Party At The Birdbath

I just ran across these pictures from 2012.  It was a busy day at the birdbath especially for the bluebirds who felt like it was theirs.

Meanwhile other birds were going about their business - ignoring the drama at the birdbath.

Which made for some excellent pictures.  But I can't lie.  I still prefer the antics of the beautiful, feisty bluebirds.  And I'm beyond happy to report that they're back again this year!

Evan Graham - Yesterday and Today

Evan's 19th birthday was May 7th.  He was our sixth grandchild and 4th grandson.

Evan is an important part of this large family.

And an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Evan in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell you a lot about him and how he's changed through the years.

And the following pictures will SHOW you how he's changed through the years.

So now I'm going to talk about what Evan's been up to in the past year.  First of all, almost exactly a year ago, he graduated from high school.

And along with that graduation came a lot of changes in Evan's life.  Although pursuing a higher education was his parents' dream for him, it wasn't his dream - at least not yet.  Evan started his first part-time job shortly after high school which soon morphed into full-time employment. And not too long after that Evan moved into an apartment with a friend.  He says it's strange going from concerns about getting good grades and graduating to bills, making rent, and looking to the future but it's a change he enjoys.

He has continued playing the guitar and composing music and has recently gotten into making retro game songs which is Chiptune music.  He continues to learn songs by ear and create new ones and has recently expanded on some of his old riffs, trying to make them songs of their own.  It's a slow and hard process since he doesn't read music, but he feels that's what helps him create his own identity and style.

Evan also told me that he and his brother, Grant, did volunteer work for Tessa's swim team yesterday and helped chaperon her party.  This comes as no surprise to me because when Evan was little, all he wanted to be was a big brother.  It was a happy day for him (and everybody else) when he became one.

And he's been a loving and helpful big brother ever since.

Evan has always been loving, sweet, and cheerful.

He's smart, creative, helpful, and handsome and we're so proud that he's our grandson.  Happy Birthday, Evan! It's late but heartfelt and we're wishing you a year full of success and happiness. We couldn't be more proud of you and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you. We know it's going to be awesome!

Emily Elizabeth - Yesterday and Today

Emily's 19th birthday was May 5th.  She was our 5th grandchild and 2nd granddaughter.

She was born in Evansville, Indiana and is an important part of this large family.

 And an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Emily in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell you a lot about Emily and how she's changed through the years.

And the following pictures will SHOW you how she her appearance has changed through the years.

So now I'm going to talk about what Emily's been up to in the past year.  First of all, almost exactly a year ago, she graduated from high school.

And along with that graduation came her first car - a gift from her dad.

During the ensuing summer, she made a decision to attend IUSB (Indiana University of South Bend) in the Fall.   Her first courses in Geology prompted an unexpected love for the subject so she applied at three different schools to pursue that course of study.  She was accepted to all three probably because she had made the first semester Dean's List at IUSB.

She ultimately chose Grand Valley State University in Michigan because it seemed like the perfect fit for her.  She's already found roommates and will be living in an apartment next year which she's very excited about.

During the past year she has worked at Olive Garden which is where she met Evan.  They've been in a relationship for about 4 months now and have done "a lot of cool things together which has been awesome".

So you can see that Emily's been a busy girl and will continue to be a busy girl moving forward.  But some things about Emily haven't changed and I'm sure will never change.  She's a real family girl - close to her mom and stepdad

and her two brothers.

And her Dad's side of the family as well.  She still has a great sense of style which started when she was very young.

She's always been sweet, loving, and fun which continues to this very day.

And of course, as always, she's smart, conscientious, cheerful, level-headed and beautiful!  For these reasons and so many others, we're proud and happy that she's our granddaughter and wishing her a coming year filled with every success and much happiness.  Happy Birthday, Emily, a little late but very heartfelt!  We're so proud of you!