Family Fun!

Well looky who gets top billing on Grandma's blog?  Big surprise for you all isn't it?  :-)  Precious Piper is the light of my days lately.  Can you see why?  Who else can get such joy from a bucket on her head besides Piper?

The addition to the decor of a few mini pumpkins from our garden at the lake which has now all been harvested.

...and a pumpkin and some acorn squash.  These are destined for the front porch as soon at the temperature lowers a bit.  Otherwise on our west facing porch they will be cooked soon!  (We're planning to cook the acorn squash this week anyway.)

So, we were wandering around Sears a little over a week ago and I spotted this bistro set on a HUGE clearance.  They had sold the matching table, chair and loveseat/coffee table earlier in the summer and just seemed to want to get rid of this set.  It was ridiculously low priced.  We've been looking at these sets for a year or two, but spending so much time at the lake it didn't take a huge precedence in our life.  However, at this price we didn't really want to pass it up either.  So home it came.   

We had something else here before that was waaay to big for our 10 x 14 deck....

.....it was this table and chair set.  We moved it underneath the deck and enjoyed it a lot this week while Piper played outside.  Do you see what may be my last rose of the season peeking over the chair back?  I do like the table here.  It's just down the deck stairs and very convenient.

We also have six more straight chairs and a few little tables for additional seating.  Isn't the shed pretty?  Hubby has been enjoying arranging, rearranging and showing it off to friends and family.  He's planning to build a workbench in there very soon.  Next spring I plan to plant a few rose bushes next to it and we'll replace the tree that blew down in the last big windstorm.

Another picture of Piper, just because I can.  It's a Grandma blog...what can I say?

We had VERY special house guests for the past week.  Brad's parents, Dennis & Marilyn came out to stay with us.  They arrived last Tuesday and left this afternoon.  They live in Nebraska and were so excited to come out and stay with us and play with Piper before the big move.  We REALLY, REALLY enjoy spending time with them.  I wish everyone could get along with their in-law's this well.  We're tentatively thinking of a cruise sometime together, if I can convince Hubby to get onto a cruise ship.  We had a wonderful time.  Marilyn taught me how to make potato dumplings and we froze 10 lbs. of dumplings in ziplock bags for us to enjoy in soups, eggs, etc. this winter.

And I think Piper had a super happy time too.  This was taken at Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane on the over 110 year old carrousel.  This little girl has four grandparents who adore her.  You can see by her face that this is a new experience for her.  She sure enjoyed it though.

Here she is getting ready to take Hubby on a ride on the golf cart at the lake.  Marilyn and Dennis camp at a similar spot in Nebraska and enjoyed spending a couple of days with us at the lake.

And this little girl?   Well she's turning two years old next Monday.  We had a birthday party for her last night so all of us grandparents could be with her for the party.  I adore the expression on her face in this picture.

She looks like she's sneaking up on the cake here!  A few other friends joined us forthe party.  Neal and Jenny and Larry and Nita who are all family to us.  Piper loves them all and I think they feel the same.  It's too bad Daddy had to miss her party but he face-timed several times throughout the day.  Mandy mde her pretty pink cake and Grandpa grilled burgers.

Last but not least.  HERE'S  MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT a bit early.  WIth all the dire predictions about lots of cold and snow this year, Dennis decided I needed to have a bigger snowblower.  Now I can do the sidewalks up and down the street quickly!  It has 6 forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds.  I think I'll be jogging behind this thing!  :-) Now wouldn't you all just love to see that?

I finished Mandy's Wonderful Wallaby last night but forgot to get a picture.  I'll do that soon.  I've started another matching one in a larger size for Piper so she'll be able to wear it longer.

I may be taking a trip to the East coast soon and be able to spend a bit more time with Piper and her Mom.  There's a good chance that I'll be taking Brad's place on the flight to D.C.  He thinks it would be good for Mandy to have me help her settle into the new house for a week or two and help watch Piper while she unpacks the house.  He's working very long hours and it wouldn't be easy for him to come back and fly with her, Piper, the dog and two cats.  Obviously Mandy will need help and oh darn!  I may get to delay my goodbyes for awhile longer.  Time will tell.  The house is coming right along and could be finished within a few weeks.

And now, I'm off to bed.  It's been a busy few weeks and without Marilyn and Dennis the house feels a bit empty tonight.  I dread to think of how it will be without Mandy and Piper.

Have a lovely week my friends.  I'm trying to keep up with all of your blogs as best I can these days.  Please forgive me if I miss yours.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Blessings,

Betsy