Alaina

I am so slow to post an update. This news has already been duly noted on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, by other family members, but I want to add my welcome to the newest member of the family. Alaina Gail was born a week ago and is a perfectly beautiful little baby girl. I have seen and held her several times this week. Yesterday she finally woke up enough that I could see her pretty dark eyes for the first time. We are all anxious to have a little "baby time".

This Christmas will be such a treat! In one year I've gone from two wonderful grandchildren to five. I think what fun it will be in a few years when they will all be running around my house, shaking presents and sneaking cookies.

Merry Christmas to everyone. It is all about the Savior's birth and family. I love this time of year!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with a good portion of the family here. Now I have started decorating for Christmas. It makes my little house look so happy with Christmas trees and lighted garland everywhere. I still have to set out my nativities and my little village, but for now they are waiting for me to finish the shopping online. I love the Christmas season: the decorations, the shopping - everything. I even love making fun of all those balloon decorations lying in a puddle in someone's yard. (Sorry if I stepped on any toes there). So I am looking forward to the next few weeks.

Beautiful Alli

My daughter Shannon is such a talented photographer. I just love these pictures of 5-day-old Alli. In just two and a half weeks she has already changed so much that I am glad we have these beautiful early pictures.

Alli Love Smith

My 4th grandchild Alli was born on July 14 at 7:37 PM. She made us all wait all day but it was well worth the wait. She is beautiful. She weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 19" long. She has long toes like her Grandpa, brown hair and maybe hazel eyes. We will have to wait and see how they turn out.

Mom and Dad (Heather and Ben) are fine, but a little sleep deprived right now. We are all hoping Alli decides to sleep some at night pretty soon.

These pictures were taken when Alli was about one hour old. This one shows Heather, Ben Alli and Grandmama Smith - her first grandchild. The picture above shows Bryan holding Alli before he had to leave to go back to Birmingham. He planned a trip for work that would have him here on the day Alli was born. All of our family and Ben's parents were there at one time or another over that day and the next.

Family Weekend

Yesterday we celebrated Caitlin's 5th birthday at her gymnastics party. All those 5-year-olds had a great time playing on all the gymnastics equipment. Bryan and Noah came up for the weekend. Lisa and Eli were not feeling well and had to stay home. We missed them.

Last night all the rest of the family except Andrew and Kara were here. We ate barbecue and played games. Caitlin and Noah had a great time together. It was so much fun.

Of course Andrew and Kara couldn't be here because they are busy traveling around Europe for two weeks. Its been fun following them on Twitter. They are in Germany this week and come home next Sunday.

Noah's Cool Scooby Doo Pool Party

Recently I went to my grandson's Cool Scooby Doo Pool Party. (That is a lot of double O's) He had a great time and the adults did too. There was Scooby Doo Cake and ice cream... and pizza...

and lots of presents!


Then there was the beautiful pool. The party was held at the home of a family friend of Lisa's sister. She was so kind to let all of us Loves invade. There was shade near the pool (thanks for that) and the weather was not as hot and oppressive as it has been for the last week.


Bryan took Eli (5 months old) out in the pool too.


Noah loved the Slip and Slide and playing with the big guys (his cousins Tanner and Tyler and their friend). He got in the pool, too, but my photo card got full too soon.

We all had a great time celebrating his 5th birthday! Happy Birthday, Noah.

Butterflies

Last week I visited a magical place called the Butterfly Palace. Here are a few pictures. In the next two Pat caught one that landed on my back.







There were beautiful orchids growing throughout the place. It was supposed to be a mini rain forest setting.





The blue butterflies look very plain until they open their wings. Then you see the vivid almost neon blue of the top side of their wings. When they land they close their wings so the only way to see the blue is to catch them in flight.

Too Close for Comfort

Yesterday Shannon, Heather and I went out to eat lunch together. It was Good Friday and they were both off work. While we were eating a tornado touched down about a mile away. We couldn't see it because the restaurant we were in was facing the wrong way, but both Ben and Rusty saw it. It touched down and did a lot of damage in a subdivision across the road from where they were. I've heard reports that 100 homes were totally destroyed and 150 more damaged. The damage we saw as we were trying to get back home was amazing! It is hard to believe there were only 2 deaths. There are 7 more people in critical condition in the hospital.

It looked like a war zone. As we were leaving there were lines of highway patrol cars coming into the area. I have never seen so many emergency vehicles in one place. We were trying to get out of the area because it was obvious the ambulances and other emergency vehicles were having a hard time getting around, but we kept running into closed roads and having to go back over the same area. I think a lot of the traffic congestion happened for that reason. We finally found a way out and went home to watch news reports.

Nothing came near any of our homes, but there were 9 tornados in middle Tennessee. We were blessed to all be safe.

Family Weekend

We had a wonderful family weekend February 27 - March 1. Almost everyone was here for the weekend and all were here for Eli's blessing on Sunday. We had such a good time together. It was great to just take a few days to be together. We laughed a lot. (See some of the crazy pictures below.)

Everyone got a chance to hold the baby. He was a popular little guy with everyone, but especially all his aunts. Noah and Caitlin enjoyed the time together, too.

Usually we only get everyone together at Christmas, so this was a treat. Thanks to Bryan and Lisa for coming here for the blessing.

More Cute Baby Pictures

Bryan with Noah holding Eli













Noah was so cute with Eli. He wanted to hold him and was working hard to be a good big brother.













Brand new Baby Eli












Lisa and Eli

A Little More Love

Last week I got to welcome a new grandson into the family. Elijah Richard Love (Eli) was born to Bryan and Lisa on Tuesday, January 6. He was 7 lbs. 6 oz and 20 inches long. He is a cutie and looks a lot like his brother Noah who is now age 4 1/2. Eli is on the left and Noah above at about the same age. (Isn't is funny both hospitals have the same receiving blankets?)

I enjoyed being there helping with Noah and getting to know Eli. He is a sweet baby, and big brother Noah was so good for me. He will be a good big brother.