An Evening Out; An Evening with Turner!

On Wed. - Dec. 17, Kit and I had a wonderful evening with
Turner! Matt and Kristen asked us to come to Apex to
keep our 2nd grandson while they went out for dinner and
the ECU/NC State basketball game. We would never think
about saying 'no' to such an opportunity! We had so much
fun with Turner as we gave him our complete attention!
Below are some sweet pictures of this little baby boy.

Look at those huge dark eyes!

Turner knows how to quietly blow bubbles!

Grandad and Turner

Gran giving Turner a 'swing' as he watches TV! He loves

colors and movement.

Turner is sitting up on the couch without any help! Well,

actually, the couch is great in giving him support!

Grandad and Turner, taking it easy!

Turner loves sitting in his bouncy lounger.

I think that his favorite critter is the red frog that goes

up and down.

Chloe was a good dog during the evening. If she heard

Turner cry, she had to come where we were and check

it out! She had a bad week last week with her seizures.

She's much better this week.

Enjoy this video of Kit talking to Turner and

Turner responding! We even got a cute little

laugh from him. Precious moments!

How do you get Turner to sleep if you are

desperate...The Incredible Magic Swing!! He

likes for it to go fast too.

My Little Rock Job Assignment...

I returned to Little Rock to work once again as a literacy
consultant/coach this past week. I have three schools where
I work with six teachers and three literacy coaches. They
are wonderful people and I've had a great time working
with them. The students are lots of fun too and very
cooperative. I look forward to returning two more times
to help the teachers.

Maumelle Middle is just one of my schools. It is a fairly
new school, a large building with about 700-800 students.

Here is the front entrance of Maumelle Middle. It is such
a long school that I couldn't get it all to fit within the camera!

The literacy coach took a few pictures in one of the

classrooms. This is a 6th grade science class and the

students are really smart.

MAB in action! The students were so cooperative.

This science lesson on simple machines went well. The

students were learning how to use Fix-Up Strategies, a

clarification skill needed when you read. They loved

the term 'clunks', used when your reading isn't smooth

due to unknown vocabulary.

I am enjoying my retirement and this part-time job

so much. I'm grateful for my teaching career and all

that I learned or experienced. Now, I can use all of

that experience and knowledge to help other teachers.

It is so much fun preparing the customized lessons, then

presenting them. I feel blessed with this opportunity and

more blessed that Betty and I get to travel together!

Betty and Mary Ann Back in Little Rock, Arkansas...Again!

Betty and I headed back to Little Rock, Arkansas on
Monday, December 8th for more coaching work with
our teachers. We flew out of Greensboro arrived in
Memphis, to make our connecting flight to Little Rock.
We had to rush to get our luggage, our rental cars and
check into our motel. But we arrived in time for our
6:30 Arkansas Queen Riverboat Dinner Cruise with
Christmas Carols. We had a good buffet meal, enjoyed
the company of others, the music, the laughter and the
ride up the Arkansas River.

This is the entrance ramp to get onto the riverboat. It was
decorated with lights as was the boat.

It was dark by the river dock, but you can see the riverboat
all decorated with the lights for the season.

Here's Betty before we had a great dinner.

Here is Mary Ann, hungry and ready to eat!

The boat was decorated inside for the holiday season.

There was a bar, but I didn't see anyone buying. There

was a group aboard from a nearby Baptist Church, a group

from a Seniors Home and some other smaller groups.

The Arkansas River Rats entertained us. They were really

good too. They sang the wonderful familiar Christmas carols

and songs. They also sang requested secular songs. They

were funny and talented. We enjoyed singing with them.

Betty and I were the 'back-up singers' for Blue Christmas

with our 'do-do-do-do-do' rhythm!!!!

Even though it was cold, we had to take a stroll on deck

after dinner. The wind was blowing, but it wasn't too bad.

It was too dark for taking pictures, but I tried! You cannot

see the water below.

Here you can see some of the lights along the shore.

And of course, here are the red paddles making the boat

move along the river. It was lots of fun and helped

Betty and I to continue enjoying the Christmas Season.

We also had a great time enjoying another concert on

Wed. night...Mannheim Steamroller!! For many years

I have enjoyed the interestingly different Christmas

music of this group. At last I was able to watch them

perform live on stage! The Robinson Center Auditorium

is beautiful and the sound/light effects of the concert were

incredible. Watching the musicians move from instrument

to instrument was incredible. They all play numerous

instruments with perfection to create those great sounds.

David Phelps Concert!!! What a Voice!

On Sunday evening, December 7th, my great friend, Betty

Parrott, her youngest daughter Carly and I traveled to

Concord to a church for a concert. Betty's older daughter,

Ashley, and her friend, Laura, met us there. Below you

see us waiting outside the door waiting to get inside. It

was cold, but we had a good time being together.

Below, you see the girls all decked out in their royal blue!

Laura and Ashley glittered-it-up just for the concert!

Laura, Carly and Ashley - Beautiful girls, inside and out!

Here is Ashley again!

Here is Carly!

Here are the Glistening for God Gals! MA and Betty

And here is David Phelps! He has an incredible voice and

we absolutely enjoyed every song he sang. His voice is

a true gift from God.

Do you see the clear sound 'cage' behind the bass guitar

player? It is located up on the stand in front of the drummer.

I'm sure that there is a technical name for it. But during the

second song of the night, this thing started falling backwards

toward the drummer! It was funny because even as it was

slipping, falling, the group finished the song! The drummer

didn't quit!

The violinist was wonderful!

David not only sang, but played the keyboard for a few songs.

On the left is David's sister and she has a beautiful voice too.

On the right is David's brother-in-law. His name is

Jack Daniels!!!! He was very talented as he could sing and

play numerous instruments.

We had a great time singing, laughing and praising God for

so many blessings. Listening to Phelps sing some of those

wonderful well-known Christmas songs was a blessing.

Listening to him sing songs from his latest CD was great too.

I'm so thankful that my friend Betty invited me to go!

Baby Depp News!!!!

We are so blessed that we have three healthy, wonderful grandchildren. And now, we know that Jenny and Matt are expecting another baby in May 2009! We are very happy. Although girls, we are definitely getting outnumbered in this family! The trip to Moscow went well yesterday. They met the doctor and he spoke English very well! Also, he answered the birthing questions with the answers that Jenny wanted him to say. The hospital is new and modern. The check-up went well with the doctor saying that Jen and baby are healthy, doing just fine. The ultrasound revealed that a baby BOY is on the way! We are happy to share that news with everyone. Addi is happy too that she is getting another baby brother. Just wait until this little Depp and Maddox get older!!! Oh my! Maddox doesn't quite understand yet, but he will. I just wonder how he will react in not being the 'baby' of the family and not the only boy. I know that he will love his brother and enjoy playing with him in the future.

Christmas on Coltrane Mill Rd.

It took us a week, but we do have some decorations up on
the outside of the house, and on the inside. I couldn't have
done it without some help. Thank you Adam and Kit for
hanging the icicle lights and for getting the tree down from
the attic. Thank you Kit for helping me decorate the front
railing with the lighted garland and our tree inside. I know
that I got help from Kit this year because he probably felt
sorry for me! But mainly, I know that he wants the lights
on display for Turner, Addi and Maddox!


I gave up on window wreathes after the first year living
in this house. They would be beautiful, but they are so
much trouble!!!

We should do more on the outside, but this will have to do!

Jenny, this is for you! You haven't seen our new dining
room chairs!!! This year, you get to sit in them and eat!

Addi and Maddox, Gran and Grandad have a Christmas
tree too! Yours is beautiful. I hope that you will like ours.
It looks rather bare underneath without any presents. Gran
must get some presents wrapped and under the tree. I have
presents bought and they are all over the bed in Jenny's
room upstairs! Another task to do once I get back from
Little Rock at the end of this upcoming week. They will
be wrapped by the time Christmas gets here!

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in

hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there! We have 11

members in our immediate family right now, counting

Baby Boy Depp. He already has a stocking hanging at

Gran and Grandad's house! Turner has a stocking hung too

as we celebrate his first Christmas!!!! Gran and Grandad's

stockings aren't hung yet. I need more holders for them...

and then I'll have to find some room on the mantle too.

I did get most of my Santa collection on the mantle.

All of you need to know that Micala shared with me that

she was so jealous. Chloe has pictures on this blog. Even

Kiyah has pictures on this blog. She had a pic at the

beginning when I started this, but nothing recently. So

here are two pics of Jenny's wild, severely spoiled cat!

She's so pretty, but you never know if she is going to be

sweet or sour!