Thankfully Blessed ~

 we are so blessed

to have such loves

and to be loved

our children grew fast

and the grandbabies even quicker

truly, where does time go

we are so proud of the adults

they are becoming

and the parents they are

the grands?

very proud of those young ones

that are already moving into

the teen years

our hearts runneth over

with thanksgiving and deep love

Pieces of my heart ~

and here are some of my blessings this Spring ~

our youngest grandchild turned three this Spring

and i'm  not sure just when he grew up

too quickly that's for sure

loves his daddy & mommy, lucy, and tractors!

our youngest daughter with her family at Easter

one loves to swim, one loves basketball, and

miss priss loves her ballet and gymnastics

(and 'her boys')

our oldest with her youngest in Memphis, i think,

traveling with her soccer team. this sweet princess loves her

soccer and her gymnastics and i love watching

her intertwine ballet with gymnastics to music ~

{we have another son in law and grandson {smile font}but

no photos of them yet. traveling with baseball or outside!

I am a thankful for our babies, their men and the gifts of

grandchildren. He is always near. Always with us.

And that's a promise from a God that cannot lie ~

Bits & Pieces

Life can be complicated. Easy. Hard. Complex and, yet, there's always someone or something that causes me to smile. It's usually then that I remember the One that formed me also set the stars in the sky and knows me better than I know myself. We all have our hurts, pain, and memories we'd love to forget. But along with those are the tender, precious, beloved memories we pray not to ever let slip from our minds. This past year has brought many emotions, along with finding more about life, God, and the sifting of friends I've known for decades and some I've only met the last few years. Each special in a season of my life. Some have gone on. Some have stayed. Some have backed off for one reason or another. It's Life. And it's expected.

He never backs off. We do, but He doesn't. He's always there, waiting for us to call upon Him to praise Him, need Him, or just want to rest within His love. I am a very thankful child of a very loving King. His Spirit teaches me and helps me understand so that forgiveness comes easy. Life is good, as long as I'm closely aligned with Him. Aaaaannnddd, He knows just how much I love

SNOW! It snows very little where we live. (Did I say 'very'?) We see more ice. Maybe it will snow this year?! Probably NOT. So, with that, here some photos of past snows, sweet babies and memories from the heart ~

Our home, January 2008

Snow! On Christmas Day!

Oh, sweet 'laina. Barely three years old.

My princess.

A trip to Gatlinburg in February 2009. Snow, snow, snow!

The smile is genuine.

And at The Park in March '09!

I was in heaven. Beautiful.

Back in the 'burg, Fall 2010, looking for snow and finding it.

And blessed with another baby girl ~

ElleBelle was headed toward her second birthday here with her Daddy.

We moved to the Coast in 2011, so there was sand.

Not snow. But we got some Winter loving.

They got snow and so did Gulf Shores! What excitement!

The beaches were covered with snow and ice.

It was also the first time I learned that hearing pinetree limbs cracking

and falling off the trees was NOT fun! It meant clean up.

 We were blessed with a new grandson.
Sweet Owen celebrated his first birthday that Spring.
Snow and a first birthday within months of each other.

Another decade for me this year

and the hopes that it WILL snow before 2016.

It does NOT look like it'll happen, but one can hope!

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Have an awesome week, snow or no snow!!

It's St. Patrick's Day, 2015

Here's a look through past posts on this Irish holiday ~

St. Patrick's Day, 2015

St. Patrick's Day, 2014

St. Patrick's Day, 2013

St. Patrick's Day, 2112

Celebrated with Deborah & Richard by driving to Fairhope and joining in with the Arts & Crafts Fair - which was HUGE - then having a traditional meal at McSharry's Irish pub. Yum!!! Below is a precious model for her mommy's talents! Elle says, "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"

St. Patrick's Day, 2011

An awesome Pa & a precious Noah, 4 yrs old

St. Patrick's Week, 2010

A girlfriend and I visited another girlfriend that had recently

relocated to the Gulf Shores area! We had a great time~

Our bestie and hostess, Deborah. I heart her.

St. Patrick's Day, 2009

St. Patrick's Day, 2008

It won't be long before Spring arrives!

And Easter!

Then Memorial Day & school's out for Summer!

Does time pass quickly for you, too?!?!?!

Our Winter Babies ~

2014 got off to a grand start with our Christmas celebration that we do in January. We've done this for 10+ years now and still enjoy it. The babies get too play with each other and the girls get to catch up and the guys cook and watch sports. John and I take delight in the laughter and memories hang around long after they've packed up and driven home. It's the highlight of our January. We love these munchkins dearly and their parents even more ~ Hurry back! We miss you already {heart font!}

Back to School ~

As soon as I saw this photo, my answer was, "No." Then I realized they weren't talking about grandmothers. And grandfathers. Pa's. And Nan's. I'm sure there are mommies like me that enjoyed having our daughters at home. Being a teacher at the local school was even better. I got to see more of them. But oh, I worried those first few weeks of a new school year. Were they nervous? Did they have everything they needed? Would a teacher be impatient with them or would anyone try to bully them.

 Sheez. It's not easy being a parent.

Well then, just wait until you have grandbabies. It's even tougher. I wanted to call every day just to see if the day went well. Did they get in the car happy or wishing they didn't have to go tomorrow? After the first weekend, were there tears because it was Monday and that meant going back to school again? The prayers of this Nan were many and fervent. From the length of their Pa's prayers, his heart was right there where mine was. We were also praying for the mommies, so they wouldn't have worry or stress.

This is the third week for our MS babies and the second week for our AL babies. So far, so good. Although I'm not sure they'd share anything negative anyway. They'd deal with it in the infinite patience they have, they'd pray about it, and then turn it over to God. Nan needs to do that. I need to begin now.

Or, maybe, wait until I see them for myself {Wink font}.

Back to School 2013-2014

They're ready to learn, laugh, and make this world a better place. 

I'm so in love and so very very proud!

Summer's Begun!

Stacey & her babies came to spend Memorial Day with us! We celebrated with the rest of the coast at The Track playing Putt Putt, riding bumper boats and go karts! Ice cream and Dairy Queen yummies helped cool off the day! Everyone at the Track was having such fun. We didn't meet a single grumpy person, and the weather was warm but breezy. 

Alaina and Austin ~ I believe Alaina is trying to give the "I love you" sign. They are ready to have fun on the coast!! 

Sweet Owen turned two months! We've got a trip in the making to go see this young man and his parents. It's been too long for this Pa and Nan {heart font}.

Noah graduated from Kindergarten this month and we were so happy to be a part of that celebration. He had such fun and it was great seeing this young man get ready for 1st grade. 

John rode his bike up to Jenny's home and before he left, Elle and Noah volunteered to help him wash the bugs off. He was impressed with their hard work, and Noah wanting to take a ride. But he'll have to go through Nan first. Elle had the spray bottle and was loving that!

Our summer has gotten off to a great beginning, filled with family, love and laughter. Praying yours has been the same ~

Week's Favorites

Happy Mother's Day to our amazing, and dearly loved, daughters. They are raising God-loving, respectful, adored and loving children. John and I are so proud and thrilled their dreams have come true. 

Stacey, Leslie, and Jenny at Leslie's baby shower.

This is Marley, Leslie and Heath's fur baby. Leslie went to check on Owen, as feeding time was approaching, and Marley had nestled down under his crib. We've all loved and spoiled Marley for years. Now she's taken over her role with Owen. Melted my heart.

Jenny posted this photo this week, saying, "Noah wanted his picture taken in our flowerbed". I think he just wanted the two women he loves the most with him. Again, heart melt.

Elle's Mother's Day note to her mommy via her beloved teacher at First Pres. Dayschool. I know it brought sweet tears to Jenny's eyes, for it did to mine.

And Jenny's oldest Ian, at the Mother's Day Brunch. Cannot believe that he will be going into another grade in a few months. We are so in love with our six babies and their mommies. And daddies!!

And to all my fellow retired teachers and those still in the classroom, Happy Teacher's Week. You deserve far more than you're paid, for this is a job you do for the love of children. I was blessed beyond measure the 20 years I spent in my second grade classroom. You will be, as well, even when the moments are tough and you don't think you can attend one more faculty meeting or inservice day. Hang in there. And God bless you for your chosen profession.

Really Missing Them ~

Sometimes I miss them so much it hurts. Days become months and I realize, I need to see them! To hold them close! To smell their hair and breathe in their familiar scent! To hug them tight, and sing 'Nan Loves'. Because they are beautiful creations of those in my heart.

Our Easter Babies

It was a beautiful weekend for Easter.

A mite cool, but sunshiny smiles.

I am so in love with our family.

The men that lovingly married our daughters are men of our hearts. We could not have asked of God any better than the ones He chose Himself. And the grandbabies?! Well, if you're a grandmother or a grandfather yourself, you know there aren't words to express the love in our hearts when they run to us with that look that's just reserved for us. To watch them grow brings a tightening to the heartstrings but what a blessing. This year we were given another gift to love and spoil. Owen Heath Taylor joined our family and again, we've lost another piece of our heart. We are all thrilled that he and Leslie came through birth just fine and are settling in at home with daddy Heath. John and I are so very thankful for these sweet blessings. 

The Maddox's 

The Green's 

And, The Taylor's.

With our newest family member.

(Marley has been very receptive {smile font}. 

John and I stayed with Miss Marley until Owen came home. It was cute the way Heath and Leslie introduced Marley to her brother and invited him into her home. I'm not sure how long Leslie has had Marley but I know it's in the double digit years. We hated leaving but have been blessed with almost daily photos of this precious gift from God. He seems to be changing daily, but then, they all do that, don't they? I look at our daughters and wonder where time went. Just this past Easter, they were playing in the front yard with my grandmother's hats and acting like they were "old ladies". That photo still makes me smile. 

Of course I had to get some rocking time in!