HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CORISSA!!

March 27 is our daughter-in-law's birthday.  Corissa is a very special "daughter" to us, a loving wife to Michael, and a wonderful mother to their children! 

Corissa has a sweet smile and infectious laugh that makes me smile!

I hope you enjoy a great birthday, Corissa, with perhaps a few moments to relax squeezed into your day!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Spring has sprung...maybe?

Exactly 3 weeks ago, we had some wild weather, including rain and hail!  I remember it was February 27 because we were going to celebrate Jen's birthday via webcam and I was concerned about the kids driving to our house in the hailstorm!  Since then, the weather has changed.  In fact, last week the Valley of the Sun experienced some REALLY sunny and warm days....up in the low 90's!

 Above is our Texas Laurel bush; we have 3 of them in our back yard; the blossoms are a beautiful lavendar, and smell like "grapes"!

 Next, our purple daisies are blooming...made it through the cold frosty nights we had this winter. I call them purple daisies, because I don't know the real name!

 We have two of these pretty yellow-blooming shrubs near our fish pond; unfortunately, neither Vince nor I remember the name of them. 

 Here is our hardy Italian parsley plant...easy to grow, obviously, and is leftover from last year's crop!

Last, but not least, are the desert marigolds that we have scattered throughout our front desert landscape.  This time of year brings out the best blooms!
The official first day of spring was yesterday...March 20.  The reason I said "maybe" in my blog title is because today, our high temperature in the Valley of the Sun was in the 50's and it rained ALL DAY!!  Northern Arizona was hit with another snow storm too!  Perhaps winter hasn't quite made an exit!

Cuddle-time with Landon

Landon, Cailyn and their mommy & daddy came over for lunch today.  After mass, Vince and I are able to get a decent meal on the table in just under one hour of preparation!  Here's Landon cuddling with mommy, just before she gobbled down her lunch.  Then it was Landon's lunch-time!

Now this is the look of contentment, and full bellies for both!

This is one tired Daddy, and 5-week old Landon! 

Landon enjoyed "tummy-time" on the blanket during Cailyn's naptime...and then Aunt Alissa had a turn cuddling Landon too!  Mimi was privileged to change a diaper and feed Landon a few ounces of formula today...what a hungry little guy he is!

And when Landon isn't sleeping in the basket, "baby kitty" has decided it's a great place for nap too!

Playtime with Cailyn

We are lucky to be able to see our grandchildren usually once a week! Two year olds are very busy, so playtime with Cailyn is lots of fun! Cailyn loves playing dress-up...Aunt Alissa helped her dress up a teddy bear too!

She likes playing at her little table from Great Grandma & Great Grandpa. Here, Cailyn and her Grandpa are playing a "match game"!

Swinging in our backyard is always fun, after we collect leaves and throw them up in the air. The whirly-gigs are examined each visit too!

Tea parties are always a favorite. Mimi and Cailyn enjoy "o's" with every tea party!

Soon after Landon was born, Mimi took a day off from work to have a play-day with Cailyn. We walked over to a neighborhood park, played in the sand, went down the slides....

and had a "teddy bear picnic" at the park! I know the teddy bears really enjoyed it, as did Mimi!

The sky never seems as blue, nor the clouds as pretty, as when I look at them through the eyes of a child!

Last, but not least, Cailyn borrowed Landon's new football for a fun game that Grandpa created....throwing a ball in the house! ;-) Watch the videos....in the first one, you'll see how quickly Cailyn's attention turns from picking up the ball to something else....

Another Birthday to celebrate...

I know it is a cliche, but "where did all those years go?" It's very hard for me to realize that our oldest child will be 33 years old tomorrow. Jennifer was always our easy-going, wanting-to-please kind of child...didn't like messy hands, but loved animals. Jennifer made friends easily, and enjoyed the outdoors. She wanted any and all pets, from hamsters to iguanas...and Jennifer

still has a kindred spirit for God's furry creatures!

Birthdays are always a BIG DEAL for children, and I guess, as a mother, it's hard for me to let go of that "big deal" kind of feeling when it comes to celebrations for our children, and now our grandchildren.

The trouble is that we now had to celebrate Jen's birthday via webcam this afternoon.

She was a good sport listening to us sing our rendition of "Happy Birthday to you..." and we watched her open little presents from us. Then her niece Cailyn did the honors and blew out the candle on the tray of cupcakes I had made for our "virtual birthday party" in Jen's honor.

It just isn't the same as giving her a big hug in person though!

Jennifer, we hope celebrating your first birthday in Florida instead of Arizona is a special one...You are a beautiful woman, inside and out. Here's Jen on her 30th birthday, and I'm sure she hasn't changed a bit! (except maybe her hair style or color!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!! WE LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!

Landon's First Visit

Landon was 10 days old for his first visit to Mimi and Grandpa's house! We were thrilled to have their little family come over for lunch on February 13. Little Landon was greeted by his grandparents, his Aunt Alissa and Aunt Jennifer in Florida (via webcam). Cailyn seemed to enjoy "rocking" Landon in his car carrier.

Landon has his days and nights mixed up yet, so he slept quite a bit during their visit. One nap was in the "family bassinett" while we ate our lunch...

and one nap was on Grandpa's chest. Grandpa had a nap too!

Thanks for coming to see us! You are a special gift from God to our family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

First, we are celebrating the "birth"-day of our grandson~he was born on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 5:59 a.m. Named Landon John Michael Ruggiero, he weighed 7 lb. 14 oz and is a very special addition to our family. His parents will be sharing the "rest of the story" of his birth soon!

Secondly, TODAY is February 8, 2011, and it's time to wish our "sweetie pie" Cailyn a BIG "Happy Birthday"!! Today, she turns "two"...Oh my...what joy she has brought us in those two years! You are going to be one very special "big sister" to Landon, I'm sure! Happy Birthday from Mimi and Grandpa to Cailyn Grace!