Noah Daniel

Six years ago today, Sarah and I accompanied Beth and Brian to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning to welcome Noah into the world. We knew we wouldn't be in the room when he made his first appearance but we also knew that we would be close by and we were. He was brand new when he got to the nursery and he was beautiful. At 10 pounds he was a grandchild record holder and he looked perfect. But as we watched through the nursery window we saw a drama begin to unfold. We saw his Daddy look loving and concerned and more nurses hovering around and checking him than seemed normal.

And before we knew it he was getting ready for his first road trip, by ambulance, to the NICU at a bigger hospital.

It was hard to believe that such a robust, healthy looking baby needed to go there but he did. Fortunately he thrived and two weeks later he was home where he belonged.

At about one year of age, his all-time favorite toys were the rings of his stacker toy. He couldn't get enough of them. He'd start with several and throw them so that they rolled across the floor. I know now that he was probably counting how many times he could roll them perfectly and always striving to break his records. Then I thought he just liked to watch them go. Who knew he was a budding mathematician?

By age 2 he had moved on to more sophisticated toys but ones that also involved numbers.

By age 3, he had a mind of his own and knew just what to do when things didn't go his way.

Less than a year later, his interests had become very high tech and he was good at everything he did. He was also even-tempered and, win or lose, he was always ready to go again.

At just shy of five years old he was the sweetest little New Year's celebrator you every saw.

And now, at the ripe old age of six, Noah has evolved into such an amazing, beautiful soul. He's adorable beyond measure and his personality can melt any heart. There's no one more loving and more considerate than this sweet boy. And he still loves math.


And I think it's wonderful that he's very kind when he corrects me if I have the date wrong or make a little mistake in my arithmetic.

So, Noah, have a very Happy 6th Birthday! We're so blessed to have you in our family!

Superbaby Turns One

One year ago today I was lucky enough to join my daughter and grandson-in-law in the room where my granddaughter was going to deliver her first baby. That labor was ...well laborious. I saw my granddaughter reach way down deep and pull up strength and stamina that I didn't know she had all so that she could avoid a c-section. She did what I don't think I could have and it was dramatic and emotional. I don't know when I've been so proud of her. Of course, when she got to that transition part, she was begging for a c-section but we all know how crazy we get at that stage of labor.

Jack was finally born and we all wondered if he would be the Superbaby that Mr. Right had dreamed about.


And as it turned out, I think he might be.

Here he is at eight months, watching TV with his cousin:

Jack was walking at 9 months. But by 10 months he wasn't just stepping from place to place or person to person. He was walking all over the place like it was his job:

Also at ten months it began to appear that he was destined to be a rock star someday. He could handle a guitar like nobody's business:

And he even did some dancing while he played:


He's also very loving especially to his Great Grandpa who seems to get more sweet baby hugs than anybody:


He can throw a ball and say lots of words.... especially ball. And he's the sweetest little great grand baby we've ever had.

So Jack Victor, keep on smiling!


'Cause we can't wait to see what you're going to do next year!


Happy Birthday, Superbaby!

You Capture - Winter

First of all I'm glad (and not surprised) that my daughter is too smart to drive while taking winter pictures. That said, here are some pictures of what winter means to me.

First of all it means that the koi pond that I enjoy so much in fair weather becomes a source of stress in winter because even when there is the required hole in the ice to allow gasses to escape and even though I'm sure all the koi are in a sleepy stupor at the bottom of the pond, you never really know what's going on down there until everything thaws in the Spring. Here's how unpleasant and worrisome it looks now.

And look at the birdbath where there's no room for birds.

And look where I like to sit. There's certainly no room for me now even if I wanted to sit out here.
It's all so black and white, isn't it. Winter has taken over. We're locked inside (except for the snow shoveling and who wants to embrace THAT!

But I found some beauty. I just don't know if I captured it. Here are my efforts.

And the thing I love the most about this winter is that I'm retired from being an all-walking mail carrier. I'm starting to think my timing was exquisite.

For more You Capture or to join in the fun and post your own winter shots, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry.

David Michael

Twelve years ago today this beautiful baby was born at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.


I was thrilled when his mother invited me into the delivery room and the moment of his birth was dramatic, heartwarming, and beautiful.

David is such a special boy. He is very tall and strong for his age so he's a natural athelete. He's creative and artistic. Six years ago he gave us a cd for Christmas that was filled with songs that he played on the piano.

Now he plays the trombone.

David is also very sensitive and caring toward everyone that he encounters including his three younger siblings.

He loves his entire extended family as well and treasures and appreciates the times when we can all get together. He's serious about his studies, is responsible, and gets good grades. All in all David is a pretty spectacular boy and we're very proud of him.

But with all these amazing attributes, do you know what one of the most impressive things about David is? He's twelve years old today and he's been a faithful reader of my blog since I started it.

Therefore I'd like to take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday, David! You rock!

Not Just An Ordinary January Weekend

Despite the terrible weather we've been having and were having on Saturday morning, we ventured out Saturday afternoon on a brief sojourn to Louisville, KY to see out brand new 18th grandchild and his family.

You'd think going 300 miles South would reward us with bare, cold ground instead of snow but no, that wasn't the case. There was a solid ground cover of snow from here to there and back again.

On the plus side, Trey Cooper is growing and even more beautiful than he was. Who would have thought that was possible. You'd better have a peek:

What do you think? One of the cutest babies ever?

Of course, we got to spend some time with his older siblings and that was wonderful. Here's a peek at them:

And then there's the customary family shot that I always try to get when we part from one of our beloved children and their families:

Aren't they a beautiful family?!

So we breezed down and back and didn't encounter any really bad driving conditions. We spent about 10 hours on the road for about an 18 hour visit including sleep time.

I have two thoughts about that. I'm so glad that I'm at the stage in my life to have the kind of freedom to do something like this. AND..

it was worth every minute of it.

You Capture - 2009 Favorites

It's so nice of Beth to give us a chance to include the pictures that we took and loved in 2009 but that didn't fit in the week's assignments.

One set that I was excited about included the sunset pictures taken at the beach while we waited for the fireworks in July.






Others that I loved included some nature shots that I took back when I used to walk religiously:



And finally some sunset pictures taken of a wild sky with a brilliant sun. We happened to be traveling West and the constantly changing sunset was incredible. I probably took almost 100 pictures of it. Choosing the ones to include was almost inpossible and I'm still not sure that Mr. Right and I got it right.





Oh and the zoo pictures! I can't believe I almost forgot them. Just a couple okay?



Oh and Garden of the Gods. I almost forgot Garden of the Gods. Just 2 - that's all then.


For more favorites of budding professional and dedicated amatuer photographers like myself, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry and if you've got some favorites, this would be a great chance to join in.

Our Christmas House

It started on December 26th. We moved many of our Christmas decorations, all our cookies, my special very hearty beef barley soup and ourselves into the house our family rented for a week because it was big enough to accommodate everybody.

For one week, I saw a beautiful grandchild's face every time I turned around. I got to see one of my children and his or her spouse any time I wanted. I made ice cream cones every night. We took 14 of our grandchildren shopping so they could pick out their own presents. We feasted on Beth's tea ring every morning. One night I heard my sons laugh together for hours like I hadn't heard them laugh in years - a deep, hilarious belly laugh that makes me smile to remember it, sharing a bond that's been part of their lives since they were born. You can see how hard they're laughing in this picture:


We all went to lunch together. I watched my grandchildren play together and interact with cousins they hadn't seen for a year and I appreciated what wonderful children they all are. Despite the fact that two of the kids couldn't make it, for one week I was overwhelmed with happiness and joy. And, I got to talk with the new mommy in our family everyday while she kept us updated on our eighteenth grandchild's progress.

We may not get together as often as many families but when we do, it's complete and intense and lasts for a solid week and it doesn't get any better than that.

Then, suddenly, all too soon, it was over.