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I dig this!

This is a sticker that my son (and many many many more Americans) put on their census envelope.

I dig the message – I don’t dig that it has to be this way.

Baby love

I love this picture!!!  Me, Justin and Keith feeling Zach moving.  What a special time for this family and what a joy to have Zach.

Gorgeous!

These pics are from a gorgeous day when I took a walk – just a little snow and a big beautiful sky.

It’s a…………………..

Last night, Danielle had an ultrasound.  Here’s the excited couple in the waiting room before the ultrasound.

HE is a beautiful baby boy (no more wondering what to call “it”).  He has a skull and a brain – we saw that.

He currently weighs 12 oz. and Danielle is twenty weeks along – same as the original estimate.  Sue (Danielle’s mom) and I both got to go in with Corey and Danielle during the ultrasound.  It was very special.  Neither of us had ultrasounds for our babies so it was nice to see our grandson.

Here’s a picture of the happy family…Mommy, Daddy and their son…..

Click here Baby’s heartbeat – 12_15_09 for audio of his heartbeat at Danielle’s doctor appointment in December.

And here we go!

Today I will start the Noah’s Ark cross-stitch quilt for the baby.  Last night, Mark and I sat on the bed and sorted the two bundles of thread and got it all organized and labeled.  I always think the labeled/sorted thread looks pretty.

Good stuff

It’s time to play a little catch-up with some great pics (for me anyway – because I love my family and sharing what’s important to them).

The first pic Corey e-mailed to me.  He titled the e-mail “my house on a trailer”.  It is all the old siding off of Corey and Danielle’s house, headed to the recycling center (being pulled by Mark’s joy, his Jeep).  The house in the background is not theirs.  I’ll post a pic of theirs with the new siding in another post.

This is a pic Keith e-mailed to me – it’s the ever-beautiful Molly in all her glory.

This is the computer that Corey built.  In his e-mail, he calls it his “new UV reactive mod”.  It’s really cool and he’s got some great artistic talent.

Keith sent an e-mail with this pic.  He wrote:  “This little guy was sitting on the sidewalk and was gracious enough to pose for a photo shoot”.  Gracious indeed.

Baby baby…..

Corey and Danielle are going to be parents.  Yay!!!!  That means…………..yes, you guessed it, Mark and I are going to be GRANDparents!!!!!  It is the first grandchild for both sides of the family so he or she will be spoiled ROTTEN.  The due date is June 1 but anybody who has had a baby knows those due dates are kinda useless so we’ll see.

A message to our first grandchild:  You will be loved and cuddled not just with our arms and with all the blankets and sweaters and booties and hats that I am making for you, but with our hearts.  Everybody is excited to meet you.  Uncle Keith and Uncle Justin are excited to be uncles too.  They will be wonderful uncles for you.  Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Grott are excited for your arrival too.  Yes, you will be loved – oh but wait, you already are and you’re not even “here” yet.

A message for Corey:  You have told us since you were a teenager that you wanted to be a Daddy.  When we would go to buy shoes for YOU, you would look at the teeny tiny suede work books and want a pair someday for your baby.  You will have that pair now.  Boy or girl, your baby will have a pair of those shoes.  I couldn’t/didn’t buy them for you then, but I will now.  I also want you to remember and adore when that baby starts moving inside of Danielle – when you place your hand on her tummy and feel YOUR child moving – or put your ear to her tummy – or when you hear the heartbeat – the miracle that the two of you have created a little person – amazing.  There is plenty of joy for Daddy too during a pregnancy.

A message for Danielle:  I’ve already told you but will say it again – enjoy EVERY second of pregnancy.  The bad parts are bad, no argument there.  I hope you don’t have a 10 lb. 9 oz. little guy like Corey weighed, but if you do, look what became of him.  He was worth every inch of that pain.  On the other hand, the great parts of pregnancy are amazing.  That child growing and moving inside of you – kicking you to say “hello” – total joy that you will never forget.

A message for Corey AND Danielle:  Be the best parents you can be.  Corey – you were told over and over again when you were growing up that you will be better parents than we were.  Parenting is a learning process – every generation SHOULD be better than the one before just because you can learn from our mistakes.  I hope you also take away the great things that we did as parents.  I know you’re really not fond of my response when you would ask for something that we could never afford in our wildest dreams:  “I’ll get you two!” – so you may not use that with your child but then again……………maybe you will???????

Best wishes and you will be a great Daddy and Mommy.  What a lucky baby.

Homemade noodles

Keith called one day and asked how to make homemade noodles.  I talked him through it and voila!  He did it.  I’ll share my super secret (not) homemade noodle recipe in another post when I get the recipe section of this site moving.

How proud am I of my kids?  Very!  They are both very well-rounded – they can cook and clean and sew (if they had to – somehow the sewing always comes home to Mom though – but I love that).  They can change oil and Corey is remodeling his home.  They both learned to crochet when they were little.  Keith didn’t take to it but Corey made a sweet little something which I’ll share in another post.  He doesn’t crochet anymore – he only did it for maybe a week or two when he was maybe twelve or thirteen……but I digress.  Keith, your noodles rock and your Mom would be proud is proud.  Much love son!

Beautiful summer day

This is a YouTube video Keith posted when he came home for Grandpa’s birthday (Happy 76 Dad!!  How many times do I have to tell you to stop getting older???).  This was taken from the swing in our back yard – it truly is beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HZVaNB7OQs

Sammy!

This is Sammy, my parents’ cocker spaniel, bringing in the paper in the morning for my parents.  What a good dog.  He’s the best dog and loves everybody.