Friday, January 24, 2014

Birthday Boy Blake!

Blake is 9 years old today!!! I love this little boy more than chocolate!!!  He is creative beyond words, funny, silly, loving, and makes me laugh! 
 
(The first few photos, below, are taken from my scrapbook. Ignore the lack of quality.)



 
 
 
1st birthday weekend (2006)

1 year old (2006)
 
2nd birthday (2007)

2nd birthday (2007)
 
2nd birthday weekend

3rd birthday (2008)

3rd birthday (2008)
 
3rd  birthday(2008)

4th birthday (2009)

5th birthday (2010)
 
Hmmmm.....6th birthday??? (I know I have pictures!)


7th birthday  (2012)
 
7th birthday (2012)
 
8th birthday  (2013)
 
I am so in love with Blake! I feel terrible that I am missing his celebration this weekend. It is the first time that I've ever missed a grandkidlet's birthday but I am needed in Elkhart. Mother had a "spell" yesterday that made me know that I need to be nearby. She is ok today but with the terrible winter weather and Mother now at Hubbard Hill here in Elkhart (and not feeling 100%), it is difficult for me to get away.
I know that Blake will have a great 9th birthday.
Happy birthday my sweet boy!
 
 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

My How They've Grown!

Thanks to Jen Snell, there is an updated photo of all 5 grandkidlets. They are growing so fast. The whole family attended the late Christmas Eve service  at Trinity UMC in Elkhart. This is where Tom and I attend. Mother was able to be with us also but with the late hour, I was afraid that she would be so exhausted, I would need to get her back to Hubbard Hill. She was fine but I still needed a quick photo shoot since we still had very tired children.


Tom, Marley, Layla, Jill, Alexis, Nicholas, Blake
 
But...my goodness! Look how they've grown:
 
Blake, Marley, Layla, Alexis, Nicholas
 
Blake, Marley, Layla, Nicholas, Alexis
 
Marley, Layla, Blake, Nicholas, Alexis
 
Nicholas, Alexis, Blake, Marley, Layla
 
Nicholas, Blake, Alexis, Layla, Marley
 
 
Blake, Nicholas, Marley, JoJo, Alexis, PopPop, Layla
 
How wonderful it is being a grandparent!
We love these grandkidlets!
Can you tell???
 
 
 
 

Friday, January 17, 2014

Remembering "Summer"

I'm not a cold-weather kind of girl. I'm not a hot-weather kind of girl. I like the temps between 64.7 and 77.2 degrees. Is that too much to ask??? So, while the temps are in the single digits and the snow is flying, I am going to look at some 2011 photos of some very cute little kids during the summer. Were they really this little???







Saturday, January 11, 2014

A Magical Village


I've never seen anything like it! I've seen villages before but nothing on this grand a scale!
Delores begins the setup on Labor Day, adding thousands of pieces a section at a time.....

......piece by piece until it is completed 2 months later.
 
  We asked her how many pieces she has but she didn't know. I would guess several thousand. Her husband bought her the very first piece many years ago.
 
It is an amazing Christmas/Winter village! I'm just so sorry that the photos don't  begin to do it justice. (I'm also shocked that some TV channel hasn't done a "bit" on this village.) I've seen villages before but nothing close to this size. I could only capture little sections at a time.
I have a couple of very favorite apps: Larry and Nila App.
Delores and Nila work together and they invited me to go along to see the village. Larry is an incredible videographer. He wanted to take his "real" cameras and do justice to the village.
When we arrived at the house, it was daytime. We were excited when the darkness began to creep in and the entire village changed personality.









Be sure to notice how the stars show up . Not only is Delores a very creative person but she has a creative, patient and handy-man husband who builds whatever Delores needs.






 
Is it any wonder that Delores sets this village up every other year. Could it possibly be because from the time she begins to set up until the final piece is packed away, 6 months goes by.
Now you know!