Happy Birthday Ara Grace!

This young lady is 19 today!  It really doesn't seem possible - since I vividly remember going out to their house and waiting for Bonny and Bruce to bring her home from the hospital!  

 

As I have been scrolling through my photos, I keep finding shots of Ara - she has been such a big part of our lives - it has been very different having her away at school - and will be even more different when she goes on her mission!

 

But it's such an exciting time of life - so glad she has so much to look forward to.

 

Happy Birthday to you, our lovely Ara Grace - the young woman who set the gold standard for grandchildren in the Terrill family!

The lovely Ara Grace - turning 19 in 2 more days!!

Goodness but we were excited to greet the lovely Ara Grace - I can still remember Grandpa walking across the playground at Wildrose School where I was teaching and giving me the wonderful news.

 

Such  a sweet girl - and don't you love the hat??

 

Dancing at Eliza's wedding!  The "little kids" especially loved having a niece of their very own!

 

So many lovely memories - need several days to think about them all - I am really wondering where all the years went!!

Where oh where did the years go??

We are getting ready to celebrate this girl's 19th birthday!!

 

Sounds trite but it's true - the years just fly!

 

And I've quoted it before - and will undoubtedly quote it again - but as the poet Yeats penned, "I sigh that kiss you, for I must own, that I shall miss you, when you have grown!"

 

So exciting to be part of your life lovely Ara Grace!

Remembering Roger!

Launa Menlove noted on FB on Friday that it was the 12th anniversary of Roger's death.  Many years ago, Harry and Harry went on a backpacking trip to the High Sierras.  He later told Roger about it, and Roger wanted to be involved in the next one.  Thus began a tradition of many years of backpacking trips involving Roger and sons, Harry and son, Bob Miller and sons,  Mike White Jr, Mark Hanke, and others.  Roger - ever the efficient engineer - suggested that only one camera be hauled up and then the photos sent to everyone.  He even labeled them!!  And there were - and are - lots of photos!! Here are 3 of them!

Bob Miller, Roger Menlove, Harry Terrill - later when Harry F. was filling out his Eagle application, it was noted that he had never gone to an official Scout camp - so Bob wrote up their many backpacking trips as "Scout Camp!"

 

This was a tiny thumbnail print when I was looking through the photos - so I wasn't sure who it was - but it's Mike White Jr. enjoying a pretty good catch I would say!!

Some great memories that come in conversation all the time!

Some reflections . . .

This is an old photo - don't know the exact year, but Annika, Calvin, and Porter are babies - and they will be 12 this year!  So maybe early 2000's?

It's when we went to the Arboretum when everyone was here for Christmas - we went after we went to Clocker's Corner.  

And it's in the barn over by the Queen Anne Cottage by the lake.

They are all so cute and young!  They are still cute - and compared to their 70 year old grandmother they are still young!

I will always be lots older than my grandkids.  But they won't always be really young and little.

I wonder how my grandmother felt about that.  Or if she even thought of it.

I don't think she did.  I think that if I did the math, I would discover that those years when I thought my grandma was old - she was maybe 58!!

It's all relative.  It's all about perspective.

Keep that in mind!

The Family Terrill

A few years ago, we decided to take a family photo on New Year's Eve.  Kelly Shaw was in town and was willing to do the job for us.  And she did a great job!  Unfortunately, she's not often in town over New Year's, so we didn't do another photo the next year.  Then we discovered Marissa Carlson, and started having her come.  At her urging, we did a big family shot - and individual family shots.  

It is great to see the families grow and change - here are the shots from December 31, 2015 - starting with Team Bolander - Bruce, Bonny, Ara, Ella, Esme, and Annika!  (sometimes referred to as B, B, and the Vowels!)

 

The Terrills of Lemon Avenue - Harry F, Dawn, Eve, Porter, Harry W, Isla, and Deacon.  (And in our hearts we remember baby Jonah!)

 

La Famille Fillmore - David, Phoebe, Henry, Calvin, Agnes, Sullivan, and Rex!  (We include cannies who want to come!)

The Selanders of Fairfax - Matt, Eliza, Theo, Ida, Lars, and Polly.

 

The Hamill Clan from Philly Town - Robbie, Hannah, and Rhoda.

 

The newest family group - The Terrills of Glendora - Noah, Taylor, Keesa, and Francis.

 

Maybe we should have been at the head of the line, since we started all this almost 50 years ago!!  What a blessing family is - we love them all - and look forward already to next year - although there will be changes!  Stay tuned!!

What the holidays looked like - at least some of the time!!

It's been a crazy few weeks - and I have not been blogging very assiduously, that is for sure.  Here are some random photos to give you an idea of how things were from December 26th on!!  I'm not sure why there are not a lot of Christmas Eve photos - I think they are on my phone and I put them on Instagram and then forgot about them.  But New Year's is the big deal for the Terrill family!

Of course the babies were very popular - young Francis has Bonny captivated!

 

Clue seemed to be the game of the hour this year - the grandkids played it often - and Noah joined in with gusto!

 

On New Year's Eve day we had Marissa Carlson come again and take family photos - they were great - but the group ones all seemed to have one unco-operative  member in each one!!  They need a blog post of their own - watch for it!!

 

Grandkids in the family room - that Fisher-Price house was Bonny's Christmas present when she was 15 months old!!

 

The cousins draw names and we exchange gifts on New Year's Eve - always fun and the highlight of the evening.  The door is open because it was too hot - put 34 people in our little house and it heats up!

 

This year the activity of the night was the lip sync contest!  The Fillmores may have outdone themselves - and the candle is supposed to be a microphone - Hannah declared that!!  Her lip syncing was pretty awesome too!!  I think someone took video - maybe they will publish it - or not!!

 

The Bolanders were pretty awesome too - as were Harry and I - lip syncing to Louis Prima and Keely Smith singing "That Old Black Magic!"  We may have missed our calling!

 

Of course, the big event of the season was Noah and Taylor's wedding on January 2nd!  It was a lovely affair - and we were so happy to have everyone there!!

 

It was a pot-luck wedding - lots of good food - we are hoping this trend continues!!

 

Helen seemed to enjoy herself too!

 

There were "kids' tables" that were popular.

 

And there's the oldest Terrill child - at the youngest Terrill child's wedding - kind of a nice finish there!!

The season was one of the best in memory - we are indeed blessed!!

Happy Birthday Theo!!

Today is Theo's 9th birthday!  Hardly seems possible since I remember so vividly my trip to VA for his birth!!

 

And this was a year ago - that boy is growing up before our very eyes!!  All the grandchildren grow up - and it's exciting - but a little melancholy too - so grateful for lots of good memories of time spent with this sweet boy!

Have a great year ahead Theo - before we know it, you will be 16 and driving all over!!