LAST DAY WITH ELLE

Ellie started daycare on Monday, it was a sad day for both of us. She went only half day and both mom and her cried. I was saying it is the same when they go off to kindergarten. Ellie calmed down and ate her breakfast and did well the rest of the time but grandma worried and worried until she got the phone call all was well. Here is our last day together.

She loves books

this is the first time she sat in the bean bag and pretended to be reading all by herself

Time for another selection

Those pictures look good I wonder if they taste good also...

ummm...let me try another one

hey grandma is this a cow story?

I think I will try this little book instead

It has been another great year taking care of my granchild but as I am not getting any younger I am having to call it quits. Five days a week is just too much at this age. I will be spending this first week resting up and trying to figure out what project I will start first. Paul has a doctors appointment on Wednesday and then we will try lunch at a tea room called JUST LIKE GRANDMAS it also has some specialty shops where I will enjoy browsing and hubby will try. Now if I remember the camera I will also share some pics. We are canceling the vacation out west in September but hope to try again in a few months. It may be January or February which is a great time not to be here but I am not so sure of it being great weather out west so I better make sure we have some raincoats, I already purchased the boots:) We have to be back in time for or next grandchild to be born sometime around the end of February.

I hope Hunter is going to get a baby sister, we will know sometime in October.

ELLIE TURNS ONE

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ELLIE!!

First there was lunch for all the guests. We had salads and croissant sandwiches, chips and beverages. Ellie had fruit and veggies.

Then it was time to put her party dress on. The kids waited with anticipation, especially Hunter he just loves his cousin Ellie

" Come to me Ellie" Hunter thinks Ellie should walk but she is not quite there yet.

Mommy helps her to walk over to Hunter

Ellie takes a stop to look at some balloons

Then Hunter gives her a big birthday hug, now lets open presents

She did pretty good with all her gifts

her other cousins are on the left, I think they want to help

Ellie liked Elmo in the box...not so much when he started moving all over the floor laughing

grandma and grandpa bought her a car too! Auntie Mary wanted to know if Hunter and Ellie would be getting real cars for their 16th birthday

The cake for the guests were cupcakes under lots of icing

Ellie had her own cake

She really enjoyed the icing

she found a little bit of cake under all that icing

Time to clean up...and lets see if after all that sugar you will take a nap.

Happy Birthday Ellie.

HUNTER TURNS TWO

Mickey Mouse was the theme of Hunter's birthday party.

He joined in when we sang him Happy Birthday.

He really loves music and is quite the little dancer.

~ time to blow out the candle..he did good ~

The cake was really good,
white with raspberry filling. Hunter kept saying "umm.. good gamma"

Grandpa and I purchased a die-cast, very heavy tractor and when we opened it up the directions were a bit complicated so we asked Hunters daddy to help. The night before the party we went over and Nate put it together for us..Thanks Nate..

~Hunter thought he should help too~

~He was pretty excited for it to be finished~

"Hurry up dad"..I want to give it a try

~OH BOY.....what a happy boy~

His feet do not quite reach the pedals but it won't be long. Grandpa helped push him and Hunter did the steering

His other grandparents have a farm so he really likes tractors

Grandma had a turn to push also but it was very hot and humid out so we didn't stay long.

Next week we have Eleanor's Birthday Party so there will be another post for her. I was hoping one of my sisters would share this with mom and dad. They haven't met Hunter yet. Maybe we can bring him for a visit soon.

A WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD...

We begin outside the door with a few photos of the plant life. These are roses and smell really nice after the sun has been on them all afternoon.

This is common in many of the landscapes around the housing development, it is a type of lily and comes in several colors.

My favorite hydrangea

WE stopped to take a picture of more plants and the yard by the garage

Ellie lilkes the yellow flowers

There are vacant lots all around us. There should be more houses here but I think that changed when the economy went belly up.

Not much to see on this block..Ellie says move along gramma

some of our neighbors..you can't hear it but a little dog is barking at us from the screened in porch

maybe some day they will build more houses but for now it is a wide open space

Someone told us they might build a park here. That would be nice to take the grandkids to and it would be in walking distance..very close. Now we have to drive to the parks, that is one of the down-sides to living in a new neighborhood

Well Ellie thinks it is time to go home for lunch and grandma agrees..all that walking made us hungry

I am going to retire from babysitting as of September 1. Ellie will begin daycare at a center and I hope she will enjoy her new caregivers...we say she is starting school and she thinks that might be fun. I am off to other projects and some much needed rest and quite time. Maybe I can finally finish that cookbook I am trying to write in the spare time I never have enough of. How does SEASONAL COTTAGE CUISINE sound? I am looking for a picture of a cottage for the front cover and trying to decide on the font for the title..lots of decisions. Hi to my family who all will get a copy if I ever finish it.

T. V. CABINET HAS ARRIVED...

Instead of painting a red wall we purchased a red distressed cabinet. Most of the living room tables are distressed that way when the grandkids come over it doesn't matter if they get a little ruff. We do try to keep their manners in check but once in awhile the have to run a car or toy across the table and we don't have to be so stressed about it.

It really looks good and all the stuff is hidden inside

LEMON-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I am posting this because I am having a problem. When I look at my blog there are pictures and no words..can you see the words?? when I go back to edit the draft there are words. I wish I could take a class to learn more about operating a computer, This cyberspace thing has me baffled. If you get the words I hope you enjoy these lovely muffins...we did:)

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These are quick and easy.

1 lemon cake mix

1 cup water

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1-2 cups fresh blueberries

Mix together all ingredients except blueberries

beat 2 minutes

fold in blueberries

put in muffin cups and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

ICING

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

enough lemon juice to make a drizzle

top all cupcakes while still warm with about 1 teaspoonful or just a bit more

COTTAGE VISITORS.....

The grandkids are here for their summer visit. Here is our oldest grandchild, Alyssa. She has been wanting an American Girl Doll for a couple of years now. She is starting kindergarten this year and will be 6 on Oct 3. We decided to buy her the doll for her birthday, I just hope she remembers when only a card comes in October:) here she is making her way into the store.

She looked around for awhile and then finally decided on Kit

Here we are looking at accessories

The little kids were getting a little bored and wanted to go on more rides. We are at the Mall of America and there is a park inside the mall with rides. That post will come later.

Now it is time for grandpa to dig deep into those pockets and pull out his wallet. He really enjoyed the experience even if it was a little spendy.

She was so excited. The cashier said to the next customer in line" it is her first doll"

What a great memory for Grandpa and Alyssa

Now off to see more of the Mall and then home.

It was a big day for all the kids. Grandpa and Grandma went home and took a nap:)