Tag Archive for Evan

This Family Had a Moment – One Year Ago.

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In honor of Miss Madison’s first birthday over the weekend, I wanted to share my story of how our family learned of her arrival here on planet earth.

Have you ever been together with your family and experienced some news together, collectively?  One of those moments when you all look at each other, and you know in your heart of hearts that you are experiencing a moment together, that you will all remember, and talk about for years to come.

My family had this experience just a little over a year ago now.  We were having dinner together on a Saturday night, actually it was an early Thanksgiving dinner for us.  My sister and her husband had planned to be with us for dinner on this particular night.  Unfortunately their plans had changed and they could not join us on this special occasion.

The other event taking place on this particular day was that my oldest daughter had gone into the hospital early on this Saturday morning to have her labor induced.  Remember awhile ago when I shared with all of you that Evan would be a big brother soon?   Well, this was the day.  Evan spent the night with us on Friday night, and his parents checked into the hospital early the next morning.

All day long we’re checking in with my son-in-law at the hospital getting updates on how Naomi was doing.  I’m sure we pestered him a little too much, but he graciously kept us informed all day long.

In the early afternoon the family members started to arrive, and we were preparing dinner, and getting the table set.  Our family loves to gather around my kitchen counter for all of the snacks and noshing.  It’s always a fun-filled time of eating and conversation.  Lots and lots and lots of conversation.  All in all I think we ended up with 12 of us or so at the dinner table that night.  And in between all of the conversing and eating we are still getting updates on my daughters progress from her husband, Brad.  At one point during dinnertime Brad had sent me a text that the baby would be delivered at 8:00pm.  So, we’re all thinking great!  The baby will be here tonight, and then Naomi will be a lot more comfortable.  She was quite uncomfortable during the last week of her pregnancy, and her mother needed to know that she was just a little bit more comfortable.  It’s a Mom thing.

So after our great turkey dinner we’re sitting around the table – some us drinking coffee, some having wine, some getting ready for pie.  And if I remember correctly this is how our moment happened.  I was on the house phone with my sister in Montana, who could not be with us.  We were giving her an update on Naomi.  My brother’s girlfriend, Elaine, looked at the clock and said, “Hey it’s 8 o’clock, I wonder if the baby’s arrived yet?”  My brother was looking at something on my cell phone, and we got a photo message from “Brad Dad”. It was a picture of the nursery scale with the babies weight, 9lbs. 15oz.  No words with the picture, just that cute little picture.  In that moment we all looked at each other, and I say to my brother, “Is the baby really here?  Text him back and find out!!”  We get the confirmation that it is indeed the babies’ weight, and she has arrived!  the moment we have all been anxiously awaiting.  The entire household is just elated, collectively, all in that same cherished moment.  Miss Madison Kay has arrived.  Woops, hollers, and woots reverberate through the house.  I’m still on the phone sharing this joyful moment with my sister.  My Dad is on the phone with my grandparents, Madison’s great-great-grandparents, and we are all sharing this moment.  From California to Montana to Illinois a poignant family moment.

And I remember Evan.  He was so cute.  He went running through the house cheering for his Mom and Dad.  He was an excited big brother.  As I am typing this right now I can picture this entire moment in my head.  This moment hung in the air for just a bit.  It reminded me of watching a feather float around in the sky.  Watching everyone, and seeing everyone’s reactions.  And my Mom, she had her own precious moment.  She was sitting at the table soaking everything in, and the emotions just overwhelmed her and she started to cry.  Travel Man came and got me and said, “You need to go and sit with your Mom.”  I sat with my Mom, we had a mother – daughter moment.  The day could not have ended more splendidly.

Madison meets her Great-Grandparents

Madison meets her Great-Grandparents

There are always moments in your life that become part of  your personal history, or your family’s history.  But nothing compares to having a family moment, surrounded by almost the entire family.  Savor these precious moments, cherish them, and keep them close to your heart.

This post has been linked to the GRAND Social linky

The Big Brother has Arrived

1-IMG_0048-001My grandson has a new hat to wear in his young little life.  He is now a Big Brother.  He has taken to the role quite admirably, and is learning how to entertain his baby sister and make her giggle, and laugh out loud.  Since I shared pictures of Miss Madison last week I felt it was only fitting to share the pictures I have gathered of the Big Brother and his Baby Sis.

The most delightful thing to watch is when Evan walks in the room, and Madison spots him.  Her face lights up with love and delight for her Big Brother.  And then she watches every move he is making,  just wishing she could be chasing him around the room.

It goes without saying that these two will indeed experience all of the usual brother-sister loves and hates.  But in their first year together, it has been amazing to witness the instantaneous, loving and adoring relationship that is developing.

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The center picture in the top row of this collage is the first time that Evan got to hold his baby sister.  Doesn’t he look so proud?  I just love that picture.  The rest of the pictures are simple moments that my daughter and I have captured since Miss Madison arrived last November.  I think Evan’s taken to his new hat quite well, and will be a great Big Brother!!

Evan – The Photographer

A few weeks ago at one of our family gatherings Evan had my camera and took quite a few pictures.  I believe most of these are from the weekend my sister and her husband visited.  We had a weekend party fest of food and fun.  Here’s how our family dinner/gathering looked through Evan’s eyes.  Enjoy!

As you can see Evan loves his self portraits, and is becoming quite the ham with them.   He’s building quite a portfolio of pictures, and I can only imagine what’s going to happen when his baby sister arrives.

Do you let your kids/grandkids that are under 10 take pictures with your camera?  Would love to hear from you all.  Happy Sunday everyone.

Baseball through Evan’s Eyes

Kids, and especially my grandson,  have an entirely different perspective on things than we adults do.  At our recent family outing to the Angels game,  Evan got permission to use my camera, with the wrist strap on of course.  He took some really interesting pictures, and I wanted to share the ballpark experience with everyone through Evan’s eyes.

The Ball Field:

 

 

 

The Fans:

 

The sky was an amazing blue on game day:

 

The Fam:

There is always time for the self portraits:

If you know anything about Evan’s picture-taking adventures you know he loves to take pictures of these:

The six-year-old perspective is so amazing, and I absolutely love how he always takes pictures of his feet!!

Evan loves to take pictures.  Maybe he needs his own digital camera (not!).  There’s probably an e-book somewhere in Evans future, where we’ll collect all of the pictures he’s taken over the years.  I’m sure we’ll see lots of pictures of those feet.

Evan’s Little “Vest”

My latest sewing project started out to be a shirt for Evan.  Just a casual shirt, kind of like a Hawaiian shirt.  This is one of my procrastination projects.  You know the variety, you start you stop, you start again.  Well this week I started this project again, and I’m in it to the finish.  I was somewhat motivated by a little voice asking me, “Grandma, when are you going to finish my vest?”.   And I really needed to get on my horse and get it done, because he is getting so tall!!

Of course, it was Evan asking me, and I have been telling him all along this will be a shirt.  But he has had a different vision.  He wants a vest.  So being the good grandma that I am I am altering my project to a vest.  He is quite insistent that he will wear this over t-shirts.  I think in the heat of the summer he will just wear it after swimming.  So in my sewing instructions I skipped over the sleeves and made him a vest.

Here’s a few pictures of my project during construction:

I finished Evan’s “vest” last Thursday night and gave it to him Friday morning before he left for school.   The doggie buttons were a little wonky to button on his own so he needed a little help.   “Grandma, you finished it!!”, Evan exclaims.  I say, “Just for you, Evan.”

After school he came home and took off his t-shirt and just wore his doggie vest.  It was so cute.  For me, one more procrastinated project off of my list, and a happy grandson to boot!!  Who could ask for anything more?  Next project is in the works, cloth napkins for my dining room table.  What’s the latest project you’ve procrastinated on?

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