Better and Better!!!!

The party has ended and Dave, Sam and Grace have headed home.  We so appreciated him coming to see us even though we were two bumps on log.  Just sort of sat/reclined/napped and enjoyed watching the energy of everyone else.

Today, gorgeous spring day, we had another roaring fire in fireplace.  Strictly recalling lifetime memories of Alaskan coldness with wood stove being our heat source.  Opened the back door to survive the heat!

Grace snuggling by fireplace!!!

 Art time with Uncle Kipper...oil painting today after yesterdays chalk/pencil.

David fixed a hole that was an eyesore!  Terry said his left arm didn't always do what it should and he poked a hole in the ceiling at Christmas while decorating.  Thank you, David!

Ceiling repair!!

Again....eat family dinners or any meal together as when your children grow up they will want to recreate that again.  Be consistent in cooking a few things a million times-- which amounts to the years your child will be at home from birth to high school graduation. Today's sentimental meal was Poor Man's Mush.  (wall paper paste/Norwegian Pudding etc.)  For some reason, after a near lifetime of making it, Terry changed the recipe.  David asked him not to but Terry insisted it would be even better.  The tweaking did not work!  People were polite and pretending it was so good but it wasn't quite the same although David ate two bowls of it!

Grace continued to dance her heart out for us!!  She made an observation that I found astute.  She told her Dad...This house is not to big and not to small and there is room for everyone.   I like to think she was feeling cozy.

David and Grace found his hand-print when he was 5 years old, on our old 1976 Homer fireplace hearth we made. Jeanee had it shipped to us for our big anniversary celebration at McCall.  It was tender for me to see Dave with his daughter, reliving those long ago memories.  Anything you have in your house over a long period of time becomes a part of your child's history if they grow up with it and it will mean a lot to them.  This is just hand poured cement with our hand-prints.  we had gone to the Spit and picked river rock and had a wild FHE doing something with no experience but a fun time.  Somehow or other it needs to be featured.  Terry thought I wanted it plopped into the gravel.  Now I'm nervous it will fall apart!  some creativity is needed.  Soon.

 Our family is spread out over years and years.  Kipper was 13 when David was born.  He used to sneak the baby out of his crib and sleep with him as he wanted him to know he was loved by his older brother.  How time flies.  Here Kip is showing him something on his computer.

Plan on your memory making.  IF I'd known then what I know now-- I would have really plotted and planned!!!  Mine is more or less happenstance.  I'm so glad that there were enough repeat patterns, of some rather commonplace events, that there are some things that survived and make for great rekindling of family love when re-enacted.