Tomorrow is Mary's birthday! If I had an angelic voice I would figure out how to add audio of myself singing, "Happy Birthday To You", as you read this post on Chatterbox. Oh well, as it is, just know that you put a song in my heart and I will be singing your praises on your birthday.
got these picture off facebook from one of the many that were lucky enough to grace Kate and Jeremy's Thanksgiving table. Her dishes sounded so amazing that I can't even attempt to describe them. How she managed to cook so well and serve so many in a small New York apartment, I'll never know. But I do know (because I know her) she makes everyone feel welcomed in her home.
Emily made the placemats for Mimi and Grandad and the children's table.
We served ourselves amazing food; 
cooked by all!
We ate!
We laughed
We enjoyed our time together.
It's been a wonderful day!
The Survival Game Camp-Out 11/09 from Croft on Vimeo.
That same weekend, Andrew finished his run of the middle school play, "How to Eat Like a Child." Since entering middle school in 5th grade, he has been a part of all 5 shows. He's shown his talents in everything from support to lead roles to musical solos. In an interesting side note, he has spoken the first word or sung the first note in three of the five shows (including this one). This show was an ensemble cast in which Andrew displayed impressive comic timing in a show that was fun, silly and very enjoyable. Andrew, through his own talent and an awesome middle school theatre program has had the opportunity to become quite a fine actor at a relatively young age. 
Join Tom and me as we celebrate our oldest child turning 13 today!
Kim and Tom celebrate their 19Th Wedding Anniversary! Thanks for your faithful example. It is a joy seeing you two together!
Morgan and Ford (Ford's first!) go to Chattanooga to race in a Soapbox Derby Race!
Joe's team (The Colts) win their first play off game!
Mike and Mary go to Amelia Island for pleasure and an annual seminar. AND They celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary, honoring their marriage commitment and life together. Beautiful!
Joe and Andrew spend the night with Mimi!
These are pictures sent to me from last nights spooky trick-or-treating. Can you guess who they are? (Andrew and William carved their first pumkin by themselves!)
A visit to Murfreesboro this past week end was highlighted by good conversations with family and family friends, long autum walks with my brother's dog and the colors of my childhood. I feel so lucky that at 62 years of age, I can still go home, my mother has the coffee pot perking on the stove and my siblings will come by to welcome me.
Aidan and Keegan have the Swine Flu! Please send prayers and good thoughts to these precious family members. (Mary, Joe and Issy have already had it.)
Andrew (and crew, Emily) complete an excellent run of "How to Eat Like A Child".
Issy continued to set a glowing example of team spirit and enthuactic support.
Uncle Shucks Corn Maze 2009 from Croft on Vimeo.
More transformation from the "Nursery" to the "Green room", today. And I gotta tell ya, I live in a dream world where stuffed animals become family and are loved! I felt like a traitor packing them away and taking them off to another home...and yes, there were a few tears. Oh, and these don't represent all the babies that I took out of the three tiered table in the Nursery kitchen! (It pains my heart when I think of Emily having to do this one day.)
Some stayed. Kate granted a pardon and I rationalized keeping a few more under the pretense that they were special because...yada, yada, but let me tell you, it was a hard day letting go of the memories each one held. Also, I am like a child when it comes to wanting cute cuddly life like animals. (Where do you think Emily and Issy got it from?) So please don't feed the addiction! I never want to do this again...(except for that large lamb I have been waiting for that won't come in until December.)
animals into the large black plastic bag , so as not to think too long about it, one toy in particular grabbed me with laughter! It was a large, beautifully colored parrot that hadn't been played with in years, but when I threw him into the bag, he hollered, "Adios Amigo!" (who knew the battery still worked!) and I let out a loud chuckle and ran to tell Kate viva email. I knew then that someone else was going to get a smile from that bird, not just me.
Isabelle had a yummy belated birthday party today at Chamberlain Chocolate Factory!
Andrew was invited to participate in the Duke 7th grade talent search for scoring so high on his CTP4 testing last spring.
William was moved into an accelerated program in math and reading due to his high scores. This will mean he accelerates into 1st grade curriculum while staying in his kindergarten class. Last week, Will also got 4...count 'em...1,2,3,4, green lights in a row, for good behavior! He has really been working on that for some time. Good job William!!
Morgan is making some $$ this fall by being a referee for soccer games. She took a class and is now official. The best part is that she has a whistle!! Morgan also went to Tallahassee this past weekend, with friends of her family, for two more soap box derby events. She continues to rock climb too.
I surprised myself (and everyone else!) when the tears started to fall as the men took the 25 year old nursery bedroom set down the stairs. I could almost feel Baby Kate (4/28/84) the day I so proudly brought her home from the hospital and placed her in the crib I had prepared for her
. Then I thought of the day we moved a twin bed onto her room. She refused to leave her cozy, familiar crib even though she was old enough to read books alone at bed time. It took her forever to make the transition.
After Kate left the nursery and moved next door into her big girl room, the wicker-filled room still served as her play area, but the crib sat childless and waited for the first grand baby to arrive. I remember the first time Ford (7/2/95) came to the new nursery at Farmington. 
Grandad and I acted adoringly like new parents as we tried to endear ourselves to him. I was never sure if I was allowed to act as a “real” grandmother or not, but my instincts couldn’t wait to love and talk with him as he lay in the nursery bed.
One by one the other grandchildren came. It was Kim that first asked me to witness a grandchild’s birth. Secretly, I couldn’t believe my good fortune that I would be invited into such an intimate, precious moment; my daughter’s first baby being born! I witnessed Andrew’s birth (11-8-96) with
the pain of a mother and the incredible excitement of a grandmother! Every difficult experience I had endured to that point in life seemed worth it, just to be there for that moment. 
When Mary, asked me to be in the delivery room for Joey’s birth (4/7/98), I thought life could be no better. I had always wanted her to trust me like that, and I dreamed it would bond us together forever. I might have failed her in my excitement, taking pictures of such a special event in her life, but I was so overwhelmed at the privilege that perfection just couldn’t be achieved with my photographs. I had another child to fill the nursery bed. 
Then 1999 we were blessed fully and overflowing! First, I received birth pictures of Keegan (2/3). I felt so privileged to share Kristin’s journey through a photographic journal, even though she and Keegan were so far away and my arms ached to hold him. They were filled, three day later when I witnessed Emily (2/5) being born, my first granddaughter, the spitting image of her mother. Sweet little Morgan (4/13) came next, being special because she was born on her Grandfather’s 
birthday. At that time her parents lived close to Emily’s, so they shared this delight of daughters and a baby sitter as well; when the moms had to return to work. The girls loved each other at an early age. 
It wasn’t long before Isabelle (9-5-00), who looked just like her dark haired father, arrived. Mary and Mike again shared the experience with me and I realized fully that love is the only thing that you have more of, the more you give away. I was in love again! Aidan (8/25/01) followed almost a year later, again, too far away to touch but the perfect brother for Keegan to fill the nursery with when 
they came home. He also was born on the very day of my beloved son, Michael.
The family had exploded and nursery was alive with children, playing, sleeping, and reading books from the book shelves. The babies were little people when, last, but certainly not least, 
came our dear William (1/18/04); William, who keeps us from growing old too fast, who reminds us, it ain’t over ‘till it’s over. The thrill of watching his birth and having a ninth grandchild was no less than the first. 
