Where Does The Time Go?

Oh my!  It really was a long time since I regularly posted on my blog.  Time really does seem to slip by so fast.  It seems like just a few days ago it was the beginning of the year.  I can hardly believe how much has happened since the first of the year.  So the next few posts I'll try and do a little recap:

January:  Went to Hawaii with my husband, son, daughter-in-law and grandson #1 to visit with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson #2.  We planned the trip especially so we could be there to help celebrate Harper's 1st Birthday.  My what an event!  His party was circus themed and that meant that we all needed to come up with a costume to wear to his party.  

I made him a little red and black ringmaster jacket because of course he was the leader of the circus! 

 

Harper with his Ringmaster "Ring of Fire"!  He had just started walking a few days before his birthday but still wanted to crawl sometimes.  He would crawl and crawl through his "Ring of Fire" and then look up at us and wait for us to clap our hands and say "Yeah Harper!"

 

My daughter was the fortune teller of our circus.  She was absolutely beautiful in her costume and her hat and of course Harper is so cute!  Heather planned a fun and beautiful party for her little sweetie's 1st Birthday Party!   She planned every little detail and thought of everything to make it a wonderful party!

 

My husband was dressed up as the beautiful Bearded Lady.  I was really surprised but he really did enjoy himself in his costume!  He was wearing several items from female relatives.  His dress was our daughter in laws grandma's, the shoes were my mom's and he was wearing my earrings and brooch.   I was getting a little worried as he was getting so many compliments.

I was a cheetah.  I looked everywhere for a costume!  I looked for things that I could just put together into some kind of a costume from regular department stores.  I think I bought ever type of item I could find in cheetah print.  I just couldn't find what I wanted so I ended up buying a ready made costume online.  I was going to sew my own but found it was actually less expensive to purchase one ready made.  It was made out of some stretchy material that showed every lump and bump in my body!  I really didn't like that too much.  Unfortunately it also was waaay too hot for Hawaii to wear for too long.  I ended up having to take it off after about an hour or so.  I was way too hot to wear it all day.  I guess I should have thought of that before I decided on wearing and keeping the costume 

I don't know if you can tell or not but I had to add some bling to my costume so there is a lot of crystals on the neck collar.  I had to have my bling on even in a costume!  

 

My son was a bucket of popcorn.  We took everything to make his costume with us to Hawaii and then assembled it in our hotel room.  That is medical tape that is making up the stripes on his shirt and the label that says "Popcorn".  The popcorn was popped the morning of the party in our hotel microwave and then hand sewed onto his hat.  Every time you got close to him he smelled like fresh popped popcorn.  Yum!

My daughter-in-law was half man/half woman wearing a hot pink formal dress on one side and then a man's white button up dress shirt and dress slacks on the other side,  My son in law was a crazy silly carnival performer wearing the zebra hat, tie and suspenders.  That is his brother wearing the clown costume.  

Connor was the man that shoots out of the Rocket (Cannon).  He didn't keep his Rocket costume on that long because he was really hot also.  His costume was so cute!  I actually found it at Halloween time at Target and saved it for the party.  We knew that it was going to be a circus themed party for several months.  Actually when we gave Heather her baby shower before Harper was born it was also a circus theme.  Talk about coming full circle!  

Here are a couple of pictures of the decor for the party.  The inside of the house was decorated as well as the backyard where most of the party was held at.  There was a candy bar for the guests to help themselves make little candy goodie bags to take home with them.  

 

They had circus cookies, Goldfish crackers, Smarties, M&M's and Sweedish Fish to choose from.  Heather had made and decorated all of the cupcakes for Harper's party too.  She's so talented!

 The adult "liquid refreshments" were kept on ice in a old hand carved canoe.  It held a lot of ice and drinks for all the party goers.

Here is a picture of our little family at the party.  The scenery in the background was a beautiful addition to our family picture.  I believe that is a Banyon Tree behind us.

This photo has both Heather's side of the family and also Ryan's family.  The only people that were missing were Ryan's sister and her husband.  They were not able to make it as Erin was in college and was close to graduating so she couldn't leave to come and help us celebrate. 

Here is my husband and I with our adorable two grandsons.  We feel so lucky to have these wonderful, sweet little boys in our lives!  We didn't know what we were missing until we had grandchildren.  They truly do teach us about unconditional love.

One of Harper's favorite things to do is to go on bike rides.  So what better way to end the party then with a bike ride complete with costumes and balloons. 

We really felt right at home with all the other guests who were in costume also.  There was a lot of silly costumes and it made for a wonderful 1st Birthday for our little birthday boy Harper!

Hubby, Chewbacca and I

I thought I would post a recent picture of my husband (David), my doggie (Chewbacca) and myself. My son David has a great new camera and he was kind enough to come over to our house and take the picture for us. My daughter Heather had asked for an updated picture of the two of us so that is the reason I asked him to do it. We posed sitting in the grass in our backyard with the pool in the far background.

Heather, Ryan and baby Harper will be coming to visit us next week from Hawaii and I plan on getting David, Brenda and Connor over at the same time so we can get a family photo of everyone. The last time we did a family photo little baby Harper wasn't born yet. As a matter of fact at the time we took our photos Heather was barely 6 weeks pregnant.

Maybe this time next year we will need another updated family photo if our family continues to grow. Wouldn't that be great!

Fall is a Wonderful Season

I know Fall will be here once all the kids start going back to school and the days start getting a little shorter. There will soon be a crispness in the air and it is all leading up to the wonderful season I love called Fall.

Here are a few reasons I love Fall:

-- Our seasonal trip or two up to Apple Hill to enjoy the day with our family at the apple farms eating caramel apples and bringing home delicious apple pies and apple cider.

-- Getting out all of our Fall decorations like pumpkins, scare crows, hay bales, dried gourds and all of the Fall foilage.

--I love the comfort foods of autumn, Mrs. Slagel's pumpkin bread recipe, homemade caramel dip, baked apple pies, spice cake, chicken and dumplings, mulled cider.

--Hay rides, mazes, apple and pumpkin picking with my family.

--Putting out our Jack-o-lantern, and making of Halloween costumes.

--The scents of the season, baked apples, cinnamon, spices....mmmmmm I love the smells.

--The warm colors of autumn, pumpkins overflowing on front porches, corn stalks, the jewel colored mounds of mums.

--Putting out throws and blankets on the couches for snuggling while watching an old movie. Adding the down comforters to our beds and snuggling in warm flannel sheets.

Fall is great!! We've already made it to Apple Hill already and it is just the start of our Fall fun!!

Hawaii Vacation & David's 50th BD

We went to Hawaii the end of March and early April to celebrate hubby's 50th BD and to see our beautiful Hawaiian girl and her hubby, Ryan. We made it a family affair and my parents accompanied us and we also brought David, Brenda and Connor as a surprise to Heather! It was also Ryan's birthday while we were there so we had a lot of fun celebrating everything and anything! A few Pina Coladas, Mudslides and Pomegranate Tini's were sampled by most everyone along with some great food.

The birthday guy and his little grandbaby
G-Ma Donna and baby Connor

Mom and Dad Unger

The beaches were beautiful and the scenery was spectacular! We managed to see quite a few whales right off the coast and they did some beautiful breaching for us to watch. I've always wanted to see them in Hawaii but never have any of the times we've been there. They came out in numbers to make it up to us. We also went to see the big sea turtles. They come right up on shore in the same area every year. They are smart and have set up a "safe" place for them with guides making sure the visitors stay their distance away and don't harm them in any way.


Hawaiian girl Heather also know as Auntie Bo and her little nephew

David, Brenda and Connor

Hawaii is always a great vacation but it's even better when you have all of your loved ones with you. Heather and Ryan have lived there almost 3 years and they know some of the best unspoiled areas to go to and enjoy. We had a ball and will try to make it out there maybe late summer or early fall for another trip to paradise!



Isn't he the cutest little thing?

Summer Fun

Wow! What a summer! It has just seemed to have flown by so fast. I can’t believe we are almost in to August and school is around the near corner!

My daughter and son in law got to come out here to California for a short visit from their home in Hawaii. It was so nice to see them and let them meet their one and only nephew! We had a big family 4th of July BBQ celebration with all of the extended family in attendance.

Then the 7 of us went to a local school to watch the fireworks! We went with blankets, chairs, strollers and dog and headed up the freeway to a town where they allow fireworks. My sister and her boyfriend and 2 of her kids met us up there. Also my nephew, his girlfriend and their little girl were able to watch the fireworks with us too. It was such a fun old-fashioned kind of thing to do and we really enjoyed it.

When Heather and Ryan were here we even managed to get our updated family portrait done. We were excited to have our picture done with both the kids and their spouses and also the addition of baby Connor. Chewbacca was able to be in the picture along with us so it was really the whole family!

It is so nice to be able to have everyone home at once even if it is only for a short visit!

I'm A Grandma Now!

Well I’ve just been too busy this last 2 weeks to sit down and blog but I became a very proud First-Time Grandma to Connor Alexander Payne on Monday, May 26th which was Memorial Day. He came into the world at 3:42 AM. He was 6 lbs 14 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long.

Connor is already on his way to being a spoiled little baby with all the attention he has so far received from both sets of grandparents. His auntie and uncle who live in Hawaii are coming out soon to visit him. All the other great aunts, uncles, cousins and great grandparents have had the opportunity to check him out and think he’s pretty cute.

I of course think is absolutely gorgeous and he came complete with all 10 fingers and 10 toes and a cute little button nose. Not only was everything double checked by both grandma’s right after delivery, but they got the 3rd check from the nurse who proclaimed him a beautiful baby. I definitely think he looks like his daddy! A little like his mommy too!

He is the joy of my life already and I can’t wait to have lots and lots of fun with him! I of course plan on spoiling him and then sending him home to his parents. Isn’t that what all grandma’s do?