The Last Day

My last day with Leah's family was undoubtedly the BEST DAY OF ALL.

(And you might be glad to know - this will be my LAST grandmotherly post.)

We stayed home and simply played.


Of course, the girls were THRILLED to walk the dogs around the block.
It's been a daily ritual, a daily highlight.

Notice the darling pup on the left. That's "Buddy", my neighbor's dog who is staying with us for a few weeks.
The red-headed child on the right is a beloved second cousin.

We strung beads at the picnic table. And made terrific accessories.

You only get head shots because the gals went au naturel in my secluded backyard.

In the evening, we lit sparklers - the torch kind - and the kids sashayed around the yard in their pajamas.

Watch out, Buddy!

Baby Reese was content to CHEW on a box of sparklers.

As the twilight descended, dark clouds gathered
and we watched a summer storm moving across the sky on the other side of the valley.

This photo shows what we saw from our back yard, but it looks unreal. It wasn't.

When the rain began splashing on our heads, we went inside.


STORY TIME is certainly my favorite time . . . as a child, a mother and now a grandmother.

Good night my dear little angels.

P.S. Leah's gang arrived home this morning.

The Dolly Grandma with a Farm

While the big sisters were having a sleep-over with their second cousins,
little Aspen and I took a field trip to see the Dolly Grandma, AKA Farmer Luke.

Aspen really took a liking the chickens, after a few fearful moments.

They all have pizzazzy names . . .

Henrietta, Celestine, Big Foot, Speckles, Hennie & Penny.


There are also bee hives on the farm.

They didn't scare my granddaughter one bit.
In fact, she got mighty close to those hives while the bees buzzed all around her.


INSIDE the house, Ms. Luke has a fabulous set of seven nesting Matryoshka dolls on her bookshelf.

Did Aspen love them or what???!!!

Ms. Luke was appropriately named the Dolly Grandma by Brinley, Aspen's older sister.

She absolutely adored those same dolls when she was a tike.


(But she loved the Dolly Grandma even more.)

More with Fam

It's been WILDLY delightful, this July 2012.

The shot ABOVE taken during a roller coaster ride at the annual downtown carnival.

(Played with the photo a bit!)

However, the shots BELOW show the carnival spirit AT HOME
. . . with the assistance of my dress-up box.



Yes. It's been positively grand with a month full of grands.


With a pack of youngsters, including 2 neighbor kids, the apricots were removed from the lawn P*R*O*N*T*O.


Personally, I've been loving the high energy around here and I'm not quite sure how I'll adjust when they all leave.

Leah starts her mornings with yoga. Yes. She's now a convert!


During our days, we've gone on lots of OUTINGS.

Our local ski resort runs their lift in the summertime. Spectacular scenery, no matter what season.

NONE of the five little ones showed an ounce of concern over the heights.

Downwind time at home helps to restore the troops.

Here's a great quiet activity:

Give kids a box of Band Aids.

Sometimes long naps have been in order.

Please, Cody, don't kill me for this one.

Duane and Kelty - quite content sharing a couch as they snooze.

After healthy breaks, the activities continue.

A game of Sorry with my friend Bonsey is transformed into a different activity by Rella,
Kelty's little daughter sitting on the far side of the game board.



Taa daa!

And so our days continue,

right into the long July evenings.

Summertime with the Grands

Cousins - Avery & Rella:

taking a dip in our humble but relished community pool.

It's lined with grass and big ole trees, which were planted by our pioneer ancestors.

Brinley, Avery, Aspen and Cody.

Three of my granddaughters
with their infinitely devoted dad.

I watched the action, alongside my youngest granddaughter Reese.



Meanwhile, my goddaughter Victoria continues the planking tradition near the Louvre in Paris:

P.S. Kelty, Duane, and little Rella Mae left yesterday. Leah's family of six is taking a four-day leave and returning to homebase (my abode) soon. My home has been full of kid energy since June 30th. Despite the challenges of finding good sleeping spaces for all, it's been a fabulous time of togetherness. Creative solution for bedding down baby Reese in her own private place = a closet!

The 4th of July

GRANDDAUGHTER AVERY AT THE PARADE

Celebrating the 4th is a BIG DEAL in our family.

This year was an especially BIG DEAL, because my two daughters made the pilgrimage to the homeland
hauling along their husbands and a collection of granddaughters.

GRANDDAUGHTER RELLA

We are pretty much crazy about our local parade.


It's because my kids grew up on the parade route and it's in their blood.

Legions of our family clan turn out annually to share in the festivities. This year was no exception.


There's always something new, parading down the street.

For example, this year the Navajo Nation came out in full force.

They danced their way down the street in bright native costumes.



Then, of course, there was the traditional barbeque.

Thank heavens for our well-shaded backyard, cuz it was hot, hot, hot.

Jennifer came all the way from Greece. She's sitting at the end of the table - BELOW.

Just seems like yesterday that we were in Athens together, although it's been a couple of months.

Adults chatted while kids played - reveling in their mountain of cousins.

GRANDDAUGHTER BRINLEY FINDS A NEW WAY TO MAKE USE OF PICK-UP STICKS!

My niece's son was one of the many kids to decorate the cement patio.

Can you see the pride on his little face after writing his name 'JARED' all by himself?

GRANDDAUGHTER ASPEN COOLING OFF WITH A 'CREAMIE'.

More to come . . .