Zoom and Mr. Shony

No reason - just love the sweet close ups. It is amazing how they can look so much alike and completely different at the same time. That sounded dumb, but you know what I mean.
This is John Berret. I could never call him anything but Mr. Berret, though he asked me to call him John. Some call him JJ for Judge John - he used to be a judge. He also used to play in the...Navy? band. His grandkids call him Shony which really came from his younger brother who could not pronounce his name as a kid. This same younger brother died in a plane crash some years ago and Shony still tears up telling the story. He is a true non southern, southern gentleman. He always tips his hat or stands when I walk up. Even from across the street, if he sees us, he takes off his hat, and calls us each by name - even Greta. Which is why I still can't not (sorry for the double negative) refer to him has Mr. So we've settled on Mr. Shony - familiar enough. I see him every Wednesday morning at Grants and he walks by our house every day. That's his dog, Buddy. Another reason we love Golden Hill - as if we needed another.

Tankin' up

I think, after Christmas and Easter, Valentines is my favorite. Not for the typical reasons, Mike and I don't even go out. I'm not even sure we wished each other a 'happy valentines.' But I love making it a family holiday. My mom always did. She made a special supper and set the table really nice and gave me chocolate covered raspberry chocolates. This year we celebrated over breakfast and in case you didn't know it...chocolate/candy is Olivia primary love language. (That and mexican take-out.) Her tank was f.u.l.l. Monday morning. She just kept rearranging her candy and identifying everything and saying "I love you." Finally, at one point she brimmed over and said, with tears in her eyes, "The best part about valentines is you and Daddy." I am sure there is some exceptionally tender point to make here about God's love or family traditions or cavities or something, but I am running on little sleep as Greta has been sick, so I am just trying to enjoy the moment and maybe the lessons will sink in somewhere.

a pair of puckers

Science project

Lip lips - it's what we call chapstick in our family. I think thanks to Mouse...is that right? Last year, I was convinced I had lip cancer. My lips kept pealing and they hurt. Come to find out, after misplacing my chapstick for a time...that I was actually allergic, or something, to my chapstick. So, we made our own...and studied solid, liquid, solid process as well.Olivia was pretty proud of herself. Joseph...we had to eventually confiscate his before he ate the whole tube.

Shea butter
Coconut oil
Beeswax
Double broiler, tubes, dropper
and veeola!

Sisters


Two cute little nose wrinklers.

The dog and the frog

She's got him by the tail.

Elton



Nice macaroni face.