Some new pictures

Grandpa and Nana with twins.

What a cutie-patootie!

Lukie

Jim, Alyssa, Luke and Mia on the beach.

Playing in the room.

Scarlett (a bumble bee) and Chloe in front of Joe and Shana's big pumpkin.

Chloe and Eli. They were Mary and her little lamb for halloween.

Well now that the elections are over and my blood pressure has gone back down life is going back to somewhat normal again. Discussions around the house are keeping pretty close to normal ranges. Don and I, along with Jim, Alyssa, Lukie and Mia, went to Newport Beach for a week. Naturally it was during the horendous Orange county fires (Newport Beach is in Orange County). They were burning all around us but all we got was smoke. The air was really really dry but really really sunny and nice. We got home yesterday and Joe, Shana, Chloe, and Eli came over. We haven't seen Joe for a couple of weeks as he was deer hunting and didn't get back until after we were gone. He has quite a beard going and I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture. Maybe Shana did? Juan and Scarlett popped in too (Cari was teaching), they headed out today for Maui for the Thanksgiving week. We are going to have the family over for Thanksgiving this year, about 28 adults and 6 kids, 4 babies and 3 workers. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, eh! Here are some new pictures. Unless I've developed a tic in my eye, I'll put some up from Thanksgiving. haha

My life in a few pictures

I love all the messiness, stickiness, noise, and laughter that comes with family. The "Joe's" and the "Jim's" were over the other night (the "Juan's" were buying Scarlett a big girl bed as she has decided no crib is going to keep her in.)

Sage and Roxy seeing no value in grandchildren at all.

Mia being Mia. We decided that if Mia and Eli came 1st they would have set the bar impossibly high for any other grandbabies.

Luke and Eli. The 2 boys who know how important it is that they stick together against all these girls.

Chloe decided that Grandpa needed some adorning so she helped him out with some of her stickers.

Chloe and Scarlett love Grandpa's massage chair.

The girls playing.

This and That

The bottom picture is one of the 5 good reasons for the fence.
the next one is the 6th good reason.

Circus Fun

Last saturday we all went to the circus. It was soooo much fun, even Don enjoyed it. I don't think I have ever been to a circus before so I was just totally impressed. I guess I always thought of circus performers as just a step above carnies (as an aside, my friend Rebecca and I worked as carnies one year at our state fair. But another story.) But these performers are totally at the top of their craft. Anyway, here are some pics.

"old?" friends

Recently while we were all up at Cammanche Lake for the Labor Day holiday, the girls were all talking about babies, feeding babies, who's having babies, places to go with toddlers. Janis and I were talking about hot flashes, cold flashes, estrogen and the pros and cons of it, retirement, the need to walk for exercise and strengthening of our bones. (The men were talking about fishing). It just struck me that Jan and I have been through the whole cycle. When we first met, 30 years ago, our kids were babies and we talked the talk of babies. Now we are on the subject of estrogen, fiber and exercise. We have traveled far and wide with the Caston's, with babies, with kids, with teenagers, then just with us. I have this picture of our Yosemite trip in the 80's. What fun we have had through the years.

Pool Fence

After waiting allllll summer, we finally got our pool fence in. This will help us keep our little grandkidlets safe. It works great for the dog too. She can't come up to the door, they can't go out to the pool. Win Win!

Labor Day Weekend

Eli, Chloe, Scarlett, Mia and Luke

We were able to get away for a few days to our place on Cammanche Lake. The whole family came up along with Nicole Ziniker (Shana's sister) and her boyfriend Blake Berg, Russell and Lacy Berry and Butch and Janis. It was a lot of fun with the boat, jet skis, and just swimming....and of course eating, eating, eating. I was able to take an adorable picture of all the grandkidletts. We have 5 now, and Cari and Juan are expecting (our #6) in March. Yippee!!!!!