It's like being home schooled these days. The children can't go to school. In a way, it comes to them and mom becomes the real teacher...at least that is the case here. It is wonderful that she is a 'retired' teacher. That certainly helps. These are pictures of a couple of activities, one indoor and another outdoor.

More Halloween. I really wish I could catch up and be making layouts as I get the pictures, but it just isn't going to happen. At this rate, you should be seeing Christmas layouts in late February.

Selfies are a sign of the times and Brttanie has them down. Of course they usually include Ava. This one was made in October of this year.

Trick or Treat can take many forms. This day in October Caleb, Oliver and Julia were 'begging' for treats at the animal farm in Lee Martinez Park at Fort Collins. The major thing I'd like to note here are the fantastic costumes, handmade by their mother, Beth. I am definitely behind the times, since it is past Christmas and almost 2021. We are all anxious to get on to the new year, so that makes me look like I'm dragging my feet, keeping me back; but believe me, I'm just as anxious as everyone else to rid ourselves of the pandemic 2020.

I don't have much to say abou this layout. It pretty well tells it all. The Pandemic has separated friends and family. For those of you who know history, it has been called divide and conquer.

It was a beautiful day for hiking and it was great to get out and about. I am thankful they have a mother who knows how to teach children and is able to spend the time with them (all the time during this pandemic} and who does it so very well.

It's been a couple of months already since these pictures were taken. I would really like to be putting snow pictures here right now, but I'm so behind. I was hoping Santa would be ready for me to jump aboard the train to the North Pole, but it just hasn't happened. I'm still enjoying the memories of fall at the lakes..

Ashley had a good time exploring Sinkland Farms with some friends from Virginia Tech.

It is cool that a business trip could be so much fun and a learning experience as well. Here are some of the ladies at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. It claims to be the world's largest museum attraction. The Titanic in TN is twice the size of the Ark in Kentucky.

I was spoiled. But, then I had a couple of great friends who moved away...one to Texas and one to Atlanta. Then I was blessed to become one of another nice group of the best friends ever for years. Then something happened. The first one to leave us moved to North Carolina, then one of them had to move to Minnesota for her husband's job. Then one of them moved back to Texas, their 'home state' to retire. Then another moved to Texas for her husband's new job, and then one moved to Florida for the weather. Now we have another one getting ready to move to Arizona. That will leave only five here in Ohio. All of them like to travel, and get out of the snow in winter. Thankfully, we have the internet for things like FaceBook and email. We have phones for both Face Time and Zoom, but it just isn't the same. Oh and I forgot to mention. The second to exit Ohio by moving to Minnesota has since moved to Texas, so we have three there now. I'm glad each of them has found a new life that she enjoys; but I miss seeing them in person very, very much. May God bless all of you. And I am thankful to God that I've made more new friends. God is good like that. He provides.

Beth and John took several selfies on November 4 while hiking with the family. The pictures were all good in their own ways and I'll probably do another layout using all the rest of them later. But this is my favorite. It just looks sooooo fun! I'm so glad they can get out to enjoy the great outdoors and get some fresh air.

The tooth fairy was ready. She was on this. Ava knew she would be there for her. They had gone through this before.

Even though most of the leaves are off the trees, it still looks more like fall here than winter. We've only had one snow of about an inch at the deepest which didn't cover the driveway and melted off the next morning. It was in the 40's today, but if one were working, like April and her dad Ron, it was pleasant weather. We expect the same tomorrow, then rain on Saturday. So I guess that is why I'm still enjoying making autumn layouts. Here is one I made today of Ashley, who was out with some of her friends from Virginia Tech, at Sinkland Farms. They were having a Pumpkin Festival, with other activities like horseback riding.

It's getting late. I haven't much more, if anything, to say about this layout. So, hope to see you back tomorrow.

I don't get many pictures of Lauren, she spends most of her time working at and for the gym. She is very devoted to her job. It is rare for her to get a way. It is so good to see her here with her dear friend Britt.

It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago that Chelle was born. Although we had four children at home, she was my first born. It was 1970. Wow time has passed quickly. But now at my age and during the pandemic, I get up and in just a few minutes it is time for bed. It feels like weeks pass like days. And the last 11 months have flown by. I guess we can be happy about that. They certainly have not been the best of our lives. It has been a very short time since I first found myself wearing two pairs of glasses just like Chelle is in this picture. The only conclusion I can come to is that it is not caused by age at all, but by the pandemic. Yes, we will blame the pandemic.

We're blessed to get good pictures of our great granddaughter Ava frequently, especially since we rarely get to see her. I love this one of her with her marshmallows.

Pigeon Forge is a very nice place in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee. Chelle was there with ladies on business for a week in September.

In September, Chelle made a trip with a group of ladies. Although it was business, they did find time to have some fun, as evidenced by these pictures.

While we girls were 'down south' of here in October. We ate at Pine Tree Barn and checked out all their displays of interesting merchandise and then on the way home, we thought about Smuckers and decided to stop. One really shouldn't miss Smuckers. It's always a pleasant place to shop.

Chelle and Mason share a love for playing Pokemon. November 15 was a Pokemon Community Day at Centennial Park in Nashville featuring the character Electabuzz. Mason got a selfie to remember this day. Careful, if you are not watching, he might slip up on you!

Still at the farm, Caleb and Julia work on an art project. They are using beeswax to preserve the leaves for art work. I had never heard of such a thing. I think if I were younger I would make good use of this new knowledge. I love the colored leaves in the fall and here in Ohio we get lots of beautiful leaves of multiple colors.

It is wonderful that Caleb and his siblings could get back to the farm. What a joyful place to be, especially at a time like this.

It was a quiet day for us today. Thankfully one of my friends, Sali, was ordering dinner for her family from Bob Evans. It sounded like a good thing to do and I suggested it to Ron. He liked the idea and we did the same. We have a Bob Evens near us, so it made it easy. We ordered a few days ahead to be ready at 2:00 today. We went to pick it up and in spite of having been told it would be ready at that time, we found a long line. Ron stood in that line for about 40 minutes. It was cold out, and that is the first time I ever heard Ron complain of chilling. Thankfully, the dinners were large and very good. While we had a good experience, my friend's family got home from a different Bob Evans with a pumpkin pie that had not been baked.Yes, really. It is hard to believe, but we saw the picture. The filling was a liquid that spilled out in the box and dripped all over everything. When they called, they were told they were out of pumpkin pie and so her husband went back to the restaurant to pick up an apple pie. Dinner was good, but it just isn't the same as sharing the day with family. Prayerfully, things will be back to normal by this time next year. Actually I'd like to see it back to normal really soon, like before Christmas.

Back in October while the leaves were turning bright colors, three of us 'girls' made a little road trip down to Pine Tree Barn in Wooster.

While John's family was riding the train in Colorado, it was nice here in Ohio as well. Here is a view from our house that brightens my life. I've never used this little sail boat myself, but that sail is a light in my pandemic life... and has been a joy for me even in years past.

Way back at the begining of September when it was already fall in Colorado, these pictures were taken when our 'kids' went on a short train ride in their home state of Colorado. Actually it seems in some ways to be such a short time ago.

Again, I am not able to add a layout to this blog. I cannot find the help I need to remedy the problem...and I'm paying for this blog!

Ava's mom was a gymnist. It is really fun to see Ava check out a gym. Looks to me like she will be able to follow in her mother's footprints, literally. I would like to see her flip across the lawn like her mother did...and still can. To me, she looks the part here. I guess only time will tell.

We don't see much of Lauren and Pat these days, they are so busy and live in PA, but at least we get a picture now and then. This picture was taken when they visited her mom (our daughter) and her dad in Marietta, August 30. Yes it has been a while. I'm quite a bit behind in my scrapbooking. It's always good to see these big smiles.

Back at the end of August, where I am now attempting to get pictures scrapbooked, the little Byrds were starting 'school' for this year. In a sad Pandemic time like this, they are learning remotely from home. At least these children have siblings, so they won't be kept from all other children. I am still praying and looking forward to all this going away, so we can let our children be kids again.

We have had a very beautiful fall here in Ohio this year. Minus the wildfires and deep snow, Colorado has been quite nice as well. I have some pictures taken of the kids at the Laughing Buck Farm there.... Today I am putting Oliver in the spotlight as he plays in the fallen leaves. I love to see how much he enjoyed the experience.

Ava goes to school where she meets a friend on the first day. A few days later she waits for the school bus while wearing her big back pack and holding tight to her mask.

Life Goes On Oliver is in first grade this year. It is the grade I taught and I am still fascinated by first graders and of course he is a very special first grader. He had an assignment to write a story today. As he was writing his teacher (Mother) told him he needed to rewrite one of the words, because the letters can't touch each other. Oliver looked up and said, "Why? Cause of the corona?" The story is above with the pictures he drew to go along with it. It is good and I am impressed.

I haven't posted in a week. First of all I was having trouble posting. It just didn't want to work for me, then I got terribly busy and it didn't let up. I had made a book and it came back from the publisher very poorly done. I won't mention the publisher's name at this time. I am hoping nothing like that ever happens again. They did let me fix (what shouldn't need to be fixed) and get a replacement copy free. Obiously I want it to be just right next time, but I'm not sure what to do to bring that about; so I'm going the extra mile to be sure the most important part of each page shows up this time. It is a very time consuming deal...and at a busy time as well. I am posting this time just to let you all know that I haven't died...yet, or forgotten my blog. Also I need to keep my mind off current events!!! This page is one of our granddaughters and our only great grandchild, Ava.

Since the boys will be 'doing' school online from home, Julia will still have her brothers around for a while.

Back in August, Mason put up a Tennessee tech sign in his front yard for these pictures. Then he, with his mom's organizational help packed up the car for the trip to his school of choice, Tennessee Tech.

Brothers and buddies. Although they are nearly 5 years different in age, they will be doing school together at home, at least for this term, because of covid 19. It is good to see them teasing each other and enjoying what must be.

Yesterday we made an unplanned, spur of the moment, two hour one way trip to visit our daughter in Marietta. We packed the day full, expecting that today would be much colder. It is and we lived through yesterday, even enjoyed it.

I often read ‘personal’ stories on FaceBook. Today, I want to tell one of my own. The fact is that I would not be here. I would not be alive if... After my grandmother had five children, she was told by her doctor if she ever gave birth again it would kill her. Then she had my Uncle Clarence, a child of God. My grandmother had problems, but she lived. She had been warned. Later she found herself pregnant again. Yes she knew, but she loved her children. They were blessings. When my mother was born, grandmother died. Her husband was able to take care of the remaining children, but a neighbor took my mother in and raised her along with her own children. My mother was a wonderful lady who was a great mother to me. I was raised to love the Lord and to keep his commandments and number 6 is, 'Do not murder.' If my grandmother had ‘aborted’ my mother, I would not been here today, my God loving children would not be alive today, my sweet grandchildren would not be alive today. One abortion has consequences way beyond the health or inconvenience of one woman.

Here is a picture of Caleb, big brother of Oliver from yesterday's blog. Caleb has been at Dunn IB World School for five years and now is in the fifth grade. It is nice they are both together, but sadly, they are 'attending' classes online, using their computers at home due to the Pandemic. I ask for prayers for all children who are being confined at home without interaction with friends. Please pray they will do their best work and learn what they need to learn this year. Pray for the end of this lockdown, so that we all can get on with life.

School started on August,24,2020, the year of Pandemic. Oliver is a first grader this year, my favorite, since that is the grade I taught many years ago. I would have loved to have this sweet boy in my class. Look at that big smile. He is a special boy. I am so sorry he is not able to have a normal first grade year with his classmates. May God protect him and all others who are dealing with masks, social distancing, etc, through this year and help them learn to the best of their ablilities.