Happy Anniversary

Debbie reminded me earlier this week that she and Matthew would be having their 5th wedding anniversary on Friday. She wanted to know if I could come up so they could go on a hike and have a meal together.
Rachel and I headed over from Redding to Sacramento early in the morning so they could go on a date. We were both surprised when Debbie and Matthew came home at noon. For some reason I thought they would be gone for a longer part of the day. It looks like Matthew wanted time with his wife and just to be home with his family. His residency program is eating up most of his days and he just wanted to be with his family. As Rachel and I left to go home, this is the picture I have in my mind of his wedding anniversary.

Debbie, Matthew, Corina and Oliver

How do you acquire favorite aunt status?

I talked to Jayson soon after coming back from the Philippines and he asked where Rachel was and informed me that she was his favorite aunt.   How do you acquire favorite aunt status?

1. You have to be frequently or living in your niece and nephews lives. Which might be difficult for aunts living in say Alaska or Utah.
2. Time and creativity with a bit of love thrown in.

Every morning of our trip to Redding, Rachel would be out playing what the boys wanted to play

On Friday we headed over to Sacramento for a quick visit

Rachel is willing to actually play with her nephew

She takes the time to let her niece and nephew enjoy the things they like

She is willing to take the effort to show them she cares

But favorite aunt status can be had by entering into the children's imagination

And of course go down the slide endless times

With whomever would like a ride

Time, taking the time, effort, and care to show love

And reading books to book lovers will do the trick too!

Playing with Rachel

Rachel pitching to Caleb and Jayson

Throwing it back

They all came in from the smoky air and played indoor games

Each age requires different needs

Rachel has an idea, Nona set up a Treasure Hunt

Rachel decided I would get involved with the boys instead of just Lilly and so I set up a Treasure hunt.

Rachel reads a long story while the hunt is being set up......first clue is already in the room

The boys ran indoors and outdoors

Sometimes Rachel would help out with the clues

Even dad's office had a clue

Some clues were hard and some were easy

Most importantly the boys had a lot of fun - though the 'treasure' was cookies they made the day before.

Rachel and I headed up to Redding

Caleb waving his flag (rug burn down his nose  - I decided not to inquire how) Rachel, and Jayson

So we love to make chocolate chip cookies whenever we get with Jayson and Caleb

The first ingredients are always smooth and easy

The dry ingredients tend to cover Caleb from the chest down

Adding the chocolate chips....

Caleb has to test them out until they are all incorporated

Rachel was nice enough to empty a 25 pound bag into smaller containers. She got decorated  from chest to foot too!

After making the cookies, Jayson figures out there are 7 people in the house. If you give each person one cookie, use the plate on the left, if you give everyone two cookies, use the plate on the right. If everyone has three cookies there will be zero left.  Jayson is being home-schooled but going to the classroom twice a week. He even figured out that there were 21 cookies in all and took turns deciding which plate to "eat" and how many would be left.

Oh so many blessings!!!

While running around the beach with Oliver and Corina, I would watch for texts and calls from Michael. Julia was in a slow labor all day Saturday and Sunday and finally Sunday night at 3 pm she had contractions close enough together that they went to the hospital. On Monday afternoon she gave birth to a beautiful 10 pound 8 ounce girl that was two inches shy of 2 feet.  Now a few days later all are doing well, though everyone needs a little more sleep.
I am so thankful for the technology that lets me watch this miracle in real time. Instead of getting pictures five or six days later, Facebook and FaceTime let me interact and watch her stretch, look around and notice life.  It is fantastic!

Julia's mom Trina Little sent me this picture along with the information that Michael changed, burped and bubbled Makynlee and put her to sleep.

Beautiful Julia with her firstborn

Michael got to put her in the carseat to take her home from the hospital.

My heart is pretty full of the blessings given to all of us from the Lord.

Mother-in-law grandmother

I am getting all the skinny and scoop of Julia and Michael's baby via FaceTime and Facebook. Michael has been great about letting me know what they are doing and all the details that go along with his beautiful baby girl being born. His mother-in-law has been there every step of the way and has even sent me a few pictures of Michael with his little girl Makynlee. It sounds like it has been a fascinating, exhausting and wonderful party!  She looks adorable and just a little older than a newborn at only 2 days old. I will go visit at the end of August and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Next week I will head up to Redding and visit again with Kelsi and Nate and their weeks old baby Lilly. Such joy to be with all the newborns!!

Fascination of a newborn

Lilly and her family

Lots of fun and excitement in the Adams household.  The television station KCRA 3 reported: "The Carr Fire, which sparked July 23 in Whiskeytown near Highway 299, had charred 176,069 acres and was 50 percent contained, as of Wednesday evening. (August 8)"  Nate, Kelsi, her mother and the two boys came to our home because the air quality was so bad at their home and they feared to bring a newborn into air she could not breath well. It was so fun to have the boys back again. They asked for pancakes or waffles every morning, I just added a bowl of fruit.  
Nate was restless as he waited because he could not go to work. He was so good to take the boys on outings and play endless card games with them. Dani Betridge, Kelsi's mom was fun to be around and worked on her school work a lot. She is into family history and showed us a 15 generation spreadsheet that was very interesting. She had the boys in her room at night and kept them entertained in the morning so they wouldn't wake the rest of the household.  That whole family can play a great game of Skipbo. 
But the highlight of the week was the birth of Lilly.

Kelsi and Lilly

I did get very tired of cleaning up, making meals, doing laundry, and shopping. So worth it to hold my newest granddaughter. There is really something spiritual, healing, and fulfilling when holding and taking care of a newborn. I had the privilege to care for her on two nights so mama and papa could get some deep sleep. I'd just bring her in to be nursed. Kelsi is such a devoted great mom. I love watching her. Life is good