My Grandpa

I saw this photo on the refrigerator of me at the ripe old age of 7 months (and I may have been ripe in that photo) in the arms of my Grandpa Olle Olsson. I miss my Grandpa's...   

4 Years Old?!?

Audrey's stack of cash

Madison checking out a card

..now we're down to business!

January 12th, 2008.

I remember so many of the details like it was yesterday. We were so scared and so excited. Would you be healthy? Oh my you were so small. Would we be good parents? How were we going to do this mommy and daddy thing? 

Well we're 4 years in and so far so good! 3 healthy and (generally) happy little girls just had their 4th Birthday!!! 

We had a little celebration on Thursday at home. They got to open their cards and presents; Grammy came over to join in the festivities. It was a good day for them. Swim lessons at the YMCA, pre-school where they got their birthday hats and a night with mom and dad, and Grammy... and presents!

CAKE!!!

Krista tried her hand at making a decorated Birthday cake. For those that didn't get to try it... WOW! She knocked it out of the park. They looked fantastic and tasted even better. Their Birthday party was on Saturday at Village Inn (a Pizza place in Billings, not the sub-par family restaurant). They each got their own little Birthday cake that they shared with friends. They opened presents and we all had a good time with Emmet and Tyler; Mackenzie and Danielle and their families.

Make a wish Zoie!

Make a wish Madison!

Make a wish Audrey!

...and we're back to business.

Then the 'tribe' was off to Build a Bear Workshop (BABW) to cause havoc for an hour or so. Trust me, this wasn't my idea... okay, it was my idea. But it turned out well. Activities for a group of 4 year-old kids during wintertime in Montana are few and far between. Next year maybe we'll have a birthday party on the ski slope! Anywho, the kids were assigned to a BABW victim... er, employee who would guide them through the process of making a stuffed animal. She was great and basically told the parents to bug off for an hour or so while they played. Now of course we were all concerned and talked about this over a cup of coffee while we wandered around the mall. I was able to sneak in a couple of times to check and make sure they weren't terrorizing the place. To my surprise they were taking instruction from the BABW victim... I mean employee and having a really good time. Audrey chose a stuffed animal dog that she calls Fluffy, which is funny since they have my old stuffed dog "Fluffy" in their room that they have never really taken much interest in; Madison decided on a stuffed fox that she named Opus, well now, how can I argue with that? And Zoie had to have a wiener dog, Ruby. I call her Oscar, sometimes Meyer, Zoie doesn't seem to mind since she has long since learned to take her father with a grain, or two, of salt. They had a wonderful 4th Birthday. Thank you to all the friends and family that took part by either being there or with your birthday wishes. They are loved and we are blessed.

I know what I want!

In line to give the new animals a bath.

Audrey giving Fluffy a bath.

Madison giving Opus a bath.

Zoie and her Ruby.

We'll miss you Grampa Dean

Dean Goodman passed away today.

Grandpa/Great-grandpa Dean is one of my favorite people for a myriad of reasons. He reminded me a lot of my own father, strong, hard working, kind and unflappable. His biscuits and gravy were the best! (I didn't like biscuits and gravy until I tried his). I enjoyed our trips to Benson, AZ to visit Grampa. We talked about guy stuff, tractors/trucks/guns and family. After moving back to MT, we were excited to have him and Janice visit a couple of times. I remember having dinner at Bogart's in Red Lodge the night before they left last summer. We ate some pretty good Mexican food and talked about kids, sports and everything else in-between. In my mind, and in all regards, he is what a man should aspire to be. Grandpa Dean, we'll miss you.