St. Patty's girls.

Now, that we've established that we are Irish, it seems fitting that those Great Great Irish Grandparents should have not one, but two grand children born on St. Patrick's day.

I got to spend time with one of them on Saturday:

 and helped her out with this "Birthday Cake."

I heard the other one had some green pancakes on her plate!

Happy Birthday

to my two wonderful Irish Birthday nieces!

So very glad to be wishing 

THIS BOY 

a Happy 5th Birthday!

o8.26.o6....Down on the farm

Aunt Mary and Barb got here yesterday and we went to the River last night for dinner.
Today we went to another farm down the road...one of the 9 dairy farms at Fair Oaks dairy.
The place is enormous, fanscinating and a little disturbing all rolled into one. It's like a milk factory...and the cows are the main workers. That's 3000 cows and that's just at the one dairy...take that x 9 farms and that's a lot of bossie lous.

I can't believe I left Bobble at home. There were photo opps everwhere.
But I can make up for it because after going to the State Fair, Sister Susie brought home yet another addition to the Bobble family...Bobble cow. Pretty soon we'll have our own farm.
Saturday night we went to Matt and Chari's for Conner's Birthday Party. He is 5!
Got a report on Dad from Dave, who checked in on him today. Dave says Dad is the miracle man. He came out of his room for all three meals, was joking around, remembered that Aunt Mary and Barb were here and remembered that he was having a birthday party!

Big day tomorrow!

Here's Conner's Birthday present from Great Aunt Nancy...The Conner Bobblehead:


Directions to here: Rise and shine on the farm, remember my mom everytime I see her sister's face, watch the cows on their merry-go-round milker and eat John Deere Tractor cake

o8.22.o6...Happy Birthday, Dad

This boy is 85 years young today!
Happy Birthday, Dad!

o8.20.o6...Warning: Jacinda is 2

Headed to Lowell again for the 5th weekend in a row...this time for Jacinda's birthday party. No terrible 2's yet, just a cutie in a party dress with princess slippers and cowgirl boots and lots of Dora, Dora, Dora!


The "farm train" was a hit with the kids...


that's both LITTLE and BIG kids...


Emma "easy rider" Vandercar also got her first taste of the open road with a motorcycle ride sitting between Nana and Papa...













Someone forgot to pack extra shoes for the weekend......and it cracked me up!
The hip birthday girl can actually pull that look off...with her styling purple Dora cowgirl boots.And we ended the day by remembering Junior and Janet's anniversary. They were married 40 years ago, today:

It was a privilege to be able to honor those memories with a video. I only wish they could have watched it together. But I trust there were a few smiles and teary eyes in heaven just like we had here on earth. God bless you Janet and Junior.

Directions to here: Put the car on auto pilot...it should know the way by now...reflect on August 18 and holding a certain baby when she was less than an hour old...marvel at the way time flies...and hug your big sister extra close

o8.13.o6...Hog roast with the Vandercar birthday kids

Went north again to celebrate the birthdays of these three kids:Luke
Emma
Evia

I'll let you guess, but one of those water babies is Vintage.
And here's my gift to the girls...didn't need to sign the card...if it's Bobble-like, I'm sure they know which crazy great aunt it's from:



Thanks Tammy, for letting me steal your pics!

Directions to here: get in the trailblazer with sister susie and let her make all those winding turns to the backyard with the miss piggy cart, the boy with the rosie cheeks and the 3 cute girls who live with him

o8.o5.o6......Jeremy's 30!

Taken Aunt Nancy with her trusty 110 instamatic with flip flash.
(by the way I won a Grange photo contest with this picture, uh, uh)!

The plan was to be in Columbus Ohio this week to help open a new store...but the grand opening got cancelled due to a minor issue a of building/remodeling permit...as in get one BEFORE you remodel...or the inspectors will not be happy. Anyway, I was most looking forward to seeing sites like this on Route 40 and re-exploring parts of the route I bypassed before...but I worked in Indy instead...where it was the same old...same old.

Jeremy's 30th party was a hit. With a surprise visitor...that I only have video of...that's okay...you wouldn't believe your eyes if you saw her...Jeremy sure didn't. Picture, maybe later.



Happy Birthday Jerm!

Directions to here: take 1/2 vacation day to 86th street to 465 to 865 to 65 to Rt. 2 to Range Line Road to the birthday boy standing near the Keg

08.01.06 Happy Birthday, Mike and Elden

Well, this little cowboy is 55 today and is spending his birthday in Texas. Happy Birthday, Brother Michael.


And this little biker is also 55...he's upgraded a few cc's or whatever you call those motorcycle engines. Happy Birthday, Elden!

Directions to here: 2 sisters go to the hospital on the same day for a special delivery...the rest is history!

Sunday's Road and the birthday girl, sister #3

The last day of this vacation....went according to the original vacation plan...and was spent with Sister Susie...the birthday girl seen here with her grandkid entourage:
We had a lazy afternoon down at Ellis' pond and a great Sunday dinner where we sang Happy Trails to Shelley, who was getting ready to blaze her own road down to TEXAS to spend the next year of her life. But I have to say my heart was heavy most of the day from the news that came from South Bend about Cody being in the hospital after an accident saturday night. He's thankfully okay...but facing some serious days ahead.
It's been a good vacation, but also a long and emotionally taxing week. But thinking about Jolene...makes me appreciate the days and minutes I have, no matter how light or heavy they are...at least I have them.

Directions to here: 41 to 10 to I-65 south to SR 2 to Colorado to 173rd to sister susie's kitchen bow our heads and pray