzy little girl bonded with Shawn.  Those of you who know me well, know that I do not like baby animals of any kind.  Kitties especially.  Thomas was right at the stage where he was starting to run around with his little tail straight up in the air.  He was just what I needed. I always wanted a big, fat cat...and Thomas grew up to be just that!

When Ryan and I got married, Thomas moved with me to our acreage.  He stayed inside until Drue was born, then he thought it was getting too crowded inside with a baby getting all of the attention so he became an outside farm cat.  He loved exploring and playing in the barn with the wild farm cats. 

Three years ago, when we moved to Eldora, Thomas decided he didn't like our new house.  We tried.  He would come in and meow to go right back out.  So, he went and lived in the pasture behind mom & dad's house.  He was familiar with the area and mom fed him every morning. 

Occasionally, Thomas will mosey over the whopping block to our house for a visit...usually when he can hear the kids playing in the back yard.

But, this entire week we've had a nightly dinner guest...I guess I should say, Cash has had a dinner guest. 

He doesn't mind, he must remember Thomas from our days at the farm. 

It's been two days now that Tom hasn't left our yard...

I think he's wishing he would have stayed three years ago! 

Happy Birthday to My Little Man!

I cannot believe Lane Ryan is F-I-V-E!! It was 5 years ago today that I went in for my routine 37 week appointment.  Mom took the morning off so Drue wouldn't have to go with me.  This was going to be the first time my Midwife would check me to see if there was any progress, dilation, etc...  Mom had just finished painting Lane's room two nights prior and the evening before my appointment, she came over to help move his furniture around.  The room was finished on September 14...which happened to be not one day too soon!

While Kim Boote was checking me, she got a funny look on her face.  "Well... um.  You were at a 6 and while I was in there, I made you a 7! So, unless you want to have your husband take a crash course in 'How to Deliver a Baby in the Car,' I suggest you stay in town."  What a surprise!  Lane wasn't due until October 7th!  Fortunately, I had bags packed and the house was ready for us!  I decided to go shopping at Target until 1:00 when I was going to have my water broken.  (Didn't really end up happening until 3:00) 

Meanwhile, I was trying to get ahold of Ryan Dean.  I knew he was with Shawn, ironically, preg-checking cows.  I couldn't get him to answer the phone.  I figured he'd like to be present for the birth of his son  =) so I called up my dad and told him that I wasn't going to be coming home today and needed him to tell Ryan that after they were done, he should meet me at the hospital.  He actually met me earlier than I expected and we sat in the parking lot of the hospital putting together Drue's "Big Sister" gift, a stroller for her own babies. Hmmm... That makes me think...how did we end up with only one car at the hospital if Ryan drove separately? I think Shawn must have driven Ry's truck home that night after visiting us in the hospital?  I also remember Ryan pushing that little tiny stroller in to the hospital like it was a real one.  He looked at me when we got on the elevator and said, "I bet people think this is a real stroller and my wife is a midget!" 

There was a scary moment in the labor process, the Midwife didn't communicate with the nurses about the amount of pitocin (sp?) she was giving me and both the nurses and the Midwife upped my dosages without telling the other so I was getting way too much and Lane's oxygen and heart rates went either too high or too low, I don't remember.  All I do remember is that all of a sudden a bunch of beepers went off, nurses, even doctors rushed in adjusted things and gave me and the baby oxygen, not exactly sure how they did that, by the way. This all happened while Ryan had left me to go grab a sandwich.  He had no idea any of it happened. 

Later in the evening the nurses told us that things were progressing slowly so around 7 pm we called Drue at Mom & Dad's and told them it would be late, probably early morning before Lane would be born and they might as well go to bed. Well, I don't remember exactly how the next few moments played out, but Dig was born at 7:23 weighing in at 7lbs and stretching 19 inches... three weeks early.  So...Ryan called Mom back and said, "You have a grandson!"  She didn't believe him since just moments ago we told her it would be a while before he entered the world.  We are so thankful that God gave us a perfectly healthy little man that day.  Our families all came to Covenant to meet Lane Ryan Luiken that night.  DD was not impressed and all of a sudden, at 19 and a half months old...looked so grown up. 

Lane Ryan has been a blessing to our family ever since.  We love you Dig!

Someone woke up a little earlier than normal today!  Wonder why?  Dig got to open one of his gifts when he woke up, but has to wait for the others until Daddy gets home from work.  Could be a long day!

Luckily, we will be kept busy doing one of his favorite things!  Making frosted cookies! He takes snacks to Awana tonight.  Here he is making the dough last night! 

More birthday pictures to come!

Cy-Hawks

These two always have so much fun when they are together!  Lane took both his ISU and Iowa jerseys to Mimi & RahRah's this weekend so he could share with Cade and they could have their very own Cy-Hawk game.  After a Mr.Freeze break, they returned outside for the rest of their game because, Cade said..."Lane was making too many touchdowns!"  Sounds like the Cyclones might have won a game Saturday, after all! 

These two, even dispite the age difference, can play all afternoon together!  They find Aunt Trudi & Aunt Traci's clothes from when they were little and dress up.  Here they are being farm girls on their horses!

Favorite Time of Year!

Although windy, today's weather is my favorite.  Cool enough to wear 'cozy' pants as we call them in our house.  I have windows opened to accentuate the crispness in air because we're having chili for supper, whether Ryan thinks it's too early in the year or not!  It's chilly in here!

The kids and I were talking about how this is my favorite time of year.  How I don't think their dad wants to hear it, but I even love winter.  I'd much rather be cold than too hot.  You can always put more clothes on...you can only get so naked.  We named off things we love about this time of year...cozy pants, fuzzy socks, warm soups, football games, the Hawkeyes, walks at Pine Lake, pumpkins, we could have gone on and on...

 Today, after school, Drue ran to her room and put cozy pants on and her favorite pair of fuzzy socks.  While watching her brother play the Wii she pulled off a sock.  I noticed how FULL of colorful fuzz her toes were already, then I heard her say, "Ah! This IS my favorite time of year!  I LOVE to pick my toes!"

That girl has loved to pick toes since she's had toes! 
She still sits on the bathroom floor naked every night before her bath to check for gunk between the piggies.  The more the better...

"I Don't Get This?!"

On our ride home from school this afternoon, I asked Lane who he played with. 

"Well.  Not Hayley or Owen.  I played with Abby...and I don't get this!-----

She said, she LOVES me!"

Oh boy!  I have to admit, this isn't surprising... Drue had a crush on Abby's brother when they were in preschool together!

Just as long as he remembers the only girl he can kiss is his Momma!

Wordless Wednesday

Penny Cutie Luiken

Do you know Penny Cutie Luiken? She is our kitty...well, actually she's a cat. A fat cat.  She was born last May.  She was born in an old oil barrel at my Dad's farm shop.  That Spring we frequented the shop often to check on the kids' bottle calves.  Pa showed the kids the new batch of kitties and Dig fell in love.  They were too tiny for me to even pick up...I have an issue with baby-baby animals, especially kitties...eew.  Dig would ask to go see the kitties and always held the same one.  I asked him why he liked the little tabby the best and he would say, "because she has a chubby face...and she's so cute."  He named her Cutie. 

Penny Cutie's birthplace...

She's in there somewhere, with her siblings...

That same Spring DD was dead set on getting a turtle.  She wanted one bad.  We looked for one, went shopping for one then saw how much the 'safe' turtles were and decided that we really didn't need a turtle.  So...her daddy said they could pick out a new kitty from the farm and bring home as a compromise. 

We headed right to Pamida for the supplies since it had been a couple years that we had an indoor kitty.  Ryan and I had Thomas, well actually, he was mine, Ryan got him as an added 'bonus' when he married me!  ha!  Actually, Tom is a very good cat.  He is huge and he meows loud...I love that.  The only thing is that when we moved he freaked out and decided he'd rather live in the pasture behind my parents' house.  He sits around outside all day and we see him often.  He just didn't like our new house, evidentally.  Anyhoo...after Pamida, we ran to the farm, toy pet carrier in hand and found Cutie. 

June 1, 2009 "Daddy said we could get a kitty!"

You have no idea what you are in for, but Pa said,

"if she plays her cards right she'll have quite the life for a farm cat!"

She hid under the tv armoir for the entire first day we had her.  She has quite the attitude, as I would if I had 2 kids chasing me, trying to dress me up, stick me in boxes and push me in little grocery carts. Today, she grabs your leg when you walk by and bites if you try to pet her and she's not in the mood. She chases...and I mean chases the kids down the hall.  They run up on the couch for safety.  She's our Tiger.  Dig says she's evil. 

Hiding out

Dig stuck her in the little dollhouse...

and in his cowboy boot box...

She was (and still is) swaddled like a baby...

and squished by two little people who love her very much!

Penny (we added Penny to go with Cash our dog...but not really because he's named after Johnny Cash...not money...ridiculous, I know) usually stays hidden during the day, until of course, someone comes over.  She will usually stay where she can see us, but we can't touch her.

Well, Ms. Thing has a new hangout.  My grandpa Larson built this doll house for me.  He built all 3 grandaughters one.  I was actually a little old, past the Barbie stage when I received mine.  But, thankfully, mom and dad kept it for me.  We brought it home a couple of weeks ago and us girls have already spent many evenings redesigning rooms and buying carpet samples from the local decorating store.  Penny has claimed the sun deck. 

See her up there?

Keep your distance!

If you can't find her...look there. But don't touch...the Princess doesn't like to be disturbed.