A Lovely Day at the Meadows

This past Saturday we had such a beautiful day at the Vineyard that I had to shoot photos and tell all about it. First, it was a "classic" Missouri fall day... not too warm, nice in the sunshine, light breeze... the works! Next, we had some really great visitors at the winery. We hosted our first ever BOOK group! It was wonderful. They brought snacks, had a wine tasting, and then spent about 3 hrs or so discussing their book of the month while laughing and sipping wine. Very mellow, totally neat and what an obviously great group of friends! We are hoping they'll come back again for a repeat... however, the weather was amazing and something we told them was made to order for their day!
Later in the day, our son-in-law, Leon, brought out his youth from St. Charles. They came for "fun on the farm" night... and we had a bonfire, roasted hotdogs, did the classic s'mores... and discovered that creative teens can make croquet a hilarious sport when they really put their minds to it! Again, what a fun bunch to have hanging out with us at the farm!
Finally, our neighbor did some haying across the lane, which made for a chance to get some rather "scenic" and idyllic photos of the farm from out on the lane... I love the look of the round bales in the fields. All in all... a great Saturday!

The book club ladies!

The croquet champions start their match!

Brad Rogers supervises the bonfire!

Harvest is Finished!

We finished our harvest work this weekend and with the help of many friends and family who came out to enjoy a gorgeous Saturday, we picked just about 1800 lbs of Norton grapes. They were crushed just before the sun went down, and we could put our feet up and sigh happily.

The grapes came back well from the freeze of last year. If all holds, this year's vintages should be very good! More things to be thankful for in a time when a lot of things seem a bit shaky and unpredictable. Happy Fall everyone!

A weekend in the North

We zipped away to the cooler North this first weekend in October... and visited Katie, Nathan, and the grandmunchkins! What a beautiful time! We celebrated Rhylah's upcoming first birthday just a few days early and just RELAXAED! I will be posting her birthday pics on the actual day of her birthday (Oct. 8th) but I couldn't resist posting just a few. In many of these she's wearing the new sweater that I made her. She looks so cute in it!

We also got to visit with Uncle Carl. He's Ed's bachelor uncle who has been such an important part of the family for over 80 years. He came for dinner on Saturday night and he and Rhylah had a great time chatting with each other.

Rhylah models her new cardigan.
I absolutely LOVE knitting for my grandkids!

Working the remote... 1 year old style.

The Harrmanns by their fireplace.

A sweet smile while swinging in her baby swing.

Rhy and Uncle Carl share some conversation and smiles.

Farewell summer!

Tomorrow is officially the first day of fall, so today I had to take one last "official" summer swim.
The pool is down to a briskly refreshing 72 degrees, so none of my fellow family members would swim with me. (one advantage to carrying a few extra pounds is that one can swim and be a bit better "insulated" from the cold than other folks). Gret was over and even went jogging, but couldn't bring herself to leap into the chilly water. Actually, once I got it, it felt really great... and I got a bit sad to see the end of summer. Soon we'll be closing it down for winter, but not yet... this week it's supposed to hit 82 or higher each day.

Speaking of this week... it's been dubbed "National Stay at Home Week" - how very convenient too, since it is the start of the season premieres on television. I know I am anxiously awaiting the new season of "ER", my perennial favorite. I am also hopelessly nuts about "Dancing with the Stars' and have picked the winners for the past 3 seasons! My latest favorite is "America's Got Talent" - and I can proudly say that I picked ALL of the five finalists! Now my dilemma, which one to vote for in the finals! Oh no! I can't choose!!!! Reality TV reminds me of the old days of Carol Burnett and Ed Sullivan. Variety shows of all types used to abound... and I rather miss that sort of entertainment. There was something so innocent and "family" about seeing regulars do comedy sketches and watching new talent be showcased.

Well, enjoy your first week of Fall.... the leaves will be falling down in no time!

Up, up, and AWAY!

We were all bobbing in the pool last night enjoying the last official night of summer, when Sydney decided to dazzle us with her latest accomplishment. She was playing peek-a-boo with her papa and I from her vantage point in the playpen placed at poolside. And that was when she decided to use the mesh sides of the playpen to leverage herself up to a standing position! We all cheered, perhaps a bit too loudly, and she tipped over and plopped back down into the mattress. However, she was ready to try again, much to the delight of herself and all her loyal fans. Look out world, she's going to be WAY more mobile now!

Look at the grin... she knows she's done something big!

My Baby Girl's New "Nest"

I have been SO busy this week with school and out at the vineyard that I really have been a blog slacker. Two weekends ago we were able to scoot up to St. Joseph, Michigan and see the new home of Kate, Nate, and the kids. It's a BEAUTIFUL and really cool home right in the heart of town. It's got historical character everywhere you look and LOTS of space for three kids and a dog to play! I am hoping that Kate won't mind if I post a few photos from that weekend here... she won't be online for another 10 days yet - and I know HER pics will have all the finishing touches with pictures on the walls etc. I have just captured "early move in" and basic wall painting - so enjoy.... We are SO happy for the kids in their new "nest"!

This is the front view... pretty huh?

This is the kitchen looking toward the back door...

And here is the view looking toward the front of the house in the kitchen.

This is the dining room. It's HUGE!

Here is the boys' room.... love the way their beds look in here.

This is Kate and Nathan's room... you could hold a barn dance in here!

Another view of their pretty room... note the fireplace!

Here's the living room.... looking toward the French doors that lead into the kitchen.

Here's a slightly different angle to the living room so you can see fireplace #2!!

Rhylah's room is all sweet and pink and here she is snoozing in it!

Wedding Bells and Photo Fun!

This weekend I had the honor to shoot photos for a wedding of two of our former students. Josh and Amy became husband and wife, and it was a perfect day and a lovely wedding! We had such a good time, even while dashing about capturing all the pretty moments we could. Here are a few of my shots... the rest will have to wait until after the happy couple and their parents get to see them. I love taking pictures of happy occasions!























One of the bridal portraits of Amy.























What's a wedding without bubbles?























The happy couple... Josh & Amy!























Off they go, hand in hand!

A Toe is an Incredible Piece of Creation!

Anyone who has doubts about the divine genius behind Creation needs to take a good look at their big toe... or any toe actually! I have recently been doing a lot of meditating about toes! Now before you think I've gone off my noodle, I need to explain to those who don't know me all that well that I've recently (July 24th) undergone a "surprise" surgery on my right big toe. It wasn't anticipated and it's been a rather interesting thing to see my foot revive and rehab from this experience. (It probably goes with my previous post about courage... huh?)
The point is, toes are relatively easy to ignore until they don't work correctly, or you stub them on something, or you have to have them temporarily disabled! I have a new appreciation for the miracle of a toe. How balancing fully on your foot makes the rest of you line up rightly and walk without fatigue. When you can't do any of that even for a short while, you marvel at how something so small can impact you so greatly!
I am not posting a photo of my post-surgical toe...some things are better left to the imagination. But as of Friday, I am back into shoes... even if they are tennis shoes and walking relatively pain free. The next big day will be when I can fully bend all my right foot's toes... stay tuned!

Courage in Multiple Forms

Well, it's been a bit since my last post... and an interesting past 5 days to say the very least. The topic of this post is "courage".... at least I think that's where I'm headed with it. First I need to brag on Asher. He spent the first 3 weeks he was here being "afraid" of the pool even though last summer he would leap into it with total abandon. However, on his last day here before he went to Michigan for a visit, he "remembered" how to swim in his magic coat! He's back from Michigan for another week here, and now we only have to worry about him turning into a little prune in the pool. He paddles around happily humming to himself and feeling very proud. That is true courage on his part... and we're so happy he "remembered" his love for water.

Asher happily bobs about in the pool.

That brings us to the other form of "courage". I went to see the foot doc on July 18 about pain I'd been having in my right foot. Turns out, my joint in my big toe was slowing wearing away and if I had waited much longer, I'd have been looking at joint replacement. (Not a fun thought nor a perfected technique at this point. So I scheduled the necessary surgery as soon as I could get it. That happened on July 24th and I have spent the next 4 days pretty much flat on my back with it elevated. The surgery itself was cake... I didn't feel a thing. The aftermath was about as bad as I expected.... pretty darn painful! However, today I went in to have it checked and re-wrapped, and I "graduated" to a boot - a.k.a. a "walking cast"- which I will have to drag about with me wherever I go until August 8th. I was fairly bummed by this news. The pool, as you can see, is looking lovely and it's warm, and now it's off limits for at least another 10 days! Plus, I will be on limited activity until I'm back at school. Okay, I am done whining now... for awhile. I am grateful to have saved the joint, grateful for a good surgery, and grateful that I can at least laugh about it. So here's to courage - both great and small.... and the lessons it is teaching us about what we are truly capable of doing. Huzzah!

My boot... yes, there's a foot in there somewhere!

Musically Inclined? Maybe!

In the Staude clan it is never too early to begin fostering a love for music. So when 6 month old Sydney came to play today, it was time to see what she thought about keyboard music. She began by shyly touching one key.... and ended up a rather excited and bouncing new "musician". What fun!

Can't I play some more? Do I have to take a nap???

Summer Fun with my Buddies

As most of you can probably tell, I am living in something akin to "Grandma Heaven" right now. All my grandchildren are here in St. Charles and three out of four are living right here at my house! It's perfect! So I just had to post a couple of cute shots taken just today. I've been sewing a few things for Rhylah... and today's project was this sweet pink gingham outfit with matching bloomers. What fun to make things for GIRLS! Yay!

This next shot is of Asher, whom I call "my little buddy". Today was a landmark day... Ash remembered that he liked swimming all on his own without anyone holding him. So it was a really wonderful thing to see him literally paddle away from all his water fears and just swim all over the pool in his "magic coat" (flotation vest). We all cheered and he swam for almost an entire hour all on his own. Suffice it to say this is one little guy who will sleep soundly tonight!
More fun in future posts!

The Tale of the Cupcakes

This is our photo story about cupcakes....

One Saturday afternoon, Grandma decided it would be fun to make cupcakes with Asher and Gabe. After all, she used to bake with Kindergarteners all the time, and besides, the boys needed something fun to do. We chose chocolate because we like it and it's good and messy!
Asher got to help first, he put the mix into the bowl... and on the counter, and on himself.. just a little!
Then we poured in water and oil, and Gabe got to put in the eggs. Then Asher got the first turn on the beaters on SLOW - he had to keep one hand behind his back to keep it safe!

This is what Momma was doing while her boys were cooking... she and Rhylah were snuggling on the sofa!

Next, Gabe had a turn at the mixer! He got to run it on medium high for TWO whole minutes. Asher got a little bored with waiting at this point.


Once Gabe finished with the mixer, suddenly no one cared very much about cupcakes! All they wanted to do was lick the beaters. (All health conscious people turn away at this point... yes, we know about the dangers of eating cupcake dough... but special angels watch over little boys who do it only occasionally!)

Meanwhile, Momma and Rhylah had fallen asleep on the sofa just around the corner from where we were cooking! So we couldn't have been too terribly noisy!


Gabriel finished his beater first, and went to work putting the dough into the little paper cups.
It was tricky, the dough was thick and he really had to concentrate!

Grandma decided it might be a good time to clean up Asher! And then we popped the pan into the oven.

Asher put the sprinkles on while Gabe did most of the frosting, and here is the result!!! (Ta-DAH!) We made 21 cupcakes... and within only 24 hrs. we have only 11 left. We think there might be a "cupcake troll" sneaking in and eating them when we're not looking cos' everyone says they've only had one or two when we take a census!
Then Grandma thought it might be a good time for a nap!

Happy Birthday USA! - July 4th Fun

Asher and Gabriel wait for Parade to come by!

The St. Charles West Marching Band!

It was a fantastic July 4th! The rains that had been forecast stayed away and we had a picture perfect day! We started by going to the parade... and St. Charles knows how to do a 4th of July Parade like almost no other town does! Enough candy is tossed to kids on the sidelines to rival a Halloween size haul! People come from all over to watch the one and a half hour spectacle!
After the parade, we went home to enjoy the pool and eat, eat, eat. (See Gret's blog link for details on that fun!) and then about 8:30 we took the kids down to the river to see the fireworks. Three sets of little eyes were about as big as saucers as they watched the sky... oohing and ahhing! It was almost more fun to watch the grandkids' reactions than the fireworks themselves. All in all, it was a PERFECT celebration of America's 232nd year!

Katie and Dad!

Nathan and Rhylah

Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty even showed up!

Rhylah tries her first lolly while wearing her parade beads!

Kate and Rhylah