Grandchildren

When a child is born, so is a grandmother. Jakob, Christopher, Sarah, Claire
In the same order from the top

Jakob, Christopher, Sarah, Claire

Trying to be profound is not easy for me. We have four grandchildren and as much as I would love to pass along some great words of wisdom, I can't think of any. The best I can do is be their Magra to the best of my ability. To me, Magras (or grandmothers) should be a safe haven. They give love unconditionally ~ no strings attached. You can be bad, sad, contrary, or good, happy, and easy going ~ a Magra will love you through all of that. Thier ages are 9, 6, 4, and 2. There are two boys and two girls. It is interesting to watch they grow, spend time with them (knowing I don't have to discipline) listen to their stories, and laugh when they are silly beyond belief. As a tribute to my grandchildren I wear a tattoo with their linked initials down the middle of my back. Creepy? Cool? I don't ask for approval I just want them to know that wherever they are ~ they are with me. . .not only in my heart but also inked into my skin for all the world to see.

Aunt Pernie

Pernie Estelle Brown Panter passed away last night.

Two weeks ago was her 88th birthday.

For the last several years she had lived with her son,

Terrell, his wife Veronica,

and their boys, Shaw and Coleman.

She put up a good fight to the very end.

She will be sorely missed by family and friends.

Playing at the park

Claire looks so small from this angle.

Sarah ~ Head First!

Jakob andTopher

Just hangin' around

The four monkeys?

One of the days we were in Colorado we went with Sarah to her gymnastics class ~ fun for most of us ~ Topher played with the GameBoy and Jakob created things with Legos. Afterward we stopped by a MickeyD's drive through for some lunch and headed to a park. . .would you believe everyone got what they ordered except ME??? Thank goodness for leftovers! I had a chicken nugget, three slices of apple, and seven french fries ~ YUM. Windsor has eight parks and the one we went to has three levels. It was awesome! All of the children climbed and slid and swung (is that a word?) and ran and laughed until the mothers were tired and ready for them to rest.

A lot of time on the floor

Watching "Veggie Tales"

The palace guard (Jakob) protecting

Princess Sarah from intruder (Topher)
Ring-a-round-the rosie
And they all fell down!
And through it all ~ Arie observed
from his place behind his desk
(off limits to children so he was safe)

What to do when you are boys ~ traveling to your cousins house who are girls? Well, as you can see Jakob and Topher adapted quite well. They played with Sarah and Claire without complaining that it was a "girls" game. Sarah loves to dress up in her princess clothes and when she asked them to play. . .they became the palace guards and sometimes an intruder ~ which gave them an excuse to wrestle each other to the floor. The girls were great damsels in distress and even learned to "fake" punch the guys until they fell to the floor in a pile of giggles!

It's good to be Queen!

Claire can take them apart

almost as fast as I can put them together :-)

Kim was named Queen of Wilson
Sarah and me giving the Royal wave.

Once upon a time in a far away land called childhood we had POP BEADS. Everyone had them, they came in a plethora of colors and you could mix and match them with your outfit of the day. When we got to Colorado, I found my granddaughters have POP BEADS! Of course the beads of today are much more intricate with attachments for dangling beads, and bases for rings and bracelets. They have flowers and centers which Claire calls "berries" because, that's what they look like ~ small raspberries or blackberries, but in a choice of colors. What did we do almost as soon as we arrived? We made jewelry and I was named Queen Mother. Sarah and Claire are princesses. Kim is Queen of Wilson. When they say they want to "ring you" or "bracelet you" it means their creation is ready for wearing and you should put it on. Photo of Jennifer, Queen of Willenbrecht is unavailable due to the fact that she was busy preparing the royal meal and snapping photos.

Snowboarding and the Library

Topher taking a little "rest"
Jakob,Topher, and Arie Even when you don't know what you're doing
ya' gotta look cool!

Swingin' and slidin'

while Magra watches.

(Not sure who enjoyed it more)
22 books stacked together is pretty impressive.

Sarah is four and Claire is two so they are a little young yet for snowboarding. Arie was gracious enough to take Kim and the boys to the mountain to snowboard on Monday of Spring Break. Jennifer, the girls, and I found other things to do. While they were learning to stand up (and fall down) properly ~ we went shopping, to a lovely little ice cream shop, played outside and to the library. Those girls LOVE to read. We checked out 22 books!

What does your pout look like?

Being with the grandchildren the last few days, I got to see all sorts of faces. There's just something about a pout that makes you want to hug them and make everything all better. I've learned you have to be careful and make sure they aren't in trouble with their parents before you comfort them because then YOU are in trouble with their parents, and a pouting Magra isn't as cute as any of these photos.

Claire gives good lip.

Sarah was unhappy and

wasn't afraid to show it.

Topher was almost believable

but Jakob "gave face" to the extreme!

And we are back!

Snow on the mountains

about 15 miles from Windsor.

We left Colorado on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and drove to Sand Springs, Okalahoma ~ 12 hours. On Thursday we left there at 8 a.m. and arrived in Jasper around 5:30 p.m. I dropped Kim and the boys at their house and came on home. Buck and Lisa made supper (KFC) which was nice. Today I am doing catch up ~ laundry, grocery shopping, laundry, unpacking, and laundry. It was a wonderful trip and all four grandchildren got along. The brothers "disagreed" at times and the sisters "did not see eye to eye" but all in all the four of them were great together. Today is the first day of spring! I am going to need to mow soon. . .and it is March so better be thinking about the garden, swimming pool, and flower beds. My brain hasn't quite recovered from the trip so I'll go for now.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Kiss me, I'm Irish

And slip me some tongue

Cause I'm also a little French!

;-)

Buck

Buck was unable to travel with us to Colorado. He stayed home to work. He works too much and too hard and vacation just doesn't seem to be part of his vocabulary. I am lucky that he didn't mind me leaving for a week. When Kim asked me to go with her he was all "sure why not?" I prefer to think he wanted me to go so that I could spend some on the road time with Kim and the boys and then a few days with Jennifer and her fam . . .not that he was eager to get me out of the house for a week! Either way, I am in Colorado and he is home. Lisa went out of town for the weekend so he has had the house (and the dogs) to himself ~ ahhhhh sweet silence!

Pi Day

WE ARE IN COLORADO!

We made it! We are in Colorado! No more countdown!

Kim will be happy to know I remembered Pi Day.

Pi = 3.14 and today is 3/14!

We are in Colorado but maybe we can still eat a pi

hit someone in the face with a pi

behave as sweet as pi

reach for that pi in the sky?

However you decide to celebrate PI Day

do it with a friend.

It's Today!

Can you believe it?

Today is the day

We waited and waited,

It's finally here!

No more countdown

We're leaving today!

Hurray Hurray

Hallelujah!

(Can I get an AMEN?)

One More Day

One More Day until we leave for. . . .

you know where we are going, don't you?

Today I am going to the doctor with Mother and Daddy, paying some bills, running some errands, doing one more load of laundry, and packing! Gotta decide on what to take for an on the road snack. I like popcorn or trail mix and coffee with a bottled water chaser. Chips are okay but greasy and Cheetos leave that orange stuff on your fingers. Candy is good AND any chocolate consumed while driving is fat free. (How do you like that logic, Jenny Craig?) Gum works as an anti-sleep aid. So? Crunchy, chewy, caffeine, non spillable, and non messy?

Lisa needed new tires on her truck and Buck set that up with Zeiglar. When she got there on Tuesday ~ someone had SOLD the tires! Had to go back yesterday to get those put on but it was getting close to five o'clock, they close at five, and she needed an alignment. Do I even have to tell you? She drove the EX to work and I took the truck down at seven this morning to get the alignment. Such is the excitement of my life.

On a happy note ~ we got our federal income tax refund yesterday! WOO HOO!

Hope you have a thrilling Thursday!

Big hug and lotsa little kisses!

:-)

Pernie

Happy Birthday today to Aunt Pernie!

Born Pernie Estelle Brown

married to Curtis Coleman Panter

Mother of June and Terrell

Mother-in-Law of Raymond and Veronica

Grandmother of James, Stan, Shaw, and Coleman

Great Grandmother of Jace, Jessica, Shawn and Aaron

Aunt Pernie was what is known as a "fiesty" woman. She didn't let much get by her and wasn't afraid to let you know she when was upset, mad, disappointed, or that she loved you. She lives with Terrell and Veronica now and isn't in the best of health. I would say she is in the best of hands. They love her even when she is upset, mad, or disappointed and isn't that what each of us wants in life? I send birthday greetings to Aunt Pernie and much love to her and all of the people who care for and about her.

2 days!

Two ~ Dos ~ Deux ~ Due

days until we leave for Colorado.

I know y'all are probably tired of hearing about it but once I started the countdown I felt obligated to actually count it down. I don't like unfinished projects. Which is why, today I am sewing aprons for the girls while I do the day's laundry. I made one for Jennifer in January for her birthday and started one for each of the girls with the intention of mailing them to them. They aren't finished YET but I am determined to have them done, pressed, and packed by Friday.

Oh My! 3 Days!

No photos today. . . .
I decided to do a load of laundry every day this week so Thursday when I pack I don't have a ton to do. Helped Dad mow his lawn yesterday. I think ours will be okay until I get back and then I will take a day and mow/weed eat. Talked to Jennifer about the weather. We are packing for all possiblities ~ rain, warm, snow. Told Kim I am packing a swimsuit ~ ya never know. The water park in Denver is closed but there is an indoor pool with slide near Jennifer's house. Looking forward to worshiping with them on Sunday. They attend the Windsor Church of Christ and it is always nice to visit there. I think we are going to let Arie pick where we go eat on Sunday afternoon because even with Jakob and Topher there, females will outnumber the males. The last time I was there we painted their house. I don't think there are any major projects this time. Have a Terrific Tuesday!

Three Days!

Daylight Saving Time??

Charles Marvin (Chuck) or as Buck calls him "Turkey"

Chuck and Buck

We visited Chuck on Friday of last week. Chuck is two minutes older than Buck. They served in the Seabees during the VietNam war. When they were younger they raced boats. We met when we were in a psychology class at Walker College. (I actually asked Buck out on our first date to a church hayride!) Their mom called them "the boys" as if they were one person because what one did ~ the other usually did also. Chuck is adapting to being in rehab and is getting some physical therapy. He always knows who I am when I go to see him and even recognized my voice on the phone the other day. Their dad's name was Charles Francis so Chuck is Charles and Buck is Francis. Since I buzz Buck's hair now and Chuck has a mustache there is a difference in their appearance. If you ask, they will readily tell you which is the better looking one. (which ever one you ask)

On March 1st I said something about Daylight Savings Time and how it may be light when I get up at 4:30 in the morning. No one corrected me! If anything it is darker! Now when I get up at 4:30 it is like it was 3:30 ~ DUH! Daylight savings time was a difficult concept for my grandmother, Maw Brown, to wrap her mind around. For the first few days after the switch if it was nine o'clock she would say "but you know it is really only eight".

Lisa is looking forward to her first paycheck. She has "plans" but I pointed out to her that she also has BILLS. She will have some left over but needs to learn they have to be paid before she goes off all willy nilly buying a sound system for her truck and such.

And I am looking forward to leaving for Colorado in 4 days!

Buck made some grumbling mumbling remark yesterday about how while I'm gone he can save his pills and I was quick to point out I haven't left yet! It's all a game. . .

Can you say 5?

That's right 5 more days until we leave for . . . . Colorado!

Have to tell you a little story this morning. Two weeks ago I took an empty propane tank to exchange for a full one. When Buck came home it wasn't working properly and he took the connector thingy apart. His diagnosis was the tank was bad and I would have to take it back. I was sort of hoping HE would do that but yesterday when he got home from work and before I headed to the store to return it ~ he fiddled with the connector somemore and WHAT?!?!? it worked! I guess we didn't have the connector connected. Two weeks without grilling something in the South ~ BAD! He fired that puppy up and had grilled salmon for supper, YUM.

Thanks for the comment, Shaw. I am proud of you for being brave during the setting of your finger. I would probably have fainted!

Did you think I forgot?

Got a picture of Shaw's cast. Poor guy!

Notice it is Alabama red

I don't know how long he'll have to wear it.

Six Days until we leave for Colorado! Wow!

I'm excited to travel with Kim and the boys and see Jennifer and her family. I will be with all the grandchildren! You know there will be pictures!

Do you watch reality TV? I watched "True Beauty" but my guy didn't win, I watched "Top Chef" and my girl didn't win, and now "America's Best Dance Crew"??? my girl crew, Beat Freaks, didn't win! ! ! Looks like I'm going to be forced to watch the news!

Have a nice weekend ~ hugs and kisses **

Making a list

When I am sitting at the computer

I can see my time AND Colorado time

What time is it ? ? ? ?

One more week

One more week

One more week

One more week

One more week

7 days until we head to where?

Colorado ~ that's RIGHT!

Time to make a list of all the things I need to do before I leave and all the things I need to carry with me when I go. . . . I know I need to take my camera so I can share our experience with you and MONEY (gotta buy stuff) hmmmm, what more do I need? Oh yeah, clothes! Maybe a jacket?

Shout out to my buddy Shaw. He broke his middle finger, in two places, at school yesterday and today they are going to a orthopedic doctor to see if they can simply fix it or if it is going to require surgery. Hope all goes well.

I should mention his brother, Coleman, also. He is probably bummed that he has to go to school today while Shaw gets to stay home but which would you rather do. . .go to school with your buddies or go to a doctor that is going to hurt you? You know he will need an xray and they will move that finger around ~ OUCH! Dude! I would pick school.

Countdown

8 Days! ! ! !

One week + one day! ! ! !

8 Days! ! ! !

Lisa is staying home today from work ~ she sounds terrible and is achy. We will be heading to the clinic as soon as they open. I told her if she is staying home from work ~ she is staying home from everything else ~ no "I'm feeling better, think I'll go to Birmingham and hang with my friends". (I know BAD MOM! BAD MOM!)

Hope your day is calm. * *

There's a hamper?

Why bother unpacking when you can

just live out of the suitcase until it is empty?

There is NO WAY I'm going to sift through this pile
to determine what is clean and what is dirty!
Saving Grace? Eye candy from Hollister!

Lisa moved in over a month ago and has yet to put everything away. That would make me NUTS but it seems to work for her. Things that were in my way I have stored and I can close the door to her room ~ so we're all happy. There is the issue of laundry. . . .

Here's the deal ~ I bought her a hamper ~ anything in the hamper on laundry day gets washed. I refuse to examine, sniff, or in any way try to determine what's going on with the clothes on her floor.

9 days on the countdown!

2sDay

Went to doctor with Daddy ~ all is well ~ go back in 6 months.

10 days til we head to Colorado.

Anyone wanna go with?

Alas! It was all a joke?

A winter wonderland ~ in MARCH?!?

Buck tried to get in without letting the snow in.(Didn't work)

Before Church

AND AFTER

Clear blue skies

All that was left of the snow :-(

There was one more photo I received via cell phone of a "full moon" looking out over the snow that I thought was funny but inappropriate for this posting. You know who you are ;-)

On Saturday the weather people starting saying we were going to get some snow. Everyone hustled to the grocery store for "supplies". Yesterday morning when we got up, there was indeed snow on the ground and still falling from the sky. Children all around town were excited about playing in the snow ~ building snow people ~ having snowball fights ~ you get the picture. I bundled up and went out early to start the car so it would be warm for the ride to church. It may sound UN-Southern of me but I like the snow ~ it is so quiet and peaceful. Buck told me there can be snow thunder ~ but I've NEVER heard that before. Snow just drifts to the ground without fanfare ~ just ahhhh. As you can see from the photos, it turned out to be a joke on us. We drove to church in the snow thinking we would come out of services to find our vehicle covered but POOF it was gone. The sun popped out during services and melted everything! The wind was still bitterly cold but no snow! And here's a twist for you ~ today our high is forecast as 40* Colorado? 72*! What's up with that??

11 days until we head for Colorado

Riley, the broken dog, is healing quite nicely. A couple of more days and he will be back outside with Stripe. Hopefully getting hit taught him a lesson about chasing vehicles? It's Monday and time to look at the week ahead. Yes, I know Sunday is the first day of the week but I don't usually worry about what's coming up until Monday. Today I HAVE GOT TO get the tax stuff together because tomorrow we are having our taxes done. Don't be shaking your head at me ~ like you've never waited until the last minute to do something!
Tomorrow I am going to the doctor with Daddy. It should be a short visit since all they will do is evaluate his memory, maybe give him a test, and tell him to come back in a couple of months. The cold gets to him quickly and I'm sure yesterday's snow left him shivering all day. He was at church in the morning in corduroy pants and a heavy coat ~ looking dapper as always ~ but the icy wind was just too much for either of them last night. I am also scheduled to pick the boys up from school since Kim is in Montgomery for the Beta Club convention. I'm not usually the after school person so I don't make them do homework. We'll just play a video game or watch a movie.
Wednesday I will do mundane chores like taking out the garbage and doing the laundry. I'll also be thinking of what to tell you the next time I blog.

Bye for now ~ Big hug ~ Lots of little kisses!

What's Happening in March?

Happy 1st Day of March!

If April 1st is April Fool's Day

does that make March 1st March Fool's Day?

We ~ in Alabama ~ are getting snow today.

That sounds like a March Fool's Day prank, doesn't it?

Next Sunday Daylight Savings Time begins ~ WooHoo! That means when I get up at 4:30 a.m. there MAY be a little light in the sky?

March 17th ~ St Patrick's Day ~ Sure and we'll all be Irish that day! Everyone's name will start with an O.

March 20th ~ First Day of SPRING ~ tra la la ~ YES!

Our son-in-law is up in the mountains of Wyoming this weekend on what they call the "Widow Maker" weekend. Doesn't that just give you a warm fuzzy feeling? I'm not sure if the women really know what goes on up there but it is an annual event and Arie gets to go with his dad, Roger. A nice bonding ritual?

Oh, did I mention that in 12 days we will start our trek to Colorado?