Merry Christmas 2014!

Wishing all of you, our family and friends, a Blessed Christmas!

All dressed up on our way to a December wedding!

I'll add a family photo after we take one on Christmas Day.  

Beka gets home on Christmas Eve and returns to Detroit on the 26th. 

We're planning to get a pic when all 15 of us get together!

I couldn't communicate the truth of Christmas better than

our two oldest grandchildren did at a holiday gathering!
Enjoy!

 Rachel and Clay's daughter, Adah - 6 years old!

 Deborah and Jonah's son, Owen - 5 years old!

Blessed Holidays and  Happy New Year to each of you!

With much love,   Tim and Sandy

November Fun!

I was gone for Emsley's 4th Birthday on November 11th...

but we had a very special day out the next week!

She picked:  Lunch out at In-n-Out, 

then shopping at San Tan Marketplace

where she picked out a yummy cake pop at Caketini!

We then went to the Mall and rode the Carousel  two times ... together!!!

We enjoyed walking the Mall, looking at Christmas decorations

and playing in the play area!!!  

What a special time with a special BIG girl!

Adah's 6th Birthday was on November 19th!

 She invited both sets of grandparents over to help celebrate!!

  

 Rachel, Marmee, Adah, Me and Emsley!!!  Love these ladies!!!

Then it was time for Adah's Day out!  

She decided to do the same thing Emsley did!!!

Except instead of a cake pop - we shopped for a special necklace!  

One for her and one for Emsley - to complete their Birthday treats!  

What a joy to spend time with this awesome BIG BIG girl!  

Just delightful!  I love my tradition!!

AND I LOVE THESE GRANDKIDS!!!

We were all together for Thanksgiving - except missing Beka :(

So much fun to have 7 grand kids at our house!  

The first year for a kids' table for the oldest 5!

They all sat beautifully to eat their pumpkin pie ... 

the mealtime was full of giggles!

Not sure much turkey was eaten ...  But such a delight to listen to!!!

More Pics! 

What a Trip ... Toronto, Ohio and Nashville!

We had a trip planned!  

I found out Beka was scheduled to go on 

as Glinda in Toronto on November 2nd!

Mom wanted to go, then Tom wanted to go, then Annette wanted to go!

We purchased tickets and booked 

our Airbnb Condo in downtown Toronto!

Do we still go even though Annette wouldn't be there 

and we were so sad...We decided YES!!! 

We all needed to do this!  

Val, Annette's long time friend - and ours - took her place.

I flew to Toronto from Phoenix on October 28th to be with Beka for 3 days
before Tom, Mom and Val drove in on the 31st!
We stayed just a few blocks from the theater for 3 nights!

 Enjoying chilly Toronto!

 

 Gramma seeing Beka for the first time before our backstage tour!

My dear friends, Sue and Dawn joined us!!!   Great special times!

Waiting to watch Beka go on as Glinda!
I saw the show 5 times that week ... a mother's privilege???

After the last show we all went out !

So very great to all be together - special people!

Just sorry I had to say goodbye to my girl!

The next morning she was off to Connecticut.

We were off to Niagara Falls - on our way to mom's house for 3 days!

We had a blast!!! More pics here!

Video slide show that Val made of our time in Toronto!
Thank you Val!!!!!

We then went down to Steve's house in Cincinnati where we had 

an early Thanksgiving celebration!!!  

Lisa, Carrie & her boys, Sam & Brittney, and cousin Jeanine came too!  

Again ... so healing to be with family - sharing joy and sadness!

Hay rides around Steve's property!

Wonderful Thanksgiving "costumes" made by Jeanine and Brittney!

More pics! 

I drove back to Nashville with Sam and Brittney for 2 days.
I'm not exactly sure why, but only that was in the "neighborhood"
 ... And just needed to go again.
 I flew home on Nov 12th - another 2 week trip completed!
Time to get ready for the holidays and stay home for a while!

The Unexpected Loss of my Big Sister, Annette ...

This may be the hardest entry I've written...
 I think I'm still in shock and disbelief...

Grief is a confusing and consuming process.

I got a call from my sister, Lisa, in the middle of the night 

that Annette was gone...

She died Oct 11, 2014 of complications from surgery.

I traveled to Nashville Oct 14th-20th, 

to be with my family.
It's healing to be together during such difficult days.

 We planned the Memorial Service and all the family helped make

gifts to give to those who attended.  Cousin Jeanine planned

for us to decoupage pictures of Annette's last heart from

her Hearts Project onto 300 tiles.

We handed them out at Service along with this
poem she wrote to go with the painting...
True and inspiring words!

She had just complete this final "Heart" of her Heart's Project. 

Link to other of her amazing Hearts...

Watch Annette's Memorial Service here...
Such a tribute to the amazing person she was!!!

Nathan Lee singing the song he wrote for the Service!

 

My mom and brothers and sisters together at Annette's house.

 Family and extended family who were able to be there
for the Memorial service.  Thankful for each one!!!

 

We followed Annette's wishes to celebrate and throw a party

whenever she left this earth ... so great to be with family and friends

as we celebrated my dear sister Annette's life!

 Annette's son, Sam, and girlfriend, Brittney!  Two amazing young people!

More pics of our time in Nashville and the Memorial.

Summer Fun!

Once a grandchild turns 4 I look forward to
a special lunch and fun day out! 

So great to have one-on-one time with each as they grow up!

 I celebrated my oldest grandson Owen's 5th birthday on August 6th!

I picked him up and drove to a Phoenix Light Rail stop!
We purchased our tickets and waited for our train...
then transfered to the Sky Train and made our way to the Airport!
Owen loves elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks
and really anything with moving parts!
We had a ball running around and "riding" anything that moved
...over and over!
We enjoyed hamburgers and fries for lunch!!!

Special times....especially for me!

In the middle of August I went back to NYC
 to visit James and see the city. 

We had a few great days seeing the sights!
 I feel like I know my way around there now!!

Then I took a MegaBus to Boston....

I had to clean out our sub-letted apartment before the end of the month.   

I sold Beka's furniture and shipped things home.  

It was a busy time, but I got to spend the last evening with my friend Gail!
I've so enjoyed many visits to Boston over the last four years!

While I was away, Caden turned 2 on August 12th!!!
I was soooo sad to miss his celebration,
but PawPaw was there and got some great pics!

I wanted to be home before baby McInturff arrived,
so I returned on August 20th.

Baby Letty Jane McInturff arrived September 4th!
What a joy!  Our 7th Grandchild!!!!!

 The 3 older kids got to stay with us for 2 nights!!!

Such fun!
Many more pics.

James moved back home in September, deciding that NYC
wasn't where he was supposed to be for now.
He's working and living at home figuring out what's next for him...
it isn't easy being a 24 yr old artist.

SIX Grandbabies!!!!

Can you believe it???  SIX!  And #7 due the end of August!!!

Between May 20th and August 6th of each year...
we can get this wonderful picture!

Next year it will be 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 !!! 

Beka came home for a visit in July...

before taking off for Calgary on July 28th, to start rehearsals for Wicked!  

 So glad to have her home for a visit.

Great summer with these cuties!  The pics say it all!
Such a joy to spend time with each!

Pics!

Boston & Nashville & Baby, oh my!

May was a busy month!!!!!
I flew to Boston, then Nashville, then back to Boston,
then home to Phoenix, then back to Boston!!! What?!?!

I was so happy I could see Beka and all the Seniors perform in their
Senior Showcase on May 4th!
What a talented bunch of kids!

Beka with her partner, Tyler!

On May 5th Beka traveled to NYC with her class to perform their
Showcase at the Alvin Alley Theater on the 6th.
 She returned to Boston on May 9th!

I flew to Nashville on May 5th,
where Annette and Lisa picked me up at the airport!
We had a great sister time!
Heard great music in the Honky Tonks in Nashville!
Here's just one little clip! Amazing musicians!! So much fun!

Annette took us to "Million Dollar Quartet" at the TPAC -
such a fun and fitting for Nashville show! 

 But our time together wasn't all about fun ...
we really were there to help get ready for
Annette's 60th birthday party!!

 We spent a couple days helping Annette with her landscaping!

We cleared land, planted plants, decorated, etc and put on a
great 60th birthday party -

 complete with dressing the part! It was a great time with
75 of Annette's friends coming!!!

We got to go with Annette to her artclass at The Sanctuary.
There we met Patsy Clairmont, Joanne Miller and Dorsey McHugh
and other great ladies who are involved in this inspiring class!

We went to lunch with these great ladies!!
I found out they knew Nancy Demmitt, my friend in Phoenix!
Dorsey and Joanne's book was about to be released “Be Your Finest Art”.
They told me they quote Nancy in their book ... Small World!!!
I was blessed to spend 10 days with my dear sisters
and met many great, inspiring and fun people!

On the 14th I flew back to Boston, where Tim was planning to meet me.
We had a lovely hotel for 6 nights so we could be there for
 Beka’s graduation on the 17th!
It turns out Beka had to leave on the 15th to go back to NY
 to meet with a final agent.
We met her at the bus station for coffee and hugs before she left!
We enjoyed a couple days alone touring around the sights of Boston.

At the Bell-in-Hand enjoying an amazing beer!
America's oldest tavern, est. 1795!

   Beka’s bus was late on the 16th, but we met her at the station –
took the T back to her apartment where she freshened up
while we got a table for a mexican dinner at The Cactus Club, close by.
Time to Celebrate!!

  The next day was graduation day!
We met Beka and she showed us around –
her apartment, school buildings, theaters, classrooms.
We watched as the seniors had their pictures taken on the front steps!
 We went out to an early dinner at Thai Basil on Mass ave!
 Then back to the apartment to freshen up, iron graduation gowns,
and take a taxi to The Back Bay Events Center where we
watched a beautiful graduation ceremony and had a lovely reception!

Travel Pics!

 

Tim and I flew home on the 20th as planned...
hoping to make the birth of our 6th grandbaby!
As we were traveling Amos Pax Nelson was born!!!!

Now for time at home to get things done
and spend time with the new grandbaby and help with the Nelson boys!!!
You would think that things would settle down now to just being grandparents
... but oh my!   Big happenings!!!
 If want to read about too many exciting details ... click!
It would be overload to post here!!!