Gaynor, Eleven and still my favorite grandchild born on April 23rd. I just had to put this picture of you on to show you how you have grown in 21 months. You are a wonderful young man with a heart of gold. Don't ever loose your winning ways. You are a real catch for somebody some day. I will always be so greatful that you are my second grandchild and I am so very proud of who you are. Love and Hugs on you upcoming birthday. Gram

Decisions

Why can't we decide on a vacation. Every winter about this time I start thinking about going away. (some people reorganize their lives, I just plan vacations) This year I thought that we should do something for our 60th birthdays. I want Disney but not Dave, he doesn't know what he wants. I asked about Disney or rent a house on a lake and he was going with "of the two i prefer to rent a house". Why can we not come up with a vacation that we want to go on. To be very fair about it, it is very hard to plan a vacation when you are in your own business and don't know when you will be busy or quiet. I looked at cruises, then I look at cottages for rent, then I price out Disney again. I look at April and then I look at September and then I start all over again. You would think that it is the biggest dicision I have ever made. I look at the bank account and then I look at what the cellar "do over" will cost. I think that maybe I am just looking for something to do now and not necessarily looking for the perfect vacation. I should become a travel agent and do this for other people and get paid for it. The time it takes is really quite silly and I never get to the end. Well, back to planning, I am in the forth rotation of looking at houses on lakes to rent. We got a foot of snow this weekend and it is snowing again right now. Maybe I do want to go SOUTH.

Here is the idea, copy the list andhighlight the ones you have done. You will be surprised! (Thanks, Darcy)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (does the shower count?)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run(a very long time ago)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Learned a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Seen the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in Arlington Cemetary
7. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Birthday

Thirty five years goes by so fast. It is hard to even imagine that it has been that long since the beautiful baby that had a "huge" head came into out lives. A third daughter, it was a very happy day. We so appreciated her easy disposition and calm ways with a toddler a year old. She was the baby everyone wants, adorable but also easy going and almost never cried. Now she is experiencing her own four boys. Thirty five years goes by so fast. Love and hugs, Mom

Teal says Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Teal

Teal dressed up for the holidays and here she is showing off her latest costume, called "star bright". What do you think, it is very understated but doesn't consist of much fabric.

Thanksgiving Rememberences

Every Thanksgiving that I can remember involved going to my grandmother's and then my mother's house(the same house) for dinner. I watched my grandfather at the head of the table, while I was at the far end (the children's table) and waited to move up. I moved a little as there were more cousins younger than me, and then my uncle took over the head of the table after my grandfathers death. The goal was always to get further up the table where the good conversation was held. I had gotten maybe almost half way when I had a child of my own. Since she was little it was decided by the "makers of the name tags" that I needed to sit near her to help her, and therefore I lost all the progess I had made and was back at the children's table. After three more kids and no movement up at all I finally ended up eating at the children's end and then moving my chair after I had eaten.
The other constant at Thanksgiving were the after dinner movies. The old movies started when my mother was dating and of course they were silent but it was always fun to see everyone when they were much younger and still had hair. The few good memories of my father I have are in those movies when he is waving at the camera and smiling. The movie projecter would come out right after dinner usually run by my brother, David and people would start ordering what film they wanted to see. Eventually the women would end up in the kitchen with dishes and the men would end up upstairs in the living room with cigarettes and cigars and the kids would continue to watch the old movies of their grandparents, parents, and of themselves. It was what we expected every Thanksgiving and it was a family tradition. I give thanks for all those Thanksgivings and all the people that were there and no longer are with us. Happy Thanksgiving, Mom, Bobsie, David, Hock, Gigi, Dad, Bampa and Aunt Ada.