Day # 27 ("A Child I Love")

As you may know, I don't have any grandbabies. I have several grand-kitties (whom I do adore!), but none of the human variety. In fact, do you think my dear daughter was trying to tell me something when she bought me the pillow, pictured above???!

BUT... there is one darling child on the planet who calls me "Grandma" and OH, I LOVE IT!  His name is Eric, and he is 9 years old.

Eric is the son of our dear ("almost-son"), Jerod.  We love spending time with BOTH of them (and Jerod's wife, Steph).  They are our "family", too.

Here is Eric (at 2 years old) with his daddy. Are they NOT two peas in a pod????!

And here are a few recent pictures. Isn't he ADORABLE???!

Eric loves motorcycles, trucks, soccer, trampoline jumping, and those crazy little "silly bandz". 

And I am proud and honored that he loves me, too... he gave me this note recently (for no apparent reason whatsoever). 

Awwww, I love you, too, Squirt!!! xoxo

Day # 17 (A Photo of my Family)

(The 30-day blog challenge continues... this is Day # 17; thirteen more to go!)

"A photo of my family."  Hmmmmm.  This proved a little more challenging than I first expected!  "My family", eh?

Well, which "arm" of my family?   My *first* family: mom and dad, sisters and me? 

Or my *own* family: me and my husband and our two kids? 

Or the "family reunion" kind of family -- you know, with ALL the rellies --aunts, uncles, cousins, halves, steps, in-laws, out-laws, ex's and friends??? 

And then that begs a further question: a recent photo or an older one ???  (Yes, I realize I am probably reeeeeally over-thinking this... I tend to do that!!!)

So basically I decided that NO ONE PHOTO can possibly meet ALL the potential criteria... so you will just have to bear with me through SEVERAL photos!

So, in (kinda, sorta) chronologic order...

1.  My "first" family:
This is my sister Lana (the blonde), and me (I was 12), and Dad and Mom.
Since my other (oldest) sister Laurel is not in this picture... I will have to find another with her in it!

Then, here's a picture of "my own" family, my husband Barry, me, and our 2 kids.  It's a LITTLE more recent than some of the other family photos I have posted during this blog challenge; Josh was 18, Kendra was 8.   Yes, I know... my hair was very dark and very short!  It was a phase.  And thankfully it didn't last toooo long!
(OH! FYI, I made my daughter's dress and hair bow... you can't really see it in this scan-of-a-picture-of-a-picture, but it was pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!!!)















And one of my husband and me, Kendra and her husband on a cruise we took last year:

And OH, I don't wanna forget a picture of my beautiful sister Laurel:

And just because it makes me smile, here's one of the "3 Sisters", taken *cough* a FEW years ago!!!
Left to right:  Laurel, Lana, me. (Lana with her eyes closed again -- I  told you!!!)

And because it brings back such fun memories, here's a photo of SOME of us on a family vacation.
(Yeah, I know, same bad hair for me, but LOOK!  Lana's eyes are open!)

And for no reason other than I love it, a picture of Josh and Barry:























And no "family album" would be complete without a picture of Jerod, who is like a son to us:

And so NOW, to catch (almost) everyone else that hasn't yet been posted, here's a picture taken a couple of years ago at Kendra's wedding.  Presenting... The. Whole. Fam. Damily...

Ta DA...

(FYI: our side of the family on the left [can you tell who's who?!]; groom's family on the right.)
















*Whew!*  I hope this satisfies the "requirements" for a proper "Photo of My Family" post!  I gotta tell ya' -- it was touch-and-go there for awhile!!!  ;o)

**** TOMORROW:  "A Baby Photo".  OH YEAH, you GOTTA see this...