... while Emily is ALMOST a teen

Yes, here we are ... celebrating the first grandchild birthday of 2012. Emily is the birthday girl today and she is 12 years old. Oh my!!! Next year, ALL of my children will be the parent of a teen. How in the world did that happen?

So how do you describe Emily? Using the letters of her name, I say she is ...

Energetic ... and an awesome fast-pitch softball pitcher

Magnificent ... hunting Easter Eggs

Incredible ... just to hang out (or sit on a fence) with

Laughing a lot (especially with best friend Nattalee)

Young lady - and a beautiful, intelligent, kind and caring one

And in addition to all of that, she is thoughtful and caring. Below is the poster board she and Lauren worked together on for my birthday. That's rather awesome that they did the board, but even better that they thought of it all on their own.

Emily, my precious, I love you MORE THAN THE WORLD!!! I am honored and awed by God's goodness when He gave you to us.

Bunches, my sweet, bunches,
Nana

... I love Texas

This photo really doesn't need many words ... just know this, I love Texas.

Thanks to Amber Penn for sharing her photo with me.

Until next time ...

Bunches!!!

... WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I've been on roller coasters that didn't go this fast! 

Where did the year go?

60 Lessons I have learned:

1. Love is important - make it a goal in your life.
2. Fall in love with your best friend - or become best friends with the one you love.
3. Staying in love is a choice. Choose love EVERY day.
4. Parents are to be cherished, honored, and eventually, taken care of. Don't miss your chance.
5. Sometimes family WILL let you down. Don't let it make you bitter.
6. If you love someone, tell them often. Don't miss the chance to let them know how you feel.
7. Good friends are hard to come by, so cherish them.
8. Don't be ashamed to mourn the loss of someone/something cherished.
9. Fake friends are a dime a dozen - treat them kindly but don't give them your trust.
10. Smiles are the least expensive face lift you can get.
11. Giving smiles away brings great rewards.
12. Laugh - laugh often - laugh with gusto. 
13. Holding a baby (especially if it's your grandchild) is better than any tranquilizer in any pharmacy.
14. Mistakes teach valuable lessons. Learn and move on.
15. Bloom where you are planted!
16. Don't fill your life with "stuff". Instead, fill your life with people you love.
17. There will always be time for the things that are important to you. You need to decide what that is.
18. Reading the Bible is important. Praying is more important. Make time to do both.
19. Take time to have fun.
20. Be kind to the downtrodden. You may be the only friendly face they see.
21. Hugs are medicinal. 
22. A child's giggle is priceless.
23. When you promise a child you'll do it "later" ... really do it later. 
24. Before you can love others, you must love yourself.
25. Don't let others control your happiness/mood/emotions.
26. No matter how little you have, realize that there are others who have less.
27. Wanting more than you can have will destroy your enjoyment of what you already have.
28. Embrace your uniqueness. 
29. Never compare yourself to others. You should be your own measure.
30. Try something new. It's okay to fail if you learn from the trying.
31. Stop wishing your life away. Enjoy Mondays as much as you do Fridays.
32. Take joy in the simple things. There are far more simple things than grand things in life.
33. De-clutter your life. In throwing out the trash, you just might discover a hidden treasure.
34. Set goals.
35. I don't have to be the best person in the world ... I just have to be the best "me".
36. Choose words carefully. Once they leave your mouth, you can never take them back.
37. Never stop dreaming.
38. Kindness is free. 
39. If others hurt you, don't try to get even. Let God deal with them.
40. Take care of your health - physically - emotionally - spiritually.
41. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. The world is an amazing place full of wonderful things.
42. Be confident. Trust yourself more than you trust anyone else.
43. Think good thoughts. They'll crowd out the bad ones.
44. Be thankful. 
45. Expect good things to happen and recognize them when they do.
46. Procrastination does not necessarily equal planning.  Recognize the difference.
47. Sometimes you need the shortcut, but when you can, take the scenic route.
48. Use your power for good ~ not evil.
49. When possible, refuse to live by the clock.
50. Compliments should be free, but not cheap.
51. Enjoy being creative ... in whatever way you enjoy. 
52. Engage in conversation - listening - talking - sharing!
53. Never say "never". 
54. Stand up for what you believe in. 
55. Speak the truth.
56. Never expect more from someone than you know they are capable of giving.
57. Embrace calm. It gets you through a lot of rough times.
58. Let your actions speak louder than your words.
59. Live your life so you'll have no regrets. There is no rewind button on life.
60. Don't lie about your age - don't regret birthdays - they are a privilege that many were denied.

I hope I've learned more than this. 

I hope I continue learning. 

I hope I have many, many more years to utilize all of this knowledge.

Happy 60th Birthday to me ... 

and thanks to my Mom.  She's the one who did the hard work!

Bunches!

Nona

and Lauren is 15...(WHAT???)

Seriously, how is that possible. I'm too young to be the grandmother of a 15 year old. Oh yeah, I forgot y'all know how old I'm about to be.

So it seems that our lovely Princess Lauren is 15 years old today. The day she officially became a part of our family was such a special day. Our numbers grew by leaps and bounds that day. It was a happy day for so many reasons.

Family gatherings are so much fun ... and here are 4 great kids who get along so well. Lauren is so much fun ... the cousins love hanging out with her.







Here is Lauren with her younger brother, Andrew, when the entire family went to Turner Falls. He adored her then and he adores her now.

Among Lauren's many talents, is the ability to play the flute. 

Although she isn't actively playing now, 

it is a knowledge that she will carry with her throughout her life.

Lauren has a great relationship with her Mom ... they share so many interests. 

It really does make me smile to see their closeness.

Ever the supporting cousin, Lauren took great delight in cheering Emily along at Emily's birthday dinner at Babe's. Frankly, Lauren is probably just delighted that she's not the one with the chicken on her head.

 Lauren is such a good caregiver and helper. 

Here she is playing with her little cousin, Libby, 

at the Saginaw Aquatic Center during this past summer.

 And here she is at Thanksgiving ... growing into a lovely young lady.

Happy 15th birthday, Princess Lauren.  

I love you "more than the world".

Bunches

xoxoxo

... and Tori is now 4 years old

Happy Birthday Princess Tori!

Where did the time go? It simply flew by. In some ways, it seems like Tori was born just yesterday, but then with all the joy she has given us, it seems like she has always been a part of us. So in honor of her 4th birthday, I thought we'd look at some of her "firsts" ...

like ... FIRST fancy dress ...

FIRST pigtails

OK, neither of the 2 above are firsts, but they're just so stinkin' cute I had to include them.

 FIRST little black dress (doesn't every Princess need one!)

FIRST slide down the slide unassisted

 FIRST show (at least the first where there was enough to play in)

FIRST walking of her many odd babies down the street

(notice the octopus in the stroller)

Not a first for anything, but she is adorable ...

OK, so NOT the first bubble blowing, but she had so much fun!!! 

Epic fail on making this a list of firsts ... 

but she has been a fairy princess a bazillion times.

 And because I love this so much, here is a picture of her and Andrew (he's 6 months older) when they were decorating Nana's Christmas tree last month.  


Seriously! I love Tori and look forward to watching her celebrate many, many more birthdays and many, many more FIRSTS!








BUNCHES!
Nana


P.S.
And I believe this is my first blog in purple print ... but it is Princess Tori's favorite color.  




xoxoxo

. . . and I'm thankful for my job???

Seriously, you weren't expecting that, were you???

Yes, I am thankful for my job. In this day when so many are searching for jobs, it is a blessing to know that every other Friday, money is simply going to appear in my checking account.

My job has tons of problems ... numerous things I could complain about. But in honor of the spirit of thankfulness that encompasses this month (and really should surround us always), I'll only focus on the wonderful parts.

The folks I work with are dedicated people who believe in what they are doing. When a case is discovered to be flawed (as in, uhhh, we got the wrong person), most won't hesitate to dismiss the case. That makes me feel good. The system isn't perfect. Most of the people I work with are trying to make it better.

The people I work directly with value and appreciate me. That hasn't been the case with every place I have worked. I know that what I do and they way I do my job can change a person's outlook on the legal system. Treating the victims of crime in a compassionate way and realizing that you (hopefully) will never see the system from their view is what makes the situation a little better for them.

Short of winning the Lotto and never having to work another day, I think I'll stay with the job I have. I'm thankful to God for a job that allows me to touch people in a positive way.

Bunches!

. . . and I'm thankful for those that raised me

I don't know that I was a difficult child. But I know this for sure, I wasn't an easy child. 

Really, aren't these photos enough to prove that? They were so young and then they had me and --- 

wait, they still look pretty good, don't they?

This one cracks me up. I'm guessing it's Christmas time (judging by the cards so artfully taped on the wall behind all of us). If that's so, then this would be December of 1952. Wow, my parents look pretty good for having four kids. I can imagine how we were all acting 5 minutes before the picture was taken. Yet, Momma and Daddy aren't pulling their hair out. In fact, they both look pretty relaxed.

Here they are with me --- hey, they still don't look crazy. 

And seriously, if you knew the back-story on this one, you would realize that their smiles and pleasant attitudes have nothing to do with us. The truth is, they were an incredible pair that worked together to raise four semi-normal children (well, except for the 3 boys who are absolutely NOT normal).

And although Daddy has left us to go be with Jesus, Momma is still here doing what she always has done ... she prays for us daily, she loves us unconditionally, and she is infinitely proud of each of us. 

Today (and every day), I am extremely thankful to God for the parents He gave me.

Bunches!!!!