a hard, hard time for us

Love this new little grandbaby Dahlia with all our hearts. She's been in the ICU at Herman Children's Hospital  the past 11 days. If her parents hadn't rushed her promptly to the emergency room, she would have died. She has been diagnosed with a very rare heart defect, left ventricular compaction, where the left ventrical isn't able to pump as it should. She's been off the venilator these past 48 hours, and her parents have been able to hold her for the first time today. But it'll be a really rough ride, with plenty of potential set-backs, and could need a heart transplant.  So thankful for all the prayers on her behalf. We are really leaning on our Father in Heaven and our Savior during this difficult time, and placing our trust in Him. He has a plan for her precious life. We know He can work miracles for her.  We are so grateful for this very special spirit who has been sent to bless our family. She has already taught all of us so much. 

2 days ago, when sweet Dahlia came off  the respirator. She was so alert and just didn't want to go to sleep.

Bunches of Babies & a Baptism

In Texas, where everything is bigger and better, we have had a very big two weeks!
It all started on Thursday, Sept. 22, when Emily's 5th baby surprised everyone by arriving 2 weeks early.

Dahia, 6 days old -- the tail end of her first smile



Dahlia Eve is a very sweet, calm baby.  During labor, 6 lb. 12 oz. Dahlia turned into breech position.  It was such a blessing that Emily was able to deliver her easily without having a C-section.

Then, on Tues., Oct. 4, Lauren had her 5th baby!

8 lb. 7 oz. Lorelei, just 4 hours old

 Lorelei Anya looks so much like her momma when she was born. As I held her for the first time, I couldn't help but call her "Lor-Lor", which was what I called Lauren when she was a baby. Looks as if she will be  sweet and calm like her 11 day older cousin.


Grammy and Grandpa (he's not angry, just squinting into sun) with 11th grandchild, Dahlia



Grammy with 12th grandchild, Lorelei



On Sept. 24, in between these two births, sweet grandaughter Kyla was baptized !

8 year old Kyla & her Daddy



Stay tuned for more excitement next month, when Jeremy gets married and Grandpa and I wait to recieve our mission call.

Engaged

Here he is, our baby Jeremy J. (Jo Jo), son number three, the sixth child to join our family --


Jeremy with Grandpa when Grandpa was just "Daddy".



And here he is again, all grown up and very recently engaged to the girl of his dreams.

photo swiped from Jeremy's Facebook page (not official engagement photo)

Labor Day Weeked fun

                            Baby shower for Emily (my oldest daughter), hosted by one of her sweet sister-in-laws.

Among friends who came, was Tamara, who was a high school buddy and who now lives in the same town as Emily.

                                                    Her sisters were there to celebrate.

Lauren is also bursting at the seams, and is due to give birth the same time as Emily (end of Sept, beginning of Oct.) -- give or take a day or two.  It'll be a very exciting time for this Grammy. It'll be like having twins. They both are having girls.

The next day, we joined other family members for a delicious fish fry at Pat and Leslie's house. Here is Grandpa with his Texas siblings, (L-R: Stuart, Donna, Pat, and Sharon).

wrapping up summer

Before school started, we did our annual summer theatre outing with a few of the grandkids (and Jessica --just back from the Carribean). 

We were entertained by a very funny production of "Alice in Wonderland" at Houston's Miller Outdoor Theatre. Jessica for treated us to lunch at a yummy Asian restaurant in the Heights.

We squeezed in one last family outing with all our Texas babies (8 of them), and two baby bumps (Emily and Lauren are due just a few days apart from each other -- last week of Sept. and first week of Oct.)

Toledo Bend Park was a nice respite from the terrible heat and drought we've been having. It even rained the last night and morning we were there. We were hoping those rain clouds would have followed us home to Houston, but no such luck. 

lots of fun in Bemidji!

We just got back from Bemidji, where we visited our oh-so-sweet Minnesota grandkids.

Colby is a very inquisitive, delightful and funny 2 yr. older who says to baby sister, when she knocks over his blocks, "You bad baby. You go to your Mama!"

Saige, age 1, is anything but a bad baby. She is a very sweet and happy natured baby who is trying to talk.

With such beautiful--much cooler than Houston--weather, we enjoyed outings in and around their beautiful resort-like town.

I was able to personally present to our son, 3 albums containing the first 23 years of his life. This was my big summer project.

Traveling home, minus the 3 albums, our load was lighter, but our hearts heavy, as the airplane took us further and further away from our Minnesota loved ones. We sure miss them. Thank goodness for Skype.

walking down memory lane



Emily and Lauren walking in R.I. with their Grandpa (1980)

While it's been too hot to do much outside, I've been taking some pretty sweet walks down memory lane via some of my journal entries from 1980, when my two oldest, Emily and Lauren were almost 5 & 3.

"Emily put her arms around Lauren, hugging her and saying,'I love you, you little monkey'."

Late one night, after we all were asleep, Lauren started throwing up. When I went into the girls' room, I found Lauren pathetically begging, "Emily, clean me up."  Emily was absolutely repulsed, and cringed in the furthest corner of her bed.

"Emily is getting concerned with her looks, wanting to look pretty all the time. The other day, she walked very proudly up to me to display a new hairdo.  She had wet the front part of her hair and parted it down the middle. She told me it was her "sweaty" hairdo."

Lauren, on the other hand, had her own concept of personal adornment. "She loved her library book, "Where the Wild Things Are", with illustrations of huge hairy monsters.  During naptime, she called down to me, saying that her hands needed washing.  I was shocked to discover that she had drawn black "hairs"  all over her arms, so she could look like her favorite monster."