WOO-HOO!

"There is no time like the pleasant."
-Oliver Herford


"Even if you are on the right track, 
you'll get run over if you just sit there."
-Will Rogers


"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older." - Larry McMurty

BEAU turned ONE on Monday and we popped over for a quick Birthday visit.
I added a pic from this little photo shoot to my previous blog after  posting it, too!
BEAU is so into BALLOONS... to him it means more than the gift.
His little party bag says... "WOO HOO" 

Here is a little hat Beau got for his birthday from his mommy, daddy and big sister!
He looks so darn cute in it...and he knows just how cute he is! 

Here is Mariah and me waiting for the SASKATOON EXHIBITION PARADE to begin yesterday 

The parade was taking a long time to come,
so Poppa Brian took Mariah to the BUS STOP
where they sell ice cream cones!

My niece, Rowen with Mariah on the deck yesterday afternoon having little foot soaks!

COUSINS eating cones at Kinsmen park yesterday...
You SCREAM, I SCREAM... we all SCREAM for
ICE CREAM
(This was Mariah's second cone of the day, so she got a smaller one this time!) 

Cousin snack time fun at  Kinsmen Park yesterday.
Getting "SUGARED" up!
not 1... not 2... but 3 buckets of COTTON CANDY...
YIKES....
(Mariah calls it COCKIN Candy...so funny!) 

The kids on the merry go round.
It was going so fast, I had a hard time getting an in focus pic as they went by!!! 

BEAU'S first ever... CHOO CHOO TRAIN ride...
He wasn't sure what to think... especially in the tunnels!

Mariah on the little water slide at the Kinsmen Splash park. 

WOO HOO!!!

Linnea and Mariah
Cute little cousins having fun together! 

Rowen watching the littlest water baby enjoying the SPLASH PARK. 

Off to a ranch to see some cute horsies.
(Note) Mariah's new COWGIRL HAT.
She was so inspired by all the horsies in the morning parade,
she wanted a hat like them, too...
so POPPA spoiled her and took her for a PINK one at CLAYPOOL'S!

My good friend, LINDA, posted this on her status this weekend on her FACEBOOK page:

"Cousins are the first friends most people have as children. No one will ever understand your crazy family like your cousins."

How true that statement is!

We have shared lots of time with the grandkids this summer, and now they are enjoying times with their cousins, too.

Yesterday was a fun-filled day from start to finish. With Beau now turning one on Monday, he is old enough for day care. He went there yesterday and we had Mariah and took her to the Parade in the city.

Jana is at a shoe show in Montreal now till thursday, but their household is still going strong! Her sister-in-law, Erica and her husband, Jason and their two kids LARS and LINNEA are visiting from Calgary so they are helping NELS hold the fort down, so to speak.

We had my niece Rowen for a visit yesterday and Mariah and her enjoyed a little play here followed by a fun get together with the Calgary cousins at Kinsmen park in the later afternoon, after getting Beau from Daycare!

Mariah was so into the horses in the parade, so her Poppa Brian took her for a new pink COWGIRL hat after. We met a friend at the store who invited us to see his horses in the evening.... so all the kids and Erica, Jason, Brian and me all headed out to see the horses. The kids enjoyed feeding them through the fence!

Following all the busy activities of the day, we brought Beau for a sleepover here, and Mariah went back to her house to have a sleepover with the visiting cousins!

We heard from Jana in Montreal and not only is she enjoying her shoe show... but she is also getting together with her brother COLIN while there, too. They always enjoy times they can spend together as siblings.

Tomorrow Brian and I are taking Mariah for some boating fun with us at the lake... and the FUN continues!!!

I truly know why we had our kids while we were younger, but we are enjoying the times we can spend with our grandkids. I know it does sort of help us to keep our youthful side!

WOO HOO!

With little ones around, there is lots to do...
It is often about fun, and saying WOO HOO!
Playing here, and running there,
Eating, swimming, and if you dare...
FUN is doubled when cousins are here.
Double trouble is often near.
Add some sugar and how hyper kids get!
But the times are so fun, we'll never forget.
Watching parades with horses,
floats and clowns...
Help to add some smiles, to the little frowns!
There never is a moment
that seems to have a lull...
With little kids around here, it is never dull!

A Rain - "BEAU" of WiSHES!

Just got this cute pic of BEAU today on his FIRST BIRTHDAY.
What a cute little monkey he is! 

"The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star dust caught,  a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched."
-Henry David Thoreau


"The thankful heart... discovers no mercies; 
but the thankful heart... will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings."
-Henry Ward Beecher


"If you carry your childhood with you, 
you never become older."
-Abraham Sutzkaver


"Count your life by smiles, not tears. 
Count your age by friends, not years."


HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BEAU!

Here is sweet Baby Beau last week holding a HAPPY BIRTHDAY Balloon
Today he turns ONE years old, and what a sweet year it has been. 

Another little pre-birthday pic of the BIRTHDAY BOY, BEAU! 

Here is Mariah in her "BIG SISTER" T--shirt one year ago today as we
headed to see her new baby brother at the hospital.
MARIAH has been such a good BIG SISTER to BEAU, too! 

I made a few batches of RAIN-BEAU cupcakes in BEAU'S honor.
We started the BABY BEAU watch around July 15th last summer...
so the build up to his birth was a GRAND one!
When he finally arrived it was TRULY a "BEAU"-NUS!

Here is another special CELEBRATION held at my cousin's yesterday.
Here is COUSIN GWEN on her birthday,
and my AUNTIE MARY and UNCLE CHARLIE
 in celebration of their 66th wedding anniversary on the 4th of August.
Blowing out the candles of a yummy little chocolate cake! 

Here is my COUSIN BEV yesterday at the party she hosted for her parents and sister
along with some of the other summer special occasions as well.
BEV and husband BOB, who recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary,
made such gracious hosts for this little party! 

A darling little flower girl scattering flower petals
 at the outdoor wedding we attended this past saturday at the Bess Gardens. 

Some of the beautiful wedding party during the vows.

The reception was held in the BATTLEFORD ROOM of the BESS HOTEL.
The decor was stunning.
This room brings many fond memories for us as this is the very room we had our reception in, too nearly 35 years ago. My Nephew Brad had his reception there last summer as well. 

One more little picture of BEAU enjoying the SUN and RAINBOW on Friday.
Today is not as warm out... but he always warms our hearts when ever he is around.


Hard to believe that one year ago we were welcoming our dear sweet grandson, BEAU into the world. There was a bit of a build up to his birth and when he finally made his debut into our hearts... it was such a big BEAU-NUS!

Today he turns one years old, but we had an early birthday party for him last weekend already! It was fun, and he knew he was the STAR of the show.
On Saturday, Brian and I attended a lovely outdoor wedding at our beautiful Bess Gardens .
The wedding party was very pretty and they had two very cute little attendants as well. A 5 year old ring bearer, along with a 3 year old adorable little flower girl. The wedding brought many memories for me as the reception was held in the same room we had ours. I also had a 3 year old flower girl at my wedding. It brought memories of Mariah being a flower girl when she was 2 and again when she was 3 for a couple of Jana's friends, too.
Weddings are always such great reminders of LOVE!
Congrats to the newly weds...
ANDY and JASON

Yesterday my cousin Bev and her husband Bob, hosted a delicious barbeque supper to honor a few of the recent special occasions over the summer. With my cousin Steve, and his wife, Diane, and daughter, Amber, in town, it gave us all an occasion to reunite in celebrations!

It is a funny thing how it seems to take out of town relatives and guests to bring the in town relatives  together! I often only see my brother Bob at those type of events. I do however see quite a bit of my other brother Brian!
He comes over regularly to visit lots when
Beau is here.

My Aunt Mary and Uncle Charlie celebrated
66 years of marriage last thursday...
wow... what a milestone in life.
I was so happy to see them doing so well yesterday. They have always been such special people in my life.

So once again I feel the
CELEBRATIONS in my life just continue!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BEAU!

A STAR was born a year ago...
He made his debut... our little BEAU!
He was a STAR from the very start,
He earned  a place in everyone's heart.
Watching him grow through his first year,
Has been so special and oh so dear.
As grandsons go... he is the best...
I really truly do feel blessed!

CHERiSH & CELEBRATE!

"Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of the soul, the blueprints of your achievements."
-Napoleon Hill


"Cherish your human connections-
your relationships with friends and family."
-Barbara Bush


"Cherish all your happy moments; 
they make a fine cushion for old age."
-Booth Tarkington

I truly CHERISH my sweet little BEAU !

Say "CHEESE"!
Here he is eating some grated cheese in his high chair 

Laying on the floor playing with my keys... reminding me
the KEY to life is to CHERISH every moment! 

He is like a ray of sunshine in my life...
so cute in these little yellow shades! 

He is the SUNSHINE of my life and the RAIN-"BEAU" as well! 

A CHERISHED moment of CELEBRATION
yesterday with my cousin Gwen and Beau
sharing a photo with the HAPPY BIRTHDAY BALLOON!
GWEN'S birthday is tomorrow and Beau's is on monday.

my crafted birthday card for GWEN.

FIVE -SIX
seven-eight... now it's time to CELEBRATE!

The photo for this card was taken on mom's first HEAVEN Birthday,
while Gwen and I were out enjoying our Jazz festival in Celebration! 

A photo of me with a beautiful bride, KRISTI!
This photo is from 6 years ago today when Kristi and Matt were married in Toronto.
This was one of the most beautiful weddings ever!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to them today. 

This poster was circulating on Facebook yesterday and I took a picture of it.
I LOVE the words in this poster and how true these words are...
definitely words to live by for sure!

As I sat down to write my blog today I thought the words
"CHERISH and CELEBRATE"
were a good choice for the day.

After my last blog post, one of my Arlene friends commented saying those were two of the words that caught her attention in that blog post...
so I thought it was good inspiration for the writing of this one!

I have been thinking about this time last year and the big build up to the arrival of BEAU to our family... we thought he was coming around July 15th... so the build up took some time as he took his sweet time in making his debut in life!
He finally came on August 8th.
He was like a BEAU-NUS well worth the wait.

This past year has been like a BEAU-NUS for me too, as I have had the priviledge and fun of babysitting him. He will soon be of age to go to daycare. He will then join his sister there after his first birthday.

I must say I have CHERISHED the memories and BEAU bonding all the way...
and will always CELEBRATE him and the time we've had together.

My cousin Gwen popped by yesterday for a visit. I love when ever we can share time... she is a very fun and thoughtful cousin. She came with some cute little gifts for us... some little dancer dishes, a nice Angel journal and a Circle cutter for my scrapbooking!
Gwen is celebrating her birthday tomorrow so I had a card for her. We sort of did a pre-birthday celebration together in June when we attended some Jazz together and I treated her to the HOLLY COLE concert!
HaPpY TaPpY BiRtHdAy
COUSIN GWEN!

Brian and I enjoyed a great meal in good company on the rooftop of the Athena restaurant last night. We always enjoy times shared with friends JOAN and GERRY. It was like a celebration of our wonderful summer weather over good times and memories!

6 years ago we attended a beautiful wedding in Toronto on this date.  Today Brian and I will attend another wedding...
must be a great date for a wedding CELEBRATION...
Happy Wedding Anniversary to
KRISTI and MATT in Toronto
and Happy Wedding Day to
JASON and ANDY today!

Everyday I feel blessed with
so many reminders to
"CHERISH and CELEBRATE"


"LIFE IS SHORT. LIVE YOUR DREAM AND SHARE YOUR PASSION."
-Monty Winters

I CHERISH the many memories
that I have made,
And captured so many, so that they won't fade!
A year in the life of a baby, is great...
And it is sure something to just CELEBRATE.
I CHERISH the time that I've had with sweet BEAU,
And soon he'll be off to day care, you know!
I'm lucky  that I had some time I could share,
A PRECIOUS year spent with my wee
"BEAU-BEAR!"
Changes are good, and soon I'll have time...
To look back and
CHERISH and CELEBRATE
in rhyme!

Oh HAPPY Day!

"The secret of Happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do."
-J. M. Barrie


"Happiness is  a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne


"To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?"
-Katherine Meyer Graham

Here is a HAPPY little picture from last Friday when I dropped Beau off at his mommy's store and picked up Mariah for her swimming lesson.
It was a HAPPY DAY for Mariah because she not only passed her swimming level, but she got to go to work with her mommy, and to eat her supper on the roof top of the Athena restaurant, too! 

Here is Beau last Friday looking so old all of a sudden and enjoying the grass in his little bare feet!
It is always a HAPPY DAY whenever I have Beau here with me! 

Here is Mariah with her other Grandparent's dog, JETER, on this past monday.
She is always HAPPY around doggies! 

Beau on Friday sharing grated cheese and crackers with Shuffle on the side!
BEAU is becoming a little HOODINI now and can almost escape out of the high chair...
 keeps me on my toes for sure!

Mariah on Sunday when we stopped by some
relatives of  her daddy's and saw their new puppy, ANGUS. 

OH HAPPY DAY... for the local band named
"THE SHEEPDOGS"
Here as seen in our news paper The Star Phoenix on Tuesday,
 after earning a spot on the cover of the next ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE!
Such a PROUD and HAPPY DAY for sure

OH HAPPY...and CRAPPY DAY!
This is a new cereal I discovered recently.... very healthy
and actually amazingly, inspite of it's funny name... pretty tasty, too! 

My Mary Engelbreit calendar and it's cute pic for the month of August...
made me think of Mariah and Beau!
The saying on it says this...
"There is one thing which gives radiance to everything. It is the idea of something around the corner."
-G. J. Chesterton
And we do have Beau's birthday coming up just around the corner on this Monday, too.

My little crafted calendar photo for August is one of the family last year on Beau's BIRTHDAY... and it truly was ... A HAPPY DAY!
We have had so many HAPPY DAYS with him in our lives ever since, as well.

Another HAPPY DAY photo taken of Brian and Me
last thursday prior to Jana's Fund raiser dinner for the Children's Hospital Foundation.
We look HAPPY in our "matcher-dotty" attire...and DOTS always make me HAPPY!

Since my previous blog this past tuesday, I have been thinking about a theme for the next blog. After attending the tuesday morning Body Flow class at the Goodlife gym, I knew the opening song of the new track
would make a perfect THEME title!
The first song of the newest Body Flow track is a very spiritual version of the song...
"OH HAPPY DAY"

That morning the gym teacher, TRENT, shared a very HAPPY story, too. He proudly announced that his wife had just placed SECOND in the entire WORLD at a "PRO FIT" competition in LA on this past weekend.

Trent is very fit, as well and the best fitness instructor anyone could ever encounter...
I always look so forward to his classes at the gym, and feel as though those days are all HAPPY DAYS!

Also that Tuesday... SASKATOON'S very own band "THE SHEEP DOGS" found out they were the band who won the online contest with
 more than 1.5 million votes to get their picture on the cover of the prestigious
"Rolling Stone" Magazine. They were one of 16 unsigned bands vying for a spot and I believe the only Canadian band to make it that far and then go on to win.
A HAPPY DAY for them and a proud moment in time for us SASKATONIANS, too!

We have had a lot going on lately and lots revolving around my grandkids, Mariah and Beau, which all makes me HAPPY. Mariah spent the previous 2 weeks in swimming and passed from Sea Otters to Salamanders. This week she has been in YOGA classes. Such a reminder of just how fast the little kids are growing up!

It is so hard to believe that BEAU is nearing his first birthday on August 8th, too....
where does the time go?
All I know is it has been many
"OH HAPPY DAYS" for us for sure!

I also want to say how HAPPY it makes me to know you are TAPPING into my simple little life as I share it with you from blog to blog!
Special mention to my "ARLENE" friends who pretty nearly always comment here on the blog site too!
I know there are others reading according to my stats and some comments on FB, too...and I thank all of you for that time and interest!

I have BEAU here all day today and tomorrow...and he is a BUSY BEAU-ZEE!
Soon he will be in the hands of the same day care that Mariah goes to, now that he is nearly one. I have mixed emotions about that... but will definitely cherish all the HAPPY DAYS I have been able to bond and share with my grandson, BEAU!

Many things I think of make it a HAPPY DAY...
I always have fun with Beau,
when he comes my way.
Happy for the people who are close by,
 doing so well...
Seeing other's happiness...
makes me feel real swell!
Eating healthier choices, also makes me happy,
Sometimes it just helps to clear out
everything that's crappy!
Thinking of the year that's gone by
really, really fast,
Thinking HAPPY MEMORIES...
and trying to make them last.
Celebrating moments,
when ever they come my way,
And cherishing the memories that make each
HAPPY DAY!

Yesterday I spent a HAPPY DAY with my dance teaching girlfriend, Brenda. She is a busy gal always... so any time I spend with her is not only HAPPY... but cherished as well!

OH HAPPY DAY!

BeRRy SWeeT!

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller


"When you look for the good in others you discover the best in yourself." - Martin Walsh


"While enormous strides have been made in communications in recent years, there is still a lot to be said for a smile."- Franklin P. Jones

A BERRY SWEET photo from Beau's birthday celebration on the weekend
of GRANDMA "ANCY" with the kids out on BEAU'S new PLAZMA CAR!
This photo just radiates HAPPINESS!!!! 

Here is Mariah in her little swim suit at her final lesson of her two week course...
she passed from SEA OTTERS into SALAMANDERS!
What a BERRY SWEET little "POSER" she is!!!!
(She claims she is a good swimmer, too, now as well!!!)

A BERRY SWEET supper on our deck on sunday evening with friends... Jacquie and Bob.
Brian barbequed a chicken and veggies...and it was YUMMY!
Just a perfect evening of fine dining with wonderful people!

Another BERRY SWEET trip to the BERRY BARN for brunch yesterday! 

A BERRY SWEET COUPLE!
Nels and Jana looking BERRY romantic out at the Berry Barn yesterday. 

My BERRY CUTE little MONKEY with the Berry Barn Ape! 

My BERRY SWEET little DEAR with the Berry Barn Deer! 

BERRY PROUD GRANDPARENTS  with their
BERRY SWEET GRANDKIDS! 

Girls just want to have fun!
Jana, Diane, Ingrid, Mariah, Nancy!

Proud POPPAS!
Brian and Arvid with their little BEAU!

BERRY SWEET girlies "CHILLIN" on the front step with popsicles yesterday! 

More BERRY SWEET FUN and SPLASHIN in the back! 

LIFE is just BERRY SWEET these days! 

My BERRY talented niece, and grand daughter decorated the entire driveway with chalk yesterday...
There was no end to their imaginations and creativity!


This last while has been BERRY SWEET, indeed... I LOVE SUMMER and all it offers!

This weekend we had friends Bob and Jacquie for a wonderful barbeque supper on our deck. Jacquie made a delicious salad and Brian did up a little chicken and veggies on the Barbeque.
We had a BERRY SWEET fruit salad for dessert to enjoy with some great conversations and fabulous weather on our deck.
 

Earlier that afternoon, our neighbours,
 Floyd and Cheryl popped by for a drink on the deck, as well... I love impromptu visits... that is what summers are for!
We need to do that more often.

Yesterday we met with Jana, Nels, their kids and the Edmonton Grandparents, Nancy and Arvid along with the kiddie's Auntie Ingrid for
a brunch out at the beautiful BERRY BARN!
There are so many photo opportunities out there, so between Auntie Ingrid and I we managed to get quite a few...
(She called herself and me the
"PHOTO NERDS"... hehehe
I love that I am not the only one who always wants to stop for a photo!)

Mariah wanted to come back here afterward, so I said if my niece Rowen was able to come and hang out with her she could come over! Rowen is like a built in babysitter...
still young enough to play, but very responsible at watching Mariah, too...
so the 2 girlies have no end of fun when they are together!

They decorated my entire driveway with chalk... devoured several popsicles...
(I think all the pink and purple
ones are gone now...
so Beau will have to eat the orange ones!!!)
Later they splashed in the pool in the back and ran through the Dora sprinkler. I printed off the many pics of the girls while they had fun and then they came in and crafted little booklets with the photos! Rowen is BERRY artistic!
They had fun...
(I did too, I love to craft as well,
but always more fun in good company!)

We had a lower key evening and I watched SYTYCD...I am enjoying the 4 nights of that in and amongst all the other activities this summer.

It does seem as though my entire summer has revolved around food, though, so this morning I am off to my BODY FLOW class at the gym to hopefully burn off a few of the many calories consumed this past few days!

Even my oatmeal package suggested to me to get active today...
saying these two happy heart tips...
"Seize the day the active way"
"Make physical activity part of your daily routine."

At least with it being summer, lots of the food is good for me ... such as fruit and veggies...
so it is all BERRY sweet!
I am loving the rainier cherries, too...
Mariah calls those apple-cherries!

As the famous song says....
"Life is just a bowl of cherries!"

This summer has been BERRY SWEET...
And much has revolved around a treat.
Seems that all I do is eat,
And sit outside with my bare feet!
Lots of family gatherings, too.
The fun is plenty with all that we do.
More things to come before it's through.
Oh... I LOVE SUMMER...
How about you?!