May 26, 2014
Not only is this an ABBOTT AMAZEMENT Journal, but an expression of the overflow of GRATITUDE from this Grandma’s heart. I am SO blessed! I appreciate the opportunity to spend my birthday week with friends and family in Mesa.
I don’t yet have the photos downloaded, but do expect to include a group shot from Thursday evening; taken when my local grands & greats were gathered here. I KNOW that “Papa Tom” was smiling to see the 6 of them swimming, jumping on the trampoline, and cooperatively producing a fashion show while adults chatted. Our family is such a patch-work quilt of varied cultures and ages, stitched together with love. It’s beautiful…and so cozy to snuggle into its warmth.
Tom and I enjoyed the almost kaleidoscope variations. Now it appears quite probable that my American granddaughter will be vacationing with her husband in Sevilla on a visit with my Spanish daughter in early July. (Austin & Nichole are hoping to spend a week with Tamara & her girls). There is much to commend “bucket lists” and the spontaneity to take advantage of opportunities.
Nichole is determinedly working her way through MY bucket list too. On this visit we took the girls to the Botanical Gardens…TWICE! Tom and I were in Phoenix/Mesa for 30 years…but I’d never made the time. In fact I had intended to take Nina to see the butterfly garden in more than one season…that passed by before we took advantage of the opportunity. Now we have a season pass…and a date for the Butterfly Breakfast in Sept.
We really did visit the garden twice in the same day. During the morning hours we walked the paths admiring spears & succulents as well as the small rodents, frogs, birds & butterflies who make it their home. When we learned that was the date for one of their occasional flashlight tours, we made plans to buy batteries and come back for "an hour” at sunset. That deadline slipped right past as we enjoyed the 12 “discovery stations”…saw a great horned owl at very close range, pounded mesquite beans into flour with a rock.
Grandma & Lexxie don't SHARE a birthday but the dates are close so we had one big family celebration on the 25th. Fortunately Nichole didn't put 69 candles on my cheese "cake" because even the few looks like quite a conflagration!
And on Monday, which was my actual birthday, Nichole and Tamara brought in dinner from Chili's, complete with a "molten" (warm chocolate cake with syrup in the center & vanilla ice cream on the top). Yummm!
