They're Here, They're Here!!!

All my family has arrived home for Christmas.  My eldest and her husband brought the newest little grandbaby, known affectionately as Bumbus.  The older cousins are quite enthralled with the baby, the one they don't get to see very often.

Grandpa is happy to show off Bumbus for the camera....

....and Alex is delighted that she got to hold her, all by herself!

This is Olivia.  She wasn't all that taken with the new cousin.  She wanted to read Mommy's Tote
and play with the dry erase pen and notebook....

.....and this is Abby, Olivia's twin sister,  who was very upset that Olivia grabbed Mommy's Tote first and that she wasn't getting to play with the dry erase pen and the notebook.  She, like all of us, really, doesn't enjoy taking turns.  But she did a good job waiting anyway, even though is was hard.

And this is Emma, big sister to Olivia and Abby.  She is very, very happy right now because she gets to play with  her cousin Alex.  They LOVE to play together and really enjoy the few visits they share each year.  Emma looks more and more like her beautiful mommy, Kellie, every day!

This is Ian.  He is not all that taken with babies.  He is not all that taken with girl cousins, either.  He IS very taken with the car and trailer the Bunny Family have that lives at Gramma Gramma's house.  He spends most of his time on the floor, driving the car and trailer or playing with the wooden train.  Girls?  Um, not so much.

Gramma Gramma is a very happy, very lucky lady.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Day 12---Lava Walk

The gentleman pictured above is Bo Lozoff, who leads walks onto the Kalapana lava field. Bo does a great job and if you really want to see lava up close, this is the way to do it. (You can reach Bo at (808) 443 7247, which is a local call anywhere on the Big Island.) I feel like I can make that statement as I tried several methods while I was on the Big Island. We did the Hawai'i Volcanos National Park trip, we did the open door helicopter tour, there was the ill-advised lava boat tour and finally, the lava walk.

Bo demonstrated that you can actually get some lava onto the end of a stick, then knock it off the end and you will have a piece of rock molded around the stick, the shape to last as long as the rock remains whole. It is really hot to walk right up to the lava this way, but it was so slow moving, not particularly dangerous.

The Kalapana lava field in the East Riff area of the Kilauea volcano. It completely buried the village of Kalapana in the 1980s-90s.

This sort of lava is known as pahoehoe. I sent my daughter a copy of this photo to show to my 5-year-old granddaughter. this little girl thinks it would be great to grow up to be a vulcanologist....or one of Santa's elves. Anyway, my daughter shows her daughter the photo and says, "Look at the photo that Gramma Gramma sent us from Hawaii.

"Do you know what this is?"

My daughter waits for the expected reply of "lava" but instead, "It's pahoehoe."

Well, she is a budding vulcanologist.

This is Peggy's old VW van. Peggy lived here on the lava flow until late in January of this year, when her house burned down. This van was old and apparently not running any longer. It surely isn't running now!

I think it's sort of eerie how the lava entered the van and drooped over the steering wheel. As our guide, Bo, said, I bet no one on the manufacturing line at the Volkswagon factory ever thought that this van would end up buried in lava!

I love the sign.

We spent the rest of our last day doing a lot of snorkeling....and packing. I liked the snorkeling part a lot, the packing and straightening up the rental house part not so much. I truly hated to leave.
Here's a convict tang. I love how the stripe continues right through their eyes.

A parrot fish.

And this lovely lady is a Moorish Idol. Isn't she elegant?

I hate to say it, but this is the last post from Hawai'i. I had a positively wonderful holiday, from start to finish. I'd love to go again sometime.

Aloha and mahalo to the Big Island.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye....

My dear friend Auntie Pumpkin called me tonight and said, "Have you seen the moon? Go look at the moon!"

And so I did. Spectacular!

(I must add that seeing the moon in Western Washington in January is a rare treat. It was clear. It wasn't raining. Amazing.)

Friday Portrait of My New Reality

Here I am, with my newest best tool---my glucose meter. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in late November and by following my doctor's orders I am getting it under control. I am eating right, getting daily exercise, I take my medications and do as I'm told. I guess you can say I'm (finally) being an adult! Well, sort of....Diabetes is not something you fool around with, it is something you have to take very, very seriously. And I am. And it is paying off.

Educate yourself about Diabetes. Exercise daily, watch your diet, lose weight (the bain of my existence) if you need to or keep the excess poundage off and don't smoke. Diabetes is rampant but you can do something about it.

I plan to be here a long, long time yet and I want you, Dear Reader, to be here too, healthy and happy.

Okay, stepping down off my soap box now and returning control of your computer. Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Chritsmas to All

May your stocking be full and your dinner be tasty.
May your family and friends gather round with good cheer.
Happy Christmas to you and a Happy New Year!

Quiet Moment

The Twins at two days of age, July 8th. Abigail is on the left and Olivia's on the right.

Annie holding her daughter Alex and her niece, Emma.
Annie and the two pink princesses. Please notice the dainty fork work.

Emma making pancakes for Grandpa "Johnny".

Alex explores the echos that live in garages on a walk back to Gramma's from the beach.

It's quiet. Everyone is asleep--even the cats. I have three grandchildren in the house, my daughter Annie and her husband, my DH and the two aforementioned cats. And it's quiet.....I love having everyone here but I'm no longer used to the noise that small children make. I live in a small house and it's bursting at the seams right now---bursting with those I love the most, but bursting all the same! These quiet moments are to be appreciated and enjoyed, while I wait for the next day and the wonderful, noisy chaos that will be.

Ian enjoying his bath. Granty reads The Mole Sisters to Emma.

And, finally, Gramma.....playing cats (like dolls only more purrfectly delightful) with Emma and Granty.