Four-in-one

 That is four months in one post.
I'm determined to finish out my neglected posting for 2011 before midnight!  I really didn't want to start a new year with the feeling of unfinished journaling.

The last quarter of this year was very full.  Not maybe anymore "busy" than any other particular time or year, but it seemed like it was one of those very full "busy's" that I just survived and pushed forward.  I didn't seem to have anything left in me to be able to blog.

Looking back on this post after I finished it I realized that really it barely touches the surface of our days.  It covers a few of the basics but in my eyes leaves much lacking.  I guess that's what happens when you don't journal the days as they go.

The end of August we very unexpectedly and on very short notice welcomed a young teenage mom and her 6 week old baby into our home.  We didn't know how long it would be for, We weren't concerned with the "how long"

As it turned out, it was only a few short months.  We hope we made a difference.

(This room qualifys for the sign that says "My room was clean yesterday--sorry you missed it".)  It really was...It's a good thing I took a picture tho because the rare times it does get cleaned back up if you blink you could miss it!!

 We'd done some painting in the girl's room when we moved in and then this summer finally got the stripes done on the wall.  I'd been wanting a double/bunk bed but had not been able to get on.  As we were preparing to add to our household, Lynisha said she was wanting to get rid of this one that she had, and it is perfect for our girl's room.  With only a 3 bedroom house, our space is so limited and a double size bunk makes our sleeping space much more suitable without taking up more room space.

3 new babies--all close in age.  Baby girl K in the middle who came to live with us, on the left is my friend's 2nd grandbaby, and on the right is our grandson, Wyatt.

I hope as she grows somehow she will remember she (and her mama) were loved, and filled a special place in our hearts the short time they were here with us.

 Meshayla's 17th birthday.  Lunch with mom & dad at a favorite sandwich spot.


The end of September I got to take both Jana and Laura up to a convention in  ND.  We were gone for a week, and got to spend some time with Dalayna and her family too.  This was the first time Laura had seen the youngest two--and Jessi was only 6 months old when Laura left for Finland!

Kara came with us also.  It's fun to have some pictures of older/youngest siblings together at this stage.
With ones grown & gone and yet having four still at home it's like having two different families.

LtoR--sisters; Laura (3rd) Dalayna (6th) Jana (2nd) and Kara (11th)
Kara and Dalayna--
Dalayna and Wade, Jessi, Barrett & Raya.
It was so sweet to have time with them.

Maybe you remember a couple years ago that I participated in a blog challenge called "mom in the picture". We were challanged to take a picture of ourselves or with someone else every week all year.  I didn't think I could do it, but I did and as much as I have always disliked pictures of myself, I learned a valuable lesson during that year.  I (along with so many others) was always behind the camera.  I have no (or very little) record of myself with my kids for many years.  Even tho I don't come close to every week, I do try to remember to hand the camera off to someone else occasionally.  (sometimes with very comical results....(*rolling eyes*....)!!

In October we spent a weekend with our kids and celebrated Miss Lyrah's 2nd birthday.  The child's plate/cup set was one that I had got for Jeanne when she turned two.  I thought it was fitting to pass it on to Lyrah for her 2nd birthday.

Sunday noon for the potluck we had, Relyssa had made some dessert.  We put candles in it and made it into her birthday "cake"  Birthdays should always be celebrated in some way!  It's hard to believe she's 20!

In an effort to make up a bit for a lack of birthday parties & some special time for the girls, we had a girls party.  Sisters, cousins, Aunties, Moms.  It was a fun time spent at one of our favorite coffee spots.

 I thought the pates were so cute!  I'd love to add some like these to my collection of fun dishes!


Our 5th Grandson, Jaith Edwards was born Oct 16, and I was happy to get to be there (along with Lynisha and Relyssa) when he arrived. I love being able to share the miracle of birth with my daughters.
This is #9--One more to arrive before the end of this year!

 Halloween evening, this crazy group of fine su'thern ladies showed up.  What a hoot they were!


 November--
 Thanksgiving time.  My favorite holiday time.  It's near & dear to my heart.  Lots of special memories and family time over the years.  This year all my kids & families were together except for Jana who was up in Canada for some visits.

 I loved Laura's blog post and pictures on it-- HERE (read from the bottom up)

 We were really happy to get to celebrate Barrett's 2nd birthday while we were all together!

And of course the required picture of everyone.  Too sunny, Too shady, and Too many faces blocked.  Oh well!  There it is--Thanksgiving, 2011.

December--

Kaela's Winter Orchestra Concert
And her D.A.R.E. graduation.
Her essay was one of the 3 picked to be read.

Another precious Grandbaby.
Another birth I got to witness and share.
Ryan and Alishia's first--Bethany Dawn, born Dec 16.

   (Alishia's parents)

Baby B was 2 weeks old when Papa Leon got to meet her for the first time.

Photography compliments of Lynisha.
***************
What a way to end the year!  10 grandbabies! (Where's my birthday chart???)

Oh wait a minute!  We're not quite done celebrating after all!
Christmas vacation brought kids home--Jana and Laura for a week, Lynisha & kids & Relyssa for a weekend.
We got in a bit of fun helping to make a special proposal.
A combination of a gift to Dawn from us, and a ring from Derek.

 On the back side were two more cups with the girl's names on them.  Alas, there were only three, so Wyatt baby only had a treat with his name tag.  I don't suppose he noticed anyway.

And she said yes--and now we are looking forward to adding another daughter-in-law to our family
along with her two sweet little girls who already call us Grammie & Papa :)

Two years ago we spent New Years eve day having a wedding.  Happy Anniversary to our kids- Relyssa and Mark!

And thus we end the year of 2011.  I like what someone said:

The years end is maybe neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on.

Like the hymn says, " Come brothers on and forward."

Our best wishes to you all for a happy and prosperous 2012 from the "J's"

Bringing us together

Funerals do, that is.

Not that anyone deliberately chooses a death/funeral in their family to manage to get together, but it is one of the inevitable things that seem to bring families together when life keeps us all busy and occupied doing other things that keep people from taking the time & effort to spend time together.
Somehow we all let the days & years get away.  No time.
Well, that's what happens.  Next thing you know the time is gone and no more opportunities.
When a family funeral is planned everything else that you thought was important and "had to do" gets put aside, and you want to get together bad enough to make it work.

And, I'm thankful we do.

Not preaching at anyone here, just telling it the way it is in our life too.
But--Don't miss the opportunity to visit & connect with those you love when you have the chance, because
tomorrow it may be too late.
Tomorrow you may be taking a family picture with someone missing because you couldn't take the time before.

I've taken millions of pictures over the years.  Silly, serious, formal, on the sly.  Those special birthday yearly photos & the "real-life" daily photos.
For years I've taken pictures of our family every time we were all together--at least once a year, maybe more.
My kids have tormented me, made fun of me, skipped out on the photos, deliberately and accidentally, and looked goofy, stupid & silly....and still I persist.

Every now & then I look at them.  A record of our family thru the years.  Most of them not perfect by any means, but I love them & it shows we were together.  It helps to bring the memories close.

Once again as we were gathered for the day of grandpa's funeral we took the opportunity for photos.
Not just our family of course,
but a record of our blended family ties
Cousins we have in short supply (mine--not my kid's first cousin generation)
Siblings, which I know some didn't quite believe that we girls actually had a brother-
and last but very importantly the two very special mothers in our life.

 First cousins. All here except for 6 of them.  (mine)- Derek (Gay's)- Heidi, (Luanne's)-Matthew, Andrew & Rebecca (Varrel's)-Victoria.

We kids are short on first cousins.  We have 2 that we've not seen since they and we were very young and then just 5 more.  Our Uncle Joe's kids, Jason, Brett & Lynsy and Uncle Fay's kids Karen & Todd (who managed to leave before we got our pictures taken)

 My 3 siblings and me.  Varrel, Gay, Maxine & Luanne

Step siblings--

 With our mom-

With our step-mother Jane & her boys Henry & Paul

Just on a ending note here--We were thrilled to have our brother & two boys with us for the day!  It's a LONG ways between here & AZ along with a LONG span of time inbetween visits!  We missed having our  Sister-in-law Sandi & niece Victoria here too!!  Don't wait so long next time! ♥



A  "P.S." from many years ago.

 My grandpa and me

My dad & Mom, Luanne, Gay & I.  Gma & Grandpa Herndon, Uncles Del, Joe & Fay

Pages in time.

 My grandpa.
The last of the 2 sets of grandparents and 2 sets of Great plus 2 other great-grandfathers that were still alive when I was born. Although I never got to meet those two Great-grandfathers (my maternal grandmother and grandfathers, father's) I did know and remember well all of the others.
I always considered it quite amazing that I had 4 grandparents and 4 great-grandparents for all of my childhood years. I knew many of my friends who only had one or two.

How can you adequately put into a few words your thoughts, feelings & memories about someone, or the part they played in your life?
I really can't.
My Grandparents each fill a different spot in my memories of childhood/teens & young adulthood.
I hope someday to have my grandparent-scrapbook completed to a bit better pass on my story to my children.

My Grandpa was in a nursing home for the last several years of his life.  Suffering from that horrible disease we all hate. The one that steals away your memory, reasoning & quality of life.  Alzheimers.
 Quite a few years before this, Grandpa lost track of his many grand/great-grandkids along with names. (Well, considering how many we alone gifted him with, I'm sure you could understand!)
One of the things I love remembering about him is how he would say "I can't remember your name, but I know you're one of my "kids".

Grandpa's birthday was in July, and the last several years as many of us as possible had went to have a birthday party for him at the nursing home.  Meshayla would be gone this year, and so I was happy that it worked out to stop by and visit Grandpa before she left on her trip.  As it turned out this also was the last time Jeanne got to visit him.  Lyrah had on her squeaky shoes that day, and grandpa got the biggest chuckle out of seeing her run around & hearing her shoes make noise.  It really made him laugh.

Top--My two sisters and I w/grandpa  and  Derek & Zander w/grandpa at his birthday party.
Bottom--our visit the end of May--Jeanne & Lyrah, Grandma Jane and me with Grandpa, and Grandpa w/Meshayla.

 Grandpa was 97 in July this year. Pictures like this aren't the way we like to remember him in our minds, but I'm glad to have them regardless.

My uncles, Grandpa's two remaining son's.

Not so long after this day we got a call that said Gpa wasn't doing well and might have to be moved to a different facility.   We were unhappy to hear that, & glad it didn't have to be done.
 
Life has strange and amazing twists to it.

a couple weeks later
One Sunday morning,
my step-mom called to say he was gone.

Peacefully,
quietly.
Around 7 a.m.
Sunday August 21, 2011

Right near the time that our 8th grandchild, Derek's 2nd son was born.
Around 8 a.m.
Sunday August 21, 2011
Life and Death. 
Joy and sorrow interwoven.

Neveah & Serenity with their new baby brother Wyatt Ray.
Derek with his two boys--Zander & Wyatt--
Derek & Dawn--Neveah, Sernity, Zander & Wyatt.

We're happy to have these sweet grandkids near by to see often!

Welcome home!

In June they left.
These two teen-age best-friend/cousins
to fly alone across the sea
to spend 8 weeks with Laura in Finland.
(also Sweden & Denmark, with a quick side trip to Germany.)

Sometimes time flies, other times-generally in the case of when you're waiting on something or someone, then it can just drag pretty slowly!

August arrived, and found us back in Omaha, waiting for the kid's plane to arrive.  It had been delayed several hours.  An airport late at night isn't the most interesting, happening place!

Laura found out just days before the kid's return that she would get to come on her home visit back to the states this year, and could fly back with with them.

It might have been the middle of the night, but it was a pretty special homecoming welcome.

We had a special weekend to help welcome Laura home.Our kids were all home except for our ND ones.  A beautiful summer weekend.  Food, fun, cousins, grandkids, music & naps! We had the tents set up for sleeping space.  We ♥ living in the country even if our house is small!

We enjoyed a evening of friends & food & listened to Laura talk about Finland.


And of course no family gathering is complete without a photo of us all!!

Grandkids except for Dalayna's three.

Kyrie, Zander

Trey, Sernity, Lyrah & Neveah.

Our kids that were home. (minus Jana and Dalayna) We missed taking the picture while Jana was here.

left to right-Kaela, Meshayla, Lynisha, Relyssa, Derek, Laura, Kara, Ryan, (Alishia) Jeanne & Morgen.

Favorite things

Sparkly eyes and cute little toesies
fingers in frosting smeared on the faces
Cupcakes for birthdays happy song singing
These are a few of my favorite things.

Brothers and sisters laughing and loving
Family gathering together for meals.
Little girl kisses and chubby hands waving,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Playing with kittens and long country lanes
Warm summer days and pretty green grass
Sunrises, sunsets and hours in-between--
These are a few of my favorite things.

when winter is here
when the sky is gray
when I'm feeling blue 'cuz there's too much to do
 I try to remember my favorite things
and then I'm smiling again.

More July memories

Our July Birthday girls.  Kaela 10 and Kara 12.

 Grandkids!  Neveah & Zander

 Serenity and Zander

 Jeanne came a couple days to help Leon on a job and so I got some Grammie time with Lyrah.
She loved playing with the kitties.  They didn't seem to mind being hauled about by her a bit.

 Goodbye kisses for Grammie & Papa

Come again soon!