Popsicle

I discovered today that Eloise loves popsicles...I don't know if this was the first one she's ever had but, boy, did she love it. It was mine to begin with but when I picked her up she grabbed it and didn't let go. She made short work of it - notice the red juice streaming down her arm and onto my shirt. I think she must have got brain freeze toward the end though because she suddenly started screaming and crying. We all know how that feels - poor little girl. It probably won't stop her from wolfing down another one next time she can though. The pictures were taken by Elly's 4-year old sister Charlie with my Canon Rebel. She's a pretty good little photographer.

The Next Generation

The grandchildren - 15 of them - were all gathered together, with the exception of 4-year old Brooklyn, and the one who's due on August 5. As fun as it was raising the original 7 kids, it's even more enjoyable having these super grandchildren to play and interact with. We know there'll come a time, probably in their teens, when it's not cool to spend time with your grandparents, but for now, at the ages they are now (11 years to 2 months old) they still get excited to see Grammie and Papa and we love developing relationships with these special little individuals. They are our legacy.

All Grown Up

Here they are - all grown up - and it's true what they say - they grow up so fast, although you don't really get a sense of that when you're busy with a houseful of kids and toys and school and activities. Then suddenly they start to leave home, get married and have babies of their own (tomorrow's blog entry). I consider these kids, successfully grown, responsible, good people, to be my greatest accomplishment in life. It's what I was born to do and I truly loved doing it. And that handsome old guy in the back? He made it possible for me to be at home with the kids, supported us all and enjoyed the adventure of raising them, making up songs about them (Michael, Michael, Motorcycle), making up bedtime stories for them (Adventures of Don and Key), and giving their friends nicknames (we still call Sara's friend Janelle Rosella). We've been richly blessed. On the back row there's Mike, Jenny, Me, Lloyd, Mary, Emily. Kneeling in front are Rob, Sara and Amy.

Clean Kids

When I went to Sara's place yesterday morning I was greeted by three of the cleanest kids in the world - fresh from their bath - the two oldest still wrapped in their bath towels, while Ellie was the only one dressed but still wrapped in her towel, being the first out of the tub I suppose. Other than getting dressed, Charlie spent the rest of the day in that same position on the couch - laid low by a headache, beginning of a cold, and slight fever.

I love Lighthouses

There's something about lighthouses that appeals to me...their solitary strength...their unique design...the beautiful locations...I just really, really like them. Of course, my favorite one is at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. Whenever we go back to NS to visit, I like to go there - it's such a small fishing village, relatively unspoiled, with the beautiful lighthouse poised on the massive rocks of the Atlantic shore. These pictures were taken on an overcast day so there's no contrast between the lighthouse and the sky.

Fun in the Sun

I had an excellent day with Sara's kids today...WalMart, McDonalds...what could be more entertaining??? Even Elly was an angel and seemed to enjoy different sights and sounds from the safety of her baby carrier. I bought Charlie and Max a small pseudo-badminton set which kept them entertained for a long time in the back yard. I promised that their Mum and Dad would play with them tonight again, hehehe. Charlie took a break from the game and donned her sunglasses and floppy hat ("so my ears won't get sunburned") and relaxed in the lounge chair and watched Max and me for awhile. Simple days, simple fun, simply lovely.

Sunflowers on a Rainy Day

It's raining today so I didn't go out at all. Yesterday when I was at Sara's house I took a couple pictures of the dwarf sunflowers she planted awhile ago. I love the bright colors, and if you don't look at the bug-eaten leaves, they look pretty good. These pictures were taken with my small Fugi Finepix, which takes really good pictures although not as good as my larger Canon Rebel.