~Last night of 2014~

Many blessings for the New Year 

~Little Old Lady~

~The Gift~

What a year brings....

I think back to this last year....all before our littlest was turning  1....3 more daughters moved out...The loss of some dear Loved family 
friends ,gone before their time or just walked away {I wonder if they know how much they are missed }....reconnecting with my baby sister after 25 plus years... and two daughters joined the military.... yes....it has been a year...a year of change.  

This Christmas it wasn't about the wrapped gifts under the tree...the 
festive decorations...the stockings filled with trinkets & treats...The grand meal on the table....

This year ...the big gift was TIME .

 The time to be together as a family... 

Time...it is a fleeting thing...

There are no guarantees...
There are no do overs....
We get one shot/one chance.

We live a different life then we did a year ago....
What may have seemed important then ,no longer holds the same feel...the same value ...

Case in point....

We wait by the phone
We hold our breath
We write letters to our soldiers...send care packages
We love other peoples soldiers  
We make friends with other soldiers parents
We wear their Dog tags
We listen to the news more carefully    
We pray HARDER
We hold our faith TIGHTER
We hold our children tighter still!!
and all the while continue to raise the children that are still home...have an open ear when needed .

The day is fast approaching when we again make the drive to the airport and say good bye to our soldiers home on leave and go back to our new norm .....

And in all truth and honesty ...I will miss seeing them popping their heads in the fridge/pantry ....pouring a cup of coffee....laying on my bed before I put the baby down for the night and watching a cartoon  with him...

and yes , I will miss seeing this....

....I'm going to miss this....and the shoe will feel a bit more empty
and quiet.


                                                 ~I am a  Army Mum~
                                                   ~Strong & Proud~
                                                           ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~ 'Twas The Day/night before Christmas~

.... And all through the house.... 

 

There were puddles to be had....movies to watch...and 

Treats to deliver  

 

A tree to trim with a Army keeper....

presents starting to arrive ...

 

 

Set and ready to go....

now....it is off to bed....

Sweet Dreams little one

mum loves you 

and maybe just maybe...

He will awake with snow :) 

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” 

                                                                 ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

 

~Airports & Birthdays~

As everyone comes home for Christmas .....

It's celebrations  and smiling faces!!!

Birthdays for our December babies....and sisters who have been apart....

my wish came true  :)

 

 

                                                         ~Soaking it all in~

                                             ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Getting the Band back together ~

We are counting down the hours now til Leila's  arrival from Fort Gordon Georgia .

*Sigh* Yep...we can hardly wait....We are getting the band back together :) 

 

                                                               {December 19th 2008}

 

{October 31st 2009}

                                                                                    {August 9th 2011}

                                                                                  {November 25th 2013}

                                                                          {December 25th 2013}

                                                                        ~Found my Christmas Spirit~

                                                     ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Christmas Fare~ {{TBT}} part II

Time has gone by quickly ....

Flashback to December 25th 2010 ......

 Smiling faces.....but in truth ,they were all ready to open gifts .

Only 8 days til the big day.... I best get to wrapping....

 ~ Ciao~

   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

~Christmas Fare~ {{TBT}}

As we enjoy our time with Tessa before she deploys and as we wait for Leila's arrival home ....We have been reminiscing Christmas pasts....

Case in point...

Last day of School before Winter Break... December 16th 2011

Haha!!! Yep ,love love the looks on their faces!!!

Christmas cheer anyone???

 ~ Ciao~

   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

~Mornings with my little lord~

Quiet time with my littlest detail....chilled apple juice with some toast and his new favorite..... 

                                                     ~Pouring another cup of Coffee~
                                                            ~Cheers to the Day~
                                                   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

~MCM~

Everyone has one...a Man crush ....

Mine is a handsome kat....

 With loving heart and ample amount of patience for all the gals in his life .....{{In the words of Martha Stewart}} "It's a Good thing" on account there is eight of us .

 

 

And when time allows ...we are off with two tickets in hand 

 

 

                                              ~Love you Handsome Sawyer~

                                                              ¨*•♪♫•*Freckles¨*•♪♫•*

~Random Dose of Cuteness Part II~

Little people are funny....the things they do ...

 

Case in point.... While I was cleaning....he found this vintage bird cage...

"Oh the possibilities" 

                                                         

     I love his imagination....  

                                                 

 ~ Ciao~

   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

~Our Musician~

As the Holiday season approaches{{QUICKLY}}... It's that time of year for Concerts at the Preforming Arts Center... 

Last year Sisi had 7th chair....This year she has made her way 

to 3rd chair. So so proud of her , the hard work and the long hours she has put into her music. 

As you can hear....they all sounded GREAT!!!
  

                                       ~Love being a band mum~                                

                                               ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Technology ~

Monday.... Coffee... And the joys of technology ... 

 Next stop... Honolulu  Hawaii.... Travel safe Dutchess 💕

~Bon Voyage~

✴❤✴❤Mum❤✴❤✴

~TBT~

Christmas past...

                       

                                                ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Sunday Fare~

I adore Sundays such as these....

Where it is family time....

 

   no punching a time clock....No place to be...

Fun with a big sister....

And wanting his picture taken....What a little Ham... haha!!!

Yep...so super cute!!

Loving Sundays at the shoe,

Now off to ring a daughter in Fort Lee.

Cheers to the week Head.

 

 

                                                  ~ Toodle-oo ~

                                   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Out and About~

After the Turkey ...after the stuffing....We go out into the big open air...

 

But First..the mail carrier arrives...

 Always great for some gift ideas....

With a baby in toe...we venture the shops ...

Some cute stuff this season .

The Eiffel Tower was kind of neat....BIG 

But still cool none the less . 

I will think about that one. 

                               
                        ~Happy Shopping out there~

 ~ Ciao~

   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

 

 

~At 16~

I was combing through my vintage vinyl collection and came across this one on a 45....

This was a popular song on MTV and at our Homecoming dance...October 1986 ....

{this was taken right before the dance}

 

 Haha...the 80's were sure fun!!!

 

                                           ~Happy Thanksgiving~

                                    ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~TBT~

 199? Back ...way back in the day ....

                        ....They are all in their 20's now...

                         How time sure flies by....sigh...

 

 

 

                                   ~Feeling a bit...like a fossil ~

                                   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Graduation Day ~ *Updated*

These girls  call me Mama...and I love it!!! 

 Over the past few months of them being in AIT school....We were blessed to get to know some incredibly strong smart girls!! 

And today brought their graduation from Stryker infantry.

 

 

So so proud of them!!!

 

They look so smart in their dressed blues!!!

 

 Congratulations Girls...We are so so Proud of you!!!

And Huge Huge Thank you to Mrs. C~ for

Being there and taking great pictures!!!!

Now we wait....to see if Tess can reach home before Thanksgiving before heading on to The Big Island of Hawaii .....

 

                                ~Keeping our fingers crossed~

                                        ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Love~

Passing some on.....

 The world needs more of this :)

                                                ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Random dose of Cuteness~

I love their faces!!! And the newest Teen and her new phone....

 

 

                                               ~Aloha~

                              ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*

~Packages~

I adore packages that arrive by mail carrier ....brown boxes....yep

they are pretty swell!!! 

And when it comes by special delivery from some of girls, It is simply Grand!!

Case in point....

 Christmas fare arriving early ....

Diamonds and gold....Titanium and ceramic from Fort Lee....

Brownie Mix in a flour bag from Vail Colorado .....

We love our girls!!!

 

 Have a Grand weekend!!!

 

 ~ Ciao~

   ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•* 

~Trinity~

 It is Birthday Time again here in the little shoe.

 Once a little baby I held in my arms ....is now a Teenager...13...

Time....where does it go????

 

 

 

I remember this day like if it were yesterday. Surrounded by my family and my 3 best girlfriends.... Jewels , M~ and Lis~  

They all had young ones and babies of their own at home....Meant the world to me that they were with me on this day...it still does.

Greg was so proud to hold his new daughter....and all the protective older sisters she has ,kept a watchful eye on her ...they still do today.

 

As time has moved on ....kids grow up....kids going off to school....kids joining the Military.....kids moving out on their own....kids getting married...

I'm grateful and blessed for the adventure....and the photographs I have taken along the way. And as the last of my daughters hit the teenage era .... I look back with great love....  Happy  Birthday my youngest daughter..I love you so!!!

Love,
Mum

 

~Tag Sales ,Sleep overs....& a 4 day weekend ~

Living in the Pacific Northwest....the weather this time of year changes quickly...

There is a warm gentle breeze with the sun shining that will in an instant become Frost...Fog...Cold...Wet and yes Snow.

The joke in our town is "Wait ten minutes and it will change"

No worries....I love my little town and all it has to offer . While driving kids to their sleep overs at friends houses...we are greeted with natures beauty....

 Like the trees changing colors and the leaves cascading down hitting cars passing below....to hot cider on chilly Autumn afternoons...and sweet naps with a sheriff and his partner...which freed me for a few moments to run across the street to the tag sale... 50+ years of treasures up for sale...

 I found this.....1940's  with a train , Sale tag $40

A mum of 7 daughters....a dress that might get a walk down the  aisle ???

Did I mention....everything at the Tag Sale was Free??? HA!! It was.

My younger daughter offered to model it .She sure looks pretty.As you can tell...I snap chatted one of the pictures to all the girls... Well to my surprise... I got a call from another daughter saying ,she would love to wear it at Christmas time .

Yep...that is how that felt....Yep never a dull moment.

...moving on...

Playing and exploring in his now over grown playground....

This is an Oregon kid for you....its cold outside and he insists on a frozen treat...well now ,who am I to say no...

Tomorrow will bring us a day to honor our Veterans ....Raised military...The day has always been important . A day to remember...A day to be grateful ....

     

Thank you for all you do....

                           ~Counting EVERY Blessing ~

                              ¨*•♪♫•*Little Old Lady¨*•♪♫•*