Where did August go?

Oh my, no posts in August? Not even one? Well, we were busy. We really were. So, I guess, I need to write just a little synopsis (for posterity?). 

There was Wade's birthday in mid month. 

Ha-ha, the boys were so eager to   the candles, their Dad didn't even have a chance. They got scolded and had to light the candles again to their Dad so he could do the blowing out all by himself and make his wish.

Week before started we had them for a whole day. Lucky grandparents. They were excited to go to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (our membership is well worth it).

First stop was the butterfly house. 

The butterflies were very friendly.

Even landing on Owen. Well, that was not a good place.

Back at the house ... it is the grandparents duty to spoil: ice cream!

Ha-ha, and then there are things like forgetting the wonderful sweet cherries when I cleaned them. Oh no. They were not so sweet anymore and had lost some of their color. What to do? Yes, making a cobbler. 

James said that it was a really good one.

School started for our boys "over the river". 

Wade sent us this photo after he dropped them of at the school bus stop. 

William in Nashville already had done a whole week of school.

A few days we helped out being there when they came back with the school bus. Cooper, their new puppy, was waiting with me on top of the drive way.

Stella is used to going with James actually to the stop.

A week before our trip to Europe we decided to be even more extra careful and going on kind of a quarantine. Friends from our Friday evening going to a restaurant for dinner group decided to have a cook-out in their back yard. It was a fun evening.We learned how to properly butter our corn-on-the-cobs. 

Needless to say we enjoyed our garden the whole summer. 

And just two days ago we celebrated our twins becoming 6-year-olds.

I had a lot more very pretty photos but ... too late now. We are sitting at a gate in the airport with strict orders to blog about our trip. Yes, I promised to more than one person to do that. Hope I can keep my promise. It is always the issue of the WiFi. (Hope I can upload this)

More cousins time

Making the best out of the few days. William had been invited to spend the night from Wednesday to Thursday (23). Wade kept saying that the boys were having a good time playing outside, up the newly built treehouse and riding their bikes. Finally after lunch we retrieved William. Ha-ha, he had had a workout. 

Helen had told us weeks ago that she and William had wanted to see the Nashville Cheakwood lights but were not able to. James and I got tickets for this evening to see the lights at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Because of covid we had to have tickets and wear masks most of the time. We got them early enough and got them for the time we wanted. It had become very, very cold now though. Ha-ha, the masks warm your face though.

First we went into the big greenhouse. There was a huge Christmas tree and the orchid house still had a few blooms.

The lights were incredible though. I was happy to hear Helen saying several times that this exceded her expectations. It was pretty spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice, even though most are from Helen again.

We were bundled up but it was a cold, cold night (at 5:30 pm). At one place there was a fire. Can you see Helen and William at the other site?

William had seen a sign 'to the maze'. We almost missed it, but this was not what we had expected. Here it is and Helen and William somewhere there with the octapus behind it.

We had to pass one place with a line way too long but suddenly found another stand with hot chocolate. Yeah! Helen's is already gone but William is happy warming even his hands on it.

At the end we popped into the room with the gigantic model train. That was so fun. We could have spent a lot of time finding out about all the little details. 

Helen's VIDEO shows the engine puffing smoke.    (1:06 minutes)   And hot air balloons and planes hanging over the landscape.

In the library was an exhibition of Christmas trees decorated by different classes from different elementary schools. Very interesting (at least to me).

This tree in the back behind William in the next is decorated with flowers from the botanical garden collected and dried all summer long. I got an explanation how to do it but I think I will skip that as pretty it may be.

William found the puzzle more interesting. I think he found a piece in that short time.

On the way home we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. Yummy! 

December 24 - Christmas Eve

We all slept a bit longer. Helen and William prepared a frittata from a recipe they had brought. It is an excellent recipe. Kept it!

And then the cousins showed up. It was cold but the sun makes a big difference. James was with the boys in the back yard and as always - they rolled down our little hill - into the leaves which the yard people had NOT cleaned away yet. 

Ha-ha, for things not to get out of hand, Papa brought rakes and his blowers from the garage and the boys had a good time cleaning it up. 

After lunch when they had left, James, William and I decided to go for a little walk in the neighborhood. The sun was so tempting. 

Omi needs a photo. And here it is:

Wow, look how tall the boy already is. Or is Omi shrinking?

Helen and William had a surprise. They have to leave very early on my birthday so they decided to give me an early surprise. The cake was so delicious. No crums were left.

The Christmas service James and I prefer is the one starting at 11pm. So do Helen and William. It was very nice and meaningful. 

It was way past midnight before we were home. We had to do some chilling ...

 

... and some cuddling ...

... and some playing.

Yes, it got late. Another good day. Happy days!

Catching up

OMG, I worte my last blog August 13. That is a while ago. Some of our British family told us that they were not up-to-date with us. And now ... where do I start?

Saturday August 14 - Wade's birthday. They came back that day from a week at the beach and the birthday was very casual. The boy's of course could not leave their Dad's candles alone and had to blow them out before he had a chance. But everybody had fun.

Monday (16th) James and I were "hired" to take care of the boys. No nanny. Did we really want to get up that early to be at their house at 7:15am? Omi had a great idea. Let's have a slumber party. The boys thought it was a great idea. The parents didn't think it was a bad idea either. Omi promised the boys to sleep on that sofa behind them. Promises are being kept! (Never mind how much "little" sleep Omi got)

The weather wasn't very good but it also could have been worse. So, what to do? At 9 am we went arount the corner to a friend's house to do some deadheading. I know how to open her garage and found her clippers and with mine we had enough to make everybody happy. Eager beavers cut a lot of dead daisy heads off. We also did a little bit of weeding. Gosh, just have to love those boys. We were so proud of them.

What else could we do? It looked like rain all day. But, it would be warm rain, right? We are members at the botanical garden so ... if it rains ... no money lost.

Unfortunately no butterflies in the conservatory. But still a lot to see.

Everybody loved the waterlilies. Especially the gigantic leaves.

The twins remembered the LOVE sign from a previous visit and run there and I had to take the photos.

While his brothers climbed that gigantic old tree, Owen kept hugging the monkey statue. He thought the monkey had something to eat in his paws but when we investigated that it was a harmonica he knew what to do, ha-ha.

Monkey bars! Caleb was impressive. See VIDEO   (0:20 minutes)

Could not find the sign to tell us what this is.

This was interesting. Wondering who did this? A children's group for sure. These are all painted stones. The boys were walking around and pointing out there favorites. They were truly amazing.

No fishes and not even turtles to be seen today.

I was talked into taking this photo. "Omi, you have too." Can you see the mockingbird?

What else is there to report?

William is back in school. A 6th grader! Second year in middle school. After last year was totally virtual its in a real class room now. He needs masks. What might he like? And no trying on. Sigh.

Not often we have food cooked by others. This day I did not feel like cooking. A close new mexican restaurant has a lovely outdoor area. And the food is very nice too.

Last Thursday I really felt like spoiling myself. A pedicure was overdue. I teased Sarah by sending her this photo "guess where I am?" I got purple toes now.

And Friday we went out with some friends to a chinese restaurant. Don't worry: everybody is vaccinated. We are very careful. 

When the furtune cookies came, James and I had exactly the same. Really? I can't remember what the surprise was.

And ... it is still very hot and humid here. It doesn't bother me but I am right now so busy with something that it was already dark by the time I got around to do some walking. I am not very good at the moment about getting my 10,000 steps. I am trying. I put one of the lamps on my head we had bought for the tunnel walk when William was visiting. 

And ... yes, yesterday I finally started the gift from Helen. Will tell you about it next time.

Caught up. Yeah! Wishing you all a wonderful September starting tomorrow!