Donuts With Dad

Our preschool hosted a "Donuts with Dad".   Sophia was very excited to have Daddy come to her class room for breakfast.  She made adorable artwork for her special Daddy-O.  Sophie is very proud of Daddy.

Welcome Dads

Sophia & Daddy

Selfie time!

Snow Much Fun

10 snow days from school have created lots of laughter in our house. Our snow days were enjoyed  by sledding, drinking hot coco, warming up by the fire and baking treats. I loved being able to have my girls home and enjoy the weather. The best memory from the snow was sledding off the deck.  Will (awesome fun Daddy-O) packed snow into the deck stairs which made for awesome sledding as can be seen in the happy photos below.  By the time the last snow storm rolled in to Richmond,  the girls were done playing outside.  We still had fun inside and enjoyed the beauty of the snow through the windows. Snow is fun!

Sophia tasting snowflakes

Isabella takes a taste

Sophia is happy to play outside at 7:30am!

Working hard fogging up the glasses!

Snowy hair style

Sophie the silly tiger

"snowball fight"

After a fun day playing in the yard the girls could not wait for Daddy to get home and join in the fun.  The girls were bundled up and eager for the big hill to sled down.   Evening sledding with Daddy after work was the highlight of their day. 

Sophia bundled up and ready to go

Daddy and his snow bunnies

Ready to hit the hills

Isabella happy even walking up the hill

Bella taking a rest in the snow

Ready, set, go Sophia

These sweet girls warm my heart!

Sophia has kiss for Daddy

Night time sledding rocks!

Will & I had fun night sledding too!

The next day the girls were eager to get back outside in the snow.  They discovered icicles in our yard and had fun picking them.  Then we went back for a little more sledding fun.

Another snow storm hits and its the perfect powdery snow to make snowmen.  Also, it made great snow to sled off the deck.

Enjoying a fresh batch of powdery snow

Fresh footprints

Easy Bakin' Bella

Granola girl Sophia

Easy Bake Pretzels and Nacho Sauce

Bella strikes a pose

Look at Sophia go!!!

Woohoo!

Awesomeness with Bella

Super fun times with Sophie

SO much fun!

Love the joy on their faces

Sweet Sisters

Our snow family

Sophia likes the princess snowman

We tried to go sledding on the big hill at the middle school but there was not much snow when we arrived .  Those hills get lots of action.  My girls still enjoyed going down the grassy snowy hill.

Isabella loves to fly down the hills

Go Sophia

Isabella loves to pull Sophia

And the most recent snow, the girls were done playing with it.  They only put their hands out to feel the sleet and snow. We stayed in and did a little more baking. 

A week ago today was a snow day and would you believe its 65 degrees outside right now.  Gotta love winter in the south!  We enjoyed the winter but are ready for spring to arrive.

Daddys Day!

These girls like to celebrate!  Especially when its Daddys birthday!!!!!

Coffee Table dinner per Wills choice

Mom, we don't have 39 candles?

Happy Birthday to you!

Make a wish

Birthday Card Presentation

I was a two thumbs up birthday celebration.

My beloved Gram

In the early hours on Sunday February 15th my grandmother passed away gently into heaven.  She spent her final hours in bed while the snow fell outside.  My grandfather held her hand till the end.  A true love story that consisted of 70 years together.  This might be the hardest post I have had to write because I love my Gram with all my heart. It has been almost a month since Gram passed away. I thought waiting to post would be easier but its not.  My grandmother was so very special to me.  I write this message with tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat and a sad heart.  Clearly, my grandmother was an amazing woman.

In my grandmothers arms 1976

Enjoying water with Gram and Pap

My confirmation and first communion at age 16

Never to big to sit on Grams lap

College Graduation 1999

My wedding day 2002

My brother and I enjoy being with Gram

Gram and I at the beach

Celebrating 60 years

Gram and Pap

Comparing Bellies

Welcoming Isabella

Isabella birthday

Thanksgiving

Isabella's 1st birthday

4 generations

Sophia's birth

Gram feeds Sophia cake

Gram and Pap with grand kids and great grand kids

68th wedding anniversary

Mothers Day at the nursing home

Gram and Bella

Christmas at the nursing home

 I read the 23 Psalm during the funeral but could not get the words out clear as my heart was braking.  How do you speak at a funeral about someone who meant the world to you?  There is not enough time for that much talking so I tried to be brief.  My grandmother was the matriarch of our family.  The center of holidays and get togethers.   Her family was the most important thing to her in this world.   Her prized possession was a photo of Gram and Pap surrounded by kids, grand kids and great grand kids.  She loved to watch the kids create skits on the stage in her house.  Gram always had an open spot at her table to eat.  Even if there was not enough food to go around, she would do her best to make it work.   Gram was a great cook and her recipes live on in our family.   As a child I remember her making mountains of pancakes for  my brother and I to enjoy.  Her fruit salad was enjoyed by many and my cousins and I finished it off pretty fast.  Yum!  A funny story about cooking, my grandmother would use a single can of beer in her chili but was not a drinker.  So she always got a kick out of buying that one can for her recipe.

Not only did my grandmother nurture people but she also nurtured her garden.  My grandmother loved to be in the yard with her fingers in the dirt turning over new life in the soil.  Her beautiful yard even won awards from the city of Bowie.  She enjoyed watching the birds and butterflies in her yard.  One of my favorite memories of her garden was that my grandmother would pitch the rotten tomatoes to me in a game of rotten baseball.  Those are great memories  that I cherish.  In fact she loved gardening so much that her neighbor left a pair of gardening gloves in her casket.  The note attached to the gloves said may you enjoying gardening in heaven making it beautiful as you did on earth.

My grandmother made my life beautiful,  I am the lucky one who has so many wonderful memories to cherish.   I am thankful for her life and her constant presence in mine.  Grandmothers are angels on earth and now mine is one in heaven.

The day of the viewing, my girls asked if they could send something to heaven for Gram.  They each released a ballloon with a wish.  Isabella wished that Gram was happy and Sophia wished that Gram did not die.

I do believe that Gram is now happy and at peace.  I feel her around me when the sun shines, when the breeze blows....she will always be in my heart.

Sent to heaven with love

Years ago I told my grandmother that I did not know how to live a life without her in it.  She said to me, "You will be fine.  Do not spend your days crying and upset that I am not here. I want you to be happy and live life".  Little did I know that years later those words would provide me comfort.   My words can not express the depth of my love for her.  She will be missed by many. Rest in peace Gram, I love you.