the 9th paper crane

I'd forgotten about this one, tucked away in a basket amid skeins and squares of yarn from a long-ago unfinished afghan project, camouflaged

among leaves of silk flowers sharing that space . . .

GB#1--Kelsey Megan

first Christmas

blanket baby


first meeting with first grandbaby . . .


my mental memory book's album cover for that day . . .

GB#2--Mason Pate

hospital mug shot

<>

mother and son

Kelsey meets Mason

Mason-who-was-supposed-to-be-Sara . . .

GB#3--Garrett Tracy

Garrett, who was born on my birthday :-)

mother and son

Garrett in the daffodils

GB#4--Campbell Thomas

mother (aka NICU nurse) and son (aka NICU patient)

Camp- bell

"cast"

as a

reader

:-)

Campbell's (NICU) hospital mug shot

GB#5--Kira Rose

Kimberly and Kira

Grand- mommy Roselyne and Kira Rose :-)

GB#6--Michael Howard

hospital mug shot
caught smiling two months later

first family photo

GB#7--Cassandra Eve

Daddy's little girl

meet Cassandra Eve
her first hairdo

and first yawn . . .

Christmas 2009 in brief

things to be happy about: a Yuletide addendum

76. having seven vehicles parked in the drive and on the lawn
77. not being the only heart beating under your roof at night
78. having your granddaughter ask to borrow your clothes
79. having more mouths to feed than settings of silverware or china
80. spending all day in the kitchen and not even minding
81. spending days cleaning the house in preparation for utter chaos (and is it ever!)
82. losing everything except your mind!
83. relearning that Goo-Gone gets butter and bacon splatters out of the clothes you knew you shouldn't have worn to cook in

84. walking the dam with your granddaughter on a wintry afternoon
85. simple gifts--your daughter's PhotoStory video of shared summer memories or your no wrapping paper needed goody boxes or your mother's four pineapple upsidedown cakes--bringing simple pleasures to all