November 14, 2019

Grandma success!

November 14, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

As a grandma, you know you’re onto something when after engaging in an activity with a grandkiddo, he or she says, “We should do this every time!”

Well, I believe I’m onto something as Declan, my five-year-old long-distance grandson, declared exactly that during a recent FaceTime visit he and I had.

My success revolved around …

November 04, 2019

Message from Mom

November 04, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Message from Mom

Despite my penchant for getting rid of things when Jim and I moved to a smaller home last summer, I must admit to a semi-hoarder habit of holding on to things when it comes to my iPhone. Though I delete email from my phone regularly since it all comes through on my computer too, I do have on my phone old text messages and voicemails. Many from a year ago and more.

Today I’m especially appreciative of my semi-hoarder status when it comes to such things.

Today marks one year since my …

October 28, 2019

Sharing scary stories!

October 28, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Sharing scary stories!

I’ve been blogging for more than 10 years now and have seen a lot of changes in what works and what doesn’t for the medium. One thing I’ve noticed lately, perhaps you have too, is that it seems like more content is being shared beyond blogs than on the actual blogs. Meaning, social media channels have become the primary place for posting, blogs secondary. Which is the opposite of the earlier days of blogging…

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 364 link party for grandparents

October 25, 2019

Grand fun: A Bearizona visit with Arizona boys

October 25, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since Jim and I visited our grandsons (and daughter and son-in-law) in Arizona.

Hard to believe, too, that I’ve not shared the stories of all we did (other than make bracelets) during that visit. But with Benjamin’s milestones to mark soon after our return — such as his first haircut and his first birthday — details on our desert visit to see Brayden, Camden, and Declan were put on the back burner.

With temps hovering just below freezing and a snowy scene outside my windows as I write this, today seems an especially ideal day to recap one particularly grand fun-in-the-sun outing we had our grandsons at the outset of autumn. That being the day we spent at Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park, located about an hour south of the Grand Canyon.

October 21, 2019

Shortest season ever!

October 21, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Shortest season ever!

Remember those photos of fall I shared right here only eleven days ago? Well, the very day that post published, winter moved in just as I feared and my pretty leaves turned crunchy brown.

In the ten days since, winds picked up, crunchy brown leaves hit the ground.

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 363 link party …

October 17, 2019

Firsts for Benjamin: A haircut and a happy birthday

October 17, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

My youngest grandson, Benjamin, is bound and determined to mature and move on at lightning speed, seemingly so much sooner than the grandsons that came before him.

To wit: The kid marked two major milestones in the past week or so. Those being his first haircut and his first birthday. How can that be? Seems he was just born.

Alas, as I’m in no position to press pause on the growing boy’s progress, I merrily go along with his maturing. And take photos, of course. Lots of photos.

October 14, 2019

Birthday celebration!

October 14, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Birthday celebration!

Guess who had a first birthday celebration on Sunday! Well, if you guessed Benjamin, you would be 100 percent correct.

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 362 link party for grandparents

Today we celebrate grandparent bloggers … by sharing and reading links in yet another GRAND Social link party! Yay, you! Thank you for participating!

October 07, 2019

A grand goose egg

October 07, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

A grand goose egg

Bumps, bangs, and boo-boos are part and parcel of the toddler stage as newbie walkers get their land legs. I get that.

Goose eggs are entirely different story as far as I’m concerned, though. Yet every. single. one of my grandsons got big ones at one point or another. Benjamin’s point came Saturday when he bonked his noggin …

October 03, 2019

Oh, yes we did: Bracelets with boys

October 03, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

This past weekend, Jim and I kicked off fall with a quick visit to see our grandsons in the desert, as I’d mentioned here was on the calendar. During the visit, I did indeed make bracelets with the boys, just as Declan had requested.

Thing is, despite his enthusiasm upon seeing the paracord bracelet kit I’d brought in my Grandma Bag, Declan bowed out of the bracelet making in mere minutes. Which worked out for the best as bracelet-making was quite a feat for a five-year-old. Well, a feat for this grandma — who’s 10 times that and more — as well.

September 26, 2019

Fall favorites

September 26, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Fall has long been my hands-down, very most favorite season of the year.

I’m certainly not alone in my autumn adoration, as there are plenty of grandmothers and others who’d answer fall if asked what’s their favorite season of all.

We may not all give the same answer as to why fall is our favorite, though.