Thursday, May 31, 2012

A History Lesson

My Noblesville grandkidlets are visiting this week! Can you say "happy dance"???  To add to this dance, Marley was with us today and will be again tomorrow. Poor Layla is still in school but joined us tonight. One thing that my own children will NEVER say is "I can't wait to get home to Mom's cooking!!!" They WILL say, "I wonder where we will eat out tonight." Did I say I don't cook? So....last night it was Between the Buns:

"I think the balloon man is here!!!"
"What do you want him to make for you Blake?"


"And Nicholas wants a sword?" (How many kids look at the picture and say: "Oh that's a 'line of symmetry". Nicholas does!)


Tonight, was Hacienda:

Marley, Blake, Layla, Nicholas and PopPop are hungry!


Kendra, Jen and Brent are ...what? (Yes! I'll put down my camera!)


Blake began tonight's discussion. He asked Tom how old his dad was when he died. Finding out that he had been 83, he stated that Thomas Jefferson was 83 when he died. Since Blake was the only one sure of that info, Brent check this out on his phone. Blake was right. This led to many, many more questions, history facts that the kids knew and more info from PopPop. 


Layla and Nicholas knew a LOT!!!



Blake was a plethora of information (which doesn't shock me any more!). We aren't sure why he has started to bite his bottom lip when the camera is on but he thinks it's funny. What a kid!. Marley didn't care much for the history lesson but she enjoyed the company.

Nicholas loved learning lots of new information from PopPop! 
"Hey PopPop! Who was President when I was born?"


Home at last and into the tub! "Who cares about History....just give me some water to splash in!!!"

"Those silly people don't know how to have real fun!"


Sunday, May 27, 2012

Layla is 8!!!

Stop! Stop! Stop! These kids growing up so fast has got to stop! (I feel better now.) Layla is 8 years old today. After church we met them at the Mayberry for brunch. We are kinda know at the Mayberry. Chris has been good to us  for many years (and he likes us spending our money there). He  has many photos of the girls (and the other grandkidlets also!) on the wall. When he found out it was the girls' birthday, they got their "after they were already full" birthday surprise. (Marley got one too since her birthday was just last Tuesday.)






After this delight, we headed back to their house for a photo shoot. When I got their, the girls had already decided upon the poses that they were going to do for the pictures. Hey! If this got them to let me take a picture (Marley is sometimes tired of my camera in her face)  I'm all for it!
 First was to be the "carrying" pose:


...then the "piggyback" pose:


...the "Layla behind" pose:


...and by the end there was the "side by side" pose:

I voted for the "individual" poses:



They voted for "presents and cake!!!"



While Layla enjoyed her presents, Marley decided that it was time to put some of her birthday presents from last Tuesday to good use:




Happy birthday to these precious little girls! I love them more than chocolate!!!

Friday, May 25, 2012

"Uncle Ron"

"Hey Gracie. Do you know when Uncle Ron will get home?"

"What??? He's home???"

"Oh! Thank goodness! He is parking the car!"

"HI UNCLE RON!!!

"I thought you'd never get home from work!"

"I love you sooooo much!"
("And by the way...Blake and Nicky came home from school to play with me too! I love my brothers!")

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

5 years....and I don't mean celsius!

Marley is finally 5! She thought today would never come. After preschool, she played in the back yard, chose to go to IHOP for supper and returned home to open gifts and have cake and ice cream. It was a big day for a little girl. Happy birthday Marley!









Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tom Turns "Twenty"

Tom turned 68 yesterday!!! Marley told him that he is old! Now I know why he likes to figure ages in celsius!!! The number looks sooo much better. These pictures tell a fraction of his story. Happy Birthday my dear husband! You have come a loooong way!!!







Tom "advises" at Northridge


Tom...the daddy


With 2 kids in tow, we traveled to Burgh Castle, England where we lived for a year. Tom was in the Teacher Exchange Program. I was a "stay-at-home" mum. Here we are at a "Garden Party" with Princess Margaret. Later in the year, we also went to dinner at Parliament. Ohhhhh the memories!

Back home in Indiana after our year in England. (I think we couldn't even afford haircuts!)

Kendra grew up!

I always loved this picture of Brent and his Daddy!
Then the grandkidlets began to appear. Tom became "PopPop" and has LOVED being a grandpa! First came Nicholas. (I had to find two pictures of each grandkidlet of course!)

"I love my PopPop" says Nicholas.


Layla has always been extremely close to PopPop. She would follow him anywhere...especially when PopPop walks on his path behind our house.


Oh the love this little girl has for her PopPop!!! (He visited her classroom and she was thrilled!)

Blake arrived and captured our hearts!

Oh the things that these two could think up! Can't you just see the love?

Marley loves her PopPop! Just one more hug...please!!!

Marley loves when PopPop reads to her.

Last to arrive in the line is Alexis. She has wound us around her little finger. What a joy!


"Oh, I love my PopPop soooo much!"

Well...happy birthday again Tom. Hope you enjoyed this sampling of your life. I have a few hundred other pictures if you have time on your hands. Thanks for letting me be a part of your life for the past 41 1/2 years. You bring me great joy and I love you.