Littlest Gem~

I was lucky enough to travel to Grand Junction to visit

my Littlest Gem! 

Layla Lynn

I learned so much more about her while I stayed at their

house!  This girl is so darling!  She is so smart~!   At three, she recognizes all the 

alphabet and her numbers!  She loves school and HOMEWORK!

I found out she loves when I softly rub her arm... Just like Sarah

and Molly~

She is silly and fun!

We baked cookies together one day!

Layla loves to wear her Princess dresses...

all day, every day!

She did all the sprinkles!

Her Papa, Tegan, helped us too!

Homework time!

I went to Layla's school to share Music In Motion with her classmates!

They had so much fun!

She made a darling ornament at school for her Mommy and Papa!

Her little handprint turned into snowmen!

I love to snuggle with this princess!

She had "sleepovers" in Meme's room every night!

My "room" had some special touches being added in...

Photo's on the nightstands...

made me feel right at home!

Family photos on the wall!

And then across from the bed, these words were placed

upon the wall...

with lines for hanging photos on... photos to come!

I thought this was the sweetest idea!

I did feel like it was A Piece of Home~

My precious bedmate sound asleep!

I bought Layla a Hello Kitty cd player that came with microphones~

What fun we had with that... singing to our hearts content!

I got to stay 5 days in Grand Junction with Tegan, Kelley

and Layla Bug.   

Christmas is so exciting!

Layla got to help me open my gift early since we needed to ship it home

to Ohio before we hit the road for Breckenridge to meet up with Danny and

Dave!

Oh my goodness...

It is a beautiful framed cork board... with all my favorite wine corks!

I have been saving and sending them to Kelley!  So have all my friends!

We are big wino's, the lot of us!

I love it!

Tegan painted a picture of the mountains and added a clock mechanism ~

so I will always know what time it is in Grand Junction!

( I admit~ I have called too early a number of times...

saying I forgot what time it was there!)

No excuses now!

On the morning of the 19th, we got in the car and headed up the mountains, 

thru the pass to Breckenridge!

The trees in Grand Junction in the morning are full of

frost and so pretty~

Christmas with the boys and their girls...

What fun!

I like PIE... do you?

Our sweet Mary Annis, on the left, invited Meigan and I over for

a pie baking session!  She often tells us about her Mother, who baked and taught

her all she knows about baking...

I was so excited!   She said bring a rolling pin, pie pan and a 

pastry cloth...WAIT~ what's that?  I do not have one of those!

I was so mad I forgot my camera~ so phone photos 

have to do!

Mary Annis shared one of her Mother's pastry cloths with me!

We made our dough, rolled it out and set it into our pans~

Looking good!

Mary Annis made a mixed berry pie.

I choose apple~

Meigan went for Blueberry, just like her Mom used to make!

Pay no attention to the amount of sugar we used!!

Time for the top crust!

Meigan watches closely~ we were both very attentive 

and good students!

Mary Annis is just darling to take the time to show us

how to make the perfect pie!

She was happy to share her secrets~

Looking good~

Now time for fun~ I wanted hearts on mine!

A lot of hearts!

Into the oven they went...

We baked two at a time so that we could try them of dessert

after lunch!  See the yellow pot on stove~

Mary Annis's delicious chicken soup!

We had lunch while we waited...

Beautiful result~

We ate some apple and some blueberry~

Then swore we would never eat again in our 

lives, we were so full of PIE!

Of course there was 

ICE CREAM

I love that I have friends that share their talents with me!

I can't wait to bake another pie

on my own!

Thanks MA~ You are the BEST!

Here, and There... Where have I been?

Santa just lays around in Naples Florida...

waiting for his big night!

Molly had a Christmas Show at her school!

All the first graders sang their hearts out!

I left my big lens in Florida... couldn't get a good shot from where we sat 

but there she is!

Cayden, Mya and Bri came for the weekend to visit since

I am heading out to Colorado soon!

Mya and her Doe eyes!

Cayden is as sweet as EVER!

At Beckie's, Molly was busy practicing her violin for her

Big Winter Recital!

She worked really hard at learning her recital piece, as well

as Burn Little Candles~ which she was chosen to play

to start the Christmas Carol segment of the recital!

Papa will see the recital... I will not since I will be with my

Layla Lynn and her Mommy and Pop!

Molly let me listen in to lots of practice tho... 

she doesn't like me to video...

Oh well... 

I am very sneaky, you know!

I LOVE MY NEW SNOWMEN!

I took these little "elves" shopping for some special people in

their little lives...

Phone photo!

They enjoyed wrapping and will be putting their gifts

right under the tree!

Sarah has started playing Words With Friends with me

on her Kindle~

Here is a conversation we recently had~ she cracks me up!

why thank you

I love that!