Backyard Beauty...

The Royal Acquisition

A set of Congas' with a cow-bell attached (for added intrigue AND noise factor!) was the ultimate choice in how to spend our recently awarded $400 scholarship from the Hamilton Duet Chorus. The grade 3/4 class is shown posing with their new best friend here in the choir room of CCS. Now if we could just get a few kids to take up drum lessons....

Conga's

Feet First!

We tried something new around these parts and hosted a Girl Grandbabies Only sleepover.

Although, to be more specific, it was limited to the two oldest girl grandbabies who are not yet three years of age. Frankly, I don't know who had more fun, Rachie & Jules or Grams and Auntie Catherine. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it wasn't so hard on the psyche of the only grandson Micah!

First, all five grandchildren and their respective mothers met me in the mall to find matching Sunday dresses. For you see, the sleepover was to include the inaugural visit to Grandpa's church pew on Sunday morning! Now, THAT was fun let me tell you - we went armed with enough Sour Skittles and chewy fruit snacks to last the entire week.

This is classic for Amy. Gramps wanted to 'see' their new Sunday duds and here she's getting them to pose for Exhibit A. She eventually did get an orderly shot, but I crack up looking at this one -- their individual personalities are captured so beautifully!

To these two wonderful munchkins above, I'd like to suggest many more sleepovers in the future -- the spunk and joy you bring with you is a great treat to behold. We love you a hundred, thousand, million. And then some.

I have a hunch that Amy will tell you more of the experience when she gets to that time in her chronological posting routine! Meanwhile, I wanted to let you know that I certainly haven't forgotten or abandoned This Pilgrim's Progress. I'm happily hung-up creating a blurb book of my first blog Off to England! and moving oh so slow in that regard, since I generally choose to savour the details of every page. I want to find a spot for every one of my 700 photos too! :)

For Nicole

Hi again, Nicole. A few more of the way we were. This is some back deck fun at our house with cousin Sarah (who once again, is (s)mothering someone :) Joel and Catherine.
Come to think of it, you were quite the mothering type too - always gravitating toward the babies of the family, of which there were many at any given time! You and Joel are standing guard over little cousin David. David is a dead giveaway with those tree trunk legs eh?
Ahem...at great risk to the glowing Mother's Day card I just got yesterday from son Mark - here is proof of the way Sarah used to play house and dolly with her brothers.

Oh man. I can't stop laughing at this one.

To Be So Rich!

What can I say? Few things leave me speechless. But this does...

Photography credit goes first to my eldest daughter, mom to three of these precious little people and secondly to my second born daughter who danced a jig to keep their attention and who is mom to the remaining two delightful people.

What the Bible says is true: BLESSED are you to see your children's children.

Art (above) by Julsie. A deft hand stemming from an inquisitive mind.

*sigh* ...is that like bragging??

Motherhood's Reward

She rocks another baby...

hums an age-old lullaby.

She hopes no one is watching

as with thanks, she starts to cry.

Remembering the time

when the babies were her own,

And her mother told her gently

too soon they would be grown.

Lots of bedtime stories,

skinned knees, and tears to dry,

Teddy bears, toy trucks and dolls

and kites up in the sky.

First days of school, first loves, first cars,

the proms, the wedding days,

Sand castles and snowball fights

and teaching them to pray.

Now, as she holds her grandchild

and gives thanks unto the Lord,

She knows to be a grandma

is motherhood's reward!

To mark Mother's Day 2009 I would like to say:

Thank you Creator Father God for life in the first place.

Thank you Jesus for Life in abundance and full indeed.

Thank you daughters for the gift of Grandmotherhood.

You have made me rich beyond compare.

The Incredibles from Grade 3/4!

Recently, I had the wonderful privilege of performing some of our school choir favourites at a beautiful church in downtown Hamilton with the grade 3/4 class.

We were guests of the Hamilton Duet Club - the oldest established ladies choir in Canada.

They administer a few scholarship funds to award to groups who promote the joy and love for singing. I think the students of CCS fit that bill to a perfect T and then some!

I am so very proud of them all. They give me so much joy in my work, I'm afraid I will never be able to retire from my "job" there.

May the Giver of every voice and breath be praised!

Here are four of my favourite videos - taken by the one and only inimitable Miss J!

Thanks so much friend, for capturing this moment for us and affording us the luxury of many repeat performances.

It's time!

A Spray of Spring flowers for a very special Lady Love of ours!

It's always about TIME isn't it?

That infernal four letter word. At once friend, then foe. Eluding us, escaping us, relentlessly ticking away. Where does it go? Why does it fly?

But enough of this!

The first day of spring has long since passed us by and this blog has just now got its much needed face-lift for the new season. My apologies for making you wait this interminable stretch for the necessary adjustments and for new news. New old news, that is ;)

I am presently engaged in scanning a delectable stock of family photos into my computer library to carry on with the mission 'manifesto' of this blog - my family's attempt to re-connect with our long lost grand-daughter, niece and cousin Nicole Kristine Pts.

Hello again Nicole. Among the photo ops, you will find one of your Aunt Pauline with her arm around the birthday girl - her mom, my mom, granny to 33 and great-granny to ten. And just above this text is your cousin Mark (who is also 23) with his little niece Rachel Yvonne. Amy named her first daughter after your mom....a great choice it turns out, she's got the trademark elfin like looks and wily personality!

Your grandma turned 70 yesterday. She hosted us all for breakfast - a lovely routine chaos we have grown comfortable with, perhaps even endeared to - much like your mom once was.

....soon you will have a birthday yourself.

On April 21rst, you will become twenty-three years of age.

Oh man - there's the taunting 'tempus fugit' notion again - years flashing by in slow motion. ??

Who can explain these things?

Congratulations niece, cousin and grand-daughter of ours; may the Lord bless your special day and your life to come - in ways immeasurable!