Coming Home is Just the Best!

Ahhhhh. Home Sweet Home.  There is nothing like coming home and sleeping in your OWN bed with your OWN pillow in your OWN home.  It is always the best feeling. My welcome committee was pretty special as well.  I am so happy to be home and look at these cute faces that were just waiting for me......

Awww - Look at this cute little Juneau Labradoodle Boy

Juneau's Puppies will have their little eyes opening soon

Juneau's 2 little Girls

Trixie's Double Doodle Babies are almost ready for their new homes!

This Curly Boy is a complete LoveBug

Snuggle Buddy

Perfect Camera Pose

This boy is a soft big stuffed animal of love!

See?

Coming home is just the Best!!!!

Packed to the Gills

To say our car was packed to its maximum capacity would be a gross understatement.  There was simply NO room left.  In fact, we had a small cooler that we had to give to my sister to take home with her as we could not fit it in our car.  My nephew was quite happy with our lack of room because he got all the Reese's Cup Ice Cream cups.  With all our daughter's possessions, her uniforms, her USNA belongings, our Commissioning Week paraphernalia, and leftover food from the week's festivities - we headed on home.  The drive home took longer than usual as the roads were littered with accidents.  We couldn't believe all the delays.  The worst one was actually on the other side of the freeway. An entire dump truck load of asphalt spilled all over the freeway when the truck flipped over during the accident.  The freeway was backed up for miles and miles. In fact if you have loved ones traveling east on I-70 - they will definitely be late for dinner.  In addition to the overturned asphalt truck, we passed a semi truck that had to be completely engulfed in flames. It was nothing but cinders by the time we passed it.  It was a long drive home - but we made it safe and sound.  The puppies and doodle doggies were SO excited to see us. Our younger daughter did a most excellent job of caring for our little four legged loved ones at Yesteryear Acres so that we could watch our older daughter graduate.  I am not sure who was happier - the doodle doggies or my daughter! We were equally happy to see them too!  Now we get the fun job of unloading all the stuff.  Guess it will be a late night but tonight...we sleep in our own beds! Hooray!

USNA Graduation/Commissioning Day

Today we watched our older daughter walk across the stage and receive her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from the United States Naval Academy. The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps administered the Oath of Office and with that, our daughter became a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.  His request, "The world is not a nice place and you will be joining me in the fight. Welcome to my Corps- wear the cloth well."  My heart filled with pride as did my eyes with tears.  We then watched our daughter receive her first salute from Mr. Yesteryear Acres Dad. He was dressed in his dress white uniform and was beyond handsome. To have her Grandpa give her the first salute was so meaningful and in return her grandpa holds the silver dollar she gave him.  It is a day we will never forget. Our 2nd Lieutenant.  Be ready for pictures, pictures and more pictures when I return home!

Memorial Day

I cannot express enough the deep significance Memorial Day has to everyone at Yesteryear Acres. It is a holiday to remember those that have served. Today on this Memorial Day as we ready for tomorrow's United States Naval Academy graduation ceremony and the Commissioning of our daughter into the United States Marine Corps, being grateful for our servicemen and service women could not fill our hearts more. We took time out of our day to go visit the World War II Memorial. We walked around the memorial and read each of the plaques dedicated to those who lost their lives in the war.  We looked at the massive list of names engraved on the large granite pillars. We walked in silence and I held back the tears as I thought of all those who gave their lives to protect us. Thank you to those that serve. Thank you for the bottom of my heart.

USNA Reflections

This morning our daughter took us on a leisurely tour of the Naval Academy. We of course have been there many times before but this was a reminiscent tour.  A look back. A "remember when".  A "this is the last time we will walk these hallow grounds" tour.  We took one last trip to the midstore.  We took one last look at Tecumseh. We took one last look at the court in front of Bancroft Hall. We took our time and brought our camera and took a ton of pictures.  We took pictures of her Chemistry building.  We took pictures of the monuments.  We took pictures of the Ginkgo Biloba trees where she gathered leaves for her Research Project on Alzheimer's. We walked the entire Naval Academy grounds and took the time to appreciate her 4 years spent here. We had no other plans, no place to be, our only agenda was to spend the day reflecting, appreciating, remembering .....and now.....we begin to look toward the future.  The day after tomorrow she will no longer be a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. The day after tomorrow she will be a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. We are ready.

MidMom Friends are the Best

This morning bright and early at 7am sharp I went to a big breakfast party with my midmom friends.  Through the wonders of social networking we all found each other as each of our children embarked on their 4 year journey at the United States Naval Academy. We became fast friends and have been there for each other through the highs and the lows. It has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride these past 4 years and we have been each other's greatest support group.  We gathered this morning for one last hurrah. One last chance to get together. One last chance to laugh and cry and reminisce and cherish all the times we have shared.  I think there were at least 30 of us at the breakfast and we chatted and laughed the entire party away. It was wonderful.  Even though our children will be taking their Oaths on Tuesday and then moving on to new amazing adventures, the friendships we have made will never fade. I have a feeling that we will be there for each other forever. To all my midmom friends....thank you for your friendship!

Cry?! Who Me? NO WAY!

I made it! Happily I have made it in time to Annapolis so that I was present at the Naval Academy when my older daughter received some special awards and recognition. I was so grateful to have been able to attend the ceremonies. All the way to the Naval Academy I assured myself - I would not cry.  All the way to the Naval Academy, I wondered why so many moms of midshipmen had been getting all emotional this week. Not me.  This is a joyous occasion.  This is a time to celebrate.  This is an accomplishment of a lifetime.  This is no time for tears! I arrived full of smiles.  How exciting!  I smiled while I met many of her midshipmen friends.  I smiled when I met many of her professors. I smiled when I met many of her military leaders, captains, advisors and other people of importance.  I smiled through the slideshow. I smiled through the small movie of what it means to be a Marine.  I secretly gave myself pats on the back for not having any tears roll down my face.  I thought, "I am really good at this!"  I watched my daughter walk up on stage to receive one of her awards from the Chemistry Department, when I thought...."I remember when she walked across the stage in 2nd grade to get her best speller award.  I remember when she got her Science student of the year award in 7th grade. I remember when......." Suddenly, I could feel my eyes filling up with tears.  I could feel all the love welling up in my eyes and the pride I felt for my daughter roll down my cheeks. I wouldn't call it "crying" but I confess, I was glad I had some tissues in my purse.  I think I better restock.  I feel a few more "I am NOT crying!" moments are going to hit me...like maybe as I write this blog.  I hope I can spellcheck through all this water in my eyes! Darn these allergies!

MISSING! Seven Dwarfs!

Such Sadness!  Such heartbreak! The Seven Dwarfs are GONE!!!!  Not too far from our house there is a hill that overlooks a turn in the road.  On top of the hill are statues of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  They are completely hideous statues but from the very first time I saw them, I felt the need to wave.  Then I felt the need to make my kids wave. Then it became "THE LAW"! You are not allowed to go on any road trip or return from any road trip without waving to the Seven Dwarfs.  Of course the kids all balk and moan but no matter how much they protest, waving happens.  One time my son was adamant that he would NOT wave but as we were just passing by the Seven Dwarfs, there went his hand back and forth, waving.  I mean you just can't drive by and NOT wave.  You can't do it.  It is a huge tradition now and we all get ready as we approach the hill.  It is time for THE SEVEN DWARFS...MOAN...GROAN....PROTEST....WAVING!!!!  Waving with enthusiasm!! Today, as we drove by, eager with waving anticipation......THE DWARFS WERE GONE!  Instead there was an EXCAVATOR on the hill and NO DWARFS!  ACK! Who did this?!?!!! Where are my Dwarfs????!!!!   I immediately called my kids to tell them the horrible news.  Each one of them is in mourning.  Even my son was sad they were gone.  sigh.  I guess we will have to find a new tradition. Anyone know a place where 7 lonely ugly dwarfs and one half faded snow white might be hanging out? We miss them already!!!!!

SEVENTY DAYS??????

As I was driving to the store this morning I noticed a brand new construction sign. It is bright orange.  It has BIG BOLD letters.  It spells D O O M.... "NOTICE: This bridge will close starting June for SEVENTY DAYS" 70 days? CLOSED.  NO bridge??????!!!!! For the entire summer?????  Are you kidding me? I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that. Instead of driving on my road for 5 miles on a nice straight little path to get into town - I can go ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WORLD to get there.  My 10 minute little trips to the store are no more. This will be a huge inconvenience.  My son runs cross country and has to be at the school at 7am most mornings during the summer. The bridge is located right before the turn to go to his school. ACK!  I will have a road trip to get there now. ACK! UGH! WAH! I must study Google Maps. I must come up with an alternative route. There has to be a way that won't take as long as I fear it will take.  If I don't find a good route......my son might want to consider Triathlons! Yes!  That is the ticket! He should become a triathlete!  He can work on the swimming training right away! I will drive him right up to the bridge, he can jump out of the car, dive into the river, and SWIM to cross country practice!  Yes! I am so brilliant!  I came up with a solution so quickly!  No road construction worries for me!

Left Behind

This is the BIG week.  The week that leads up to the single most important event in my older daughter's life. In exactly one week from today, my daughter will walk across the stage at the United States Naval Academy and receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.  This IS Commissioning week.  Four long hard dedicated years have led to this moment. Upon receiving her diploma, she will also be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. It is a huge momentous occasion for my entire family. We had hopes and dreams that we would all be together to witness the big celebration. We had hopes and dreams that we would be able to leave home without worrying about the puppies and doodle doggies. We had hopes and dreams that we would all be together when the midshipman covers are tossed into the air. Then Reality came knocking on the door.  How can we all leave the puppies and doggies behind without one of us being here? The puppy poop needs cleaned up every 15 minutes.  Yep - 4 times an hour is how often we do the fun puppy poop patrol. The double doodle puppies need to go outside every 2 hours for a potty break.  Every 2 hours.  Not 3 or 4 or whenever someone feels like it.  Not after a movie is all over but many times RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of a movie. The mommy doggies need to go outside just about every 2 hours as well. The doggies need food, the doggies need love, the doggies need someone here all the time.  It is a lot of work.  We could hire help - but no one cares for our doggies like we do.  It isn't just a job to us. We pour our hearts into our work out of love every hour of every day of every week of every year. There are no days off. And so...someone has to stay behind.  One of us will miss the big graduation ceremony. One of us will miss seeing our loved one reach her dream. It is really sad but it is what we all signed up for when we decided we would care for and love living, breathing, loving, little four legged creatures. Doodle doggies and puppies never know if it is Christmas or a special Birthday or a Wedding or Commissioning Day. They just know they love us - and we love them. And for the really big question, that has been asked many times...........
Dear Mr. Yesteryear Acres Mommy,
Dear Mommy of mine,
Dear anyone else who is worried (my sister) .........
No. We do not know who is staying behind. We don't have that worked out yet. No. It isn't an easy decision. Yes. We do think it is sad. Yes. We do wish we could all be together. Please don't fret. Just remember - the hard working values of our family, the devotion, the determination, the loyalty, the commitment, are the paths we choose to follow every day.  We are blessed.  Our older daughter will now be a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps. She will be the most hard working, devoted, determined, loyal, committed Marine Corps officer and we all (whether at home or at the ceremony) couldn't be happier or more proud! Semper Fi! Always Faithful!

Puppy Monday Happiness

Hey! It is Monday! That means....................
PUPPY PICTURES!!!!!
Everyone loves Puppy Mondays!  The puppies were very good models and did great on today's afternoon photo shoot. Look how much bigger Trixie's Double Doodle babies are this week!  They will be starting solid food now and will really start to grow. Awwwww such cuties!

Oh! I like this grass carpet!

Oh! I like this lap better!

Hey! Who is calling us?

Mr. Yesteryear Acres! You give the best kisses!

In just a few more weeks - I will be ready for my new family!

I can't wait to meet them!

Juneau's little babies didn't want to be left out. They say....

"Nap time is the BEST time!"

See you next week!

Double Trump!

Mr. Yesteryear Acres pulled the trump card on me yesterday!  Here I was, trash bags in hand, boxes at the ready, ready to tackle my son's room.  We had just got in a nice groove. At the very start of the massive excavation, my son was all, "I don't want to" and "This is so boring" and "I hate working inside".  We JUST got past that and were starting to make some headway when Mr. Yesteryear Acres called. "TIME TO GET THE HAY IN!" What???? Hay? NOW?!?  UGH! Mr. Yesteryear Acres needed our son to start mowing the hay field RIGHT NOW.  You know the ole saying about making hay while the sun shines. Well evidently this weekend the sun was shining brightly and instead of "let's tackle that bedroom" - it was, "Let's make Hay!" ARGH!  Now how can that be more important? How can Hay - which needs to be cut, and bailed, and stacked before the rain comes be more important than cleaning a room that has been a mess for months? Yes. I know. Hay IS more important. And the worst part was - the HUGE GIGANTIC SMILE on my son's face! He was SOOOOOO excited to have to go mow the hay field. Evidently that is WAY more fun that being cramped up in a room CLEANING all day.  He was gone in a blink of an eye.  I thought I would keep cleaning and working when....DOUBLE TRUMP CARD! The puppies all needed their nails trimmed and the bedding all changed and the toys all cleaned. Yes. Puppies trump room cleaning  too! Oh well. At least we got a ton done and it looks like we might get the hay in on time. There is more raking to do tomorrow and maybe we can start baling. Never a dull moment here!!!!!

Wish me Luck

Please send a squad, ambulance, fire truck, rescue division, superhero or any other supernatural power you might have available if you don't hear from me by tomorrow.
I
Am
Entering
My
Son's
Room
Yes the excavation has now made it to the border of my son's room.  I am heading in there now.  We are going to clean it.  We are going to stay there until I see carpet.  We are going to stay there until his clothes go IN his drawers.  I may never return.  I may not make it out alive. Your thoughts are much appreciated during this disturbingly dark treacherous scary time. It was nice knowing you all. Until we meet again.......

All Gone!

Lady's puppies are getting bigger and they are now eating solid food.  They have quickly adjusted from, "WHAT IS THIS MUSHY YUCKY STUFF YOU ARE FEEDING US!" to "YOU ARE THE MOST AMAZING PERSON EVER TO BRING US SUCH DELICIOUSNESS!"  This morning they ate their entire breakfast and licked the bowl clean!  They all wagged their tails at me with a big "ALL GONE!" look on their faces.  Lady was ever so helpful in cleaning her sweet little puppies up.  She got every piece of gruel and licked her puppies clean while her tail was wagging the whole time.  When her puppies were all clean - she looked at me with a big "ALL GONE!" look on her face. It was definitely a happy "All Gone" morning for us all. I had that same look on my face.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres handed me my morning cup of coffee and I did NOT set my coffee down.  I didn't let go of my mug.  I didn't inadvertently misplace my precious cup of java today. Oh no...I cherished my coffee.  I savored my coffee.  I didn't put my mug down until I had the "ALL GONE!" look on my face! All Gone.... All Happy!

TWO days in a row!

I mentioned that I was busy cleaning like a mad woman trying to get my upstairs back in order.  It is a really big task and I have been ever so devoted.  I haven't answered my phone. I haven't taken lunch breaks. I haven't even hardly taken bathroom breaks! I just wake up in the morning, throw on old working clothes and get busy. Yesterday I set my DELICIOUS cup of coffee that Mr. Yesteryear Acres so lovingly made for me on my daughter's vanity.  I planned on drinking it while I worked. It was 6:45pm....as in 6:45 in the EVENING...before I realized...I NEVER DRANK MY COFFEE!  WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was like, "what is missing in my day????? ACK! MY COFFEE!!!!!!"  I couldn't drink my coffee at that late hour as I would never be able to sleep - so I had to pour my entire cup of coffee down the drain.  Sadness!!!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres puts just the right amount of sugar in my coffee. It isn't even regular sugar. It is raw brown sugar that I love.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres puts just the right amount of cream in my coffee.  It isn't regular old cream. It is heavy whipping cream.  My Coffee is always heavenly!  Today I vowed to not make the same mistake!  I carried my coffee upstairs.  I put it down on my nightstand so I could sip it while I worked. WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was 6:30pm tonight before I realized I DID IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!  What the heck?  Who forgets to drink coffee????!!!!  This is insanity!  Tomorrow morning, I vow to DRINK my coffee BEFORE I work.................I. Must. Have. Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Massive Excavating Continues

All our house projects here have been on kind of a standstill as we waited for Mr. Yesteryear Acres to finish restoring the master bedroom.  We had our furniture kind of stashed all over the upstairs.  Our poor son's room looked a bit like a warehouse.  He suffered the worst of it as we had our dressers and clothes and all sorts of our belongings stacked in his room.  The kids playroom upstairs was also completely buried.  So now that our bedroom is done, and all our furniture and clothing are back where they should be, the rest of the upstairs looks a bit like a disaster area.  We kept shoving things here and there while waiting for the bedroom to be completed, and now it is just a complete mess.  We have been working diligently every day trying to get our upstairs back in beautiful order.  I have been selecting a quadrant of a single room every day.  I have my task. I have my goal. I come armed with bags and dusters and boxes and vacuums and then I get busy.  We have been making huge progress and things are finally coming together.  Today's project was the attic. UGH.  My daughter and I moved box upon box upon box and sorted and stacked and cleaned and swept.  It was an all day project.  We didn't even come down for a bite of food until after 4pm and then went right back to work.  My entire body aches.  Even my fingertips are sore!!! I hope I can walk tomorrow! If not - I might need a day off! Excavating is hard work!!!!!

Happy Tummies!

Yea! My daughter made..................COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes! Joy! Happiness!  COOKIES!  Last night when we were done working for the day and were completely exhausted, my daughter said she would make Mother's Day cookies.  I said, "No, you don't need to do that sweetie." I said, "I know you are tired, please don't bother."  I said, "Really, it isn't necessary." I said, "We don't need cookies."  Of course after each of those sentences I added, "But I do LOVE cookies".  And one or two times I might have mentioned that Cookies = Happy Tummies.  And there is a distinct possibility I might have added, "Cookies are my favorite dessert."  I am sure I didn't put ANY pressure on my daughter to make cookies though!  Last night, as we were watching a movie.....we had COOKIES AND MILK! They were SO scrumptious.  They were SO delicious!  They are actually calling me right now!  COOKIE TIME!!!!!!!!!! YES!

Mommy's Day Stork!

We have a very smart Labradoodle Doggie!  She can read! Our cream Labradoodle Juneau looked at the calendar yesterday and thought, "Oh! It is Mother's Day!  I better get busy!" Yes, Our Mother's Day was extra special as we welcomed new baby labradoodle puppies into the world.  We have a beautiful assortment of caramels, creams and caramel reds.  Juneau did a great job!
Here are the new babies

They are the cutest little bundle of love!

Lady's Double Doodle Puppies made their first adventure outside.

They snuggled up with Mr. Yesteryear Acres and enjoyed the sunshine.

The grass is tickly!

Trixie's Double Doodle Puppies are getting bigger

And are as cute as can be

AND

If you were wondering what it looks like

when you are offered

help

in taking all the puppy pictures........

Is this helpful?????

How about this? They don't need their little faces in the picture. 

They need KISSES!

Happy Monday!!!

Greatest Love

Without a doubt the greatest love is the love that stems from being a mother. The moment my first child was born, in that instant, the love in my heart was boundless. The exact second my daughter was born, I knew I would love her with a voracity that would never diminish.  It filled my entire being.  That love only increased when my next daughter was born and then with the arrival of my son, my love grew again. To say that being a mother is the greatest joy in my life would be an understatement. It is the greatest love I have ever known and brings me the greatest joy in my life. I love them unconditionally and I am so very lucky, because they love me that much back. I have been blessed with the three most amazing, wonderful, loving, thoughtful and caring children. This morning as I was wished, "Happy Mother's Day" my thought was, every day is Mother's Day to me. I am grateful every day that I am their mother and every day I am thankful to have them in my life. They are my world. Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Mr. Yesteryear Acres mom, and to all the moms who shower our world with love. And to my own children.......no matter how big you get.....you will always look like this to me

Thanks for making every day Mother's Day!

COOKIES

I love cookies!  Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, Snickerdoodles - it doesn't matter. I love cookies!  I am like COOKIE monster how much I love cookies. Cookies are one of my favorite desserts! Today was COOKIE day. My daughter said she would make COOKIES!  Oh my. Such joy! Such happiness.  My tummy did a happy dance.  I waited all day for the cookie goodness.  I wondered with eager anticipation what kind of cookies would she make.  My mouth watered at the mere thought of my COOKIE HAPPINESS.  Finally, I heard the timer! Cookie time was here!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres was the first in the kitchen.  He grabbed a hot cookie off of the cookie sheet and shoved it in his mouth.  My daughter yelled, "NO DADDY! STOP!" He thought perhaps she didn't want him to eat all the cookies. Or maybe she didn't want him to burn his mouth. But that was not the case. My daughter said, "THOSE COOKIES ARE FOR THE DOODLE DOGGIES!"  Yes. That is right.  It wasn't cookie day for HUMANS.  It was cookie day for the DOGGIES. She made homemade peanut butter pumpkin dog treats for the doodle doggies.  Not cookies.  Not for us.  Not cookie day.  Oh well.  The doggies all said, "OH GOODIE!!!!!!!!!!! COOKIE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WE LOVE COOKIES!"  They are all very happy. The only question is....where are MY cookies!?  Oh dear daughter.... tomorrow is Mother's Day....hint hint.  HUMAN Mother's Day.  HINT AGAIN.  PLEASE MAKE COOKIES! Thank you.

Planting time

Now that we are nearing the end of May, it is time to get busy on our gardening!  We have a huge garden here at Yesteryear Acres. We plant tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, cucumbers, leeks, potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, zucchini, beets, peas, carrots, pumpkins, along with other yummy veggies.  We usually have about 5 acres planted by the time we are done.  The sweet corn takes up most of the garden space but I have to say my affinity for tomatoes also uses up quite a bit of space.  We usually plant around 125-150 tomato plants and then have an additional dozen or so cherry tomato plants.  I really love tomatoes!  In the fall, I usually can 150 quarts of tomatoes just to get me through the winter.  A tomato a day ....... or at least that should be the saying! Mr. Yesteryear Acres has already started planting some of the veggies and this weekend looks to be a garden planting weekend. We freeze and/or can all our own veggies, so we have to get busy.  The freezers and shelves are getting bare! Planting time!

Website is Down

I think this will be my least favorite blogpost I have ever written. My website hosting server has crashed! ACK! My website won't load! Last night I received several emails letting me know that my site was down. I frantically tried to fix it with no luck.  The hosting server used to have 24 hour customer service but evidently that is a thing of the past.  I had to wait until 5:30am this morning to get an actual person. I set my alarm and logged onto my computer at the crack of dawn. I tried calling. I tried chatting. Nothing worked.  It was then that I noticed that the customer service department was on PACIFIC time. ARGH!  I waited another 3 hours for the department to open only to find out that they know there is a problem and they are "working on it".  They didn't seem to be overly courteous or concerned with the fact that my website didn't load. They said, "we are working on it." In fact - that is the ONLY information I received. I asked what the issue was. "We are working on it." I asked when it might be resolved. "We are working on it." I asked how long my site has actually been down. "We are working on it."  Well dear website hosting server.....PLEASE FIX IT. When I call again this afternoon to check the status, I would like to hear, "We fixed it!" I don't like disappointing people and I don't like my site to be "unavailable." This is SO important to me and I really hope it is fixed soon!!!!!!!!!!

Is that the IRON?!?!

I don't iron.  I know HOW to iron but I don't iron. Each day I have a million things on my "To-Do" list and ironing doesn't even make the list.  I don't like to iron, I am not good at ironing, and furthermore, I am actually capable of putting MORE creases in a shirt, if and when I actually do iron. Mr. Yesteryear Acres LOVES a crisp ironed shirt.  Heck, I love a crisp iron shirt! Who doesn't?  The thing is - Mr. Yesteryear Acres doesn't have much occasion to wear a crisp ironed shirt.  I have assured him that doodle doggies do not care if your shirt is ironed or not.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I go out ....maybe once a year. We never go out to dinner. We never go out on dates. We are always home. Home with doggies. Doggies that do not care if your shirt is ironed which brings me back to my original point........I don't iron. Well today, I had to dig the iron out from its hiding place.  It is stuck in the linen closet WAY in the back.  It is buried under sunscreen bottles, washcloths, and extra pillow cases. It was a chore just to find it! My task of the day was to repair our upstairs couch cushions.  The cushions are.....how do I say this....the cushions are well loved.  So well loved in fact that the material has worn thin in some places and in other places there are actual holes. The couch is a little past its prime. It isn't a pretty sight. I bought some denim patches at the fabric store in preparation for the couch repair. Our couch is a blue denim material - so the patches are perfect. Except for one thing - you have to IRON the couch cushions first! WHAT?! ACK!  So I got out the iron and I followed the directions and, yes, after working diligently for several hours, I repaired the couch.  It actually looks really good!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres gave it a big thumbs up. He said it looked terrific.  Then he looked over on the desk and said, "Is that the IRON?!?!" Of course I had to immediately tell him that the iron was overheated. It was exhausted. It had been working all day and needed to go back into hibernation. It wasn't used to so much activity so there is NO way that it was up to the task of ironing his shirts.  The iron was just too exhausted. I made sure the iron gave Mr. Yesteryear Acres the appropriate look of despair before I put it away. In the linen closet. WAY in the back. Buried underneath the sunscreen bottles, washcloths and extra pillow cases. Just as all good irons should be!

Where is my PHONE?

This afternoon I could NOT find my phone.  I looked everywhere and it was NO where to be found.  I checked like a mad woman upstairs, downstairs, in the car, in my purse, in the kitchen, in the laundry room....nada.  And then to be sure I was utterly mad - I checked all those places again.  Don't you love losing things?  Isn't it awesome to look in the EXACT same places over and over again, all the while thinking, "maybe I didn't see my phone on this completely clean kitchen counter the first 10 times I looked"....or "maybe it is in the car! Even though I JUST looked there!" Yes.  I know the actual definition of insanity is doing the EXACT same thing and expecting a DIFFERENT result, yet I still checked my car 3 times and emptied out my purse twice.  My son is away at a track meet and I was so afraid I would miss his call. Finally Mr. Yesteryear Acres came in the door and I asked him to call me.  I told him my phone was lost! Forever!  I had searched the entire house and it was missing!  He was sure I threw it away as I had been working all day upstairs cleaning.  As he dialed my number, we spaced ourselves out so we could perhaps get a small glimmer of hope in hearing my phone.  When Mr. Yesteryear Acres calls my phone it sings, "But I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more, just to be that man who walks 1000 miles to fall down at your door." It is a very fitting ringtone because as we all know - Mr. Yesteryear Acres IS that man.  As we crossed our fingers, straining to hear, hoping ........BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES was glaringly loud.......as if my phone were RIGHT there.  I turned around.  No phone.  Still the phone kept singing.  I turned around again. No phone.  The music was SO loud.  My phone must be SOMEWHERE right near me.  I MUST be getting warm!  Yes.  It is then that I realized............

my phone

was

in

my

back

POCKET!

Surely there must be some sort of prize for this! Winning!

Monday....SMILE!!!!

It is time for MONDAY PUPPY PICTURE TIME!  Our little double doodle puppies are all doing great.  We have the nicest assortment of light caramel, red caramel and red double doodle babies with beautiful silky soft coats.

Cute little Caramel Boy with light Caramel highlights

Puppy Pile!

Sleepy little Snuggle Bears

Dark Caramel Girl

So Soft and So Snuggable!

You didn't really think we would ALL look at the camera at once did you?

Caramel Boy with Blue eyes

See you Next Week!

Blackie

For the past few weeks Mr. Yesteryear Acres has been telling me about a black squirrel that has been enjoying our oak tree. Evidently our acorns are delicious!  Up until this morning, I had yet to see the squirrel. I would run to the window in eager anticipation only to have "just missed it". I was beginning to wonder if Mr. Yesteryear Acres was making the whole thing up. The first time I ever saw a black squirrel was the first time I ever vacationed up north in Michigan.  I ran to the window screaming, "OH MY GOSH!  YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!  THERE IS A BLACK SQUIRREL IN THE TREE!"  My dad just sat in his chair.  As if seeing a black squirrel was not the most fantastic thing he had ever heard. As if seeing a black squirrel wasn't some sort of miracle!  I said, did you HEAR me???  THERE IS A BLACK SQUIRREL OUTSIDE!!!!  It was then I learned that almost ALL the squirrels up north were black.  Evidently it was NOT a miracle. I still gazed out the window staring at the squirrel in deep admiration. It was so silky looking. It was so different. It was so beautiful. It wasn't too long before that squirrel was visited by a few more black squirrel friends and I could see that perhaps someone from up north might vacation down here and run to the window screaming, "OH MY GOSH!  YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!  THERE IS A GREY SQUIRREL IN THE TREE!" No matter how many times I see a black squirrel - I am always as excited as the very first time I saw one.  I think they are awesome. Well this morning, Mr. Yesteryear Acres yelled that the black squirrel was out front - AND I SAW HIM!  I said, "Oh he is SO CUTE! We have our very own black squirrel!  We should name him!"  Mr. Yesteryear Acres informed me that he already had a name.  His name is Blackie.  Welcome to Yesteryear Acres Blackie!  I am so happy you are here!

Seafoam Green Cords.....um no

Today I took on the arduous task of going through every single item of clothing I own. Every single one.  Winter and Summer. Now that we have a brand new bedroom, it is time to declutter and not put everything back as it once was. It is time to streamline our possessions. It is time to let go of the clothes I wore when I was in high school.  I was determined to keep only the clothes that still fit and look good on me.  I spent all day making piles.  Good shirts. Work shirts. Good pants. Work pants. Pants that used to fit me.  Shirts that used to fit me.  More pants that used to fit me. WHY DON'T THESE PANTS FIT ME? Why don't these shirts fit me? SERIOUSLY?  How can these Pajamas be SO small?!?!  HOW CAN ALL OF THESE CLOTHES BE SO SMALL?  The "How Can My Clothes Be So Small" pile was winning by a landslide.  No really.  The tower of clothes was so high - they were falling over in a landslide fashion. At no time did it occur to me that I was too large for my clothes - clearly - all my clothes shrunk.  They are simply too small.  I finally had everything down to reasonable size piles and started folding my clothes. I was almost ready to start putting them in my drawers when my daughter came in. She walked over to a pile of pants and pulled out a pair of corduroys and immediately fell over, laughing hysterically.  She couldn't stop laughing.  Tears were rolling down her face.  She said, "WHAT ARE THESE!?!?" Evidently, unbeknownst to me, sometime between 1980 and 2012, Seafoam Green Corderoys fell out of fashion. Evidently they are so out of fashion that the mere sight of them can reduce someone to tears and hysterics. "So I guess you are saying, 'NO' to the Seafoam Green Cords?"  I am quick to pick up on subtle hints like that.  My clothes were then further streamlined.  Purple pants are evidently out as well.  So was the matching purple top.  Matchy Matchy colorful exercise outfits also fell victim to the streamline process. The good news - is that my clothes are nice and neat and EASILY fit in my drawers. I have room to spare. This can only mean one thing.  TIME TO GO SHOPPING!!!!!

How about this corner?

Last night we finally got to sleep in our new bedroom, in our new bed, in our new happy wonderful beautiful place.  So did our doodle doggies. Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I laid our heads on our pillow, said goodnight to the doggies, and were asleep within seconds.  One doodle doggie however had different plans.  While Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I thought, "OH MY.....THIS IS WONDERFUL" one of our doodle doggies thought this..........
Oh MY!  Where am I?  I have never been in this room before. I have never slept in this room before. This room smells different.  I see my blankie. I see my doggie bed.  I will go lay down on my doggie bed. OH I don't like my doggie bed HERE.  I think I will pick up my doggie bed and toss it in the air and see where it lands.  Oh yes.  This is a good place. I will go lay down on my doggie bed. OH I don't like my doggie bed HERE. I am going to pick up my doggie bed again and toss it in the air and find a NEW place to go to sleep.  Nope. This place is not a good place.  I wonder what the corner smells like.  Oh that smells nice.  I wonder what Mr. Yesteryear Acres smells like. Oh he smells the same as always.  Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and see what Mrs. Yesteryear Acres smells like. Yep. She smells the same too.  Oh Mr. Yesteryear Acres, I miss you already! Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and see if you still smell the same. Yep.  Oh Mrs. Yesteryear Acres, I miss you already! Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and make sure you still smell the same.  Oh wait what does THIS corner of the room smell like. Hey where did this mirror come from? GRRRRRRRRRRR! Why is that doggie who looks just like me growling at me? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  I don't like that doggie. Mr. YESTERYEAR ACRES!!!!!!!  THERE IS ANOTHER DOODLE DOGGIE IN THIS ROOM!  Let me nudge you so you can SEE that doggie!!! HEY - look! It is my doggie bed!  I think I will toss it in the air again!  Oh? Is that the alarm?  Time to get up?  I am too tired. I am going to go to sleep right here on my bed.  See you guys later! Night!

King Size Sleep

For 25 years Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I have shared a full size bed.  Yes that is right.  A full size bed. As in a bed that is just slightly larger than a twin size bed.  In case you were wondering....Mr. Yesteryear Acres is not a small man.  He has kind of a stocky muscular build. This comes in handy when our daughters bring friends over as Mr. Yesteryear Acres looks a little intimidating. We all crack up over this - because if you know Mr. Yesteryear Acres, you know he has the softest heart. We just don't tell any teenagers who happen to be at our house that! They are always afraid they will do something to make Mr. Yesteryear Acres mad so they are extra polite. I think our favorite quote from a midshipman who visited us is, "I would not want to do anything to make you mad SIR!"  Of course, Mr. Yesteryear Acres does nothing to dissuade this thought.  So I am sure you get the idea.....Mr. Yesteryear Acres = NOT small.  I sadly must admit....I am not as small as I once was either.  I am much more fluffy than I was back in my younger days. sigh.  Darn Ice Cream! So there we are...two people...side by side....both slightly fluffy....and one very small bed. For 25 years. Plus we always have several doggies joining us in the bed as well so it is really one crowded small cramped space! When we decided to restore the bedroom, we agreed we would get a new bed.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres was actually against the idea for quite a while.  "Why do we need a new bed?  This bed is just fine."  I was more like "wouldn't it be nice if we BOTH fit on the bed?" "Wouldn't it be nice when we are covered in doodle doggies that there would be room for the HUMANS in the bed?" When it came time to go shopping, Mr. Yesteryear Acres wanted the Queen size bed and I wanted the King. The King size was actually on sale and Mr. Yesteryear Acres STILL wanted the Queen.  At the end of the battle, the King Size bed won. Last night we finally set up the new King Bed and IT IS HUGE!  We both stood there with our mouths agape wondering WHY DID WE BUY SUCH A MONSTROSITY!??!  How will it fit? Why is it so tall?  Why is it so big?  We had serious doubts about the bed and we both thought about returning everything.  It is just GIGANTIC.  After staring for hours we decided to make peace with the big behemoth and I put the sheets and comforter on.  Around 2 am we crawled into the humongous bed and..............."OH MY!" and "Ahhhhhh" and "THIS IS SO COMFORTABLE!"  Mr. Yesteryear Acres said, "Oh wow! My whole body fits on this bed!" We have both been used to sleeping right on the edge of the bed with half our body hanging over the sides -- we were shocked at all the room.  We actually scooted towards the middle and STILL had room.  We both decided that this was a King Size Sleep....

That was just right!

And of course Doggie Approved!!!!

The Big Moment

Three years ago (yes seriously - the date was April 13, 2009) Mr. Yesteryear Acres started the arduous task of restoring our bedroom. It was in really bad shape.  There were layers of old wallpaper, no electricity to the room, water damage, leaking ceiling - you name it.  It needed an entire overhaul. Well the big moment has arrived and Mr. Yesteryear Acres is FINISHED!

 It. Is. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Here are some before pictures:

Look how little my son is!  He is now almost 6'4"!

And don't you love the glue lines on the old wallpaper? So chic!

You can see a little of the water damage above the painting.  We had to keep buckets on the floor to catch the rain. Ahhh the sound of "plink, plink, plink" while you sleep. 

One wall has old wallpaper...one has bare plaster. OOOH how can one decide which look is more chic? 

The best wall of the room 

The flooring is extra special isn't it?

I love a room with scaffolding.  It is so Architectural Digest!!!!

NOW

ONTO

THE

BIG 

MOMENT......

I know. I know. You are speechless.  Me too!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres made our bedroom heavenly!!!! 

Look! Look!  We have Electric Outlets!!!!

Look! Look!  We have LIGHT! And a ceiling fan! This is the same wall where my son was sitting in the "before" pictures.

Mr. Yesteryear Acres even redid the entire fireplace mantle.

The best wall of the room "After"

Ahhhhhhhhh

Perfect!!!!

Tomorrow.....FURNITURE!

Big Project Day

In what seems to be an unthinkable unfathomable unbelievable turn of events......the restoration project for our Master Bedroom is actually almost done!!!! I can't even believe it.  It has taken F O R E V E R.  Here at Yesteryear Acres we are all about our sweet doggies and our sweet puppies.  They always come first.  We accept that, we love that, we are devoted to that, but of course that means that a special project takes a million times longer than it does for most people. No matter what, every single time, without question or hesitation - the doggies come first.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres works so hard every day and is 100% devoted to our four-legged furry family members.  He usually doesn't sit down at night until way past 10:00pm.  He tries to put in 15-30 minutes every day working on restoring our bedroom back to its original 1823 glory, but it just is so painstakingly long and tedious and the million interruptions make it even more so.  Well today we are moving things in our ROOM! We have a helper here for the whole day so Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I are spending every second to make the Big Project Day a success!  We are working straight through the day (not even a dinner break!) and my guess is we will still be working into the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow I will post lots of pictures and I will be sure to answer all my backlogged email.  This is SO exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!