Funny Looking Kids!

I have always loved caricatures but never had one done for any of my children. Booths were set up all over Legoland and as I walked by each one I so wanted to have one done of Chandler, Cooper and Tatum. So, an hour before closing I finally decided to do it and each one was so good in sitting still to have it done. I think it turned out pretty good. What do you think?







And the final product!

Welcome to LEGOLAND

Legoland is a good park for kids our age. Not too busy and just enough fun to fill a day.







Tatum liked to ride in Blythe's wheel chair. (broken leg remember?)

Big kiss for Pa.

Chandler got to go on stage at the Indiana Jones program.

Of course we had to buy something in the "princess store"!

AND - finally the roller coaster ride. Not much emotion from Chandler and only a tiny grin from Cooper. Who says you have to hang on!!! (click on the picture to really see Chandler's expression)


Big smiles at the end.

Next year - bigger roller coasters at Disneyland with all the C's!

Happy Birthday Cody!

Talking on the phone with you as often as I do just doesn't make your being gone any better. Well, maybe a little but not a whole lot. I hope you had a great birthday. I am sure those boys and Chelsea had special things planned for you today.

You have accomplished much since your move to Texas and we are proud of your work ethics and all those accomplishments like writing newspaper articles, meeting the important people in your "green" business and being selected to be the top "40 under 40" in your field for the US. In the future no telling what we will read about you. Whatever it may be I am glad to be your Mom and I love you. Keep up the good work and the phone calls too! Happy Birthday Cody!

Fun at the BEACH!

A week at the beach is never long enough. The one year we were able to spend two weeks has long spoiled us. Maybe one of these summers that can happen again! We had a relaxing time in Oceanside. The second year we have stayed at this Oceanside home that has a large patio and only about 40 to 50 yards from the water. That has spoiled us too!
We arrived on July 4 and checked in at 2:00. We all figured the day would be hectic checking in on a holiday but it was OK. We unloaded, went grocery shopping, and found parking spots for three vehicles even when the streets were loaded with holiday cars and people. Unfortunately, the fog started to roll in about 6:00 pm and got so bad that at 9:00 when the fireworks went off on a barge out in the ocean we could only hear the "noice" and could not see a single firework. We experienced the event last year so we knew what we were missing.

We enjoyed the beach daily playing games, reading books, day dreaming and even sleeping. Chandler was more agressive in the water this year and Cooper spent most of his time in the "hot pool" as he called it. Tatum didn't like the sand much so she spent most of her time on a beach towel or on somebodys lap.




















Gretchen who doesn't like the beach and Blythe (our cousin from Albuquerque) who was still wearing a booth from a broken leg wern't much for sitting on the beach so they often went shopping. . .




or instigated indoor games . . .

or sat on the patio watching the squirrels . . .

or planning our dinner . . .

Walking on the pier heading to Ruby's the boys came upon a sand shark that a fisherman had caught. They were quite intriqued and touched it. Chandler later said to me, "Nana, you should have touched that sand shark. It felt very smooth. It felt just like our skin. Kinda like leather."
Well, maybe your skin Chandler but not mine!

The week was just a relaxing beach week with nothing much else planned but we did go to Legoland. I'll post that later. We missed not having Cody, Chelsea, Carter and Cash. They would have had fun too just playing in the sand, water, and hot pool. Next year for sure guys!

A shout out to our youngest grandson - CASH

Cash - you turned two years old this week and Pa and I miss you very much. We miss not being able to see you grow up. It is hard to not see all you do and your accomplishments from day to day.

We love your smile
We love your happy face
We love your outgoing personality
We love your free spirited energy
We love your giggle
We love when you act funny
We love it when you act just as big as the rest
and I loved your hugs at Disney World.








and my favorite picture - Pa holding you CASH!

Pa and I love you Cash and miss you very much!

Volcano fun!

We spent over two hours last night blowing up this "erupting volcano" for the boys to play with today. They had a blast! Tatum even loved it but I couldn't get a picture with her in it because I was the only one home.


We played in the pool for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Alvin joined us the last hour. Chandler and Cooper are taking swimming lessons and they are doing amazing in their ability to swim. Cooper was a little nervous at first but not any more.







Next time we will have to hook up the water feature that causes the volcano eruption. Defnitely a fun water toy - Chandler said he had lots of fun today. That makes me happy!

It's Official!

My title, "Forty Years on the right PACE!" was yesterday. Yes, married for a big whopping forty years. I am not the one that usually forgets things - I always remember birthdays, special things that are happening to someone so basically anything needing to be remembered I remember. I first wrote "worth remembering" but that certainly a bad choice of a word because an anniversary should always be remembered. So, I guess you figured out by now that I forgot our anniversary. Alvin came home from work around 2:30 carrying a wrapped bouquet of flowers and it still didn't come to me what they were for. A thought came to my mind that they were for somebody else he needed to buy flowers for or maybe somebody else was sending me flowers for some unknown reason and he met the delivery boy outside the house. Can you believe my stupidity! Oh, forgot not suppose to use that word says Cooper!


We have always done something special for our anniversary weather it would be going out of town for the weekend, going to Dbacks games but always doing something. This time the Dbacks were out of town playing so we went to a game several weeks ago and that was memtioned it would be for our anniversary but I still knew we would do something on the day. We did actually, Alvin's mother called middle of week and wanted to know what we were doing Saturday night and I said nothing. She invited us out for hamburgers and defnitely not an anniversary dinner. She forgot too and she always gives us a card and $20.00 so we can celebrate. No card or cash last night from her! An exciting anniversary evening spent with his mother, brother and sister-in-law.

So, obviously I will never live this big memory loss down and Alvin is going to never let it be forgotten that I did. The exciting thing is we have been together for a long time. Twenty-seven years in the home we live in now with many memories to cherish and three great children, a special son in-law and daughter in-law and of course the most loveable five grandchildren. Thanks Alvin - you have provided for us well - I love you!

(p.s. - yes Alvin, one of these years we will take that cruise)