Yesterday was a quiet day mostly spent in bed due to one of my infrequent bad back days. As a result, I haven’t had as much time to work on a post but I’ve still got some good stuff to share!
Meagan’s dad, Frank, came to town for a couple of days, and on Saturday, he and the family came over for lunch before he went to the airport. It was so fun for the grands to have both Grandpa Smith and Papa Hawley in the house.
(Meagan too most of the photos.)
Frank loved being with the grandkids again.
And of course, he loved seeing his favorite youngest daughter. It is so heart-warming to see the closeness the two of them share.
We had a delicious lunch mostly prepared by Nathan and Meagan. They just burst into the kitchen and started whipping things up. I am heretofore going to call them my Personal Hired Caterers. Don’t you love how Meagan arranged the fixings?
Andrew and I had fun hanging out. I kept on counting his fingers and ending up with nineteen, which just astonished/annoyed/puzzled him to no end. I just love that age.
My creative eye appreciated the fact that Noah’s shirt matched the flowers behind him.
Simple summer pleasures are the best.
when I wrote about getting rid of some of our furniture.
Steve and the fellas definitely gave free rein to their redneck side as they moved furniture from the garage up to the main part of the house using the riding mower.
A few days later, Gage joined the fun with another piece. Hey, when something works, you just go with it!
This is Tippi, wondering just what kind of wacky family she has ended up in. I’m sure she’s thinking, “Well, Great-Grandma and Grandpa Smith never did all those wild things.”
Sorry, Tippi. You’re stuck with us!
From sweet Tippi and all of us–we wish you a wonderful week.
What about you?
Have you ever come up with unusual solutions for getting a particular job accomplished?
And in connection with that, do you have a favorite Life Hack–like Meagan putting the condiments in the muffin tin? I love learning life hacks!
I’m sorry you’re having back pain again. Back pain stinks! Hope it’s better in no time. I don’t really have any hacks that I can think of right now. My brain is muddled as I speak. Still in the process of packing, sorting and getting ready to move. It’s rather overwhelming but I’m finding it’s a great process because I am getting rid of so much stuff that we don’t need anymore. 😊
Tippi is so cute! Love the picture!!
LeeAnne,
You have a good excuse for a muddled brain; packing, sorting, and getting ready to move will do that to you!
And yes, I agree, that moving is the BEST cure for havng too much stuff. It feels good to pare down in the packing process, doesn’t it?
Becky,
I hope your back pain is better. That is NO FUN at all!
I don’t have a lot of “food hacks” but we have a large family so when we all get together we use a sharpie to write on our disposable cups so that we don’t have to waste (or wash) everyone drink cups.
I can appreciate the lawnmower moving vehicle! Anything to make it easier!!
Tippi is so precious! I know she’s enjoying the next generation of Smiths!
Suzanne,
I actually saw a cup holder advertised somewhere recently that came complete with a sharpie holder built right into it. That is definitely a great life hack!
Thankfully, my back is doing quite a bit better. Thanks for asking.
I always enjoy pics of all the Smith grandkids! What a creative way to move the heavy furniture! That’s smart, not redneck-ish! Tippi’s photo is adorable!! Hope you get relief from your back pain and have a great rest of your week!
Sue Ellen,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree–Tippi really is adorable, isn’t she? Love that face.
Hope your back is feeling better. Knock on wood, I have never had a lot of back pain. One of our pastors is having spinal fusion Wednesday. He is not that old either – early 40s I would say. He has lived with pain for years apparently, but you would never know it.
I bought two new chairs for my patio last fall. They are Amish built and took several months to get here. I didn’t want to pay the delivery fee they wanted to charge – over $100 for about a mile so I put one in the back of my car, brought it home and got it onto the patio with the help of a neighbor. Then I went back after the other one and did the same thing. He had a dolly that we used on the second one.
I know the grandkids and Meagan were happy to see the Florida Grandpa.
Phyllis,
What fun to get Amish-built chairs. Our dining room table is Amish-built and it is such a high quality. I know you’ll enjoy them so much. And good job on getting them home!
What fun to have a double Grandpa day! And I love the Tippi photo 🙂
My childhood trick for moving heavy things like the full recycling bin was to wheel them on my dad’s skateboard, but a riding mower would have been so much more fun!
I don’t think I have many life hacks. Perhaps this is something everyone does, but I keep baking soda in a spice jar an sprinkle it in the shoes of anyone in the family who tends towards stinky feet. It makes all the difference in the world, and it’s easy to travel with!
Robin,
A skateboard is a great idea; I love it!
And baking soda is fabulous for so many things; stinky feet included. And I love the idea of putting it in a spice jar.
I mix it with some shampoo to help get the “gunk” form hair products out of my hair when I wash it.
Back pain stinks. So sorry you have to deal with that.
I was so happy to see that Meagan got to see her daddy and the grands were able to revel in some Double Grandpa Joy!
I love Meagan’s muffin tin hack. I’m going to use that! And moving furniture with the lawn mower? Redneck genius at its best. 😁
May Tippi have abundant grace to deal with her wild family!
Love to all!
Deb
Deb,
Rednecks, unite! Get out that riding mower and MOVE something!
Tippi is such a good sport through all the comings and going of our lives–although I DO think I see her sneaking sideways glances at us when the shenanigans get a bit much. 🙂
Tippi is so cute – and what a treasure to have Meagan’s dad visiting! I see she’s in the “girls who look like their fathers” club, like me. 🙂
Meagan is certainly creative! What a great idea for toppings!
I have a few hacks, but they’re all travel-related:
*Have a “travel-ready” space in a closet that contains everything you need to pack for a trip, so you can pack at a moment’s notice (and to save running around looking for things):
—-Suitcases/duffels/backpack/travel purse
—-Outlet/socket adapters + charging cables
—-Ziplock bag of travel-size toiletries
—-Fully charged headphones/earbuds
—-Fully charged power banks
—-Neck pillow and large scarf (wear it, and then use it as a blanket)
—-Travel set of grooming tools (comb, brush, hair ties, magnifying mirror, razor, tweezers, hair appliances, etc.)
—-Travel umbrella and any travel-specific clothing
—-Travel laundry stuff (expandable drying line, sink stopper, detergent sheets)
—-Loaded MetroCard or Oyster Card for public transit
I keep my travel purse stocked with tissues, lip balm, photocopies of passports, etc.
We also have a ‘road trip’ bag in our basement – it has paper towels, trash bags, ziplock bags, Gazetteers, a full-sized towel, picnic blanket, paper plates/plastic utensils, and a pop-up sun shelter. 🙂
Stefanie,
Wow–what a great list with such helpful advice. I have to admit I had to look up Gazetteer. That was a new one for me.
I must say that you and your husband should win every award for travel organization. I need to follow your example; I get frantic when I pack and throw up my hands in despair about a quarter of the way through the process. Maybe if I remember some of your advice, I can de-stress myself. Thanks for taking the time to share all that wonderful info!
Becky
I really like that picture of Tippi!
Made me smile.😇
Not feeling so well since I got a sore throat. Oh well . That happens.
Hopefully your back is feeling better!
I know I comment very often but hey I read every week and once in a while I send pictures.
Hopefully next year you will get more pictures because next year I am going on holiday to a place in Europe I have wanted for a long time 😇
Katrina,
Glad Tippi made you smile in the midst of not feel well. Glad you get to go to a special place on holiday. Europe is a place I would LOVE to visit!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!