Meet Mayanne Nicole West

Still another new family member. Mayanne was born April 13, 2010 to my Son and daughter-in-law, Courtland and Xiaoya West. She was 5 and a half months old in this picture we took of her shortly before they left us to live in China. I now have 3 grandchildren that live in a forgien country. Pray for me. I would love to be with them before they are no longer babies.

A new family member

Isabella Joy Mackey. Age aprox. 2 1/2 mo.

Isabella's beautiful blue eyes. Got those from Chris

big brother Tekoa and Isabella at bus station

The whole Mackey family riding the bus to their new location.

It has been a long time since my last blog. Facebook has spoiled me, but I will try to do better.

I really wanted to show my news grandchild. Isabella Joy Mackey was born Nov. 6, 2009. Eddie and I got to visit them in Brazil before the birth, and be with them until Nov. 15th. Isabella is now 3mo. old, and bundle of Joy (as her name would indicate.)

Ian in pastel

I haven't gotten to paint a lot since we started work on the lake house 5 years ago, but I took some time this past month and did a pastel of my grandson Ian O'Donnell. I wish the bright colors of chalk could show up as well on here as on the original. I hope to have time to do all of the grand kids soon.

Summer with friends and Family

This summer has flown by so fast. I wanted to spend more time in the water, but we had work to do, and I can't seem to get Eddie interested in swimming with me anymore.
We started to do a little work on the front, but not enough that you can see a big difference.

I did have a couple of my best friends Brenda and Phillis down for a day or two, and my sister Iris came down with me this past week. It is always fun with friends to share your time with, and my sister and I have enjoyed our time together after so many years.

Brinda

I lost a kind and loving cousin this past week. Brinda Thompson will be remembered by us all. The days we ran and played outside Grandma Harvey's house. The little troubles we got into. As we grow older she married, and became a great cook, and very artistic. When I got married, she made my wedding cake. It was beautiful, and a gift out of her on heart. She also decorated my reception table, then went back home to get ready for the wedding she had worked all day to make special. It snowed, and snowed and snowed. The most any had seen in years, so much so that she was unable to drive back to Woodruff to attend the ceremony that evening. I so wish she could have been there. We barely made it there ourselves.

Brinda moved away shortly there after, and we didn't see each other for many years. Now she is with her Mom and Dad, and my Mom and Dad. I know they have so much to catch up on. God bless a beautiful lady.

Tekoa meets his Grandpa

Look at me, I can ride a board just like my Daddy!

Grandpa don't let my fish get away.

Are we at Grandma's house?

I like it when Grandpa feeds me.

To our delight, the Mackeys were able to make a visit home from Brazil. Tekoa is 10 months old now, and he had never met his family. I am the only one who has seen him at age 6 to 10 weeks, when I went down to Brazil for a 4 week visit. I was so happy to see him again, and my daughter Ginger and her husband Christopher. I miss them every day. I don't know what I would do if it weren't for Skype. Soon however, they may not be able to have internet access where they will be living (deep in the heart of the jungle).

Here are a few of the pictures we took while they were here June 11 thru 18.

Guitar recital '09

from the O'Donnell photo shoot.

It's time again for Ian and Mia's guitar recital. We all were there, both sets of grandparents. Watch the short video ( 2 minutes). There are only 3 students in that class. Mia is wearing blue, and Ian is the only boy.

The week with the boys

"Camouflage" Can you see Ian?
Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Eddie and Ian found a turtle. Eddie's camera flash wasn't on, so this is the best I had.

Where's the turkeys?

Eddie and Ian in front of the camper at the hunt club.

Aidan's ranch

playing in the sand

The last week in April, Tisha, Mia, and some other ladies from her church went to a wedding at the beach. Eddie and I kept the boys. Eddie had planned to do some work at the hunt club also, so he took Ian with him for 3 days. Aidan and I had the place here all to ourselves. We played hitting the baseball. He is a really good hitter. To much running for me. We went down in the woods behind the house to the creek and brought back some wet sand for him to play in. That was quite a chore, as it is all uphill coming back. He likes to build with the old Lincon log set. See his ranch. Eddie and Ian got home on Saturday, and the boys went to church with us on Sunday. They are great kids!

MOUNTAIN VACATION, APRIL 2009

This year Jim and Tisha ask Eddie and me to go with them on vacation to the Tennessee mountains, Pigeon Forge, and Cades Cove. We had a great time, and got to see many sites. I didn't get pictures of all of them, because my camera ran out of space, but we saw a cavern deep in the ground, many animals: black bears, snakes, deer, coyote, turkeys. The picture above is the panoramic view of the mountains from our upper outside balcony. I put two pictures together to get this view.
The lovely cabin we stayed in on our vacation with Jim, Tisha and the kids

view of living room from the upstairs balcony and game room. Ian slept here

The bedroom upstairs off of the game room. Eddie and I stayed here.

Jim practicing for our big tournament. It must have payed off, because he won
.
Tisha relaxing by the stream at cade's cove

Mia and the boys liked playing on the rocks at the picnic site.

Aidan and Ian walking on the rocks. Only Mia got wet!

looking down at Eddie and Mia from the upstairs balcony/game room

THANKS JIM, AND TISH. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. WE LOVE YOU. MOM AND DAD!

Easter Sunday

Tisha looking prettier than the flowers

Even the men and poodle got in on the hunt.


Easter was an easy slow day. After Sunday morning service The O'Donnells spent the day with us. The kids hid eggs, and we had a nice meal.

Praise the Lord, He is risen!

The day before Easter

Mia spent the night with us the Friday before Easter, and helped us die Easter eggs on Saturday.

"Our 40th Wedding Aniversary"

Can you believe it, 40 years! WOW. We have so many memories. We didn't know what we wanted to do on or 40th weekend, so we just went to our lake house. Saturday was a cold and damp day, but thanks to our friends Gary and Sandy Moore, we had a wonderful evening at a valentines dinner at another friends barn. It was good company,we had a warm fire, and the food was great.

I am including a picture of us on the beach. Not a good one, but the only one I had.

A day with the grandkids

Aidan and Mia spent the night with us in January. Sorry I didn't keep up with the date. I do remember haveing fun and reading Mia's favorite bedtime story "The Sloth's Birthday Party" to them.

January 10th, my birthday

Tisha made a beautiful cake for may birthday. She is really good at making special cakes. I am so proud of her. She and the family came by to see me, and wish me a happy birthday. It was a very nice day for me.

Making Santa cookies

The children made some cookies to leave for Santa.

Merry Christmas 2008

Lots of our family was not in the United States this Christmas. We missed Chris, Ginger, and Tekoa, and Courtland and Xiaoya. It was still a great celebration of Christ birth, and we had Jim, Tisha and the kids, Ian, Mia, and Aidan here on Christmas eve. Ian wasn't feeling well that day, but he did well. We got calls from both the missing families, and cherished that too. Here is my Christmas collage. Click on the picture to see it full size.

The Ornament

I brought a special ornament home with me from the lake. It was given to me by Sandy, my friend and neighbor at the lake. She painted a blue ball with the South Carolina palmetto and crescent on it. here it is on my tree. We had a very enjoyable evening with them. They (Gary and Sandy Moore) treated us to some Mexican food, and pound cake. You can't ask for better neighbors than that.

Snake at the Lake

Eddie and I went to the lake Wednesday night. I am so glad we didn't wait until morning, because waking up at the lake on such a beautiful day was so pleasant. The sun was shining and it was WARM! How is that for the week before Christmas? We worked in the yard, and while we were talking to our neighbor Gary Moore, he noticed that we had a snake sunning himself on our front stoop. None to soon Eddie had killed it. It looked like a poisonous one to me with its viper shaped head and colorful marking and about 40 inches long. After looking it up on-line, it turned out to be a brown water snake. Eddie had guessed it right.

I am including a picture of this kind of snake. I didn't have my camera with me so I borrowed this picture.

Ian and Mia's Christmas guitar recital

This past week Eddie and I had the privilege to attend Ian and Mia's Christmas guitar recital at Converse College. They have been working hard all this semester to learn these selections along with many others that are not Christmas songs. I have included a collage of the evening, and one video only 1 minute long if you would like to watch.

Putting up the Christmas Tree.

Yesterday Eddie and I had the kids over for the evening, and we all worked together to put up our Christmas tree. This has been the first year ever since I have had so much help. It was wonderful, and they really did work.

Eddie is in a play at Church, and this is his attire. Spiffy isn't he!