Just because I like it...

Not sure when Henri said this, but somewhere mid 1800s. 

Do you know why he would do this?

A few days ago we had someone ring our doorbell, but he didn't 
wait for us to answer. But he didn't really leave either. He hovered 
by our garage door for at least the 30 seconds of this clip. 

I can understand someone ringing the bell and then standing back, 
so as to give us our space...but clear back by the garage?

From kindergarten to this....

So we had just barely gotten tonight, 
when I get this call from Elora, 

"Grandma Honey, come outside." 

"Why?" 

"Just come out here and you'll see." 

She has her permit!

It was so exciting when my boys went through this.

But it's different being the grandma of the driver! 

As a Grandma the decades pass by like the years use to. 

I keep thinking....how can this even be?

I think one of my friends said it best 

after I texted her with this news...

Tyler's email yesterday

With Tyler's permission, here's what he sent me yesterday. 

I'm still thinking about it.....what causes the decline, 

especially in 2017. 

Mom, You’re gonna think this is a weird way of saying thanks.

I saw this chart this morning about the births per woman in the United States from 1960 to 2016:

I think it’s interesting that you had all of your children in some of the most unpopular childbearing years (of the past 55-60 years).

So, uh…thanks!

I saw in my healthcare newsfeed this morning that 2017 was the lowest number of births (not births per woman) in the U.S. since 1987. I think this will continue to decline as motherhood becomes less popular. I hope I’m wrong.

Tyler

Favorites from April

1. I saw this at Homegoods. Food for thought, anyway.

2. McKay and McKenna went to the Bahamas in April. 
Here McKay (standing far left) got to play bocce ball 
with the UK Surrey champion!

3. During Den's last illness he had a cough that lingered for awhile, 

especially at night. My friend Pam told me about these:

So every night before we'd go to bed, 

I'd place a few of these pills for Den to use.

He'd put one under his tongue, the cough would stop almost 

immediately, and he'd go back to sleep.

What's nice about these little homeopathic pills, is, unlike cough 
drops, he's not going to choke on them in his sleep since they are 
under his tongue and small. 

4. This was a fun weekend for me. Not because I was there, but 

because I knew Karen got to be with her mom and sister!

They were all together at a beach house 

celebrating her Mom's birthday. Aren't they beautiful!

5. My Grandma taught me this trick many decades ago, 

so when I saw this, I thought of her!

\

6. This is a good list to be on and it's legit. 

The scammers have taken over our landline. I don't want them 

taking over our cell phones too! 

7. My love language is hands down, words of affirmation.

(I've never quite understood this because isn't affirmations everyone's love language?)

8. Love how Annie and Scarlett are being taught young 

to visit patients in hospitals!

"The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their 

prosperity, and their peace all find common roots in the teaching of 

children in the home."

--Elder L Tom Perry

Memories of Grandma Gaynor

This video was filmed last year.....so the grandkids are older, and I 

guess that means we are too. 

In some ways I don't want to show this (which has much to do with 

the fact it's taken me this long to share it here)....because I sound 

bossy. Am I that way in real life? Apparently so since this film is 

real life. I do NOT want to be a bossy person. 

I need to work on that.

But my sisters and everyone else who shares memories of my Mom 

here, are fabulous! 

A miracle is the only explanation

When I answered the phone 2 Sundays ago about 8pm and heard it 
was the husband of my good friend Pam, I knew this could not be 
good....especially considering it was 11pm their time in Michigan! 

In the 44 years Pam and I have been close friends, I've probably 
only talked to Tom a handle of times. I braced myself for bad news.

So Tom began like this, "About noon today Pam was checking 
the meat in the crockpot and took out a piece of it to try."

The beginning did not sound reassuring. Tom and I had never 
talked about food before.

He went on to tell me after she put the meat in her mouth she 
headed down the hall. The piece of meat slid just enough down to 
block her airway except for a pin hole area. 

She started choking terribly. I heard things like, the Heimlich 
wasn't working...called 911. She quit breathing. But somehow, the 
paramedics saved her. Then he gave me her hospital phone number 
and said she wanted me to call.

Hearing her story made me realize once again, how fragile this life 
we have is. Things can change in an instant. 

Though she was choking and had very little air, she was able to tell 
Tom she was dying. Last thing she did was unlock and open the 
front door, while he was on the phone with the dispatcher. 

Then she sat down on the couch and passed out. 

Tom had told Pam later that she had been blue and had stopped 
breathing. He thought she was surely checking out. 

When the paramedics arrived they lifted her off the couch and laid 
her on the floor. After trying several things, a scope was able to 
dislodge the meat. 

After spending 2 nights in the hospital the paramedic who saved 
her life, called her at home. He said she had been clinically dead 
and he was surprised she didn't have any lasting effects. 

Last week I listened to Tom's eight minute 911 call. He was so calm 
and handle it incredibly well! I think some of that must have been 
the cop in him. Still, I am so impressed. 

But that 911 call was also horribly heart wrenching to hear. A 
miracle that she lived through it. Once again I am reminded that 
every breath we take, literally, comes from our Father above. 

Picture above was taken 2 years ago....

Tom and Pam went to Austin and Brooke's wedding reception and met Amy and Logan.

Pam has now convinced herself, and me, that we need to quit eating 

while talking and walking....as I have done since I was a little girl. 

Talking to Pam several times while she was in the hospital, and 

going over details of it all since....makes me feel all the more 

grateful she is still with us!

The club no one wants to join

A few days ago I got a text from Amy 

that Téa was on her way by ambulance to the hospital.

She had a fast heart rate for several hours, but she is fine now.

Hmmm wonder where she got that from.

(In case you don't know, it seems to run in our family. 

The club no one wants to join.)

It's a good thing she recovered quickly because 

she has lots of puppy tending to do at home.

The 5 girls and 5 boys were born 6 weeks ago. 

All have been sold but won't be old enough 

to join their new families for another 9 days. 

Meanwhile, they are LOTS of work.

Hunt, Astro, Maximus, Sadie, Serene, Stone, 

Zoey, Snowflake, Poppy, and Gunnar. 

Just in case they feel like being creative...

When I saw this little container at Home Goods last week, 
I thought it would be perfect to put art supplies in it for the grandchildren. 

(which at the time were all over the house. Not the grandchildren, but the art supplies.)

Then just a day later when some of them came to dinner, 
I wondered how long it would take Violet 
to see it all set up in the guest room. 

Just a few minutes after arriving, Violet came up to me and asked, 
"What are those art supplies for?" 

"For just in case you ever feel like doing art!" 

She said, "How about now?" 

I said, sure, but let's eat dinner first. 

If you notice in this 2nd picture Violet has already disappeared.

I found her hard at work.

I didn't want to tell her to come back for dessert, 

so I just brought it to her.

She made time.

By the way, Elora laughed at the dessert I put together

(ice-cream, whip cream, sprinkles leftover from Christmas, raspberries, and a stick cookie)

but she requested seconds as did her Dad

I'm glad Violet found use for the fancy scissors 

I've had in my desk drawer for over 20 years.

Had to include these next 2 pictures of Violet and Brock.... 

just because I like them. 

What did Cami do after dinner?

Well apparently she saw me put my phone aside 

so she snagged it after dinner and then kept herself entertained.

She's a teenager now, you know.

Violet and her Dad are often making plans....

Like this....Toy Girl