Updated pictures of the grandbabies & kids

Frannie wanted to take all the kids to get their pictures taken, but honestly, with everything I'm going through right now, I don't have the money.  I hate to admit that I am poor - but it is what it is.   Anyways, we came up with doing our own here at home.  I got a picture of each of the grandkids in their Thanksging day outfit and then on Friday, we taped up Christmas wrap on a sheet, pinned it to the wall in front of Mat & Angie's door, put a sheet on the coffee table, and we were good to go, it's very hard to get pictures - Zellie & Emma didn't want to do many pictures, but with some work, we finally got some pictures.  I'll have to do it all again in the summer time, as grandbaby # 6 is on the way [Brenda is due in July].  Because Gary & Frannie had to work, we didn't have dinner until 8:30 pm.  Zellie goes to bed at 8, so she wasn't at dinner, so she didn't wear her "outfit" until we did the pictures on Friday before they left....

                                                                Thomas & Brenda

Gary & Frannie

Mat & Angie

Eidan

Eidan's Thanksgiving outfit

Keira

Keira's Thanksgiving outfit

Zellie & Annie

Zellie's Thanksgiving outfit

Emma

Emma's Thanksgiving outfit

Haley

Haley's Thanksgiving outfit

Pictures taken Friday:

Zellie & Annie

Emma & Annie

Eidan, Haley, Zellie, Emma & Keira

In order of their births

Eidan [9yrs], Keira [8yrs], Zellie [2  1/2 yrs], Emma [21 months]  & Haley [7 months]

Keira & Eidan

Zellie

Emma & Haley

me & all my grandbabies :)

Thanksgiving 2009

For the most part, Thanksgiving was a good day.  There were 2  people who were missed very much.  My Momma & Daddy. Although this was not our 1st Thanksgiving with out Daddy, he is still missed very much.  I honestly don't think there will EVER be a holiday that they aren't thought of more and missed more.  This is my 1st holdiays with out my Momma, and boy do I miss her.  It was weird to be cooking in the kitchen with my daughter in laws, it use to always be me & Momma.  I have to say that I'm happy that I'm learning to allow others to help me, and that I don't have to have it all a certain way.  I'm growing with my loss.  I had all my sons, dils & grandchildren here, and that is what kept me going all day.  Now that's not to say I didn't dissapear for a few to shed the tears that I had, I wanted to stay strong for my children, grandchildren - I did that for the most part.  Young grandchildren bring such love, I didn't get the cinnamon ornaments made with them on Friday, as Tom, Brenda & Zellie had to leave early.  I did get pictures of my grandchildren though, and that was more important to me.  I have 3 grandchildren here that I can make those with before Christmas gets here, I am going to try and do their hand prints also... and Frannie & I are going to make a trip down to Tom & Brenda's to make them with Zellie.   I didn't take alot of pictures on Thanksgiving day, I was more trying to spend time with all the kids and sometimes when I try to visit, I get to visiting and forget to take the pictures.  I also have 2 dil's that HATE their picture taken, and I respected that this time around.  But I have told them I need a picture of them as a family for my yearly updated picture -lol....  I too hate to have my picture taken, that's why I'm the one who has the camera in my hands most of the time :)

                                                         Our table [main table area]

                                       the pine cone turkeys Keira & Eidan made for our table

 

Keira & Eidan coloring at the end of the table

Thanksgiving

I had 2 of my grandchildren, Eidan & Keira make pinecone turkeys and placemats for Thanksgiving, I have to get the lamination stuff to laminate the placemats for everyone to be able to keep. Plus I took 4 of my cinnamon pinecones and had them make turkey's out of them... they had a good time making them and can't wait for everyone to see them.....

my placemat

Tom's families mats :

Gary's families mats :

Mat's families mats :

Keira's turkey's :

Eidan's turkey's :

Weight loss

Bruce & I went to Outback tonight for dinner, the last time I had been there was with my Momma a long time back... anyways, we sat at a table, cuz the booth was to small, I got in there, but there was no room for moving - thank God they weren't busy I would have had to leave from being embarrassed . Well tonight we were seated at a both - my anxiety became very high until I sat down - OMG - I have room between the table and me !!!!!!!!!!! I know that it wasn’t a big deal to my husband, and probably not to a lot of people. I have been overweight for such a long time. I’m down to a weight that is a little bit smaller than when I got pregnant with my son Gary, who is now 23 . Seeing that I fit in the booth with room to spare was very important and exciting to me. It helps me to keep wanting to go on and lose more weight. I’m not looking to become skinny, or to wear a bikini - what I’m looking for is proper weight, so that I can enjoy my grandchildren, run after them, play at the park with them…….   In a way I got my feelings hurt cuz Bruce didn't really acknowldge something that made me happy - I'm looking forward to showing my kids the new me :)

Eidan & Keira's pumpkins

Last night my oldest 2 grandchildren "carved" their pumpkins.  My son & dil found these cool things to do the pumpkings, it's actually on the order of the "light brights". 

It was so much less messy.  Grandma cut the tops off and cleaned them out while they were at parent/teacher conferences. After dinner, they did their pumpkins. 
It came with 3 patternes, but they wanted to do it theirselves. 
I think they did pretty good.  Keira wanted to do both a happy & sad face since she

had enough pegs.  I told them to make them how ever they wanted to. 
Dad helped them a littlebut tried to have them do it themselves. 

I hope everyone has a Happy & Safe Halloween...

Eidan hammering in the color pegs:

Keira hammering in the color pegs

Keira's pumpkin on the left / Eidan's on the right

Keira's other side of her pumpkin :

PRAYERS NEEDED FOR FAMILIES OF 8 SOLDIERS

We have lost 8 Army Soldiers today in Afghanistan. We don't have their names or ages yet, as they have to let the families know, but I don't wait to pray for their families because it doesn't really matter if I know their names or not. May the Lord be with those soldiers families during this most difficult time.  This is very hard for me to hear, not only because of my son, but for all the families who have a loved one over there.  I just found the following and looks like they have 1 name so far...
My son, Thomas, will be heading to Afghanistan sometime in 2010.  I will really  need the prayers then, it was so hard when he was in Iraq, but in Afghanistan he will be doing more dangerous work.  He will be more in the front line :(


Roadside bomb kills Fort Lewis soldier in Afghanistan
by By KING5.com
Posted on September 28, 2009 at 2:32 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A Fort Lewis Stryker Brigade soldier has been killed in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon says 27-year-old Spc. Kevin J. Graham of Benton, Kentucky, was killed when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
The Defense Department said in a statement on Monday that Graham died Saturday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered in the attack.
Graham was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis.
According to unit records, Graham entered active duty in July of 2007. In December of 2007, he reported to Fort Lewis.
Sixteen Stryker Brigade soldiers have been killed since deployment to southeastern Afghanistan in July.

Zellie's scarf -

I want to give Maggie a special THANK YOU for making Zellie the scarf... she loved it.  Her mom loved it and thought it was a beautiful...  You did awesome, and I'm sure that who ever is lucky to get one from you will cherrish it... 

Zellie with her scarf

my new lighthouses

As you know from earlier posts, I love & collect lighthouses, my Daddy loved lighthouses, and when he passed away I got his lighthouses. And I've gone on to collect many more. In fact, I believe I have close to 40. I now have 3 lamp ones, one that runs on batteries that lights up the waves, and then many just ceramic ones.

On our way down to my sister’s and on our way to Tom & Brenda’s, Bruce bought me more. A lamp & 4 ceramic ones and then a beautiful wood lighthouse. My wood one is also a bird or squirrel feeder, so it’s sitting in the house for now until I can decide where to put it. I may keep it in the house for the winter and then bring it back out in the spring, don’t know yet…. Wonder what the world record is for the most lighthouses.. lol

Lighthouse that I got in Monroe LA :

My new lamp lighthouse & 4 lighthouses Bruce got me in Raymond WA:

My new wood lighthouse Bruce got me in Astoria OR:

Where I put my new lighthouse light

Where I put my 4 new lighthouses

My shower curtain & hooks Bruce got me

all my other lighthouses