Here she is!

This is Lillian Rose Halstead...she arrived August 9th at 9:44 pm after a long 48 hours. She like her much smaller cousin is healthy, but weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long.

Another cutie to add to the family.

This was the first annual Hot Blogust Nights.
What a night!

(I designed the poster.)

Our host Annie! And her right hand that night Mary.

Other bloggers Timi and Linda. I don't have Linda's blog address right, so I can't connect you with her blog.

And the food! This is the set up at Faded Elegance.

Thanks Kim!

It was a fun night! We were visited by Rene Groom from Mary Jane's Farm. Rene is Sister-hood Coordinator, what a great title. I want that job. What an awesome magazine. Check it out!

I also met Susan Lytle, who owns the newest shop in Snohomish, Curly Willow. Please go check out here store. I love the French Country feel of her decor.

Coming up...Pictures of another new grandaughter born Sunday, August 9th!

It's a girl!

Here she is...our newest granddaughter, Isabella. She arrived on August 2nd, weighing in at just 4 lbs. She is healthy, just little.

Grandma (Me) and Isabella

Grandpa (My husband, Greg) and Isabella

I am so excited to have a little girl, all I have are boys. I'm sure that there will be more pictures soon. But as you can see this is what I have been up to for the past few days.

A Summer Read...

I am working on my final weeks of my Children's Literature class...it has been a very tough but fulfilling class. Our final unit is a choice Historical or Realistic Fiction. My personal choice is Historical Fiction. I love books about the lives of people in times past, what could have been, I get lost in the pages.

One of the books I grabbed for this section was Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. It is a juvenile level book so it may be a quick read for some, but what an inspiring story of a Danish family helping to save the many Jewish families from the Nazis during the occupation on WWII.

It's really a great story. Something your preteen might like, too.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have been typing my little fingers to the bone! I wish I could type like my sister, Joanne. 100 words a minute... me, try 40 'ish and don't count my mistakes!

My cousin, Dianne, is working on another cookbook called a Collection of Favorite Recipes and I volunteered to help enter them into the typing program. I wish I could spend more time on it, but lately with heat in the upper 80's to 90 my office gets TOO hot. So here I am this morning while it's cool.

Here is one of her other books and a gift basket that she sells on her website.
Also coming up August 8th is HOT BLOGUST NIGHTS!

I hope that if you have a chance you can come meet some of the most fantastick people around and have a little fun, some shopping and well who knows what trouble we can get into!

All's quiet...

I was just thinking how much I like my quiet evenings...I get so much accomplished.

Tonight it was home work. I am taking my last class at Everett Community College. It is an English class, my diversity credit. The class is Children's Litereature, the book we are using is Literature and the Child by Lee Galda and Bernice E. Cullinan. I really like the section we are in now, Folklore. It's awesome to be reminded of all of the fairy tales and stories that I have forgotten as a "grown-up".

I think we should all go to the children's section of our nearest library or bookstore and pick up an old favorite or a new story that catches your eye and return to childhood for just a little while.

Pictures from California

Here I am on my way...of course Portland traffic looks much like that of Seattle, so here I sit on the bridge over the Columbia River.

My niece, Erika, gave up her room so "Auntie Barb" had a place to sleep. I arrived Friday and we were off Saturday morning to Monterey, Cannery Row and Pebble Beach 17 Mile Drive.

My sister Joanne and I on Cannery Row in Monterey.


Dinner at Bubba Gump's...if you loved the movie you'll love the interior of this restaurant!
And of course the seafood is outstanding!

Great day for the top down...part of the reasoning for going to California.
Erika wants a turn as our tour guide.

Here's the new dream house. Right on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. And my Husband would approve...he loves the Spanish style architecture. Better keep buying those Lotto tickets!

The vista from one of the viewpoints on the 17 Mile Drive...isn't it beautiful?

I'll let you know when I get to by that house!