Introducing...Penny Jean!

Yesterday I took Sara to her doctor's appt. She came out and said, they are admitting me! I got to help get her checked into the hospital. I was thinking, this is it, Sara is going to have this baby soon! And sure enough, she started having contractions...no one believed her for awhile but finally they listened and sure enough, Sara was ready to have her baby! So this evening my oldest daughter made me a grandmother, Tom is a grandpa, we couldn't be any prouder. Penny Jean is 7.1# and the cutest baby alive. More to follow, but here's a picture to get the party started :)

Introducing the ocean to Jennifer

We had not been to the beach all summer,so we had to just take one week end to show Jennifer the ocean. The weather is beautiful, and we now have another convert in the family, another little beach bum. We saw this beautiful little baby girl, a strawberry blonde who was just learning to walk, and I thought about Penny and how she's going to love the beach, her mom will make sure of that.

This place makes the world stop and all is right in the universe when you can put your toes in the sand...

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

Today was Taylor's big day, her 7th birthday, and she drug it out over several days to make it last. When Sara came home for her birthday, Taylor got presents from Chuck and Sara and my parents. Then yesterday, we took treats in to share with her class at school. Taylor decided that she just had to try out tent camping as she'd lived almost 7 yrs and had not lived that experience, so last night, Tom, Jennifer, Taylor and I went tent camping at Otter Creek on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We gave Taylor a new bike as she'd outgrown her old one (which Jennifer inherited). The camping trip was labeled a success and we'll definitely be doing that some more!

Then today, Taylor's best friends came and shared some good fun, and, of course, birthday cake and ice cream. Taylor is blessed with such awesome friends, and I am blessed that these friends come with such great moms. Taylor reported to Tom that while she and her friends played, "the moms just chatted and chatted". Everyone is so busy, it was such a treat to hang out with my two friends, I could've spent all evening with them, time does fly when you are having fun.

Tomorrow I go spend some time with Sara. She just found out she's got to be on 'bed rest' the remainder of her pregnancy. Penny is letting her know early on that she wants to control things (Sara was always kind of bossy so I expect Penny to give her a run for her money). I am taking DVD's, magazines, hopefully some comfort food, to make Sara's down time a little more bearable.

I am the luckiest mom in the world, I have such great girls, and can't wait to add another girl into this family to love. Hold on Penny, we're getting ready for you, can't wait to meet you!

Happy Birthday, Sara :)

Yesterday Sara turned 22, its a big deal for her, its her birthday...but its a big deal for me too because on August 29, twenty-two years ago I became a mom, and that is a very special day to me too. Sara was a happy, sunny baby, she's a happy, sunny person. Not everything goes her way (as that is life) but she always makes the best of whatever is happening and that is why she is good at whatever she does. And she will make a great mom. Chuck is going to be a great dad, too, both of them are naturals with children.

Emilee wanted to give Sara some sort of baby shower so we invited our family's females to a lunch..it was held at this neat old farmhouse that has been converted into a bakery/cafe. The setting was wonderful, the food good, the company so appreciated (the service not so great, but hey, we'll overlook that for now). Sara got some really nice things for Penny Jean, we celebrated her birthday Saturday night over pizza and cake and icecream.

Then on Sunday, we let Taylor have a bit of an accelerated birthday party because Sara and Chuck cannot come back in on her birthday. They gave her curlers for her hair, lip gloss, nail appliques and polish. Sara curled Taylor's hair and she wore them around for hours, wanting big loopy curls. It did not happen as dramatically as hoped for as we need to get some 'product' to help the curls stay in but this child is willing to go to any lengths for glamour and she so loved having Sara work on her hair.

Counting down the weeks til Penny Jean arrives. Taylor walked by Sara on Sunday, paused to talk to Penny, and said "someday, you will be beautiful"..we've already bought Penny an outfit to give her when we meet her, and we know she will be beautiful in it :)

First Day of School

Taylor and Jennifer's first day of school at Timberlake..

Our conversation on the way to school - The car is quiet which is very unusual -
Taylor says, sooo, I have to go to school...
me: um, yeah, for a long, long, time, years
silence...
Taylor, sighs and says to herself, "doggone it" - this kid just cracks me up

Jennifer was all excited to start, hope that feeling continues!

Penny Jean

OK, this is the official Penny Jean blog now :) We went to China, we brought home our 4th daughter, she is a delight. She is the little smiley you post when you are blogging, she is just so sweet. and she is settling in like she's been here forever.

So now its Penny Jean, center stage! I can't really put into words how happy I am to be the grandmother of Penny. Sara and Chuck will be amazing parents. They are sooo good with kids. Its natural for them. And Sara does her research, she will be a profoundly good mom. So now the clock ticks. Sara says she feels like a walrus. I think she is beautiful, she is like an earth mother. Or as sara says, a hippy throwback mom lol.

Anyone looking at this blog will pretty much be getting Penny Jean updates from now on. I am marking off the calendar and I'll be lurking around in Goochland at the end of October....

Family Traditions

All families have traditions. One of my favorite is Sara's ability to weasel her birthday presents and Christmas presents from me early. She's been able to do this since she was a little kid. There's always a reason she needs them early :) Sara's birthday is not til August 29th...but she needs this t-shirt nowwww. lol. So tonight I ordered it to be drop shipped to her home..Happy Birthday Sara! You can wear your new shirt to your dad's family reunion! I'll bring the boca burgers!