More May Birthdays

Today is Charlotte's 7th birthday!

When did this happen?  Why does she look so grown up?

She is such a sweet little girl...kind and generous and growing up way too fast!  

I love this photo of Charlotte and Lulu...the expression on Charlotte's face is so pretty. 

This past year (which included 1st grade) has been a wonderful adventure for her!  

She's learning so much...so fast!  I love seeing her interested in reading.  

It's becoming a favorite thing to do.

Happy birthday Charlotte...I hope you do lots of favorite things today!!  

Grandpa and I love you so much!! Happy birthday sweet girl!!

Charlotte and Lulu (who just had a birthday on the 8th) will be celebrating their 

birthdays this coming Sunday.  It's going to be great fun!

Today is also my oldest son's birthday. 

It's the first birthday he'll be celebrating since he and his family moved to Texas.  

He's only been gone for two weeks, but somehow it seems like forever. 

I miss him a bunch! I miss them all!

We sure hope Texas is treating you right Kevin!!  

Have a wonderful, filled with fun birthday!!

We love you!!

P.S. Texas is lucky!

Changes

I started this blog because it seemed like a great way to share photos of my 

grandchildren with my family back in Michigan. It has been.  

It's also become a bit of a journal...helping me to keep track 

of the past (almost) seven years.

My favorite photos to share are like this one. 

ALL the grandbabies together!

 I love how the number has grown over the past seven years.  
When I started blogging there were two...Elijah and Charlotte. 
The year after my blog began, Penelope came along. 
Couple more years went by and Caleb joined our family.  
In 2013 Lulu was born, and then last year Fletcher arrived, 
bringing the total to 1/2 dozen grandbabies!  

I love this season of our life so much!

But life changes...and photos with these six grandchildren all together won't 
happen very often anymore.  Oh my, I am not fond of change at all!

Penelope and Fletcher are moving to Texas.  
That's a long way from Maryland!  
It's about a 24 hour drive to where they're headed.
Sigh....
Guess I need to learn how to use Skype.

 

Kevin and his family moved in with us yesterday, and they're staying 
with us until they leave for Texas.  
Good thing they got this fun snow photo this year. 
They won't see much white stuff where they're going! 
I hope they love Texas.
I hope their dreams come true.
I hope it's wonderful!
But I sure will miss them.
I'll really miss photos of All SIX Grandbabies together.
So I also hope they visit soon!

Prayers during the wee hours of May 1st would be appreciated.
That's when these sweet faces will be driving away.  
One last look.
Tears for sure.....

Happy Birthday x 2!

Today this sweet girl is six!!

Happy Birthday to Charlotte!!

 

Last Saturday, she and her little sister Lulu had a birthday party at their house. Momma (Katie) loves to plan parties for her girls and this time was no exception!

Bet you can't guess the theme!  It's all about pink and flamingos!

Even Fletcher joined in the fun. I love his pink flamingo outfit!!

There were photos of each of the girls, from the past year.  

Charlotte on the left and Lulu on the right.

The cake was yummy...white cake with raspberry filling, plus raspberries mixed into the frosting, and pink flamingo swizzle sticks on top.  

There were Pink Peeps (aka "sitting flamingos") too!

There were flamingos everywhere!

  

 

 

Lulu loved her share of the balloons!

 

Hand print flamingos were the planned craft....not all crafts came out as planned. 

But they all came out beautiful!

Everyone was encouraged to wear pink (or orange if you thought you were too manly for pink). I love that everyone joined in.  Katie and Mark have a yard made for playing in...and that's exactly what everyone did!  Dodge ball, a tunnel and castles, a pinata, and lots of balls.  The "littles" ate their dinner on the blankets that were spread out on the lawn.

At one point during the party, Charlotte went inside and returned dressed as "an old lady"...complete with cane. She said the boys were bugging her, and she knew 

they wouldn't bug an old lady!  She's such a hoot!

There's that cake again...Yum! 

(Yes, that's me with the camera. Thanks for this photo Katie...I think!)

After the cake, both of the girls opened their gifts! So many fun things!! 

(flamingo glasses were one of the party favors...of course!)  

Charlotte said that a Flamingo party was just what she wanted!!  She had the very best time!!

Tonight she is going out for dinner to celebrate her actual birthday. She got to choose where.  Her choice.....Arbys!

She's such a fun little girl!!  Actually (her favorite word right now) I guess she's really not so little...she's growing up way to fast!!  I love you sweet girl!!

Today is also my son Kevin's birthday.

(poor guy, doesn't even get his own blog post!)

For six years now, he has shared his birthday with Charlotte. 

He's such a good uncle!!

He's also a pretty nice son!!

I hope you have a wonderful day Kevin!

Love you lots!!

A Birthday & Father's Day

Yesterday was Bill's Birthday...it was a significant birthday too! 

A very special number was part of his birthday!! 

For Bill, it means retirement...how's that for a birthday gift!

 

 

Katie, Mandy & Lulu took him to Outback for dinner....

they let me tag along too! It was very yummy!

 

I got Bill a new drill kit for his birthday gift.  Now that he's going to have some spare time on his hands, I've been adding to the honey-do list.  He was very happy with the drill kit (not to sure about the list!)......but I am sure that he was even happier with the gift the kids got him.

 

 

It's an extra-special gift...for his birthday AND Father's Day.  Something they've had for months.  Something he's talked about many times.  They got him tickets to an Eagles Concert!  On July 22nd, Katie and Mandy will be heading to Washington DC with him, to hear The Eagles.  Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit – will perform classics spanning their career including “Hotel California,” “New Kid In Town,” “Take It To The Limit,” “One Of These Nights,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Rocky Mountain Way,” “Best Of My Love” and “Take It Easy.”  
Bill will enjoy every minute of it!!

 



Have a great time Bill!!  I know you will!!
Happy Father's Day (and Birthday) to you!
You're a great Dad...I love you!

 

Happy Father's to Kevin, Joe & Mark ...I hope your day is extra special!!
Praying God blesses it in a special way!

Remembering with love my father,

and my father-in-law.

 

Two Special Birthdays

Today we're celebrating birthdays for TWO people I love! 

My oldest son Kevin and my oldest granddaughter Charlotte.

 

Happy Birthday to both of you!!!

I hope today is extra special!!

 

Charlotte "posing" with Grandpa before her party (May 5th) began.

See  Pascal, the chameleon?  He's a clue to the theme of Charlotte's party.

It's a "Tangled" party.  I love the cake Katie made! 
She got the idea on Pinterest.

Family friend, Regina, offered to braid hair at the party.  That made some little girls very happy!

Charlotte insisted on being barefoot...'cause "Rapunzel doesn't wear shoes!"

A fun game...."tangling" some of the Dads in crepe paper hair!!

Kevin looks happy to have escaped a role in this game.

Lanterns are a special part of the "Tangled" story. There were a lot of them hanging about,
and the little girls got to decorate their own as well.

One blow....and all the candles were out!

Love this cake!!

Momma and Daddy got Charlotte a bike.  She'll be wearing her helmut in the future.

Gramma and Grandpa got her a doctor coat. 
Her name is on the pocket under her hand
She wore the coat to the hospital when she visitied Lulu!

What a good uncle....poor guy, his birthday has never been the same
since Charlotte, "the birthday stealer", came along!!

 

Love you both!!