Thankful

I was doing a whole series of posts on Facebook about what I was thankful for... but I think I can do a better job here with some visuals!

I am always thankful for my Old Goat... prickly, nature loving, vivid, appealing... these are all words that describe him!

I'm thankful for my camera, through which the world is an ever present canvas to be explored...

I'm thankful for the Brute Squad who spend their time keeping the fence under surveillance and entertaining us with their antics...

I'm thankful for family...

I'm thankful for the beauty I see everyday on the way to work...

I'm thankful for all the little gadgets that keep my lungs on board...

And all the things unexpected in life that make you smile!

I'm thankful for football! And coaches!

And friends that make life sweeter!

Wishing you all the blessings in life as you head into the final month of the year!

AG out!

Lemon Aid

At long last I've recieved aid from Arizona! In the form of lemons from my dad. Apparently lemon trees are considered the dandelion of citrus trees in my dad's neighborhood. And as a master gardener, lemons are beneath him. But he apparently grew tired of our conversation about how people are forever trying to give them away down there while I complain about spending fifty cents per lemon up here. So he went to his neighbors and gathered a bunch of "rejects", boxed them up and sent them to me!

I believe I'll be making lemon chicken pasta tonight!

Thanks Dad!

Gimmee Shelter

A couple of weeks ago I went to see some family in Oregon. I drove through this small town and fell in love with their city hall.

Clearly from another era, this building took me back to the time where I wore plaid dresses with white collars, cable knit tights, Mary Janes and had my hair in braids.

And this was the culprit...

You just don't see the Fallout Shelter sign much anymore. Certainly not on a main highway through small town USA!

Nostalgia!

What takes you back in time?

Happiness

The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. - Unknown

This is the week that The Old Goat switches from working weekends to weekends off. Yippee!

If only he didn't have the plague! (He doesn't really, but he sounds like he has little old lady who's been smoking for 80 years stuck in his throat!)

Despite his illness, we're excited to have the first preseason Seahawks game this Saturday night! Word!

The Seahawks have kindly granted our request to move down a couple rows this season and hopefully we will no longer need a Sherpa and a llama train to make it up to our seats! We knew better than to ask for a winning season... we just wanted to view the carnage from a closer vantage point! Kidding... we're totally ready for a better season this year!

On Sunday, my dad is throwing his yearly barbecue out on the island!

Best of all, temps in the high 80s for the next 5 days!

I'm lovin' it!

What's on the agenda for your weekend?

AG out!

Nurse pinning ceremony

So, the first graduation. This is where they get their nurses pin for completing their studies as a Registered Nurse (aka RN, aka Real Nurse).

As a photography buff, I have to first note that I set up the camera for the lighting in the auditorium prior to the ceremony. They changed the lighting about 8 times throughout the evening. I never caught up because it takes me a while to get the settings right. On top of that, they requested that we not take photos during the pinning because they had a pro photographer on stage photographing and we could buy images from her. Understandable... but it did cramp my style. So I snuck this photo of K2 coming off the stage after the pinning.

K2 and her boyfriend, K at the house before the ceremony.

Ben and I before the ceremony. He's totally unimpressed with me! (my hair is frizzy due to the humidity)

After the ceremony, we went to the pub! Ben alternated between chewing on coasters and throwing them!

He was very well behaved throughout the evening.

I barely caught this shot of him greeting Oma...

Turns out, his excitement was all about the necklace!

It was a long night for Ben and after a bout of "hide the baby" with Grandpa, he was ready to go home!

Before I close, a shot of K2 and her bestie Savvy. I have to brag on Savvy, who is leaving for San Fran today to start her highly sought after summer internship with a prestigious design firm. The other 3 interns are from Ivy league schools. As my Grammy would say, Savvy is walking in high cotton! K2 is jumping ship and driving down to San Fran with Savvy to spend a week relaxing in the fog and sun. I know they'll have a great time!

Off to work, a tech job this evening and looking forward to my weekend of relaxing. What are you doing this weekend?

AG out!

Graduation A

K2's nursing program graduation was last night.

Out late with family.

Up early to take Oma and Oma to the airport.

Rushing in to work a half day.

Leaving early for K2's college graduation.

Then collapse.

AG out....

PS~ I've got tons of great pictures, but no time to process them yet.

That which blooms

With the girls off in Arizona, TOG and I got to spend the weekend alone... something that happens... um, never. Well, unless we take off and go somewhere. But to spend it at home... yeah, I'm going with never.

Admittedly, we thought that by the time we reached the, um... delicate ages that we've reached, respectively, that we'd have time alone together. We realize that may not come to pass due to our little K3.

And that's okay.

One of our conversations this weekend took us down memory lane, being young, having babies and assuming that all would be well and they'd carve out a path and go on to live their own life. When you realize that might not be the case, it's such a heartbreak, not for yourselves, but for the child... how different their life experience would be and worrying over whether they'd be happy and fulfilled...

TOG and I are down to just feeling fortunate... fortunate to have three daughters. Fortunate that they're all healthy. And for our little K3 (who admittedly is not so little anymore at 19) we're fortunate she's alive after last fall. We're fortunate that she feels happy in her family life... loved, that she has interests, that she has her puppies...

Her path may not be the one we envisioned, but we are enjoying watching her bloom just as her sisters before her did!

AG out!

PS~ Now if I could get the youngest two home... they appear to be waiting at the Phoenix airport without assigned seating on their flight. Thanks Priceline.

Saying Goodbye

TOG's stepdad passed away very suddenly last night.

He was a part of our lives for many years and his very best quality in my eyes.... He was wonderful to TOG's mother. Widow and Widower, both of them found in their second marriage the things they had missed out on in their first.

Rest in peace, Grandpa. You did good.

Hug those you love close to you,

Blessings to all,

AG

Blue Yonder

We are off to San Diego at 5 am Friday morning.

I feel a little Blue.

We will definitely be Yonder.

AG out!

PS - My apologies... I've been so busy with the new baby and family, working and packing, I've barely had time to bath much less blog. Gah.

Love of a Lifetime...

AWW (Almost Wordless Wednesday)

 

 

Welcome Benjamin Reed

9.5 pounds

20.5 inches

15.5 inch head

It's a beautiful world with you in it....