Happy Birtday to the Dingles!

Vaughn and Brant

Twenty seven years ago my brother Brian and Sister-in-law Sarah 

provided our family with a lovely

set of twins and named them 

Brant and Vaughn.

Since that day 27 years ago today, everything has changed

AND...

I've loved them since day one.  

I have witnessed them being kind and gentle husbands 

as well as patient and loving fathers (just like their dad and his dad)

 I truly admire their confident parenting.

But, the most incredible personality traits they possess is to be absolutely 

CRAZY!

I tried to find at least one picture of each of them 

to post here that was 

serious and thoughtful.  It was hard but I found one of each.

Here's Handsome Brant with Ariel and his own set of

twins (yes that's right!).  They actually have another son

but I don't know where he is in this picture...probably just a little thought in Brant's head at this point.

Here's Vaughn with his wife Tasha and daughter Elina.

They also have one more

 little girl named Megan.

I'm writing about them together because they are just a packaged deal.  

When I hear they will be visiting, I get so excited because I know it will be a blast.

Just take a look at all 

the 

goofiness:

Vaughn showing off his "dicky" 

Vaughn teaching Elina the finer things in life.

Elina's revenge!

Brant (red pants) and Vaughn (green pants) 

Karaokeing it up!

Brant's twins didn't like Santa much!

Brant teaching his son the finer things in life.

(mmmmm....much like Vaughn)

Vaughn graduating from the University of Calgary.

Now that's just WACKY!

Together earlier this month at Adrianne's for Brant's graduation from University.

Dressing as twins cracks me up everytime.

My dear nephews, I love you both.  We have many memories to share.  Your missions to Russia and Lithuania come to mind.  (Thanks for the plate from Riga, Vaughn.  Thanks for nothing from St. Petersburg, Brant)

And the time you lived with us Brant will be a fond memory forever.

  I just love you two and expect great things from you both in the future.

Live long and prosper.

Ahhh, First Graders!

Today I read the book "Fox at School" by James Marshall

to my class.  They loved it.  One of my favorite parts of the day is when I read

to my first graders.

The following is an exchange from one of the pages in that book:

"I'm going to be a teacher," said Fox.

"You're not serious, said Carmen.

"It's an easy job," said Fox.

At this point I stop and ask "Do you think that being a teacher is an

easy job?"

(of course I'm expecting them all to tell me what a noble, difficult, courageous, 

caring, laboriously fulfilling job it must be...)

I did hear a few "no way"'s  from the crowd.

Then "Mr. Reality Gabe" pipes up...

"I think it would be easy because they have that one Math book with all the answers."

Thanks Gabe.  Thanks for keeping it real.

Happy Birthday Little Audrie!

Dear Audrie:

I love your mouth...

especially when it's smiling.

And, I love it...

even when it's slobbering.

I love your eyes...

even when they're sad.

I love your cute little nose...

especially when there's food all over it!

And, I can't wait until those little hands...

hold mine.

Though I've only met you once in your life,

(you looked like this.)

I look forward to seeing you

as a grown up little lady one whole year old!

I LOVE YOU!

Love,

Grami Tami

If I Had Alcoholic Tendencies....

...I'd drink it like this

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!!!

My cute little grandson Eli is three years old today!  

He lives far away from me in Texas and I don't get to see him very often.

But, when I do, I'm the happiest Grami Tami in the world.

Here are some pictures of this darling boy:

The sweet little guy with his daddy. 

(Our newly accepted Dr. in training at Columbia!  Brag, brag!)

One of my very favorite pictures.  Look at his organizational skills. 

A lovely row of trucks and cars!

Love the exercise ball.  Where's Eli?

Eli with his mommy Abbie, his daddy Forrest, and his

adorable sister Audrie.

(Soon to live far away in New York City!)

Eli ROCKS!

Eli and Audrie with their

GORGEOUS

mother...she's also an excellent mother in addition to being gorgeous.

I LOVE YOU ELI!

My 15 Minutes of Fame!

M   I just found this CNN news footage from 2005.

It was the beginning of the No Child Left Behind Act instituted by

George W. Bush

(I will refrain from my opinion of him in this post...could be a future post though!)

Anyway, I'm the one in the classroom with the Statue of Liberty and a map of the

United States on the wall.

I had 33 fifth graders that year.

Boy, that CNN reporter was a good-looking fella!

So...here, for your amusement is

me doing what I do best! 

                                               

                                              

Happy Birthday Bruce!

My big brother Bruce is 54 today. 

( If you will look back five days ago,you will see that I married a man only five days older

 than my big brother...kinda creeps me out but, that's a different story)

There are so many things I could say to pay tribute to my big brother.

In fact, I already did post about him last year right HERE.

The most important thing you really need to know about him is how much

 I love him.

He has always been very important to me and still is.  We are eight years

apart in age so I really didn't get to grow up with him like I would have liked to, but he was an

amazing brother to me.  I don't ever remember him being mean to me or making me feel less

than I was.  He still hasn't.  In fact, through happy or sad, tragedy or triumph, he 

exudes a quiet strength that I haven't seen in anyone else.  He makes 

those around him more comfortable than he feels. 

Perhaps, he is holding it all inside to protect everyone else.   That's just who Bruce is.

He is a word wizard.

He has a masterful wit that I only try to mirror but don't even come close to.

He is the strongest person I know who has experienced things

that only the very elect and strong are asked to bare.

And even though he and Larry cut the tip of my middle finger of while

cocking a pellet gun when I was four years old...

I will ALWAYS love him.

Bruce is my hero.

Look at how handsome he is sitting there on his boat with his grandkids.

This picture made me miss my dad.  Just like Bruce, our dad always let my girls

fix up and mess up his hair.

Best. Grandpa. Ever.

Cool four generation picture. 

L to R:  Grampa Matthew Leavitt, Dad (Ray Leavitt), Bruce, and Chad.

Bruce is the third one over.

(Larry is the sixth)

This is my favorite picture of my brothers.  Bruce is in the bright blue.  

Can you see why it is possible that they did that 

horrendous act of violence on my finger?????

But at least they were cute.