Hey there!

I was so excited yesterday! LesleyB (who has absolutely fabulous digital scrapping freebies on her blog - see my blog list for a link) honored me by posting a collection of "swirls" just for me! I was tickled beyond belief that she would do something like that. I don't know where she got the idea that I love swirls - maybe because I mention it every time she posts something with them? HMMM . . . .

As a "thank you" I e-mailed her a LO (lay out or scrap page for any non-scrappers reading this) that I had done using several of her creations. She liked it so much, she asked if she could post it on her blog! I told her that if she thought it was good enough to show case her creations to go ahead. The next thing I know, there is the LO of my father's maternal grandparents and their children shortly after they came to America (circa 1905) out there for everyone to see. WOW!!!!

So that was yesterday's excitement . . . . TODAY I got to have a picnic lunch with my niece Melissa and her little boy Stephen. They are down from Alaska visiting for a couple of weeks. Stephen is 2 and this is only the second time I have gotten to see him; he's my number 6 for anyone keeping track out there.

Stephen's big sister, Dani, is my number 1 - a teenager now, and HOW. A couple of weeks before their family Christmas pictures this past year, she put a red streak in her hair - we are talking RED like a crayon, red (LOL). What a wonderful family portrait!

Then comes Rolland (a fabulous ball player - he is already making plans to make enough money to take care of his Sasa in my old age . . . better hurry kid, I had another birthday last week; next year is significant - half a century!!) .

Next, just a couple months behind Rolland is Victoria; she is next in line for the title of drama queen . . . behind me, of course, AND her mother. She tried to tell me once that SHE was the drama queen . . . I straightened her out with the proper order of things; I am queen, her mother is the princess and she is a duchess at best!

Then comes Noah . . . oh boy, Noah . . . we call him "George" as in Curious George . . . he NEVER stops asking questions.

Next is sweet girl Hensley; smart and sassy, with a winning smile that keeps her out of trouble - MOST of the time anyway!

With them spread out all over the country, it's a challenge to be a part of their lives. I do pretty good; we talk on the phone, IM each other and e-mail back and forth. The best part is when I get to actually BE with them and they can't wait for hugs and kisses.

I started something with Dani years ago . . . she comes to Michigan for a few weeks every summer. On the last time that we get to be together, I hold her and just kiss and kiss her cheek. It's her job to tell me when her cheek is full. Usually we have to do both cheeks to make sure there are enough kisses to last. The story is that I am storing up kisses for her to use later when she needs a kiss from me. Whenever she wants to be reminded that Sasa loves her, all she has to do is press her fingers to her cheek and then to her lips and it is a kiss from me.

Well, I guess I have rambled enough for tonight. Chat at you another time soon!