Friday, June 26, 2009

Friday Favorites

My favorites this week are a few things my father-in-law made for us. I posted a little bit about my father-in-law on Memorial Day. Harry worked all his adult life in construction as a dock builder, but he was also very handy around the house, he used to make small pieces of furniture, and he was also a talented woodcarver.
Here is a wooden step stool Dad made for us (he actually made five of them and gave one to each of his children and their families):






And Dad also carved these two wooden chains:








Such patience, right?!


One last favorite today is my favorite boy, who keeps me smiling with his constant clowning around!

Jayden decided to cast aside his pirate sword and hop into his cousin Mia's little pink doll stroller the other night!

Practicing tying a bow with Umma's kitchen chair cushions.


The other morning while watching TV and waiting for his breakfast to be ready Jayden called to me that he was cold, I told him to go get one of his sweat jackets that were hanging on the hooks in the hall. When I came back into the living room he had taken one of my sweaters and put it on backwards and was all snuggled up in it:



Jayden decided he needed glasses to see better and took a pair of Ray's safety goggles to wear:

When I told Jayden to take the glasses off he said, "Umma, I need them, they help my fingers to snap louder!" This kid is a real character!




The above pictures of our living room were taken on days when Jayden was not around.


And on a normal day when Jayden is around to work his magic, this is the decorating theme.......


...almost never do the back cushions stay on the love seat, they slowly make their way to the front of the love seat and then to the floor, and there is always a tent being built somewhere!



I often think about how much Ray's Dad would have enjoyed Jayden and his antics!





Weekend Forecast:
Saturday & Sunday are going to be devoted to finishing painting the last wall in the living room, and (hopefully!) also painting the dining room, but I have a feeling if the weather is as nice as is promised, the pool and swimming will win out over painting the dining room!
Have a great weekend everyone!

11 comments:

  1. Hi Eileen, I was just thinking yesterday about your paint project, wondering if you finished! I really related with your room after Jayden got through with it. I always clean before Sarah spends the night, why, I don't have a clue. He was so cute with those glasses on, and the fact they they helped him in other ways was an added bonus for him!
    The carving that your father-in-law did was amazing. The chain and the balls in the rectangular box, gosh that had to be hard to do!
    Trying to figure out how to go about it would seem the hardest. The foot stool reminded me of how much I wish someone in our family could make furniture, I could use some new!

    I hope you get to go in your pool this weekend Eileen. Today, another day of triple digits but all next week it's supposed to be in the 80's. My yard is crying for attention!

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  2. Eileen...I love Jayden's decoration magic. He is cute...and has such a great imagination. (Your sweater was comfy to him...and was yours...a bit of Umma wrapped around him...can't get any more comfortable than that.)
    I can't wait to show my Daddy the woodworking wonders.....Those are amazing works of art....and priceless to you and your family. Enjoy the fishing and the painting....and I'm with you: the pool and swimming would win out!! Sounds like a relaxing weekend....
    Smiles,
    Jackie

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  3. Jayden is so so cute and he gets it from you, you know...how clever, too, with the finger snapping (I would have snatched him up and squeezed and smooched him right there and then!)

    Those are the greatest pictures of before and after of your living room...think Jayden is ready for your other blog? In the before pictures I can almost hear the music from Jaws when the shark is approaching.

    What an artist your father-in-law was, very gifted and so good that he passed these treasures on.

    blessings with hugs,

    marcy

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  4. Oh Jayden....what an interesting boy! I love him in those glasses!!! And I'm glad they make him snap better! :)))

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  5. Hi Eileen, OMG Jayden is so cute in these pictures and I can see how you could be totally devoted to him. He brings joy to your home in the way of tents, cute sayings and you must of been thrilled to see him wrapped in your sweater.
    I loved the things your FIL made with his hands and you now get to enjoy them with his memory.
    Have a great day....I hope you get to swim and sun all weekend......:-) Hugs

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  6. Hi Eileen,
    Yes, Jayden is a character! I laughed when he said the glasses made him snap better! What amazing things come out of the minds of little children! He is very creative and intelligent, and I can see he has a good hold on your heart strings. What a perfect delight he is! He is a charmer, and you are so blessed to have him so near to hug and cuddle with.

    I also loved the carvings and the furniture, Harry was very talented, and I am sure he would have loved to teach Jayden how to make furniture too.

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  7. Hi Eileen
    Your Father in law was not only patient but a very talented artist make such a beautiful and "lonnngg" chain is...You can just see the mischief in Jayden's eyes and the wheels turning in his cute little head...and I've seen my share of out of place cushions too!
    Have a good weekend...

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  8. What a wonderful artist to have carved like that..my father-in-law used to carve too. He made the prettiest wooden birds of all sorts. Your grandson just cracks me up!! The picture of your living room when he's been there is totally hilarious..that's how it was when Sammy was smaller. And, Sam was a climber..do you have one of those? Sam could climb before he could walk. He climbed my daughters bunk bed ladder. He would stack stuff up and climb up it to get to something he saw that he wanted. It was horribly scary! He had absolutely no fear!
    Jayden's little finger snapping with the glasses on was just adorable!! Love, Jerelene

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  9. I almost forgot...I sure hope you are able to enjoy your pool this weekend! I'll pray that the weather will cooperate for you :) love, Jerelene

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  10. I just love sheer curtains in a window. Beautiful home, Eileen. I'm so impressed with your father-in-law's talent. He must have had a tremendous amount of patience to have made that wooden chain.

    Jayden is a happy, and handsome little guy. I'm sure there's a lot of laughter when he's around.

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  11. Jayden is such a sweet little guy. Every time you write about him I think of my little grandson Thomas and all of the fun we used to have. Thomas is fifteen years old now. Your living room is very pretty. I just love your crown moldings. Your father-in-law was such a talented man.

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