M&M's

M&M's have been my weakness for years.

The other day when I saw the bag,
I thought...That's what I'll call my two wonderful grandson's.
It works for me and they are my little m&m's.
Just so you know, as soon as I took the picture of the bag,
I ripped it open and devoured them all by myself.
The house is quiet, Mac is sleeping and I'm enjoying down time.

Tomorrow morning comes early and we're out to cut down our tree
and participate in Mac's big idea.
He said, "Opa, I have an idea..
Let's put Christmas lights on the trampoline."
Guess what we'll be doing tomorrow and guess
who will love the twilight hours jumping on the trampoline?

Have a great day

It's a Miracle

We are so thankful to God for the arrival of another healthy grandson.
The call only came at 3:30 yesterday, and I was getting so anxious...

We feel so powerless when we look at how the creator of human life has formed another miraculously new born. How infinite.

A thankful heart and we're just so excited to share the news with everyone.

Off to the hospital to work, but to enjoy walking back and forth to the maternity ward just to make a few follow-up visits with someone who's close to the heart.

Congratulations Lovella. We both get to share this wonderful day.
We might even bump into each other in the maternity unit.
We'll make sure they are introduced in about twenty more years.

Marg

WAITING

What a wonderful surprise, of a snow covered blanket to greet us as we await the news of the arrival of our new grandchild. I can't wait! A little glimpse of heaven as the sun pokes through the clouds and casts it's rays on the freshly snow-capped mountains.

Still capturing a few fall leaves falling on the fresh snow!

I ran downstairs this morning all eager and excited like a small child. It's been tradition in our home that the first snowfall of the season is welcomed by the wonderful sound of the piano playing, "First Snowfall" by Miachel W. Smith. Then I ran back upstairs and jumped into bed and my hubby said, Hm..."I love the smell of freshly ground coffee and the sound of our piano playing." "Couldn't we always wake up to those sounds and smells?"


This is a special day, more than just waiting for the birth.
This day also signifies the passing away of our wonderful mother.
She was only 73 years old and she left us such a strong legacy.
Now we will be forever reminded of her celebratory entry into heaven. Oh, I wish she could only be here to feel and share my joys and anxieties of this special day. She was there for me at the birth of all of my children and always give us the message, "I'll be there for you."
Before her passing ( in the summer months) we had a special celebration party of her life. At that occasion she presented each one of us with a wooden baton with the words inscribed,
"Keep on running with your eyes fixed on Jesus"
Her picture and baton are placed on a beautiful hutch that she gave me in front of my office door. I am reminded of her daily. She made our home a safe haven filled with warmth and love. She was my best friend. My dream and desire is to be able to pass that same message along to my children.

Waiting...and Praying...When will the phone call come??

Marg

Dedicated to Lora

Dear Lora,

We have prayed and waited for this day. We were so excited when little Levi walked in the door at Easter and presented us with a bouquet of flowers, with a little soother dangling, announcing that you were carrying another child. The soother still hangs on our chandelier as table talk to anyone who enters our home.

We've watched you nurture and train your first born and we are so looking forward to having him stay with us this week. He is such a gift from God. You have taught him to be a young gentle man and he too is looking so forward to the birth of your new child tomorrow. To realize this small child reflects traits and characteristics of you, your spouse and your families is a mind-shattering and heart-rendering realization. Watching you invest your time and best efforts to help him grow and develop is to be part of the creative majesty of life itself.

Here Levi is giving the new born his first gift.
A brand new silver "jetta herbie car."
He is a collector of Volkswagen models.

I loved the way you as parents described the birth process of the new baby to Levi. Your husband so delicately shared about his own surgery a few years ago and showed Levi the similarities and described how the Doctors would also have to make an incision in Mommy's tummy and lift out the baby and then the Doctor would stitch it up again and Mommy would be healed in a few weeks.
Simple, straight forward and truthful.
(Just remember to explain to Levi as he grows older that there is another way to give birth to a child, lest they forget)

Lora, you have been entrusted with the very life, health, and well-being of a tiny human person. This is a great gift.
Psalm 139 has always been my favorite verse and I held it dear to my heart during my own pregnancies and I have also prayed this for your family during the recent months.

For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.

This passage describes that life in the womb is sacred and from God. God is the creator of life in the womb. So it is no wonder that the development of the baby in the womb touches our hearts because it is a reflection of the very mystery of God.
God makes us beautiful, a reflection of God's own beauty.

When I think of our new grandchild to be born, I feel like he is part of our family already. We had fun sitting down at your home watching the imaging videos of your new born, sucking his thumb, yawning and finally he'd give a good healthy kick with both legs and we could just see your womb moving.
We will feel so blessed tomorrow to think that we can hold him in our hands.

I can't wait to make our final walk today and sip on Starbucks and bless the little one just once more.

Lovely, complicated wrappings
Sheath the gift of one-day-more
Breathless, I untie the package__
Never lived this day before!

Marg

What's in a Blanket?

~~~~So here I am.Rumor is that people could not envision me sitting at the beach poking holes into my new fluffy flannel blanket. I shocked you all. First of all it took me time to figure out the right tension. So how was I going to start? My layette was too large and so we cut it down and sized it perfectly that I would gain two burb cloths. With that in mind, I began to practise my tension on these smaller burbing cloths.

Poke 10 holes... twist the yarn, pull it through and keep hooking the stitches together....

Look at the tension in that face. I was concentrating so hard to get it perfect.
It looked crooked, uneven and there were gathers in the wrong places, so I yanked the yarn and it came nicely apart and I started all over again. Those holes sure got stretched.
I don't know how many times, but eventually I finished my project.
Meanwhile my friends ridiculed me, asked me to relocate, told me that I was an embarrassment for them, and they actually started making up silly poems about me crocheting on the beach. Nothing off my back.

Meanwhile a thought came to me...Maybe I could become a fashion designer for new beach cover-ups!! Take a look, it fits nicely around one cheek, leaving a sexy peak-a-boo leg. And because it's double flannel layette it prevented any see-through material disguising any further distractions.

It didn't take long and people actually started walking across the pool to check out what was causing this excitement and commotion.

Then I met Polly!!

Polly became my hero and friend. As you can see, the chairs around me are now empty. Everyone left.
Polly and I shared quite quickly, back and forth about things that matter most. She has been making crafts for 30 years and was so encouraging, inspiring and motivating.
She's even invited me to her home in Utah for lunch and wants to send me more patterns.
It's great to meet new people and share ideas regardless of what others think.

On our final evening I made a presentation to those who scorned me the most, with one of my newly designed fashions customized to fit. Take a close look.
Have any of you women ever gone up a hot stuffy elevator with a man who did not wear a shirt? Oh My!! I knew right now that this man would be the first to inherit a one-of a-kind cover-up so that there were no more excuses for lost shirts.
The two burbs bibs were just the right size, hand stitched together showing the physique of of this well tanned young man. I was hoping he would model without the shirt, but sorry, we're all out of luck. I'm starting to take orders!!
Only the memories exist!!!

"Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself. Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

Blankets can come in all shapes, forms and fashions, but by next week this little fluffy flannel blanket, with all it's hard earned stitches, that only an Oma can enjoy for it's own worth, will be wrapping it's warmth around a precious newborn.

Stay posted..

Marg

Guess Who's Home Again?

~~~~

What a treat to be home again. Sitting here, I'm gazing out from my office window, viewing the splendor of Mount Cheam with it's fresh snow. I'm reminded of our own beauty right here in the valley, and what better way to be welcomed home to an unexpected surprise.

My own waterfront property!! We have enjoyed water front views and sunsets that have been breath taking for the past three weeks, never to think that we would be proud owners of our own waterfront view at home.
It sounds like the valley had it's share of rain in the past weeks.

I couldn't help but run out this morning and catch another glimpse of my own private waterfront view and the fall foliage that captures the magnitude of God.


In November Lovella talked about Terry's bravery for wearing shorts on November 10,
Well I believe I beat the record.. I knew that I would have the job of raking up the leaves when we arrived home, but the blessing of the wind storm obviously cleaned up most of our leaves.

I couldn't resist feeling that warm sun on my skin once again and showing off that tan!

But now it's time for me to quit procrastinating and reading everybody's blogs and catch up on my own emails, phone-calls, kids, book work, groceries and all that stuff!!
Blogging can sure become a wonderful way to distract one from avoiding the mundane things in life.

You've all been asking about the blanket? ... First I have to get started on some real work!

There are places which draw us back again and again and I'm so happy to be home.

Marg