Happy New Year!

 We had a lovely time ringing in the New Year with Grandpa in town. It was a fun little celebration and we have continued to be somewhat early to bed, some day our kids will stay up til midnight...

Grandpa and Nana's House

We went to Grandpa and Nana's for a night to give Jeremy some more time to write. It was a fun quick trip and Jenny, E and A joined us. Jen and Diane went off to see Lady Gaga while Grandpa and I held down the fort with the little ones. I didn't get many pics of our adventuring (a little golf, playground, scooter riding time) but I got a pic of a pile up on Grandpa. Then Kate felt left out because there was just not room on Grandpa's lap so she had her own pic and I ruined it by getting it totally blurry.

Grandpa Babysitting

I got home after working the book fair to find Grandpa doing a stellar job of babysitting :-)  

I come to find out he had just fallen asleep and that Kate is also asleep on the couch. Jaydon had been with me at the book fair so he just got their to join in watching the show that was keeping Lucy occupied.

Lucy and Grandpa's art

Grandpa came to babysit the girls while I had a one day conference.  They had fun and when I returned I saw this picture that they colored together.  I was so impressed! Lucy really did a lot of the work (I think Grandpa was the little chicks and some of the fence).

Visit to Silver Lake

Grandpa and Nana came back into town and we decided to go to Silver Lake.  Nana unfortunately had to head back to T-town because her parents had both fallen and needed medical care but Grandpa was able to join us at the lake.  We had a good time enjoying the sun and since it was one of the cooler days (though still nice and warm) the beach wasn't very crowded.

Making sand castles

A bathing beauty

ahhh, playing together nicely for 5, 4, 3, 2... let's just say sibling rivalry has hit the Smoldon house :-)

Grandpa was tired from traveling to Spokane so he decided to take a nap

Jaydon playing with the warm sand

Lucy is my water girl!

Storytime with Grandpa

Grandpa got into town (Nana will be arriving in a couple days) and we get to enjoy a week and a half of time spent with them.  The kids are in heaven already and between Lucy always wanting stories ad to snuggle with Troy and Jaydon wanting to play baseball Grandpa is kept busy!

Jaydon, Lucy and Troy enjoying the stories Grandpa was reading

Great-Grandpa Stange, a tribute

My grandfather was admitted to the hospital a week and a half ago with congestive heart failure. The reports were actually pretty good and they were working to get his heart rate and blood pressure under control with plans to have him go back to his FOSS home. Unfortunately on Sunday morning he took a turn for the worse with liver and kidney failure. The whole family got chances to make it and say good-bye before he passed away very peacefully on Tuesday afternoon. We will miss you grandpa!

Enjoying a family BBQ and reunion this last summer

Here is a picture of the whole family taken before my grandma passed away three years ago. He never really wanted to have to live without her.

Meeting Jaydon for the first time.

A bad photo of four generations, probably the only photo from my side of the family that has four generations in it.

Taking Grandpa to a Thai restaurant to celebrate some event - he loved Thai food and we loved getting to go enjoy it with him.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in 2010. A funny story, he never waited for anyone to eat. When he was dished he was ready and he would eat.

Celebrating his last Christmas. He loved being around Jaydon and watching him. I was very glad we were able to take Jaydon down for a last visit on Sunday and say our good-byes, it was very hard for Jaydon to see Grandpa in the hospital but it was really good for Grandpa to see us all and he lit up seeing Jaydon.

The patriarch, reading a Chinese fortune telling book at Christmas.