Quiet Day

 I had a quiet day...I did some laundry and put a roast in the crockpot.  Salad and roast pork was what was for supper.  It was a warm day the high was 86F or 30C eh!   I read, watched/ napped through a couple of movies and played a game with Aubrey and Katie.  

Aubrey is here for a few more days with her Mom and Dad last week she had surgery in the Cities, she had two bone grafts in her mouth.  She is a trooper...still looking at 2 or 3 surgeries after the grafts.  Aubrey is our great niece and she was born with a bilateral cleft palate and has endured many surgeries. 

Far Guy went to a nearby car show he gathered with his Car Club group.  He said it was a miserable day...no AC in the old gal Tilly.  I comforted myself thinking that at least I had a car with AC should he break down and need a ride. 

Far Side

Aubrey Holding Back The Storm

The first winter storm of the season is named Aubrey. 

Well here is our Aubrey holding back the storm named after her!  She says she forecasts no snow for us only rain!

Aubrey is feeling much better after her surgery she informed me yesterday that she lost a stitch and a couple of scabs.  Her Mom says she has a whole bunch of stitches in her mouth.

She is smiling! 

Far Side

Visitors

We had some visitors...two legged and four legged.

Hunter, Katie and Aubrey stopped by on their way to the Cities.  Aubrey is having her 8th surgery today.   She was upbeat and smiling, we pray for a successful surgery...it involves a graft to the roof of her mouth...sounds painful to me...my heart goes out to her.

A photo of Aubrey that I took last summer. 

Since we saw her last she has had four teeth removed and has gotten braces in preparation for this surgery.  After surgery she and her Mom will be next door until her recheck.  She will be on a liquid diet for awhile.

The deer are moving around and were in one of the wild gardens closest to the house.

Far Side

Visitors with hugs

Our Great Nephews (the twins) and our Great Niece have been visiting their Grandparents.  They used to live next door a long time ago...when they were little.

The worked on bikes one day taking the best parts of bikes and putting them together.  The boys are helping shingle their grandpas (my other baby brothers) house.  They stop by on their bikes and give the best hugs.  We wish they still lived next door instead of in North Dakota because we miss them.

They are all getting so tall.  Aubrey needs to get her braces back on and several teeth pulled before she has yet another bone graft surgery this Fall.  This will be her 8th surgery since she was born. She is a trooper.
Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: A Smile

Our Great Niece Aubrey was born in May of 2008 with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.

Today Aubrey will undergo her 7th surgery and in a few months her 8th surgery.  That is a surgery a year for her eight years.

I took some photos of her the other day.  She knows that this surgery is a graft surgery and they will take some bone from her hip.   She has been going to the Orthodontist to make this procedure go as smoothly as possible.

I know we won’t see a smile this big for a few weeks.  When she comes home she will be on a liquid diet for many weeks.

Aubrey and her beautiful Mom July 2016

October 2008

Aubrey and her family used to live right next door.  They have since moved to North Dakota.  We miss having them as neighbors.

Aubrey is one of the bravest, spunkiest little girls I know.  If you are so inclined to send up a prayer for her well being I would appreciate it.

Update: The surgery went well, thank you for your prayers! 

Hat Box Surprise!

Recently I found a hat box at a garage sale.  I lifted the cover off and discovered six hats inside.  Perfect for a little girl I know.

She didn’t know what kind of a box it was..but now she has her very own hat box.

Of course we had to have a hat show!

They were very fancy hats in their day.

Trying on hats can mess up your hair.  This one was cotton.

Of course one was woven..kinda a straw hat.

There were three black hats.  One with a bow, one with a chain and one was more of a boys derby..which she said she would give to her brothers..maybe.

This one was her favorite, I think she liked the silky bow…and it might be on backwards.  But hey..you never can tell what may become a fashion trend next.

Aubrey is our Great Niece and she lives next door.

I have several hat boxes, just another of those things I collect..to put other “stuff” in.  None of my hat boxes have hats in them.  No surprise there.  I like them because they hold “stuff” in a pretty way. 

In the day when hats were the norm, a hat box design was almost as important as the hat.  A hat box protected the hat from dust, sunlight and moths. A hat box was meant to hold just one hat…not six..except if you are a little girl:)

Aubrey is Two!

Saturday was Aubrey's birthday party.  Aubrey is two and she is one of my great nieces..she lives next door.  She is not making any consonant sounds yet only vowels..but she can squeal pretty loudly at her brothers! 

She knows some sign language, her Mother has taught her some of the words..all done, more and thank you.  Aubrey has had three surgeries, the first  to repair her cleft lip, the second  repair her cleft palate and then the third to repair a hole that appeared after the second surgery..   One of those times tubes were placed in her ears so she wouldn't get so many ear infections. 

She has a speech pathologist that works with her during the school year. Minnesota has lots of programs in place to help children that need a little extra help. She will be going to see her speech pathologist once a week throughout the summer.

Aubrey understands everything you tell her, she follows directions really well.  She is a very smart little girl, sometimes she is frustrated by her inability to communicate.  Sometimes she looks at you like you are the dumbest person on the face of the earth..I think it might be "the look" and she has it perfected!

She is also entering the terrible twos..or the terrific twos..depending on the day and her mood.

My Dad (Aubrey's Great Grandpa)  with the two youngest children in our family..Aubrey and Brooke (they are cousins) ..can you see where they get their beautiful blue eyes from?

 My Mom ( Aubrey's Great Grandma) and Aubrey.

Aubrey has come a long way in the two years since she was born.  Surgery by surgery her smile is being restored, she will see her specialist again in six months..there is a surgery that can help with her speech..will she or won't she need it..only time will tell.   They may put a tiny camera up and down her nose to see if her palate is working correctly if there is no improvement in her speech in the next six months.  For now, we as a family surround this little girl with lots of love:)