Aunt Sam and Uncle Marty visiting Olivia in Wisconsin December 29, 2014

Stig went to Wisconsin, too, with his 'mom' and 'dad' (Sam and Marty) and sent me this picture from the car yesterday.

 Uncle Marty with Olivia on his lap.

You're taking my picture again???

 Sam and Miss Livvy's first picture after their arrival.  John and I (grandma and grandpa) are very envious of them squeezing Olivia!!

Miss Olivia's first Thanksgiving! November 27, 2014

 Even though she was in Wisconsin (and we didn't see her) Olivia apparently really enjoyed her first Thanksgiving feast.

Her attire was appropriate, too!  She's so cute, isn't she??

More Olivia pictures from last weekend November 19, 2014

Olivia enjoying some breakfast.

Olivia saying goodbye to her great-grandma Monday morning.

 Olivia and her dad (Alex) Friday evening during the supper hour

Olivia smiling for Gramps (John) Monnday morning before we left for home.

A weekend with the Granddaughter! November 18, 2014

My mom had never visited Beaver Dam (Wisconsin) since my son and his wife (Alex and Allison) moved there a couple of years ago. So she rode with us this past weekend. Miss Olivia REALLY loved seeing mema (her great-grandma) again!

 Saturday morning she was pretty chipper, but has battled her first ear infection recently and had been up for a little while in the night complaining to her father.

This is how she spent part of Saturday afternoon, even after a 3 hour nap!  She loved snuggling with Great-grandma.

Monday morning and ready to rumble!  Olivia showing off her new snow boots (she lives in WISCONSIN--and they have LOTS of snow and Celebrate it!!).  She was feeling MUCH better on Sunday, but we didn't take nearly as many pictures as usual.... oh well.

New kitchen vinyl floor!!

John decided he could do this project pretty much on his own (I was only the 'go-fer' and helped with pushing the appliances around a little...), and he did a great job.

The old kitchen vinyl coming up off the floor....

 New vinyl unrolling.... 

The new vinyl is down, but not trimmed or sealed in these two pictures below.

There's some things that need to be done, but the appliances are back in their places and working but the rest will have to wait until he's got a little more time!!!

Happy Early Halloween!! From the past and the present!!

This is our son, Alex, wearing the pumpkin suit his Grandma Jean made him in October, 1986! He was 9 months old at the time.

This is our granddaughter, Olivia, wearing the SAME suit when we visited last month (her Grandpa John holding her).  She's 8 months old in this picture.

Yesterday, Olivia and her 'best friend', Claire, went Trick or Treat-ing in their neighborhood.  Adorable!!!  

I found this picture, too, although Samantha doesn't look as happy wearing it as the other two kids (her brother, Alex, and her niece, Olivia).  This is Alex in his 'wizard' costume and Samantha in the pumpkin suit.  The picture is dated October 30, 1987.  Alex was about 20 months old and Samantha would have been 3 1/2 months old!!!

More granddaughter pictures October 17, 2014

Miss Olivia contemplating which toy to play with.

LUNCH!!  Green beans and cereal and a little bite of graham cracker.

We started practicing "SO BIG" in the chair.

A face only the grandparents love???

Miss Olivia is growing!!

 Olivia (8-months old now) helping Grandpa read the Menards ad before we make a shopping trip.

Olivia studying the new crinkly book we brought.

September, 2014, is only a memory...

 Watson likes to be cuddled by the other cats, and when she first arrived at our house she attempted to cuddle with Bogie (who puts up with it most of the time but is not 'maternal') and Gracie (who doesn't really put up with any of Watson's attention).

 Ron is who ended up taking Watson under his 'paw' and cuddling and tending to her.

Miss Olivia taking some nourishment off her mom's plate (Allison).  Our granddaughter is now almost 8 months old!!!  Gheez.... time really does go be fast.

Then we discovered Patrick was 'oozing' something late last week, possibly when he fell when he was jumping as he chased the birds incessantly in our yard... another reason to leave September in the past!  (He's on medicine and we have to soak it several times a day.)  Ick.....

It was a lovely wedding weekend (last weekend--before the storm!!) September 4, 2014

 The groom (Greg) cutting the wedding cake with a sword!! (It was yummy, and all three layers had different fillings.)

 The bride (our niece, Rachel), being walked to the altar by her brother, Will.  She did look radiant!

 Uncle Marty (my son-in-law) with Olivia (our granddaughter) having a little snooze during the wedding ceremony.

Great-grandma Jean, her brother, Pat, and her sister, Mary, enjoying cocktail hour after the wedding.

 Rachel and Greg just after being pronounced 'man and wife'.  Congratulations!!

Going up the aisle on a sunny afternoon (before and after the ceremony it was a rainy, damp weekend!).

Day 2 of the cleanup! September 3, 2014

 This is the view from my upstairs bedroom window yesterday morning where the tree and shed once stood (now gone).

 From the same window, facing a little southeast.  The middle of the yard is looking very bare...

 This was a humongous tree, and even too much for the mighty endloader, which grabbed one of the pine trees completely to haul to the burning pile!

More storm damage pictures, September 2, 2014

A Stormy Evening turns into a messy yard day! September 1, 2014

 This happened in less than a few minutes last night as a powerful storm landed in our yard.

 It uprooted 3 pine trees like they were twigs.

 I think the shed is a 'goner', but the boat wasn't touched!!

 This is the pine just west of our garage.

 This is the non-pine tree that was lost last night, too.

When the branches were falling, one came right through this family room window.  Yikes!  I am planning on posting more pictures of my morning 'tour of the yard' on the flickr site later.  We are all fine, as are the cats, at least!  The house was spared any other obvious damage at this point.