On whole month gone already??

It seems the month of March escaped me....blogging at least.  Somehow time flies and I seem to get less done rather than more.  Priorities change though and seeing those I care about is at the top of the list.  Even that becomes hard to do sometimes.  Mike invited us to come up last week and the girls were showing us their new gymnastic skills.  They really are amazing, I think.  Bailey particularly, can do cartwheels, do splits, stand on her head etc with ease.  It was fun to watch her...them. 

Photos with Nana (me :-) the sweetest.

Then once again, it was a special birthday for one of my friends since high school/nursing school...Cindy. here at Judi's house.  (Judi even gave up her bed for us that night!!!)  We spent the night like teenagers, making pizza, eating cupcakes, watching movies and talking. 

Like a slumber party, we still just enjoy catching up and celebrating
 the small stuff.

Last week we thought we were in the process of losing Scoobie.  He had a seizure and slept for two days like he was in a coma.  He's been slipping away bit by bit for the last two years (he's 14).  He can't walk anymore (disc in his back) but we carry him around and he seems to have no pain, loves seeing us with a wagging tail, licking our hand and is thrilled when we take him anywhere.  He rallied so we put off talking about the next big step until the next health event.  He's a sweet part of our life too.  Isn't he still charming too peeking over his bed??

Once again, catching up....

Miss 4 year old Emma

 February is a big birthday month  around here...Emma (and her grandma -last of Jan, grandpa, & aunt are all within a week or so. ) then Whitney's is 8 days sooner.  It's paar~tay time!!

 



The newest celebrator baby cousin Luke.  Happy birthday Aunt Jamie!!

 

Lori made the cakes...too cute!!

Emma getting ready to open gifts...maybe kicking them gives a hint of what's inside?

Cousin Cooper

Hugs all around

the guests

the girls



Whitney's festivities in the evening with his family



What could be better than this for a cake??




Yesterday went to a church conference (550 women!) with a group
 of friends from work.
  It was one of those inspiring days where you laugh, cry,
sing and everything in between.
A great way to begin the weekend!! 

 

Wild, Wonderful Valentine Weekend!

They all still like to get out my (chemo) wigs and play with them.

Ahhhhh,....you probably thought it was a different kind of wild weekend, didn't you??  But if you know me, you know it's probably all about the grands.  We invited them for their first ever combined sleepover at our house.  Getting them together with all the schedules isn't easy, but worth it and FUN!!
Larry and I went to the dollar store and found some prizes and goodies that turned out to be a hit.  The fathers (my sons) said it was all a hurricane disaster the next morning when they helped clean up...ha! 

We blew up our $26 air mattress....the hit of the evening.
 They bounced on it using it like a trampoline,
Bailey showed us her gymnastic skills on it,
 they lined up to watch cartoon movies on it and finally
they slept on it.

We had a tea party complete with animal crackers and "tea". 
(Cooper wasn't into this activity...lol)

We played dress-up, detective and archery.  Then had pizza,popcorn
and s'mores over the fireplace.  They go together don't they??

Sleeping arrangements were pretty easy..
.Me on couch above and kids on mattress, just big enough.
 Cooper decided to go up stairs to sleep with his dad.

Breakfast was red pancakes (not very popular..."where are the REAL ones??)
bacon, and donuts. Nutrition...out the window for this paartay.

But all had a great time and are ready to do it again....Larry and I
cleaned for 2 hours and then took a L.O.N.G nap! 
Getting old?....not me!

Another year.....

This year started with a recovery and what I hope is breaking of bad luck from about the last 10 years or so.  The recovery is mine....a total hip just before Christmas.  I'm progressing well, I think but it's slower than I'd like.  I think age is catching up with me somewhat,  so right now a cane is my constant companion.  I picture it with my grandmother whom I loved with all my heart, but not really ready to be "there" yet, ha! And as for breaking bad luck....wow, there has been so MUCH in the past few years, loss of 5 close family members, my husband's business closing, my cancer etc, etc.    This is what I have found from all of it,...that humor and joy need to be my best friends.  If you can see the bright side in things and let the "stuff" roll off, -it's a much better place to be.  Somehow, this year feels like it may turn around.  I have nothing to back that up....just a feeling.
I haven't been out of the house much yet...one to the doctor, and once to the grocery.  When the call came to babysit for Cooper, we gladly said yes.  It was a sunny hour and a half  ride to their house and I enjoyed the relief from cabin fever!  Seeing them was icing on the cake. 

What a ham!  I think he'll be an entertainer when he grows up.



The many faces of.....thanks Cooper for all the giggles!!!

Christmas 2013

"Go tell it on the mountain..."  Bryden had been singing it for weeks.
This was the first time his choir sang in church, -and it was so much
fun to see him!  He was a little overwhelmed to begin with...but sing he did,...
the little angel.

The the festivities began....note:  Cooper, the party in himself!!

I told them gifts could not be opened until after we'd eaten.
 Bryden said, "I'm not hungry!"

The girls were like gold...quiet, sweet and smiley.

Everyone with their favorite gift...Bailey and her American girl doll,
Lori with her next trip to Disney planned, and Chelsea with
stylin' out door gear!

Larry got some tee-shirts..see any resemblance??
 (it made me laugh so hard!!!)

~and then my fab four posing. 

The weather was unbelievably nice...for just this day.

The night before was torrential rain and high winds bringing down
 this tree on our house in the middle of the night.

Lori's cute idea to give the fab four candy canes.

A couple more cuties...thanks for posing for me guys!!

The end always comes like a good book...but a wonderful Christmas was had by all.

I Hear the Belles of Christmas....

One of my very favorite things to do this time of the year is to wrap gifts!  It's like a great fun thing since there are many to do and I love to be in my little "elfdom" (...basement, lol) creating bows.

 Our Church musical started our day off in such a beautiful way.  It's always so pretty to hear the choir sing Christmas hymns, and this year they were extraordinarily beautiful!!   
We left from church directly for Mike and Lori's seeing more snow all the way north.

Once we got to their house we admired how Mike put a wreath on the palladium window above the front door...yikes!  But so pretty!!  The girls were cute as can be and gave us a tour of their trees...

  I walked in and said "Hi, Little Miss Curls...."  She said dryly, "My name is Emma."

Miss Curls

Lori decorated with the cutest elves you ever saw!  It looks adorable.

The trees in other parts of the house and Bailey's masterpiece...the Santa she made in school!

We always end up taking pictures to document the years and how the children have grown.
I love these photos and Lori took some of ours from past years to put in small frames
to decorate one tree with.  Such memories!....and so will these be.

Thanksgiving for a Great Weekend

This weekend was one of extended family, friends and new friends.
I (and friend Kathy, alias Yaya) got to meet one of my favorite bloggers and wrapped up a year of her extraordinary "Pink Scarf Project".  It was Bryden's birthday too and that little guy made us all smile in a big way which capped it all off.

Bryden here helping me make Thanksgiving dessert

 

His masterpiece!

 

We were invited to spend Thanksgiving with Whitney's
grandmother and family.  It was delicious and elegant!!

 

The group pictures

 

Chelsea & Whitney (L) brother Alex & Emily (R)

 

Saturday, Kathy and I headed for Columbus to meet Vicki
who is a blogger and NICU nurse from Kentucky.
 She came with some of her friends who we enjoyed
meeting as well.  She is an amazing person who I knew
would be just as I imagined.  It was as if knowing someone
 always just from reading her blog.   Kathy and Vicki are here
unloading bags of handknitted pink scarves for
cancer patients.
 

 

Friends of Vicki's helping

 

The three of us on a beautiful fall afternoon,...
and Ohio State had just won it's football game too!

 

A sampling of the gorgeous scarves!!!
We begin to hand them out this week.

 

Then Sunday was Bryden's birthday party at our local
pizza parlor.  It was a low key party as they go but
he had a ball!!

 

As soon as he saw my camera, he grabbed it, took off
(all the grands seem to do this lol) and started snapping.
Here are the results which were too good not to share!!!

 

Opening presents..

 

Here's one he liked

 

Super hero!!

 

A winter hat was another...who looks better in it...Mom or...

 

Dad??!?  (Ha!)