Surprises

I like surprises - pleasant surprises.  I had one on Monday.  Mondays are kind of ho-hum days - doing laundry, cleaning up after the weekend, ironing, etc.  But I had a phone call on Monday morning from Bonnie telling me that Joe had taken the day off work and that they were coming down and would take me to lunch.  How great is that!  And as a bonus, I took care of Abigail while they ran some errands.

She loves balls and she squeals with delight when you play with her.  She also loves the stairs and we are constantly watching her and have had to put up things to block them from her.  What is the fascination?  Fortunately, she has not figured out how much fun it would be to bounce the ball down the stairs or we would be in real trouble!



34 Photos

It is always a good day when I get to spend time with grandchildren.  Cole came with the cutest hat on.  I thought I could get some cute pictures of him - you know, 5 or 6 photos.  In quite a few of them he seemed to know when that flash was coming and looked down.  Can't see those big blue eyes, so I kept going.

Then we had several of the sleepy eye shots, which Megan is famous for in our family.

Then he began to slide down the pillow.  He can't sit up on his own yet.  I think boredom was setting in.

Finally got him to smile a bit.  He was pretty good about leaving his hat on.

34 photos later - here's the smile that I love!

Blowin' in the Wind

Thursday we had hurricane force winds - the worst we have had in a decade.  Centerville wins the prize for the highest wind gust - 102 mph.  We were without power for 12 hours.  We lost shingles and a chimney cap off the roof.

Our garage door was blown in and was hanging by just one wheel on the right side.  We will be getting a new door - hopefully by the end of the week.  Kevin took the picture after he reattached the door to the track.

Some of our neighbors fared a lot worse.

One casualty that Kevin was happy about - the pyracantha hedge will have to come out.

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I tried to see the blessings in all of this havoc:

1. Had the storm been a week earlier, on Thanksgiving Day, we would have missed out on a wonderful traditional meal.
2. I am grateful to have gas fireplaces and a gas stove.  We stayed nice and cozy.
3. I appreciate a small house and good insulation.  That helped keep us warm.
4. None of our windows broke.
5. A church and state that have counseled us to be prepared for emergencies.
6. Electrical workers who labored long and hard to restore power.
7. A neighborhood and community where people watch out for one another.
8. The garage door did not completely blow off and damage our cars.

Thanksgiving

A few shots from the holiday weekend.  Justin and Crystal hosted Thanksgiving dinner.  Thank you!

Love those smiles!

Working off those extra calories on Wii Kinect

And They're Off!

After having Megan and children with us for over a week, the time came for them to leave for their new home in California. The van was packed, kids were in car seats with treat bags and things to keep them busy.

It was a hard day at the Van Ausdal house to see them drive off.  But we had a lot of fun during that week.



Face painting at Fashion Place Mall

Jumping into the leaves.

Bathtub silliness.

The house is very quiet again and we are counting down the days until Christmas!

Still blooming!

The weather has turned colder.  The garden is all cleaned out and ready for its winter rest.  The summer flowers have come out and pansies have been planted in their place.  And my favorite rose bush, "George Burns", is still blooming. 

Happy Birthday Benson!

A year ago today our fifth grandchild was born!  As you hold them for the first time, you wonder what life holds for them, what kind of personality they will have.

You patiently wait for that first smile!  And you see glimpses of this little personality that is developing.

And you are continually reminded of God's goodness in allowing these sweet little people to come into your family.  Happy Birthday, Benson!  



Three Nutty Kids

It's autumn time.  Leaves on the mountains are brilliant  this year - probably from all of the rain we had in the spring.  The nights are cool.  And the nuts are falling.  The blue jays love the English walnuts and they will sit on the railroad ties and bang those nuts trying to crack them.  Our grandchildren love to gather them and yesterday we had three willing workers.

Benson was just content to sit on Katie's lap and play with a bowl.

One Year and Counting

Abigail turned one last week.  She is walking now.  She makes us laugh.  She likes to climb up on the dishwasher when it is open.  Her hair is getting long and she looks pretty cute when Bonnie puts it up in a ponytail on top of her head.  So, here's a year of Abigail: