Wowza!

It has been a very long time since I have gotten on my blog.  Life just happens, so the blog gets put on the back-burner.  I seem to spend more time doing a quick photo here and there on Instagram.  I'm Cheri in Virginia just in case anyone is still reading this blog.  IG needs less attention than a blog; suits my schedule better.

So, my life is kind of boring.  And, as crazy, hectic, sad, happy, and wonderful as the lasts seven years of my life have been....I'll take boring any day!  Sometimes it is good to have nothing of major significance going on in life.  It makes me take a look around and appreciate all that I have been blessed with.  (Warning!  Iphone photos ahead!  I rarely get the big camera out anymore.)

My, son, Jack is graduating this spring.  He has taken on a part-time job, and it makes me very proud of him.  My grandson, Abe, seems to admire his uncle in this photo.  But now, Abe seems a bit timid around him.

One of my favorite photos of Abe.  I know it's just his legs...but what great legs he has!

My girls are getting too big for their britches.  They are smart, clever, beautiful, fun, wonderful, and everything a mom could hope for. 

Because of the girls, there is always music in our home.  Ivy and Joy continue learning piano, while Eva plays violin.  It is fun hearing them make beautiful music together.  Abraham probably enjoys their music even more than I do.

Christmas 2016

Seth, Tia, and Abe.  I love them.  I'm so glad they live close by.  We cannot seem to get enough of that cutie Abraham.  It's amazing how much he looks like both his mom and dad.

He celebrated his first birthday.  The year went by way too quickly for all of us.

Those curls.  Adorable.  I know I am biased.  But, I can't help it; I won't lie!

Mike's dad came down last week for a great visit to celebrate Abraham.  It was such a wonderful time for him to be with his only great-grandchild.  

I Have A New Title

I've always been a daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece.  Through my life, I've added other important titles.  Wife, aunt, and mother (to this young man, for instance).

Over the last few years I've added Mother-In-Law.  

And yesterday, I became Grandmother.

I knew he'd be beautiful.

My Life Lately

Life moves so quickly.  There has been so much to ponder lately, I sometime spend half the night thinking about "life" in general.

Miss Eva, obviously, needed braces.  She wears them well.

She also celebrated her 10th birthday.  Wow.  Double digits.  It is hard for me to process how fast my girls are growing up.  I told her after she turned 10 I wasn't purchasing her anymore camouflage clothing.  We'll see...

My daughter-in-law, Tia, also celebrated a birthday.  The lovely lady stopped by after work for her requested dirt cake.  She has now moved into the second trimester and I still can't tell she is pregnant.

I recently got an email from one of Joy's teachers at co op informing me that Joy couldn't see the board.  I had wondered why she always made funny faces.  I am assuming she was trying to focus on what she couldn't see.  

Schoolwork is much easier to see now; but she struggles getting used to the glasses sitting on her tiny nose.

My sweet Ivy is now a teenager.  How fast that happened!

She chose Rocky Road Pizza for her "cake".

She has definitely come a long way from those first few frightening weeks at home.  I love her so much.  She is such a sweet, gentle girl.

After eating her dinner and pizza, everyone hung out and decided to color in Ivy's adult coloring books.  Such bums.

Ivy also go an old arcade controller with the fun games of my childhood.  I was immediately hooked.  I've had to pull myself away quite a few times because it is her game, not mine.

Evan Seth got in on the action.

Moxie always enjoys it when her friends come to play.  This is Chip and Hobo.  I don't think Chip has many years left.  He was Tia's since she was a little girl.

Moxie decided she wanted a chain piercing.  How gross is that?

She seemed obliviously to the drool hanging off her jowls.

Tia enjoyed a new "Medusa do" compliments of Eva and her pick-up-sticks.

So, that's My Life Lately.  It is good and I am so blessed to have this gang around me.

I Got One and 21

And, I love it.  We grew up with one that used all the time.  

And, as usual, we kids would forget to bring in the clothes off the line.  And if it frosted that night...well, our clothes were just frozen.  Not fun.  

Mike doesn't let me hang his clothes on the line. And, I won't hang out our underwear, just so you know.  I might hang out Jack's though.

Seth turned 21 years old.  We took him out for some good BBQ and had a great time with the family.  I'm so thankful for my big ol' family.

The Move

My son, Seth, and his wife just moved this weekend.  We were able to help get them settled in.  They've moved into a very neat place that used to be a working mill back in the mid-1800s.  It is very old style, but has so much character.

It is divided into 4 apartments on 100-acre cattle farm.

The View from their office.  See the cattle off in the distance?

Hard at work.

Eventually, they got settled in for some pizza and a card game with the girls.  Mike and Jack are not fans of "old and rustic".  They prefer the clean, newer things in life.  I'm more partial to old with some new.

Speaking of old....

Jack got a new soccer jersey with his favorite player because Jack turned 16 this week.

He also got his driving permit....he doesn't seem old enough.

We then headed to his soccer banquet.  He enjoyed his first season with the travel team; he made 4 goals and some new friends.  I'm glad soccer is over for a while.  Four nights a week as a chauffeur gets tiring.

And, just for fun...the girls.