A big project or two for Mom and Dad!

While I was busy helping Eliza adjust to having 4 kids, Dad was helping Matt pour a new set of steps for the front porch.  I was in VA for two weeks, and then Dad joined us - in time for my birthday - and a new porch!!

Robbie and Hannah came on their way to Seattle - just in time for Robbie to lend a hand!!  Many trips to Home Depot were involved - and some equipment and truck rentals too.

 

They tore out the old steps, framed up the new ones, mixed the concrete, and poured!!

 

To say that the neighborhood kids were transfixed by the whole procedure is putting it mildly!!  They especially loved the old broken out concrete - that's what Theo is pushing and pulling along to his fort in the side yard!

 

All's well that ends well!!

Weekend that was!

Spent Friday afternoon helping Donna G. across the street pack up her kitchen in preparation for her move!  They have been there so long, it will be odd not to wave at her as I go by each day!!  The new family has 3 young boys - so that will be interesting I'm sure!!

Then spent Saturday at the shower for Katie Creekmur Long - was fun to see people I knew - and to meet some new people.  Lots of nice gifts for Baby Girl Long!!

In the evening we went to the Patriotic Concert at the Foothill Building.  I had actually never gone to it before and it was great.  Beautiful music and some great tributes to our veterans.

 

Sunday I had a camp meeting with the YCL's - lots to do by August!!  Then we headed out to Mom's to visit with Traci and family.  So nice to see them - it's been a loooong time!!

 

Great to see Debbie with Alyssa and Angela - fresh from her Carnegie Hall "debut!"  Those girls have certainly grown up!!

 

  And it's always nice to check in with David and Diane.  And their new puppy - a hit with the kids!!

Jeff and Traci's kids are a great crew - fun to get to know them a bit.  They head home on Tuesday - a three day drive to Indiana, their home sweet home!!

 

Noticed that I didn't get a shot of Donna or Mom - but they were there - appreciate their hospitality!!

On to the week and its chores - hope the heat abates somewhat!!

Happy Anniversary!!

Seven years ago we were celebrating the nuptials of Hannah and Robbie!!

On that occasion, they posted the following by Henry VanDyke:

Hours fly,

Flowers die.

New days, 

New ways,

Pass by.

Love stays.

Seems appropriate to note.

Also, remember, "some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger . . . never let her go!"

More May adventures!

There is something to be said for just hanging out with a family - seeing the day to day and catching some great moments in the process.

We walked to school each day, we walked to CVS, we walked to the burger place, we walked to the birthday party Lars was invited to, we walked to the mailbox, we walked to the Little Free Library in their neighborhood. 

The scenery was lovely - some heat, some wind, some humidty, even some rain that we got caught in!!  And occasionally a really charming, heartwarming little snapshot made itself apparent!!

 

I also had fun going with Lars on a pre-school field trip to a farm nearby.  There were lots of preschoolers there -- and they all seemed to enjoy it as much as Lars did!!

It's almost July and I'm still in May!!

Being with Eliza and her family from the very beginning was a great fun!!  Polly came on Mother's Day - what a great gift!!  And the kids were pretty excited, to say the least.

 

We are excited to head back in August for the blessing - hope I can recognize Polly - I'm sure she's grown!!  The kids were great with her - and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with them, reading with them, walking with them, driving with them - a grandma's dream!!

 

And Lars - "No, you can't take her from me, it's still my turn!!"

Gotta love Lars!!

Hopefully I can get organized with my blogging soon - but until then, enjoy the random posts as I think of them!!

More weekend fun!!

 The Father's Day bash was scheduled for Harry and Dawn's house, but Noah, Taylor, and fam came out early to "beat the heat" in their place!! Keesa, like most little kids, loves the backyard - the swing, the hammocks, the funky plastic car - and she also celebrated losing her first tooth - Noah had pulled it just before they came!!

 

Taylor was determined to get Noah a bow tie for Father's Day - and we found one online - she'd found this great little store in Covina with them - so we headed out there last week - and it was closed for vacation!!  The online source co-operated and got it here on time!!  Noah was pleased - as you can tell - spent a few minutes with a YouTube tutorial and was ready to go!!

 

Of course baby Francis was his usual charming self!!

 

Noah loves this little hat on Francis - says it makes him look like he's from Gilligan's Island!!

More photos from Harry and Dawn's when I get to it - this should not be so hard - or maybe I should not be so busy - or maybe it should not be so hot so that I just want to curl up with a book - indoors in the cool!!

Weekend fun!!

Went out to Mom's on Friday - and Josh Mitton stopped by since he was "in the area!"  Mom loves those kind of surprise visitors!!

 

Took her for her monthly pedicure.  She does know how to enjoy life - I bet she would have thought she'd died and gone to heaven if she'd gotten this kind of attention "back in the day!!"

 

Spent the night at Mom's - Mom, Donna, and I enjoyed chicken enchiladas for dinner - and some good conversation too.

Then I got up Saturday and headed out for Thousand Oaks.  My high school buddies and I had a collective 70th birthday party - posing here as "The Girls of '45."

Can I just say that you ought to stay in touch with your buddies from high school - just so you can re-connect for milestone birthdays and other events!  We get together a couple of times a year - and it's great fun!!

Friendship is truly "golden!"

Happy Father's Day!

Happy day to a great dad!!

Will I ever catch up??

I seem to be preternaturally busy - I certainly hope I'm using that word correctly - I've always wanted to use it - these days.  And I keep trying to update my recent adventures.  But things keep happening - and I'm just not as quick as I used to be!!

But the above photo is pretty representative of the 3 weeks I spent with Eliza.  She did not spend all of her time on the couch - but we were busy with life with a new baby.  And it's just as grand the 4th time around!!  Babies bring their own joy to the world - and I was so glad to be there.

I am off to GH to visit my mom and then go to a mini-reunion with 5 of my high school friends - we are all turning 70 this year so we decided to have a big party of our own - big with all 6 of us!!

Hopefully I can get back to blogging about the VA adventures - and my 70th birthday adventures!!

The new kid on the block!!

Since we got back from Virginia and Karl's wedding,  I have been spending time with Taylor, Keesa, and baby Francis.

 

I have enjoyed getting to know Taylor better - and Keesa and Francis too.  Francis is truly a model child - the kind you read about but doubt you will ever meet!  He eats and sleeps and eliminates - and doesn't cry much at all!!  He's busy growing I guess - he didn't even lose weight for his first doctor visit at 5 days!!

Having two new grandbabies at once is fun and exciting - it's happened before - and we are delighted it happened again.

Has it been 4 years already??

These shots are from Christmas 2012 - I think anyway.  Lars is obviously a little guy here - a charming little guy too.

 

He has done a good job of being "the little brother."

Of course now, he gets to be a "big brother" too!

And he will undoubtedly do a great job at that too!

Happy day to you Lars!!

Grandbaby Number 19!!

So, I think I'd better go back and start from the beginning - but I may jump around - fair warning!!

I left May 8th and flew to Virginia to be with Eliza, Matt, and family and the upcoming new baby.  As soon as I got there, Eliza started stressing about going over since I'd come early!!  (She is her mother's daughter - that's the sort of thing I always say!!)

But sweet Polly Helen co-operated beautifully and came on her due date, Mother's Day, May 10th!!  She is a beauty - and everyone loves her!! 

More to come - staying in VA for 3 weeks was tons of fun - it was work too - but like Beverly at SMCNS always says, "It is work worth doing!!"

So I will be reporting some of my adventures.

Stay tuned!!

What's going on!

So, my computer is not working so well - at least when it comes to letting me access the photos I have in iPhoto.  Any suggestions from you folks out there in the hinterlands would be appreciated.  I do have a call in to my tech guy, but no answer yet.

So I am taking photos off my phone for now - and I'm way behind in my reporting - not that there are that many folks who care, but I do pride myself on having a current blog!!

Today I went out to Glendora to take Taylor to some appointments she had.  She is recovering nicely, but it can be stressful to take a five year old and a newborn out to run around - not to mention dealing with an old lady too - one who says things like "which way are we going, right or left?"

Since I'm retired, I noticed that I didn't notice that it was summer vacation!!  (Every day feels like a vacation day to me!!)  And all the schools aren't out - we've passed many on our driving routes and the kids are still there - at least they were today.)

Today we did lunch at Ikea - special request from Keesa - and did you know that at the end of June, the free meals for kids on Tuesdays will end?

What is the world coming to??