It's awful quiet around here!

 The past few weeks, since school let out,  we have been some busy grandparents.

Lizzie made s'mores with the new Jif Chocolate spread.

 Alex made fudgesicles with chocolate pudding.

 Brady, Lizzie, and Alex ate the fudgesicles. 

 We took all three fishing behind the house. 

 Patiently Lizzie fished . . . 

 However, Alex caught the first one. 

Maybe the second one too. 

 Then Lizzie succeeded. 

 and again!

Brady also patiently waited for a bite.

At last he caught one, just as we had decided to go home. 

 Just a cute shot!

Another cute shot. 

 One day we went swimming at Aunt Lona's.

 The swim party included a pizza party and fresh fruit.

 A bathing beauty?!

We also celebrated a birthday. Alex turned 10. His mother made an awesome camp fire cake! 

Alex went to the flea market with us. He loved the rocks and even purchased some arrowheads.

I gave him a shadow box for his arrowheads and he was one proud guy.


But now it's all quiet here.



It will be for a few weeks. 



Summer school has started. 



Soon we will get to see this little guy.

I hope he gets cleaned up by then!?!?!?

He's walking ! ! !

All it took was for his Mom and Dad to have a "date night" and hire a babysitter. Shorty after they left the house, Miss Lizzie sent them this video!  The little stinker!

Winding down . . .

Yesterday my Mom turned 90! She enjoyed all the cards she received. She went over them again and again. Mom has Alzheimers. It seems the cards are all new to her every time she looks at them. That's about the only good thing of that terrible disease. Besides a little heart issue, she is in relatively good health. 

She enjoyed 3 of her 7 great grands at her small party. I'm not sure who ate more 2nds on the cake, her or the kids. Another side effect of Alzheimer is she forgot she had already eaten a piece or two of cake! After all, not every day do you turn 90, so you go Mom, the cake is all yours!

 Next year my sister and I are buying mom a scarf!

Later in the afternoon, Alex felt the need to be busy. First he was in the blacksmith shop. He forged a poker to use on the camp fires he so loves to play in.

Then he decided to help me in the kitchen. We made his Grandpa's favorite walnut cookies. 

The kids are back today, not sure what we will do to keep busy to close out the last day of 2013. 

An 8th Birthday party with limits!

Alex had his first "friends" birthday party last Sunday. Eight kids made it complete. 

There were water fights, trampoline time, and pinata time!

This guy loves Legos so his mother incorporated it into the lemon cake that he requested!

Birthday boy was the one that finally broke the pinata open.

Last year we started a new tradition, thanks to Deanna at My Loves, My life for the idea. We take each child birthday shopping for a toy in addition to the money they receive in their card. 

After Alex read his certificate and thought about it he came and asked us, "does a toy mean something out of the electronic department?" I told him sure, what was he thinking?  He replied "an I-Pod Touch".  I gulped and said, "Alex there are limits". For those of you who don't know, an I-Pod Touch runs about $199.99 plus tax plus insurance or so he told me!

Wednesday we took him shopping.  Of course he found more Legos. 


Happy 8th birthday Alex!

Somebody turned 7

Saturday was the day we got to take grandson #2 Birthday shopping. This was a first for all of us. Normally we buy the gift, wrap it, and take it to the child's birthday party. However I stole the ideal of taking the grandchild shopping on their special day from my blogger friend Deanna who by the way has a birthday this week too. (So be sure and visit her, and tell her Happy Birthday).

Here Alex shows off his special picks. He was so tickled to find the Pokemon cards in the tin. He could hardly wait to show them off to his older brother.

On Sunday we attended his birthday party at Leap Frog. It's a place with many blow up bounce houses. Kids were running ramped. This picture was taken before he got all sweaty!

His older brother got into the ball house and had a ball (pun intended) hiding under them all.

The little sister never stopped the three hours we were there. The only good thing was she didn't get nearly as sweaty as her older brothers.

Mom always makes the cutest cakes. Of course since grandson is so in love with Pokemon, it had to be that for the cake.   Happy 7th Birthday A-Man!

It was bound to happen sooner or later

It was going to happen whether I was ready for it or not.  The kid is gonna grow up. He's just so darn cute at this age.

However two weeks ago, he called me up. "Grandma, I have a loose tooth!   I need a pillow like you made for Brady."

He wanted a green one and one with a white button.

He was pretty proud of this one!

And today at school, he was pretty proud of this! 

Last day of school vacation

Blacksmith Grandpa always thinks of fun stuff for the boys!

Check out their fun today, their last day of Christmas break.

Somebody had a birthday party

Yesterday this little guy turned 6.

Wow how time flies.

Today we celebrated with a party.

The rain didn't stop his Daddy from grilling some awesome burgers and dogs.

(A big blue tarp helped save the day)

His Mom is is the best cake decorator.

She made him his favorite sport soccer cake.

Green and white being his school colors.




He got a new bicycle from his Mom and Dad

however

with the rain, I didn't get a picture of it.



The cutest thing he did, after dinner he asked if he could have a potato chip or a cookie from the counter. His mother told him since it was his birthday he could have a cookie.

Off he walks with 2 in hand.

Just about the time his mother was going to correct him, he called for his brother to give him one. That's the kind of brothers they are.

Stay tuned later this week for another BIG party report.

A party 40 years in the making.

Sarah was home!!!

Yes, the daughter made it home for Thanksgiving weekend. Poor girl was a little late and a few dollars short after she experienced car trouble in Joplin, Missouri. Luckily she found a great shop. She and the car limped to the Goodyear Mechanic. She had her iphone with her while waiting for the repair. Luckily she googled the business and found a $10 off coupon.

She told the guy when he rang up the bill that she had a coupon but it was on her phone. He was nice enough to let her use it.

Saturday, we got to do the mother/daughter shopping trip. After all it is her birthday week!


First we stopped at BK Bakery for some of their awesome pastries. Sarah had carrot cake and a latte, I had tiramisu with Colombian coffee.

Then, on to shopping Maurice's, Bath and Body works, TJ Maxx, Target, even a couple specialty shops.






Later in the day we went to see Mom. Here Mom is sporting a wheelchair. This is what happens after you break your little toe really bad ( 45 degree angle) and can't walk. Here's a great picture of Sarah and her Grandma C.





I just had to throw this picture in of the boys looking for Christmas toys!

What a great 4 day weekend we had with all the kids!

Grandparent day!

Doesn't this make it all worth while! Beautiful eyes! And Grandpa's aren't bad either.

We even got to eat donuts together.

What kindergartner doesn't love his grandparents to come and visit him at school?

Practicing retirement

It's been a different week, BT is off 'practicin'. This means no set routine, get up when we want, eat when we want, go to bed when we want. Man this is the life! This is great considering we are doing this while still on the payroll.



One thing he wanted to get done this week was to built a grape arbor. There are beautiful concord grapes on his home place and for years we have talked about getting starts of them.



Today would be the day as BT had some help, and I say some lightly. Alex had been dealing with strep and couldn't go to school until he was 24 hours fever free. Today he was on the mend and wanted to go outside with Grandpa. He was pretty good at helping to clean out the holes.





Well for awhile, even airplanes would side track him!

BT finished the job of putting the posts in.






Here's the finished arbor. Today I called the master gardener on the local radio show. She said we could transplant them now, due to the wonderful weather we are having.





Can anyone tell us what this vine is? It has very dark round berries hanging on it.

Since I was home most of the week, I had things I wanted to finished too. One was repainting the the kitchen bar stools.

I got Maryjane's quilt bound.

Finally, remember this little camp stool I bought last week at the antique store. BT sealed the wood and help me staple a new seat on it. It will work great to use by the sewing machine and set my scrap box on.


Now the weeekend is here, rain and all. Company is coming in for 4 days! Sarah and Rusty are coming!!!!!!!

Have a happy and safe Labor day.