Surprise Party for Grandma Dort!

My beautiful and tough-cookie Grandma Dorothy turned 81 this month and my sisters and our families surprised her with a little party. She had a rough January...she had a bad fall and broke her arm and had to have a pin and screws put in her shoulder. Youch. See what I mean? Tough cookie.


She blew out the candles so fast, I made her "pose" again so I could get the shot!

The great grandkids made her a special "scroll" with loving words and sketches.

Esias spent most of the time doing this...playing with the double-sided laundry shoot!

Elly Grimes, Marine Biologist

Elly loves animals and water...and animals in water. This day she asked if she could have a bowl of water and one of Esias' feeding syringes. I found her feeding this poor ailing dolphin :) I really think she might become a veterinarian. She LOVES animals.

I think we were reading...

A few new pics...where is Eden? She's never in the pics...

These two are becoming quite the little pair of buddies.


This is early one morning...hoping Spring comes soon.


Esias watching Cars.

Mr. Smiley

Tiki Tiki Tembo

Today we were reading a book that said, "Speak your brother's name with reverence!" (Tiki Tiki Tembo) and Elly said, "What's reverence mean?" and I said, "It means to speak his name with more--" and she said, "Pizazz?"

Esias Update

Esias has been so cute lately, albeit ornery. He is mimicking the girls all the time. The other night, the kids had all had baths and Dan was combing their wet hair one head at a time. When Elly and Eden get their hair combed, they whine and fuss about how it hurts their tender heads. Last it was Esias' turn and Dan barely had the comb to his hair when he started to go, "ooohw, ooohw". I wasn't sure what he was trying to say but Dan knew: "He's whining like Elly!"

May not seem like much, but this is a great step for speech development! He also follows the girls and does whatever they do. If they are going to brush their teeth, he's going to. If they are chanting for ice cream, he's yelling for it too.

He had a fever this week and was really Momma's boy (love it) and wanted to be held and cuddled all day Friday. Even though he wanted Mommy he did not fuss at all when I left for the gym both Friday and Saturday, he just sees me getting ready, waves, and says, "BUH!" He also FOR SURE says "Muuuhhm" for Mom. All the time now. I am in heaven.

Love my boy!