James Lewis ~

You've read the words - here are some visuals.


{Grandpa}

{Grandpa}

{Grandpa}

{Grandpa & Football}

{Grandpa & Grandma}

{Grandpa & Grandma 'ringing the bell', after their engagement}

{Grandpa & Grandma}

{Grandpa}

{Grandpa &  me Mum}

{Grandpa & Mum}

{Grandpa & Mum}

{Grandpa, Olivia, & Evy}

{Grandpa, Me, & Grandma}

{Grandpa}

{Grandpa Hand & Evin Hand}

{Grandma & Grandpa}

<3 Grandpa <3

This post has been made possible because of my cousin Jennifer's time, love, and energy poured into collecting and uploading these treasured memories . . . thanks, Jen. <3

Pip-pip,
Phia

Tag-ged

Hoi . . . am I ever behind on this sort o' thing. =[
Still, here you have it.

Over the past 9 months, I have been so generously awarded three different blog awards, by three lovely ladies:

Leah


Haley


Ariel

Because my brain activity is not at it's optimal functionality at this hour, on Saturday evening (during which time i am composing this post), I am going to be concise and give the same 11 (and 7) random facts about myself and the same 11 questions, that are a requirement of the Stylish Blogger, Liebster, and Blogger Awards. =}

Rules for The Stylish Blogger Award
SAY SEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF

1 - navy and mustard are divine
2 - all of my piano and violin teachers have gotten married or gone off to a foreign country (sometimes both!)
3 - i am the only child in my family's birth order, to be book-ended by brothers =]
4 - i am also the only child to have an older and younger of both sisters and brothers
5 - fairly often, i have a tendency to not fini ...
6 - For He is an Englishman . . . the song for every occassion
7 - i am a mercy

Rules for the Liebster Award
1. You post the rules... 
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Those I awarded can answer the questions I posted.
4. I am supposed to create 11 new random questions for the people I tagged.
5. And finally, notify the people I have awarded

These are the questions Haley gave me =)

1. How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day? (that is, if you drink coffee at all!)
Answer: no more than 1

2. How many siblings do you have?
five.
three sisters: two older, one younger.
 two brothers: one older, one younger.

3. Do you like to wear socks?
in the winter

4. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
it helps me enormously to organize and straighten out my rather rumply thinkings.

5. Do you play an instrument?
oh, i play around with several.

piano is my primary focus.

6. What is your eye color?
well, it was blue when i was born; but, the question isn't "what was your eye color?", is it now? =]
my eye color is dark brown.

7. When did you start blogging?
ah, that fondly fateful day -
wednesday, july 20th, 2011

8. What is your favorite book?
why does this question exist?
=]

9. What is your favorite music?
music that can create a picture in my mind
(nice ones, of course =)

10. If you created a bumper sticker, what would it say?
either . . .
i know it's green, but what else is about it?
or
no, that's wendy =]

11.  Are you shy?
some have received that impression, though i cannot fathom why. ;)
i can be silent at times; but, i make it a general rule to avoid being shy.
to be sure, i used to consider myself shy.
then, my dear mum, lovingly shared an insight with me (i am forever indebted).
"being shy is selfish and prideful."
this was a shocker for me - i thought that being shy was the quintessence of thinking about others and showing humility. 
nope. =/
when you're being all shy and reclusive in your spirit, are you thinking of anyone but yourself?
are you focused on how you can make someone else feel at ease?
even though you may not be feeling that way, i find that it helps me to help someone else. 
i'm not suggesting that you speak incessantly, going 100 wpm - focus on the Lord . . . how would He be conducting Himself in this situation?
heh heh
erm, so that's my not-one-sentence-answer. ;)

4 Random Things
{adding on from the previous 7}

8 - i prefer to be cold
9 - i do enjoy heat if there's sun
10 - i want to learn Danish
11 - i have a habit of unintentionally disappearing


Rules // BLOGGER AWARD

1 // Each person must list 11 things about themselves.
2 // Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the people you will nominate with this award.
3 // Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.
4 // Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.
5 // Absolutely NO tag backs.
6 // Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers  

1. What is your second favorite book?
excellent question!

erm, my second favorite devotional, biography, dickens, play, lewis, wodehouse, novel, or children's literature?? =}

devotional: The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life

biography: Vera, the King's Daughter

dickens: ugh . . . it's a tie between David Copperfield / Dombey and Son

 (because I can't decide which one is my first favorite =)

play: Our Town

lewis: C.S Lewis' Letters to Children

wodehouse: Right Ho, Jeeves!

novel: An Old Fashioned Girl

children's literature: Jane of Lantern Hill

I could keep going . . . if you want to talk books/literature/biographies/whatever-you-wish-pertaining-to-scribblements-for-edification, i would be exceedingly eager to oblige =]

2. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

at the beginning of this year, my top six places - no, wait a minute . . . seven, it's seven - right, the top seven places i wanted to visit (the most ) were: CO, AK, VT, UK, IE, and UA

now, i have been to CO! 

annnd i still want to go to all of the rest =]

3. What is your dream?
is that 'dream', singular?? ;]

^^

what is a 'dream'?, i ask.

there are several definitions.

- -

1) mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, during certain phases of sleep

2) a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

3) a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration

~

well, i used to have the same recurring dream, when i was younger . . . the gist? 

constant_running/mad_scientist/talking_killer_whales/hiding_in_large_plaza/etc. =P

{actually, i classify that as more of a childhood nightmare =}

~

in answer to def. #2 - employed as a nanny in england!

~

but, really, my cherished hope, ambition, and aspiration is to live this life God's given me to the very fullest; in a way that brings the highest glory to Him.

~

which means doing what?

+whatever the need calls for+ 

which means being where?

<3wherever He leads me<3

which means for how long?

*forever and into eternity*

4. What is your favorite thing to cook?
er, rather, 'not cook' ;)

well, today, it was raw corn chowder

5. What are your favorite kind of shoes?
whimsical and sophisticated flats / running shoes

6. How do you spend your spare time?
'spare time'?
one, of several ways:
-transported to another place with a book
-worshiping with music
-in recreational pursuits
-being still, and knowing that He's God
-cleaning and/or organizing
-in conversations, edifying

7. What is your favorite part of Anne of Green Gables?
/ when Anne is talking with Miss Stacey about beautiful consolations /
/ when Marilla has to cut her hair, and Matthew gives her a hug /
 / Lady of Shalott, re-enacted /

8. What would your dream dress look like?
floor-length, empire-waist, 3/4 length sleeve, square neckline, slight train, delicate chiffon

orrrr 1950's-ish =)

heh

i'm not entirely sure =}

9. What is your favorite time of the week?

.today.

10. What is your favorite place to shop?
~
shop for what?

marshalls

t.j.max

target

land's end

l.l.bean

whole foods

good will

charming charlie's

barnes and noble

edward's orchard

11. What is your favorite book of the Bible?
Isaiah, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Philippians, Proverbs, Malachi, and I John.
ooops, that's more than one ;}
all of them!

Now for my questions, to those I have so chosen. =)
{by the bye, yes, I am tagging specific people for these questions; however, if you see one that you'd like to answer, please feel free to, in a comment below. =) }

1. Can you list 7 flower names off the top of your head?
{if so, list them ;}
2. What is/are your middle name{s}?
3. For reasons unthinkable, inconceivable, unlikely, unimaginable, and altogether undesirable, If you were only able to have three books (excepting the Scriptures), what would they be?
4. Supposing you had the opportunity to become an RN, College Professor, Opera Singer, Interior Designer, Professional Caterer, or Zookeeper...with which vocation would your decision lie?
5. Chinese or Mexican?
6. Sushi or Crawdads?
7. 1709, 1809, 1909, or 2009?
8. Handel or Gilbert & Sullivan?
9. Do you ever read poetry aloud to yourself?
10. What would your Pen Name be?
11. In the line-up of your siblings, where do you fall (child# and daughter/son#)?

Diana, Anslea, and Kayla,

I do so tag you, with the following:

Diana - Liebster Award

Anslea - Stylish Blogger Award

Kayla - Blogger Award

The respective rules for your award can be found above (somewhere ;).
Go on, have fun with it. =]

I'd say that my previous post took the prize for lengthiest picture post, thus far, and I think this one takes the lengthiest word post award! ;P


Well, it's been chummy . . .

Pip-pip,
Phia

So, I Met this Guy ...

... 1 year ago, August 11th ...



... And I am still completely smitten. =]
After being so eagerly anticipated (for what felt like an age), I held him in my arms for the very first time.
<3

~ The Early Days ~

I stayed with T + E for a week, after the dear boy's arrival (!).
And this is the look I would get when I'd put him down, so I could go and do the dishes. =]

I knew we were going to have fun with his hair, from the very beginning! ;}

And we most certainly have ... +]

An early social appearance. 

Don't the eyes enchant?!
(def. #2 =)

Happy Holding Times

Transfixed with looking at himself in the camera ;)

He undeniably resembles both of my brothers (in my opinion).
Uncle - Nephew

(I'll have to show you a picture from Erik's babyhood, at some point =)

Adorably Curious 

His reaction to seeing Heidi is hilarious!
He always thinks that she's going to chase him (I wonder why? ;), so
he'll giggle and hide his face in the shoulder of whoever's holding him at the moment.
=D

The only way to keep Baby from removing sunglasses from face, is to occupy hands, so as to prevent them from performing said action. =}
And this is the face, resulted.

Being Thoughtful
(er, perhaps, bored? ;)

The noise that comes with this face is cuteness at it's best!

He's at a fun age to take to the Zoo - he puts up with a lot. ;)

Grandpa Fred and his Grandson <3

He enjoys riding things ...

Lions ...

... Airplanes ...

... and Skateboards, to name several. =)

Fluffy Child

"Hellooo?"

{everything is a phone}

Such Sunshine!

Growing Well!

*sniff*

He can feed himself =')

Favorite past times include:

Carrying Evin-sized suitcase around the entire house; eating ... ; helping 'clean'  (I know he means well =); cuddling with fuzzy things (or trying to rearrange their faces, with his teeth ... depends on his mood ;); holding objects ... he has this sixth sense, where he knows precisely what he shouldn't hold, and then attempts to grasp Forbidden Item =P; riding on Great Grandma's mobile chair-lift; getting tickled on his head; getting rides in baskets ...

"These are a few of {his} favorite things!" =)

Saying "please" for his yummies, by clasping both hands together. 

How can one refuse him anything when that adorably hopeful smile is present!

We captured him in an over-sized T-shirt ... 

... this is how he felt about it. =]

Charming Chap!

 He stays tremendously busy ...

This is the 'talking-to-himself' expression ;)

Visit The Little Intern for updates on Evin's adventures!

1st Birtday Festivities!

Most amusingly, the boy would rather Collect Rocks, or take handouts from peoples' dinner, than open presents.

Photo-booth Merriment!

He's going to master the whole whistling-with-your-fingers thing!

"For he is an Englishman!"

Evin and newly acquired Fluffy Friend, Geoffrey. =]

Some of my most cherished memories. <3

He's rather the center of attention among'st my peoples =) 

{P.C. - Evangeline Renee}

Happy 1st Birt{h}day, Buddy!

Of course, I realize that there are many other aunts and uncles reading this post (or whatever the relation may be), who have the cutest nieces and nephews ever! =]

And you are perfectly at liberty to say so; in fact, I'll say it with you!

It is every fond relation's right. =)

So, I'm certain you shall understand, and will take no offence when I say that,

My nephew is the cutest e.v.e.r. <3

Pip-pip,

Phia