Grandkids and Birthdays

We celebrated the last one for the year a week ago.

Caleb...at his birthday party...last Saturday!

Five years old!!!

So far this year, I've pretty much ignored my blog, so there were no special 

birthday posts for each of them.  Pitiful....I know!

Next year I hope that I'm better about it.  It's a joy to look through this blog and 

experience their birthdays past once again.

 Fortunately I did share birthday photos on Instagram!

Here they are, along with a link to LAST year's blog post birthday celebrations!!  

Elijah - 8 years old on January 7th

Fletcher - 2 years old on January 7th

Penelope - 7 years old on March 25th

August - born on April 18th (this year)

Louisa aka Lulu - 3 years old on May 8th

Charlotte - 8 years old on May 14th

Caleb - 5 years old on July 25th

I am so blessed to have seven sweet grandchildren.

I thank God for them...always!

The First Three

These three spent a lot of time together...for six years.  

Some of my favorite  photos are the ones of the three of them. 

Cousins...Elijah, Charlotte, and Penelope.

2009

You didn't have to ask them to hold hands.  They just did.

They really love playing together.

2012

Happy, Happy, Happy!
Not really realizing that this would be there last 
threesome photo shoot for a while.  But I knew....

2015

Hope my family notices that these photos are 2009, 2012, & 2015.  
That means a (whole) family reunion is due in 2018...for sure!

Love These Faces...Miss Them Too!

In April 2015 I shared that my son and his family would be moving to Texas.  

When they left, they were a family of four.  

In April of this year they became a family of five!  August Willem was born on April 18th! 

 Now there are five to love...and five to miss!!  I did get to be in Texas in April...so I got to meet sweet August.  But I haven't seen him since he was 4 days old. He's growing SO FAST!

Penelope and Fletcher seem to change each day.  

Bigger and cuter by the minute!!

I'm really lucky 'cause Jacqi shares lots of photos of them on Facebook and Instagram.  This is my current favorite of Fletcher...he's modeling Jacqi's mom's glasses!

She gets prettier and prettier....

August gets chubbier and chubbier.  

I just want to kiss those sweet cheeks!

For over seven years I was spoiled. All my grandbabies lived within an hour of my house.  

Now three of them are half the country away from me!

But I'm going to see them soon...in about 95 days!!

Hope they're ready for hugs and kisses.

P.S. I'm looking forward to seeing their mommy and daddy too!!

Penelope and Fletcher

Well, it's been a month and a day since they moved from here to there!  I miss them...a bunch!

It's crazy. I get teary whenever I look at pictures of them and I actually ache inside.

I just really want to hug them.

Thankfully, Jacqi has been good about sharing photos.

Here's a peek at them on their Paw-Paw's motorcycle.

This guy is settling in really well.  Jacqi said he's definitely a country boy.

Look at that face...I love the picture in the upper right corner!  

Doesn't he have the best little teeth!!

This sweet girl is having a little harder time.  

She gets bored...they're looking for a church, and some summer activities for her. She just needs to be involved in some fun things, and she needs to meet some new friends.  You know, I miss them all, but I really think I miss her the most!! Sweet girl!

 I'm really looking forward to when they settle into a place of their own so I can go and visit!  

But in the meantime...I need to figure out Facetime!

P.S. I miss their mom and dad too!!

The Big "Littles"

Yesterday I shared a photo of my family...all fifteen of us!  

We took it about two weeks before Kevin and his family moved to Texas.  

This week I'll be sharing some other photos we took the same day.  

All I can say is "what a bunch we are"!!

The Big "Littles"!  I LOVE photos of these three together. 

Cousins and the best buddies.  Close in age and closer in friendship.

Elijah was born in January of 2008, Charlotte in May of 2008, 

and Penelope in March of 2009.  

I wondered when grandchildren would come, and then to have three 

within 14 months was amazing!

I'm going to make it a priority to ask them to pose together every opportunity 

we have.  And I know they're going to want to do it...look how happy they are 

to be together!!  It'll be a little difficult now...but I can hope!

Changes

I started this blog because it seemed like a great way to share photos of my 

grandchildren with my family back in Michigan. It has been.  

It's also become a bit of a journal...helping me to keep track 

of the past (almost) seven years.

My favorite photos to share are like this one. 

ALL the grandbabies together!

 I love how the number has grown over the past seven years.  
When I started blogging there were two...Elijah and Charlotte. 
The year after my blog began, Penelope came along. 
Couple more years went by and Caleb joined our family.  
In 2013 Lulu was born, and then last year Fletcher arrived, 
bringing the total to 1/2 dozen grandbabies!  

I love this season of our life so much!

But life changes...and photos with these six grandchildren all together won't 
happen very often anymore.  Oh my, I am not fond of change at all!

Penelope and Fletcher are moving to Texas.  
That's a long way from Maryland!  
It's about a 24 hour drive to where they're headed.
Sigh....
Guess I need to learn how to use Skype.

 

Kevin and his family moved in with us yesterday, and they're staying 
with us until they leave for Texas.  
Good thing they got this fun snow photo this year. 
They won't see much white stuff where they're going! 
I hope they love Texas.
I hope their dreams come true.
I hope it's wonderful!
But I sure will miss them.
I'll really miss photos of All SIX Grandbabies together.
So I also hope they visit soon!

Prayers during the wee hours of May 1st would be appreciated.
That's when these sweet faces will be driving away.  
One last look.
Tears for sure.....

Penelope is Six

Almost didn't get this posted today!

TODAY...MARCH 25th...

someone special is having a birthday!!

Sweet Penelope is SIX YEARS OLD!

She's a sweet as the day she was born!

Some of the family met at Chevy's (her choice for a birthday dinner) and then we got together at Gramma's and Grandpa's house for presents and ice cream.

We continued the FIESTA theme that began at Chevy's!

  

Her gift from Aunt Mandy brought the biggest smiles!

Lego Duplo Ice Cream!  She loved it!

  

We love Penelope...and we hope your day was extra-special in evry way!! Yay for SIX! Yay for Penelope!!

Penelope

Our regular family get togethers have been a little sporadic the past couple months. I haven't had a whole lot of time with my grandbabies...but fortunately I have lots of photos on my laptop and their parents share lots of photos on Facebook.

Here's a few of sweet Penelope taken over the last several months. 

Penelope has joined the Randori Fight Club. Isn't she fierce!

Love this photo of Penelope taking photos
in the Sunflower field!

Cheese and fruit and fudge....and a pink Peep!  She's a happy girl!

Penelope is being home-schooled...she's a good student!!

Penelope is also a really good big sister.....right Fletcher!?