Then...

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Today I picked up the TV remote to make a phone call! NOBODY HOME is RIGHT!

(I remember when cell phones used to be as big as a remote!)

Just Another one of those Signs

So... Last night I attempted to fasten my seatbelt at the movie theater. Who does that?  Either I'm getting old, or I don't get out often enough.

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Seven Days Old

 A.J. made his first visit to Potts' studio at seven-days-old. This just happens to be my favorite photograph of the session with A.J. sporting the yellow blanket I knit with LOVE and nice soft merino wool.

It is suggested that "newborn" photographs be taken between six and ten days old.

A little one is still sweet and sleepy.

 A.J.'s small port-wine birthmark. 

 Nestled in a Gammie-knit cocoon.

Pixy Dust

Evylee is three-years-old now. She loves to dress up and make-believe. 

Sometimes she's Cinderella and Potts is her handsome prince. According to her, "he CAN'T be the bad guy, he's POTTS!" 

Sometimes she is the dancing and singing gypsy, Ezmeralda. 

Sprinkle a little pixy dust, and she becomes the mischievous little Tinkerbell.

While her mommy and daddy were away, I braided her hair into a fairy-like wreath, dressed her in her tutu, wings, and special Gammie-knit Tinkerbell slippers, and away we flew to Potts' photography studio.

 It didn't take much photo magic...

 All you need is

Faith, Trust

and 

a little bit of

Pixie Dust

And Two More Little Munchkin Grand-babies

Paisley Grace 

9 months old

Ethan Michael 

9 months old

The Newest Member of our Family

He wasn't in much of a hurry.... arriving one week after he was "due" and coming by C-section the morning after Emily was induced. 

Born April 22, 2011

They've named him Aaron Joseph (A.J.) Fairbank. 

He was 8 lb. 14 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.

Joseph, Emily, and A.J. -- New little family of three.

 Potts and I were able to see him when he was 8 hours old.

How soft and fresh he breathes!

Look! He is dreaming! Visions sure of joy

Are gladdening his rest; and, ah! who knows

But waiting angels do converse in sleep

With babes like this!" 

~ Bishop Coxe

Finding Sadie

While Jenni was here, she spent as much time with Emily as she could. I joined them as often as I could get away. We cleaned, laundered, cooked, gave moral support (which is SO appreciated as an expectant mother approaches, then goes OVER her baby's due date.)

Audrey joined the girls for a trip to a nearby Boutique. I stayed in Emily's townhouse and took care of Payton and Sadie. I mention the "townhouse" just because the home is on three stories and it's kind of easy to loose track of a child or two.

I called, "Sadie, where are you?" while searching each level. (If you will remember, Sadie is a somewhat precocious two-year-old.)

I heard a little squeak from the kitchen area and entered the area to investigate.

All I could find were Sadie's chubby little toes peaking out from under the curtain Emily uses to enclose her pantry. I was a bit reticent to open the curtain... It was obvious that she was hiding from me and the rest of the world...

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I slowly pulled back the drape and found Sadie sheepishly looking back at me - 

one hand holding a nearly-empty Nutella container

the other hand covered in the chocolate mess

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I tried to look stern, but that's hard to do when you are absolutely cracking up inside and out!

What a picture! Wish I'd had a camera.

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Gotta Love It!

Reality Check

PAYTON: "Gammie, you have spots on your hands like an old lady! You know, like the old lady on "Tangled".

GAMMIE: "Well... At least I'm not a mean old witch!" (most of the time.)

"Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened."

-Jennifer Yane

Look what We Brought Home from Seattle....

Two Little Munchkins and their mother too! It was spring break for Payton; Jenni SO wanted to be here when Emily's baby was born; so we packed them into the back of our Civic, car seats and all. They were such good little travelers for the 13 hour trip! (So was their mother!)

On Saturday morning, Jenni and I found ourselves with all eight grand-children/cousins. Time for a bit of Munchkin Fun!

 "A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”

Or in Evylee's case, cookie DOUGH will do!

Sugar Cookies

1  1/2 cups sugar 1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup butter 3  1/4 cups flour

2 eggs, beaten 2  1/2 tsp. baking  powder

2 Tbsp. milk 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients together and beat into creamed mixture, combining thoroughly.  With hands, shape dough into a ball; wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours until easy to handle.  Grease cookie sheets lightly.  On lightly floured board, roll one-half or one-third of the dough at one time, keeping the rest refrigerated.  For softer cookies, roll 1/8” to 1/4” thick.  Cut into shapes with a floured cookie cutter.  Reroll trimmings and cut.  Place cookies one-half inch apart on cookie sheets.  Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes.  Remove cookies to racks to cool.  Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry trees were abloom on the University of Washington campus.

What a GREAT photo opportunity! Jenni was so anxious to take her two children and have Potts photograph them there; 

so she dressed them in their very best and we headed that way.

I think EVERYONE in Seattle had the same idea! Tree to tree people and not a spot to find! So disappointing... not the trees, mind you - they were SPECTACULAR; just ALL the PEOPLE!

We grabbed a couple of shots just for record-keeping purposes...

 Then headed to a more secluded corner of campus.

 Who needs cherry blossoms when your own little peaches are SO BEAUTIFUL!

In the Light of Morning

Photographs by Randy Collier

"In the cherry blossom's shade
there's no such thing
as a stranger."
--Kobayashi Issa