The Picture You've Been Waiting For!

And here it is! Today as I was driving home from my coffee stop, I got a call from their dad telling me they were coming over because they had something to show me. And Wow! Was I ever surprised! I had my eyes covered, and when I opened them, I saw these two beautiful little girls with brand spankin' new glasses that were SO PRETTY! Brooke's are a dark purplish-pinkish color and Paige's are gold-rimmed. They both look so great, and I know they will be happy that they can see things better. Now, they may have a little problem actually keeping them on at all times since they aren't used to them yet. And they do enjoy taking them off and putting them into the fashionable little cases they were provided. However, they look wonderful, and I am sure once they get a chance to get used to them they will just love them! So that is some big change for the girls, and their Dad and Mom were nice enough to let me blog it first. 

Another Happy Memory

That's Mom on the left with a hot dog stick. I think...it looks like it, anyway. I am so glad we were able to go to the beach where she loved to kick back in comfortable chair and enjoy family, sunset, water and waves, a cozy fire and once in a while, some awesome illegal fireworks. While it is sad knowing we won't see her again in this life, knowing that Mom enjoyed so many beautiful, simple things in her time is a comfort and a blessing. You can tell just by looking at her how much she enjoyed this. I hope there are hot dogs on the beach in heaven. 

November

No explanation is necessary. 

Last Year

Last Thanksgiving Laura, Grace, and Emily invited Fritz and I over for Thanksgiving dinner. I was told there would be a surprise on the menu, and indeed there was! Grace and Emily were very excited about our trying something so new and unusual. And it was...roast duck! It was excellent. Very succelent, tasty, tender and so different from any Thanksgiving dinner we had ever had. It was so much fun! As you can see, there were a few traditional dishes, too. For Laura and the girls to pull this off in a tiny apartment and a small income to boot was nothing short of amazing. And the very best part is, we got to spend it together. Don't know what is going on this year, but I do hope we get to be with family. Meanwhile, going through my now extensive archives of photos, I remembered this day fondly and thus wanted to share it. 

Hello!? Who's This?

 

Hip Hop Dance Recital

Yes! It's that time again! Emily took center stage with her hiphop classmates as they did their routine this year to the Chris Brown "Gimme That" tune. Laura, Chris, Grace, Hailie and I were there, along with many other parents and friends in the audience. It was fun to watch, but I sure wish I had a video camera to catch all the action. Some of the moves are really neat. Emily is one of the better dancers, if you don't mind me bragging, it just happens to be a fact. Maybe you can get her to do it for you, she has the music on cd. Best of all, she is taking another session, so maybe you can catch her next recital.
 

More Horton Hi-Jinks

I found this in the afore-mentioned old data planner. It was dated 1970 something. That would be Mable on Evvie's lap with Bea making the monkey sign behind her. In case you didn't recognize them.

Perky Debuts on Purple Patch

I found this gem in the basement while looking for Halloween stuff. In an old data planner given to me by Mom I had tucked a number of pictures. The planner was just sitting on a shelf covered with basement dust. Closed, you couldn't tell there was a place to put pictures so I hadn't opened it or even looked at it in years. But something made me thumb through it and I was delighted to find these pictures. There will be more on my blog shortly, so check it, YOU may be in there soon!
The date on some of the photos was 1987. Now who could forget little Perky, the dog that changed Mom's life! We all laughed when she fell in love with Perky because one of her favorite complaints were people who doted on their animals "Like they're HUMAN!" And of course Perky was her darling. I even heard her say more than once, "It's like he's human!" I admit to being jealous of the dog at times. But who could begudge her a baby to love and nurture so far from where she could be with family? He brought her much joy. 

Who Needs An Assistant When You Have A Cat?

 

Hailie

Here is the picture of Hailie that for some reason didn't get published with the story below.

 

Three Cheers For Hailie

It was a Wednesday and Emily's hiphop class was cancelled. So we got to go see Hailie and the rest of her cheerleading squad cheer the Junior Varsity football team.

It was a typical cool, windy fall afternoon and the field was vibrant with the gold and navy uniforms of the Grand Haven team. Some of the players were huge, and there were muffled thuds and groans when every few minutes, the two teams collided in a heap with referee whistles and shouts from the crowd. The cheerleaders kept the momentum going, whether it was offense or defense. We got a few smiles and waves from Hailie, but mostly, she watched the game, and with her team, sprang into action when it was time to cheer the team on, or celebrate a good play. Kids who didn't know or care about the game tumbled in the grass, and some of the younger boys pit their strength against the training equipment, running and slamming hard into the 'tackle' targets. The parking lot was full and those of the crowd lucky enough to have bleacher seats had a great view of the game. The rest of us shuffled from yard line to yard line along the edges, trying to get a good look at the plays. Hailie's Mom, Grandma Parylak, Molly, Uncle Johny and his kids brought lawn chairs. Ray and Cindy, Grace and Emily and I were all there, too. We were all there to proudly support Hailie who is a very promising cheerleader. I can't think of a better way to enjoy a fall afternoon.