A new baby! And who knows what else...? Families and grandkids and the outdoors...

My friend Liz and her family welcomed a new granddaughter today!

Here is the happy grandfather!

 

At almost eight pounds, Birdie is a beautiful baby girl!

Here is a quilt I made for them....from scraps and gender neutral!

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I am just back from visiting my own grandchildren in Georgia.....

.here they have fallen asleep as mom read "A Wrinkle in Time" to them.

 

I made the quilt...indigos and beiges...! 

I alsoexposed the children to the idea of knitting...teaching Sophie how to hold the needles!

 

Laura plays games with the girls!

 

And of course, I rocked with them when I could!

 

****************************************

Rewind....At the end of March, on Good Friday, we went hiking at Petit Jean park and met my brother and SIL who live in south Arkansas.

 

 

Here we are at the tip of the mountain on rocks overlooking the Arkansas River!

 

I am trying to get my balance and stand up straight...Steve's arm is heavy...but secure!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, we went on a wildflower nature hike....lovely. In Canehill, AR.

 

 

 

Our guide showed us many native flowers and shrubs. 

Including edible chickweed!

 

 

It tastes pretty good! May put it in a salad soon!

###########################

Years ago, as a young family, we had hiked to the waterfall at Petit Jean State Park!

 

Good to be out hiking in Arkansas again!

Early Christmas for us!

We had our family together so it was good, after Thanksgiving, to go ahead and put up the tree!

 

 

The grands were so excited to help!

First the ornaments.....

 

 

This is Nina's "area".......love how she groups the pinks!!! 

 

Then running to put presents under the tree!!!

 

The next day, after breakfast, opening and playing with the presents!

 

Art supplies and troll dolls. 

Here is the art work....in the sketch book!

 

That afternoon we baked and decorated cookies! Tasha Tudor sugar cookies!

Here is the recipe!

 

 

 

 

 

Then to make a great moment, we took the little ones downtown to see the Lights of the Ozarks!..

 

 

Happy girls riding ponies!

 

Steve and Laura share a hug!

 

Then bedtime, and a bedtime story!

 

Happy times for us!

Will the Third time be the charm?? Maybe I am getting this!!!???

A painting given to raise money at a silent auction....

 

Now let's try the new app....

Here goes! I did the post about a week ago...it was good, but would not publish...so now I am choosing photos and just saying a little about each!

My daughter and her children were here when some of us came home from the community meal at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. She had driven 12 hours from Georgia to spend a few days with us!!!

 

This little granddaughter loves art and drawing!

 

Grandson, just had a birthday, so more nerf toys were unwrapped!

 

We created a target for him down in the basement!

 

While sister Nina found delight in my bag of scraps!

 

More art time!

 

The other young Granddaughter loves to help...in the kitchen ......

 

Then Laura, Lilia and Bindley cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us!

 

The table runner was from the church sewing group! A find for sure! Complete with turkeys!

 

I am going to post this before I lose or mess it up....still learning this app!

One last photo of 3 of the grandkids hanging out at bedtime! Sweet and cute! Even the 17 year-old!

 

Under a quilt made by my grandmother, my mom and myself! Life is good!

I'm just home from a trip to visit my grandkids on part of their Spring Break....a beautiful time of year! The pollen was really heavy, so they washed my car!!!

They had a new soft-serve ice cream machine to enjoy....and the "almost 12-year-old granddaughter" became a master at making it!

Her little brother was a master at eating it...in his own style of course!!!

My granddaughter was busy with her friends and her cell phone, but the grandson was good at shadowing me...he is also a master at stopping up toilets with too much toilet paper and locking bathroom doors when no one is in there....oh the fun and challenges of early childhood!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a good trip, a long drive with lots of wisteria and dogwoods to see....

this fabulous arbor of wisteria was a Crowley's Ridge rest stop on the Interstate in Arkansas.

And once I reached my own front yard, I was rewarded with a much anticipated sight....

remember these "Main Performance" daffodil bulbs given to me by my friend, Paula?

They are blooming...large and bold and bright yellow with just a hint of orange around the "trumpet". I hope they come back bigger and bettter each spring!

Now back to making those quilts for the twins to be born in June...2 little girls in the family I just visited.

[My son and DIL are having their first in late August. We will be told the apparent gender of that baby in a couple of weeks....]

Looking forward to a great summer here!