Ever notice how sometimes life goes in an odd sync?

I'll explain.

Last Friday, just 4 days ago, my granddaughter Elora spent the night with me. 

She discovered  a stack of Berenstain Bear books that I had saved from my sons' childhood.

 I had them boxed up all these years but just last week,

 I decided to take them out of storage and put them out for the grandchildren to begin enjoying.

So I was across the room from her as she is flipping through one Berenstain book after another. 

She casually makes the comment, "Logan sure knew how to write his name well." 

I look over her way and she holds up the book and shows proof.

I had forgotten how much Logan loved these books. 

He had written his name in many of them. 

Staking his territory. I think he was about 7 at the time.

Tyler put his claim on some of these books, too.

A period of 25 years had passed!

Now here comes the odd part.

So then yesterday, just 3 days later, I turn on the computer and see that  

Jan Berenstain, the co-writer of these books, passed away!

The very week we rediscovered the Berenstain Bear books after 25 years. 

But wait, there's more.

Back in 2003 I kept feeling I wanted to write to Mister Rogers 

and thank him for being McKay's favorite TV hero back in the day. 

(My older 2 sons wouldn't tolerate him, but I wasn't going to write that in my letter.)

So for months I would think, I need to write that letter!

Mister Rogers must be getting old. 

Finally, and I remember this vividly, it was Feb. 28, 2003

(oh my, today is also Feb 28th....I didn't even realize the connection til just now!)

 anyway...before I got up that morning in 2003, I was lying there and thought...

'This morning before I do anything else I am going to write to Mister Rogers!'

So I got out of bed, turned the computer on to write to him

and one of the top CNN news stories was that Mister Rogers died the night before! 

I didn't even know he was sick, and I found out he was only 74. 

But I was too late! 

Looking back I think I was prompted to write, but I didn't do it in time. 

Both husband and wife, authors of the Berenstain Bear books, are gone now.

She was working on 2 more books up until last Sunday,
the day before her death at age 88.

The Seven Little Daddies

I don't know why I love this book so much. 

It's quirky. And makes no sense. 

It just is. 

Elsa-Marie's seven little identical Daddies

all share the same newspaper each morning. 

The pictures are totally charming to me. 

Like this one of her Daddies taking turns 
reading lines from her bedtime story. 

Or this one of her family looking at old photos.

But then the drama happens. Read on...

I won't give the story away, 
but as you can see, the day ended well.

This book might confuse a little toddler,  
but by age 4 or 5, I think they would love it.

It would keep their attention anyway.

The Happiness Project

I didn't think this book would interest me all that much. 

I was happy enough already. 

But since it had been on the Best Sellers list for nearly a year, 

and because I have heard so many people rave about it, 

I thought I'd give it a try.

The author, Gretchen Rubin, 

is a happily married woman raising 2 small girls when suddenly one day had an epiphany that  

"The days are long, but the years are short." 

 She wanted to learn how to focus on the things in life that truly matter. 

So she took a year to research, and tested out what she was learning.

This book is filled with ideas on how to make every day life better.

It's already changed my life in many little ways. 

For example....the author tells a story about a 4 year old boy who had a blue car that he LOVED. 

He took it everywhere and played with it constantly. 

So his Grandmother buys him TEN toy cars and the boy stops playing with cars all together. 

When his Grandma asks him, "Why don't you play with your cars? 

You loved your blue car so much!" 

 The boy responds, "I can't love lots of cars." 

Soooo... This past week, I put lots of toys away 

and just kept out a select few for my grandchildren. 

I keep hearing in my head, "I can't love lots of cars."  

Come to think of it, when I am reading several books at a time, 

I tend to quit reading all of them.

Lots of interesting insights on understanding people. 

More on that perhaps in a later post.

She writes about "fog happiness."  

How at any one time in parenting, the negative may override the positive, 

and she might wish she were doing something else. 

Nevertheless, she says, the experience of having children 

gives her tremendous fog happiness. (love that term!) 

It surrounds her, she sees it everywhere, 

despite the fact that when she zooms in on any particular moment, 

it can be hard to identify.

Very few books have I enjoyed as much as this one.

As trite as this sounds, I felt happier just reading it.

It's empowering. And a fun read.

Watch the author's ONE MINUTE movie on why she wrote this book in the first place.

.

Karen and Tyler's new apartment

They actually moved in the week before Christmas, right before they flew out here to see us.
But today I got to see it for the first time via video!

A memory of a year ago.

I took this video a year ago but never shared it because I didn't like the fact that I forgot to turn off the radio first. But this is a memory to keep. It's the moment I told Elora she has a new sister. Well sort of. She already knew she was coming that day. But nevertheless, it was so exciting.

Violet turned ONE last Saturday.

Grant's magical feet !

When our grandson Grant was born last September his cute little feet looked like this...

As adorable as they were, we all wanted him to be able to walk someday, 

so his parents took him to appt after appt to get them fixed.

First the casting, that was changed often....

You can see why they had to change his casting often.

Look how he grew!

(plus the Drs were gradually turning his feet)

What a little chub.

Then the clipping of his tendons. (a hard day for all of them!)

Then the braces that he wore 23 hours a day.

So last Friday Grant had his latest check up at Primary Children's in SLC 

and the Dr said he is doing so well that he calls Grant's feet magical! 

Of course this is very much attributed to his parents' diligence in, 

keeping all Grant's Dr appts at Primary which is an hour from their home,

keeping Grant's braces on him even when he didn't want them, 

exercising this little legs for him,

and doing all they were suppose to. 

For sure, for sure.

So Grant doesn't have to wear the braces anymore during the day.  

Hurray!!

Doesn't he look great sitting there with his cousin Matt?

And McKenna now gets to put cute little shoes on his feet. 

Grant will continue to wear the braces at night for the next 3 years, 

or they were told there is a 100% chance his feet will go right back to club. 

It's just amazing what they can do for club feet now. 

Decades ago child would be crippled for life. 

We are so BLESSED!

Past posts about club feet:
Watch him get his casts on.
The day he got his tendons clipped.

This makes us so happy

Dennis and I LOVE it when my kids, and his kids get together. Like last night in Logan, Utah.

McKay, McKenna and baby Grant drove up for the weekend from Provo,
and of course Tyler, Karen, and baby Richie already live there.
So then they all gathered together at Kim and Ryan's home for games and fun.

Last night, during the wedding reception, 

Dennis was sent these pictures by text. I love modern tech!

And no, I'm sure McKenna is not scolding Grant in the back ground here. 

Maybe she's teaching him to count. 

Then today, back at Karen and Tyler's apartment...

Dinner all ready for their "guests", the McKs

And Richie loving his new high chair and sweet potatoes!

The new Mr and Mrs

Colt and Sami Kennington !

So here is Colt's Mom, who is my sister Peggy....(with her daughter Sam)

I mean really, does she look like a Mom of SIX and a Grandma of FIVE ??
And it's not just the picture. She really looks this good.

Dad and Susan
They always make me smile.

And since I've been focusing on my niece Carly (since she lets me),
 Here are 3 of their children....

#4 is a free spirit...

This is the best I could do getting a picture of Jude.

and #5 still in Mommy's arms trying to keep warm.

I only know the 2 in the middle, Kevin McDonald and Jake (the groom's brother)

When someone told them they looked like a barber shop quartet...they broke out in song!

It was almost convincing. 

And then guess what? Dennis and I went to the reception last night and I forgot my camera! 

Crazy I know, but sometimes it even happens to me. 

It was all done up really nice....chicken salad sandwiches, salads, several desserts. 

Music, black and bright red decor....and the cutest little children running around every which way. 

I think I'm related to most of them.

Congratulations Sami and Colt!

The night before the wedding

Once upon a time (as in, tomorrow morning)
My nephew Colt will marry his true love Sami.....

So we gathered at Peggy and Jeff's tonight for a pre wedding dinner.

Carly, here, (never mind that she has 5 children under 7)....made all the appetizers.

I ate at least 10 of the colorful ones below during the party, 

and took another 5 to eat on the way home.

Annnnnnnnd.....all the table decorations...

We never got to their quirks....we all were too busy not only eating and talking, 

but also watching one of the most entertaining videos of Colt and Sami...

if I can get a copy of it, and their permission, 

I will show it here someday.

Carly used twigs from her trees at home, and jars from her pasta sauce.

And not only that, but Carly knows how to have a really great time!

Aren't they cute?....Carly with her SIL Katie.

Had to get a picture of the "Joy School" cousins, Lauren, Colt, and Nicole.

And here's something else that's interesting....

Colt and Nicole are cousins marrying Nate and Sami who are brother and sister. 

So will this make their children double relatives? 

Nate, Nicole, Sami, Colt

Wait, one more interesting fact.

After knowing the Knudsens for years and years....

We will now be related since Leslie is Sami's grandmother!

This last picture I took for my sister Peggy.....her 3 daughters, Sam, Kaidy, and Carly.

You may be wondering why this post is mostly about Colt's sister Carly...
She was my most cooperative subject. 
Really. As soon as she sees me she starts posing.

I'll be back with my camera tomorrow at the reception :)