Aubrey Lynn

Yesterday was Aubrey Lynn's 3rd birthday.  Aubrey is our 3rd great grandchild and our first great granddaughter.  I snapped these pictures at her very first photography shoot with Beth.  As you can see, she was beautiful from the get-go.

As was her entire family.

 She is now a very important part of this large family.

An even more important part of this large but not as large family.

And an EVEN MORE (if that's possible) important part of this even smaller, large family.

Now that we've established where Aubrey stands in the family, here she is 'through the years'.  (These pictures were taken approximately every six months.

I love that the pictures show how she's changed and that although adorable when she was born, she's become even cuter and prettier as she's grown, but the pictures don't show her incredible, endearing personality.  They don't show what a deep thinker she is and how loving and helpful and clever she is. And although it's a day late, we're wishing this incredibly sweet little girl a happy belated birthday, which we hope to celebrate with her very soon, and an amazing year ahead.  And before I close, I do have a picture that shows a lot about Aubrey.
Here she is feeding Great Grandma's koi.

You can see that she takes her job very seriously and she's thinking very carefully about what she's doing.  That's just how she rolls.  For this reason and many, many more, we're wishing her the best year a 3-year-old could ever have!

So happy birthday, Aubrey.  We love you very much!

Squirrels - They're Not Cute and I Don't Like Them

If you were to just look at these pictures, you might think that squirrels have a certain endearing, curious, and funny quality.  But if you look at the pictures and think about the birds that they chase off and the food that they scatter all over the ground and the feeders they've destroyed, then the pictures have a more irritating, infuriating, and just plain unpleasant quality.  And that's how I look at them.

We bought this feeder last year guaranteed to keep squirrels out but it sure didn't keep the squirrels from trying.  Here are about 3 minutes in the life of this squirrel.

  
 Finally, he's defeated - but as you can see by the last picture, he's not giving up.

Squirrels - I don't want them to die.  I just want them to live somewhere else.  UGH!!!

Jared Michael

Today is Jared's 19th birthday.  Jared is our 4th grandchild and 3rd grandson.

Jared is a very important part of this large family.

and an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Jared in 2010, 2011, 2012, and last year.  And here he is, pictorially, 'through the years':

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now all of a sudden this amazing boy is 19 years old and going to school in Lincoln, NE (just like he predicted in his interview last year).  

And he's continued to be the blessing he's always been - loving, sweet, helpful, and smart.  Jared, we couldn't be more proud of you or love you more and we're wishing you your best birthday ever and a year filled with success and happiness!  Happy Birthday!