Grandma

Family fun

2009-10-08T14:08:00.004-04:00

Sonya started ballet this fall. Isn't she a beauty?

She certainly is having fun!!

Judah is growing like a weed. He is crawling now and climbing stairs. He is standing up and moving around things. He doesn't sleep much. :(

During our Gatlinburg week in June, he got to be carried. He seemed to enjoy it enough.

In Gatlinburg for Rob's birthday, we went to the dinosaur museum and the aquarium. Everyone had a great time.

Sonya wanted her picture taken with the birds. When Aunt Robyn said "No", she didn't give Aunt Treva an option. Such fun.

Here are Rob and I with Missy in one of the courtyards in Gatlinburg. We were doing a little shopping that day. Had eaten breakfast and were just wandering around. We had a great time. The weather was good most of the time and everyone got to do something they wanted.

Something borrowed

2009-10-06T17:42:00.003-04:00

I borrowed this from Randy Alcorn's website. It really spoke to me.

Four things you can't recover...

Family Ties

2009-05-13T16:26:00.003-04:00

May 7 would have been my parents 60th wedding anniversary. I have been going through my Mom's stuff recently and came across these photos again.

It is so fun to reconnect with these memories. My grandmother Gensimore (back, left) was always short, and she got shorter as I got older, both because, of course, I grew, but also because ,with her osteoporosis, she shrunk.

This picture is of my grandmother, Mae Tate Price, my Mom and my Uncle Tom. Tom was killed in Germany during WWII and is buried in France at the Lorraine American Cemetery. We visited there in 2002 during our tour of France. He was a charmer and the bad boy of the bunch, which is hard to believe when you consider my Uncle Dave. They are both gone now.

Next week I am going to get to see my cousin David Price. We haven't seen each other for a very long time (probably 47 years due to his parents divorce). I am looking forward to it. David and I were young together in PA long ago. We have gone long roads apart, but God has brought us back together.

I am planning to go back to North Carolina for part of the summer. Of course, Rob is going to Morsetown, NJ in June. We will be spending two weeks vacationing with the kids - on week in Gatlinburg, TN and a week at our house, culminating with a visit to our friends Dave and Sandra Drew in Annapolis, MD on July 3rd. Can't wait for that party!! Should be lots of people we haven't seen for a long time and a chance to show our grandkids off to a new bunch of friends.

If summer ever comes....

Where is Spring?

2009-04-08T12:11:00.013-04:00

It is early April and I have been in NC with Rob for about 10 days. It is cold, and the snow has been flurrying in parts of the country. Where is Spring? I have had enough of not being able to read my e-mail in my PJ's and have cell phone service, so I am heading back to KY in a day or so. Rob is heading to sea on the LCS too, so I will not be leaving him alone really.

Since I left KY, Judah has been rolling over, swinging himself around on his back and began eating food. If I don't get back soon, he will be walking, according to Missy. HA! She is such a smarty pants.

Here are some pictures of Judah playing at my house...

And Sonya's fourth birthday party

It's still snowing in Kentucky

2009-02-03T14:21:00.003-05:00

I haven't been here for a while. So many people are now on Facebook, that I forget to come here and update things. Sorry friends!! We have been having quite a bit of snow and ice here in central Kentucky. I have begun to wonder if they moved Kentucky farther north, like to Canada when I wasn't looking. It is so annoying, but what can you do. I could go to North Carolina where they have rain. I am not sure that is really an improvement. Now if Rob had stayed in Orlando, that would be a different story all togethere.
Here are some random pictures of the crew:

Sonya and Jake at Tori's wedding in Dec.

The guys on Christmas...

Judah bundled and ready...

Roots

2009-01-10T22:46:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of the Price family around 1938 or so. The little girl is my mother. I have been doing some geneology research and wanted to copy some photos. As you can see it needs a little work. I bought Photoshop CS2 about a year or so ago. I am learning how to use it and this is my first venture. Not bad for a rockie. When I get the corner fixed, I will upload another for comparison.

Some time in the very near future, I will post Christmas pictures and some new pictures of Judah and Sonya. They continue to amaze and delight us. Till then.

Judah 8 weeks

2008-12-18T15:34:00.003-05:00

As you can see, our boy is growing and growing.

He is holding his head up. And starting to coo and goo and laugh.

He's amazing. And he is fun. And he goes through a lot of diapers!!

And the Princess!!

2008-11-03T11:44:00.006-05:00

Never let it be said that this child is shy!!

Or ugly!! Here some more of our Princess dressed for a Princess Ball

With her friends at Emma's Birthday Party

And with her baby brother:

More Judah Pictures

2008-11-03T11:38:00.004-05:00

Little long piano fingers

Precious baby boy

Little wrinkled toes.

We are having so much fun loving our new baby boy. He is sweet and good and we are so happy he is here.

Judah Arrives

2008-10-25T10:47:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, October 23, Judah arrived. Of course, he was scheduled to arrive that day, so it was really no surprise. He weighed 7 lbs and is 20 inches long. He has long fingers and toes - think piano hands. He loves to sleep and very seldom peeps out to look at the world. Here are a couple photos I shot at our first hospital visit Thursday afternoon.

Over the last several days, I have spent a lot of time with Sonya. She makes a face that I call her thundercloud face. Here is a picture of that face. At first she got mad at me when I said that to her; now she laughs and the face goes away. She is growing up too fast.

I love being here to play with Sonya and help Missy. What comes next is hard to know.

Some reasons why I am in KY

2008-10-07T16:52:00.003-04:00

Here are some of the reasons I am in Kentucky:

Our latest news is that Rob has been meeting with the team in Orlando about a job. Allan thought is was ironic. What will happen, who knows, but for now, I'm in the KY. Missing my man, but having Grandma fun.

I am vindicated

2008-09-12T09:55:00.003-04:00

There is something special about the selection of Sarah Palin as the vice presidential candidate. A woman just like me is running for the second highest office in the land. My favorite author, like me, has a difficult time writing about these issues without getting emotional. She has placed some links to her blog to let some other people speak about the issue. This link will take you to BJ's blog and the links. They add a balance to what has been going on in the mainstream media. We all are entitled to a better perspective.

http://bjhoffgrace.notes.typepad.com/bj_hoffs_grace_notes/

Enjoy!! Vote for Sarah. in the red lipstick!!

Kentucky Dream becomes REAL!!

2008-09-02T11:50:00.005-04:00

So we finally made it happen. We closed on our house in KY Aug 22.

The great room is roomy and homey. We love it!!

The kitchen too, has lots of room. But the YELLOW MUST GO!!
The Terra Cotta in this picture (Between the cabinet and counter top is the future color of this kitchen!!)

The Master bedroom with the new bedroom furniture is also comfy.

The bathroom is just the right size and th color will do.
Not shown are the other two bedrooms. One has been primed, covering the tourquise and purple for a new muted red, blue and white kids room. The front bedroom is a very muted green and has a guest bed and room for crafts.

What can you say when your granddaughter says, "Grandma, I like it that your house is close to mine" I came back to NC for what reason?

2008-07-29T11:00:00.008-04:00

Life changes every day. Can it really be 10 years since this picture was taken? On a trip to Houghton for parents weekend. Time flies and you never realize it until it is gone.

The Bathroom in NC is really fionished. Here are the last pictures to prove it!! Including art and the new bedroom decor.

Kentucky: No longer dreaming

2008-06-27T11:59:00.013-04:00

Two weeks ago, I was playing with Sonya. We had a great time together. I went to swimming class

Then we went to the Exploratorium.

Sonya was puppeteering

and studying

and making ameal in the little hut.

At home, we were always doing something - playing, reading, watching shows and, of course, creating...

In addition to all of this, I spent two days looking at houses. We decided to buy something small and convenient to Missy. It will give us a chance to see if we like Lexington enough to retire there, be close to help out when the new baby comes, and also give Missy and B a place to put company when someone else somes to town, since the future arrival of our new grandson Judah Gabriel will fill the house they now live in. It's on the golf course, so Rob can see if he likes that or not.

Restless

2008-06-02T15:37:00.007-04:00

I've been restless lately.
Maybe it's because of Rob's accident.........

or because I have been reading BJ Hoff's book "Song of Erin"

...or because Rob's job has been changed again.......

I've been homesick so to speak....

For the green hills and deep blue lakes....

For the smiles and laughter of the people

in the land of my ancestors

For a repreive from the pressures and uncertainty of daily living

For a chance to once again meander along narrow roads

and walk woodland pathways

To commune with antiquity

and dream of times yet to be.................

Rob's Update

2008-05-21T14:22:00.002-04:00

It has been over two weeks since Rob's accident. He is doing great. The wound is healing very well, in fact, almost of of it is new pink skin. He has returned to some of his normal activities and stopped taking his pain medication. We have had one trip to the Dr for follow up and return again next week. At that time we expect that he will release Rob to go back to work. If he does Rob will fly back to Mississippi sometime shortly thereafter.

Not much else to say this time. We are busy getting the house ready to sell. It is almost there. We have painted, carpeted, reorganized, dejunked and staged. Hopefully it will be just what some special person is looking for - views of the sound and a pool out back. We have loved being here, but feel that the time is right to move on. So once again, here we go...

Life happens

2008-05-07T10:58:00.005-04:00

Today, I am writing a completely different kind of story. What follows is the account of what happened on Saturday, May 3, 2008 as I have deduced it from Rob's story and a couple other people's observations.

Rob had hired a couple guys to come over and help us get rid of the Pampas grass in our yard. We have often burned brush in our back yard, and Rob decided to help get that done. There were two containers of flammable liquids - used motor oil and high performance gasoline. Apparently, there was some confusion as to which was in which. Rob picked up the blue kerosene container and poured some on the pile. When he lit the pile, it exploded, throwing him about 10 feet away. Rob said, his first thought was "Is this how it ends?" Fortunately, it is not. All those years of training and his guardian angels changed the whole equation. He remembered not to breathe, dropped to the ground and rolled. When he stood up, he used the hose to put out any other flame, then went into the house and scrubbed his arm. Our neighbor Pete came over and asked him if he was okay, and ,of course, Rob said yes. (Rob does not remember that conversation.). Since he was in shock, all of these things were done without him really knowing or feeling them. Good thing. The pain to clean his arm was horrific. Then Rob changed his shirt, went back outside, picked up his hat and glasses (which saved his face from severe burns) and got ready to drive himself to the ER. He was just coming out of the house when I pulled in from running my errands. He asked me if I would take him to the ER because he had burned his arm.

We spent a couple hours in Albemarle Hospital. The Dr there felt more comfortable sending Rob to the burn center at Norfolk General. They transported him by ambulance, and I followed a few minutes later. The team at Norfolk General were also wonderful. Since we had the option to stay in the burn unit or do home treatments for two days and return to the clinic we opted for professional care. That too proved to be a blessing. Rob was sent into the shower Sunday morning to debride the wound. The morphine kept him from passing out. Meanwhile one of the Dr's on the burn team was in surgery on another case. Our nurse ROBYN called him and he came down to see Rob. They treated his arm with aquacel, and told us that if it adhered to the burn we could go home the next day. If not, he would have to have a surgical debridement and they would try the aquacel again. The treatment worked, and we were able to come home Monday afternoon. Now the long recovery begins.

Rob's colleagues and supervisors at Lockheed Martin have been amazing. Mike Chen took the ball and rolled with it. I have had nothing to worry about and very little to do to get Rob's claim going. Rick Whitty and Linda from the Hampton office showed up at the hospital Monday morning before we checked out. People have called and e-mailed from everywhere. My prayer warriors have been very supportive, sendling messages and offers of help. We have been covered by the love of Christ through the body of Christ. We are so grateful.

I have always been aware of the great blessings of the Lord in my life, and not reticent to share. Now however I feel that I don't say enough. How can I not shout out loud the wonderful blessings of our wonderful God. Rob could have died. At the very least he could be much more severely injured. Yet still the Lord protected him and helped him. "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me".

Mirrors and fixtures

2008-04-30T15:48:00.006-04:00

Today they installed the mirrors and wall fixtures for the bathroom. Just one more thing - the shower doors.

Know anyone who would like to buy a house on the water? Call me!!

The work is finished - Sort of

2008-04-25T10:50:00.000-04:00

Well, the work is finished - or almost.
The carpet is in.

The painting is done.

The closet has been installed and the clothes are back in place.

The bathroom is done - except for the doors on the shower. And the mirrors which I can't find. and hanging the fixtures.
It seems like there is always something that snags my projects and drags on for weeks.

I can't get over how different everything looks with the same carpet everywhere. I know it was a hodgepodge before, but it really makes a big change.

I am glad that the worst is over. When you put new carpet in, it is like moving, only instead of your stuff going to a new location, you have to cram it into a small space and then put it all back. I hope I never have to do that again.

Trip to Lexington

2008-04-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

The end of March is Sonya's birthday, so I had the excuse to travel to Kentucky to be with Missy, Brandon and Sonya. We had a great time. and did a lot of great activities. First we went to Easter Service.

Then we hunted for eggs...

First downstairs:

Then Upstairs

In the middle of the week, I spent two days looking at houses. Some beautiful old homes in Versailles, great ranches on Chinoe, and a marvelous fixer upper on Deshay. If I had the money for that I would jump in right now and redo it. It is a great location and the house has great potential. The next day I spent in Georgetown, looking at golf course homes. I was sure that when Rob and I drove around, he would pick the golf course home nearest Missy, but the character of the older homes in Versailles won out. We are currently making an offer on a property in Versailles, so I will keep that a surprise till we know something definite. I will have the house in NC on the market by the first of May, having finished the Master Suite bathroom and closet, new carpet, and of course the sunroom. Know anyone who wants to hear the sound of the sea everyday? It's a great house (now that I have fixed everything!!)

Saturday was Sonya's Birthday party. Missy did a Nemo theme. Pap did some art work. The cookie had an orange fish, and the games were all based on the water. The favors were fun. Fish caught at the game were placed in a "fish tank" with some shells. I wanted to do live fish - all the parents were glad that didn't happen!! Sonya had several of her friends and their parents over, and we all had a great time.

All in all it was a lovely time. Pap and Robyn were there. Holly and Daniel came over for a little while. The kids had a great time playing together. Missy gives a great birthday part. Guess I will have to let her plan my next big one - about two years down the road!!

The Sunroom

2008-03-20T14:11:00.001-04:00

Well, the Sunroom is done. Lots of other mess still happening, but the sunroom is done. Instead of screens, I have great windows that can be opened to let the air flow, but kept buttoned up for warmth and privacy. The tinted windows make it more secluded, but you can see out like before. I am having all my cushions recovered with my Waverly chintz since I don't have to worry about critters living on them anymore. It will be nice to be able to sit on my swing without having to clean it everytime. Sorry, Scratch!!

On a lighter note, Rob got to experience the latest bit of pull-your-hair-out drama. The electric company came to install the new line for our meter. In the process they ripped the old line out of the transformer, smoked the transformer and shredded the phone line. Just a normal day of work for those guys. Needless to say all the other work that might have gotten done that day did not. But even the phones were back on line before we went to bed that night. Monday the electrical crew came in and installed the meter, put in all my new lights and installed the towel warmer. The painting is also finished. Now the tile is being installed.

I am looking forward to a week with my family in Georgetown. Sonya and I are going to color eggs, and make sock puppets and look for a new house for Grandma Pap. We will also be celebrating her birthday. She will be three. Time just goes so fast!! She is a young person and is so much fun to talk to and play with. She prefers you to tell stories to having them read, so my creative juices are being stretched. Fortunately I know stories she hasn't read yet!! It has been too long since I have seen her this time, so I will overstay my welcome to make up for it!! Hopefully I'll have a picture or two of us when I get back.

Winter migrations

2008-03-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning when I drove to work the Snow geese, who have been migrating through our area, were settled in the field I had to drive by. In anticipation of this opportunity, I had been leaving my camera in the car. When you drive up on them, they first appear as several inches of snow on the ground. As you draw closer, however, they begin to be distinguished as living creatures, and then materialize into the beautiful birds that they are.

It doesn't take much to spook them, and the noise is as loud as the jets at Oceana. They whirl and swirl and dance their aereal and ground ballet. We aren't priveleged to their company for very long, unlike the Canadian geese who often live here all year long, but they are a beuatiful reminder that Spring - that long awaited joy - is just around the corner.

A New Thing and an Old Thing for Grandma

2008-03-05T14:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess the best way to share what is going on in life is to BLOG. So here I am, this old Grandma, wrting and posting pictures about what's up.

Right now I am in the middle of another remodel, the purpose of which is to make the house competitive with new construction so I can sell it and move to KY - Lexington to be specific. So as usual, my house is a mess, and there are workers crawling all over the place.

The screened back porch is gone in favor of an enclosed sunroom, and the master suite will really be that when we are done. Two small baths have been combined to make one bath and the upstairs hall has been confiscated to become the master closet. The door to the master has been widened, making it feel more expansive (Did I say expensive?).

We have also upgraded and moved the electric meter, and will recarpet the entire upstairs when this work is finished. They are supposed to complete the work in 5 weeks (I guessed 8). We are now in the second week, and the drywall is up and they will sand the mud tomorrow. I have chosen tile, and glass doors for the shower, and lights, and ordered an antique looking vanity and a towel warmer. There will be heating under the ceramic floor.

Not quite as ambitious as my kitchen remodel, but just as disruptive.

Poor Robyn has come home to land for a few weeks, and has to get up early because there are workers in the house around 8AM every day. But That's life - especially around my house.