Happy Halloween '10

Here are a few pictures of the Halloween kids. I am still waiting for pictures of the rest of the gang.
As promised...Levi as "The Mad Hatter." He can sure bring a smile to my face.

Kaden chose his costume, "A Cool Gangster", & of course "Alice", and Jackson was very serious about being the "Grim Reaper". (We tried to talk him into being the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, but he wasn't having it.)
And "The Queen of Hearts" was quite a hit.
Funny story...Kaden and I went to the party store on the way to the Trunk or Treat to find a gangster machine gun. We asked a cute teenager girl who worked there where they were. She showed us and then said to Kaden, "Wow, you're hot! Call me when you go to prom." When we get to the car, Kaden says, "Oh man, I forgot to get her number." ...Oh dear, what are we in for?

And these two crazy "Avatar" teachers, Amy and Margo, won the costume contest for their entire high school. I'm pretty sure these pictures are going to make the year book. And I'm certain that their students
love having such awesome teachers.

Pink Socks

Kaden wanted to wear pink socks for his football game last Saturday. He actually wanted pink gloves, but they were $39.00 and I wasn't about to buy them. I couldn't find the pink wrist bands he wanted, so pink socks was what he ended up with. You see, we've talked a lot about breast cancer around here and the loved ones that we know who have to fight that battle. He wanted to know everything about what "cancer treatment" is like. He was very sad.
Kaden scored 4 touchdowns and recovered two fumbles. He said the game (60 to 0) was in honor of our sweet neighbor, who we love very much. She is our hero. Who says tough guys don't wear pink?

MM38

I'm having a hard time picking just one or two pictures for Memory Monday these days. So many memories...
Some Mondays I get pretty sad looking at some of the old pictures, wishing I had done things
better or more or differently... Wishing I knew then what I know now.

I can really relate to this quote by author Anna Quindlen...

“The biggest mistake I made as a parent is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of my three children sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less".

Oh, I wish... but, today I am going to choose to be happy and very grateful that we have so many wonderful memories. I cherish each sweet memory. I am grateful that my dad taught me to love taking pictures and capturing memories. Dad's love of photography is continuing through the generations.

I am grateful that I can look back and honestly say that I did the best I knew how to do at the time.

I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

I love my daughters. I miss my LeeLee. I wish I saw her more. I miss Amber. I wish she had chosen a different path. I pray that she will remember. I wish... I wish... I wish...

Everyday I pray that they will each one know how much their mom loves them and that no matter how old they get, they are still my little girls.

Jennie, Amber and Leah in 1985

Amber and Aunt Lisa... and Leah a few years later...

Amber in the first princess costume I ever made...

Tyler, Amy and Brad... Leah and Amy... Brad and Leah

(and can you believe that the clown costume is still hanging around in the basement?!)

Amber and her best friend, Kristin...those two were inseperable.

Amy and Ally...so cute!

Sweet, sweet memories...

Alice and The Queen...

For the last week or so I have been busy at my sewing machine making these costumes...

Kate's Alice in Wonderland costume was pretty simple, no big deal, easy and cute...
(by the way, Kate had to have a blond wig after she said to me, "Grama, Alice doesn't have brown hair!")
But Taylor's costume, The Queen of Hearts, well that's another story! It drove me crazy...with all of the opposite fabrics going on and me cutting them out wrong, not once but twice, and three trips to the fabric store...
I was a very happy grandma when this one was done! It did turn out pretty darn cute though.
Levi is going to be the Mad Hatter...oh, my goodness. I can't wait for pictures of that.


Oh, Levi.

One great photographer...

Jennie is a fabulous photographer and is being booked for weddings, baby pics, family photos, senior pictures, etc. months in advance. If you need any photography...contact Jennie. jennie@jennieslade.com She is amazing!

By the way...Amy took these pictures. She is an amazing photographer too!

Aunt Amy

We all loved having Amy home for a couple of days last week end. Levi loved having her home too...
even though he did not love having his picture taken.

MM37

A couple of weeks ago I was watching out the window at all of the kids that had gathered in the cul-de-sac for Homecoming pictures...they all looked fabulous and were having so much fun.

It brought back memories. yes. it. did.

I found lots of old Homecoming pictures... LOTS. I loved the searching for a dress, sewing, shoe matching, hair doing, pictures, excitement, and all of the wonderful memories made with each of our girls as they went to Homecoming. Sweet memories...

Here are Allyn and I all ready for LVHS Homecoming...1973. Look how star struck I am!
I thought I was so cool, having an older, hot guy take me to the dance.