November 2015

November was a busy, busy month for us.

 We had a family baby shower for Abram. Jason opened the gifts and oohed and aahed at all the appropriate times.

 Lilly read poems that she and Lucy had written in honor of Abram.

Abram got lots of snuggles.  He's a little snuggle bunny.  

 We celebrated Jimmy's birthday.

Jason and Jennifer gave me this electric pressure cooker as a birthday/Christmas gift.  It is my new favorite appliance.  I love that it is so versatile.  

 

 We celebrated Lilly's 10th birthday.

 We gathered together for Thanksgiving.

 

 We celebrated Lucy's 7th birthday.

 Hannah and Michael selected our Christmas tree.

Because it was Jonas's turn to spend the night, he helped us decorate the tree. 

 

The Jonas seal of approval!

October 2015

I celebrated my 61st birthday with my family.

 Hannah and Michael decorated the whole house for my birthday.  It was the first time in a long time that I've had birthday 

decorations.

 Lucy loves holding baby Abram.

 Hannah planned a fall party for our family. 

 Lucy spent the night with us.  She and Pom Pom picked out a pumpkin.

 They had fun carving it together.

Phillip and I celebrated our 42nd anniversary.  We spent the day rambling around in the mountains.  We didn't take any pictures, but we had a good time together.

 Our oldest grandchild Caleb celebrated his 15th birthday.  We're very proud of him.

It was time for our family camping trip.

 

 Making s'mores

Snuggling our newest little camper, Abram

 Playing with Libby, our camping dog

Mermaid Lucy and Cowgirl Lilly

Captain America Jonas

 

September 2015

Labor Day family meal

Lilly spent the night with us this month.  We had an elegant tea party.

We celebrated Hannah's 21st birthday with a family dinner and a Krispy Kreme cake.

We sent her on a scavenger hunt for her birthday present.

 Phillip and I took a foggy drive to Jaclyn's.

Phillip hung a tire swing for Sam.  

 

Phillip, Hannah, and I took a day trip to Lake Lure.  

We love the flowering bridge. It makes me want to come home and plant something.

I saved the best  news for last.  Abram Miles Robinson was born September 18.  He surprised us by arriving a few weeks earlier than expected, but he and Jennifer are both doing very well.

August 2015

August was Jonas's month to spend the night.  We took him to see "Shaun the Sheep, the Movie."  He was enthralled.  (He ate that whole bag of popcorn by himself, too.)

 We spent a few days in Virginia visiting Jaclyn and Emily.  I never remember to take pictures of them while we're there. We took the boys shopping for school supplies, which is always a lot of fun.  I missed having children in school this year for the first time since Hannah graduated, so I really enjoyed helping them get ready.  We met Emily and Jon for breakfast one morning.  It was the most fun breakfast I've had in a long time.  On the way home we stopped at Claytor Lake State Park. It was beautiful.

 Phillip has been wanting to see Pilot Mountain so we made a stop there, too.  The view was amazing.

 Our neighbor shared his apples with us.  Since Phillip loves dried apples, I dehydrated most of them.  

 Libby met a turtle.  She was much more interested in it than it was in her.  With a little help from me, the turtle made its escape with no harm to either party.

 Laura baked this impressive cake for her husband Michael's birthday.  It was delicious.

 Phillip finally bought a new lawn mower.  When he cut grass with his old mower, he worked on the mower longer than he cut grass with it.  Now he can mow without having his toolbox open and ready the whole time.

 Lilly and Lucy made friends with a lizard. They had a good time with him, then released him back into the wild. (Notice that Lilly had to get braces. She has adjusted to them better than any of us expected.) 

July 2015

Jonas made a play doh porcupine.

Sam stayed with us while his mom was in the hospital in Charlotte.  We really missed Caleb and Jack but having Sam here was wonderful.  He's so much fun and he's growing up so quickly. 

 Rachel and I took Sam, Lilly, and Lucy to the Bush-N-Vine farm.  It was a fun place for the cousins to spend time together.

 They were fascinated by the bee hive.  

Sam, Lilly, and Lucy

 

 July was Lucy's turn for a sleep over with us.  We visited the Broad River Greenway.  It was a beautiful place to walk.

 

Looking up the river

 

 

 We loved this swing at the Greenway.  I want Phillip to build one for me.  He's not quite as enthusiastic as I am about that project.