My friend Gabri

I adore this child.  She is my BFF's youngest daughter Gabriella.  Gabriella also has a few alias, such as G, Gabri, Gabby, Gab and of course all those other terms of endearment.  She is youngest of six and has had a few trials in her young life.  At the age of two she was hospitalized for two weeks.  They thought it was pneumonia, and at some time it probably was, but the poor thing just kept getting sicker and sicker.  They were draining fluid off her lungs every other day and the fever was just horrific.  Eventually the doctors said we have done all we can do, prayer is what they recommended.  So we all prayed, we had been praying, we just continued what came naturally to all of us.  God answers our prayers.  He answered.  G's fever broke.  It took a few more days to get her strength up, but she was home a few days after Christmas. 

So, now at the age of 9 (my personal favorite age for kids).  She wants to be a veterinarian.  She LOVES to fix and find broken creatures.  She is the animal whisperer.  She wants a horse.  Heck, I want a horse.  I just don't want more "chores", and Gabri has a Mom to do most of her chores, well and two older sisters.  So anyway, Gabri is my hero of the week.

P.S.  We have something else in common.  Gabri is the reason I have Pete, because she has Lucy.  And we all have play dates.   (Remember, Pete is my sugar glider.  Lucy is Gabri's sugar glider.  Lucy is not as nice as Pete.  Pete is super cool and friendly.  G said if anything happens to Lucy, she gets Pete because she is the reason I have Pete.)  Oh the funny things children say!!! 

What to do today

It is 0453.  I am not super happy about this time of the morning.

Vandy is asleep upstairs.  I am perfectly okay with him being asleep in our bedroom.

The girls decided to sleep in the cottage.  I have mixed emotions about this arrangement.  Am I jealous?  Am I worried everything won't be exactly as I have arranged it?  Is my brain thinking I am going to have to do MORE laundry now?  I am not totally sure where the anxiety is coming from.  I did love that they were SUPER excited about sleeping out there.  Addie, our baby, last one out of the nest child, and her bff Erica, just love the cottage.  And, this is Addie's third night sleeping out there.  (no worries, Vandy was on the couch until 0359 listening for intruders)   Addie says, "Mom, it is so peaceful.  There is no one to bother my thoughts."  Hmm, does she mean me?  Because she has her cell phone glued to her right hand.   And for sure cell phones bother my thoughts. 

So, with everyone where they should be, me and my Pete are typing at the laptop.  Pete you ask?  Oh, Pete is my "new" baby.  He is a marsupial.  Pete is a nocturnal marsupial.  He is in my hoodie right now.  Oh, you want to see a picture of him?  I warn you, it is NOT the best picture I have taken.  He is super fast.  Pete is super fun too, if only I were nocturnal.

Pete, the sugar glider.

The WINNER is ......

I am excited!!  I wanted to put the quote up on the door before I announced the winner, that would be cool wouldn't it?  However, I am a bit behind this morning, SO I will do that later today and post it later this week.  BUT it does not take away from the winner.  EXCEPT, I want to post my top 5 first.  Maria, from personalizedsketchesandsentiments posted a great bible verse, Matthew 7:7!!!

Becky, "Follow your bliss and doors will open for you." by Joseph Campbell

Pondside "Don't spend time beating on a wall hoping to transform it into a door", by Coco Chanel!

Sara, "Every wall is a door", was super cute.

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny Matlock you know I love Winnie the Pooh!  "When having a smackerel of something with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out."  It makes me want to go grab the fresh honey I bought at the farmers market this weekend and tilt my head back and squirt it into my mouth until it is full!

So, drum roll please!!!!  

P.J.  Please send me your address!!!!

"Not knowing

when dawn will come,

I open every door."

Emily Dickinson 

Ya'll once again, thank you so much for visiting my blog and please come back and see me.  I love the contest thing and giving away fun little make me smile gifts! 

Have a wonderful day!

Another cousin story ...

Good morning all!  I have to say I am not looking forward to trying to PICK ONE saying for my door on the cottage.  It is killing me!!!!  They are all so amazingly good.  heavy sigh.  a good heavy sigh, but still a heavy sigh. 

Anyway, for the Sunday story and picture (remember I told you I would show you this amazing potting bench/table that my cousin Larry built for me).  Cousin Larry (AN AMAZING CARPENTER)  is my second cousin, Jenny's first cousin, which yes, makes Jenny my second cousin too.  Growing up this was a difficult thing to follow because Jenny's Mom was my Dad's Aunt, which made her my great Aunt and, they were only like a couple years apart (Dad and Aunt Rosalee), (well me and Jenny too).  And frankly, in the Hrovatic family, second wasn't really an option.  And cousin Larry was a boy and the boys always got to do really cool things, like hunt and fish and play ball and during family reunions I had to be a girl.  UGHHHHhhhhh  UNTIL one family reunion at Grange Hall, the men were playing cards and the women were talking and cooking and organizing, but I saw my cousin Jenny bring in this case and pull out this AMAZING instrument.  I was glued to her.  She started (bet you didn't know this about Jenny)  singing and playing that guitar and I knew instantly I wanted to be a first cousin and play the guitar and make up my own songs and sing and be just like her!  I told my parents I want a guitar for Christmas, nothing else, that's what I want, pleasepleaseplease.  AND I got it, woohoooooo, but I forgot to ask for lessons to go with my new shiny guitar.

Have I mentioned I can't sing, or carry a tune or even clap with the music at church, let alone the radio?  It's all good though, I have other "mad" skills. 

So back to my other "second" cousin Larry.  He is a fabulous cousin and we do trips with him and his wife Chris.  We golf together.  We fish together.  We have parties together.  We hike and camp together.  We snow ski together.  He was very close with my parents, like a son in some aspects.  And remember, he was my Dad's first cousin.  (eyeroll)  Anyway, I do need to get back on track here ................ this past President's Day we went skiing in Michigan.  We do an annual trip to Boyne as part of our vacation package we own and we MAKE them come with us.  We have SOOOoooooo much fun with them. 

This past winter after a great day on the slopes I said to Cousin Larry (the super talented carpenter cousin), HEY, you remember that three legged table you made Chris and you said you would make me one and you haven't?  (He gave me the very familiar Hrovatic look) Yes he said.  I said, well I don't want that anymore, I want this!  And I showed him a picture of this bench from some very chic' magazine.  I said I am NOT paying $795 dollars for it, so make it for me ...pppleeeeeeeeassssseeee!!!  He rolled his eyes and took the magazine.  I had been waiting for that three legged table for ten years now, so I knew I would never see the bench!

SO, Addie graduates from high school this past May and we have a party.  I wanted the cottage done, but it wasn't, but Larry hadn't seen any of it.  Larry and Chris are sitting on our back porch when we get home from the graduation and I am soooo excited to see them!  I said, have you seen my cottage, never mind Addie just graduated high school????  They said no, we were waiting for you!  So we take the hike back there and I am rambling and rambling and I see this thing in my cottage!! 

Legs down.

Both legs opened up.

One leg opened up.

The beautiful hickory grain.

OH MY GOODNESS!  I hug Larry.  I hug Chris.  I hug Larry again!!   Larry says hold on, it isn't finished.  I am like huh, what???  He said, well the wood is bare, I know you PAINT EVERYTHING.  No, I am not going to paint this bench!  I LOVE it!!!!  Can you believe he made this from a picture??  Mine is better.  Just saying!!

So, after that long winded story.  I will have the winner posted tomorrow!!!!!!!!  And no, you can not have my bench.  teeheeee