summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

oh, baby...and baby!!!

 Yes, you deciphered that correctly, I am a grandma again, and again!  Two babies in two days!!!

We went camping, and brought Wulf with us.

We got to use Ben's utility trailer, so handy to bring tons of stuff!  It was sad to pack up and go home yesterday.

Our lovely campfire...
Our son Sam's family, holding Ruth, Grace with Maeve ,and Grant.

Declan visited (with Anya and Elise, and his mama Ashley and daddy Benjamin)
Wulf with headlamp on, drinking morning cocoa.  Our campsites right across from the beach.
Wulf:  Grandpa, does the ocean go on forever?
With Camille and Char








Grant, Ruth, Wulf
Tennyson had his backpack and when we picked up Wulf, he said, "Grandma, are you picking me up?"  um, no, but you can have my baggie of emergency mini-M&M's.  Auntie Emily did pick him up and bring him to the beach for the day.  (he got stung by a bee the day before, he's fine now).

So Margaret was home without her children, 38 weeks pregnant, went in for a sonogram, the baby was transverse...with a low heart rate. Well, she ended up with an unexpected C-section.
It's a....girl! Two boys have a new baby sister!
Margaret looks radiant holding her Blythe Margaret...6 lbs, 2 ozs.


Adrian and his new little daughter...
Margaret before her appointment.

Aunt Kathryn, she drove up with me to meet Blythe...

She is so tiny!
The boys slept on the futon in the living room...Tennyson woke up first.  I was on the couch across from them, watching my phone for alerts because Molly had gone in yesterday for a check up, and was sent to labor and delivery!

Sweet baby Blythe...

Then...Molly and Josh had their baby!  He was 8 pounds two ounces, a whole two pounds bigger than his two day old cousin, who was born 12 days early.  Denzel Alexander was three days early.
Sweet Denzel was born sunny-side up!  He is healthy and hearty, just a little bruised.








With Josh (daddy)
With big sister Lydia

So sweet!

So my day has been predictably busy, and I haven't even met little Denzel yet.  Tomorrow, I'm hoping.  Tomorrow morning I have to be out the door by 7:50, to bring Char and Cam to the dentist.  Paul will watch the little boys for me.  Then I'll come home, pack them up, bring them to buy an outfit for their new baby sister, then bring them home to meet her.  (can you believe that Margaret had a cesarean on Monday at five p.m., and went home this morning, less than two days!?).  I told her I'd keep the boys until tomorrow.  Then Kathryn came over for the afternoon, it was a really fun day, a busy day.  It rained, so they were all in here with lots of energy.  We put out little brush fires, kept the peace, but they had fun together.

So our camping trip was cut one day short, which was fine, because it was chilly and threatening to rain anyway.  Our two nights were enough.  It rained during the night the second night, but our tent stayed snug and dry on the inside.  The girls tent was a little bit leaky.  We had to pack it all up, then hang the tents out to dry when we got home, the awning too.  If you put them away wet, they'll be musty and moldy.  

There is so much to be thankful for...tomorrow, Jonathan is driving to Newark to pick up one of his European friends, a Dutch guy named Walter...he's visiting with us for a bit.  So tomorrow, I had better clean the house quick, ha.  Never a dull moment, I tell you.  Have a good evening!

Sunday, August 27, 2023

a perfectly nice party....

 ...we had a good day.  I grocery-stored, and you know what happens when I go out all by my lonesome, right?  Dawdling happens.  Tootling around, browsing, meandering.  I did restrain myself not to stop into the thrift store in the same plaza, so I do get ten points.  

I got home after ten, and the party started at noon.  Molly came over early with the decorations, and the cake.  Lydia was SO excited.  It's contagious, I tell you.

It was a unicorn theme.  11 of the 16 kids were here.  (Abigail, Joseph, Aaron, Sam (Sam's family did come though), and  Margaret didn't make it) (That means Emily, Benjamin, Mariel, Molly, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille were here)   There were spouses and a fiancé (Suzanne's Zech), and all the grandchildren except for two.  
The unicorn sprinkler from Aldi:  It was $49.99, Evelyn asked me if I had seen it, and yes I had, but no way.  Well, then it was $24.99...um, nah...then $12.49, and yes, please!  Into my cart it went!  I didn't even know the party had a unicorn theme!  


Auntie Evelyn with cousins Rhys and baby Maeve Louise
Mariel petting Suri, and Jon sneaking an ice cream sandwich
We did have a pool party!  This is from Sonja's window...
Mariel holding baby Jamie, and Emily...
11 of the 13 grandchildren...Maeve,(with Grace), Jamie (with Char), Rhys (with Emily), Anya holding Declan, Elise, Grant, birthday girl Lydia, Ophelia, Achilles in front, and Ruth.  (They had a unicorn piñata)
Zech (fiancé of Suzanne), Jon, Suze, Mariel, Camille
Auntie Camille holding Rhys
Oh, the birthday party!  Molly and Josh thought of everything!

Ben with his little Declan

Suzanne and Jonny
Birthday presents!  

And now, I have to move it move it, we're going camping.  I am sort of packed...bye for now!