found on an old memory card

Sweet Jule,   Love, MOM

last day of february

February, shortest month of the year felt very long, cold, and sad. So many losses in one month.

And such personal ones too.

Today was warm out, so I varnished the last of the trim pieces for the ceiling in Tim's old room--did it on the patio so fumes not in the house, chatted with the kids who were home today,  and sewed blankets.   

Working on the ones Maria wanted had me poking around down in the room, sifting through fabric.  There was enough there already bought and matched, to make these eight blankets.

Watched the updates on the Ukraine horror, and kept on sewing.

And that brings us to the end of tonight.

Love you all, MOM

 

happy birthday!

It was a great birthday weekend!   First the party yesterday and then the one today--so many friends and so much fun.

That puppy was funny.  In the basement she grabbed something we thought was a TV remote, but then we heard the people upstairs say, "June! Where did you get a harmonica?"

The meal was delicious.

Cake time with a rainbow cake baked by dad:

I hope seven is a great year full of fun and adventures.

Wishing you a year as wonderful, sweet, and fun as you are.

Happy Birthday, Darling

Love always and forever, Grandma and Grandpa

pictures from today

This is Katie's picture of Lilo.  Oh my goodness.

The ceiling is almost finished.  We found about half of the trim for the edges had been saved in the ceiling beams of the basement.
 
And Maria brought fabric and binding to be made into blankets.  They turned out very cute.

And now we are at the end of the evening, and the week ahead looks nice and warm.

Love, Val

today

Today was the funeral.

Nobody ever wanted to face this day, but there was no choice.

It was a beautiful Catholic mass in the sunny old church nearby, same one where Dan and Alicia were married.

So many loved ones and friends gathered in the snowy evening last night and in the sunshine today.

Safe travels, Sweet Friend.

Love always, All of us
 

snow

Yeah, and then in the afternoon the sun came out, which seemed weird while it was still snowing.

This very quiet week in this very quiet month is almost over.

The turtle tank is waiting for our attention.

Love, MOM
 

sleepover!

We're on the brink of a major snowfall tomorrow. Today we nicked by, nothing. But everyone is braced for tomorrow.  Some parts north are predicted fourteen inches.  In Minneapolis they're talking seven inches.

This is going to snarl  traffic like nothing else can.

Last night, since today was Presidents Day and there was no school, we had a sleepover, and haven't had one in a very long time.  But with everyone vaccinated and cases down, we are making our way.

They ran wild.

Truth.

They ate anything they wanted and played tablets, video games, hide and seek in every corner and every floor of the house. 

They were asked over and over not to scream and run in the house--I don't personally care all that much, but the dog gets overly interested and she's 125 pounds, not a small canine.  I don't want her to knock anyone over.

At one point she chased after them, but when she caught them wasn't sure what to even do, just sniffed them in the eyes and faces.

Okay.

She also broke her fancy harness, catching it on a chair  while racing around.  A trip to the fabric store had it repaired for three dollars.

This video game involves much screaming and laughing, even though sitting one foot away from each other.  But they love this SO MUCH.  This is like their favorite thing.

The sweetest aunts did nails for their young squirrely nieces.  Gorgeous nails, embellishments and all.

This is the bedtime spot, air mattresses all blown up with that little D battery pump,  and blankets and pillows rounded up. They all decided to sleep here together and this is a heated floor so that's good.  The two brothers were the ones on the bed, and they are used to sleeping alone, and they're not small at this point anymore, so they had many complaints, but it was fine. Funny to hear who kicks and who pulls covers. 

(Pam. My sister. I always blamed her too.)

Barbies, even in a crowded Barbieland corner

Okay.   

I do have a couple rules.

#1.  No eating on upholstered furniture. Eat at the table.

#2.  No getting up in the morning if it is not yet light. If it is dark, night is not over.

You can see how Rule #1 was going.

Rule #2 this morning at 5:15 am, Lydia in the doorway of our room with two nieces, "Take them. Good night."

We went to Tim's old room where there is a bed and I got into it with them and mentioned Rule #2.  It's still dark and that's final.  Closed eyes and no wiggling.

We slept again for an hour or so.

It was a fun day, really.  So much fun to be together again, has them pining for weekends at the cabin, all those cousin days and nights.

Love you kids, Grandma

 

another anniversary

Today's our anniversary, and we both work, had no anniversary plans, but it seemed like we should mark the day somehow.

We'd agreed on no gifts, but I went shopping and found a few gifts for him anyway, little fun things.  Then there was still plenty of time before work and I sure didn't feel like cleaning the house or working on my continuing ed, so I went to the thrift store for fun.

Well, it was super fun!

It was a whole set of these cute dishes, will be fun to use at the cabin.   When I was lugging the box out a man asked me if they were made in England.  No idea.  Well, he was right.  Google helped.  Apparently they were made in the 1930s.

Jay said he should go buy me an anniversary gift, and I teased him, but not kidding:  "Let this be it.  This is awesome."

Anyway, way back when, 1979.

 

Today there were so many good wishes, texts, cards, phone calls from friends and family.  It's absurd--y'all it's been a long time, and you're too kind.   You all are very sweet to remember at all.

Love, Val, aka Mom, aka Grandma

another teenager

Thirteen years of you!!   It has been a pleasure.

Watching you grow--

Aww, my sweetie.  You always were awful sweet.

And now, still sweet.

We hope your birthday was a fantastic day! 

Happy Birthday!    Love forever, Grandma and Grandpa

all our love

We lost a friend today.

Thirty-three years we've lived as next door neighbors, decades of friendship and good times shared, so much laughter--Don loved a good story, both telling and hearing them.

He took a personal interest in each one of the kids, in their cars, in their driveway basketball games.

Plus there are so many Don stories that could be told.  I mean, thirty-three years together, all the pets and people, and occasions, and seasons.   Maybe another day, stories. Tonight we're just awfully sad.

We are going to miss him like crazy.

Until we meet again.

Love, Jay, and Val and Everybody