Happy Birthday Ben~!~!

 Happy 8th Birthday to Ben.. Nov. 12th was Ben's birthday..  What a joy this boy has been in my life~!  
Here he is opening his card from Aunt Jodie..
HE was so excited when he saw the money~!
I love to watch his tongue waggling too and fro from one side of his lips to the other.

Have a great day~!  
It's a tiggeriffic day.. snow on the ground..crisp air and the magic of winter...ta ta for now..~!

Ben's last day of school~!

This is Ben's first grade teacher, Mrs. Schlotterback.. She is going to have a baby June 25.   Ben was so excited to help me make this quilt for her.. Today was the last day of school and I brought it to school so Ben could give this quilt to her..  She really liked this quilt and said that her babies room was with a chevron design for a wallpaper border and in these colors.. Perfect~!    She is going to have a girl.. She even let the class vote for the name.. I thought that was brave..  

Another year is over and Ben is now going to be in 2nd grade next year.. Can't believe that this school year is all over.. 

       I volunteer for 2nd graders and next year I won't be able to do that.. Ben will be in that classroom.. So I went to the third grade teacher and asked if she would like me to volunteer in her classroom... She was so very excited.. Teachers really need our help with helping with their students...  Giving them one on one time in reading ~~~ helping them with their math...  correcting math and spelling for the teacher.. Soo if anyone has some time to help with teachers in their area,,,it would be a great thing if you could do this.. I go twice a week from 9 a.m. to 3p.m.   If you can't do all day then just do an hour or two... Its rewarding and time well spent in helping the children..  

      Have a great day...ta ta for now from Iowa:)

It's a wonderful day here in Iowa...Had a huge big storm last night... 60 mile wind and flat winds along with the rain... We got hail first... Big balls falling out of the sky.~!
Was driving in this mess and was so glad to get home and put car in garage.. I ran for the house and went to the basement.. Tornadoes sirens going off..  Yikes~!  My hair was on fire....LOL
Today is sunny and it is now 72 degrees.. going to be a nice day...to go out and work on the weeds in the garden...
Ben will be home at 2:30  from school. early out today.... Last day of school is going to be next Thursday..May 29th.. Doesn't seem possible he is done with 1st grade and going into 2nd.. He is so smart.. He is reading 3rd grade level and doing 2nd grade math... Now if we could just get his social skills calmed down..
It will come with lots of time and patience.. I take him once a week to what is called Play Therapy.. It's actually counseling..and it's really helping him... a lot..
Haven't  been on here since my birthday in February.. Best to get started again since I miss all my favorite blog buddies.  So here is the beginning of a new start .....
    This is Ben at his school for track day.. Ben is on the left ..With his favorite buddies ~~ Grant and Andrew...

Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  ta ta for now from Iowa:-)

Happy Birthday~! I'm 1/2 way to 140~!~!

 Yesterday was my birthday~!
I love my birthdays~!
I sat in my pj's all day answered the phone with my family calling and wishing me a splendid day.  I had a virus on my computer and the man I was talking to that was going to fix my computer ~ I told him it was my birthday and he wished me a Happy Day..He laughed when I told him my age.  I did my Bible Study and looked at the birds outside my window.. Baby it's cold outside but it's sunny and pretty white with snow..
    I had a (total) of 18 male and female Cardinals come to the lilac bush and show off all their beauty with the snow in the back ground.. right outside my window.. What a marvelous sight that was to see..Won't be long and Mr. Cardinal is going to be singing love songs to Mrs. Cardinal.. Music to my ears~!  

Then I had to get dressed..My friend Holly came and got me with a van full of some of my friends and took me to dinner at Zeppelins's  Restaurant. They told me to order whatever I wanted.. and I did.. It was an awesome evening with laughter and friends sharing lots of birthday wishes..  This year I'm 1/2 to 140... I love telling my age this way.. It makes people do the math..ha ha...:)

You can't have a birthday without dessert.. So here is a Chocolate brownie with whipped cream and ice cream and a smackling of nuts..  IT was so good and the evening was ended with much sweetness~! 
Needless to say I had a great time.. Thanking God for Birthdays and knowing that God is able to provide me with every blessing in abundance...   I love my family and friends and a day wouldn't go past that I don't appreciate them all..  ~!~!
Have a Tiggeriffic Day ~~~ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Ben in a play "Tacky the Penguin".

Last Friday Ben and his friend Grant were in a play. Ben was narrator 3 and his friend was narrator 1.. They both did a great job~!  It was a really cute play.. The kids in his classroom (14) were dressed like penguins and it was so cute to see them preform.. or is it perform..
It was a great time for parents to see their children doing a play about penguins. Ben and Grant did a wonderful job reading all those words.. Some big and some short and some very hard for a 1st grader to read.But these boys are at the top of their reading groups ~ no problem for them.

      Snow storm last night.. We have 4 inches.. I went out this morning and shoveled a path to the bird feeder and got their feeders filled.. They were munching while I was filling the feeders.. They were hungry little birds. I also got the cement pad in front of garage cleared of snow and then came into the house.. I was chilly.. It was 12 degrees and wind chill factor was -9.. I poured my coffee and came into my room where my computer is located...Turned on my computer and there was WARNING ~! WARNING~!  on the screen.. I had a major virus.. So I called our Secure It virus protector and they took over my computer with my permission and 3 hours later they had it fixed..  Thank you Secure It~!   
     Today is my birthday..I'm 1/2 way to 140... Doesn't seem possible that I'm that old.. I don't feel that old..which is actually very good.  I just wonder where did all those years went.. It's a great day...I love my birthday..~!  My bible study girls are taking me out for supper tonight. Zeppelins.. Not sure where that Restaurant  is but it's going to be a happy time to be with these girls..I made them some hearts.. Ben and I and his mom Tracie has been working on these hearts.  Take wax paper..a potato peeler and a hot iron.. and crayons.  peel some of the crayon onto the wax paper fold paper in half and go over the paper with a hot iron and the crayons melt..  After this cools I cut the paper into a heart shape...  they are so cool.. This is going to be Ben's valentines to give to his kids in his class.. and I'm going to give to my girl friends for my birthday~!  
        Early out for school kids today..  some schools cancelled.. Our school had a late start and a early dismissal..  Only 4 hours of school today... This way we can have last day be in late May... and not have to go into June... Snow and cold bitter temperatures have been a long battle for us this year.. Don't mind the snow as Iowa needs all the moisture it can get.  We were in the beginning of a dought last fall.
      You all have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Look who's doing the supper dishes~!

 After I volunteered yesterday (Tues.) for the second graders at Springville Elementary ~ Ben and I left to go home.. 
Decided to have pizza.. His mom got home and we had the oven ready... Ben made his own pizza and he held up his plate with the dough that he had spread out, he had drawn a happy face.. He said "GranAnnie ~ this is how I feel"..."Happy"...We are trying to teach him about feelings... match the face with the feeling.. I told him that his face made me Happy too~!

After supper he just decided on his own that he was going to do the dishes.. So he got his stool and I gave him the sponge we use to wash the dishes and squirted soap on the sponge.. (of course I gave him lots of praise).... He was as happy as a lark to do this..I told him I would wipe the dishes.. I told him the responsibility that the dryer had was to be sure the dishes were clean and rinsed good.. He liked it that I was drying the dishes.. He said "We are a team"...  
         Afterwards we went into his Mom's bedroom and watched a Vegie Tale Movie.. Beanie climbed up and he petted Beanie and said  'You know GranAnnie if you pet your dog long enough they will follow you all over the house ".. I said "Yes, Ben you are right"...Little later he went to the kitchen to get a drink and he was so excited..Beanie walked right behind him... He gave her a snack... Good Dog~!
       This morning was a little chilly but this noon it's 21 degrees with the sun shining so brightly.. We are having a heat wave.. Ya-Hoo~!   Went outside this morning and it felt so good to not be below 0 and the wind not blowing so hard..
      The furnace is acting up this morning and our furnace man came right over... Oh NO~~!  He said the motor was dead.. $$$$$$$$$$  later, we have heat again.. 
The expenses of winter is upon our house and so glad I saved money for a rainy/snowy day.....
      A Cure For The Blues:  Psalm 8   ought to be required reading for anyone suffering the "Monday morning Blues" (I know today is Wednesday) If one can read it without getting emotionally involved, than you haven't had your morning coffee yet~!  When was the last time you counted your blessings from God? God has provided much happiness for our families, our health, security possessions, a home in heaven.  Give much thanksgiving and Read Psalm 8 out loud to God. Our God is all-powerful~! 
      Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now:)
      
       

100 days for Ben's School

     Last Friday it was 100 days of school for Ben at Springville Elementary. His first grade class participated in dressing old.   He was dressed like an old man.. He has on his great grandpa's hat..his dad's suspenders and a painted on mustache.. He looked so cute and he was so proud..   His teacher took their picture and on the computer she aged the kids faces.. This is what Ben will look like when he is old..He is still cute.. or handsome.. 
     Yesterday we had really bad  weather and the blowing snow  was so bad traveling to church..  But we made it~!  When we came out of church it was nice. No wind and no snow blowing.. We came home and had some delicious brocolli / ham soup and a sandwich.. I baked some apples in the microwave and they tasted so delish~!    About 4 p.m. the wind picked back up and Yikes~!  the blowing snow was blowing so hard and on the T.V. there were school cancellations for today..(Monday)...   This morning lots of businesses were closing.. It's -7 and the chill factor is brisk.. The winds are suppose to pick back up to 30 plus and they are telling people to stay home because it's so cold.. I went out this morning and fed the birds ,,,had to shovel lots of snow to get to their feeder.. There was a little black capped chickadee that was not looking very good.. I picked him up and brought him into the house.. I gave it some water and some food and he perked right back up.. I let him back outside and he flew to the feeder and looked like he was going to make it.. He was singing his  song "I'm alive"  "I'm alive"... chick a dee dee~!  chick a dee dee~! 
      After I got back inside I poured my coffee and made my morning grits and a soft egg..  Now just sitting in my comfy chair watching the birds.. I now have one squirrel and he is enjoying the corn I put out on the ground this morning just for him.. I had some walnuts and put them out there too.. My friend gave me a old bag  (2010) of walnuts she had in her freezer and said to feed them to my birds.. j
    Hope you all are safe and warm.. I'm just thankful we have electricity and the furnace is running ...
    Ta ta for now from Iowa:)  
WARNING~~~~everyone should go outside and take a look at the exhaust that is on the side of your house..this exhaust comes from your furnace.. If it is blocked with snow or ice your furnace will not work.. I checked mine while out feeding the birds..It was covered with snow.. Good thing I looked~!  

Ben had Flat Stanley for the week=end.....

 Took Ben to the movie called Cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2.. It was a really cute movie.. Ben got to bring Flat Stanley home from school for the week-end.. So here is Ben and Stanley at the movie..
His class has been reading Flat Stanley books (3) so far and on the week-ends one child gets to take him home and have an adventure with him.. Then he writes in a journal about what Flat Stanley did over the week-end with this child.. 

 This is Ben's Sunday School teacher.. and Flat Stanley.. He was learning about Noah's Ark...

 Flat Stanley is now sitting on the chalk board at church alongside Ben..

Flat Stanley at the billboard outside the movie theater.. Ben really liked this movie and it was a lot of fun to watch.. We go to the cheap theater where tickets are only $4.00..We always get a large popcorn and something to drink.. 





It has been so cold and snowy here in Iowa.. You can tell it's getting on peoples nerves..It's -1 right now with the promise of being -25 in the morning.. That's O.K.. I like winter and the snow.. The schools are already having 2 hour delay.. That should make some kids happy, they can sleep longer..  I personally like the snow maybe not the freezing below 0 temperatures but I do enjoy the snow.. Our church on Sunday had a pot luck after church and then we went sled riding.. I didn't go sled riding but it was fun to watch the kids and some young adults go down the hill.  I used to be able to do that but with 3 knee replacements I decided to be careful and not do that..it stinks getting older.. But that doesn't keep me from enjoying the out of doors and walking in the snow.
     My wildbirds have sure been hungry this winter. I feed them daily and they are so thankful... I have pheasants come to the feeder and little rabbits.. I have no squirrels.. 
      Tomorrow it's suppose to be a below 0 day and I will still go outside and walk.. IT's so important to get some fresh air every day in our lungs... I used to tell my kids when they were little to go outside and get the stink off.. They would always say "I don't stink".. I said "Yes , I know"... My kids would always go outside every day and build snowmen and caves when the snow was deep.. When they were babies and little I would always take them outside for just a bit.. put color in their cheeks..
       Hope you are all keeping warm and staying safe..
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Sketch Me More

Found this really cool application on my smart phone. It's called "Sketch Me More"... If you go to the application and then click on Gallery you can make any picture you have in your gallery look like this.. I thought it was really a lot of fun.. I printed it off and I'm in the process of using colored pencils to color it and then frame the picture.. It makes it look like one actually sketched it.. I guess I could leave it alone and just take a micro pen and draw outside the whole picture..Either way I think this application is so fun..  Course when people see this project I'm doing they ask me if I sketched it.. I can not lie,,I tell them No I got it from an application from my phone.
Yesterday it rained and of course it turned to ice and coming home from volunteering at school yesterday afternoon the driving was very slippery.. I took Ben to his Mama's house and I came right home. It got foggy and the road was a sheet of ice.. After driving school bus for 23 years I am quite familiar with driving on ice.  You have to go slow..
Ben told me yesterday he had his 2014 Resolution made..He was going to drink water and milk...so his muscles will get strong... He said GranAnnie ?  Next year I'll be able to carry you... I just chuckled and said Well, Ben I better lose some weight.. He is so funny , he just cracks me up.   He brought home the traveling Flat Stanley yesterday and he is all excited on what adventures he is going to take him on this week-end.. This morning he is playing a game on the WII game . Later we are going to the Cedar Rapids Library.  He said to make sure our phones are charged so his Mom and I can take lots of pictures to put into the book about his week-end with Flat Stanley..  Soo off we go~!
        My Romaine lettuce is getting taller.. Now I'm wondering if I should put any nutrients in the water while growing this lettuce.  It's looking good and getting so tall.. If you have any suggestions let me know if I should be putting something in the water to give it some nutrients.. I'm going to buy some celery today when I go to town and see how that grows.. It sure does give some bright green to the room on this wintery days.
     This year for my Resolution I chose the word "Joy"..
Not going to be too hard because I choose to be happy and be an encourager.  Sometimes I have a hard time when people this time of year say they are bored.. Oh my goodness just to be alive and be able to get out of bed is a blessing from God..  Sometimes when things happen in my life that is not pleasant I try to just turn them over to God.. sometimes that is very hard because I just like to turn it over and over in my mind  and it's just not good. Soooo I'm going to try harder this year to just let God handle these things.  If we just look back at all the things that have happened in our lives that we worried about and then realize that God had it handled all the time and it turned out for the good.. Or through that hardship God made it into a blessings.(If I had just realized how it would of turned out I wouldn't of had to worry so much)  I'm not much of a worrier ~~~when things happen I don't start asking what if ?  I just wait until it slaps me in the face and then I can take action. In the meantime I just think prayer is the answer.. 
     Well, you all have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  Ta Ta For Now from Iowa:)
       

My Romaine Lettuce is Growing~!

My Romaine lettuce is looking good. With everyday it just gets bigger and bigger.. Wonder if when I cut it off and use it in my salad  it will grow again.. OR if this is a one time deal..  Well it sure is growing and is so dark green.  My computer is acting up and the cursor is jumping all around.. I'll have to quit now.. sorry..
Have a tiggeriffic day~! ta ta for now...from Iowa:)

Our Iowa Live Snowman~!

Here is Dave posing with all the snow all over him.. He used the John Deere Snow blower that we have to remove all the snow in front of our garage and in the driveway.  It's freezing cold here in Iowa and today we are having a heat wave.. It's 4 degrees.. First day in 3 days that it hasn't been below freezing..Waking up with temperatures starting at -13  last couple days is not very inviting. The school kids have had no school for two days now and I'm sure they are going stir crazy with being off for 2 weeks for Christmas.. 

     My good friend died Sunday and Dave and I are going to her funeral service at 11 today.. No burial as it is too cold.  ( I would think the ground would be too frozen).  Another chapter in Ruth's life.. She was 71...

     The birds are at the bird feeders this morning  in a huge group..I took out some water for them this morning and even thou I have a heated bird bath it is freezing on the outer edges.. They are drinking the water and I'm sure they are thankful.. Food and water are so important for them this time of year when everything is frozen solid.    It's so fun to set here at my desk and look out my window and see all the beautiful colors they present with the white snow as a background..

       Made chilli today..it's in the crockpot.. Thank goodness for crockpots ~  When we come home today it will taste good for our evening meal.. I think I will make some cornbread to go with the soup..  Dave is doing Weight Watchers so I have to be careful with my cooking.  He has lost 50 pounds so far and has been doing it with my daughter Tracie since May.. They are both having success. Makes the Doctors Happy.

        Stay warm and keep busy.. My knitting projects are getting done and I have watched many movies on Nexflix.   I watched the movie titled Unconditional  ~ last night.. That was a awesome movie.. 

Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  Ta Ta For Now From Frigid Iowa~! 

Mega Big Time Sugar~!

Double /Triple Dose of Sugar~!

        Have you ever looked at the side of the can of pop that your children or Grandchildren are drinking.. Ben was drinking with two straws of Sun Drop Soda.. He was trying to fiqure out how to put the straws into the cans and just drink out of one..So he decided to drink with two straws in each can.. I wondered how much sugar is in one of these cans~~ Yikes~!   46 g of carbs and 45 g of sugar.. I took the rest of the cans that I had purchased and dumped them down the drain and put the empty cans into the recycle bin..Guess GranAnnie better look next time Ben puts a beverage into the cart.. Needless to say he was higher than a kite and if someone says to you that children are not affected by sugar it's all rubbish.. They are affected.. Ben and I had a little talk about this drink he was drinking and we decided that we need to be more cautious and careful with our choices.. 
        Tracie (Ben's Mom) and I took Ben to the Cedar Rapids Library and the new library is so cool.. They have a treadmill attached to a computer table ~ Ben is reading a book while walking on the treadmill...What a great idea~!  That's the way I like doing things,,multi-tasking.  He loves going to the library and when we go we usually spend 4 to 5 hours there.. 
         Yesterday at church the Pastor asked if anyone had taken a test this week.. Lots of young people's hands went up..College age students..  This was testimony Sunday and a time when people ~ if they want to come up and tell how God had worked in their life this year.   There were about 9 of us that went up and I gave a testimony about how I love to witness to people and see where they are with their walk with God.  My oldest Son,(age 33) Wally was killed in a automobile accident 18 years ago and what got me through this whole ordeal was my strength that I had with God..  As long as I kept my eyes on Jesus I was strong.. But when my eyes were not on Jesus I was a basket case.  When we go through hard times in our lives we need to lean on God to get us through the ordeal.
I got to thinking about what the Pastor had said ~if any of us had taken a test.. I think God is giving ALL of us a test everyday.. Did you pray today? Did you read your bible today? Did you read your daily devotions?  How was your driving to work today, or shopping mall~~ did someone bother you by not driving fast enough or being in the wrong lane?  Did you get bothered by standing in the checkout lane  and seeing the lady in front of you is paying for her groceries with lots of pennies..? ( I went up and helped her count  ALL those pennies).  What are we doing to show other people God's love.... what are we teaching our children... Because it's so bitter cold outside I went out to my mailbox and put some handwarmers in the mailbox for the mail person that will deliver my mail later today.. An hour ago it was -13 and now it's -8.. and it's 1:30.  Lots of schools cancelled today because of the bitter cold.. 
January is always a starting over month for me.. I don't make New Years Resolutions ~ I don't keep them...So I'm starting by reading The Daily Walk Bible.. by next year I'll have read the whole bible, read the special daily devotions that are included in this bible, have insights to help me understand what I have read..and have a closer walk with God..  It will be a jouney and I'm going to write down my thoughts in a journal..  Day 7 will be tomorrow and I have been faithful so far in reading the bible everyday..
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! ta ta for now from Iowa~!

Growing Romaine Lettuce

Ben's artwork~!

Saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would try and see how it would work for me.. These are the bottom of Roamaine Stalks ..I cut them off and set them in water..Look~! they are growing.. They will get really tall..I can cut them off and use them for a salad.  I thought this idea was so cool~!. Each day they grow a little taller and they are so pretty and green. I started them on New Year's Day...

Saw this idea on Pinterest..

Ben called me yesterday and said "GranAnnie?" I'm bored..  So I went over to his house and got out the construction paper, markers,glue stick and scissors..  He cut each part out separately and had a great time making this guy. I just loved it.. We hung it up in the kitchen with his other drawings... He was very content with his handy art work.

Monkey boy ~ Ben

 
 Ben is now scaling the doorways at my house.. He just loves doing this all the time.. My son, Rich  would do this at this age and how interesting we are in the next generation doing the exact same thing.. 
Ben starts back to school Jan. 6 ~ Monday.. But with the snow and very -0 temperatures ~ school might get cancelled or 2 hour delay.. I go for the 2 hour delay..These kids have been off for 2 weeks. An hour ago 10:00 a.m. it was 35 degrees and now I see it's 27.. getting colder as the day goes on.  I'm going outside soon to shovel the cement pad that is in front of the garage and the steps leading to the garage.   Get outside while it's not so cold and do some excercise.  Plus we are suppose to get more snow.. Yeah~!  It's Iowa....and it's winter.. 
Outside my window I can see 8 cardinals at the bird feeder.. They are so bright against the white snow.  The bird feeders are very active today..I'll have to go and fill up the feeders when I go outside.. The black capped chickadees always sing a merry tune to me when I'm filling up the feeders.  
Knitting a scarf for Tracie.. with the frigid cold temp's outside she needs something for her neck..
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  ta ta for now from Iowa:)