Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Beach, Boys, Blog and Blessed

Can I just start by saying my sister Claudia left early this morning and I just want to cry.  Wah, wah, wah as I say to Little Buddy when I pretend to be a baby.  In reality I really do want to cry.  I. Miss. Her. So. Much. Already!!!!!  We had such a good time and it makes me realize just how much I wish she was near, I always wish she was near but you know what I mean.  She was a really big help with everything from my Dad to Little Buddy, more about that in a bit.




We made a quick trip to Honeymoon Island Sate Park in Dunedin, FL on Sunday.  Oh it has been so, so long since I smelled the sea air and planted my feet in the warm salty water.  Little Buddy has been here for a year and a half which means my visits to the beach have been drastically cut.  He is not ready for the beach yet but he will be soon.  We walked around looking for shells and breathing the salty air.  We could not stay long as it was really hot out, and the sun was very intense, but the hour we were there was well worth it.


 We made a trip to Rainbows End Quilt Shoppe also in Dunedin, FL.  Oh my goodness all you quilters out there you have to visit this shop, it is amazing.  I have been there several times before, the fabrics are so beautiful, one even better than the next.  Everywhere we turned we we saying, look at this, oh my look at this!  I could have spent hundreds of dollars here and I don't even quilt.  It was a very fun adventure for us.



We also made a quick trip to the pier so we could see the water and smell the air.  It was lovely.  I made Claudia return to Dunedin on Saturday to visit a small yarn shop called Raspberries, I needed a yarn fix after a long visit with my Dad.  He is doing well but is a character even on a good day.  Yes I am officially off my yarn diet, but only for a short time.  I will do a yarn post soon.


There were snuggles with Little Boys, this little one made his Aunt laugh and laugh.



There were snuggles with big boys as well.  Mr. 18 got his fair share of hugs from his aunt and his Mother!  Well he always gets them from me whether he wants them or not. He is a sweet soul my boy.  And as you can tell he is a good sport getting his picture taken while his Aunt steals a smooch.


This little one gave us quite a scare yesterday.  On what was supposed to be his first day of school he ended up getting very ill, even warranting a big trip to All Children's Hospital emergency room near us for most of the day.  He scared me to death.  He was vomiting in the morning and became progressively worse.  The vomiting in itself was not much, but his listless and lethargic body was a huge concern, especially because he had no fever.  I went directly from his Doctor's office to the emergency room of the hospital, with his Aunt Claudia in hot pursuit.  He had a few tests and all is fine.  He perked up when we got there and actually had a grand time in his room riding on the bed and calling it the, "black train".  He rode on the, "black wheelchair train" to get an MRI and X-rays.  He had fun, his Aunt and Mother not so much!  Even his Medical Foster Mother Jeannette came to visit him, she was just as concerned as we were.  When she walked in the room he asked her what color her van was, I knew he was feeling better when I heard that!  We are so blessed this special boy of ours is doing better, and today he is back to his bossy self instructing the whole household in what they should be doing.


Did you notice the new look here at Mereknits?  Thanks to my very blog savvy sister, Mereknits is now looking more updated.  I was wanting a bit of a change and gray seemed the perfect theme for me.  It is my favorite color and seems to work perfectly here on this little blog of mine.  Thank you a million times Claudia for taking your entire Friday afternoon to work on this blog, you are so good at it and make me a bit jealous of your computer/blog knowledge.  And thank you Claudia for visiting us and helping so much when Little Buddy was ill, you saved my sanity as I was about ready to freak out in a big way while trying to get him to the hospital.  We love you, we love Uncle Don and Scout, and we want you to live right next door to us!  Want to move to sunny, hot and humid Florida?

34 comments:

20 North Ora said...

Oops! Forgot to say - LOVE your new look! gorgeous!

Judy

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Oh, I know what you mean. Sisters are proof of God's love.

S
xo

Regena Fickes said...

The pictures are perfect! So happy that cutie pie is OK and how wonderful Claudia was able to be there for you. It is always a let down when family leaves. Good that you had this time together.

Unknown said...

I'm glad you and Claudia had such a great visit...you certainly packed alot into a short time. I am sure it helped to have her with you at the ER...sounds very scary. A lethargic kid is never a good thing. I'm looking forward to seeing more about your yarn since I am on a yarn diet at the moment.

Jennifer Hays said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful time with Claudia. I hope you'll get to see each other again soon. I'm sorry about your scare with Little Buddy. That must have been so upsetting. These children do keep us on our toes. I hope he's feeling much better now. Your blog looks really nice, Claudia did a great job. I love gray too. Hope you're having a good week so far, Meredith.

kathy b said...

I noticed the new look to the blog right away. Claudia did a fabulous job. I love the three big images on top.
She is a dear sister. I am so glad that God put her in your grasp while Lil Buddy was ill. I hope your ER nurses were wonderful to you all.
The colors of your images on this post are so clear and so lovely.
Phew. Prayers of thanksgiving tonight..my favorite kind!

Elizabeth said...

So glad Buddy is better! Sounds like a wonderful visit with your sister!

ellen said...

Dear Meredith,
It makes me smile and makes my heart glad to know that Little Buddy is well and back to his old self...also that you have a beloved sister who is there for you as you are for her. It truly is a blessing to have such a close and loving bond.
Your new look is great and I wish I had a computer/blogging angel sitting on my shoulder. I don't even have a clue as how to put up links etc.
So much love to you, Clueless in Western Oregon xoxo.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

The blog looks great and I did notice the change right away. Sisters are pretty special and yours is a very speical lady indeed. Loved all the photos! It gets so scary when our little ones get sick, so glad he is OK. Glad you found some new yarn, I'm sure you 'needed' it!!
hugs,
Linda

Karen said...

I love your new look! The images on top are just perfect. So glad LB is doing well. I can only imagine how scared you were. Claudia's presence must have been heaven sent at a time like this.

susanne said...

Awww, parting is such sweet sorrow. If there is a selfish side to any of us it would be the letting go of a loved one, watching them leave and us smiling while holding back tears. So sorry your little guy was sick and so glad it turned out to be nothing serious. I'm sure it eased your mind when he perked back up. That quilt shop looks and sounds amazing. I have officially packed my yarn away for now, that is, all except my one knitted hat project that I will keep as my portable on-the-go project. Yarn projects are always something I take with me. I find it hard to concentrate reading books when there is commotion around me. Maybe I get back into yarn when the snow is flying again this winter. Right now I need a change and it would be a good thing to get back into some fabric projects that I have started and need to finish.
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Caffeine Girl said...

I don't have a sister, but this is just how I feel when I part from my longtime BFF. You sisters have such a lovely relationship that it makes me happy.

I am also glad that LB's illness was so brief. He is still a pretty small guy, and we worry about what their little bodies can handle.

Your blog looks very Mere-like: elegant and understated and welcoming.

Teresa Kasner said...

I love the new look of your blog. I actually change the top banner image on a regular basis and just keep the rest white.. but I love the gray scale pattern on your background, very classy. It looks like you and your sister visited some great shops. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Little Buddy is feeling better today. Did the ER figure out what was wrong or was it just one of those "little kid" things that are super scary, but pass quickly?

I love the new look on the blog. I noticed right away. It's very classy!

Betsy said...

This was a great post Meredith...well, all except your little guys scare at the hospital. I'm so happy he's doing so much better. These kids. They keep us hopping don't they? Miss Piper is here, and I realize every time how old I am when I chasing her around. I'm feeling it even more this visit. When my big sister went home after a 5 day visit a couple of weeks ago I cried for hours. I miss her and she lives halfway across the country in Iowa. Too far. I understand your missing Claudia completely.
The quilt shop and ocean scenes are just lovely and look like so much fun. Yarn diet? What yarn diet? I heard nothing. :-)
Blessings my sweet Meredith,
Betsy

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

So nice to see that you and Claudia were able to spend some quality time together. Sorry to hear that Little Buddy gave you such a scare. Was it just some 24 hour bug? I would imagine anything he gets really wrecks havoc on his little body. Glad to hear he's doing better now. Hugs, Tammy

Summer said...

Great photos, Looks like you and sis had a wonderful time! So glad LB is better and it was nothing too serious. Love your new look blog :)

CJ said...

So glad you had such a lovely time with your sister, she's made a great job of your blog, the grey is gorgeous. A couple of my closest friends live in different countries, and it's always so bittersweet to see them. One lives nearer you than me, (in the Caribbean) and I see her only once every year or two. We have a wonderful day together, but then we have to say goodbye for such a long time. I'm very glad that your sweet little man is better now, it must have been really scary to see him so ill. I love the little rhyme on his stool - perfect! And so nice to see your big boys as well, you've had all your family around you I think. CJ xx

Gracie Saylor said...

In spite of the scare with Little Buddy, I'm so glad you were able to have such a good visit with Claudia, Meredith. 34 years ago when our youngest son had to be hospitalized for weeks, I called my oldest sister and she came to be with us...such a blessing...such a special friendship! I hope you have an excellent week with plenty of rest and creative stitching time. Thanks so much for your caring comment on my last post. I appreciate you making time in your busy schedule to stay in touch with me :) xx

Janet said...

The new look blog is lovely, I love grey as well. There's nothing that can compare to the relationship between sisters. I carry my sister around with me wherever I go. I hope Little Buddy continues on to full recovery. Hugs to you all.

mamasmercantile said...

So glad to hear you had such a great visit with your sister and she was there to support you in your hour of need. Fabric and yarn shopping what a delight. Hopefully Little Buddy is on the mend, you are bless with such a beautiful family. Love the new look.

Helen said...

I'm so glad Little Buddy is ok, I hope he's fully recovered. It looks like a lovely visit from your sister - the beach photos are stunning! xo

kristieinbc said...

What a treat to get to spend time with your sister! And it was great she was there to help you out with Little Buddyvwhen he was sick. You must have been terrified to see him so unwell. I love the new look of your blog!

Vera said...

Oh, so glad Little Buddy is ok. You've had more than your share of scares recently Meredith! Enough already!! And, so nice that you and Claudia had great times together. Family is precious for sure.

Home Meadows said...

Glad to hear your LB is doing better. Sounds like you had a wonderful visit with your sister. Heather

Christina said...

I am glad Little Buddy is back to his normal self! It looks like such a beautiful part of the world where you live! Hugs to you. Cxx

Chris said...

Good to hear your little man is on the mend, scares the shipoopy out of us! I feel sad for you now that your sis has gone home. You two have the same lovely smile/ as does Mr 18! It's always so hard when special people come and then have to go home again. The house just seems emptier some how. Just kinda sucks! That fabric store looks fantastic, all that colour! And really who can resist yarn?!? I am hopeless, as you well know, on that account! Love the pictures of the ocean, smelling the ocean breeze is wonderful!

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

I'm glad you all had such a lovely time with your sister & I'm even more glad that Buddy was fine in the end. Take care xx

Judy S. said...

Glad LB is all better! That must have been scary, but glad your sis was there to help. My sis lives far away also, so I can relate to your situation. Sounds like you had a great time, except for the LB episode. Love the new look, and those shops sound inticing....next time we're in FLA......

elns said...

Whoa, LB's illness sounds scary. These boys are keeping you on your toes Mere. Can I buy you a glass of wine or a cup of tea? Through it all, I'm glad your sister was there and you two got some quality time together. I'm glad you have each other. And yes, indeed the blog looks lovely!

Carla from The River said...

I would be scared too about LB. WOW! Do hope all is well. You have had one thing after the next.
I am so happy you have such a great relationship with your sister. She was just what you needed at the time you needed her. WOW, what an amazing story.
Carla

Amy at love made my home said...

So glad to hear that you had such a great time with your sister and that you had lots of fun together. Sorry to hear about Buddy, I do so hope that he is feeling much better now and that he will be OK very soon if he isn't already. Hugs to you both! xx

Pammy Sue said...

I love our new gray look here! Claudia did an outstanding job. I can't believe you don't take advantage of being so close to the beach more often! I would be there all the time wading or sitting waist-deep in the water. I love to do that. I just can't stay very long at one time because I have such fair skin. That water is just gorgeous! Fun pics on your blog today. I enjoyed them all. Glad LB is doing better!

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

Looks like you had a wonderful visit (except for the whole hospital part -- yikes!). Glad Buddy is okay and that you didn't break the bank at the fabric and yarn stores!