CELEBRATING JEFF'S BIRTHDAY

 WE ALWAYS LOVE TO GET TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE SPECIAL OCCASIONS.  LAST NIGHT   WE GOT TOGETHER FOR JEFF'S 53RD BIRTHDAY.

 I HAD MADE A SPECIAL CARD OF MEMORIES FOR JEFF.  ON THE BACK IT TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD TO FIND THE 3 FLAGS THAT WOULD TELL HIM WHAT HIS GIFTS WERE.

  I DON'T THINK WE EVER OUT GROW A TREASURE HUNT.  JEFF GOT A KICK OUT OF FINDING THE FLAGS AND FINDING OUT WHAT EACH ONE REPRESENTED.

LAST BUT N0T LEAST WAS OUR TIMED PICTURE BEFORE GOING TO CONCHITAS FOR DINNER.  WHAT A GREAT NIGHT  WE ALL HAD.  THIS EVENING DID ADD TO OUR MEMORIES THAT WE SHARE TOGETHER.

OUR VISIT WITH THE CALL'S

 JASON, DADRA AND THEIR FAMILY ARRIVED AT THE END OF JULY.  IT WAS SO FUN TO HAVE THEM COME TO GRAND JUNCTION AGAIN.  IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE THEY VISITED US HERE IN COLORADO.

MUFFIN SEEMED TO LOVE ABBY MUCH TO HER DELIGHT.  USUALLY MUFFIN WON'T GO TO ANYONE BUT ME.  ABBY IS SO LOVING AND CARING AND MUFFIN SENSED THIS.

WE HAD MANY MEMORABLE ,MOMENTS WHILE THEY WERE HERE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THE ABBY AND LANDON LOVED TO DO WAS HAVE  CRAFT CLASSES.  THEY KNOW THAT GRANDMA HAS PLENTY OF CRAFT THINGS TO WORK WITH.  I LOVED WATCHING THEIR CREATIVITY.  NOLAN WAS CONTENTED WATCHING AND PLAYING AT THE TABLE WHILE WE WORKED.

SPEAKING OF NOLAN, WE ALL GOT SUCH A KICK OUT OF WATCHING HIM TAKE A COUPLE OF STEPS FOR THE FIRST TIME.  IT WON'T BE LONG AND HE WILL BE WALKING LIKE A TROUPER.

TAMI  WAS OVER ALMOST EVERY DAY.  JEFF CAME OVER A COUPLE OF TIMES TOO.  

IT WAS FUN FOR THE CHILDREN TO SEE AND VISIT WITH THEM AGAIN.   OF  COURSE TAMI MADE COOKIES WHEN SHE WOULD COME OVER.  IN FACT, SHE MADE THREE BATCHES SINCE THEY WERE SO GOOD.  WE HAD CAKE MIX, PUMPKIN, AND CHOCOLATE CHIP/OATMEAL COOKIES THAT WE ENJOYED EACH DAY.

TAMI AND JEFF ALSO HAD LITTLE GIFTS FOR THE KIDS.  ABBY AND LANDON REALLY LOVED THIS!

TAMI TOOK US ALL OUT TO DINNER AT GOLDEN CORRAL ON SAT. NIGHT..    IT'S ALWAYS LOVELY TO BE WITH OUR DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN.  OF COURSE, I RECORDED ALL OUR FUN WITH LOTS OF PHOTO'S.

 ONE FUN TRADITION I HAVE WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN, WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT, IS TO HAVE THEM COUNT THE QUARTERS IN MY BIG PIGGY BANK.  I SAVE QUARTERS ALL YEAR LONG AND IT'S SURPRISING HOW MUCH IS IN THERE.  I LET THEM COUNT THE QUARTERS AND THEN WE GO TO THE BANK TO HAVE IT PUT INTO DOLLARS..  ABBY AND LANDON ENDED UP WITH $34 EACH. TO SPEND.  THEY WERE VERY EXCITED  THAT THEY HAD MONEY TO BUY SOMETHING WHEN WE WENT SHOPPING......YIPE!

A PICTURE AFTER CHURCH.  SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY

  

I SAVED SOME OF THE TOYS I HAD FOR MY DAY CARE.  I FIGURED THESE WOULD BE FUN FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT.  IT'S ALWAYS NICE THAT THEY HAVE TOYS TO PLAY WITH AND DISNEY MOVIES TO WATCH WHEN THEY COME .

WE ALSO ENJOYED THE 2 PARKS THAT ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO OUR HOME.  THE CHILDREN LOVED THE NEW PLAY GROUND EQUIPMENT.

WE ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME TAKING COOKIE DOUGH PICTURES AFTER THE DOUGH IS MADE.  EVERYONE GETS TO HAVE A SPOON FULL OF COOKIE DOUGH BEFORE I START TO BAKE THE COOKIES.  THAT'S THE BEST PART!

WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE DINOSAUR MUSEUM  IN FRUITA.  LANDON WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THIS AT FIRST BUT ENDED LOVING THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE.

ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE PARTS WAS DIGGING FOR BONES.

JASON  HAD TO FLY TO ARIZONA FOR WORK.  HE WAS GONE UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT.  DADRA IS SO GOOD WITH THE CHILDREN AND I ADMIRE HER SO MUCH.  SHE HAS HER HANDS FULL WHEN EVER JASON HAS TO GO OUT OF TOWN.  HERE SHE IS TEACHING  LANDON HOW TO MAKE A VILLAGE OUT OF THE WAFFLE BLOCKS.

WE ENDED OUR WEEK BY GOING TO LINCOLN PART POOL FOR A FAMILY SWIM.  WHAT FUN WE HAD!

DON REALLY ENJOYED GOING DOWN THE LARGE TUNNEL SLIDE.  HE WENT DOWN IT 12 TIMES.  IT WAS A GOOD WORK OUT FOR HIM.

     THIS SHOWS HOW LARGE THE SLIDE IS AS IT TWISTS AND TURNS.  JUST GOING UP ALL THE STAIRS EACH TIME WOULD DO ME IN.


TAMI EVEN GOT INTO THE WATER.  THIS
ISN'T TAMI'S FAVORITE THING TO DO BUT SHE
WANTED TO BE WITH  EVERYONE ON THE CALL'S
LAST NIGHT.

I THINK SHE ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT!

JASON AND DADRA TOOK US ALL OUT TO PIZZA HUT AFTER OUR SWIM.  WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO END OUR VERY FULL AND FUN WEEK.  THE CALL'S LEFT THIS MORNING AT 8:00 FOR JASON''S FAMILY REUNION IN ASPEN GROVE ,  UTAH.  THEY STILL HAVE ANOTHER WEEK  FULL OF FAMILY FUN AND  THEN THEY WILL BE DRIVING BACK TO  MARYLAND.

IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE QUIET AROUND HERE.  IT WILL TAKE GETTING USED TO.   I JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT MY PICTURES AND RELIVE THE GREAT TIME WE HAD.  THE MEMORIES WILL SUSTAIN DON AND I FOR AWHILE.