Princess Festival 2012

 Mark and I were able to take Ruby and Olivia to the Princess Festival while they were here.

Mark and Christian took Ruby last year, but this was the first time Olivia and I attended.

The Festival is held in the children's garden at Thanksgiving Point. There are princess all around and each princess has a story that is acted out with lessons about service and kindness for the audience to learn about. Last year Ruby was a bit traumatized by the step sisters in the Cinderella play and did not want to go to any of the little plays so we wandered around a little bit. First we looked for the Princess and the frog (who was really good at math problems). We found the princess but no frog...

We found Rapunzel:

 

   and then something the girls got excited - a horse and carriage

 

Unfortunately it turned out that a carriage ride was $8.00 per person...  
Ouch! So we just pet the horse instead which the girls were quite happy with. Ruby was not afraid at all and Olivia kept a close eye on the horse. He was a very gentle and mellow, very large horse!

The playground caught Ruby's eye as she is an expert at climbing.

 The day was getting warm so we had a snack in the shade and a big drink of water before drawing chalk pictures with Peter Pan and Wendy

 It took a bit of coaxing but when we showed the girls their pictures on Grandpa's iphone they really liked putting their faces in different pictures.

 

 Near this bear statue is a cave. It was nice and cool and there were no groups there at the moment. There was a princess and a few friends in the cave and we talked with them and built up a pretend wall with cardboard blocks and knocked it down again. Both girls were brave and crawled through the tunnel in the cave which they thought was quite fun. We stayed in the cave when a group came in and watched the little play. After that we joined a big group activity on a grassy hill. We had some of our picnic lunch, a few otter pops did the hokey pokey, turned our selves around and then did the chicken dance. I thought we had a video but I can't find it. Anyway, it was getting hot and some of us were getting a bit tired. We decided that an ice cream cone on the way home would be a good idea. We took a few pictures on the carriages they had at the exit,

 
and drove off in search of ice cream. At last we found Arctic circle and got some cones. This may have been the most fun thing we did. Olivia was hilarious, She would take a bite from the top and then take one from the bottom. We kept waiting for the ice cream to drip from the bottom but she was able to eat it fast enough to avoid drips. Ruby also loved her cone and both girls wanted a second one. It was so fun to see them watch each other and giggle and interact. A few days after Ruby went home, Olivia and I were driving in the car. Olivia asked to go see Ruby. I explained that Ruby was at her house and it would take us all day driving in the car to get there. She thought a minute and said, OK. I hope these girls always remain friends and remember that they really are princesses.

A true gem

is my Ruby Lynn.

You always know where you stand with Ruby. She is a very vocal little girl and will let you know if she is feeling happy, worried, excited or upset. Ruby loves to make plans and knows exactly what she wants. Or at least what she thinks she wants. Ruby was so excited to sleep on the top bunk. When they arrived she went straight up to the bunk room, climbed the ladder and checked out every inch of the bed. But when it came right down to sleeping so high up - she felt a little nervous and was relieved when Jennifer traded her for the pop up trundle a little closer to the ground. Ruby had lots she wanted to do while she was here. We played trains and dress up and instruments in the basement - and balls. We missed Uncle Christian throwing them with us but Ruby knew the exact song she wanted to listen to while we played with the balls. And we listened and played - over and over and over...

Ruby was excited for the splash pad but after putting her hand in the water a few times she was content to sit and watch Peter and Olivia get into it.

Ruby knew what animal she wanted to ride on the carousel. She remembered some of the books we had on our shelf and requested them by name... LMNO Peas and Are you my mother? were among the favorites. And Ruby loves the trampoline. She even let Grandpa bounce her really high. Ruby has an amazing imagination and curiosity. She also loves dogs. One afternoon we were in the backyard and heard a little dog barking close to the fence. I told her it was our neighbors dog, Lucy. Ruby wanted to see her, so we went to the back corner of the yard and I held her up so she could see over the fence. Lucy was still a little way off so we moved to the very corner of the yard where the fence posts come together. I first held her up and as she looked over, Lucy saw her, came to the corner and barked at her. Ruby responded, "Oh! you dreamed about me last night?" She continued to have a conversation with Lucy and when I put her down, Ruby discovered that the space between the fence posts was just big enough for her to put her hand through and pet Lucy, both were thrilled. 

It't hard to believe she's getting so big. 

Ruby is already planning the next time we get together.

I can't wait!

Four

 Four years ago today this  little girl (all 5 lbs 1oz of her) made my daughter a mom and me a grandma.

Hard to believe she is four today. 

A little more than a year later this little one added to my joy. She will be three in May. 

Last year we welcomed our first grandson... who has grown like a weed. 

You can't help but smile when you see him.

In just four short weeks grand baby number four is due. Our third granddaughter.

I can't wait to meet her, to snuggle her and rest my cheek on her sweet newborn skin.

I have learned that I can hold and feel more joy than I ever thought possible.

A simple text full of incoherent letters makes me smile.

Short videos of these children watched over and over and over make me laugh over and over and over.

I have felt my heart long to hold and play with these little ones more than I can say.

I was asked a few weeks ago if I could have any spell or magical ability

from Harry Potter what would it be? 

This question was not to be taken lightly... 

even if it meant revisiting all the books/videos again.

I have my answer... the ability to disapparate.

The only thing that came even close was to have a time turner.

So that I could relive the time I have with them over and over.

Thanks to my kids for making me a grandma.

These children are such a blessing!

Thanksgiving Came Early This Year

It came in a Mazda from California.

When Amy was expecting our first grandchild a friend told me a little of what I could expect. "Grandkids are like a part of you and when you are with them you feel so much joy and when they leave it's like a part of you is missing, a literal heart ache you miss them so much."

I feel the same way. Last night, after our early Thanksgiving feast, Ruby and I played balls in the basement and Grandpa soon joined us. Peter and I climbed up the stairs over and over and over again to his delight. I stuck out my tongue "ble blur ble blur ble blur" over and over and he would smile brightly and do the same back. He would gently tip his head onto my cheek giving me loves. Then we read books, Jenn read with Peter and I read with Ruby. Long after Peter moved on to other things Ruby and I were still going strong. Seven board books and then seven longer books. I could have read all night. As she snuggled in my lap and soaked up the stories, I soaked up the moment. The weight of her in my lap, the softness of her hair on my cheek, her sweet smell... and her comments, giggles and smiles as we read. Memorizing every detail so that after she left this morning, the memory could help fill the missing space in my heart. Soon it was time for bed. Amy read the last book to Ruby, Caps for sale! Ruby knew every word and detail. Amy read, shaking her finger, 

picture credit

"You monkeys, you...give me back my caps. But the monkeys only shook their fingers back at him and said..." Then Ruby would shake her finger and say, "Tsz, tsz, tsz.". 

These are such a loved children. I could see, and had seen all week, the difference that it makes to a child to have a mother who is willing to be there for them each and every day and to have a father who wants the same thing. Some of our (adult) conversation this week was about the challenges of raising children in the world we live in. Where moral values are skewed or absent and what's popular is often mistaken for what's most  important. In Kindermusik this week we talked about the importance of children having a secure base and how that helps them have the courage and security to explore the world and eventually become independent. 

I am so thankful for children and their spouses and so many others who are sacrificing and working hard to give their children a good foundation in life. Young adults who often live a less than glamorous life, in the trenches each day nurturing, providing and protecting this most precious resource for what ails the world, our children.

Children grow up so quickly. 

These moments are fleeting. 

The time and love given by their parents each day really do make all the difference.

Despite all the challenges in the world, 

I can see hope in our future.

From the imagination of a 3 year old

This is from Amy's blog dated May 6, 2011

"Meet Ruby's imaginary friends: Milla, Jula, & Greena. They have been around for a while and I am surprised I haven't done a post about them yet.

The only experience I have had with imaginary friends before this is when my older brother had a couple he was little: Gaggio and Gloria. He even let me play with them. So, I was pretty tickled to hear that Ruby had some a few months ago. She knows they are pretend, but they are very present in her day-to-day life.

Let me give you some information about them: they are all girls, all sisters (except Greena, who apparently is a brother but is magic and can turn into a sister). Milla is the main friend, the one she talks about the most, so we know the most about her. She also was the original friend--Jula and Greena have all showed up later and come and go. Milla is about Ruby's age, although sometimes that changes. They often go to school or come over to play with Ruby or Ruby goes to their house. Ruby asks Jordan to look for them at night before she goes to bed, but she tells him that, "since they don't get home until fourteen o'clock, you should just watch the hockey game." She has had to put Milla in timeout a few times, but not for anything major.

This is what they look like (with their names written to the left):"

Milla on top, Jula on bottom, not pictured: Greena 

 Amy also included Ruby's description of Milla - Brown hair, blue eyes...

The other day I was going through our "Valu Pack Coupons" (which I never do) and came across this image on a flyer for the Thanksgiving Point Princess Festival:

I about fell off my chair.

I wanted to call Amy that very second but decided to wait

there is an one hour time difference and she does have a baby...

While I waited I went to the website to check it out. 

Three-year-olds and a parent (or grandpa in this case)

can attend the festival which includes:

"Over 50 fully costumed actors are in character acting out a deliciously scripted adventure at all times.  They playfully and personally interact with every one of our guests through the entirety of the Festival.  For example, after checking in at their ticketed time our “Guest Princesses” are whisked away in a small group by Alice and the Mad Hatter for a 15 minute adventure.  Once they’ve concluded their foray in Wonderland, they discover Beauty and Beast waiting to immerse them in the next journey….. and for 2 hours the adventures continue.  In addition to these guided treks, the grounds are filled with delightful performances including exhibitions such as “The Magic Flute”, Story time with Snow White,  and Twelve Princesses dancing their hearts out."

Sounds PERFECT 

What about dates and availability?

Amy, Ruby and Peter will only be here for a few days before the wedding..

DATES: June 15-18, 2011 and June 22-25, 2011

I found an opening on the 22nd!

Wahooooooooooooo!

Somewhere in my searching Amy texted me, we made arrangements

emailed Mark who was thrilled at the prospect,

we arranged for Christian to go with them to take pictures

and enjoy a day with Ruby before he leaves for his mission.

So... what do you call this? 

Luck.... Serendipity..... Fate...?

Probably all three, but most of all a tender mercy.

Proof that God is aware of the detail of our lives.

PS I could post this because Ruby doesn't read blogs

but it's a secret, we'll tell her when she get's here...

but that's another post.

More information about

Princess Mila and the Princess festival.

A dream...

I awoke this morning to the sound of Marks alarm...

I had slept through mine. 

I put on my robe and made my way through the dark hall and down the stairs.

  A blanket of fresh snow covered the yard and seemed to glow in the predawn light.

This night time snowfall was no surprise as we had driven home from the airport in it last night.

I went about my morning on autopilot and for a moment it seemed as though the last 10 days were only a dream. The lingering images of a sweet and wonderful experience that I didn't want to end. 

When Amy picked me up from the airport on Friday, January 28, she was having contractions...

Wow! what perfect timing we thought. But, they soon stopped and we resigned ourselves to the fact that the baby would not be coming tonight.

Saturday was cold and rainy.

I watched and learned Ruby's routine, sent Jordan and Amy out to dinner

and spent countless hours in the magical world of a toddler about to turn three. 

Sunday morning about 5:30 Amy quietly went into the kitchen to get a drink and then back to her room. Around 7:00 she came out again and told me they were going to the hospital.

It was January 30, her due date.

Peter Bevan Wright 

was born around 11:15am.

7 lbs. 3 oz 

19 1/2 inches

That afternoon Ruby met her new brother...

and I met my first grandson.

The time that followed is a glorious blur. Sleepy morning smiles, playing in the bath, reading books, singing songs, playing in the dark, chasing and being chased, running in the grass, racing down slides, watching the expressions of a sweet newborn, fixing meals, talking with my sweet daughter and her hubby about the experiences they were in the middle of and were yet to come.

But especially at night, I missed my companion and family I had left behind and knew this daydream would soon be ending...

and my heart ached in both directions.

Missing home and knowing I would miss this sweet family too.

It feels good to be home, even with the snow... 

but I wonder if Ruby got up this morning and wondered where I was...

No No

is Ruby's word for a snowman.
Last January when Jordan, Amy and Ruby came out for a visit, Ruby and Grandpa Z built a snowman. Ruby was very excited to build one again with Grandpa when they came out this time... only there was no snow in the yard.
BUT
that didn't stop Grandpa
He and Uncle Robbie when up into the mountains and brought back a cooler full of snow. Ruby not only got her "Elmo No No" but also got a Daddy Elmo No no and Mommy Elmo No No. All on the front porch.
Just look at that smile.

Even though "on the porch they melted, small, small, small...She talked about it for days.
Even checking the front porch to see if they were still gone.
I wonder what Grandpa will do when they come in August?

PS I need to give credit to Amy for most if not all of the pictures on the last as well as the next few posts. Thanks Amy, you're amazing! See more here.

Forecast

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the sky was blue. Tulips and Daffodils blooming, birds singing. Ruby and I went to the park. We spent almost as much time traveling there and back as we did at the park. So much to see and experience: birds, rushing water under the bridge, ducks swimming in the river, trees blooming, dogs barking. Every thing is an adventure waiting to be explored. Walking on the playground in the woodchips. Walking on the mesh of the play equipment you can see everything below but somehow you don't fall through. Going down long tube slides, short slides and open swirly slides. Garbage trucks so noisy and big. Later we wrestled and played with balls on my bed. On the bed you can fall straight back from a sitting position and it doesn't hurt your head. Not so on the floor. Her giggles were pure joy as the stuffed lamb tried to eat her crackers.

Today was beautiful.

For the next few days we won't see the sun. Rain mixed with snow in our forecast. Cloudy and unseasonably cold. It makes me want to put everything else on hold and soak up as much sun as possible
- every single ray.

For me this feeling is magnified. Reality is beginning to set in. With the incredible joy I felt today I noticed a little bit of heartache creeping in. A little bit of dread for the coming days when I will miss the sunshine - and to such a larger extent
- my little Ruby.

I know - logically I know - we will skype and talk on the phone and will visit often. Amy will post videos and pictures - but it will not be the same. I know this is good for them. This is what they need to do and where they need to be. They will adjust and so will I.

But right now I want to spend every available second with my nose nuzzled in Rubys chubby little neck, looking for dogs and birds in the yard and finding ways to hear that beautiful musical laughter.

I just wish I knew how to make the heartache go away so I could just enjoy the sunshine today.

Flash Back Friday: Happy Birthday Ruby

One year ago in the wee hours of the morning my phone "chimed" indicating I had a new text. I was instantly awake. Amy checked into the hospital the day before to see if they could get some labor going - no pit or water breaking yet... just an attempt to get her body going on its own that didn't seem to be working. However, during the night she kicked in on her own and the text indicated that her water broke, she was dilated to 4 and got an epidural. I must have sat up quickly or something, maybe I made a stifled excited noise... Mark asked me what was going on. I was ready to get dressed and go to the hospital right then but as the sleepy wise man next to me pointed out - her labor was just beginning, we would rest better at home in bed than in the hospital waiting room and besides Amy requested we not be sitting outside her room while she labored...

I laid down, pulled up my covers, stared at the dark ceiling and smiled. My daughter was having a baby... I closed my eyes thanking God and praying for their safety.

I never really went back to sleep but I rested a little. An hour later another text... she was at a 10... that's my girl! Now.... can we go now? Sleepy voice of reason... "pushing for a first time mom can easily take two hours ".... I lay back down but stared wide eyed at the ceiling, I tried really hard to hold still, to breathe evenly and slowly... five minutes later another text. They could see the head! (I love text messages) That was it. I bolted out of bed... Mark sat up and asked what it said.... I don't care if we have to wait for another hour I wanted to go to the hospital. Realizing sleep was no longer an option we quickly got dressed and made the long drive (7 min.) to the hospital. We sat in the waiting room and saw Jordan's mom coming... this waiting room is so far away... we found a place to wait just outside the labor room (I know, I know but do you think she really cared at this moment... besides it's not like we were peeking in or anything, just wanted to be near). It was still over an hour that we waited but when that sweet newborn cry filled the air I cried too, I wouldn't trade all the sleep in the world for that. I closed my eyes again and thanked God for this wonderful new life... and went to find a tissue. It was still a while before we got to see her. When the nurse finally rolled her out in the bassinet on the way to the nursery she let us hold her for a moment. She was so tiny, 5 lbs., but so perfect... and I was in love all over again. So appropriate for Valentines.

PS She was not born on Friday the 13 and neither was I BUT we will both have our birthdays on Friday the 13 in the same years (until she's 23 or so)... which makes us Friday the 13th birthday buddies ;).

What we've been up to

Just a few photos that I stole shamelessly from
Amy's and Christian's blogs
with the exception of the pictures of Celisa and Olivia,
(I took those for her and Aaron and never gave them to her)

So... this is what we've been up to: Ginger bread houses.

Me and Christian

Mark and Jenn

Jordan and Amy's - check out the cool bridge

Aaron and Celisa (and Olivia)
Enjoying this sweet angel

Short visit with my parents.
Watching Olivia grow!

No pictures of studying, the funeral, decorating for Christmas, aerobics, going to class, doing laundry or the like
although these have also kept me busy
you'll just have to use your imagination...
(be nice in you imaginings)

That is all.