My Four Day Whirlwind!

Why a whirlwind you ask? For those of you who follow my antics I will try to explain my absence and lack of commenting to my fellow bloggers! I flew up to Massachusetts for another event and a bonus birthday for my Mom ensued!

Surprise!!!
 My sister Terry called earlier in the week announcing she would have a surprise birthday party for mom who would be turning 89 on Saturday the first of December! Although in good health why wait until mom turns 90! We will just have to do it again next year she explained! Perfect, I would be there and help in any way that I could. Needless to say, in family tradition, there was enough food to feed an army! Sister Barbara would bring the cake and candles! About 50 people attended, including mom's six children, 10 of her 13 grand-children and four great grand-children. Friends, cousins, nieces, nephews and 2 of her 3 sisters also attended.

Mom was so happy and commented several times that her whole family was there. Not quite 89 candles but a beautiful display for a beautiful lady!

Mom with her friend Dotty who recently turned 94. 

Can you believe it???

 

Anniversary Flowers and Bridal Guest Registry above...

My daughter Kathy and her husband Brian celebrated their 20th anniversary earlier that week! An added bonus, magnifying all the festivities! 

Later that evening I helped my grandson Mike with an art project, which I will post about later this week. 

Monday was a bit more quiet, however, I had to start my day with a court date, disputing a ticket that I had acquired earlier in August while driving in Massachusetts. With sweaty palms and a bruised ego I was vindicated because of my good driving record! Not without a difficult time from the magistrate who decided to grill me for 20 minutes! Wow keeping my mouth shut, only answering his questions without a lot of explanation wasn't easy for me. My daughter was present and could not say a word, equally difficult for her! Enough about that though! 

I am a free woman! My friends will tease me forever! 

A lesson in humility, for sure! 

Some retail therapy and a great lunch with both of my children was later enjoyed! Kathy and I picked Sophie up from school and we headed home! Spent some great time with the kids, Sophie painted my nails blue and added some sparkly beads to one fingernail! Not my choice of color but we both loved the time it took to complete. She is such a hoot!

I was driven to the airport early on Tuesday morning by two of my great friends, Susie and Mary. We laughed all the way and I was so grateful that the normal one hour drive to Boston had turned into two because of traffic. I had so little time to spend with so many people that I care about!

Well folks there you have it and I am still recovering! Hubby picked me up at the airport here in Florida and it was great to see him! I missed him so!!! 

Have a great week everyone!

Our Formal Best!

364/365 
Here we are folks my beautiful family at our formal best!
This photo was taken by Allicyn's grandmother with my camera!
It was so wonderful to see us all together on such a happy occasion,
looking all pretty and squeaky clean.
The line up left to right: Hannah, Brian, Kathy, Chris, Allicyn, myself, Sophia, Will, and Mike!
A beautiful memory to cherish forever!
Have a wonderful day!

Beauty Without Expression Is Boring!

356/365
"Beauty without expression is boring."~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
My 365 day journey is coming to an end, I will stop posting everyday and probably post once or twice a week thereafter or at least when I find something interesting to photograph and write about. 
Just when you think you have seen the last wedding photo from me I post another one! 
Well folks I just couldn't help myself on this one. It is my all time favorite. I took this photo of Allicyn just before entering the reception and the pro photographer was shooting her from the front. I loved many of my 500 photos but this one just sings to my artistic soul! I love the way the light and the wind are dancing romantically around her creating an ethereal effect.
 A very happy photolistic accident on my part. 
Some of you may be thinking well why do you love it so much, you cannot see her face and your son is not in the photo? Well because I am speaking from a totally artistic point of view. 
This one is for the artist in me the rest of the photos are for a mom to cherish! 
Just can never suppress that artist thing it always seems to resurface and finds a way to manifest itself imprinting joyous joy on my unsuspecting absorbent soul! 
My guess is I will continue to feed the little beast and trust my instincts even at the risk of seeming odd! 
Wait until I really get old kids!!!
Have a wonderful day!

Say Meow For Grandma!

Say Meow!
This is Penelope one of my three grand-kitties! I took this photo a couple of days before we left for Florida, while visiting with Chris and Allicyn. There was no posing for Rocky and Roger, hiding in their new home and unfamiliar surroundings.
Penelope, however, decided she would sit for me, perched on a window sill, although just for a short while.
The kitties three, are full of mischief and have the run of the house while their parents are at work! They get themselves into all sorts of trouble! All is forgiven and they are usually scolded with the phrase, naughty, naughty, kitties! Better watch out! Santa Claus is coming to town!
Look at those eyes, I'll bet if you stare at them long enough they will follow you around the room! 
Kind of looks like she has a cat-aract or two doesn't it! 
Bad, grand-ma, so, so bad!
Have a wonderful day!

A Few of My Favorites!

A Very Special Collage
September 2011, came and will leave today! It seems like we waited so long for that very special day to come! It came and it went, memories made, with so much love and happiness to share!
Thought I would bring you a few of my favorites in an old fashioned sort of way! 
Time for new beginnings, such wonderful memories to cherish! 
Frame courtesy of:
TheCoffeeShopBlog.com

That Old Fashioned Look!

Say Cheese  
Have you ever seen those old fashioned wedding photos from the early 1900's where no one ever smiled? 
I have seen several photos of my grandparents and my husband's grandparents where everyone was stoned faced and quite frankly looked frightened or upset. It must have been the style back then or maybe the flash was so bright one had to brace themselves! 
Our parents generation, married in the forties, seem to smile more freely. 
I asked Chris and Allicyn to give me that serious face look. Allicyn did Ok, but look at Chris. There was no wiping that smile off his face and nothing I said seemed to help. Well, there was something I said but this is a family blog after all! So that look on Allicyn's face just may be a look of shock! I almost captured that early nineteen hundreds kind of feel, don't you think? Such a glorious day, enjoyed by all.
It went by way to quickly!

Elsie's World!

Catch Me If You Can
Is there anyone cuter than a flower girl? Elsie is Allicyn's niece, she will turn two next month. 
Elsie is a highly spirited child with a definite mind of her own. Absolutely adorable she steals the heart of whoever she meets! Running barefoot thru the grass and barefoot down a pebble path before the ceremony, she refused to wear her new shoes! 
Such hearty little soles!!! A precious little muse!
I love to capture children in their natural state of play! 
Running freely, screaming as loud as they can while doing so, captures the spirit of a child every single time! 
Uncle Chris is an uncle once again, how fortunate is he! 
Strong willed and beautiful, watch out world! Elsie has arrived! 

Something Blue!

I love Surprises
When one takes over 500 hundred photos at their son's wedding one must then try and put them into some sort of category.
The above photo wins for the funniest! We were out on the front lawn of the mansion, I was
tagging along behind the pro photographer who I had threatened earlier. I warned him he best not get in my way of a good shot! "It is my son's wedding after all, I proclaimed."
He roared and we bonded. So nice to meet someone with a sense of humor who thought me funny. I am sure I raised a few eyebrows!!! OK, so I let him take the lead!!!
Allicyn was running effortlessly thru the lawn. I know I am more than twice her age but I just kept getting my heels stuck in the grass. I must say that I felt better when I discovered her secret. Chris thought her secret hysterical!
So cute, sweet, funny, adorable, darling and beautiful. So hard to label a photo when you love everyone last one of them. Enjoy!

The Wedding!

Just Gorgeous!
"The day was ordered by the Universe and all events that took place could not have been more perfect. When it is meant to be, planets align and memories are forever etched onto the souls of all who rejoiced and participated!"~Rosemary Aubut~ 
The wedding was so beautiful, it went by in a second and a mother's heart is filled with joy! 
We LOVE YOU Chris & Allicyn!!! It's a wonderful life! 
Where is that box of tissues?
Posted to: 

Rehearsal!

Rehearsal 
Rehearsal for the wedding party took place Sunday afternoon. The ceremony will take place in the north garden at Blithewold. Dinner followed with twenty five people in attendance.
It was a glorious day, two beautiful young people will be joined in marriage while two families are joined forever in friendship.
Allicyn's grand-mother and Chris's  grand-mother (my mother-in-law) began talking, thinking that each looked familiar. Well you guessed it they grew up across the street from each other and hadn't seen each other in many years! Just another one of those coincidences!
Can't wait till Friday! No hurricanes in sight, thank goodness, just a little on the cool side! 
I'll take it!

A Very Sweet Bachelorette!

Bachelorette Party
I really do apologize for the not so good photo. It was taken with my cell phone but I think you get the idea of how darn cute she is! Allicyn's banner reads Bachelorette, you can barely detect a veil, which she wore proudly. A group of us took Allicyn out for a fun dinner at the Waterfront Grill in downtown New Bedford, last evening. She was sitting down the other end of the table, I only got bits and pieces of her conversation, the one thing I heard repetitively was my son's name. Chris, Chris, Chis, music to a mother's ears! 
Grandma here, left about 9:30, my idea of fun is my blankie and the couch! 
The young ones went on to party at several hot spots. All still sleeping, bet there are some great stories, some of which mother's really don't need to hear! 
Beauty, brains, loves to cook and adores my son, what more could a mother-in-law ask???