Forever friends

We had the joy of celebrating a milestone for our dear friend, Ken.

Yes, he is counting into the next set of tens....but he seems to be ill-affected by it....he's been white haired for years now....the numbers finally are matching up with his hair color!

He didn't want anything special (that's his style) but we did manage to plan a minor (as opposed to major) surprise. We sat for hours and laughed and ate and talked and laughed some more (the fat-lady singing card was the entertainment for the evening).

We have all been through lots over the years, and our friendship has stood the test of time.

We celebrated and rejoiced together....and left feeling blessed and content.

My heart is full....thank you, Lord!

Denay's week

Whilst her M&D were vacationing in Cuba, the Princess graced us on the Mainland with her royal presence. Grampy and Grammie were thrilled to have a whole week of fun with the girlie. She is just so easy-going.....she is adaptable, and loves to have fun. Although she is just a pip-squeek....she is not afraid to get in there and try new stuff.

Playing at McDonald's with her cousins.

Gettin' all purdy for another visit from Jacob.

There is no end of happy inside this girlie....G&G just simply love you to bits, dear, sweet Denay.

We welcome a royal visit anytime and remain your loyal subjects.

Hope you can find yourself a princess.....they are such treasures!

It's a dog's life

If you have ever sung Happy Birthday to someone at our house, you'll know that Tucker barks his way through the entire song. We don't know whether it's our singing or the excitement of the celebration, but he never fails to bark as we sing.

Well, this year as we began to sing to Bob....Cole stood boldly in front of Grampy and proceeded to bark, and bark, and bark....Tucker barked....and we laughed 'til we cried. Never a dull moment when Cole is in the room....love you to bits, dear boy!

God's handiwork

I'd like to lay claim to these roses....like I did something amazing to have them grow in my garden.....but I must give credit where credit is due. If it weren't for God's creative hand these poor roses would not have survived under mine.

What a showy example of His work, I consider myself blessed to be the caretaker of such pure, rich beauty.

Look for God's hand in your garden today....it is not hard to find.

Be blessed, dear friends

Boys and cars

What is it about boys and cars? Boys like to get where they're going and do it as fast as possible....Jay and Cole were steady as she goes and not going very fast, but we all know this is the beginning of a great love affair with cars.

They come by it very honestly with both Daddy and Grampie loving all-things-cars.

And, no, my daffodils are not still blooming...this was way back in the spring. Still catching you up on things. I'm off to enjoy the summer sunshine.

Oh, and thanks for those that commented to let me know you were here.....I FEEL the love!

Be blessed!

Just wondering....

Do you think you could let me know you were here?

Now this doesn't apply to the one who stopped by from Linkping, Ostergotlands, Sweden. And of course I will excuse New Delhi, India, too. And really, even though you speak the same language, I don't expect to hear from Gateshead, UK. I don't even know where Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands is exactly (although it's kinda fun to say) so I will excuse them as well.

But I DO expect to hear from you......I just need a little encouragement here, folks! Show the love!

That's all I got.

Rant over.

Be blessed.

Phoenix

From Sedona, we drove down to Phoenix where we had rented a house from some friends.

The cactus was blooming......these gorgeous flowers were the size of cabbage heads!

This was the terrific house we stayed in....the sunsets were spectacular from the lanae.

Karen and Otto had us for Easter dinner.....such a treat to share the day with our friends, old and new.

Jim and Diane came down and joined us for a few days. Us girls planned a surprise for the boy's (an early Father's Day gift) ....a day at Nascar. Bob was THRILLED.

The girls shopped, the guys golfed, we all sat and read by the pool and we all managed to eat well, too.

The girls out for lunch and shopping.....always a good time!

We found a few gorgeous old hotels to wander around in...and eat at, of course.

This one was simply regal.....very grand.

We ate Sunday brunch at this one.....the grounds were beautiful and tranquil.....a perfect spot to relax in.

We had never vacationed in Phoenix, so this was kind of a test....it passed with flying colors. I still LOVE Hawaii, and I do miss the ocean when we are in the desert, but I still think that Phoenix is a great vacation destination. We loved the location we stayed at and would highly recommend it.

Enjoy the sun today, friends.....Yippee for summmer!

Sedona

Back in the early spring we flew to Arizona for a vacation. We started in Sedona...a small artsy town surrounded by gorgeous rock formations. It is quite high into the mountains so it was a bit chilly but gorgeous just the same.

We walked the town. We browsed the chops.

We drove to the Grand Canyon.

Check. One more thing off the bucket list.

We had lunch at the original El Tovar Hotel (1905) built right on the edge of the canyon. It was like stepping back in time.....the ambiance of the hotel, and even the service of the staff were reminicent of days gone by....it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

I love adventuring into new-to-me territory....always fun to explore God's handywork.

Hope you take time to explore new horizons....blessings from me to you

VIP hockey box

Okay, OKAY, all ready! I know it has been an embarrassingly long time since my last post....so this is my official apology for not being here for you. But thankfully the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated....I'm still here....alive and kickin'. LOL

Just seems like too much livin' and not enough writin' has been happenin' around here. So this is my feeble attempt to start catching you up on all things MamaJo. And what better way than a glimpse of time well spent with our sweet Denay.....

Here's our wee Island Princess watching the hockey play-offs in her own private box.

(Did I tell you I have a bit of catching-up to do?!)

Check out her white towel wave!

I've personally never had the pleasure of being treated like a VIP....but apparently she is quite comfortable with her station in life and accepts the perks that come along with it.

Hope you are managing to enjoy a slice of summer these days....be blessed, my friends....and please feel free to let me know you are still out there. It is always good to hear from you!