Christmas Greetings!!

It has been another memorable year for the Haynes family. We are extremely blessed that Jim is gainfully employed, we continue to live in our Tempe home, our health is outstanding given that we both just turned 55 (oh my!), and our lives continue to be enriched with family and special friends. We have created a special album entitled "2009 in Review" which can be found in our "Photo Album" which is linked to this blog so that we can share some of our special moments with you. Here are the highlights of 2009 in the Haynes family:

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  January. Dave and Megan welcomed Owen Andrew Haynes into their family on December 29, 2008, and Diane went to New York in January to help them and to fall in love with her grandson.


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  February. THE ARIZONA CARDINALS WERE IN THE SUPER BOWL!!! This was definitely THE best Super Bowl party we have ever hosted, although the outcome was a heart breaker for Cardinal fans. But we certainly enjoyed the moment. Even Baby Owen was in the moment with a special bib from Grammy and Papa.
  


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  April. Dave, Meg, and Owen came to visit their Arizona family, and "Papa" got to meet his grandson for the first time. We had an early 30th birthday celebration for Dave with the Henning family and spent Easter with the Haynes family. We had a very special photo op with 4 generations of Haynes men.


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  June 6. We celebrated 34 years of marriage.


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  July. We celebrated Owen's christening on July 25 in New York. We had a fun week with Dave, Meg, and Owen, which included a day at the beach and a trip on the ferry to Mystic, Connecticut.
  


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  August. Jim turned 55. We went to Angel Fire, New Mexico, to spend a special week of hiking, looking for wildlife, making jigsaw puzzles, and enjoying our 35 year friendship with Becky and Russ.


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  September. Kevin celebrated his 26th birthday with us as we traveled to South Korea to visit Brian, Ann, Natasha, and Tatyana. Brian has been teaching at The English Village since April of this year. We FINALLY got to meet Tatyana who was born in November 2008. It was a very memorable trip, and we all left part of our hearts in South Korea.


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  October. Diane had a "purrfectly" wonderful time celebrating Halloween and autumn in New York with Owen, Dave and Meg. If you look at my October posts, you will see a picture of the fantastic pumpkins that we carved. :)


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  November. Diane turned 55. She went out for dinner at Shula's and then wandered into the casino at Wild Horse Pass with friends. It was a very special evening for Diane, especially since she walked out of the casino with $568 in her pocket!
  


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  December. After family get-togethers, Jim and Diane will be going to New York on the 26th for a second Christmas and 1st birthday festivities with Owen.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and much happiness and good health in the New Year. May you be richly blessed with the peace of our Lord whose birth we celebrate with joy.

Happy Halloween

It was a very busy Halloween for us in the Hamptons. Melissa, Meg's sister, and her son and daughter came over to the house to decorate Halloween cookies that Meg had baked earlier in the week. Gavin is in kindergarten, and Kate is going to be 3 in January; they are very high energy little people. I was pretty wiped out after our decorating session. :( When they left, we took Owen over to Meg's parents so they could see the little man in his lion costume. We visited for a while and then came home for dinner and to answer the door for our trick-or-treaters. Poor Owen was pretty well fried after all the hub bub, so he went to bed fairly early. Actually, we were all pretty tired from the day's festivities and turned in early. It was fun to spend Halloween here as it is celebrated like it was when I was a kid. The elementary school children in Southampton don their costumes in the afternoon and parade down the main street of the Village. Since Gavin was in the parade, Meg, Owen and I went to see it on Friday. It was fun to see all the kids in their costumes and to go back to a time when Halloween was celebrated for the fun of dressing up and getting our fill of candy.

Pumpkin Carving

Dave, Meg, and I carved pumpkins tonight once Owen went to sleep. Meg and I had the help of a little mulled cider laced with brandy (her idea!). It was a lot of fun; I discovered that the pumpkin carving kits are a great idea. The tools are pretty fantastic. Tomorrow we are going to decorate Halloween cookies, put on our costumes (not Dave), take some pictures, and do a little trick or treating. Happy Halloween!!!

News from the Hamptons

It is great to be in the Hamptons with Dave, Meg, and Owen. The trip here went very well. Once we flew over New Mexico, the scenery below was a winter wonderland. However, moving into the Midwest brought a lot of clouds. As we broke through the clouds to land at Midway, I saw all the beautiful reds, oranges, and very vibrant yellows. The clouds continued all the way to New York. It was disappointing that the visibility was so bad as we took a different approach into the airport and were flying over a lot of the mansions; however, the clouds were too thick to get a real good peek. Luckily, as we were preparing to land we were low enough that I got my thrill of seeing the beautiful landscape below. Times like that make me aware of the awesome scenery that God has given us on this earth. Everyone greeted me at the airport, and my little man was all grins and came to Grammy right away!! Oh quiet my beating heart. :) Since my arrival Meg and I went shopping, and I am happy to say that my grandson is THE best shopper. I was thrilled to get my gifts for Owen for Christmas and his first birthday: mission accomplished. We are going into the village today to see Meg's nephew march in a Halloween parade and then will come home to an evening of pumpkin carving. With the natural artistic qualities that Dave and Meg have, I fear that my pumpkin will pale in comparison. Owes is taking steps ALL the time; he prefers to be upright, although he eventually ends up on his fanny and then crawls. I have never seen such a happy little guy, and it is great to see him play and wrestle on the floor with his daddy. I have to capture some of those moments in video; what a great way to start the day hearing those delightful little squeals of laughter.

The Zoo in Seoul

September 27

We spent the day at the zoo in Seoul. The weather was perfect - slightly overcast and cool. We discovered that this was THE best zoo that we had ever been to; it truly was spectacular. The zoo had a very large amount of animals in natural habitats. There were a total of eight lions and about eight tigers; unlike The Wild Animal Park in San Diego, the animals were totally visible. The zoo grounds were very lush with a lot of beautiful trees, plants, and flowers. Despite the large number of people that were there, it was as clean as Disneyland. Our only regret is that we didn't go to the zoo while we were staying in Seoul as we would have had more time to spend in the zoo instead of traveling from The English Village. Tatyana slept a lot during our walk around the zoo, and interestingly, Tasha wasn't quite old enough to be into the animals just yet. For the five adults, it was a fabulous day.

The English Village and Yongmunsa

September 25-26
There is a beautiful park about 10 minutes away from The English Village, which contains shops, restaurants, a small amusement park, and an amazing hike to a Buddhist Temple. It was a pleasant day outside, and we enjoyed the fresh air and being away from the mass of humanity in Seoul. While the temple itself was not very impressive, there was a ginkgo tree that is said to be 1100 years old just before reaching the temple grounds. It was quite impressive, and the stores had many pictures that had been taken of it in the fall when its leaves were a vibrant yellow. (Brian and Ann later went back to visit Yongmunsa and sent us pictures of the tree adorned in its fall foliage.) We had early birthday celebrations for the girls - Tasha's second and Tatyana's first, complete with a delicious cake that we purchased in town. Our days were more relaxed in The English Village, and it was fun to play with the girls in their environment. Brian got a studio apartment for Jim, Kevin, and me; we enjoyed some solitude at the end of the day. :) We also had a washing machine, and it was good to be able to get some laundry done. Brian and Kevin had a chance to kick the soccer ball around the soccer field, and we actually managed to get Tasha to give the ball a good kick. Her preference was to keep Grammy and Papa busy chasing after her as she climbed the bleachers. We also used this time to plan the remainder of our itinerary for the trip.

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Shopping

September 23 and 24 - Seoul/English Village

Our main goal for the 23rd was to see Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was the main palace when in it was completed in 1395 of the Josaon Dynasty. It was also at this time that the capital of the new dynasty was moved from Gaeseong to Seoul (then known as Hanyang). The palace was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasions of 1592 and was not reconstructed until 1868. During the Japanese occupation, most of the palace was torn down. An effort to fully restore Gyeongbokgung to its former glory has been ongoing since 1990. For the most part the grounds of the palace were unremarkable except for the area which was the king's retreat - where we took most of our pictures. The best part of the palace experience was seeing the changing of the guard which takes place daily from March to November. It was extremely ceremonial and quite colorful as evidenced in the pictures in our Photo Album linked to this blog. We also went to Insa-dong, a very quaint street market, which was a bit like the art fair on Mill Avenue in Tempe. We wish we could have spent more time there as the merchandise was unique and the atmosphere seemed more conducive to the type of shopping we wanted to do. Instead, we went to Myeongdong which is described in TripAdvisor as "hyper shopping." This, too, was a street market, and, from all appearances, a mecca for Korean young adults. If you have ever gone by Abercrombie & Fitch at the Mall, music pulsating out of the store, well, this was Myeongdong - store, after store, after store. In addition to the stores, tables lined the streets with all sorts of merchandise. Honestly, we walked away, the only purchase being dried sticks of squid (we think) - by Ann and Brian. Tasha entertained us and everyone near us on the subway with a variety of faces (she had this act down last October. She has just expanded her repertoire.) After being in back packs and front packs all day, the girls were thrilled to be back at the hotel and found great delight in looking at themselves in the mirror and then squealing in very high pitches. We left Seoul on the 24th and traveled by train to Yongmun and then embarked for the short taxi ride to the English Village where Brian, Ann and the girls live. The change in scenery was incredible. The English Village is a beautiful campus nestled in the mountains. It was definitely fall in the Village, evidenced by the changing leaves, although the usual chill in the area heralding the onset of fall was absent. Kevin, Jim, and I had a studio apartment in the building next to Brian's. Once we had our luggage settled, we went for a tour of the campus and then Brian, Ann, and I went back to town to buy food and a cake to celebrate Kevin's 26th birthday.

Bongeunsa Temple and the National Museum of Korea

September 22 - Seoul

We experienced the subway system in Seoul which is very clean, very efficient, and a very practical and inexpensive way to get around the city. Unfortunately, we took the wrong turn out of the hotel, so we ended up getting on the wrong train; however, Brian figured it out pretty fast, and in no time we were headed to our destination of Bongeunsa, one of Korea's most traditional Buddhist temples. It is located at the slope of "Sudo" mountain in Samsung-dong, South of Korea. It was founded in 794 and became the nation's leading temple by 1550. Most of its buildings were destroyed by fire in 1939 and the temple underwent several renovations and repairs. (Many of Korea's historic sights were destroyed during the Japanese occupations in the 16th and 20th centuries, and many of them were restored. However, we saw very few original landmarks.) Today the temple is nestled among the many high-rise buildings that literally fill the sky in Korea, making it a very peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the 23 million people who occupy metropolitan Seoul. As you can see from one picture in particular in our Photo Album, there is some spectacular architecture in Korea as the majority of Seoul has been rebuilt since the Korean War. Ann is Buddhist and is teaching Tasha to show respect to the Buddha. When we visited the various temples, Tasha would put her hands together, bow to the best of her 22 month old ability, and would say hello in Thai to the Buddha who she then called a "ghost." We learned that many things are ghosts to Tasha. We had lunch at Coex Mall which houses a huge underground shopping center - and I mean HUGE. Patty and I could have done some real damage there. :) I might add that about 95% of the stores catered to women. After lunch we went to the National Museum of Korea which again is a marvelous specimen of modern architecture. The museum is quite large, and we were not able to see everything that was there. Tasha and Tyana were good sports, but they had reached their limit; and I think all the adults had, too. Unfortunately, I had a princess meltdown as Brian, Ann and I went out to hunt down dinner that night. We did not embrace Korean food as we did Thai food in Thailand, and I refused to eat another meal of Korean cuisine, so Jim, Kevin, and I ended up getting dinner from California Pizza Kitchen!!

Our trip to Seoul, Korea

We are recovering from our journey to Korea to see Brian, Ann and Natasha and to meet Tatyana. We had a very busy, but extremely memorable, trip. We saw as many sights as we could with two little girls in tow, our favorites being, of course, Tasha and Tyana. :) I will give you a brief description of our daily activities in subsequent blogs; we hope you will view the Korea 2009 album in the Photo Album link which is included on this page.

September 20 and 21-Seoul

The flight to Seoul seemed SO much easier than our flights to Thailand. We flew to San Francisco where we changed planes and then flew directly to Seoul - a total of 14 hours of flying time t0 Seoul versus 19 hours minimum to Thailand. One of the first things we saw as we exited the airport terminal was a man walking a Westie!! Brian met us at the airport, and we took a bus to our hotel in Gangnam. Of course, we were very anxious to see the rest of the family and were sad to hear that Tasha had had an accident as they were just getting to the hotel which resulted in a fat lip, bruising by her nose, and eventual bruising by both eyes. In the pictures you will see the scab under her nose which we referred to as her "Charlie Chaplin." There was a mirrored wall in our suite, and she would start to get upset every time she saw herself in the mirror! Other than the bruising, she was just fine. We soon got reacquainted and discovered that she was like a parrot. Whatever we said she repeated. In addition, she mimicked our actions as well. She enjoyed doing morning stretches with us. I was so delighted that she fell asleep in my arms as we were reading a book the second day we were there - a rare occurrence but one that is very memorable for me. I would have loved to have had a picture of it, but everyone else was asleep as well!! Tyana surprisingly warmed to us very quickly, and I was especially thrilled that she let me hold her the second day we were together. She loves to mimic "oh oh" and repeats it over and over. She has a very infectious smile. We brought Raggedy Ann dolls for both of the girls. At their home in The English Village, Tasha has a cloth doll with very long arms and legs (it is actually taller than her), and Brian told her that the doll looked like Olive Oil. To Tasha, ALL dolls are called "Olive"; hence Raggedy Ann is "Olive" as well. Gangnam, the area in which we stayed, seems very much like Manhattan in New York. We were amazed at how dressed up the Korean people get, especially the women. If you are interested in fashion, you would love Seoul!!! I have never seen so many women walking around in high heels. They are very attractive which made spending time walking the streets very enjoyable for Kevin as well. :)

Returning to 113 degrees

Becky sent us off with a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. It was sad to be leaving our friends and the nice cool temperatures in Angel Fire. As we were leaving the town, we noted that the temperature was 43 degrees; it will be quite a while before we see those numbers in Tempe!! The trip went remarkably fast as we passed the time listening to the Teaching Company course on Books That Have Made History. The professor is an enchanting story teller, and it was quite enjoyable listening to his commentary on the Book of Exodus, the Gospel of Mark, the Koran, Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and the Book of Job. We stopped at our favorite hangout for a light meal and thought we had stepped into an oven as we got out of the car. It was nice to take a quick dip in the pool before bedtime. Just when we will be getting adjusted to the temperatures again we will be off on our next venture to see our little granddaughters!!!

S'mores and more with Seymours

It was hard to believe that this was our last day in Angel Fire! We have been having so much fun that the days have literally flown by. Not wanting to rest on the laurels of our new puzzle record, Becky and I started a fourth puzzle but only 550 pieces. Despite working most of the morning on it, we were disappointed that we would not break our new record as the puzzle turned out to be more difficult than we had anticipated. After lunch we rented paddle boats for an hour. It was fun, and it was exercise! Fortunately, the best day weather of the trip was on Friday. There was never a threat of rain, so we were able to fill our afternoon with another hike in Angel Fire, the Bear Trail which ended up taking 2 hours and was 3.4 miles in its entirety. While on the hike, we saw a coyote (we think) at a distance and a deer grazing. We were famished when we got home and again rewarded ourselves with a nice cold beer and nibbled on some chips and salsa. Our last meal was a joint effort - Becky made the rice, Russ grilled the halibut, and Diane prepared the asparagus and salad. (We let Jim do the dishes. ) After enjoying a delicious dinner with a great bottle of wine, we settled outside and enjoyed S'mores and tea in front of the chiminea while we listened to music from Diane's I-pod. We definitely saved the best for last.

A puzzling record broken and catching our breath

Our morning was spent working on our third 1000 piece puzzle. The pressure was on as we were trying to break a puzzle record for a single visit. After lunch, we took a trip to the Taos Ski Valley where we hiked 4 miles to and from Williams Lake. I think it was one of the most difficult hikes I have ever done. The trail was very rocky, and the elevation climb was over 1,000 feet. By the time we reached Williams Lake, we were at 11,400 feet. It was SO hard to catch my breath on the climb up. While it was easier to breathe on the descent, it was definitely more difficult on my knees. I was very thankful that I had my hiking sticks. Pictures of our trip to date can be viewed in our Photo Album. One thing that Becky and I learned on our hike is that the human male is very similar to the male elk - they hang out together and leave the females to fend for themselves. :( Before returning to the parking lot, we went into a quaint restaurant called The Bavarian and celebrated with a brewsky before driving to Taos for dinner. Within an hour after returning home, puzzle #3 was finished and our traditional photograph taken. With the completion of this puzzle, we broke a record for the most puzzles ever completed in a summer visit!

Busy, busy day

We woke up to a brisk 37 degrees and fog. Becky and I sent our warriors off to hunt little white balls on the golf course and enjoyed breakfast and a cup of coffee before heading out for another invigorating walk. We attended the musician's rehearsal for the Music From Angel Fire concert and then went out for lunch and a little bit of shopping. We met up with the boys at the house for a little relaxation and a light dinner (and of course the start of puzzle #3) before heading out to attend the concert. The program included Haydn's Trio in D Major for Flute, Cello and Piano; John Williams' Air and Simple Gifts for Piano, Violin, Clarinet and Cello (first heard at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration); Schubert's Rondo in B Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 70; and Mendelssohn's Octet in E-flat Major for Strings, Op. 20. While Music From Angel Fire has been in existence for 26 seasons, this is only the second time that we have attended, the first being last summer. We never did attend a Phoenix symphony concert this year, so it was nice to get our culture fix.

Two down . . . .

After working on our puzzle with our morning coffee, Becky, Jim, and I went for a very long walk this morning. It was overcast and a bit chilly - felt good! Just as we turned the corner to get to Becky and Russ's house, we spotted a deer munching on some grass. It watched us but didn't budge. The poor thing was not as robust as the elk we saw last night; in fact, its ribs were showing and its coat had gashes in it. We took a little detour so we wouldn't scare it off as we wanted it to keep eating!!! Becky and Russ do some volunteer work with Music from Angel Fire and were meeting with some other volunteers this afternoon, so Jim and I drove to Taos for lunch and to walk around the shops. By the time we got back to the Seymour's house the rain started. We settled in with a beer and worked on our puzzle. The boys barbecued flank steak, and we enjoyed a very relaxing and enjoyable dinner. Afterward, Becky and Russ shared their pictures from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and London. Their travels have certainly taken them to some unbelievable sights - so different from the sights we have seen in our travels to Thailand. Jim, Becky, and I finished puzzle #2 in no time and then retreated to our electronics - Jim on his Kindle, and Becky and I on our laptops. Russ chose the old-fashioned book in bed.

Elk Patrol

Last night after dinner we went on elk patrol high into the woods. We hit the jackpot on our first outing. At first we saw about 5 or 6 elk grazing. Russ backed up the car so we could see a little better, and two juveniles that had been laying down got up. The next thing we knew we saw a total of twelve elk slowly moving around!! We watched them for a while and then moved on. As we turned a curve, we saw 8 more, some crossing the road! As we went towards a clearing, we saw a lone animal grazing in a field. At first we thought it was a deer. Russ took a different road so we could get closer, and we saw that it was a young male elk. The males do not stay with the females and babies but venture out by themselves. All the elk we saw looked very healthy with very pretty coats. Some times the coats on the elk that we see look a little scratched up, but these were all very fine specimens. As we ventured on, we came across several deer as well. When we returned home, Becky and I started our second jigsaw puzzle. Oh, by the way, we find the elk in Angel Fire to be extremely friendly as you can see from the second picture. :)

First Hike of the Trip

We did a 2.7 mile hike into the Lady Slipper Trail in Angel Fire this afternoon. It was in the 60's and overcast, so it was perfect hiking weather. We took pictures of the wildflowers to see if they are included in the puzzle that we just finished. :) The rain started once we were out of the woods, and fortunately, it was just a light drizzle until we got to the car. Once we were in the car, it was coming down pretty good. Good timing . . . for once.

One down . . . .

While Russ was working this morning, Jim, Becky, and I finished our 1000 piece Wildflower puzzle. Here we are, quite proud of our accomplishment, which, I might add, was done in record breaking time.

Puzzled

We started out the day with a long walk in the neighborhood. Walking in Angel Fire is a bit of a challenge for us Arizonans as we encounter hills here and an elevation of 8400. Needless to say, we huffed and puffed at times, but Becky was impressed that I could continue talking throughout, a feat that I know isn't a surprise to some of you. :) Other than meal prep, meals and potty breaks, the day was devoted to our 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that looks like a chart of MANY types of wildflowers. It is certainly a challenge, but it is amazing how much we managed to do yesterday. By evening, we seemed to have a system in place that made finding pieces a bit easier. Our plan last night is to try to incorporate some hiking and renting paddle boats at the lake today.

We are in Angel Fire

We got into Angel Fire at 6:45 p.m. New Mexico time. Jim drove from Tempe to Santa Fe, and I took over in Santa Fe and got us into Becky and Russ's driveway. During our ten hour ride, we listened to the radio, started our Thai conversational tapes (now that is going to be a chore!!!), did a crossword puzzle, and started a Teaching Company course on Great Books in History. The temperature was 66 degrees when we arrived. After dinner we went out on the deck to gab and must have been a sight as we were huddled in blankets; it was 60 degrees!! Yes, we are wimps. This morning it is 41 degrees, according to Becky's computer. The boys are playing golf with Russ's friend Marvin today, and he and his wife Debbee will come over for dinner tonight. Becky and I plan to get a walk in this morning and then start in on our puzzle.

Going into the catering business

We spent the majority of the day preparing for the reception following Owen's Christening tomorrow. I told Meg that if we are going into the catering business we need to have more employees! Dave and Jim spent most of the morning and early afternoon picking up the cake, coolers, a jumping castle, beverages, outdoor speakers, and other assorted items. In addition to cooking, cleaning, and decorating, Meg and I fed, diapered, and played with the baby. At one point I took Owen out for a walk so Meg could "go crazy" in the kitchen. After lunch, Dave and Meg went to the grocery store to pick up last minute necessities, and Jim and I took Owen out in the stroller and got Thai out for a much needed walk. We are all exhausted, and there is still SO MUCH to do before we have to be at the church at 10:30 tomorrow morning. I think we're going to need a vacation. :)

Rainy Day in the Hamptons

Today is our first day in the Hamptons. The "plan" was to go to the Bronx Zoo this morning, but the weather didn't seem to be in our favor. Thankfully that was apparent early on as it is raining pretty hard right now. The great thing about going on vacation to the Hamptons is that we really don't care that much about where we go, because what we want to see is with us 24/7 - our family. We had a nice lunch out and watched the rain as it slowly drizzled and are spending a lot of quality time with our little man. Grammy fed him breakfast and lunch; really, can it get any better than this?

Summer is here . . . time to blog again

After too long of a break, I am trying to get back to my blog again. I have done some updates with pictures of the grandbabies and have actually published some posts that I back dated. So if you have been following my blog, go back to February, particularly my post on the Cardinals Super Bowl appearance. That was one of the highlights for us this year! We were blessed to have a visit from Dave, Meg, and Owen in April and were honored that the "Omeister" spent his first Easter with us. The VP of Life Teen told me later that I looked like the Cheshire cat when I brought our little man up with me to communion so that he could receive a blessing. It definitely was a big moment for me!! We were lucky to get lots of pictures with the Haynes and Henning families, and I will try to get a photo album posted soon. At Meg's suggestion, we got tickets to go to the Desert Botanical Garden where we were fortunate to see the Chihuly glass exhibit. If you have been to Las Vegas, you have seen one of his celebrated works in the ceiling of the Bellagio. Jim and I think that we were the only ones at the garden that evening that didn't have a tripod in hand. Dave and Meg did, and they took some beautiful pictures of the exhibit. I will try to share some of those as well in the photo album under "April 2009" visit. We will be leaving for New York on July 22 to visit Owen and to attend his christening. He, too, has changed so much since we last saw him. Fortunately, he is "close enough" that we can see him more often. While the kids were here visiting in April, Brian, Ann, Natasha, and Tatyana moved to Korea! Brian got a job teaching at a place called The English Village. The move was made for economic reasons, and they hope to return in a few years to their home in Thailand. Ann misses her family a lot, and I am sure that there are some very sad grandparents in Thailand. They were fortunate to see the little girls every day, so it must be very hard to be separated from them. We are hoping to take a trip to Korea in September to visit them. We have not even met little Tatyana, and she is already mobile on all fours! Tasha was just starting to walk when they left Phoenix in October; now she runs . . . and runs . . . and runs. This is the latest scoop from the Haynes family. I hope to get more pictures posted in the album and to keep blogging. Happy summer!

Celebrating Special Birthdays

The Henning family gathered at our house to celebrate Grandpa Henning's birthday. As proof that time flies by much faster than we realize, I had sent E-mails out to the Henning clan to invite them over for Grandpa's 83rd birthday celebration. On the day of the party Grandpa walked in, and I said "Happy birthday, birthday boy." And Grandpa said "I am 84, not 83." Oops!! Where does the time go?

Valentine's Day

We received our first Grandma and Grandpa Valentine card from Owen today. There are pictures of our grandchildren in almost every room in our house that remind us that we are grandparents, but there is something very special about receiving a grandparent card from one of our grandchildren. I guess that special feeling that we got when we opened Owen's card is what sending a Valentine is all about - sharing our love with those who mean the world to us. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone - be sure to let someone know how much they mean to you this Valentine's Day!
Love,
Diane

Almost!!!

For a few moments all Arizona Cardinals fans were holding their breath as the Cardinals took the lead in the Super Bowl game. Could we be witnessing one of the biggest upsets ever? Alas, they couldn't hold onto the lead, and mistakes earlier in the game came back to bite them. Ask any Cardinals fan - and some of the sports commentators as well - and an opinion will be expressed that some of the officials' calls were suspect. But then, again, that is how it is in most athletic contests. It was a fun Super Bowl Sunday at our house where the Henning/Haynes families again brought together a banquet of delicious junk food. The decor was definitely Cardinal red, and Mark and I hug our Pat Tillman jerseys in honor of the fallen Arizona Cardinal. Never in our wildest imaginations at the beginning of the NFL season did we think that we would actually have a real interest in the outcome of the Big Game. Super Bowl Sunday 2009 ranks up there as one of the most exciting sporting events I have watched on TV - along with the 2001 World Series where the Arizona Diamondbacks were the champions.

Lucy and Ethel Ride the Light Rail

Phoenix has a brand new light rail system!!! We are able to pick up the train about 10-15 minutes from our house and take it to downtown Phoenix. The train stops right in front of Jim's office. However, after taking one trip to work during the first week that the light rail was in operation, Jim swears that he will never take it again. Perhaps he will reconsider after some glitches in the system have been addressed (I won't hold my breath!). Patty and I decided to experience the "rail" ourselves, so we took a Lucy/Ethel adventure on Tuesday. We took the light rail to the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix, had lunch, did a little shopping, and went to a movie (a private showing as we were the only two people in the theater!!!) As we had no time restraints (one of Jim's complaints), we had a great time. As an interesting aside, our county sheriff announced yesterday that he intends to use the light rail to transport convicts from the airport to the county jail. Yikes!!! I'm glad that we went on our adventure when we did!

Extremes

While visiting Dave, Meg, and Owen in New York this month, I experienced the joy that I remember as a child looking out the window at a snow storm. I had forgotten the quiet that accompanies the falling snow and the beauty as the landscape is transformed into a winter wonderland. It has been said that there is nothing better than curling up with a good book in front of a crackling fire on a cold, winter day. I beg to differ. There is nothing better than curling up in front of a crackling fire on a cold, winter day while snuggling a newborn grandbaby. :) I returned home to Phoenix, and on a typical Phoenix winter day, planted spring flowers while wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Talk about extremes!

Baby exercise

It seems like all the TV shows and magazines are promoting exercise in January after everyone has hit the scales after the holidays. Owen is also starting his life and the New Year in the habit of exercising by spending time on his exercise mat getting "belly time". He squirms, grunts, and groans and seems to enjoy looking into the mirror. Like most baby gadgets in this day and age his exercise mat plays music and has flashsing lights. It's a new world out there in Babyland.

Owen has a belly button!

Tuesday marked a big milestone in Owen's life - his cord FINALLY fell off, and he now has a real belly button! Our thoughts collectively went to "tub bath." So he got his first tub bath Tuesday night. We were all excited, had the cameras rolling, and got all the new bath supplies gathered. His initial introduction to the water was good, and we were hopeful that going back into the water would be a soothing experience for him. All was going well while Meg poured some water over him. Dave and I were snapping away with the cameras, and then Meg started to wash him with a washcloth. That was the turning point. It was the first time since I have been here that Owen cried - really, really cried. Meg's heart was breaking, so we got him out of the tub, wrapped him in his frog towel, and comforted him until he stopped crying. Thankfully the crying stopped shortly after he was dry and warm and craddled in Grammy's arms. More pictures are posted in a special album of Owen's First Bath in our on-line Photo Album.

Having a new baby is hard on Daddy, too

I thought I should include this picture of Dave and Owen taken while we were watching TV last night. Having a new baby is pretty hard on Daddy, too!!

Owen Goes to the Doctor

Owen's big outing from the house was a trip to the doctor's office for a routine newborn check-up. He had gained 10 ounces in a week; he now weighs in at 8 lb. 1 oz. and has surpassed his birth weight. He is so mild mannered and didn't mind all the poking and prodding. All the excitement of the trip took its toll on Owen and Meg; they slept away most of the day!!

New Yorker Turns Cardinal Fan

I was all jazzed for the Cardinals football game at 8:15 p.m. yesterday and kept myself busy in the kitchen making Greek meatballs for dinner and cinnamon rolls for Sunday breakfast. Dave just worked in the morning, so he and Baby Mama had a lot of baby time together yesterday. Owen slept, ate, and pooped away the day - as usual. Even before the game, the day was magical as it snowed. The forecast had called for 3-5 inches. We were snug as bugs with the fireplace going, and the aroma of cinnamon filling the air from the oven. Just prior to game time came the big moment - our littlest New Yorker donned his Cardinals garb, and he and Grammy were ready to cheer on the Red Birds. Dave's friend, Brian, an avid Giants fan, had texted Dave and wanted to know if I had my jersey on yet and said that if I put anything Cardinals "on the kid it would be child abuse." Well, Brian, this picture is for you!! Everyone went to bed just before the game was over last night; I stayed up and watched the postgame show and then went on the internet to savor the victory. Go Cardinals!!!!

Baths and Photo Shoot

Owen had his first sponge bath (still waiting for the cord to fall off!) since I have been here; and for the first time since I arrived, he cried - no tears, but he cried. I forgot how much crying tugs at the heart. He smells so good. I had my shower and babysat while Meg went to the bank and ran a few errands. Upon her return, she put make-up on me to get me ready for a photo shoot of me and Owen. She is very particular, down to having me wear one of her blue sweaters and picking out the perfect outfit for Owen. We got a lot of great pictures and will post them as they become available. But for now, here are four of my favorites.

It's all about Owen

Today I was definitely a grandma. Meg went out to the store to buy baby supplies and groceries, and I got to babysit. :) Owen is so tiny that he fits in my forearm. He loves to snuggle, so I am having a wonderful time snuggling with him. We rocked in the chair in his room today, and I sang to him. It is funny when I am holding him up on my shoulder and he gets hungry and starts to "shark" on my face. He is a little bit jaundice, so we had him lying in the sun on my bed for a while today. Unfortunately, I think it would take hours for the sun here to do him much good. The doctor has him on some supplemental vitamin D. We think he is starting his first growth spurt as he ate like a little piggy today. After dinner tonight, we watched the movie "Eagle Eye." Meg fell asleep pretty early on, and I followed suit about 3/4's into the movie. I awoke in time to see the end, and Dave explained what I had missed. It was definitely action packed, and falling asleep was not a good thing to do.

Grammy meets Baby Owen

I arrived in New York tonight; it seemed like it took forever to get here. After all, there was a very special someone at the house for me to meet for the first time!! As you can see from the picture, we hit it off just fine!! He is SO tiny. :) I'll include more pictures in our Photo Album.

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to fly to New York to meet Owen!!! I'm so excited. He was a week old on Monday; I can't wait to cuddle our newest little blessing. I'll be taking LOTS of pictures and blogging while I am away from home. Stay tuned! I am remembering 29 years ago when my mom came to our house to help me with our newborn baby, David. It is so strange to think that now I am the grandma, and I will be doing for my son and his family what my mom did for me when he was the newborn. Start humming "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King." :)

Cardinals Win!!

We went to the Arizona Cardinals play-off game against the Atlanta Falcons today. I don't know if I have ever been to such an electrifying sporting event. All the fans, approximately 65,000 of us, were given white play-off towels upon entering the stadium, and 64,999 of them (Jim's being the exception) were waving in the air at the opening kick-off and during almost every Falcons offensive series. It was quite a display and an unforgettable game. We will learn tomorrow night who next week's opponent will be. I will be in New York meeting my new grandson Owen and have already sent an E-mail asking for dibs on the TV next weekend!! GO CARDINALS!!!

Happy New Year!!!

We rang in the New Year with Jim and Patty Dorsey at their annual New Year's Eve party. We all laugh that each year as we get older we don't know if we will make it until midnight anymore for the toast! We hung in there and got home around 2:00 a.m. Maybe we aren't as old as we think . . .