We Are - We Are - Ya Ya's!

My Christmas gift of 2007, given by the S. Croft family, happened last night at the Red Wall Art Center. Emily, Morgan, Isabelle with their mothers (+ precious little Wills) and I, gathered for an art lesson, including a break with a pizza and salad dinner right in the studio!

While Kim and Mary graciously entertained William and picked up dinner (THANK YOU, LADIES!), Molly, Em, Morgan, Is and I picked out pictures we liked and, with the help of our art teacher, Ms. Charlene, proceeded to paint. Emily chose her favorite cat picture, she just loves animals! Morgan selected a beautiful orange seascape at sunset. Isabelle chose Irises in the style of Vincent Van Gogh. Molly did a seaside landscape; and I started a still life of daisies in a kitchen window. We could have used another hour to finish our masterpieces, but boy did we create…paintings, friendships, togetherness, encouragement and laughter…and that’s not all…

Together, in the upstairs garage apartment behind Shannon and Molly’s house, the YaYa’s (minus Kate) spent the night together! The front room, with its wide screen TV, holds huge lime green and pink pillows…that’s where the girls giggled and slept. I had a room of my own, complete with a/c and leopard sheets! I was in heaven. In the morning I found coffee and a coffee maker in the kitchen and room service (with a smile, from Molly) of donuts, bananas and a jug of milk.

The girls and I dressed and found time to write a YaYa song before everyone had to go to early morning tennis lessons, soccer, birthday parties and the like. Because we missed her and because we knew she had a hard day, of moving from one apartment to another, ahead of her, we call our YaYa sister, Kate, and sang our song to her answering machine. It was a wonderful way to end out time together.
Memories, memories, memories…can’t have too many of the good ones. Our thanks to everyone for making the effort to brave the traffic, to Kim and Mary for dinner, and to Molly and Shannon for the gift!

YA YA!

P.S. Oh, by the way, the boys had a bonding night together, too! They (Shannon, Ford, Mike, Joe, Tom, Andrew and Grandad) went to an Atlanta Hawks professional basketball game at Phillips Arena. Another great delayed Christmas gift from all from the S. Croft family! I understand it was a "fantastic!", "very exciting!" game.

*****************LATER***************

I was so interested in talking and in what you girls were painting, that I failed to make much progress with my painting during the art class. (I also can't think, plan and execute as fast as you girls can.) But, I wanted you to see that I did finish it when I got home! :) Mimi