DANIELLE IS 25

It's been such a hectic weekend that I didn't get to post this on Danielle's birthday but wanted to let her know how much I love her and am grateful that she is my oldest daughter! As the oldest of five she has always had to be responsible and resourceful! She has been creative..remember the bicycle wagon Danielle?

Danielle has been married to Tim Pederson now for 5 years and she has our first grandchild Everett! She is turning out to be a wonderful mother and I am thankful to have her not only as a daughter but as a friend.

Unfortunately it has been an extremely sick household this weekend! We have all had the stomach flu, all eleven of us so it was a pretty subdued birthday!

But I still wanted her to know that she is treasured. Happy Birthday Danielle.

The Christmas tree is waiting.....

Okay couldn't resist posting a picture of our Christmas tree because it is January 10 and it is STILL UP! I hope Danielle realizes this is a testimony of how much I love her! I am a real Scrooge when it comes to decorations and the tree, I want them down the day after Christmas because they are now cluttering up the house. Since Danielle and Tim are coming next week I reluctantly agreed to leave it up..... thank goodness it's our artificial one because it could be much worse, dead pine needles all over the floor! I have found this year so much easier..... I am a big FLYLADY fan and I have learned to put everything into totes and so I put one tote away at a time and it makes it so much easier. So our tree is the only thing left up and standing, it is brightly twinkling waiting for Tim and Danielle because next week it too will be back in its box waiting for next year.

Sarah Kerner's Baby Shower

Sarah Kerner had her baby this summer. She looked so uncomfortable by the end, it brought back memories! Since she is one of Danielle's best friends, I couldn't resist posting some of the pictures, I know Danielle will love to see them...... Sarah had a 9lb 12oz baby boy, they called him Dax! Here is Melodie holding him as soon as she could! In fact my girls were all pretty happy to be there because there were several babies to pass around.
Isn't this the cutest cake! Some one has an imagination.......
I loved this picture of mother and aunt!! Little Leah helped her big sister, Sarah open her bridal shower gifts a couple of years ago and here she is helping with the baby presents!
Even Rebecca found the cutest little fellow around, (besides Dax) this is Tyler Quinton!
We were up in Aberdeen in Carol Jensen's backyard. It was a beautiful summer evening and it was fun to bring all three girls with me, we sure missed Danielle!

Jaime Wilson (England) Wedding

Danielle's best friend Jaime Wilson was married in the Seattle Temple on June 23........and we were so happy to be there. We went with the Wilsons to Hawaii and were able to be in the temple with Jaime in the Hawaii temple and now in Seattle. It was an emotional moment to watch this beautiful young woman, who we have known for 20 years, be married for time and all eternity! Pretty special to be there with Tim and Danielle, it brought back memories of Danielle's wedding and of my own! The Wilson and England Clans! The beautiful bride with her sister Kristina!
Jaime and Colin.....I think its harder on the fathers, giving up this cherished daughter to another man! We mothers always keep our daughters........
A couple of the imaginative Maranda Schwarz poses!!!......lol.........


Danielle and Kristina with Jaime.
Tim and Danielle........
Thought you all might like to take a look at that jacket I wrestled with! I was so happy with it, it turned out better than I hoped! Not sure if I'll tackle it again but it has to be easier the second time! Don was very patient with pictures but there's a limit, lol.......
We stayed at the Garden Inn Hilton with Tim and Danielle while we were in Seattle. We also went out that afternoon with the wedding party to a Mexican restaurant called the Azteca, it was wonderful! Then we headed home and I'm just so thankful Don likes driving. Long but happy day!

Danielle has another family!

Danielle and Tim came by with Tim's Dad Len and his wife Barb on Friday, the 6th.......they were heading down to Langley for Tim's brothers wedding. I drove down Saturday morning with them and had Rebecca and Mitchell, Melodie really wanted to come but sacrificed to stay home and study! Don and Vanessa were in Seattle on a youth temple trip, but were heading back Saturday so I met them and picked them up. It was a beautiful wedding and right after Don's wife Laura was baptized with her two daughters.

Tim has a large family as you can see here....... the bittersweet moment for me was when the photographer asked all of Don's family to join them for the picture........Danielle started walking over and I remember thinking, "Just a minute, she's in our family!!" and it hit home to me that she's now part of another family. She seems to be fitting in well with them and they seem to be enjoying her so I was glad to see that but the mother in me wasn't quite ready for that yet. It was one thing to know she was Tim's wife, but she is now a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law and an aunt!

We went over to Don and Laura Pederson's house after and had a nice visit with the family before we headed home. I was so glad to have Don with me to do the driving home, we were pretty tired that Saturday night.

Just as an aside, if you are reading this please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom!, just so I know you've been here...lol........

Mother and Daughter

As I look at this picture of my Mom, Reina Granger and I taken last year at our family reunion, I can't help reflect on the fact that I am the same age my Mom was when I left home. I still think of her being that age........will Danielle have the same memories as I grow older? Now that she is married and gone from home, will she sometimes look at herself in the mirror and see the face of her mother? I miss them both and even they are both far away, Mom in Nova Scotia and Danielle in Calgary, there will always be a mother/daughter connection that transcends time and distance.......... it is the face in the mirror looking back at me. Love you Mom......... love you Danielle........