FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY #46 - SUMMER LOVIN

HERE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FOTO'S OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER ENJOYING THE POOL THIS SUMMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Favoritye Foto Friday #43 Messy Spaces/Disorderly Conduct

Well, today's theme is perfect for my favorite drawer; no one in the family dare open it. It is full to the brim with photos of the past -- this is pre digital camera time so be prepared. I have tried to bundle them and sort them and then you start to look for one and well here is what you have:

Happy Birthday Dad

5/31/1931 - 5/4/2005

Francis J. "Lou" LaLumiere

Oh I remember the day that you left us like yesterday. I was so blessed to have made it from Walla Walla to Arizona in time to spend 5 days with you before you left us. I was there at the end when you took your last breadth. I would not trade it for a moment.

During your life time you accomplished so much but most of all you were a wonderful husband to mom; she misses you more than life. You were the best dad to me and Michael and not a moment goes by in a day I don't miss you. A lot of daughters are not as lucky as I to consider their fathers to be their best friends but I was a lucky one. It was my pleasure to provide you with your two special granddaughters; Heather and Morgan. They were what made your heart tick and you were everything to them. They miss you too!

You were the best -- we remember you today on your special day. Happy Birthday

FF Friday - Sleepover

This is a picture of my two daughters many moons ago. My oldest is now 24 with a daughter of her own and my youngest 17. It is hard to believe it was so many years ago when we would dress them up in matching pj's for photo shots at Christmas. All of those out there with young children enjoy them now because believe me they grow up fast . . . . . .

I had to scan this pic since they didn't have digital cameras in those days so it isn't the best.

Favorite Photo #41 -- Only One

I didn't have any photos from this week so I dug through some from earlier and

picked just one of my very favorite with our granddaughter and her Papa . . . . . . . . .

Favorite Foto Friday - Fun In The Sun

I don't usually participate in these Favorite Foto Friday's because it wasn't what my blog is all about but my daughter sent this picture this week and I could not help but participate this week.

I might add that I do love looking at others.

Our oldest daughter sent me some of the cutest pictures of our granddaugher Ciara. I thought I would post them on my blog. Ciara will be 3 years old on Nov. 23rd; about 6 months after my father died she was born. She brought life back to our family and boy would he have loved his first great grandchild. Anyway enough here are the pictures:

I think this reminds me of "ET phone home"

Isn't she a beauty; grandma can't wait to see you again!

I think these gogles are like a bit big but Heather says no this is how they fit! Ok?

So enough bragging. . . . . .

I follow several blogs of people who have adopted from Guatemala and it has brought such joy to me that I join them in this:

Taken directly from JuJu's blog-I am declaring this Thursday as the first annual:
National Day Of Prayer
for the
Orphans of Guatemala
We have a responsibility as parents and believers to continue to go to God for those still in the adoption process and for the children that do not yet have families.
I ask each of you to join with me in an all day time of prayer. It does not matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pray however you chose to. Silently as you work, Loudly as you vacuum or softly as your rock your sweet Guatemalan gift.
I come to you with a serious drive to gather as many willing hearts as I can to join together to lift up the families still waiting to bring their babies home and to also lift ALL of the children in Guatemala trapped in this mess needing so desperately to be loved, held and HOME with a family!!!!
Thank you in advance for getting the word out. PLEASE, put a link to my blog, do a post, get this on the forums and blogs that you guys are involved in.
PRAYER WORKS!!!!
There is power in numbers and there are scriptures on my side bar to show you just how true this is!
Let me know you got the news and that you are going to pass it on.
To those of you that believe in fasting - fast as you feel led to and fast what you feel led to.
That is a private thing.
To those of you that do not pray - I ask you to send a word of encouragement to those waiting, and do what you to send well wishes to the orphans of Guatemala.
The newest reports sound bad - but I chose to do what the word of God says.
I will trust him and know that he is faithful to hear our prayers and answer them:)
So - lets join together
THURSDAY
from now on,
the first Thursday in May will be:
National Day of Prayer
for the
Orphans of Guatemala
are you with me on this???????

May 4, 2005

This is the day we lost our husband, our father, our grandfather to the terrible disease "cancer." We miss him today as much as we missed him that day. He was my best friend. . . . . .

"People will forget what you said,
People will forget what you did,
But people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou

We don't like to say good-bye to those whom we love. It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don't. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God. We can take comfort in knowing that are loved ones are in the warm arms of God. And when Christ comes, we will hold them, too.

Max Lucado

It is Spring Time in Walla Walla; Easter and the promise of a new life is just around the corner. I think spring is my favorite time of the year. Things start blooming in the yard and you begin working outside in the yard again and see your neighbors that you don't see all winter. It just seems like a time that everything is alive again. It refreshes the heart! Our Winter has been long and cold so it is good to have the promise of new life again. Baseball is in the air, small children are out riding their bikes and playing in the yard, parents are out walking babies in strollers and I can't wait to start planting the yard full of beautiful flowers. This picture is a picture of a tree planted in memory of my father on the golf course in Sun City, AZ that he played on so many many times. The house my mother lives in overlooks the golf course and this tree planted by his friends with a wonderful plaque that reads "In Memory of Lou LaLumiere." Even this tree sings out "Spring" and a new beginning. Enjoy your Spring where ever you might be.

Arrival Of Spring

The smell of spring is in the air,flowers blooming everywhere,Butterflies kiss the end of my nose,tulip heads begin to show.Snow flakes now turn to rain,no more aches, no more pain.I'm taking off my long underwear,the warmth of spring is in the air.Mother Robin she says, "HELLO",with motherly pride, she proudly glows.With 3 tiny chicks all snuggled in nest,she puffs out her tiny red robin chest.Her song of cheer is so sweet to my ear,I look forward to her song every year.Because she represents the first of spring,I listen for her, and for what she brings.Spring is the cleansing of our earth,given to us free, at our birth.

© Morning Rain, all right reserved.Used by permission.

"Happy 2008"

This is how we spent our holidays; with family from afar. Papa and Ciara became best buddies and it was sad to leave her behind after two weeks. We would have loved to stick her in our suitcases without her mama knowing and bring her home. Now we are home after a truly amazing visit to Arizona. Nothing like spending two weeks in the sun in the middle of the cold winter her in Walla Walla. We were able to see daughter, son in law, granddaughter, mother, brother and sister in law all in one visit. Of course we stayed with my mom and had Christmas at her house. After two very lonley Christmas's without her husband, my father, it was so heartwarming to have the house full of her daugher and her family and her son and daughter in law. She just kept saying "Dad would have loved this" and how right she is he would have. Tom was able to be "Mr. Handyman" and do lots of things she needed done and I took care of some of her needs. It was fun to be there and it was ever so hard to leave there. Two weeks seemed like a long time but it flew by so fast I could hardly believe it. Then we are home to the reality of life. Tom had a MRI but hooray we learned yesterday that there worst nightmear (and ours) was wrong -- he has no tumor in the brain. He has something that can be fixed with drug therapy and that made my heart jump. My mother in law is ill and it looks like it could be something more serious but we are praying and keeping our fingers crossed that it isn't more serious. What a week it has been but we will know more on Thursday. Please keep good thoughts for us on that one. Since I blog rarely then I wish you the best for the rest of Winter and remember Spring is just around the corner.