Happy Birthday !!!

Happy Birthday Theresa!

Thanks for treating us to a yummy dinner.

Around the World Party

I don't usually blog my own comings and goings but this was such a neat idea...it was a dress-up birthday party themed "around the world". Gerard had the idea for our costume and put them together for us, (maybe that's why I liked it so much. lol) we were" around the world backpackers". It was a great and easy idea, but once we were there it was really hard to move around with a big backpack on my back (and a big tummy in the front) so we ended up just leaving the packs by the door but then it wasn't really much of a costume. Oh well it was good enough to get us in the door.

Fall

(This happened quite a while ago as the leaves are all long gone...but I wanted this "in" for memory's sake. ) All the kids were in line ready to jump into the pile of leaves that they had raked up. In they go. Lots of fun.

School

Sharleen's artwork. (September 2010)

Danielle...again

It's so nice being a stay-at-home mom ( most days... some days...) I can see all the neat things my children do. Danielle gets the most pictures right now probably because I am around her the most and she is just at a really neat age. Here she is "reading" to her babies. She thinks there is a baby in her tummy too. "Sit up straight and listen to me"

Having a tea party. They love using the "real" china. I found some more at the second-hand store that I am saving for Christmas. Play dishes was probably the last thing we needed but I just couldn't pass up this set. The girls will love playing with it, especially when I give them snacks to put in the dishes. She's got all the areas of being a mom covered, a (big) part of a mom is all the bathroom stuff. She is even taking care of twins..first one has to go and then the other. lol.

First Ice Skate

"My Daddy" as she always says...helping her get laced up for the first time.

"Yup, I really want to do this."

" I'm a big kid now", she had no problem getting around and really enjoyed ice skating.

Daddy helped her get started...until he fell on his knee which instantly got a huge lump so that was the end of ice skating for him. It wasn't even a hard fall, but two weeks later he still has some bruising and fluid on the knee cap.

Opa

On November 10, 2010, in the early morning, my dear Opa passed peacefully away, and now he is in heaven. I am so glad I have so many good memories of him, and my only regret is that I did not take any pictures of him with the kids when we were there a couple weeks before. He said (like he did many times) that a" pregnant woman was beautiful" and gave Gerard his opinion on what should be done with some of the difficulties our church is going through right now. It was always so good to hear his wisdom on many different topics. And at 88 he had so much life experience.

On the day of funeral, the rain stopped and it was a beautifully sad day. He was at all my children's baptisms (and posed with all of them too) and there will be an empty place in a couple months when this baby gets baptized. D.V.

He will be fondly remembered by my Aunt Sylvia who he was married to for 28 years, 8 +3 children, 48 grandchildren, and 49 (and counting) great-grandchildren.

Meal Fest

It seemed like ages ago, or maybe it even was ages ago that I got together with my sister and went crazy making meals. Lots of meals.

Danielle was soooo excited to play with her cousin. She continually gets Jamiee and Joni mixed up.

A picture of the meals, right now they are still in the freezer at the shop as I didn't have any room in my freezers at home.

Getting to work.

RIIIIIP!!!

This is what happens when the school clothes don't get changed for play clothes when they come home from school. And of course, it is a skirt that I actually bought/paid money for. (even if it was secondhand) I don't mind mending but this is waaaay beyond something I can make look good again.