Lorraine D. Hebler

Sugar and Spice & Everything Nice… Cousins Sleep-Over

By Lorraine

Our time with our NY grandkids is quickly coming to an end.  On their list of ‘want-to-do’s’ was to have a sleepover with their cousin Keri.

So after a day of play, it was jammies, popcorn and a movie, brushed teeth with princess toothpaste, lots of giggles and ready for sleep!
well, sort of…
They tried (I think) to settle down, but one-by-one a little girl was separated to a different location if sleep was ever to occur.
Then awake early to fuel up for another day full of running and playing together.
♥
I was able to cram in one last activity before they hit the road tomorrow morning.  I will post about it tomorrow as I remember the special times we spent and how blessed we are for their wonderful visit.
Keri, Brenna and Shaela

Bienvenue à Paris! Girls Paris Themed Birthday Party

By Lorraine

Keri celebrated her 7th birthday today with a French flair!

Brothers, Noah, Silas & Caleb took the role of servers to the young ladies

Pâtisseries, croissants, Madeline’s and French Onion Soup were menu items

Precious faces of attending guests

Purchasing bouquet de fleurs with the Euros they were each given.

Posing as the Mona Lisa
A few of Keri’s special people!
More precious faces
A few of the grown-ups

What bébé doesn’t love a little dark pink frosting on occasion.

Happy Birthday, Dear Keri!

Love, Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop

♥

On the Boardwalk with Ryan, Brenna, Shaela and Keri

By Lorraine

Last night we met up with Jill and Brad who are spending the week in Ocean City as youth group leaders. We were introduced to their pastors, friends and kids from the youth group and then headed off for an evening on the boards.

The scrambler was a favorite!
Who doesn’t love the carousel!

Were we shocked when we saw the size of this pizza!  They said it was big but we didn’t expect it to be as big as the table!  yummm… there wasn’t a slice left when we were finished :O
 Still lots to do before the family heads back to NY on Saturday.
Then it is rest time for Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop!
I think we’re ready for a long winters nap
♥

A Butterfly cake

By Lorraine

That’s what these little girls thought of their finished butterfly cake!

A work of editable art! For the butterflies body, the recipe called for a candy stick which we did not have.  A straw was our quick substitute.

 

Summertime fun making their own colorful butterfly cake with bright sugars and candy pieces.

 

Serious work going on here as well as the irresistible urge to lick one’s finger
 
 

Butterfly Cake

 
Recipe from Betty Crocker booklet
Super Moist Cake Mix Recipes 
April 2004
 
  • Ingredients
  • 1  box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
  • Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
  • Platter, tray or foil-covered cardboard (about 10×10 inches)
  • Frosting and Decorations
  • 1  container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
  • 1  candy stick (8 to 10 inches long)
  • Food color (in desired colors)
  • Betty Crocker® decorating gel (from 0.68-oz tube) in any color
  • Decorating sugar crystals (any color)
  • 8  jelly beans
  • Small round candy decorations

 

  • Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake pans. Wrap and freeze 1 layer for a later use.
  • Cut cake in half crosswise; cut each half into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces (as shown in diagram). Place cake pieces on platter to form butterfly. Gently separate cake pieces to form wings.
  • Reserve 1/2 cup frosting. Frost cake pieces with remaining frosting. Place candy stick between cake pieces for butterfly body.
  • Stir food color into reserved frosting until well blended. Spread over cake in desired pattern on wings. Outline wing patterns with gel. Sprinkle with sugar crystals. Place jelly beans on corners of wings. Decorate butterfly with candy decorations.
 

 

At the Park with Grandchildren

By Lorraine

When you wake up to a sky like this…
and a break in the heat and humidity…
you just know it would be a perfect day….
to take a bunch of grandchildren to the park
so they can make silly faces

and do boy stuff
like slamming the ball

like Pop-Pop
 

ready to catch his fly ball

and lovin’ on baby
amused by her complaining about crawling in the grass
a toothless smile
a picnic lunch
watching crystal clear water trickling  in a stream
investigating
climbing bars
playing on swings
climbing trees
 splashing in water
Enjoying our daughter
and each other
♥

Jill, Brad and Ryan left yesterday for a week at the beach with their youth group.  Brenna and Shaela are spending the week here with us.  We have a fun filled week planned that includes tea parties, cousin sleep over, cookie making, cake baking, bubble maker constructing, boardwalk visit and a Paris birthday Party for Keri.  Whew… hope I can get a nap or two!

Brenna Meghan Lost in Thought

By Lorraine

Brenna Meghan


Camera:  Canon Digital EOS Rebel XT
F-stop f/5.6
Exp. 1/60
ISO 400
Photo editing:  cropped a little, added contrast and lightened slightly.
not-posed ~ Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table playing a game and I had fun snapping candid shots without anyone paying much attention to me.  I love her soft blue eyes, soft complextion, soft hair and soft gaze.

Grandkids

By Lorraine

A trip to New Jersey for these NY grandkids usually includes a visit to Aunt Erin’s salon!
Sharing a birthday celebration!
hmph… why did Erin get “The Boss” mug?
Jared, Ryan, Brenna and Shaela

At the Playground with grandkids

By Lorraine

Looking for some relief from a hot August evening…
we headed to the neighborhood playground last night.

Brenna and Shaela spent most of their time on the jungle gym
Brenna Meghan trying out all of the equipment.

Shaela being coy with her Pop-Pop

Little monkeys  hangin’ loose.
Ryan having a blast!
Jilly and her dad
Cooling down
Pop-Pop batted fly balls for Ryan to catch and then Ryan batted to Pop-Pop.
Quiz:  Guess which boy… is skinny and pale, can complete a 4×4 Rubik’s cube in 40 seconds, can beat most on any video game or  Wii and whose best catch is using his hat 🙂 OR the athletic built boy who can slug the ball far into the outfield and never grows tired of playing any kind of ball game.  God gives us all unique talents and skills!
Bet it wasn’t hard to determine this is the guy who would rather sport a fedora to a ball cap any day.
Brad saw a pick-up game forming and could not resist the chance to play.
Raider enjoyed the evening as much as the kids with his pink tongue indicating just how hot he was.
Golden late day shadows.
Then home for baths and bedtime.

A Celebration! Abbey’s High School Graduation Party

By Lorraine

We waited until Jill’s visit so she and her family could be here for Abbey’s high school graduation party.
(somehow there are no photos of the food.  I promise… there was lots)
Vignettes of lots of fun…

chilling on the porch
Hanging with friends
Jamie and her baby Cambrie
Splashing fun!
Aunt Erin giving Shaela a French Braid
John and his brother
Top: family, around the table from left:  Niece Toni, Jill, my mom, Stephanie, cousin Karen, sister-in-law Arlene and my sister, Carol
Bottom: Next door neighbors 
Cambrie and her dear other grandparents 

♥

My cousin, Karen, her husband, John and daughter, Stephanie

It was so good to spend time with dear family and friends

♥

Cambrie’s Turn…

By Lorraine

 …to be photographed in her Pop-Pop’s Christening outfit. 
 
 
 

More Grandbabies in the same outfit and John with his paternal Grandparents, Henrietta and John Sr.

(Sadly, I missed getting pics of a Jared, Keri & Noah)

 

This one’s trying to get away!

 
Our youngest daughter in 1992 .  I never thought to get photos of our three older girls 🙁
It isn’t an easy task getting a wiggly little one dressed and still happy for a photo shoot.
And remembering to get pics while the outfit still fits avoids the dilemma of too much baby per garment.
(We just squeaked this one with Shaela and baby Caleb wore his without the buttons closed)

Running and Skipping

By Lorraine

Abbey and Jared running and skipping on the way to the boardwalk.

Camera: point and shoot Fuji Fine Pix (when fun trumps lugging a big camera around)
Camera chooses all settings:
f/5.1
Exp 1/200
ISO 400
No flash
Edited in Picnik Focal Zoom
Non-posed… remember how much teenagers loved to be posed!
(I did request they turn and run away from me so I could get that shot too, but request was denied)

Spontaneity ~ an evening drive to Ocean City

By Lorraine

Jamie and her family spent last week in Ocean City, New Jersey with her in-laws.
Erin, AJ and Jared are there this week.
Abbey is staying a few days with them too.
John and I are not beach lovers (or even beach likers, for that matter).
But, our high 90 degree days with high humidity broke with beautiful temps, low humidity and gentle breezes and I knew it would be just perfect at the shore.


I texted John at work late in the afternoon and asked his thoughts on talking the hour and a half drive down the shore when he got home. He said, “Great idea,” so off we went. Zipping along with the windows rolled down, wind blowing our hair and feeling like kids ourselves was such fun.

We arrived just as the sun was getting low in the sky.

A quick stroll in the sand…

then onto the boardwalk to join the others for a beautiful summer evening.

AJ is such a sweet guy and was more than happy to answer all of my questions about his very cool yellow motor cycle. It was brought to my attention because many folks stopped to comment/look at it as it sat right out front on the sidewalk. He said strangers even took photos of it and that really tickled him!

AJ and Erin

Looking spiffy in our shades
(If Abbey read my blog [which I know she doesn’t] she’d roll her eyes and say, “I know you didn’t just say ‘spiffy.”
Of course, theirs are for looks, mine are so I can see.

on the porch

on the way to the boards

“Mom-Mom, wanna see my muscle?”

Just look at the power radiating from it!

Stopping for a bite to eat but being sure to save room for Kohr Bros soft-serve ice-cream cones and some fudge (pistachio for me, please)

While the kids browsed the shops, John and I slipped away and walked in the dark to the waters edge. There were just a few folks enjoying the serenity as the waves foamed and rolled in. Walking in the sand with low visibility was a little hard especially trying to avoid tripping over the mounds and holes created by those digging earlier in the day.


and a few shots just for fun
🙂

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder ~ Jared’s Frog

By Lorraine

And this green creature is beautiful to our grandson, Jared.
He and Pop-Pop caught tadpoles this spring and put them into our little pond.
This little guy is the only one to survive.

Do you remember this rhyme?

Over in the meadow,
In the sand in the sun
Lived an old mother toadie
And her little toadie one
“Wink!” said the mother;
“I wink!” said the one,
So they winked and they blinked
In the sand in the sun

I liked this photo of bubbles created by the tiny pond fountain. Notice the little orange at the top/center… they are the goldfish getting bigger and bigger.

Happy Baby Cambrie Noelle in a Basket

By Lorraine

Happy Baby…

Happy as a lark sitting in the toy basket while Mommy and Mom-Mom chat on the front porch watching sister and brothers play in the yard.



♥

Happy siblings…

My sister, Carol and brother, Frank and I
had a fun time together today at a cousins engagement party.

Carol has three children and four granddaughters
Frank had six children, three grandchildren and one on the way
I have four daughters and nine grandchildren

♥

Sweet Boy in Over-sized Hockey Helmet

By Lorraine

A sweet little face like this doesn’t require lots of photo skills to melt a Mom-Mom’s heart!
Silas, an enthusiastic little boy with flushed cheeks from wearing his heavy helmet on a hot day, a slight cropping to eliminate boring background, a little lightening and slight increase of contrast. And there you have it.
Ready to bring home the Stanley Cup!

Photo Stats:
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Aperture f 5.6
Focal Length: 68mm
Auto flash ~ on
ISP speed: 400
Not posed: just a little guy who ran up and asked to have his picture taken with his beloved hockey helmet.

No time to relocate to more frontal natural light that might have eliminated the horizontal shadows on his face. I just wanted to capture a fleeting moment before he ran off.
Since the shadows don’t run through his eyes or mouth, I am not too concerned with them.
I think attention is drawn to his eyes, each framed by the squares in the face mask.

That’s a lot of helmet on those wee shoulders!
Know who he’s cheering for…
F L Y E R S!
of course!

Weekend with The Boys

By Lorraine

Jared brought his Wii over and look at the fun these guys had!
Noah, Jared and Pop-Pop playing Wii bowling

Intently playing Mario Kart Wii

and of course… frogging!

and enjoying Pop-Pop’s traditional after-garage-sale-ing breakfast.

One can get a little tuckered out on all of those little boy/puppy dog walks. (Noah and Miniature Schnauzer dog named Raider)
♥
Children’s children are a crown to the aged
Proverbs 17:6

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