Goodbye, dear friend

Today my mom found out that her long-time, dearest friend, Ona Mae has died. I am so sorry for the loss. Although they were often separated by many miles, Ona Mae was only a phone call, a smile, a tear, a laugh away. For my mother, she was a kindred spirit, someone to talk to for hours and hours. Anytime….about anything. If we’re lucky, we have someone like that in our lives – we laugh at the same jokes, we share life experiences, we share our thoughts, our cares, our lives. It’s that person that finishes your sentences for you, that says your thoughts before you can. Ona Mae was someone truly special and irreplaceable in my mother’s heart.

I would guess that Ona Mae is seeing some of the angels, whose likenesses she used to collect. And from among those angels, she is watching over my mom, wanting to hug her one more time. I hope she knows, I suspect she knows, how much she was loved and treasured as a lifelong, forever friend.

Ona Mae, you will be missed and we will never forget you or the friendship you gave. We are forever grateful to have had you in our lives.

Goodbye, dear friend.

Favorite Foto Friday - Blowing Kisses!

Hmmmmmm, this is a tough "favorite foto friday" for me. We say Mommy is a KISSING MACHINE, but since I'm usually the one who is holding the camera, I don't have a picture! Maya is also famous for her "baby deer kisses" - very soft, gentle brushy, breathy, sweet kisses - but because I am usually the recipient of the baby deer kisses, I don't have a picture! Hmmmmmmm, I think the best I can do is a before-and-after.

"Okay, okay I'm ready for the KISSING MACHINE"

"Stop, stop, turn off the KISSING MACHINE"

To see other families' FFF posts go to www.kissthefrog4me.blogspot.com ; put your feet up; sip a cup of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows; and follow the links!

Helloooooooooo, Customer!

Hello, Customer! Hello, Shopkeeper!

One of Maya's favorite things is to "open her shop" and help her customers. Here she is, selling Daddy a stethoscope. Hello, Dr. Daddy. Hello, Patient Maya is probably coming up next :)

Woooo-hooooooo!!!! The Crock Pot Has Landed!

For those friends who have been following the epic saga, "As The Crock Pot Turns".........one finally arrived on Tuesday afternoon! This is not the original (well, second, really) one from Florida, probably lost in the Hurricane. This one came from California. Wayne is just beside himself with joy and there is chili in our future :)

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! Happy Veterans Day!

The five of us went to Strongbow Inn to celebrate Grandpa's 86th (oops! 87th) birthday tonight. We would have liked to have had a party at home too, but the Carpenters are STILL fighting this flu/virus. I feel like our house should have a Quarantine sign on the door :( Apologies to my dear hubby - I didn't get a good picture of you at dinner.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE, GRANDPA! WE LOVE YOU!

and thank you for being a Vet, too - HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!!

Maya's Birthday Party Invitation

Make a Smilebox greeting

Company is Gone :(

Our dear company has returned home.....after many chicken kabobs at Sunrise, 10,000 dice game, fun at Four Winds, visiting family, weird rental car tires, trip to Brown County, hiking trails, beautiful leaves, day trip to West Baden, hand-picked blueberries, celebrating Halloween, fighting the Indiana flu bug valiantly, visiting our local hospital emergency room, lots of laundry with the tempermental washer, braving the cold, and delaying their flight, Fred and Carol left for Nevada and home.

We had a great time (pre-flu) and I can't think of two nicer people to throw up with (post-flu). The time just flew by and we can't wait for your next visit - we are stocked up on pine sol, lysol, clorox wipes, hahahaha.

Seriously, thank you for coming to visit us and we're glad you had a safe journey home.

Favorite Foto Friday - Family Photo

This is my favorite foto of the three of us because it's the most recent! In looking through my pics, I realize how few we have of the three of us and even fewer with my parents (none!) and even fewer of our extended-up-to-aunts-uncles-family (none!). Time for me to get my camera out, hehehe.

This is second on my favorites list, because it was taken right after we got home with our new daughter.

To see other families' FFF posts go to www.kissthefrog4me.blogspot.com ; put your feet up; sip a cup of tea; and follow the links!

Fall Colors

These are some beautiful photos from my brother-in-law Fred.

No Adventure Day today :( We are all down with a wicked flu bug.

Fall Pictures of Maya from Brown County

Just some miscellaneous pictures of my pretty girl.......yup, I'm a proud mommy!

Our Brown County Vacation

We had fun......



.....watching horses..........

After a hike to the Saddle Barn, we watched the horses get ready for a trail ride.

......riding a pony.....

Maya rode a pony named Chocolate first, and then later Macaroni. Both were very gentle. The most difficult part of the whole thing was for Wayne and me to dodge stepping in pony pattys as we led her around the ring.

....petting a pony.....

.....shouting"Giddy-gee-ha"!

......enjoying the fall colors.....

...shopping in Nashville...

...hiking.......

......trick or treating......

......reading not-so-scary teeny tiny ghost stories.....

Grandma gave Maya the perfect Halloween book, not-so-scary at all.

........swimming......

Watch out for the buckets, Daddy! Despite our warnings, Wayne got drenched by the bucket fountain, over and over, to Maya's delighted giggles!

......driving race cars.........


......making new friends........

.....playing ping pong......






......puzzles and popcorn......and trail mix.....

We were addicted to finishing a 300 piece puzzle, staying up to late then running back in the morning. The guys ended up finishing it except for two mystery pieces, they were there but didn't fit!

.....watching the birds out the windows of our rooms........

.......enjoying the buffets and daily specials at the Lodge restaurant......

......going on a Halloween hayride........

.......talking on the phone - to no one in particular :) .......

......shopping at the Lodge Gift Shop......

Linda, especially, found lots of treasures in Nashville and in the lodge gift shop. We all did our part to help the local economy. Grandma added to Maya's "posse" - a new eagle.

....... playing Mr. Potato Head........

........winning a Royal Flush - yup, that says $1,057......

.......just being silly......

.....watching "Underdog"........

Our new friends from Noblesville, brought the movie Underdog and were nice to share it and their movie snacks with us one night.

.......relaxing and enjoying family......

My favorite part (well, maybe if you don't count the royal flush) was just chillin' with family.

.......time to go, bye-bye tall guy!