Assorted Pictures

Seth wearing his new Christmas tee

Josh taking care of Halloween business

Emme's Look

Another picture of the Honored Doggie and Seth, on Christmas Day

Poking Head Out From Blanket

A little Seth-Elf, From Years Ago

I have been so sleepy lately! Today was the best I've done in a week. Anyway, I've enjoyed your posts and Merry Almost-Christmas! Since I posted, we have had the Gables Christmas party and the staff Christmas party - both were nice. At the first one they had dinner and singers, gifts for the residents (including a Wii and about 30 games) and Santa. Melinda and Danny and kids, and Haley and Dallin and Hunter came, plus Seth (for a bit) and Justin and Kattie and Ben. It was fun having so many of the family there. We go in one dining section together, and the kids run around between bites of food. It's great, because they can't get out the door! I only went to the end of the staff party, which was across the hall from us. They had food and speeches by Mark and a couple of the owners, and they drew numbers for prizes (including big, professionally-framed pictures) and they also could win the chance to pop balloons with even more numbers in them. There were a bunch of the pictures as prizes, because one of the owners has a framing shop and does them. It was cool! Let's see...what else? We got Megan and Brooks a box off (we'd already sent things to Phillip), and we've gotten several nice Christmas cards, including one from M and B, and one from Spencer and Marie and family. I love the photo cards especially. I still have more to finish up and then we're going to Melinda's for family time on Christmas Eve. Seth will go home with us from there for the night, and we'll probably see people some on Christmas Day after church. I love that it's on Sunday this year! I want to see Christmas lights and sing carols too. Since we don't have a kitchen, we aren't baking things as gifts this year. Maybe they'll get 220 to the activities room for an oven some time later. : ) It will be great to just be with the residents, too. Gables really has the spirit of Christmas about it. I'm so glad that we could help the people here, including the employees and the owners. ttyl!! Stay safe! xoxoxo

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Hellooo! Welcome to our winter palace! Things were magical around here, because Emme and Alaina came to visit on Thursday afternoon for a while. They played with princess dress up dolls and colored and rode Butterscotch and Buttercup (Lainey named her), Butterscotch's stickhorse foal. They also ate lunch here, and we had lots of fun together! Then, on Friday, Emme came for a while, just by herself. It was great to have her by herself 'cause it's just like having a little doll who sits very still on your lap. : ) Friday night Mark and I went to see Moneyball at the downtown theater; we thoroughly enjoyed seeing Brad Pitt inhabit another role so completely. The story is real and therefore fascinating, about General Manager of the Oakland Athletics Billy Beane and his recruiting assistant, and how they changed the game of baseball. Saturday Mark worked on his S.S. lesson all day. He made a slide presentation on the book of Revelation. It clarifies the order of the prophecies and how they are related, plus what is stated in each one. So helpful to see it laid out like that. Seth moved into his new digs, a bedroom apt. in a house that he'll share with two really nice guys, just a couple of blocks away from Ben and Linda's. He came by and saw Leto afterwards, and Leto was very happy to see him, as always. I'm happy for Seth that's he's being so independant. He's growing up! While Mark worked on his lesson, I wrote a letter to Mrs. Cannon, and I honestly can't remember anything else I did. Oh, well! I was happy, and that's fine by me! Hope you are warm and cozy today! xoxoxo

Alex Keeps Everyone On Their Toes!

Hello! I'm still up tonight, so I thought I'd update my blog before I go to bed. Saturday evening we had our ward's Christmas Chalet, for the whole family. It was pretty basic this year and Melinda got to rest, 'cause she wasn't in charge! Yay for her! Kattie and Ben came too, and Justin had Josh because Ben and Linda were at his work's Christmas dinner. I'll bet that was nice for them. We had a blast having Josh at the dinner. He just sat on his chair like a little man. We had ham and baked potatoes and green beans, after the nice hors d'oeuvres, that is. And then different desserts were offered. I had coconut cake - yummy! For the entertainment, two little boys played the guitar and then the Primary kids dressed up and did the manger scene while they read about the Christmas story. And then Bro. Darrington read a story for us. No Santa this year, but it was nice how the emphasis was on Christ. I liked that. The decor was very simple, too, and they had pamphlets at the tables, written by the General Authorities on Christmas talks. They also had some pages that the kids could get to color or do a dot-to-dot Christmas tree and a quiz about Christmas. It was fun to see how much room our family took up at 2 long tables, even without Ben and Linda. Then, Sunday we had a great testimony meeting. People bore testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ lives and that He and Heavenly Father love us. Melinda and Danny bore their testimonies about their gratitude for finding Alex that a.m. and for all the help they rec'd. What?!! We hadn't heard about it, but apparently when Alex was playing downstairs. somehow he got by them and got out of the house. Tristan then asked what Alex was doing, 'cause he wasn't downstairs. They looked all over and Danny stopped in the church and told the ward council that Alex was missing. They immediately said a prayer and started looking for Alex. Other people joined in, but after a time Danny and Mel called the police. Lo and Behold, the Bolero bowling alley had called the police because a boy showed up there. In the meantime, they let him wear bowling shoes and bowl (wasn't that nice?). So Danny and Melinda were able to get Alex (who still doesn't quite understand that anything was wrong - he was right at home at the Bolero, even though it is down and across 1st St.! Thank Heaven the Sunday traffic is slow that time of day!). So they were very thankful and the people in the ward were very understanding and comforting, besides having been very helpful. When I got up to bear my testimony, I said that we hadn't known Alex was missing, and that if I'd known, I'd have gone straight to the bowling alley. Of course, I was making a joke! After the meeting, lmost everyone had a story of when their kid went missing, including me. I reminded her of how Ben and Justin were lost in the woods in Texas for 5 hours, when they were just 4 and 2. Justin was still in diapers! They had a helicopter and the worker's from Randy's job looking for them, as well as some people from the church. Finally, before dark, a worker found them. Ben was hiding, but Justin ran and the worker saw him. They were about a mile away and had crossed a small creek, and Ben said they were following 'Black Cat,' our cat, and that they walked and walked and climbed big hills and crossed water and so on. Fortunately, Justin still had his pants on. I'd been worried they'd fall down (as they often did) and he'd get scratched up. Of course, that was the least of my worries! I was so thankful to the guy who found the boys. He came to the door holding Justin, with Benjamin by the hand. They got so far away because it was so noisy that day, from the wind in the trees. The kids always played outside (we were a mile from the road), and I'd check them every little bit. That day they decided to wander and they couldn't hear me call for them. Boy, did I go weak in the knees when I couldn't find them! I went and checked all along the creek first, then ran in and called Dale Helfer, my good friend in Henderson, 7 miles away, and Randy. Everyone came on the double. The helicopter was sent from a Henderson clay co. That was very kind of them. Anyway, it's always so frightening when kids go missing! Also, Phillip went to Sister Lindsay's house as a toddler and we couldn't find him. We remember Garve Giancetta helping us that time. I also remember Abby Lloyd disappearing as a toddler for a while. Happy outcomes in both cases. Whew! Monday and Tuesday were quiet, for the most part. Time flies in December! Tonight is book club, and we're to bring our favorite children's Christmas book and something to eat. I think we meet at Mary H.'s home again. And now you're all up-to-date! Wasn't that fun? Hope you're all doing well. Hi, Phillip! We're thinking about you! Love You! xoxoxo

Addendum and Piano

(Photo courtesy of Megan)

On the Softlips offer, it's limit 1 per transaction. You can go in more than once, though, so you could pick up an extra. I want to go, myself! On NestingPlace's blog (see bloglist), they did a favorites link party, and I took notes on the ones I read: One product I actually bought tonight, and I love it! It's Maybelline's Lip Sensations. This lipstick is perfect for giving you really soft lips without glop or smearing. I like it better than any gloss I've tried, yet it's a lipstick. It feels like it's comforting my lips. Also, the colors are great and it's not too expensive, so you could splurge on a couple of them. Other favorites listed (the first by several) was Mrs. Weaver's cleaning and other products, Caress Body Wash in Glowing Touch, Pier 1's jingle bell decorations, La Pen pens, the 7-year pen, and Wonda hooks (they didn't elaborate except to rave about them). Mark bought us Febreeze's holiday-scented air freshener (the dark blue one), and we really, really like it. They're super-pretty too, covered with big snowflakes. Okay, that covers the tips so far. It's really fun to read real people's reviews, basically, of the things we use. Saves a lot of trial and error! Mark put up Christmas lights for me in the craft/computer room. They're soo pretty. And we went to Alex and Melinda's piano recital, which was for Linda's students, so had lots of kids we knew performing. Alex said, "What are you talking about?" over his shoulder as he went to sit down. He played The Lion Sleeps Tonight and one other, short, number, and I thought he did quite well. You could tell he enjoyed it. Melinda played The Music of the Night. It was beautiful! So was she: she dressed the part, with a flowing black velvet cloak and a long black skirt. The grand piano was black, too, and it made such an impression of the Phantom's world. Magical! It felt like there were sparkles in the air when she played. She says she messed up, but she just hesitated a couple of times. I can't believe she's been playing for less than a year! I'm so glad when you all learn things - it's something you build on throughout your lives. I know some of you play piano and sing and dance and ride and so on, besides sewing and reading and gardening and cooking. I think education and classical, uplifting learning is essential to our development. Also, outdoor experiences and learning. The Mountain West is great for much of that. I remember when they held the 2000 Olympics in SLC, and they couldn't believe how many talented volunteers they had who spoke all kinds of languages (from missions) and could do all kinds of things. That's so cool! And that's all I have to say about that! I love you! Hugs and Kisses, xoxoxo

Mikarose Giveaway

Hi! On Home by Heidi she is having a giveaway for a $50 coupon to www.mikarose.com. The main reason I'm posting this is because I want to support Mikarose. Their focus is totally on stylish, modest clothing. So go to Heidi's blog (on my blog list) and enter, if you're interested. She's got pictures and links. I totally love the first top she features (although, ironically, it is skin tight on the model - what's up with that?). As Heidi wrote, "Modest is hottest!" xoxoxo ps Don't miss my last post about Softlips, either...just passing along a great deal!

Free Softlips Pearl

At Walgreen's thru Saturday 12/3 Limit one - Cost is $2 and you get that back at the register! Also, Kattie stopped in for a while yesterday - we watched some goofy tv and talked. It was fun! My aide and I straightened and cleaned that a.m., and Mark and I watched Larkrise to Candleford(?) last night; it's a tv series set in Victorian England. I told Mark that that is how my Grandma Wakefield/Gray raised me (I visited with her often, in her different apts.), and I love that genteel atmosphere. So, that's about it for yesterday. A wonderful, peaceful day! How was yours? (This a.m. it is snowing so much that there was a whiteout. Wow November's going out with a bang!) xoxoxo

This Past Thanksgiving Weekend

Hello! Thank you for your comments, and Merry Christmas to you too, Bonnie! We had a nice Thanksgiving at Danny and Melinda's. Everyone brought food or contributed money to the feast. Seth and Justin, Linda and Ben and Josh, Haley and Dallin and Hunter and we were there, although Haley and Dallin had to come later on. It was a nice, quiet meal, as I recall. The kids were cute as usual, and baby Irelyn's hair continues to get redder and redder. Alaina is growing noticeably taller and Emme is looking more like a toddler than a baby. Her face is so piquant, if that's the right word. Very sober most of the time, and looking like a little orphan. It's so funny. Hunter's hair is longer and curly too. Very handsome on him. Josh talks quite a bit and is a little man, like Ben was, lol. That night at about 11 p.m., Haley got me and we ran by Wal Mart, then went to Macey's and Target. The lines were soooooooooo long! And the people were very nice! She picked up boots and Hunter toys and a couple of other things, and I got a soft, cuddly blanket, mainly. We had tons of fun, and stayed out till 3:00 a.m. or so. Mostly we just waited in 2 lines, tho. : ) The weather was windy and cold and Haley had trouble getting her trunk open; therefore, she froze. Maybe that's why people were so happy in line - at least they were warm! A tiny little aide at Mark's work got something grabbed from her by a strange man. He pushed her, grabbed the gadget, and then ran away. She ran after him, caught him by the collar, and kicked him in the seat. So funny! And, btw, she got her gadget from him too. Good job!! Sunday we went to church and Mark gave the S.S. lesson on John, the first 3 chapters. His lesson was wonderful, and so was Relief Society's on repentance. Today has been fairly quiet. Saturday I attended Eleta's bday. gathering here - she's my very good friend. It was her 80th birthday! I got her a couple of small things and made her a card which she really liked, 'cause it had cats all over it (she loves cats and has a tuxedo cat named Cricket). This a.m. I went to the dentist/dentite (our joke name for dentist) and he needs to do more filling or pulling, it's up to us. Either one is very expensive. We'll see... We love the red down-alternative comforter we got Friday, when Mark and I went out to the store. It was a really good price and it's so lightweight and comfortable. Goes just great with our apt.! Hope you all are well and strong and being gud! lol xoxoxo

Newsletter to You

Italicize the "You," because this is just for us to share. Usually this time of the year prompts me to write a family newsletter that I save, but never get mailed. It kind of sums up our year and how the family's doing. With us, it mainly focuses on the "kids" getting schooling or jobs, marriages, and the birth of babies, besides Mark's career highlights and my health low-lights, lol. The main reason I type one up, though, is just to get a sense of where we are and where we are heading. This past year (and maybe this December!) brought the birth of two darling little girls into the family, a job and location change for Mark, a location and job change for Seth, deployment halfway around the world for Phillip, a new career path for Ben, and Linda expecting a little sister for Josh, ajob change (a comin' one of these days) for Justin, Kattie's marriage and new work with Mark, and Dallin finishing up his degree and looking around the country at job opportunities. Whew! People have moved (thank you for your help!!) and we've all been pretty well, for the most part. I think we've all felt blessed. But what I am most happy about and want to write to you about is a more all-encompassing blessing that I have noticed and been so grateful for. It's a settling, an acceptance and an acknowledging of effort as an accomplishment to ourselves. I've seen an over-arching faith in Heavenly Father's timetable and plan, regardless of what threatens the world or us individually, and a strength and flexibility and grateful peace and enjoyment in our lives, rather than fear or over-analysis or over-planning. My own testimony has been added to in an indefinable way. I don't wonder whether we are happy or good so much anymore. I just know that God is good and loving and that we are surrounded by blessings I feel more aware of the veiled world around us and I sense the support of family members on the other side. I feel their overwhelming joy. I mentioned something in my last post, and that was the opportunity we have to serve one another. That is a great thing that is unique to this existence, in that it will never be more meaningful. Every little thing we do, every word of encouragement and every small moment of teaching, thoughtfulness or understanding that we offer, has a real and lasting impact in this world and in the eternities. Those moments should be accompanied by a sound of resonating thunder. They are that important. You know, so much of what Jesus did and taught, His greatest lessons, were accomplished in small moments, often occurring on His way to something important. Funny how that worked. He always stopped when the Spirit told Him to He always listened He always felt such love for the creations of His own hand. He walked the earth with reverence and power. This Christmas, let us be aware of the real glory of Jesus Christ and why He came to earth: That we might have joy. Bless you! xoxoxo

I'm Thankful For...

Mark Our family Dreams The magic of Heavenly Father's plan Food Heat The sun Flowers Fireplaces The Atonement and repentance Learning Beautiful music Beautiful movies Funny movies Friends Horses Furry, soft animals Oceans, rivers, and streams Hot chocolate Cold chocolate Antibiotics Computers Ginger Snaps Soup Watermelon Deer Cougars Fish (to catch, mostly) Grass Maple Trees 7 month olds Books Drawing, art, creating Our opportunities to help each other Holidays Stationery, smooth pens, and all the accoutrements of correspondence Letters in the mail Packages in the mail Toys and games Christmas lights White Christmases Paths through the woods The scriptures Colors My state and country My ancestors Stories and Readers of my blog! Bless You! xoxoxo

Busy Wednesday

This a.m. I have a dr. appt., and then I need to get to work! If Mark will get our Christmas "decorates" out, we could put them up; in the meantime there is plenty to do, more de-cluttering and cleaning (always in process), cards, artwork, etc. Mark bought the food for Thursday's cooking. It's kind of exciting when you hear the bustle of the grocery bags, isn't it?

Mark and I are really, really enjoying our little fireplace/heater thing - I need to name it something: how about Toddy? It makes you feel the way a hot toddy should, although mind you, I can't say from personal experience! That seems about right. We watched So I Married an Ax Murderer last night. It's so silly. : ) My favorite line is, "Come, let us dance like Children of the Night!" (This, uttered while Mike Myers is in his Sprockets mode, my favorite.) And all the "Hede!" outbursts from his Scottish dad. I wonder if MM was imitating his rl Scottish dad. Anyway, it's awesomely quoteable. It's cold here! I guess we live in Idaho. lol Stay warm and safe where you are, and Happy Thanksgiving early! xoxoxo PS Megan, could you help me put some crossed candy canes up on my header? Thx!

Picture Pause

While I'm typing Tut is on my lap interfering. He reaches his paw up to remind me to pet him. Tut is the epitome of entitlement. I titled this post "Picture Pause" because the site is being funny about loading pics again; if I wait to post until it's better, I won't ever get a post up! I just got back from having two molars pulled today. I go back for more stuff later, but I'll deal with (and pay for) that later. Basically, I need to get my teeth in the best possible shape and keep them that way (duh!). I inherited these weak English teeth, and that, plus diabetes, makes me very prone to problems. I do very well at brushing and flossing, and now that I have an electric toothbrush it's so much easier. It is worth it to buy one, if you haven't. Also, floss picks make flossing much simpler. I'm sure all this will help my overall health. So that's what's been going on with me. We are going to Melinda and Danny's for Thanksgiving this year, with people assigned food to bring. Mark has green bean casserole, rolls, gravy, fruit salad, dressing, and chocolate pie, I think. It's fun having traditional food, year after year. We always fix a lot and eat very little, but we live on the leftovers to make up for the expense. Right? At the Redwood house, we stored leftovers in our garage. Maybe we'll have to put them in our car this year, if we have any. I looove leftover fruit salad, with cherries, mandarin oranges, grapes, pineapples, and other fruit, plus whipped cream. I feel for Phillip, out in Afghanistan. We miss you, Phillip! Stay safe! We had a great visit with him, when he took his leave in October. He paid for Megan and Sabriel to visit us at the same time, and we got some great family pictures. I'll keep trying to post them. One thing we did while he was here was have a Halloween party at Danny and Melinda's. The Darringtons from down the street were there, as well as West Virginia friends and the whole Fam Damily. We all were in costume, and there was chili and Mark's hot chocolate, freshly-made cider from Kattie and Ben's, and tons of rice crispie treats, salsa, chips, and so on. We played a fun and engaging game where one person stands in the center and says something they've never done. Then, everyone who has done that thing gets up and switches chairs, while the person in the center does so also. One person is minus a chair and becomes the next to say what hasn't been done. Phillip was so grown up and personable this time, and he actually wore his Army fatigues on the trip home (the first time I've seen him in uniform!). He flew for 29 hours straight to get home (with a one-day layover in Kabul (?)). Anyway, he was up a long time! It was great to meet Sabriel, who is so Far Side-ish and squishy and pretty and pleasant. I miss holding her, but at least we have Irelyn and Emme to hold. Soon Ben and Linda will have a little sister for Josh, Bethany (I believe), named after a literary character. Babies everwhere! I'm loving seeing all the "kids" growing up. Aiden actually calls me sometimes, to ask me questions or talk. That's so amazing to me that he is his own little person now. Gables had their Halloween party, with trick-or-treating down the halls (Gables provided the candy that was distributed). They also had a great meal, a fishing pond, a cakewalk for little prizes, and a tossing game. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the staff really took part. It felt just like the old Gables that night. We also had a talent show here, and handmade items and collections were on display at the side of the room. Alex sang "Oklahoma" in a cowboy costume and "White Christmas" in a Santa one. Ben sang some little songs with Josh, only Josh passed on the singing. And Ben and Linda sang one duet. There were other singers and piano and accordion players, and Mark graced us by reciting two of his own poems, to be posted here later on (they were humorous, of course). The best part was the warm apple pie with ice cream, topped with a butterscotch sauce. Yummy! Irelyn was blessed, but I wasn't able to attend. :( I finally found a great doctor, right here in IF, Dr. Harris. That is why I'm getting various problems checked into and attended to. I'll get my hearing checked as soon as I get a chance, and the ritter rac surgery. You're probably wondering how Mark is holding on. . .let me tell you, just barely! No, he's doing well, other than some pain in his feet. We have both cut back on our eating, which ain't that easy to do at The Gables! Seth is looking for an apt., and he's been working and saving up for that. So glad our sons are growing up into solid and honest men. They are growing brains! Leto is here with us and doing great. He and Tut have their little routines which are so funny. Leto is really smart and well-behaved here. The residents don't see him often, which probably accounts for their loving him. Mark and I got ourselves the best Christmas present! It's already here, and I can't wait to show you. It's like a little woodstove, but it's actually a heater, with pretend wood embers and flames. It looks soooo realistic, and it's so comforting. It makes this apt. feel homey and bright. It's in a dark red, which goes with our color scheme, and has adjustable settings for both heat and flame. You can have them going separately or together. Now you know we're getting old, when we're so excited about a heater! But really, the effect it creates makes you feel like you are sitting near a warm fire. Makes winter seem so much nicer! I think I'll post this for now and write more later on. Please post comments if you read this; they are much appreciated!! With much love. . .xoxoxo

Kattie and Ben Wedding Pics Part I

Okay, let's try this again Please scroll to the bottom and see pictures in reverse : )

Bishop Baird officiated He gave some beautiful and touching words for the couple And here are the happy Mr. and Mrs. Young!

The ring ceremony was delayed while someone ran into the house to get the ring for Ben We all laughed

Some of their lovely decor

Cooper and Wes They're so cute!

Sandy, Kattie, Natasha and Tamathy

Aren't they a charming couple?

Sandy, Kattie and I all went to get our nails done Kattie got a foot massage and pedicure, as well Sandy left her taped-up glasses there, but we retrieved them Then she put some flashy zebra-striped electrical tape on them And it looked like that was part of the frame For the wedding, she wore glasses that weren't broken She just couldn't see thru them very well That's Sandy!

Howdy

I am still here, just burnt out because of all the problems I had w/my blog, esp. pictures. Please pardon my absence, and I'll try and work back into doing this. Lots of love! xoxoxo

I Have Ritter Racks!

That's what Mark used to call Easter eggs when he was little. He asked for them for Christmas, but his family couldn't figure out what he was saying. Isn't that cute? Anyway, that's his joke name now for cataracts. Yes, I found out yesterday that my eyesight, which has been getting worse this past month, can be improved! Hallelujah. I thought I was stuck with it. I'm excited to get them removed some time soon. They do it surgically, but keep you awake if possible. Kind of scary, but interesting, too. Wonder how much better I'll be able to see? Love You, and will try again to post what I wrote and then lost earlier. That's so frustrating, isn't it? :/ xoxoxo

Before I Change My Blog Completely - Fishing with Brady

I want to recheck this one, so please bear with me. I went on settings and reverted to the Classic settings, and maybe that will help me with my posts (I don't know what went wrong or changed the settings before. My apologies, and I hope I can get this straightened out! (I will comment on your posts asap - been working on understanding the above) Here goes with some pictures from our fishing trip with Brady and Miwa (sp?). They showed up in town for Brady's work, and they gave us a call and we went to Gem Lake for a few hours. It's south of IF, if you follow the road right past the cemetery. There is a little park and docks there, and it's quite peaceful and no crowds at all. (I've only caught carp there, but I also only fished one way, from the dock, on two or three occasions.) We had a picnic, too. It was a lovely afternoon, and Justin caught a carp! Let me know how this image did, and if good, I'll load more images of the day. Thanks a bunch! xoxoxo

Testing...

Please go to http://ethernoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/testing.html to see if the pic is the right size; then let me know. : )

I'll apparently have to make another blog...

'cause this one is acting crazy!  I'll let you know...
Meantime, Seth has a job painting for a co. that does a bunch of it.  It's been 3 days so far.  Yay!
Ben brought Josh over tonight, I took a beading class last night (fun! and free!), and we enjoyed conference a lot.  We are really excited for Phillip and Megan and Sabriel to all get to I.F. tomorrow night.  Isn't that great?  Good timing, almost to the hour!
So, later I'll post pics, when I get a new blog.
Laters, Gators!
xoxoxo

Evermore...

There will be more pics, once I get the computer to upload more.

Don't know why, but it's taking forever

and then doesn't load some of them!

xoxoxo

Even More

I love this shot of Kattie and Emme

at the luncheon

More More...

Kattie left Ben's ring in the host's house

and

someone had to run and retrieve it for her while 

the ceremony paused

It was so funny!  Everyone laughed

including Bishop Baird

Wiping away tears

The happy couple

More...

This card was my big contribution to the decorations

(on Melinda's birdcage)

 

Holy Vows

A Little at a Time!

More Pics (I hope)

Sandy and Kattie compare fingernails

Sorry...did post and erased, even tho I saved.  Can't get pics to load.  Acting so weird with new blogger interface!

One Wedding Pic (others coming later!)

Adventures in Sandyland

Hello?  Earth?  Come in Earth...
Hi.  We are having fun.  Sandy got here late Tuesday night and she and I talked till pretty late in her room, which is down the hall, way up front from us; it has it's own shower, etc., and a bed, but she stays with us all day and evening.   That's way cool, because we can visit, eat the meals here. watch old movies, and tease Mark.  We're also close to stores, etc.
Wed. a.m., Sandy and I watched the 1933 Alice movie, Through the Looking Glass, with W. C. Fields, Gary Cooper, and Cary Grant, among others.  Then we visited, ate lunch, and I can't remember.  Oh, bingo (we played only 3 games, 'cause we were late - I won 3 times!  Others won also, because we go for more than 1 winner per game).
Sandy, of course, has lots of calls from various kids, with all of the various people coming to the wedding, Kattie's planning calls or visits to our room, and so on.  And we visit with the residents and take Leto out.  Anyway, that night we watched Defending Your Life, but Sandy kept seeming so tired, so we decided we should finish it another time.  Mark and I were having trouble staying awake, too, and it was only 10 o'clock! (Sandy ended up not sleeping much at all that night, and Mark was up with a stomach ache, and I was up too!)
Today (meaning Thursday - I'm writing this at what feels to me like Thurs. night) we got our hair trimmed by Bethea in the beauty salon rt. here at Gables.  We both really liked the job she did, and the price was right!  After lunch we went with Kattie and got our nails done in French manicures with long tips.  Kattie got a pedicure and foot massage, too.  It was fun!
Then we went by Ben and Linda's.  Josh was in a nap and I stayed in the car, but we got to visit and that was nice.  Ben just happened to be home on lunch.
Oh, I almost forgot!  This a.m. Phillip and Megan talked and he's paying for her to fly out here in Oct., when he's on leave!!  And she's bringing Sabriel!  Won't that be great?  We're going to have a Harvest party, too.  Whoopee!
Okay, to continue, we came back and ate supper and then Mark dropped me off at TJ Maxx to look for a dress (I really, really needed one anyway), and took Sandy to get Natasha.  Then he dropped them back off where I was.  We shopped for soooo long there, trying to find something in beige or brown, which Kattie wanted the family to wear.  We could only find a few things, which we finally pieced together into an outfit and had them hold for us.
Then we walked over to Ross's then, a couple of blocks away, and Tasha's flip flop kept falling apart and Sandy would go fetch it out of the middle of the crosswalk, against the light, even tho she couldn't see where she was going in the dark.  Then, when we got to Ross, guess what?  EVERYTHING was in beige or brown!  We should have gone there first! 
By the time we checked out, we were punch drunk from shopping, and Sandy wasn't wearing the right glasses and couldn't see, plus she wasn't used to long nails of hair over her face, so she couldn't see or anything.  I joked that she was like a mole feeling it's way in the dark.  Then she found that Jessie gave her the wrong debit card, so she was fumbling around, trying to see to write a check.  After more problems with the store's cash register and other things, we got checked out.  By then we were fast friends with the checkout lady!  Sandy makes friends with everybody anyway, wherever we go.
Mark came and picked us up at 10 p.m., then, and we grabbed some drinks and microwaved popcorn and went down to Sandy's room so Mark could sleep.  Kattie joined us and we had some fun late night visiting.  Kattie's bachelorette party with her friends was last night, and she said it was really fun, and they gave her all their experienced advice about marriage.  Natasha was there too, and they both have great pretend tatoos now.  Tasha's says "Bad Girl" and Kattie's says "Frisky."  Isn't that hilarious?
After Kattie left, Natasha and Sandy and I watched "Dial M for Murder" on Mark's laptop, which we had carried down there.  They really liked it.  Then they were tuckered out, so we called it a night.
I have to say, Kattie was so happy and excited tonight, and she said Ben was so happy and laughing and silly too.  I'm so glad we've had this time together, and I'm trying to give you a vicarious experience of what it's been like. : )
Tamathy and others got in to their hotel, I guess, so we'll see them tomorrow.  I have some last minute things to do tomorrow, and the wedding's at 4 p.m., with the reception that evening, I think.  I've gotten pictures, and will continue to do so.  Will post asap.
I love you!
xoxoxo

Baby Pictures!!

Cozy, sleepy baby

 Isn't she darling? 

"Didn't I do a great job?"

Proud Grandpa

 

Happy Mom

We're so grateful that Mom and baby are doing well.

We love you all!

xoxoxo