Springtime with the Grandkids

I take lots of random grandkid pictures, so I'm including some of them here.

In April Wade asked me when babies were big enough to put in a walker and it made me think about that. I put my kids in a walker about this age with a blanket in front so they don't fall forward. I think she likes it!

Delwyn got some new baby chicks. Our chickens aren't producing very many eggs and we only have 3 left.

They are so soft when they are little.

Delwyn shows Dagny how to pet their heads and how to be so gentle.

I saw this "Rock On" shirt at Wal-Mart. It reminded me of Britta, so I just had to buy it for Lincoln. Britta taught the kids how to do rock on with their fingers before she left for her mission. And Dagny remembers it!

We are working on scraping off the popcorn ceilings throughout the house. About a month ago, Ryan and I scraped the office. Delwyn got it re-textured, and we are now ready to paint. Hooray! It makes the rooms seem so much lighter without all that heavy popcorn on the ceilings.

I just have to say that I hate to paint! It's a slow, painstaking process and I just don't have the patience for it. Plus it's messy, setting up everything you need and then being careful not to drip paint.

Delwyn is such a good Grandpa!  The kids were very interested in what he was doing, so he let them help for a few minutes.

Dagny's turn. She concentrated on her work and was so careful.

I love her facial expressions in both of these pictures. They both thought it was so much fun to paint. Too bad they aren't old enough to really help! Haha!

Sleeping babies are so precious! I love when puts her hands behind her head like this.

Dagny is quite the singer and dancer. She likes to use the little stool for a stage, and she loves it when you applaud. 

She told Lincoln to play the trumpet and gave him this doctor toy. He was happy to toot away on it. What a show they put on for me! They are hilarious!

The end of April I got a new camera! So of course I was trying it out. My old camera takes poor pictures in low light, so every birthday the pictures are grainy. I also wanted a better camera to take pictures of the kids that I can enlarge to 8x10 to put on the wall.

One day it rained a little and Dagny wanted to pretend she was playing in the rain, so she put on her jacket and wanted an umbrella. She wanted me to take a picture,

and this is what happened. Where does she learn all these poses??

She is quite the diva and

has so much personality. How lucky I am that I get to spend my days with her.

 Quite often the kids like to pretend they are going swimming. They put on their swimming suits, put a blanket on the floor for the pool, and then jump on it and pretend to swim around. Today they played with the kickboards and pretended they were surfing. The stairs were waves. What imaginations they have!

One day Melissa and I walked with the kids to the red park in our neighborhood. Claire loves the bars.

She can hang upside down. This girl is so limber and flexible.

It reminded me of Denya because that's what she loved to do when she a young girl.

I thought the kids would complain when it was time to leave, but they all held hands and started walking down the sidewalk. They are so cute together and my heart was full watching them walk together. I'm so, so thankful they can grow up with cousins nearby. That's one thing my kids didn't get, but I do love Colorado and I'm so glad we live here.

The kids were playing outside and wanted a snack, so they ate in on the platform at the top of the slide. Fun!

Dagny and Lincoln were snuggled up the couch in their blankets. They are still little, so they fit just perfectly side by side.

I have been wanting to buy a water table, so when I saw this one at Sam's Club, I bought it right away. Dagny and Lincoln are always putting water in bowls and then putting Pet Shop animals or other toys in it to swim. Hopefully this will cure their wanting to play in water without making a mess.

It comes with lots of small buckets to dip and pour.

Taking a break to lay on the cool grass.

This girl loves sunglasses. Soaking up some sun in the back yard.

She loves to pose! I see a summer with lots of fun in the backyard coming up, and that sounds great to me. This Grandma loves the Colorado sun.

Memorial Day

Delwyn and I went the cemetery yesterday before church to take this patriotic heart and a hanging plant. I like to have something down there all the time.

On Memorial Day the cemetery has a program honoring the Veterans. I have wanted to go for the past couple of years, and I decided this was the year I was going. They had set up some canopies and had chairs for people to sit on. The American Legion welcomed everyone.

A scout troop did the flag ceremony. It's a little hard to see, they are behind the pillar of names.

Raising the flag.

A girl scout troop presented a patriotic wreath.

It was really pretty. Then there were 3 speakers, the Mayor of Castle Rock, someone read a talk that a Congressman had wrote but he was unable to be there to give it, and a veteran from the Iraq war. The Mayor talked about the history of Castle Rock, the Congressman and the veteran both talked about the freedoms we have in America and what great sacrifices were made to live like do. They talked about those who serve our country today and it made me think of Jonny and Nate Tenney. I felt very grateful to those who gave their lives, and I am thankful that I was born in this great country. I am proud to be an American and this presentation made me feel very patriotic.

Someone talked about the history of Memorial Day. It used to be called Decoration Day because we decorated the graves with flowers. It began after the Civil War, which claimed more lives than any war in United States history. After World War I, the holiday evolved to include military personnel who died in any war. In 1971 it became a holiday named Memorial Day. I would have been 10 years old and I remember it being called Decoration Day. 

A lady was handing out a red paper poppy to those attending and I learned that it was a tradition started during World War I times to wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war.

I've seen these monuments at the cemetery, but I haven't paid much attention to them. They are very nice.

I can't remember how many names they said are engraved on these pillars, but they read every one. It took about 15 minutes. What a great way to remember them. They are names of people from Castle Rock who lost their lives fighting for our country. 

The program lasted about 45 minutes. There were a few booths, so I walked around and looked at them. Fallen Heroes Honored

makes a Bible cover for soldiers killed in the line of duty. If the family wants to provide a small history on their soldier, they include that at the beginning. The book is placed in a nice wooden box and presented to the family. How thoughtful!

This display was a soldiers boot, helmet, and tags with a sign that said "Over 1.5 million have made the greatest sacrifice. God Bless America."

I went back to Blake's grave for few minutes. It was so sunny yesterday and it's overcast today, so I took a few more pictures.

Thinking of you and missing you today sweet Blake. I miss your laugh and your big bear hugs. So many things we take for granted until we don't have them anymore.

We are having a family cook out this afternoon. Delwyn bought some huge hot dogs from Sam's Club that he wants to try. I'm sticking with a hamburger.

Almost done! It's smelling good! I love the toasted buns.

I am so ready for summer! It's fun to spend some time in the back yard.

Melissa jumped on the trampoline with the kids. They loved it.

Claire swings for a few minutes.

Millie gives her Daddy some snuggles.

Maddie is big enough to slide by herself and she loves it!

We cut this tree down two years ago, I think, and the stump needs to be dug out. Landon and Megan got a good start on it. Yay!

Lincoln loves to collect pine cones.

We had some fun patriotic plates and

were planning to eat outside. Everything was ready and we were just carrying a few last minute things outside when we heard a huge clap of thunder. It has been overcast all day, but I didn't think it would rain. It was a mad dash to get everything back inside. Just in time and then it rained so hard and loud.

The girls love watermelon! (And all fruit actually.)

Creamies for dessert. 

Camille is still learning how to pronounce some words and she calls chocolate "chop it". It is seriously so cute. And Dagny says "tanilla" for vanilla. Chocolate is Camille's favorite and vanilla is Dagny's favorite.

Melissa loves the babies! She gets Calista on her lap whenever she can. Maddie gets jealous and wants on her Mom's lap as well.

It's been a nice Memorial Day. When I was growing up we always went to the Roosevelt cemetery on Sunday evening and put flowers on the Collins' graves. Then we went to the Lapoint cemetery on Monday and washed off the headstones and put flowers on the Taylor graves. We often walked around at both cemeteries and looked at headstones and wondered about the people who were buried there. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's and had lunch and the cousins were there. If the weather was good we ate outside. It was always a fun day and I have fond memories of it.

I also spent some time today thinking about my Dad. I wish I could take him some flowers today. The Roosevelt people post pictures on social media each year of his grave and I'm thankful for that. The great grandkids are standing by his headstone and it's always so nice. They take him matchbox cars and pinwheels along with flowers. He would love it. I'm glad we have this day to think about the soldiers who gave their all for this great country and to remember those we love who have passed on.