This is my daughter Amy on her wedding day. On the left is Hannah and on the right is Natalie, my granddaughters.
She got married on June 22nd this year.
I have never seen her look happier and wish only the best for her and her husband Chuck. She has so much love to give and Chuck gives it right back. They are a lovely couple.

We picked the first of our garden today. We are having it for dinner.

It is wonderful growing a garden. Watching it grow and harvesting it as we go along.
One of our many projects right now.

Meet Girlfriend.
She is Mikey's dog. She is a 1 year old Yellow Lab. She is loving and adventurous and as loyal as any dog I have ever met. She was named when we got her. She was 4 months old and had been kept in a small cage and had to fight for food with other dogs when she was let out to eat.
We immediately introduced her to sleeping on the bed and joining us for dinner.Her favorite spot was on the couch by the window, guarding us from all harm. She is now expecting. We have no idea what to expect as she got out and we are unsure of her partners. She will be a great mommy and we will make sure her puppies go to homes where they will be loved.

This is Michael standing under his grape arbor. He put a lot of work into this arbor, realizing a dream he had had for a long time. In the background you see the front porch he enclosed. He has put a lot of work in to this house that was condemned when we bought it in 2000.This was taken this spring. It's been 3 years since the arbor was completed and planted.
Last year it was covered with grapes but lost due to the heat of last summer.
This year we have so many grapes and are determined to harvest them.

This morning I looked up online how to make grapevine wreaths and realized, not only is it simple, but they can also be sold for some extra income. What a great way to clean up the vines when Autumn arrives.

When Michael was gone in his truck there always seemed to be things I had to do. Taking care of home and children and getting ready for him to come home. Now, there is time to explore options and start and finish projects.

Back in January of this year, Michael had a seizure and retirement was forced in the form of disability. It is not possible to drive a big rig after having a seizure.
We have spent the last few months getting him on disability and the struggle of a major life adjustment for both of us. But things are coming together and we are looking forward to this forced life change as one of great opportunities for both of us.

The kids are grown and on their own. Mikey is still at home and has been a help through all of the changes. He has that kind of personality that just rolls with the punches. He is such a blessing.

This is Lilo. She is our 8 year old Basset Hound. She rules the roost. She got on the bed and worked with the covers until she was completely satisfied that she was ready to take a nap. She did this all herself.
We got Lilo when she was 6 weeks old. She came with a bandana around her neck and was so cuddly.
When we got home we had dinner. The first food Lilo had was steak. She has not recovered from the realization that wasn't normal dog food.
Michael is a retired truck driver and Lilo used to go on the truck with him. She doesn't recognize retirement as an official pastime and still wants to go at all times. Barks like crazy if she doesn't get to ride.
She is a napper and a cuddler and has her own opinions on how everything should be.

This is Michael with Sonny J. Sonny was born during the winter. His mother was killed. His 3 siblings died. Sonny J was so determined to live and I fed him with a little kitty bottle I got at Walmart. He was determined to grow and he has. He has an awesome personality and thinks that he is part human. Being raised around dogs he also thinks he's part dog. He will run with them and fetch sticks. He definitely has an identity all his own.

This is the arbor that Michael built. It is a grape arbor and in the front yard we also have roses and morning glories and moonflowers.
We are in the midst of refurbishing and remodeling our house, both inside and out.
This blog will follow our progress and I will post before and after photos as we go.

We are also buying an RV and I will post photos of it too. In between our projects we will travel.
I want to keep track of these "our golden years."

The kids are grown and we have twelve grandchildren. We also have 3 dogs and 5 cats.
2 Bassets, a Yellow lab, a mama cat and her 3 kittens. My kitten that I bottle fed after his mother was killed and his 3 siblings died. He thinks he is part human and follows the dogs around and even picks up sticks like they do.

As we go along I will try and catch everyone up on who is who and each persons place in the family, both two legged and four legged, and include stories about each one.

Feel free to enjoy our journey with us.