Happy Days are HERE AGAIN...Family REunIoN TiMe!....Part 1

Family reunions are always filled with great memories....BUT I like to think our family has some "pretty FABULOUS" memories from all of the many years of family gatherings. We ALWAYS have great laughs and good times no matter what it is we are doing or where we happen to be celebrating "family", on any particular year. This year we happened to be celebrating our fun, crazy family at the top of a mountain at the beautiful Avintaquin Campground. We were greeted with several of these RATHER LARGE un-welcomed pack-rats that lived in the restroom. I've never seen a rodent in the mouse family quite as LARGE as this (that wasn't a rat of course). He lived in the bathroom and felt it necessary to guard the commodes! I would have to say, he did a might fine job....there wasn't anyone that was willing to trespass to "do their business".....we all walked down the hill, through the fallen trees, over the brush and rocks to the OTHER bathroom......UNTIL one of the fury creatures took over that bathroom too.................!!!

We had a "shooting contest" while camping this year, those involved had 

the time of their lives!

Daniel Boon AKA Calab....and his trusty weapon

Camping with teens and their phones...Halle was thrilled that there was cell phone reception

at the top of the mountain!

Riley makes friends no matter where he goes....we will call him the "dog whisperer"...

Aunt Saundra made the trip all the way from Las Vegas to spend a few days in the 

mountain air...and RAIN!

Macey, and one of her many disguises...the "orange" sunglasses....

Kissing cousins....Calab's first girlfriend is a much older woman, Alex~

Papa Kay and Grandma Kathy enjoying some R&R.....the only way to do reunions!

Ashley NEVER stop smiling....she brings a little love where ever she goes

Kayden is also a great "dog sitter"....

"Smiley Riley"....

Day one of the reunion was a hit...everyone enjoyed some relaxing, campfire chatting and 

lots of laughs.......stay tuned for the "rest of the story....."

The LAST of the LAST's....sad day!

My baby is a senior this year!!! WHERE in the world has the time gone!??

It wasn't but yesterday that she turned 5 and was so excited to start kindergarten

and NOW, just one day later.......she is a MIGHTY SENIOR.

I've had mixed emotions about this day...I'm happy that she is healthy, 

and strong, and full of life! I am glad that she loves school and has 

goals that extend past her senior year. I'm grateful she is headed down

a path that will bring her happiness in this life, as well as the next. 

She has so many talents and abilities, I know she can do whatever

she sets her mind out to do!!!.....AND....

...I get sad when I think that she is our last one home. Everything we experience

with her in her senior year, will be the LAST TIME we will experience "senior year" too....

sure, everyone says we will get to experience it with grandkids, but thats entirely different!

HALLE is our youngest, and at times has been an only child at home. She 

said she doesn't remember much about her older siblings living under the same roof, 

and often has felt like an only child. She is fun to hang out with...we've been able to 

spend a lot of one on one time over the past couple of years, and I've really

gotten to know her better. I'm REALLY GOING to MISS her when she 

leaves for college in the fall....sometimes I cry now, just thinking about it! 

There are many days that I wished I could go back to this "1st day of Kindergarten"

and relive the past 12-13 years....they haven't been perfect, but they have been wonderful!

I miss the days of all my kids under my roof and all the fun times we had!

Newborns....GOD'S reminder to us that "LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!"

Mike and Kim had Landry's "newborn" pictures taken a couple of weeks

ago...he completely melts my heart. I can't believe how tiny

he is and how perfect every little feature is.

This one picture is going to hang in my living room. He is 

like a little bundle of joy!

He has the sweetest little face, the cutest little curly hair and he warms

my heart every time he looks at me. He turns his head and looks toward my voice. He's a great little 

cuddle bug and he is a handsome little peanut, fresh from heaven!

OH HOW I LOVE THIS LITTLE MAN!!!

Summer Bucket List...Sunset at the Lake?...not quite~

I wanted to go sit at the lake and watch a sunset....never made it though, BUT

I saw the onset of a gorgeous sunset one night and headed up to the upper part of town, 

on top of a hill where you can see just about everything from there.

THE SUNSET DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I probably took over 100 shots of it because

it was just so breathtaking. There is nothing as beautiful as a sunrise or sunset...they are 

a gorgeous way to begin and end the day....

The colors were magnificent...ranging from bright flaming orange to

pinks and purples, depending on where you looked. I only wished they lasted longer than the VERY

few minutes that they do. So glad that I live where I can enjoy the beauty 

of the world! 

Summer Bucket List...Green Thumb....not so much!

One of my summer bucket list items was to plant an herb garden.

I thought if I planted it in pots I could bring the pots in when it got cool and 

have the herbs all winter too.....that would have worked just 

fine except........

they wouldn't grow!!! I planted basil, lavender, garlic chives, oregano, and something else (I can't remember what it was)....4 DIFFERENT TIMES and never even got a sprout. 

The garlic chives grew after I planted them 2x, but everything else did nothing. 

I guess I'm not an herb gardener.....BUT I  DID get these beautiful flowers to grow!

They decorated the deck perfectly. I vowed to try herbs ONE last time next spring and 

see if I can redeem myself~

THE BIG Day....Baby Boy Coats

We've been waiting for 9 long months to meet Mike and Kim's sweet little guy. 

After spending and UNPRODUCTIVE 14 hours in the hospital, 

being sent home (IN LABOR), 

packing up an entire house getting it ready to move in 4 days, a few long 11pm walks

down the main street of a very RURAL "village" (for a lack of better words...no gas station or store makes it a village...sort of doesn't it?!...but in a sweet and loving way)...

a rather SHORT-contraction filled 4am walk and a DEFINITE, "IT'S TIME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL", then another 10 1/2 hours of labor.....we FINALLY got to meet this little angel.... 

His beautiful mommy was a trooper...she never complained once (especially happy after her epidural)

THE LAST picture they had as a 2 person family!

A VERY ANXIOUS and EXCITED daddy, wanting this little guy to arrive...SOON!

...OKAY.....its getting to be a long day, baby boy coats was getting a little stressed, so Kim

gets to wear the infamous "nasal cannula"...which isn't much fun!

Before long...what do we hear.....?!....a little bundle of joy entering into the world!

Daddy got to put the first diaper on, even if it started out "going on backwards", he 

stuck it through and came out like a champ as he diapers his son...the first of MANY TIMES!

Baby boy Coats gets to meet mommy for the first time....tears filled the room by all who witnessed

this sweet greeting!

Their very first FAMILY of 3 picture...a perfect beginning!

Baby Boy Coats has mixed feelings about being out into this cold, bright world.....

But quickly calms down as daddy snuggles with him.

I had the special privilege of being there during the entire event and for a week afterward

...it was a VERY special experience for me and one that I will cherish forever!

His weights and measurements....a very TALL little man!

MEET "Landry Michael Coats"....the newest angel in the family!

Landry isn't quite sure about this "bath time thing"...in fact he hated every

second of that "first time" in the water!

Bath time is over, now a good rub down with yummy baby lotion, extra hugs

and kisses from mommy and daddy, and then some adorable "threads"....he's a 

happy camper!....."now where's dinner"...he says~

Didn't take long before our sweet pink angel turned yellow...jaundice hit with a vengeance

as his bilirubin level hit a whooping 17.8...so he got a "mummy suit" and 5 days on the Bili Lights~

He celebrated his FIRST week birthday....a big day for an adorable little guy!

I went home after spending a week and a half with my sweet daughter, her wonderful husband and this handsome little guy! It was so hard to walk out the door and say good bye....I've never been good at saying "good-bye", but this day seemed to be one of the hardest. I cried most of the 3 hour drive home and then for several days afterward....it was TOUGH! I enjoyed the special time I got to spend with this dear little family! I love being a mom and mother-in-law! Its one of the best things ever....but being a GRANDMA, is even better than that! GRANDKIDS truly are the apple of their grandma's eye! I miss snuggling with this sweet little guy, watching him as he studies my face, my voice and his surroundings. I miss the long talks that Kim and I had all day. I miss the late night chats with Mike, and I miss the 3am chat and nap time when I got to hold this little guy while his mommy and daddy caught up on some sleep. Families are Forever and I'm SO GRATEFUL FOR MINE!!

Independence Day Hoopla...

Okay, its pathetic, I know....here it is SEPTEMBER and I'm just posting

July's festivities....being behind in life seems to be my "THEME" these days!

ON my summer bucket list I set out to have a "BBQ with extended family". This 

took place on July 4th. Deron's brother just moved back to UTAH and it seemed 

like the perfect day for a RED, WHITE and BLUE celebration! 

Halle made a super yummy and creative cake to "spice up" the feast~

Grandpa Wilkerson joined in a game of Bochee (I realize that is probably spelled wrong).

ALL the kids were so excited that grandpa wanted to play...I think they enjoyed spending 

time with him more than the game itself!

Kenron and Halle had fun playing and "jumping", as Kenron would put it~

The adults and kids alike, just enjoyed food and relaxing and good old fashioned "chatting". 

As the sun started going down that night, we all could see it was going to be a FABULOUS 

sunset. But from our house all we could see was a smidgen of it, so we ventured down the road

for a FULL VIEW of what it was really going to look like.....

It was BREATH TAKING to say the least!.....a site to behold, another reminder that

GOD is in control and blesses our lives with the beauties of the world!

So GLAD to be an AMERICAN, where at least I know I'm free...

What a blessing it is!!!