I LOVE the Beach!

I Love the Beach! I love being able to go and relax~! Here are some pics of one of my favorites of God's creations...the sunrise over the ocean!


I love my Heavenly Father and am soooo grateful for everything He gives me..My family, my testimony and this beautiful earth. I am happy I can get away from the hubbub of the busy life occasionally and relax and really take notice of the beauties that are around me!

HaPPy THanksGIviNG!

What a GREAT day Sunday was! Quiet and peaceful! (Ha ha!) But it was fantastic! We had a few people over for Thanksgiving...Canadian Style!
Of Course Thatcher was the center of attention...Aunt Donna made this adorable bib...Turkey and all....was she referring to Thatcher being a turkey??? Hummmmmm
This is Aunt Donna... and uncle Doug Lowry...and Matt...being sooo sweet!
These are some new friends we have made here..Chris is also Canadian...and Penny from Aussie land! Great family....
Nana and Poppy Crunk...and Michael Lowry above...then..Jaimie Lowry, Scott, Graham, Macey Samples..Krista and Hannah...being sooo well behaved..enjoying the feast!!!
Then...it all came crahing down...Matt....I do not know WHAT got into him...BUT I do know what got all over me!!! Whipping Cream! But I DO LOVE TO SHARE!!!! Love ya MAtt!!!

Happy Birthday to MY mom...my kids grandma~!

Today would have been my mom's 91st birthday...unfortunately she passed away almost 8 years ago.
But I have been thinking of her lots today, and have been trying to post on my family site..but haven't been able to..so I got a great idea to post here instead!
Things I have been remembering about my mom:
*She loved music..she would sing all day...doing chores, walking, playing, or falling asleep! One of her favorite songs/hymns was "I am a Child of God" That is what we sang to her as she passed away. The fourth versewas especially appropriate for her then. "I am a Child of God. His promises are sure. Celestial glory shall be mine, if I can but endure." She endured! The grandkids also sang it at her funeral! It was beautiful! Thanks..I am sure it was not an easy thing to do...but it was her one wish for her funeral! It was from her I gained my love of music!
*She also had stories and poems for lots of situations...for example...when we would argue..."Two little kittens one stormy night, began to quarrel and then to fight. One had a mouse, the other had none, and that's the way the quarrel begun. "I'll have that mouse!" said the older cat. "You'll have that mouse, we'll see about that!" As I told you before it was a stormy night, when the two little kittens began to fight. Then along came the old woman with her sweeping broom, and swept those two little kittens right out of that room. Out in the cold and frost and snow, the two little kittens had no place to go. So they curled themselves up on the mat by the door, while the angry old woman finished sweeping the floor. Then they crept in as quiet as mice, covered in snow and cold as ice. They figured it was best that night to lie down and sleep than to quarrel and fight!"
or....The poem "Who loved her best" I do not remember that one completely..but you can find it online.
or..I am a daughter of Royal Birth, my Father is Father of heaven and earth....
*mom loved to bake! Cinnamon rolls..brownies..bread...cookies...butterhorns...YUMMY! When we lived in the frozen north of Ft. McMurray..she used the trunk of her car as extra freezer space...which always had something yummy in it! Usually to give away to someone else!
*She was the queen of service! Her motto was..."If you feel down and sorry for yourself, get out and do something for someone else!" Do you know what? it works~!!!~! Sometimes I need to remember that! She served her family...her church...her neighbors..but ultimately it was her Heavenly Father whom she served...Mosiah 2:17"...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God"!! She loved to serve her God!
*Mom LOVED her family! EVERY ONE OF US!!! Even when we least deserved it! She especially loved the grandchildren..and now I am a gramma..I KNOW what it is like! It is different! I remember feeling it was such an honor to give up my room for the grandkids to visit!
She knew us too! When I would have a bad day..and living away from home..FREQUENTLY I would get a call from her just checking in...had a feeling I needed to check in she would say!
* Mom LOVES her Heavenly Father! She showed everybody this in her actions..NOT the big things...but the small things...her example, her service, her love, her....Her testimony was built on the rock..as said in Helaman 5:12 and Matthew 16. I know she is in a fantastic place..continuing what she was doing here...loving, serving, singing...Hope you are loving it mom!

We miss you here, but I am grateful to know you will always be my mom...and we have been sealed together for eternity! I know you are preparing things for when we join you and dad! Thanks for everything! Always!

Geri

XOXOX

Livin the Dream!

Hannah and her CUTE new haircut! LOVE IT! This is how we LIVE THE DREAM here in Evans!

What could be better than loungin in the pool with Thatcher! We had a blast in there...Look hands.......no MA!! Again we got to enjoy having T Man at our house WITHOUT mom or dad! They were celebrating their anniversary...and painting...or so they said!
Let's hope this is a dream....My Sweetheart...YIKES!!!
Thatcher LOVING the whipping cream...HE is living the dream too..."gain" he would say...and clap his hands...and of course Gramma would HAVE to give it to him!!! FUN!
Scott...livin the dream.Where's Scott..?....right in the middle of the picture...starting a race....unfortunately...it didn't end as hoped..he has been having lots of stomach troubles...and this race was actually the week he had the stomach flu as well...oh well....
Hannah is living this dream! Meet Chloe..the newest addition to our Zoo. She is a SWEET dog...we adopted last week..we had fostered her for a couple of weeks before that. Molly is tolerating her by now...we'll see how Lucy takes to having a new dog at her second house! Mack and Clyde get here next week too..It WILL be the true LOWRYZOO then!

Life is GREAT! I have a wonderful (albeit strange) husband..whom I love VERY much. I have 5 Great children...1 incredible son in law...1 FANTABULOUSO grandson!!! 2 dogs..1 cat..and fantastic extended family whom we love and MISS terribly! I have the gospel in my life, which gives me the strength to get through life. I am truly blessed!

Summer...ahhhhhhh.... BIRTHDAYS!
Hannah turned 13 this summer..YIKES! we celebrated with a cookout with the Beaches, and the GA Lowrys. BUT that is NOT where the celebrations began....First we took a road trip to Atlanta for......

Where....

Does the time go??? I WILL get better at this one day! "One day" is just an illusion for me it seems some days...some days seem to be getting more and more frequent for me as well. But enough of that!

Life at the Lowry house is wonderful...crazy...busy...entertaining...all of the above!

Scott is still battling the never-ending car saga...fixing..re-fixing..driving it for a week...or a day...or a block or half...then fixing the next problem! BUT he is learning a WHOLE lot about car repair! Thanks to friends with knowledge and skill and most of all TOOLS! Mr. Bill has been a LIFE saver! He is also still battling his stomach problems..without much relief, long-term. We get to go see another Dr. next week. Perhaps this will be the one who can help us???!!!! He is trying to keep up with running cross country...difficult with the stomach thingy...school...2 AP classes...drama...YM's family...YIKES...makes me tired writing it!

Graham is FOOTBALL man!!! He is having to go up a size of dress shirt this fall...weight lifting will do that to you! His coaches are working with him...getting him stronger and stronger...both in muscles..and smell after practices! I LOVE picking up boys after 3 hours of football practice!!! JUST NOT THE SMELL!!!! I am sooo glad his room is the farthest away from the rest of the house! HE is also taking an AP class..and said last night."I may actually have to work this year..you know ...study!" YIKES! He is teaching himself the guitar... and now wants lessons as well! HE just got a lawn care job for a neighbor..so he will be happy for $$ again!

Hannah...What can be said about her! She is in piano this year..out of band..into chorus...the top dog in middle school...starting to babysit...HWen did she STOP needing a babysitter! Growing up WAY TOO FAST! She is doing very well in school...and is REALLY lookign forward to high school next year...(little does she know I am NOT letting her go there!!! YIKES) She got to spend 10 days in FLorida with her best friend who moved there this summer...she had such a great time! Thanks Cheryl! We ALL miss the Beaches! A part of our family moved away!

MArk and I are still plugging away..work...church callings...family...trying to get a couple of hours of sleep every once in a while...But Really WHO NEEDS SLEEP!!!!!????????

Life is good! Keep on checking in...I will get better...one day!

Memories of one year ago

It was about this time one year ago that Mark and I arrived at the hospital in Athens...to be a part of bringing a brand new little boy into the world! What a day it was!!! What a whirlwind 24 hours it was! You see...we were in Orlando...with Kathy and Kasia and Zach...and MArk and I left at midnight and drove to Athens...stayed until about midnight...then drove back to Orlando to finish the vacation! It was one of the best days of my life! Krista did such a fantastic job during labor and delivery...with Evan at her side...They are such great parents...and Thatcher is such a blessing in our family! We are sooo ahppy to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY THATCHER! WE LOVE YOU!

We are going to try something new again!

The waves were a bit scary at first....but he did enjoy them later!
Is this Heaven???? yes, Child it is!
He Loved chasing the shadows...
Found that the sand isn't as easy to walk on as the floor...
Here is mom and Thatcher exploring this sand..TMan thinks it is kind of strange! Yet tasty!

I finally got some pics downloaded to my new computer...so I will attempt to get some on here!

I got to take Thatcher...and his mom to the beach...his first time there! I have a great friend here who lets me rent her house in Myrtle Beach...and it is MARVELOUS! So here is a trip with us to the beach!

Remember I am learning here...

Adventures in Poison Ivy!! scratch ...scratch!

My adventures...or should I say MISADVENTURES...began 15 days ago! I was DETERMINED to get rid of the poison ivy in our back garden..or overgrown forest in the back yard...Mark has proven to be very allergic..and I had it once..a tiny little bit..So I was going to be his Knightess in shining garden gloves!!! So off I went! Gloves on...pruning tools in hand..off to sly the Ivy. I was vigilant to keep skin far away from it..but alas...it found its way to me..the oily little varmit! So the next line of defense that .."Always works" was to shower with Dawn dish soap...I did ..TWICE...but the oily creature had already laid its demise!

Saturday night I noticed a little red, itchy spot on my elbow...the inside..where it always bends...then another one..no two on the same area...then another one down the wrist. Then the legs got involved...they figured if I was already itchy..why not get in on the action! So it kept coming..and coming...I have seen a pill called 'the poison ivy pill' work with Mark and others...so I quickly ordered some..and could NOT wait to get it! FINALLY it got here! AHHHHH relief!!! At last!!! NOT!!! I took it as it said to..and soon MORE showed up..on my stomach..face and other arm! YIKES...A doctor friend of mine informed me I am VERY allergic to poison ivy..DUH!!! YA think?! Well..the pills added to it...I was already too full of the toxins..and my body was not able to fight it ...and this just added to it!

SO...lesson learned...STAY OUT OF POISON IVY!!!


Update...it is finally starting to dry up...the histamine response is STILL great! Itchy all the time..red..and now I have little bumps all over my arms too! AND...With all the stress this is causing my OLD and decrepit body...to make matters even worse..I have a cold sore on ly bottom lip..right SMACK dab in the middle!@! OUCH! and one building on the inside of my throat!

BUT..... LIfe is good! Thatcher turns 1 on Thursday...YEAH!
Graham just got back from EFY..and had a ball...I was sooo lucky to go pick them up this morning..at 7 am...left here at 4:30 AM! And Monday EARLY morning hen heads off to Scout camp!
Hannah is bored...not too many friends around...so come on down to play! She is working on her piano though a lot this summer...will get her back into lessons this fall.
Scott is working..and playing...do not see him much!
Mark is busy with work...calling..he too is heading to scout camp! and business trips!

Life is good!@ Enjoy every minute...My new outlook!

BEWARE OF FLYING TIME!!!

Shauna talked about watching the time...well..It is GOING WAY TOOOO FAST here for me to watch it! Where DID May go?

Well...it went to having my Thatcher with me for a few days...IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! We went hiking, went swimming..played and played and we..played some more! What a great early mother's day gift for me!

School is out...with all the end of school things that go on...That took up lots of time too.

Football weight training started..and that requires my Taxi hat to be on...LOTS! And Graham is working at the baseball games 3 days /week....more taxi driving...BUT I LOVE IT...

Work kicked up a notch or two the last couple of weeks of May as well..as we launched the new website... www.wheretraveler.com A cool tool to help you find where you might like to eat/shop/find cool things to do in 40 cities in the US..but will be expanding to other areas as we can sell it to them! Hoping to get into Canada when the iphone gets there!

Now it is June..Graham will be getting his permit to learn to drive...LOOK OUT WORLD!!!! He turns 15 on June 9th!!! Again...where has the time gone??? He hopes to take the exam next Tuesday..as the DMV is not open on Mondays...then.......

I GET TO GO TO THE BEACH!!!!!! YEAH!! can y0ou tell I am a little excited????? Krista and Thatcher, Hannah, Graham and I...along with Moriah and her mom Cheryl...(friends who are moving this summer) Leave after Graham takes the test..until Sunday! YEAH!!! We have my friends' beach house...one house off the beach...I CANNOT WAIT!!!

One thing I did NOT get to do was go to my family reunion...BUT I have a great family..and I got to see lots of cool pics..and hear lots about it..so I got a taste of it! Thanks to all for the pics!

Well..I should get something done around here...but I would love to hear form anyone out there in cyberspace!

Love to all

Gramma Bean!

Holy BAtman, Robin..April is almost gone!

Where has the time gone???? Life here is going along fast-paced as ever..and I think I must have blinked...cause April's last day is tomorrow! HAppy Birthday Evan!

Life....well...lots has happened..I got to go see "Wicked" with Scott a couple of weeks ago..then HAnnah and I went to see "Lion King" for her early birthday present! Both were AWESOME shows! I cried in both..laughed in both asn was totally amazed by...you guessed... BOTH!
Mark and Scott go see Lion King tomorrow! I am happy for them!...maybe I'll clime into their pocket and see it again! LOVED them !!!

Scott has had stomach aches lately...Dr. thought perhaps an ulcer..I do not really agree..perhaps it is..But I think it is different...just a mom's hunch...we are trying him on a gluten free diet for a bit and see if it helps...then go from there. Scott is busy with school winding up...lifeguarding at the pool and he is starting another job with a friend of MAtt's...managing a lawn mowing company. He will be BUSY this summer! He continues to do very well in school..YIKES..a SENIOR next year!

MAtt is in Denver for the summer..as a lead tech for APX home securities. He is in for a busy one he thinks...they just keep sending more and more sales people...so he and his techs will be BUSY!!!! MAck went with him...yeah for them...we miss him here though!

Graham is in spring training for football this week...and working for an old football coach...at baseball concessions. This is keeping him busy...He was excited to be back in the pads and hitting again! He also is doing well in school...only 3 weeeks left til summer!

Hannah had her honors day today...adn she recieved high honors for 7th grade! She turns 13 in a couple of weeks...ANOTHER TEENAGER!!!YIKES! BUT I LOVE teens! They are alot of fun...can be trouble..BUT THEY ARE GREAT! Fun..crazy...etc..etc..etc!

Krista nad Evan and Thatcher are doing well...according to their blog..we too are grateful to have Evan a part of our family! He is just one of us...whatever THAT means..but he fits right in...and it is wonderfuL! Thatcher is one FANTASTIC little boy..who is growing way too fast! But that is good too! He is healthy and for the most part happy! We love to go visit him!

Mark is busy camping lately it seems...the young men of our ward keep him busy camping..and camping...most weekends it seems lately...but soon it will not be the NICE camping weather! soon it WILL get too hot! But we ahve had a WONDERFUL spring so far! I hope it keep it up! The hot can stay away for a while yet!

I am sad I will nor be making it up for the Low Party in MAy...too many dollars to get there...this is when it is soooooo hard to live in Georgia! I really enjoy it here...it is just tooo far away from extended family! But I have a great family here!

Well..should go get supper on for them...speaking of them..have a great day!

THOUGHTS...from a crazy white woman!

Well...February is over...and so is the High School Spring Musical!!! YIKES...this means it is just about time for Masters here in Augusta...time for Azaleas....and Dogwoods!

The musical this year was "Thoroughly Modern Millie"...a great show that takes place in the 20's about a young girl who heads to New York to marry a millionaire....It is funny, and great! Scott played the role of Bun Foo...a chinese man who works for Mrs Meers to kidnap young orphans and send them to Hong Kong, a white slavery ring! He learned Cantanese for the show..as most of his lines were in chinese! AND songs too! We and a great time watching it...I really enjoy being involved with my kids activities...and their friends! It is a BUSY time...and the last couple of weeks has been spent at the school...Crazy during it..but I am already missing it...and it just ended tonight! I will not miss the money and tickets..at least for a couple of months!

My children are all growing WAY too fast! Scott commented that the next spring musical he is in will be his SENIOR year!!! CRAZY!

Graham is busy with weight lifting for football...and he informed us the other day that he is the strongest freshman on the team..and about 3rd in the sophmores too! so WATCH OUT! He gave a talk at a little boy that he babysits for baptism today....I was a t work so I didn't get to ehar it..but was told he did a great job! And I wouldn't doubt it!

Speaking about work....I went to work at the glass shop today...the first time in about 6 weeks...so I had a BLAST working with glass again! I made a baby gift for a friend...and just about finished another project that has been needing to get done!

I also was informed this week that I WILL be able to relicense as a nurse here in Georgia! It had NOT been looking good for a month..so this was FANTASTIC news!

Well..I am way too tired to be tyoing..this is taking about twice as long as it should..as I am having to type and RETYPE most everything!

See you all later..and have a Very HAPPY EASTER!

Cudos for Shauna and Evan!

YEAH!!! Thanks to Shauna and Evan...my heros...Gramma's house is looking SOOO great!
I ahve Thatcher here this weekend, nad it is WONDERFUL! He is growing up sooo fast, and doing so many things...eating so many new things and I am LOVING IT!!! Will post pictures later!

Thanks again for the great background!

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

Yeah, January is over! I find january and sometimes February to be hard months for me! Don't know why really...perhaps just getting old! (I am a gramma now!!!) BUT... February is going to be a FANTASTIC month...I am going to make it that way!!!!

The other day I got the BEST message left on my answering machine...It was Thatcher laughing and laughing..That REALLY brightened my day! What a GREAT thing this gramma thing is!

So, last night, we went out with some friends of ours..Doug and Donna Lowry...and Kevin and Tina Jones..for Donna's birthday dinner...we were headed for Myabi's(so I don't know how to spell...getting old!) but there was a 2 hour wait...Soooooo what do we do now....They...okay..we wanted Japanese..so we decided to try a new one...I went with great trepedition...and was VERY happy to find a better Japanese restaurant than Myabi's! They served noodles AS WELL AS rice!!! YEAH! Krista..we will have to go there sometime with you!!! Afterwards we went back and played Mexican Train dominos...and had ice cream cake for dessert! I really had a great time!

Here's to a FANTASTIC FEBRUARY EVERYONE!!!

HAppy New Year!

Just trying this..WOW..I added a picture!! YEah for me!
Now I will do what I really wanted to dO!

Happy New year!

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas with family,friends and anybody else who happened by! That does happen usually!

We had a great Christmas here in the south...BUT it was WAY to warm for Christmas for me! Where is the snow? Where is the ice??? BUT the whole fam was here, so I really don't even WANT to complain! MAtt surprized us with the decision to move back to Georgia...and made another quick move. YEAH! That was probably my best gift....the whole family together again! Having Thatcher with us was right up there too! We were so excited they decided to share the day with us! He is growing up way too fast, and sooooooo darned cute!!~!

Boxing day....for those who are a little confused here in the States....it is the day after Christmas...I was fortunate?? enough to have surgery...so that slowed me down a bit...but it was a great lazy few days..that I did not even have to feel guilty about being lazy! You ought to try it sometime....NOT!

Scott spent a few days in Atlanta/Norcross with Krista and Evan and Thatcher and MAtt..and they went to a Thrashers Hockey game! They really had a great time! Lots of fun and laughs for them all!

I am following in Shauna's footsteps...and Leslie's too...My word for this year is TRUST! I want to learn to Trust...My own knowledge, experiences, judgement. My family....they have been taught...My Husband and his love for me! Most of all...TRUST my HEavenly Father...He loves me! HE wants what is BEST for me! HE is there rooting for me every step of the way! My faith!
My instincts, talents, skills, that I can do anything I set my mind to do! And soo much more as the year goes on!
Thanks Shauna and Leslie!

Love to ALL family and friends!
Gramma Bean