What do you get when you put a roll of duct tape, cardboard boxes and 2 granddaughters and a whole lot of imaginiation all in the same room??

A really fun Sleepover and a really neat Fort!

The girls had 2 days off of school and so they came for a 2 Day Sleep Over! We were thrilled to have them, it has been a while. Angie is getting older, and like other Grandmothers of older grandchildren have told me before...there might come a time when you grandkids want to do things with their friends instead of you. Angie has been saying lately something like that. Hard to see them get older...!

We made breakfast for Poppa and set the table for him! He in return the next morning, left them a sweet note too!

We stayed in our jammies most of the day Friday, and they worked on their Fort as much as they could...until Poppa comes home and we get more duct tape.
But we did finally get dressed and went to do a few errands.
We stopped by Sally's Beauty Supply to get some stuff and while we were there...

We decided to check the hair color and see which one matched ours.

We stopped by and got some snacks at the Health Food Store and Trader Joes! ( plus more boxes )













Then we came home and made dinner for us to take with us. When Poppa came home, we all went to the movie Zootopia, that was really fun!



Dinner in the car after the movie! Fun!















Had to go to Target and get more Duct Tape! :)

Of course we need to do some photos with the models!

What beautiful inside and outside girls I have!

Mind as well try out all the comfy furniture they have here too!

When we came home...I noticed that Jeff and both of the girls weren't feeling well. They are all starting colds. So they all went to bed right away! Oh man, hope they don't get worse, it's our Sleepover!

Today they stayed in their jammies a bit longer because they felt kinda crummy. By noon they both had fevers! Just let them play with their stuffed animals and then they colored on their fort for awhile and then laid down. 

After they got up, the sun was out and it was a bit warmer and they went outside for a couple of hours, just playing with bugs and anything else they could find.

Even though they stayed in jammies, they still were able to create!

Even the Bears needed to spend the day in their jammies!

 They are so cute...working together and creating together!

Then tonight, Poppa helped them put their roof on their fort and we had dinner and a movie! I love their sweet imaginations!

Jenny stays close to her Poppa even if it's in the garage or just watching a movie!

How grateful I am to have had this opportunity to have these sweet girls over for a 3 day Sleep Over!

Oh how I wish Kai and Oakley could live close enough to come over for a 3 Day Sleep Over!

Having to go to Plan B...once again!

Well, I am sorry it has been a couple of days since I have written but it has been a crazy few days. When the girls and I were rearranging and cleaning the rooms, I didn't put on my face mask to protect my lungs...I know better but honestly when it is hot ...it is really hard to want to put anything over your mouth. But I should have because by Friday I was having tightness in my chest and my nose and eyes were running.
Amy came over Saturday and I could tell that I was still struggling with my breathing. She helped me work on my Sewing Studio downstairs, she was a great help. What an organizer she is, not sure how any of my kids got that talent...not from me, that's for sure!
The girls played outside and made some homemade crocheted sandles, they are pretty creative with that yarn.

 I was worried it would get too bad for me to teach on Sunday but my prayers were answered and I got to teach just fine, except that my voice was really deep...I sounded like Jeff.
My lesson was on the importance of having Prophets on the earth. We turned on my time machine and went back in time and went over what we learned from prophets of old!

Jeff and I went over last evening to Amy and John's for a Father's Day dinner, she did a great job!

Then Jeff got to Face Time or calls with the other kids. 

Jeff is one of the most wonderful Dad I have ever seen. How grateful I am to have him in our lives!

I had a hard time breathing last night and so when I woke up this morning, I knew I was in trouble when my chest was hurting bad when I woke up, plus I didn't have my voice. To cough really hurt, I knew I had better get into the Doctor right away! 

I got in to see her this afternoon and it was what I suspected Pneumonia again! It was in the right lung and she suspected the left one because I was wheezing when I tried to give her big breaths. Oh well, got my antibiotics and inhaler tonight so I guess I will stay down for a few days! Definitely not what I planned. My granddaughter and I had planned a big 5 day Sleep Over, I was sad that Jeff had to call tonight and postpone that with her. Guess it will have to be Plan B again!

Well, I don't feel like doing much, but I did get a good laugh from watching this short video of a Grandson and his Grandfather playing a game together. It was too cute and I would like to get that game myself!

If you want to smile today then watch this...
funny video for grandparents HERE:
Good Night dear friends!

What our daughters and sons need to know!

We are certainly proud of our kids who have married and started their families. Fun to see them as parents and the love that they have for their kids. I found this advice for Fathers, and it made me think of our son in law John, who is the father of 3 sweet little girls.

This is definitely something that I hope he teaches these girls throughout their lives. It will make all the difference in the world to them. All Dads should teach this to their girls...especially by personal example. 

And of course like it said at the end. We also need to teach our sons and our Grandsons to be that kind of man! As  you look at this handsome little guy... I think he is already on his way!
Good night dear friends!

Another great Sleep Over and the Stars!

I read this quote and remembered something that happened the other night.

Our two oldest granddaughters had sleep over, it was late but they were so excited to do a sleep over... that they were pretty hyper and just couldn't seem to get their giggles out. Desperate Lauren, Lee and I just went and laid outside on the deck and turned off all the lights. Then we all just looked up at the stars...it was incredible. I love this place that we live. How fun it was to show the girls where the Big Dipper was, what a planet looked like and even to guess every now and then if they saw a shooting star.
At one point we saw something go across the sky and it had flashing red and white lights.  Angie said..".on Christmas eve, I saw two lights" Then Lauren asked "what do you think they were?" Then Angie with her totally serious look and voice said, "Lauren it was Christmas eve, it had to be Jesus and Santa Claus!" Then Jenny leaned over and said " I think that is just a plane!"
Oh how I love my little grandchildren. I love how they see the world, how they love life, how they enjoy every little thing...yes, every day I thank my Heavenly Father for another day with my family. I can hardly wait till Kai and Audrey get old enough to come and do Sleep Overs at Nana and Poppa's house, and listen to all the wonderful things they will tell us too!
As I went outside tonight and saw the same star filled sky... I smiled and felt BLESSED!
Good night dear friend!

 

Childhood a time of great imagination!

Funny when I had 3 little granddaughters, I thought for some reason we would do lots of parties and tea parties with cute dolls, but for some reasons my sweet red heads seem to like animals, monsters and now Dinosaurs at all of our tea parties and play time. They can name every dinosaur there is...and they are offended when I call one by the wrong name. Good news is their cousin Kai, when he comes to visit will probably love having all those dinosaurs every where.
Fun, wonder what the next few years will bring with these cute grand kids of mine. For the mean time though, at least Lauren got a fun photo of Jenny in her Dinosaur suit...will be a great reminder in their Memory Book some time.  Now it is up to you, to tell me if my little triceartop endangered or dangerous?:) Thanks, Lauren for the fun photo!

4 Day Sleep-over

Jeff and I are babysitting our two granddaughters for four days. I was concerned that my back wouldn't be strong enough (since just last week it was really out ) but so far so good. I have to remember as I am going 24/7 with both of them, that I can really do this. As Grandparents, you usually only have them for a little while and then they head home, so four days... seems like a big undertaking. Although I am more tired tonight than normal, we had a really fun day.
10:00 said good by to Mom and Dad, unpacked clothes and set up all their stuff ( blankets, clothes, stuffed animals, trinkets and treasures). 11:00 had a snack and just talked about funny things and laughed alot.
11:30 went to the sewing room and made 6 flannel egg shapes and fill them with rice for a bean bag like toss that we are going to do at our Bunny Carnival on Friday ( our idea ).
1:00 cleaned up the sewing room and all the rice in the carpet that never made it into the egg. Then headed up stairs for lunch.
1:00 -1:45 more stimulating conversations, and then got Jenny into bed for a nap. She slept form 2:00 till 5 :15 while Angie and I snuggled and watched a movie, then made a bunny poster and bunny tail ( from a homemade pom pom ) for the pin the tail on the Bunny game tomorrow. 5:30 Poppa came home and helped up make a fishing pole and glue a magnet on the end of the string for the  ( Bunny goes fishing game tomorrow ). Then he wrestled with the girls for a while and then off to Taco Del Mar for dinner ( their favorite) . I just brought some veggies, since almost everything there would have been way too many points for my Weight Watcher's diet.
By 7:45 we were off to Target to just look around and get a few things, most of the time was in the toy section, didn't buy anything... just looked.
8:45 pm we were late getting the girls into the bath, but did it and washed and dried their hair fast so we could do all the night time routine and get to bed. They have beautiful hair, but man it felt like we were doing two Rapunzel's hair when we were trying to wash and dry them both.
Finally, they were down and did very well.  So excited about their Bunny Carnival that we prepared for all day!
Did I mention how tired I was? Yes, it is possible for Nana and Poppa to watch their grand kids for 4 days but no one said it would be easy!  But like the last quote says... it was a good day because no one bit or hit anyone...that is really a good day.
How blessed I feel to be a  Nana and to be well enough to do this with them. I know they may not always live close by us, so I am extra grateful for that time we have with them. The icing on the cake will come next week...
 when I fly out to see my new little Grandson! Can't wait! Good night dear friends, and good night sweet girls!
Need to go to sleep myself...this Bunny has a big day planned ahead of her! :)

Birds of a feather!

My Grandmother used to always say “Birds of a feather, flock together”, well I am sure that could mean more than one thing, but in this photo of my granddaughters it means…whatever one of them has, the other wants one! It’s their age I guess? For Christmas Angie really loves dress up and especially to dress up like any kind of an animal, so I decided to make bird wings for her. As soon as I started designing and making them, I thought what I was going to make for Jenny ( her sister ) could wait till later. I knew that if I was going to make one set of wings, I probably should make two. Here is the photo of the girls on Christmas day, with their Christmas dresses still on and with their bird wings, I think it was a smart decision for me to keep these birds flocking and flying together! They really did turn out fun and they really loved them!

  

In many ways we are try to encourage their differences….each one fun and unique and yet, one always wants to have, do or  say what the other one does. So for now I will just make 2 of each, it’s a lot more peaceful that way!

Today, I got to go see the model home of a new house one of my relatives is building…it was beautiful! At first I thought, I would love to have this big of downstairs, or this incredible kitchen and on and on. Then I realized I need to just remember my cute home which I love, and not want everything someone else has. So even at my age that is easy to want what someone else has?  Still, I am so happy for them and I really am grateful for my incredible home that we have been blessed with.

Seems like even at my age…I am continuing to learn.  I guess that is the pattern of life…live and learn!

Good night my dear friends!

“Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy.”   ~ Roger Tory Peterson 

”Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?”  ~ Rose Kennedy

"Nana, are you old?"

My granddaughter and I were walking in the store yesterday and as we were holding hands, she reached up and rubbed my hand and said " Nana, are you old?" I was a bit confused and took a quick look at my hand and said " no, do I look old (as I was staring at my hand?") Her reply again was "Nana, are you old?" I then said "well, I am a little bit old but why do you ask?" Her question next was "Nana, are you going to get old? " Then I was a bit more confused and asked her what she meant.

(just a little background real quick...John's grandmother died last week, and so they have been talking alot about it at home )

Then came her reply "Grandma Dee, got old" I began to choke up and said "Well, I am trying real hard not to get old". She looked me right in the eye and replied " Nana, there are alot of things we still need to do together". I tried to just smile instead of cry. Then I finally composed myself and said, "Yes, we have alot of things we still need to do together, what are some of them?" Her little face got brighter and she began to list off all the things we want to do together.

Death is a tough concept for us adults, I am glad I asked her why, about some of those questions. Now I realize that in her sweet little 5 year old mind, she was trying to process her Grandma Dee dying and what was going to happen to me ...her Nana! How I wish I could have grabbed her up in my arms and promised her that I would never get old or leave her, and that we would have many, many years together...but first of all, she is way too big for me to pick up :)  and second of all, none of us know that for sure...so I just gave her hand a squeeze and told her how much I loved her. And silently to myself, I promised that I will make the most of every day I have with her and her sister and all my loved ones!

So on that note, let me say thank you for being such an important part of my life. How I wish I could spend a whole day with each one of you, and personally let you know what you mean to me in my life. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!   Have a good night.

"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching."

"Every man dies- Not every man really lives."  ~ William Ross Wallace

"A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty"