Tomatoes, balls, and chalk

The boys had all kinds of fun together.  Emerson was curious about what was growing in the backyard...so Benjamin took him out to pick tomatoes. 

Emerson wasn't impressed.

He was happier with the blue ball... a bit more exciting, in his opinion, than a red tomato!

Emerson also found some chalk!  Oh boy...

Benjamin was busy with the wood chips after he ate some tomatoes...

"Ben!  Look at this!" 

Benjamin loves writing with chalk as much as Emerson...

He decided to demolish a piece or two of chalk with his hammer.... (just kidding...he was just hammering insects...just kidding again....I actually don't remember what he was hammering!)

Emerson got busy with the chalk.

Expecting that he and his cousin would need a lot of space for their masterpiece, Benjamin decided to move the swimming pool out of the way.

....and off they went...writing with their chalk...

Papa joined the chalk-party...

Benjamin decided to try his chalk-toss.... look at that aim!  Right inbetween his Papa and his cousin...and he didn't hit either one of them!

Emerson designated himself as the 'keeper of the chalk' ...

 He sat it down for awhile ... and they drew and wrote with the chalk...

 The boys discussed the finer points of writing with chalk...

 and the not-so-fine parts, like getting chalk dust all over you!

 Papa even got chalk dust all over his hands...

"Look, Mimi!"

 Papa left the chalk party ... but the boys didn't move...they still had a lot of writing/drawing to do...

What fun they had together.... talking, laughing together...

 arguing over who gets to write there... (notice Emerson's hand...squeezing his cousin's fingers!)

 arguing a little more...

 well...

alls well that ends well...

I think that's what the saying is!

Emerson and Benjamin... how fun to have a cousin with just 17 days difference from your age!

"Are You Ready?" .... "Ready!"

 Emerson and Benjamin had so much fun playing together!  After playing 'Thomas the train', and riding the airplanes, and getting in a little tiff over a toy or two, they started running... running from the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the living room - where they had a captive audience who all think they are the cutest little 2 1/2 year old boys on the planet!

 

They would start in the kitchen, leaning up against the cabinets.  One of them would look at the other, "Are you ready?"  The other would answer, "Ready!" and off they would go.  They both had to have slept like logs that night...they ran and they ran and they ran and they ran!

Too cute!

Reading

 

Bliss!  I was with both my little men on Saturday...  After playing with Thomas the Train...and Percy... Benjamin grabbed a book, climbed up in his bed, and laid down to read.  Emerson decided to do the same.  Only as he was leaning back to lay down, his shoulders hit the bumper pads...no problem, he just stayed like that, leaning back to read his book.  Benjamin was loving his 'Goodnight Moon'... but he also loves 'Trucks' that Emerson was reading...

 

He decided to close up 'Goodnight Moon'....

and join his cousin in reading 'Trucks.'

What you have to understand about 'Trucks' is that each right side of the page has little windows that open and close.  On the left side, for example, there might be a red fire truck, a yellow backhoe, a blue cement mixer... and on the right side would be a little sliding door that says 'red.'  If you open the 'red' door, a matching picture of the red fire truck would be there.

The boys were loving opening and closing the little doors...

 

Benjamin was explaining to Emerson how it all worked...

Precious...they were precious!

I was loving listening to their conversations... they're such little boys now, buddies, friends...and of course, cousins!

October 18th

 Thalia... my sweetheart granddaughter, is 12 years old!

She is my chosen one!  Thalia asked me over 3 years ago if I would still love her when Lindsey and Emily had the boys.  That broke my heart that she would even think to ask that question.  I told her she was chosen... She had been chosen by Joshua...and chosen by her  Papa and I...  many are born into families - and you're delighted and ecstatic when they are, but few are actually chosen.  Thalia is one of the few...she has a special place that no one else can take.
 
Look how she's changed!  She was an adorable little girl, and now she's a beautiful young lady...

...beautiful inside and out!

This was last year when she was turning 11...

 
She's been my granddaughter for a long time....

 

This has been in my Bible for a long time... it's a note she left for Joshua one night when she came and hopped in bed with me.  I think it is so absolutely precious!

Mimi and Thalia in 2005

Mimi and Thalia in 2010

I adore her!

She's always, always loved animals!  When she was 4 years old, she'd cry when she didn't get to see Ozzie, our former neighbor, Pete's, dog.  Of course, she loved Eskie too!

Thalia grew up, and so did her animals! 

My sweet granddaughter....

Happy Birthday, Thalia!

Your Mimi loves you!

This is how it should be sung!

Emerson and Mimi

I haven't been doing a lot with Photoshop lately... seems like I've been so busy!  But I just downloaded these frames and thought I'd try them out with some photos of Emerson!

Love the frames...and definitely love Emerson!