Zack and Chloe

Here's a cute picture I stole from Loretta's Facebook page:

Fall Colors, late October 2010

It was 27*F down by the camper this morning. And if I'd had my camera with me on the way to work, I would have been very late trying to get pictures of all the beautiful scenes I encountered. On the hill ahead of the beaver lake bridge on Hwy 412, the colors were stunning. Mist was rising from the river and the sun was illuminating the hillside on the west bank - beautiful.

Here are some pictures from last weekend. Not sure how much longer the leaves will cling to the trees before leaving them naked for winter.

Baby chloe is gaining some weight. She was a little over 6 lb when she went for her check-up earlier during the week. Loretta is doing great and Zack is too. If you are on Facebook, I know Loretta posts pictures and updates fairly often.

Baby Keigan (girl to be) is definitely showing on Gabrielle now. I'll try to get pictures of all the kids posted this weekend. You might not even recognize Garrison. He's getting tall...might even be taller than me now, or at least he says he is. I think his shoes were taller than mine.

Fall Colors

Color is beginning to come in now, each day bringing new hues to the fore. I'll try to get some more later today. These are from several days ago now.

Grandbaby

Today brings reflections on my 'grandmother' status. Except it's really a 'MawMaw' status, since in our family the grandmother is a generation older than the mawamaw, lol.

Chloe' Annette Cook arrived safely into the world yesterday around 11:30 a.m. She weighed 5lb 11oz and is healthy, just small. Late yesterday evening there was some concern with her breathing, and today we'll find out more what the doctors meant by that. (update: all is cleared and both baby and mother are going home today.)

For a little while during delivery, I thought we were going to lose Zack, but he held up and had recovered enough to cut the cord when it was all done.

Chloe's birthday is very close to Lillie's birthday. Lillie is my first grandbaby, born to Amanda Stanton, Gary's oldest daughter. She's turning 3 on Monday. I don't see Lillie very often because I live up here and they live down in LA.

And early next year, Gabrielle will produce the third grandbaby, hopefully not during a February ice storm.

I'm afraid I'm not a very motherly mother (not the 'Betty Crocker' kind who bakes cookies, lol), and even farther from a grandmotherly grandmother. But seeing how they're all beginnning to pile up now, I might ought to begin doing more of whatever it is that mawmaws are supposed to be doing.

Baby Chloe'

She's on her way, finally. We've been at the hospital since about 3 a.m. and things are progressing... even if a little slowly.

Fall Colors

This morning I could see on the hillsides a golden cast. The colors are getting ready. Sunkist tips of maple leaves are turning now, and before long the whole tree will be ablaze in a translucent red glow. Those are my favorites.

But the bright gold of the sycamores in contrast with their white limbs and peeling trunks catch my eye, too. Can't overlook the deep reds of dogwoods, either.

Soon the Ozarks will be washed in color. It's looking like this year will be a banner year for color and I'm getting my camera batteries charged.